Step Outside of Your Comfort Zone

This weekend I went up to Fort Collins to visit my brother who still lives there. Fort Collins is where I first moved in 2005 when I graduated high school and went to college there. I spent 5 great years in Fort Collins but when I moved to Denver this summer I was ready to leave. I never thought I actually missed FoCo until I went back this weekend, I didn't see it coming at all. But I started reminiscing of all the memories and growth I had in that cute & quaint town. I moved there as an 18 year old girl fresh out of Wisconsin and left a 24 year old, dare I say, woman?! I know I still have so much more to learn and my whole life ahead of me, but I'm so thankful for the years I spent, in what started out as a very unfamiliar town, and ended up one of my comfort zones, Fort Collins, Colorado.

As I drove out of FoCo on Harmony to take I-25 back down to Denver I looked in my rear view mirror at the foothills and began second-guessing. Is Denver right for me?? Is that where I really belong. I spent the whole drive back down to Denver thinking what life would be like if we never left our comfort zones. If our fight to avoid change actually worked, how boring would life be?? And then as I exited onto Park Ave, the skyline quickly reminded why I moved to Denver. It's beautiful, there's so much energy and beauty, and Denver is definitely where I belong.

So today I challenge you, to embrace change and find ways to step outside of your comfort zone.


 ♥

It gets better...

I am feeling a huge tornado of emotions right now after reading this article on Huffpost. It breaks my heart to hear yet ANOTHER child has taken their life because they can't find an end to their pain.  After taking a class; Psychology of Death & Dying, I have very mixed emotions about suicide over all.  My general stance is that Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. I wish SO badly that kids and teens could understand that. I've never suffered with the pains of depression as many of these kids have, so I partly don't feel like I have much room to talk. I have had close friends that have struggled and overcome, and one thing I do know, is if you can manage to stay strong and hold on, it will get better.

Here is the article.

ALSO, in the process of writing this article I came across this amazing website, It Gets Better Project

Please take the time to pledge your support to this great organization, it has amazing resources to help kids & adults that are having a hard time and also great support videos created by everyday people like you and me as well as many influential people in our society.

Here is one of the many videos, created by employees at Pixar

That is all ♥

The Story of Life

I figured since I really wanted to make a point to post every day, and was so busy yesterday that I never got around to creating a post, that I'd make up for it by posting twice today. Well, actually I'm probably just looking for an excuse to post this. It's called "The Story of Life". I'm not sure who the author is but it's something that I've always love to read over the years. In fact, for a long time I had it framed in my room. Great thoughts, great reminders. Enjoy! ♥

Sometimes people come into your life and you know right away that they were meant to be there, to serve some sort of purpose, teach you a lesson, or to help you figure out who you are or who you want to become. You never know who these people may be (possibly your roommate, neighbor, coworker, long lost friend, lover, or even a complete stranger), but when you lock eyes with them, you know at that very moment they will affect your life in some profound way.

And sometimes things happen to you that may seem horrible, painful, and unfair at first, but in reflection you find that without overcoming those obstacles you would have never realized your potential, strength, willpower, or heart.

Everything happens for a reason.

Nothing happens by chance or by means of good luck.

Illness, injury, love, lost moments of true greatness, and sheer stupidity all occur to test the limits of your soul. Without these small tests, whatever they may be, life would be like a smoothly paved, straight, flat road to nowhere. It would be safe and comfortable, but dull and utterly pointless.

The people you meet who affect your life, and the success and downfalls you experience, help to create who you are and who you become. Even the bad experiences can be learned from. In fact, they are probably the most poignant and important ones.

If someone hurts you, betrays you, or breaks your heart, forgive them, for they have helped you learn about trust and the importance of being cautious when you open your heart.

If someone loves you, love them back unconditionally, not only because they love you, but because in a way, they are teaching you to love and how to open your heart and eyes to things.

Make every day count.

Appreciate every moment and take from those moments everything that you possibly can for you may never be able to experience it again.

Talk to people that you have never talked to before, and actually listen.

Let yourself fall in love, break free, and set your sights high.

Hold your head up because you have every right to.

Tell yourself you are a great individual and believe in yourself, for if you don't believe in yourself, it will be hard for others to believe in you.

You can make of your life anything you wish.

Create your own life and then go out and live it with absolutely no regrets.

Most importantly, if you LOVE someone tell him or her, for you never know what tomorrow may have in store.

And learn a lesson in life each day that you live.

That's The Story Of Life.

Surrender

There are many authors that I have learned SO much from over the years. Here is a great reminder, brought to you by Cheryl Richardson...

"There is a Universal energy, a Divine force that creates us; sustains us; connects us to one another; and works in cooperation with our thoughts, words, and actions to generate our life experiences. When we recognize and learn to work in partnership with this benevolent power, we become masters of our own destiny. The formula is simple: Think thoughts that make you feel good, make choices that make you feel good, and take actions that make you feel good. Then surrender the outcome, trusting that Life will bring you what you need to grow and be happy."

Speaking of Surrender, I'm going to state the obvious to those of you who know me, I am borderline obsessed with Oprah. I have been watching her for longer than I can remember. Her show started in 1986, half a year before I was even born. So until her show ended this spring, there was not a day of my life that her show hasn't had some sort of influence on me. Even though it's officially over, it will always be my favorite show. There are many moments on her show that stand out to me as my absolute favorites. My favorite shows are rarely the ones with actors or actresses and all the famous people she had on over the years, they were more often the shows with "everyday" people, hearing about their experiences. These segments forced me to think differently and taught me lessons I still to this day, have not forgotten.

One story that Oprah told about her personal life, has had a particularly big impact on me. Before her show was even nationally syndicated, she had the opportunity to audition for a part in the film "The Color Purple". She says she has never wanted anything more in her life, than the role she auditioned for. This story still gives me chills, watch the video to see what happened.......

[This isn't a clip of the original segment that I had heard this story on, this is her speaking about it in her Master Class show. If you have 10 minutes to watch, please do, it gets me every time.]

"You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand." ♥ John 13:7

Positive Reinforcement, not just for kids & dogs anymore!

I'm sure you are wondering where the title of my blog comes from...

     I had been thinking of countless ideas to title my blog over the past few weeks. I'd think while driving, falling asleep, working and nothing quite seemed to fit what I wanted my blog to embody. I've often heard our best and most creative thoughts often happen in the quiet of a morning shower, and that's where I came up with the idea for this title. Although I didn't graduate with a degree in Psychology, I chose to focus many of my elective credits on Psych classes, and positive reinforcement was a very prevalent term in many of those classes. Although it's usually used when talking about raising children and training our pets, often it's something we as adults often need and seek from others, and is often something we lack in our lives.
     My whole purpose in creating this blog is simply to provide you with some of the "Positive Reinforcement" you may need in your life. I love quotes, pictures & stories that encourage me to live a better life. If they uplift me and inspire me to be a better person and live a better life, maybe they will do the same for you too. Maybe not everything I post will feel like it's relevant to your life, but my hopes are that there will be moments where you think "I needed to hear that" or in the words of Oprah, maybe you'll have an "aha moment" and think, "I've never thought of it like that before!" We don't get old with age, we get old when we stop learning, growing and changing...

"I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today,

life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.

I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things:

a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.

I've learned that making a "living" is not the same thing as making a "life."
I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.

I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands.

You need to be able to throw something back.

I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart,

I usually make the right decision.

I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one.

I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone,

People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.

I've learned that I still have a lot to learn.

I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did,

 but people will never forget how you made them feel."

~ Maya Angelou