10 Things I Tell Myself … And You Should Too

Someday I want to have a grand mantra for my life. A poignant and beautiful statement that sums up the past, the present and the future. (Wink wink). It hasn’t happened yet but I do have certain words, thoughts, phrases and ideas that I put on repeat. I didn’t intend for it to happen, over time they just kind of took their place as part of my daily soundtrack. They are helpful and comforting and come from the one person who truly knows what I need to hear when I need to hear it: me.

1.) “I’m alive and I’m safe.”

Sometimes it’s necessary to state the obvious just so it’s real and you can truly appreciate it. In all honesty I hit snooze a couple of times before I realize it, but once that initial fog lifts and I am aware I’m waking up in my warm bed in my safe home with my healthy girls and I’ve lived to see the beginning of another day, I breathe a sigh of relief: I’m alive and I’m safe.

2.) “Get up. Seriously. Get up.”

Admittedly I lay there for a bit, bargaining with what or who I don’t know because the world keeps spinning no matter how cozy I want to be for just five more minutes. But I mean get up literally and figuratively: girl get your butt out of this bed and get up to meet life as it greets you today. Get Up!

3.) “Be thankful.”

I can start off worrying, fretting, complaining or I can begin to count my blessings. It’s pretty hard to feel angry or sorry for yourself when you start thinking about all you have to be thankful for. Works every time.

4.)”Show ’em what you’re made of!”

I actually say this to my three girls as they get out of the car for school. I’ve been saying it since my oldest was in preschool and truthfully it’s for me as much as it is for them. Show who you are, be who you are, and stand up for you. But also show you are kind and that you can bite your tongue instead of springing into an argument. Show you are respectful of the people you come across and interact with. Show you are real and not afraid to ask for help. You are made of many things. Show them what you’re made of.

5.) “Look how far you’ve come.”

Recent years have been topsy turvy for me. I doubted if I could stand it, if I could live through it, if I could do it. But as you are plowing ahead to the next big thing, or even if you are just trying to survive today, don’t forget to look back at how far you’ve come and be proud of it.

6.) “I have great friends and a great family.”

Boy, do I. You just don’t even know. Parents who have backed me up to the highest level and refused to let me fall. Friends who love me without judgement or criticism. My children who see me as good and hard working and worthy. I marvel at “my people” and what they mean to me.

7.) “You never know what someone else is going through.”

Simple as that. Unless you know for a fact someone is a just a flat out bonafide total jackass, give them the benefit of the doubt. And if you can’t do that, just stay away from them and send up a wish of hope for them. You never know what’s happening in “real life” behind the view that’s being presented to the world.

8.) “You need to lose weight, you need to get organized, you need to eat all organic, you need to clean the house you need to do better…”

In between positive affirmation and prayer and self pep talks, I pepper in plenty of doubt, worry and self criticism. It just seeps in sometimes. Which leads me to the next thing I tell myself…

9.)”STOP!”

Enough beating yourself up. I catch myself much more often and much faster now when I start to go down that ugly path. I consider putting a quick stop to the self imposed negativity an improvement in my life that I plan to keep improving upon.

10.) “Every choice is a chance, every chance is a choice.”

Make decisions FOR you, because who knows you better? And then take responsibility for the choices you make. If you’re going to make mistakes they might as well be your own. Take big chances and make good choices and give yourself the life you deserve.

1 COMMENT

  1. I miss Amanda Tatom on studio 512, so beautiful and classy, I hope she goes on to something even bigger and better but, I no longer watch studio 512, it’s just not the same without her.

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