Day 21... Just Counting The Best Of The Best! (March 2)

Mental

I am throwing people into the mental category today! Surrounding yourself with wonderful people leads to a peace of mind and an overwhelming sense of love and confidence! I had a dinner party tonight with a couple of people and this led to me feeling extra grateful for the people God chooses to bless me with.

From L to R: (Jay's big hand, Ryan, Me, Jay, Chris, Angelique, & Taylor)

Coco, Me, & Angelique

I have so many wonderful things to say about all of these people. Frankly, I don't know where to start.

Ryan

We met on social media first and then met in person a few months ago haha. Ryan has a heart of gold and has an amazing countenance. His optimism astounds me, especially with all he has experienced. I've never been so intrigued by anyone ever! He is such an example to so many people and quite the pillar of strength. I can't get over how great he is! If you don't know Ryan, well, then that is a shame.

Jay

We grew up in the same area, but didn't meet until we were in college through our mutual friends. Jay is hysterical! I like having this guy as a friend and plus he's always up for coming with me to try new food!! Jay is extremely talented and also incredibly humble. Jay does things because he has passion, not because he looks for recognition. 

Chris

Chris Chris!! I have known Chris for a few years and have shared many laughs with him. His friendship means so much to me and I have always appreciated the way he makes light of things. I have a permanent smile whenever I see him! Aside from that, he has the voice of an angel! He doesn't like to sing in small intimate settings, but when he does, he melts every heart! His band The Strike is performing at Velour on March 22nd for their EP release so make sure you attend! 

Angelique

Where do I even start with her?! This girl has been my bestie for a long time and I adore and love her so so much! She's taught me many lessons and has been there for me in times where I'm weak and where I feel lost. Ang has also been through a roller coaster of experiences in the last couple of years and I've never been so proud of her! The way she tells the world to just "shove it" makes me laugh and also makes me wish I could be like her sometimes. Because of her experiences, she's taught me how to expect the best for myself and never let anyone make you feel otherwise. We keep our secrets in our "vault" and I am so happy to have her as a confidant and friend.

Taylor

I haven't known Taylor very long, but he is BRILLIANT! The man reads a few books a week and just finished writing his very own book recently! One of the things I like about Tay is that he is extremely witty and whatever he says next is even better than what you would've expected!

Coco

She and I met on this night. She is Ryan's older sister and I just adore her. Coco is incredibly sweet and is really funny! Ryan said before I met her that she was a hoot. Boy did she live up to that and then some! I like her! She's great!

This then led me to think of another very important group of people. This group has been through EVERYTHING together. We've seen each other cry, endure heartbreaks, survive the worst of the worst, have teased each other to the point where we get mad at each other, and mostly we've all experienced the purest form of love being friends with one another. We call ourselves the "Crew Crew" and I think my life would be boring without them! 5-6 years of being in each others lives has meant knowing anything and everything there is to know about one another. No group of friends is as loving, dysfunctional, and meant for each other all at the same time!

Darin, Jillian, Garrett, Angelique, Chris, Me

Spiritual

I met with my bishop in the morning and wanted to talk to him about some of the hard times I have been experiencing (as alluded to in my last post) and how it has effected me spiritually. There were two things he said that stood out:

1) Believe in miracles. Not Moses parting the Red Sea kind of miracles, but everyday life altering miracles. The kind of miracles that change the hearts of others, the kind of miracles and bring peace, and most importantly the kind of miracles that reinforce your love for/belief in the Savior.

2) Don't forget about God. He made me set an alarm in my phone so that every evening, longgggg before I go to bed, I drop everything and say a prayer and get to know my Heavenly Father. It is so easy for us to just pray before bed, but he said why not pray more. Prayer will help us realize who we are in relation to our Father in Heaven and help us to align our wills with His. 

He said that if I can create a foundation made up of knowing who I am (a daughter of God), who God wants me to be, loving and trusting my Savior, and believing he can make miracles happen, then I will be able to get through the trials in my life and witness the work of the Father and the Son.

My bishop is truly inspired and I am grateful for him and his ability to serve us individually.

Physical

Body Image has been something that I have always struggled with. I constantly battle not feeling pretty enough or being skinny enough, etc. Part of that comes with being a girl, but most of that comes with needing to see myself as God sees me. That has been my main focus these past 3 weeks and to strive to not give up. I have lost over 5 lbs and my body is physically changing. I am not doing this because I want to look good for someone else or seek out attention. This is about me taking care of my body and working to make it strong and healthy. 

I have loved incorporating my mental, spiritual, and physical progress these last 3 weeks and am looking to start over with a new 21 day plan! I want to break these down and focus in on those changes I have made. I am grateful for great friends that make me happy and who give me strength. I already feel different in many ways and am looking forward to always becoming better.

Day 12 - Day 20 Healthy Optimism (Feb. 21-Mar. 1)

I am combining 8 days of learning into one post. It may look like I am being lazy, but I can honestly say most lessons I learned were pretty spanned out and ultimately made me better.

Mental:
The last 8 days have pushed me into a state of optimism. I had a fairly rough start to my week, but carried it out like a BOSS! Remember how on day 1 I posted the music video for Pharrell Williams' song Happy? That song boosted week! I was instantly in my element: planned a dinner party, had dinner with great friends, played Cupid, had fabulous workouts, and omg... THE WEATHER WAS PERFECT!!! The last week of February and it was nearly 60 degrees! How?! I actually don't care how because what matters to me is that it just happened! Lots of sunshine meant lots of mental happiness and stability for this girl!

Spiritual:
I have been praying about some very serious decisions lately and I've realized how important it is for me to be connected to the Lord. For a few months, I have been going through an extremely difficult time that almost no one knew about. I kept most of it a secret, save for family and close friends, and just kept a smile on my face. Although Elder Holland says it best when he quotes Rudyard Kipling,

If you can smile when things go wrong 

And say it doesn’t matter, 

If you can laugh off cares and woe 

And trouble makes you fatter,

If you can keep a cheerful face 

When all around are blue, 

Then have your head examined, bud, 

There’s something wrong with you.

For one thing I’ve arrived at: 

There are no ands and buts, 

A guy that’s grinning all the time 

Must be completely nuts.

I believe this to be true. Even though I had a week that taught me to be optimistic, I recognized that that came because I took the time to grieve and to seek out my Savior for comfort. How can we ever really be happy unless we know the peace that the Savior can give when we're sad? The Lord blessed me with some very important people that came into my life and helped me to see how much he cares for each of us. Some of these people knew what was going on, some did not. Some were examples in the way they lived their lives, some were there for the physical hugs when I needed them. Nearly 3 weeks of mental, spiritual, and physical training has truly given me a great start to being on a great path full of peace.

Physical: 

My body has become extremely important to me. At this point, I feel sick when I have too many carbs or sugar. My body is starting to reject things that just aren't healthy. Also, I am sold on XOJO. In these last 3 weeks, I have lost over 5 lbs and am still going! Not only have I lost weight, but I have toned up and am getting ready for warm weather that is already upon us. 

I am grateful for a body and the chance to learn to care for it. Caring for our bodies is such a struggle at times, especially when we are tempted by everything around us. A healthy body will help us to have a healthy mind and spirit; this is what I am building upon. Step by step, I am learning to see my body as a vessel, as an instrument available to be of service to the Lord.