Photo by Will Truettner

Idk why (well actually, I’m 99% sure it’s because it’s almost that time of the month for me) but I have been in a pretty bad mood ever since I got back from Italy. Because summer is so short and sweet, and I don’t want to spend another week feeling down and out. After all, this is supposed to be hot girl summer, not sad girl summer or mad girl summer. I just want to feel all the positive vibes... but positivity is something I'm really struggling to hold on to right now. 

Although we are all for processing our emotions, staying in a funk for a week+ is not the vibe I want right now. So I’m surrounding myself with a lot of positive quotes, books, podcasts and people. Here are a few quotes I found last night that reminded me to take a moment, breathe, and accept that life is messy and sometimes uncontrollable and everything will be ok. I hope these quotes add a little inspiration to your week like they are for mine. 

And here are a few books I'm leaning on this week to reset my attitude and see the positive side of life right now. 

Thanks for spending a moment of your day to read and support my dreams. Sending you lots of love! Until next time my friend 

Photo by Ellieelien

I don't know about you, but this weekend was a roller coaster for me. I allowed myself to just wallow yesterday, and I think my body needed it. This morning, I woke up feeling upset, but then I looked at my phone and remembered that the Tone It Up Summer Challenge started today. As soon as I saw the reminder, I was instantly filled with hope because my week already had a pre-planned goal to look forward to. I had something to look forward to and a new community to share it with (that's my favorite thing about TIU - there are so many people to connect with while we focus on our health).  Today's workout was only 15 minutes, so it was super attainable instead of feeling overwhelming.

Getting out of bed to do this short session completely reset my outlook. I still struggle with beating myself up (because I don't have the results I desire out of life yet ... I know, I'm learning to become more patient), but this morning, I committed to focusing on consistency/showing up for myself instead of focusing on the results. I know I'll have to work hard to maintain this healthy mindset, but my soul is experiencing a moment of blissful peace... and that is something I'm willing to work hard for. I know that the state of mental health is sporadic. I accept that. But as each week passes, I am discovering more and more ways to keep my small promises to myself, even when I am struggling or in a very dark place.

Yesterday was a low day, but today is already sooooooo much better. And that's what we HAVE to keep reminding ourselves of. The grief, the depression, the anxiety, the guilt, the shame, the loneliness... those are all extremely powerful emotions, but they are temporary. Although they do not always go away on their own, we are fortunate enough to have the resources/technology to seek help and do small things to help us get on the other side of them. I hope these quotes put a smile on your face like they did for me. And if today is one of your low days, that's ok. Feeling better is a process where instant gratification just slaps a band-aid on the wound instead of actually helping it heal. Slowly but surely, we are all healing, and that's something to smile about for sure.