On the bright side

In my first post a few days back I introduced myself as "a wife, mother, full-time worker, a cook, a housekeeper, a friend, a daughter and very tired."  I do have a lot of hats that I wear in any given day.  And, honestly, I'd be lying if I said I didn't find some enjoyment in each of the roles that I fulfill in my life.

I am blessed to be married to the Hub, who makes me feel beautiful and sexy and wanted, even when I don't even want to look in the mirror.  I am blessed to have the opportunity to be the mama to Little Man and Little Lady who give me so much joy that sometimes I think my heart my actually burst.  I am blessed to have a great job with a company and product that I really believe in.  I'm blessed to enjoy cooking and providing that for my little family.  I'm blessed to have a home (a rental though it may be) to clean and make memories in.

I'm very blessed.  Sometimes it's really important, especially when working on weight loss, to stop and remember all the blessings.  Weight loss efforts, naturally, tend to lead to a focus on the physical, and it's really easy to get bogged down in the negative.  "I really hate my stretch marks" or "man, will these love handles ever go away?" or "Ugh.  I've lost 13 pounds but I still look the same."  But, I have so many GOOD things to focus on.  So, when I'm feeling my motivation waning or feeling a bit down on myself, I make a list of things for which I am grateful.  So, here's today's list:

1. Diet Soda.  I really love diet soda.  I know water is a much healthier choice and I try to drink a lot of it, but diet soda is an awesome way to get a "treat" without any guilt.  
2. Sleep.  Sleep is a rare occurrence in my life these days.  On the days that Little Lady sleeps well, Little Man seems to struggle.  But, last night I got two 2 1/2 hour blocks of sleep and today I, literally, feel unstoppable.  Oh, what a difference a little rest makes. 
3. Hope.  As I mentioned yesterday, I've been being eaten alive by dealing with some stress recently.  Sometimes when things aren't going according to plan (and boy, am I a planner!), it's hard to see how it's going to get better.  But, hope gives us the ability to stay positive and joyful when things seem to be their darkest.  
4. Music.  I work from home most days and I have an amplifier I plug my computer into to improve the quality of Pandora coming through my computer.  My son LOVES to sneak into my office and push the power button on an off ("red, stop!  green, go!" he'll shout).  After he turns it green he'll shout "song! dance, mama," and we'll dance together until he stops it again.  Music has the power to boost our moods and dancing with a 2 year old had the power to increase that boost!  
5. Inspirational quotes.  Okay, so this one might seem lame, but my personality is such that I really find motivational quotes to be, well, motivational.  Pinterest is a good friend to me when I'm feeling particularly sad or negative. Here's one I'd like to leave with you today in case you are feeling a little down on yourself.  Don't let negativity stay.  Go listen to this, dance like there's a 2 year old with you and tell those negative thoughts to go to hell.  

Via Pinterest