#LoveMe Day 16, Something I Like About Myself

Yesterday I talked in my post about how we are so reluctant to give ourselves credit. On the same note, we're also really reluctant to admit the things we like about ourselves. "Not to be cocky," we say. Or "at the risk of being vain," we preface. Is it really so wrong to look in the mirror and find yourself beautiful? Is is so horrendous to go through the traits you possess and smile about a few of them? Sticking with my favorite number, here are the things I like about myself.

1. My eyes. They're this really cool green that changes shades based on what I wear. 
2. The fact that I wear glasses. I have no desire for contacts. I think I look smart. 
3. I have really good common sense.
4. I can figure out most things. 
5. I am well read. I actually get most of the references in Gilmore Girls. 
6. The fact that I don't wear makeup. I see no need. 
7. I've never felt the need to experiment with drugs. 
8. My belly button ring. It's a crowning jewel on a work in progress.
9. My tattoo, which represents my love for many things. 
10. My budgeting skills. I can stretch a dollar like nobody's business.
11. I can have a conversation with just about anyone. 
12. My quirky style, which consists of animal hats and pink cowboy boots. 
13. This may sound strange, but there's a mole on my collar bone that I think adds a nice bit of character. 
14. My back, which is well toned and gorgeous from years of farm labor. 
15. My writing skills. 
16. The fact that my friends have been born in multiple decades. 
17. My cooking skills.
18. My creativity. 
19. My craftiness. 
20. My commitment every day to my own happiness.
21. The effort I make to be nice to others.
22. The ability I have to have a positive impact on children. 
23. My work ethic. I am one of the hardest working people I know. 
24. My ability to be content at the bottom of the ladder. One of the principals at my school said something to me about becoming an administrator someday, but I have no desire. It would put me too far away from my kids. 
25. I take responsibility for myself and my mistakes.
26. I take care of people. 
27. I can speak in public without fear. 

I'm going to love myself, including my flaws. What do you love about yourself? 

#LoveMe Day 15, Something I've Done Right

How rarely we as women give ourselves credit for the things that we have accomplished. Someone pays us a compliment, and instead of taking it, we reject it. Oh, I haven't lost that much weight , I still have a long way to go. Oh my cookies aren't that good, besides the recipe is so easy. That degree hanging on my wall I worked so hard for, it was just something I had to do. On and on. What is wrong with tooting our own horns now and again?

Once in conversation with my uncle, I said something to the effect of, "At the risk of tooting my own horn…" he cut me off and said, "You'd better toot your own horn. No one else will do it for you." So today, I am going to toot my own horn, ring my own bell, sound my own alarm and declare myself awesome. Here are 27 awesome things I have done or am doing.

1. I started this blog for myself, following my own rules, without any need to please anyone else. 
2. I married a terrific man and didn't settle for anything less than a fabulous life partner.
3. I have made the choice not to bring children into the world until I am ready and can give them the life I feel they deserve.
4. I am 3 years away from being debt free by following the Dave Ramsey Total Money Makeover plan.
5. I am a phenomenal writer.
6. I finished high school, a BA and an M. Ed. when some though I wouldn't finish high school. 
7. I pay all my own bills and find extra ways to save and bring in money for my family. 
8. I started my own side craft business.
9. I am a really good first year teacher. 
10. I am taking responsibility for my own personal health and happiness.
11. I work a second job at a church to help support my family.
12. I am starting a garden this year and pursuing the dream of farming full time. 
13. I know how to cook an awesome dinner. 
14. I coach Girls on the Run.
15. I busted my butt to get my Justin Morgan Badge from the American Morgan Horse Association. 
16. I have taught myself crafting techniques by being willing to do the research. 
17. I am very organized and manage my time well.
18. I take good care of my animals. 
19. I have big dreams AND the courage to pursue them.
20. I have refused to let any medical diagnosis define me or how I live my life.
21. I am kind to others and do nice things without expecting anything back. 
22. I can recognize my flaws without hating myself for them.
23. I read books as a way to broaden my mind and further educate myself. 
24. I dress nicely and put thought into my personal appearance. 
25. I take personal responsibility for how I feel and do not depend on others to make me happy. 
26. I am strong enough to climb rock walls, ride horses, lift hay bales and keep going through hard points. 
27. I am true to myself. 

What have you done right? Today is the day. Time to give yourself some credit. 

#LoveMe Day 13, Share a Quote

I love quotes, and there are quite a few I try to keep on reserve as mantras for my life. These are things I pull on when nothing else makes sense and my own words don't seem to be enough. Here are 27 of my favorites.

1. "Worry is a misuse of your imagination." ~Unknown
2. "Everything is going to be alright. Maybe not today, but eventually." ~Unknown 
3. "Be gentle with yourself, you are doing the best you can." ~Unknown
4. "I am in charge of how I feel, and today I am choosing happiness." ~Unknown
5. "Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn." ~Unknown
6. "A good cook is like a sorceress who dispenses happiness." ~Elsa Schiaparelli
7. "If your dreams don't scare you, they aren't big enough." ~Unknown
8. "Your past is just a story, and once your realize this, it has no power over you." ~Unknown
9. "Stop being afraid of what could go wrong and start being positive about what could go right." ~Clinton Anderson
10. "Life is tough, but so are you." ~Kid President
11. "When the world says 'give up,' hope says 'try one more time.'"~Walt Disney
12. "Sometimes getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air." ~Sarah Kay
13. "Start each day with a grateful heart." ~Unknown
14. "Your dream doesn't have an expiration date. Take a deep breathe and try again." ~Unknown
15. "Success doesn't come to you, you go to it." ~Marva Collins
16. "Be happy, it drives people crazy." ~Unknown
17. "The only thing standing between you and your goal is the bullshit story you keep telling yourself as to why you can't achieve it." ~Jordan Belfort
18. "The question isn't who's going to let me. It's who's going to stop me. ~Ayn Rand
19. "My definition of freedom is knowing who you are and them being it, no matter what anyone else is doing." ~P!nk
20. "Remember no one can make you feel inferior without your consent." ~Eleanor Roosevelt
21. "Throw me to the wolves and I will return leading the pack." ~Unknown
22. "Food, a French man told me once, is the first wealth. Grow it right and you will feel insanely rich, no matter what you own." ~Kristin Kimball
23. "Don't let the muggles get you down." ~JK Rowling
24. "Home is wherever my bunch of crazies are." ~Unknown
25. "Sweat dries, blood clots, bones heal. Suck it up princess." ~Unknown
26. "My heart says chocolate, but my jeans say 'for the love of god woman, eat a salad.'"~Unknown
27. "I can do waterer I want, I have the megaphone." Mr. Feeny

What are some of yours? 

#LoveMe Day 12, Share a Flaw

I actually kind of love this picture. 

Some people try to hide their flaws, but I've always worn them on my sleeves, along with my heart, my hopes, my feelings and my pride. I am not one for concealment, and sometimes perhaps this is in and of itself a flaw. Most of them I accept and allow to show. My hope in doing this is that no one ever sees me as fake or expects one thing and gets another. I could share just one flaw, but the number 27 is one that I always seem to go for, so here are 27 flaws I see in myself. 

1. I have a hard time following the directions exactly. This goes for this writing challenge, when I make a recipe, and even when I write myself directions for lesson plans for each week. 
2. I am terrible about returning e-mails and phone calls, and I NEVER check my voice mail. 
3. I can be entirely too much of a people pleaser, and often forget that I can disagree with people without losing friends. 
4. My process of doing things often lacks efficiency. 
5. I have anxiety. This is one of the few flaws it took a long time to admit to myself and the world. However, I'm finally starting to admit it, and ironically, I'm less anxious. 
6. I can be self destructive in my quest for personal health. 
7. I'm not patient, at all. 
8. I am easily one of the most stubborn people you will ever meet. 
9. I bite off more than I can chew all the time. 
10. I talk WAY too much. 
11. I'm super competitive, which isn't always a bad thing, but occasionally gets in the way of other stuff. 
12. I forget to do basic things if I get distracted. Things like, putting on my deodorant. 
13. There are time where I am just plain lazy. 
14. My voice is LOUD. Which I supposed you could argue is useful, since I'm a teacher, but I swear I've spent half my life being told to lower it. 
15. I can overreact with the best of them. 
16. It takes me a long time to make my mind up about some people. This comes from me trying not to judge other too quickly. 
17. I have a hard time taking compliments. When I get one "Just say thank you," has to run through my head before "Thank you," rather than a defense of the compliment, comes out of my mouth.
18. Sometimes I spend too much time setting goals and forget to live in the here and now. 
19. I can be careless with things, such as clothing and electronics. 
20. I can be jealous of others at times. 
21. I worry that I don't give my dogs enough attention. 
22. I don't say thank you enough. 
23. I can be very inconsistent. 
24. My horses need a lot more from me than I have been giving them recently. 
25. I expect too much from myself and from others. 
26. My failure to communicate sometimes gets me into binds. 
27. I let fear make a lot of my choices for me. 

I fight these demons every day, and I'm working on correcting most of them. It helps me to remind myself that life is a journey, and I need to embrace the process, not the end goal. 

#LoveMe Challenge Day 11, Share a Smile

I'm a huge Pinterest nut and when I'm feeling down, I often peruse Pinterest for a laugh or a smile or an AWWWW. This week has been particularly challenging with the death of my grandmother, and while I'd take a selfie of me smiling, it probably wouldn't do much for anyone's spirits, least of all mine. So instead, here are some of my favorite photos I stumbled across (I own none of them) that have made me smile this week. Please enjoy!

1. Not that this has ever happened to me…    
2. If this doesn't make you smile, I'm not sure what will. 
   
3. I had a horse that actually did this.
   
4. This is probably how Anna thinks. 
   
5. How I'm sure my dogs feel some mornings. 
   
6. I really have no idea why I find this so funny. 
   
7. I would absolutely take my dogs there. 
   
8. I send this picture to people who are feeling down. 
   
9. This is from my favorite calendar series. I've gotten one for the last two years. 
   
10. So true…
    
11. Morgan Nationals a few years ago in one of the junior exhibitor classes. This child's face says it all. 
    
12. Tutus and ponies. Two of my favorite things. 
    
13. Sometimes I make this face too!
    
14. Nap time anyone?                                                                  

Hope I got you to grin. Have a nice day!

#LoveMe Day 10, Share a Secret

Secrets are sort of challenging for me because the truth is I don't have any I can really think of. Not true secrets anyway. Everything there is to know about me at least one person knows. For this challenge, I think I'll share 27 things that are not well known about me. Not huge secrets, nothing I would have a problem with someone knowing, but things that are not immediately apparent to the eye, or that I don't think you would guess just by looking at me.

1. Velvet gives me the creeps. I really don't want it to touch any part of my skin, and if it does, I really just want to go bathe.
2. I am really scared that due to some of my medical history, the process of trying to get pregnant is going to be a big challenge and that it may not happen. 
3. I am equally terrified, due to this medical history, of getting pregnant by accident. 
4. Additionally, I am really afraid to be a bad mother. 
5. I am mildly obsessed with Wise hot cheese popcorn. 
6. I often give up on technology if I can't figure it out. It's part of why I'm really okay with us not having cable. 
7. I am terrified that I will say the wrong thing to a student. 
8. I am capable of considering someone my best friend without the need for mutual feelings on the part of the other person. You are who you are to me, and as long as you don't hate my guts, I don't see a problem.
9. If I didn't teach elementary ed, I'd have a lot more tattoos. 
10. I assign human characteristics to inanimate objects way more than I should.
11. The number 27 comes from my mother putting on music when we were younger and telling us to pick up 27 things. Now it's just how I do things. 
12. I hate carrying my cell phone, but I'm scared the one call I miss will be the one I really should have taken. 
13. I fixate on certain concepts entirely too heavily. For example, the movie 50 first dates is one I have analyzed to death. 
14. I say cutesy romantic acts are cheesy, but I actually wouldn't turn down being swept off my feet once in a while. 
15. I hate absolute labels. Black/white, gay/straight, nice/mean. No one is that definitive. 
16. Sometimes I refuse to acknowledge the news, simply because it's too depressing and there s nothing I can do about it.
17. I think I'd still vote democrat, but elections make me feel horribly uninformed. 
18. I genuinely believe I will one day have exactly the life I want. 
19. One day, I want to get in my car and just drive with no destination in mind. 
20. I don't pt much stock in the meaning of dreams, but any time my life feels out of control, mine contain cars that are difficult or impossible to drive. 
21. I was terrified to take medication for my Chronic Pain Syndrome, because it's an antidepressant and I was scared I'd lose myself. Now I wish I'd done it sooner. 
22. I really want to make my younger self proud. 
23. The TV I watch is REALLY bad. 
24. I'm 99% sure my husband is too good for me. 
25. I never went to a single college party, and I don't feel like I missed out on anything. 
26. I daydream about doing something crazy to my personal appearance and not telling anyone. 
27. If I like something/someone, I decide immediately. If I dislike it, it takes me a long time to make up my mind. 

What are some of your secrets? 

#LoveMe Challenge Day 9, Share Something Beautiful

This is one of the hardest topics yet. I am surrounded by so much beauty, being blessed as I am to live on a farm, to teach wonderful children, and to have an amazing family. Here are 27 things that I encounter on a daily basis that are beautiful to me.

1. The students I get to teach, particularly my first graders, who can get a smile out of me on even my worst day.
2. The people I get to work with who are continually supportive of all that I encounter. 
3. The homemade bread my husband has taken up baking as of late. 
4. The way my parents still adore each other, even after 25+ years of marriage. 
   
5. The two Morgan mares that come running at my whistle.
   
6. A husband that is willing to dream crazy dreams with me. 
7. The trailer we live in, a true labor of love.
8. The land we live on, representing years of farming both past and to come. 
9. The love my family has for eat other, and their undying commitment to make the world a better place.
10. The two dogs who snuggle with me on the couch each night. 
    
11. The ability I have to make crafty things that can be enjoyed by others. 
12. My writing ability. 
13. The written word of so many others that guide me through difficult times. 
14. My newfound search for self acceptance and love. 
15. The humor that is everyday life.
    
16. The assurance that if I mix together eggs and cheese and put them in a frying pan I can scramble an amazing egg. 
17. The many babies Brad and I are lucky enough to get to watch grow. 
    
18. The many goals I have the courage to pursue. 
19. My family and all the love it has to offer. 
    
20. The few extra minutes of daylight I see each day as we get closer and closer to spring. 
    
21. Music of all kinds and the healing power it has. 
    
22. Friendship that spans generations. 
23. Embracing the process of my fitness journey, instead of just focusing on the end result.
24. The girls I get to coach for Girls on the Run. 
25. Smiles from all.
26. Random acts of kindness in any form. 
27. Joy and the pursuit of it. 

Beauty is joy in its purest form.