#LoveMe Challenge, What Have You Accepted About Yourself?

A big part of love is acceptance. This goes for any relationship, but especially in the relationship we have with ourselves. Part of learning to love myself is accepting myself, as I am and without apologizing or feeling sorry for myself. Some of what I have accepted are things I have left unchallenged for years, while other things are more recent developments. I love my life, and I love myself and the person I am becoming. I am not there yet, but I am closer than I was yesterday, and I have an end destination in mind. Here are many of the things I have accepted about myself.

1. I have accepted that I will never be 5'7, and that I'm not willing to wear 5 inch heels to come close. 
2. I've embraced the fact that I am ADHD and I won't be outgrowing it. 
3. I am okay with the fact that I have to make lists and keep fairly detailed calendars to keep up with things. 
4. I understand that my hair will never be easily styled and I've given up the fight for more worthy pursuits. 
5. I accept that the things I like are not what is necessarily popular with the rest of the world. I am no longer trying to make myself enjoy things I hate, just so I can fit in. 
6. I realize that I will never "fit in" with the "popular" crowd, no matter how old I am. I have realized that while there is one no matter where you go, it isn't something I want to fall in with anyway. 
7. I am okay with the fact that there are many thing I don't understand and I don't mind asking for help. 
8. I recognize that while there are things I could do to be more attractive, I just don't care that much. And there's nothing wrong with that. 
9. I've accepted that my dreams are big and will require many years to achieve. 
10. I've realized that the journey I have taken with my education and career so far may be very different then when I may ultimately end up doing, and that is perfectly fine. 
11. I understand that I will sometimes say the wrong things, and that I'm not the only one. 
12. I've accepted that I am not an athlete in the traditional sense, but that doesn't mean that I cannot take care of myself or strive for physical fitness.
13. I recognize that I am not yet a good teacher yet, nor can I be since it is only my first year. 
14. I realize that there is still much to learn about the day to day and week to week tasks of my job. 
15. I have accepted that I will make many mistakes and that perfection is not possible. The unsinkable Titanic is at the bottom of the ocean.
16. I understand that I can be impatient and that I must work on this.
17. I accept that others will try to convince me I need to be "fixed" but that I am not broken. 
18. I realize there will be things that do not come easily to me and there will be things I have to work harder at. 
19. I understand that not every day is going to be a happy one, but I cannot let myself get bogged down by it. 
20. I accept that not everyone will approve of my life choices and that they don't need to for me to be happy. 
21. I have embraced the fact that I will never be a graceful or even a good dancer. 
22. I've recognized that there still is a lot of fear I need to conquer. 
23. I've accepted the fact that I may need to reevaluate my medication regimen in order to live life to the fullest. 
24. I've realized that there is nothing selfish in putting myself first. 
25. I accept that my personal style is to make me happy and no one else. 
26. I accept that my beauty is my own version, and some people will question it. That is their right, but it does not make me any less beautiful. 
27. I accept that my happiness is my responsibility, not anyone else's. 

I accept my flaws and my strengths. I am proud of both and no one can hold any of them against me, because I do not lie to myself or anyone else about them. I encourage you to accept yourself and live only to please you. 

#LoveMe Day 26, What Makes You Feel Beautiful?

Shamelessly stolen from: dailymakeover.com.  

For all my many insecurities, I will say that for the most part my looks have not been one of them. True, I am no great beauty, those genes went to my younger sister in spades. (No resentment, I promise, I'm still taller.) But I am proud to say I am confident in my own appearance on the whole. However, there are days where I feel absolutely radiant from the inside and out. These are the moments where I am so happy I feel as if I must be glowing loveliness from the inside out. Some of these instances are:

1. When my students tell me I'm beautiful. Something about hearing it from voices that are at times painfully honest makes it that much more true for me. 
2. Anytime the sun is out and warming my face. 
3. The occasions where I am somehow able to walk gracefully in heels. 
4. When I'm riding a horse and I know everything is working the way it's supposed to and you cannot tell where one stops and the other starts. 
5. Those moments where I think I'm gross and I catch my husband giving me that look.
6. When my jeans fit absolutely, perfectly right. 
7. After I finish a workout and I know I did my best. 
8. Dancing, even though I probably look like a spider on a hotplate. 
9. The days where I feel like "yep, I handled things."
10. The moment after a laughing fit where I'm gasping for air, my face is flushed and I probably look terrible, but I feel alive. 
11. Getting my hair cut and my eyebrows waxed. 
12. The rare occasions when I wear my hair down. 
13. When I've been working in the barn or outside and I have smudges of dirt on my face and hands and simply cannot be bothered to care. 
14. When my hair has some curl to it, which is almost never, but I love how pretty it looks when it is. 
15. Callouses on my hands
16. Eating in a healthy way. 
17. Any outfit that shows off the awesome muscles in my back. 
18. Riding clothes that look amazing. 
19. Dressing in bright colors.
20. Coaching my Girls on the Run girls. We talk a lot about inner beauty and it helps me to find my own. 
21. Wearing a tutu. 
22. Hard work. In my opinion hard work is one of the sexiest things you can do. 
23. Swinging on a swingset. Maybe this is weird, but I just feel light and free. 
24. Those awesome days where I wake up and without doing anything look pretty good. 
25. Having my hair played with. 
26. Doing yoga.
27. When my husband comes in from work after I've already come to bed and kisses me goodnight. 

Beauty is…well it's weird. There is science to it, but there is also emotions and how you feel about the person, including yourself. I've decided to like myself and that it's more than okay to appreciate my own appearance. Are the things that make you feel beautiful as strange as mine? 

#LoveMe Day 25, Things That Make Me Laugh

One of the best parts of working with children and animals are the many opportunities I am given for laughter on a daily basis. Animals are silly in their own way, and my students are filled with enough honesty to make anyone crack a smile. Add that to my wacky, crazy family and it's a miracle I don't pull a muscle in my side some days. Also, sometimes I am just way too easily amused. Here are some of the many things that have made me laugh in recent memory.

1. "My cat ran away. I think she got married or something." ~First Grader
2. "They put me on the Ritalin. It's for the wildness." ~First Grader
3. I have a toddler I work with that gives "fish kisses."
4. My sheltie chases her tail sometimes, to the point that she gets dizzy and falls over. 
5. Dancing with my 5th grade student to a count by fives song. Neither of us have much rhythm.
6. I kept yawning one day during a reading lesson and one student looked at me and said "wakey, wakey, eggs and bakey."
7. I let the dogs out of their play area where they stay when we're not at home. My sheltie tried to run so fast she lost traction in the front end and flipped over backward. 
8. My Aussie is a food ninja. She also happens to be missing the top teeth on the right side of her mouth, which allows her tongue to reach extra far. The other night after I gave them treats, Sage, the sheltie, dropped her bone. Before she could pick it up, Kona (the Aussie) had, keeping her own treat in her mouth, scooped up Sage's and run for the couch. 
9. Sage tries to "help" me do yoga. Downward dog takes on a new meaning when you're dodging puppy kisses to the face. 
10. My oldest horse, Libby, who is 27 and from Maine, romping in the snow last week. 
11. Any of the challenges I face with my ADHD. Sometimes I just have to laugh at myself. 
12. My friends that really get me.
13. My sister's raw honesty when it comes to the world. 
14. The time I had to say, "Evan, stop using Dani's ponytail for an obstacle course."
15. The time I had to say, "Stop licking the light switch." Though at the time that wasn't funny. 
16. My family. Seriously, we're hilarious. And mildly inappropriate.  
17. Buzz Feeds that are completely relatable. The photo, in case you were wondering is from one about being an adult with ADHD. STORY OF MY LIFE!
18. Sometimes I just search "funny animals" on Pinterest. 
19. Hilarious autocorrects. 
20. The face my horses make when they smell something funny. 
21. Finally getting the adult jokes in old Disney movies. 
22. The funny spelling mistakes kids make on writing assignments. Almost as funny as messed up autocorrects. 
23. My Girls on the Run girls and the silly games we play as part of the program. 
24. Kona's desperate attempts to get my attention. 
25. Really bad puns. (What do you do with a dead chemist? Barium.)
26. Our barn kitty, who chases my parent's dogs. 
27. The time I told my students, get it together, or I'm just going to take a nap, and they started singing me a lullaby. 

#LoveMe Day 24, What Makes You Happy

Happiness is something I have been in pursuit of for a long time. Which sounds cheesy, thanks to Will Smith and Thomas Jefferson, now that I think on it, but that doesn't make it any less true. Happiness, in recent years, is not something that has consistently come easily to me. But I know that it is something I deserve, so I am working really hard to find it and hold onto it. It's getting easier, but I have days where I can't seem to uncover it no matter how hard I try. I had started keeping a "5 good things" journal, where I wrote down 5 good things at the end of every day, but I haven't been very good about it the last few weeks. I plan to get back on track with that today. A list of things that make me happy seems like a good way to do it.

1. A really good book. 
2. A long ride on a nice horse. 
3. A good home cooked meal.
4. Time spent on projects with my husband.
5. Sewing. 
6. Getting my hands dirty doing something productive. 
7. Sore muscles after a hard workout. 
8. Coaching Girls on the Run.
9. Love notes from my students. 
10. Crossing things off my to do list. 
11. Wearing an outfit. 
12. Dreaming with my husband. 
13. Clean sheets. 
14. A really good cup of coffee. 
15. Writing. 
16. Snuggling with my puppies. 
17. A song that seems to sum up everything you don't have the words for. 
18. Planting things and watching them grow.
19. The sound of rain on a metal roof. 
20. Reassurance from others that I really am doing it right. 
21. Time spent with friends. 
22. Baby animals. Really, is it possible to look at a puppy and not smile. 
23. Secretly wearing something goofy or a little naughty while the rest of me looks perfectly put together. For example, today my socks have pink and orange elephants on them, but I'm dressed for parent teacher conferences. 
24. Not caring, genuinely not caring, what others think and doing what my heart tells me is right. 
25. Appreciating the simple things. 
26. Those "restore your faith in humanity" posts on Pinterest. Sometimes I need those. 
27. Those quiet moments at the end of the day when you really feel like you've done something right.

I have embarked on a journey to "find my happy" this year. It's a daily challenge, but I believe it will be worth it. What makes you happy? 

#LoveMe Day 23, My Best Feature

A few years ago, the day I achieved my dream of trying sidesaddle. 

I was starting to feel like I was repeating myself on a lot of my blogs, so I decided I would ask for help from my Facebook friends. It's not something I normally do, but I thought about it, and decided something. Isn't part of loving yourself giving others the opportunity to show you love? Here were some of the things my friends said were my best feature, along with a few I added in myself.

1. I'm not afraid to ask for help. 
2. My honesty. 
3. My kind heart. 
4. My compassion.
5. I'm hard working. 
6. I'm resourceful. 
7. Lots of physical symmetry. 
8. A cute nose.
9. Strong hands.
10. Kind, vibrant eyes. 
11. I'm take charge. 
12. I always think of others along the way. 
13. I'd rather make it on my own than have things handed to me. 
14. I'm beautiful.
15. I glow around my husband. 
16. I'm thoughtful. 
17. I have a super hot body shape. 
18. My butt. (From the husband)
19. My smile.
20. My brain.
21. I'll try anything once. 
22. My laugh.
23. My hair's pretty nice right now. 
24. I always stand up for what's right, regardless of popularity.
25. My dreams are big and I chase them until my lungs feel as if they will burst. 
26. My belief that tomorrow can be better than today. 
27. My desire to contribute to a better world. 

I encourage you to give others the opportunity to love you. Sometimes it is the greatest kind of love you can show yourself. 

#LoveMe Day 22, What Makes Me Unique

Unique is one of the more polite words people have used to describe me. Over the years I have been called just about every synonym of the word unique. Odd, strange, weird, out there, bizarre, unusual, freaky, quirky, abnormal, atypical and eccentric are all descriptors I have heard. This used to hurt my feelings, but in the last five years or so I've come to embrace it. Plus, some of the things that previously caused people to label me are becoming sort of trendy or else helping me achieve goals. Here's what makes me unique:

1. My love of pink, which borders on obsessive.
2. My tomboyish nature, which makes my love of pink that much more ironic. My aunt once told me that I have reinvented her previous interpretation of pink. 
3. My obsession with lists and tendency to make them about everything. 
4. My constant need to challenge myself. 
5. My dream to be a farmer. How many 25 year old women do you know with that goal?
6. My religious beliefs. 
7. My political beliefs. 
8. The honest but kind approach I take with my students.
9. The approach I take to fitness and health. 
10. My desire to do such a wide variety of crafts.
11. My entrepreneurial spirit. 
12. My love for horses, which is a phase I am yet to outgrow. 
13. My love for good food and wine. 
14. My love for books and the written word. 
15. The daily fight I engage in for my own happiness. 
16. The process by which I get things done. 
17. My desire to put beauty into the world. 
18. My quest to make the world a better place for others. 
19. My ties to my family's land and my mission to preserve it. 
20. My passion for sharing good things with others. 
21. The way I dress.
22. My tattoo and the ones I plan to get in the future. 
23. How close I am to my family. 
24. My need to write out a plan in order to be able to see something through. 
25. My ADHD and the way I use it to my advantage. 
26. The manner in which I approach challenges. That is, head on and as fiercely as possible. 
27. My love for my community and the desire to support it.

What makes you unique? Whatever it is, be proud of it.

#LoveMe Day 21, Something I'm Proud Of

I'm having one of those days where I really need a cheerleader. Anyone else have those? Where for no reason you feel like you can't quite get it right, even if you've done plenty well that week. Personally, I blame being snowed in and trying to write an IEP for one of my students had something to do with it. I'm new to it and the computer system, combined with still figuring out how to word stuff on it makes me feel stupid. However, I'm snowed in and the only person to cheer me on is me. So hopefully writing this gives me a little mood boost, because I really could use it. Here is what I am proud of.

1. All the work I put in to being a good teacher. 
2. Having a stable relationship.
3. The fact that I'm pretty sure the principals at my school forget that I'm one of the youngest people on staff.
4. My students genuinely like me. I have love notes to prove it. 
5. I tell my students I love them every day. What if I am the only one that does? 
6. The animals I have helped to save. True, I've gotten ones from breeders, but I've also taken in a few rescues and I'll definitely take in more.
7. I'm one of the most successful individuals with ADHD I know, and I embrace it rather than fight it. 
8. Coaching Girls on the Run. I'm so proud to be part of that organization. 
9. I work hard, and I enjoy it. 
10. I take care of people as much as I can. 
11. I know how to organize my time well. 
12. I have faced many challenges and I have never let them defeat me. 
13. I'm comfortable enough in my own skin that I wear what I want, skip the make-up and feel good. 
14. I've read a lot of books, and I will read a lot more. 
15. I can cook pretty well. 
16. I started my own business.
17. I'm brave enough to chase my dreams, even though my mother thinks I'm nuts. 
18. I have found it in my heart to love children who are difficult. 
19. If I don't know the answer, I go out and find it. 
20. I can fail without giving up. 
21. I fight for what I believe in. 
22. I'm an amazing friend. Call me ant 2am and I promise you I will be there. 
23. I can take criticism and grow from it. 
24. I am on track to be debt free before thirty. 
25. I am working to keep our farm land used for farming.
26. I take care of my body, and love it even when its not perfect. 
27. I can write really well. 

What are you proud of? What makes you feel good about yourself?