Hi again!
This past summer has been pretty hectic for me, to say the least. I've been working a lot, trying to hang out with people, and spending time with my family. A lot has happened in the past few weeks, but I'll get into that on a different post.
At the beginning of the summer, I set a lot of goals for myself. These are things I've been wanting to improve for a while, and I have been working hard to achieve them before I go back to school at the end of the month. So far, I'd say it's all been going pretty well.
Here are some of my goals I've been working towards:
1. Eating Better and Exercising
This was my number one goal going into the summer. So far this has been going pretty well! The last week has been my worst though, because I haven't worked out or really been watching what I've been eating. Every other week I've been working out every so often, and eating much healthier than I ever have before. I'm not too concerned about my weight, but to set a goal for myself and keep myself motivated, I am trying to lose ten pounds before going back to school. Last I checked, I was five pounds away from my goal. I'm pretty excited about that, and I think I can achieve my goal if I get back to my routine and stick to it for the next few weeks.
2. Don't talk behind people's backs
I don't do this very often, but when I do I feel awful afterwards. I mostly only do this when my roommate and my two friends start talking about my roommates old roommate from freshman year. I jump in and say stuff, but I feel bad afterwards, even though that girl is really mean. I've also been trying to improve this when I'm talking with my boyfriend and friends about our co-workers. They may do stupid things, but that doesn't mean I can say bad things about them. It's hard to kick this habit, but in doing so I think I will feel much better about myself and the way I treat other people.
3. Go to church
This is my more recent goal, but so far it's been going great! I've been going to church every week, and I have really been paying attention to the sermon and thinking about it afterwards. The sermon from last week was really what solidified my faith. It was about the Afterlife, and what Heaven might be like. I have always had so many questions about God and Heaven, and just Christianity in general, and there were so many questions I couldn't find the answers to that I began to doubt my faith in God, and i wondered if any of it could be real. I'm a little ashamed to admit that, but it's the truth. However, when my pastor began talking about the Afterlife, I found myself listening so intently and imagining that the things he was saying were all true. Four days later, I was in the hospital with my entire family, and we were saying goodbye to my grandma, who had been on a ventilator for over a week. We decided we had to pull the plug, because she couldn't survive without the machine. Throughout that day, I kept thinking about the sermon on the Afterlife, and I kept imagining my grandma in Heaven, with my uncle (who died as an infant) and it gave me so much comfort that I told my family about it. Thinking about the sermon made me so much stronger when she died, and I was able to be strong for my family members that needed a shoulder to cry on. Her funeral was yesterday, and as hard as it was, I know that she is in a better place, and she's much happier now.
4. Worry less about money
I get a little worried about how much money I have, and that makes me kind of cheap. It's not the worst thing in the world, but I also want to live a little and indulge on little things.
5. Smile more
I think that even if you're not in a good mood, smiling will improve it. Even if you smile at nothing, the simple act can improve your mood a lot. Not only does it make you happier, but it makes the people around you happy as well. It gives you a good vibe, and people want to be around you versus when you have a big ugly frown on your face. For instance, when I'm at work, I try to smile as much as I can when I'm lifeguarding, even though I want to punch some of the kids sometimes. Smiling is a simple act that can go a long way :)
6. Stop being self-conscious
I'll admit, I lied in the first post about my weight. Lately, I've been really worried about it. I know I'm nowhere near overweight, but for some reason, I've been so self conscious about it lately that it's been stressing me out. I don't need reassurance that I look fine or anything, because I know I'm fine, but I find myself stepping on the scale multiple times a day or pinching that little bit of belly fat and getting a sinking feeling in my stomach when I look at myself in the mirror. I get that way especially when I stop working out for a few days, so maybe that's just my way of telling myself I need to stick with my routine so I feel good about myself.
7. Compliment people
I love seeing people smile, especially if it's because of something I said or did. I've been trying to remember to compliment people on how they look or what they're wearing, because something as small as that can really make someone's day. I know it makes my day when someone compliments me.
8. No complaining
I don't consider myself a big complainer, but I feel the same way about complaining as I do about talking behind people's backs. It doesn't make me feel any better, and I feel stupid afterwards. I'm trying to brush the little things under the rug, smile through it and go on with my day.
9. Think positive thoughts
Just thinking about good things can make you feel good. I try to do this throughout the day, and at night when I'm about to go to bed. I love thinking about things that make me happy.
That's all I can come up with for now! It's been kind of fun doing things differently to enrich my life, and so far I've been largely successful in doing so. I find myself thinking about how much I love my life, and all of the good things that contribute to that. Just having a positive attitude and carrying yourself with confidence and happiness can go a long way in making your life so much better.
Until next time :)
