"Positive thinking will let you do everything 
better than negative thinking will."
— Zig Ziglar —

Why wouldn’t someone want to look on the bright side, think positive and hope for the best? Research has proven time and again that those who think positive thoughts achieve better health, greater prosperity, and more happiness than those who dwell in the negative. However, there are many people who still approach life with a grim outlook—always expecting the worst and even downplaying good fortune. In fact, some people can’t see the silver lining in anything. 

I can’t seem to win the battle against too much stuff. I am not only having a hissy fit
about it, but also a conniption, about clutter. Specifically, the clutter in my garage,
my office, my closet, my mail…ok, let’s just agree to say my life.

Though we have been roommates since I can remember, clutter and I do not get along. Nonetheless, clutter loves to infiltrate my personal space and truly overwhelms me. We don’t get along mainly because I am a Virgo, and Virgos demand order. In fact, according to parade.com, “Virgo energy focuses on control, purification, and organization.” Imagine a bookshelf that needs sorting, and you’ll find a Virgo categorizing by color, book title and author, usually just for fun.

"Summertime is the art of doing less and feeling more."
— Anonymous —

Have you ever noticed how summer seems to fly by? It feels like it’s almost over right when you’re just getting started. Maybe it’s because summer days are long and lush, and we stay active and sleep fast. On Saturday, June 20, we will experience the Summer Solstice, which is the day of the year that gets the longest period of daylight and marks the official beginning of summer. Get ready for a whopping 14 hours and 14 minutes of daylight that day. Sounds like a beach day and backyard cookout just waiting to happen. The days that follow the summer solstice will get shorter and shorter until December 21, when we will only have 10 hours and 4 minutes of daylight, which on the bright side is perfect for Christmas lights.

Here we are back in swimsuit season when body-insecurity
and beach cover-ups are at an all-time high.
We all feel those judging eyes looking our way whether
we’re on the beach or simply enjoying a ladies’ lunch with friends.

We’ve all been there. You know, out to lunch, with the girls from work or Bible study, where you have to be the first one to order. After scouring the menu and scanning the faces of the women at the table, especially the skinny ones, you order: “I’ll have a grilled chicken sandwich; hold the mayonnaise, please.” There. You did it. Ordered something halfway healthy…grilled chicken, even gave up the Duke’s mayo for show. Then the waitress blurts out, “Do want fries with that, Sugah?” All eyes avert to you in slow motion as you reluctantly ask for the alternatives to fries and order fresh fruit.

"Motherhood: All love begins and ends there.”
— Robert Browning

I believe the majority of the greatest lessons we learn in life come from our mothers. Not all of us have the fortune of a good mother’s wisdom and love, but most of us have experienced wonderful lessons from strong motherly figures somewhere along the way.

For years, I have written about how our parents teach us how we want to be and how we don’t want to be. I stand by this and firmly believe both are equally important lessons. Of course my mother had some ways and traits that taught me how I didn't want to be, but her positive lessons far outweigh those.