I'm positive it's Valentine's Day.

I have been one of those girls that is more often than not, single on Valentine's Day.  For years I dreaded it and complained about it, pressing for sympathy from others.  Then I rejoiced when someone came up with SAD or Singles Awareness Day.  Yay!  All of us singles get to cry out in pain "Thanks for the reminder!" with multiple voices raised up in negativity against the injustice!  As if it was someone else's fault that we were single. Mmmmmmyea.

For years...ok, decades....I had been riding the negativity train that most of society rides.   Several times over the years I wanted off and while I'd hop off for awhile, society would eventually drag me back on.  Its hard to have a different point of view than the masses.  When you do, people think you are weird.  How do I know this?  Because I used to look at people that were happy all the time as weird!  They just weren't normal. Who could you be happy 24/7 when people took pride in cutting each other down and bitching about EVERYTHING?  Nobody likes a Debbie Downer but we've been breeding them in droves!!

I had glimpses of living in bliss and joy but it was impossible to stay there.  Everyone liked to bitch and complain about their boss, their spouse, their roommate, the moron at the drive-thru.  It was our way to bond with others.  I still struggle with finding positive things to talk about and sometimes I just sit there in silence because in my head this is the conversation I'm having...."Nope, can't say that, its negative. Nope. Can't talk about the moron at the dry cleaners that screwed up the alteration cuz thats complaining.".....I'd end up in "Soooooo.....WOW, have we been having gorgeous weather or WHAT!?"

Good grief.  Pretty sad.

So yesterday I refused to bitch and moan about being single....again.  I knew I'd read enough on Facebook from others so I decided to hatch a "Grateful for You Day".  I mean, seriously, Valentine's Day is just a commercial holiday where a lot of pressure is put on couples to "love" each other by buying crap.  Tell them you love them by buying jewelry!  Chocolates! Take them out to dinner! Buy the perfect roses!  Don't end up in the dog house!

This year it dawned on me that I am thankful to not have that pressure! So I thought I would instead focus on the people that I DO have in my life, instead of that ONE that I don't.  I really am blessed to have so many friends and family that are smart, funny and just downright weirdos! Of course I love weirdos because I am one myself, so I took to Facebook to give a shout out to everyone in my life because it feels so much better to send out that goodness than be panhandling for sympathy!  

And to my awesome friend "Hooka", she got this from me, her "Bitz". 

#HappyValentinesDay #ValentinesDay #StoneColdWeirdos #KanyeLovesKanye #Kanye #Hooka #Bitz #Positivity #Love #Hearts #Grateful #DogHouse #Consumerism #CommercialCrap

What did you do for Valentine's Day and what does it mean to you?

Are you alive?

As I sit here and really think about the life I've already had, it amazes me. I've lived in some amazing cities, I still call home and visited many more around the world. I am so blessed to have the friends I have and am excited everyday when I think about who I may meet.  The opportunities I've been given are endless and I'm so glad that I said yes to them. 

I also recognized that if I had let fear engulf me, I wouldn't have moved to all these cities, traveled to the others, met all these amazing people, I call friends and been given all these opportunities. I looked fear right in the face, took a deep breath and had nothing but faith that it would all work out because I wasn't going backwards. 

For some reason, I don't have a reverse. When I left the east coast for the west, many thought when things got tough I'd go back. I'd just look at them crazy and say..."huh?" That was never a thought to me. It was always "ok, whats next?"

Where are you in your life? Is it what you wanted or are you stuck? Is going backwards an option or do you push forward, excited at the next opportunity that will come? Are you in a career that gives you the life you want and inspires you? Do you realize you can have anything...and I mean ANYTHING, if you are willing to stare fear in the face and laugh at it?  What's the worst that could happen? You learn and then you try something else, but you are moving towards your dreams and it will make you feel ALIVE! So are you living?

This is our one shot. We don't get a do over in this body, at this time. Are you living the life of your dreams or are you just waiting for the clock to run out? The amazing life you want is out there and it's achievable.  I know because when my life hits a wall, I start looking for opportunities and they will FALL into your lap when you are open, I promise you! 

Fear is just False Evidence Appearing Real. Are you going to let something that you've made up in your head stop you? You want to know true fear, go walk on fire. I've done it. It's real and it CAN hurt you but get your mind in the right place and you will be unharmed on the other side. So why do we let the THOUGHT of "what if I fail?" stop us? It's JUST A THOUGHT! Fire is hot but a thought...is still JUST a thought. 

So. How do you want your life? Feet cemented to one place, going through the same grind day after day? Or do you want to fly and have endless possibilities? It's really quite simple. Open your eyes and your mind...then decide. :)

Sent from my iPhone