How often do you go to battle with your self worth for the mistakes, or for what  you could/ should have done?  How far do those self sabatoging wars take us?  I don’t believe learning from our less than beneficial choices requires a war and self punishment.  We have the opportunity, as long as there in air in our lungs, to choose again every day.  What do you choose today?  I hope you choose peace, you are worth it!

]]> http://womanlyjourney.com/2012/live-life-without-being-at-war-with-yourself/feed/ 0 http://womanlyjourney.com/2012/win-free-gifts-and-chat-about-empowerment-tonight-7pm-est-on-twitter/ http://womanlyjourney.com/2012/win-free-gifts-and-chat-about-empowerment-tonight-7pm-est-on-twitter/#comments Thu, 10 May 2012 22:11:29 +0000 kspringfield http://womanlyjourney.com/?p=2659 →Continue reading]]>  

I noticed many women, including myself, suffer from low self esteem,
negative self talk, self-defeating behaviors, poor choices, anxiety and
depression, to name a few.

Womanly Journey offers another option to the overwhelming negativity we
face daily.  Making a positive impact on the self esteem of women and
girls will transform the world!

Tweet

Dear Mastercard and American Express,

I want to thank you for believing in me and helping to fund dreams coming true.  Due to your belief in my ability to work hard and return the favor, I have actualized many dreams.  I feel certain that you have done the same for millions of people.  How many have written a thank you note?  Showing gratitude is a way of life for me.  I truly am thankful for the experiences I have had because of you.  Enjoy my recap of a few key ones.

Going to NYC brought great perspective on dressing yourself in a way to show personality.  Talking the talk of how important it is to dress to express your inner self has been an active message through out my daughter’s youth.  Having her see for herself that anything goes was perfect timing.  The wide range of self expression hit home and provides continued encouragement to branch out in clothing choices. Going to see Wicked on Broadway brought to life the notion of there are 2 sides to every story.  Thank you!

Visiting the west coast to spread my message of self esteem was something special.  First of all, having a long plane ride to truly enjoy a book was wonderful!  Seeing the beauty of Los Angeles and a culture rich with Hollywood history made the time away from family worth it.  To actually have to plug in 90210 into the GPS brought a smile to my face.  Having only seeing this area on TV was rather mysterious in real life.  Visiting Venice Beach brought an overwhelming sense of belonging.  The expression of art and individuality was a refreshing reminder to keep painting. Meeting a wide range of celebrities was nothing short of magical.  These people have gone for their dreams and persevered.  The friends I made while there and laughter are something I will cherish forever.  Thank you!

Hawaii, the dream of my daughter coming true, is an experience that will continue to shape my life choices.  Although my daughter had saved for 12 years, I had not done the same.  Experiencing the joy and heavenly nature of Maui brought a renewed sense of purpose to life.  Every where we went people were happy, loving, and joyful.  Many people were doing what it took just to live there.  Not as much focus on the rat race as in VA.  A vacation I long to turn into a life style and home.  Thank you!

There will be many more experiences that you have brought to life sooner than I could have done alone.  Thank you!

Yours truly,

Kristin

Warning:  Romantic feelings have a way of clouding solid decision making skills.  It is a challenge to see straight when your hormones are in control and your knees feel weak.

I was a young woman in 8th grade when I met and fell in “love” with my first boyfriend.  He was so very sweet.  His kind words and tender kisses provided an external reminder that I was beautiful.  If my memory serves me right, our relationship lasted about a year.  For a 13 year old that is equivalent to approximately 10 adult years.   I went on to high school and we went our separate ways.  Just too many opportunities (so I thought) and I wanted to spread my wings a bit.

Let’s fast forward 25 years.  I now have a 15 year old daughter who is entering into the dating years.  Notice that I held her dating off a bit compared to mine.  Now I am the one who has been there and done that.  I can almost see the process and the effect of emotions happening  as though it were a movie.  There is all this information that she is interested in now.  I have a renewed purpose beyond money, food, and what else I can do for her.

She recently experienced her first full cycle in the relationship world.  Witnessing the swooning of emotions, the distraction of  wanting to see him again, and the late night talking (texting) reminded me of my younger years.  Seeing her be true to herself in the process was so rewarding.  She opened her heart and actually dated for real.  I notice that teens can have entire relationships via text.  Those quasi relationships lack the richness of learning how to move through awkward conversations and figuring out how to really get to know someone.

We all know the full cycle of a relationship includes an ending and sometimes heartbreak.  As a mother, I want to protect my daughter from all pain and heartache.  That is not possible or healthy for her in the end.  All I can do is offer the shoulder to cry on and remind her that this too will pass.  The desired message of this first experience is to embrace all the positive things learned about yourself and the opposite sex.  Running away or lashing out while you are hurt often times ends badly for all involved.  Allow yourself to feel your emotions while keeping an open heart for the future was the goal of the weekend.

Remember the person who is right for you is moving towards you just as you are moving towards them; you simply have not met them yet.  Have faith in the process, and love your highest self through it.  You are loved more than you can possibly imagine!

Love,
Kristin
Your most devoted Mamma

What’s your goal?  Whatever it is, go for it!

[Show as slideshow]

On one of my afternoon stops,  a worker noticed my frequent visits.  To my delight, she brought over one of the horses to teach me how to pet and feed the horses properly.  She said they loved carrots.  How lucky was I to have a wonderful mommy who packed me carrots on most days.  I was also lucky that I hated carrots.  It was a perfect match!  A partnership was born.

I fell in love instantly with the horses.  The way their coat felt on my hands. Their eyes seem so intense; as though they looked into my soul rather than just at me.  Learning to feed them unlocked a great mystery.  They way I had to keep my hand flat with my thumb tucked on the side of my palm was awkward at first, and worth it! I remember the very first time a horse ate from my hand.  The way the horse’s lips moved and tongue retrieved the carrot from my absolutely flat hand was memorizing and frightening at the same time!  The teeth could snap my thumb right off if the horse was confused at all about what was the real treat.  Not to mention the size of this majestic creature.  I had to stand on the fence rail to get a good reach to touch the horses neck and mane.

One spring a beautiful white colt was born.  I was over the moon for this baby!  I stopped by everyday I went to school.  This baby was my perfect size!  I did not have to climb up the fence to get a good look.  I could easily pet this baby when it came to the fence. I am delighted to say that this horse enjoyed carrot treats from me eventually.  One day the horse was gone.  I was worried and sad all at the same time.  The nice lady from the stable shared with me that the white colt went to a larger stable to have more room, and that the mommy horse went with her baby.  I felt so delighted to learn of this move for the better.  In fact my family was preparing to move to a new area soon.  I was 9 by this time and excited to move to a new home with a bigger bedroom, just like this white baby horse.

Whenever I see horses my memories return to the rustic horse stable on my walks home from elementary school.  Every opportunity that I have to stop to  pet horses I take it!  While in Hawaii on a 25 mile bike ride we came across a field of horses.  I stopped with my husband and daughter.  It was special to be able to share that joy with my loved ones.

Thank you Mom for always packing something healthy in my lunch!  I enjoyed feeding them to the horses immensely more than I did eating them myself!

“No one ever told me I was pretty when I was a little girl.  All little girls should be told they are pretty, even if they are not!”

“Do I look happy? I should — for I was a child nobody wanted. A lonely girl with a dream — who awakened to find that dream come true. I am Marilyn Monroe.”

Just because you fail once, doesn’t mean you’re gonna fail at everything. Keep trying, hold on, and always, always, always believe in yourself, because if you don’t, then who will, sweetie? So keep your head high, keep your chin up, and most importantly, keep smiling, because life’s a beautiful thing and there’s so much to smile about.”

Thank you Marilyn!

My courage came just in time to experience swimming with sea turtles with my precious daughter.  Swimming in the ocean is not something that I am overly comfortable with.  I can swim, however sharks can swim faster.  We learned of this great place to snorkel where sea turtles hang out while in Maui.  Mackenzie does a great job in the ocean.  She is comfortable, calm, and at peace.  It is a joy for me to watch her in the ocean while I’m on dry land.  On this occasion I stood on the rocks and cheered Mackenzie on as she swam near the turtles.  She says to me, “You have got to come in and see this.  It is amazing!’

I had 2 choices; join Mackenzie for a divine experience or let the fear of death by shark win.  Joyful experience won out!  I sucked it up walked over the rocks and swam in the ocean to see the turtles.  There were about 4 different ones.  Their swimming style was calming, graceful, and majestic.  Mackenzie helped to talk me through the rough anxious moments, and the turtles reminded me of why it is worth being courageous!

While on my daughters dream trip to Hawaii after saving for 12 years, I met an amazing woman, Lindsey Thurman.  One of the events that we signed up for was whale watching.  We were cutting it close to the end of the season for whales to be in the waters surrounding Maui for mating and birthing.  After April 15 the whales head to Alaska to eat for 4 to 5 months before returning to Hawaii.

We had the most spectacular experience.  A baby whale swam right up to our boat and the mother whale was there as well.  Watch the amazing video on the Womanly Journey Facebook page to see what we saw first hand.  During our excursion the mother whale came completely out of the water and did her twist and fell back in leaving a huge splash.  It was truly breath taking to see this first hand.  I was not the only one emotionally moved by this experience.  Lindsey was too on her first whale watching event 5 years ago.

Lindsey is a young woman who has deviated from the traditional time line of life to experience her dream of whale watching.  She graduated high school, went to college, and became a teacher.  She taught for one year.  Whale watching touched her soul in a way that made her immediate future clear: follow the whales!  Lindsey now lives in Hawaii 7 months of the year and Juno, Alaska 5 months of the year in order to follow the whales.  She has found work with several companies over the past 5 years to be with the whales and educate others who are interested.  Her passion is clear from the moment you meet Lindsey.

I was curious to learn more about Lindsey and her courage to “step out of line” of society expectations.  ”It is all worth it!  I realize that I won’t be able to do this forever.  When I decide to settle down to start a family this life style may not work any more.” shares Lindsey.  I congratulated her on doing what her heart so strongly told her to do.  When someone follows their calling regardless of society’s, friend’s, and family’s  expectations, you are witnessing a person living their authentic life; where most people never do.

Each must make his life as flowing in
Tumbling block on a stepping stone
While common people like you and me
We’ll be builders for eternity
Each is given a bag of tools
A shapeless mass and the book of rules

Look when the rain has fallen from the sky
You know the sun will be only with us for a while
While common people like you and me
We’ll be builders for eternity
Each is given a bag of tools
A shapeless mass and the book of rules

Written by the Heptones

Let this message linger in your mind today.  You create your world. You can always choose again on shaping your life.