Monday, May 6, 2019

Negative People

Hello Lovelies!


I hope everyone is having a beautiful Monday! I personally have been expelling more negative people from my life. It was painful, but needed to be done. I expected way too much from siblings who were complete strangers. So, here is some back story.

I was born in East Texas in the late 70s. My mom ended up leaving my biological father when I was about 7 months old. I have 4 half siblings, that I know of, from my biological father. I am my mom's only living child. Oldest born was my half brother Mark who died at birth. Second is my half brother Robert, living. Third my half sister Tina, living. Fourth my half sister Midge who died at the age of 3 months. Her death was ruled to be from SIDS. I did not meet my biological father until I was 21 years old. He showed up in my life expecting me to change my name and everything. He was never there for me. Also only reason he even showed up was because he had 4 years left to live. He contracted Hep B from a dirty Heroine needle. He wanted me to be his nurse maid after 21 years of not being in my life. He only made the effort to see me TWICE before he passed. Those two times were the first time we met and once when I was pregnant with my oldest son. He never showed for my wedding, him or my brother. Neither showed for my son's birth like they promised. I have seen my brother twice face to face. He stayed 4 days with us once when his at the time wife threw him out on the side of the Interstate. My sister I have seen a few times. She used me years ago then threatened me after she couldn't use me anymore. A few years ago when again she couldn't use me she threw me to the side. Both consider me to be a goody two shoes, because I have not spent my life in jail and prison. Both of them however have. Neither has held a marriage and my sister lost her kids. My brother has no kids. I have been married for 17 years to the father of my three children. So because of this fact and them not knowing anything about my life before meeting them they trash me. First time meeting both siblings face to face was at our dad's funeral. I was 24 or 25 years old. This was YEARS after our dad found me. Neither bothered to see me prior at all. My relationship with my brother has mostly been through letters while he has been locked up. Since 2010 he has been in prison more than free. This time around has been the longest stretch of freedom he has experienced. 

Now that the back story is told... Tonight I finally had to just cut ties fully with my brother. He has lied to me since being out of prison once. Probably still is. One thing though I could not ignore was him telling me "Don't be judging" when I made a simple statement to a stupid Facebook meme he tagged me on! I never once judged! This "man" sits back with our sister putting me down for being "too good" and in their minds not living a hard life. They judge me constantly and judge my life because they don't know a single thing about me or my life. But he wants to tell me not to be judging! What caused him to claim I was judging? He tagged me on a meme of Jesus stating no one knows what he is talking about. I commented and said "Actually I do know, but most do not." Not a single judgement given. But he said I was judging. So, I lit into him and told him I was done with him just like I am done with our sister. No more. 

Really isn't a loss to be honest. I don't hardly talk to him or our sister. Only time he talked to me was when he was in prison. No one else wrote him or bought stuff on commissary for him. My husband, mom and I were the only ones. But oh well. He can depend on the family he claimed was not his family any longer while he was behind bars from now on. Life is too short to allow people in who want to tear you down for doing good in life. Jealousy is an ugly thing and remember you guys... It is their problems not yours! 

Until Next Time!

Where Has Time Gone? | The Wendy C Life

Hello Lovelies!


Today I have sat and thought about the past and future to come. It still is sinking in that 2020 will be the first year my oldest son can vote. Time has flown by way too fast. This July marks my 40th birthday. I honestly do not feel like I am almost 40. I feel the same as I did when I turned 21. I feel like I closed my eyes for a split second and missed so much. I hate that feeling.

So, where has life gone? 

Honestly, I do not know. I guess focusing so much on things outside of just living whisked it away. I miss the days of being a kid. Everything was so simple. So many memories were made. My focus was actually on simply living. Maybe I need to go back to living as if I was a child again. Making memories without a care in the world. I miss being able to do just that. You know, I think that will be my new life goal. Just live life and create many memories.

It actually makes me feel bad. My oldest son will be 17 years old this Fall. His childhood is gone. Was he able to create many memories? Did my issues keep him from being able to place focus on just that? I often wonder if his memories bring thoughts of a happy childhood. Memories of fun, love and family. I know his hasn't been filled with many thoughts of steady childhood friends. The only steady he had through the years has been his brothers. He is so shy with people. He does enjoy meeting new people though. He loves to learn from them. 

Same goes for my younger two. Do they have happy childhood memories? My middle son is about to be 14 years old in 4 months. My youngest will be 12 only five days after my birthday. They still have some time left in their childhoods. My youngest still holds tight to his childhood all the way down to the love for Paw Patrol. I have never forced my kids to grow up. I want them to hold on to those little things for as long as possible. We are also a family who still believes in the magical things like Santa Claus. Why should we force the magic out of their lives the second they hit double digits? What harm does it do to believe in something special? 

So, my thoughts for today... Why do we have to grow up? What law out there says we can not stay young? Yea our bodies age, but it is really wrong for us to just enjoy. To create memories and live like we did as children? Absolutely not! 

Until Next Time!

Product Review: Grove Collaborative, Mrs Meyers & Method | Natural Green Cleaning

Hello Lovelies!


Hope everyone is having a beautiful Saturday.
April was a crazy month for me so I never got around to doing my review video.
I thought I would do my product review here on the blog instead.



So, here goes!

Let me review ordering through Grove first.

The ordering process was super easy.
When I placed my first order it gave me suggested products to reach my minimum $20.
I also received free VIP status for two months.
That means I have a $15 minimum order amount for the 'shop now'.
Also means I get free shipping.

Grove did forget one product in my box which was the Floor Cleaner Concentrate.
I contacted them right away through Twitter and it was ready to ship that day.
They also gave me a $5 credit for the inconvenience.
I did however have to wait the full shipping time as I did when I originally ordered.
I received the missing product about 3 to 5 days after the rest had arrived.
Also for the company being a "green" company I did not like one thing.
The floor concentrate was a very small tube.
When it was shipped to me it was in a box that was huge compared to it's size.
It also was wrapped up in a load of paper.
This to me is a lot of waste for them being a green company. 
The prices on products looked to be the same as they are with a lot of chain stores.

Now the products:

I am going to cover the Mrs Meyers first.
We got Mrs Meyers Dish Soap, Hand Soap and All Purpose Cleaner.
All three were in the Rosemary scent.
Absolutely love the smell.
The dish soap is amazing!
I was using Dawn prior because our children use plastic dishes.
The Mrs Meyers dish soap suds up very well.
It also cleans the plastic dishes very well.
Even when they get a little greasy.
The hand soap also is a favorite.
It has olive oil and a few other things in it which keeps hands from drying out.
The all purpose cleaner however was the star of the show.
It cleaned everything from my stove top to my microwave.
I will also add I have teenage boys so these cleaners were put to the test.
These products also deodorizer very well!
The smell of Rosemary with fresh air blowing in through the windows...
It made my home feel fresh.
Something that is hard to accomplish after winter.

The next product I am going to talk about is the Method products we tried.
I ordered the Method Laundry Detergent and Scent Boosters.
We got these in Beach Sage scent which smells amazing.
I have heard people talk about the other scent but not this one.
The scent boosters call for two caps which are not big.
We ended up cutting it down to one cap full.
They smell amazing and do their job very well.
The detergent also smells amazing.
It cleans the laundry really well also.
This soap works really well in cold water as well.
The laundry came out very clean and deodorized.
With other laundry soaps our clothes did not seem to come out as fresh.
Not so with this.
This is going to be one product line we will keep in stock.

The other products we got were the Grove Floor Cleaner.
It's scent is Orange and Rosemary.
Absolutely love the smell of it.
It cleans very well.
We use it on our living room tile with our Bissel Spray mop.
It also works great at deodorizing.
It came with a glass spray bottle.
I really like the spray.
I like the fact they give you a glass one instead of a plastic.
The spray bottles I believe are sold separately.
The cleaner and spray bottle were both free products I got with my order.
I also received two walnut scrubber sponges.
These I opted to use for cleaning my counters and such.
The reason why is because I got a scrubber brush with suds up crock.
Absolutely love the crock.
It has a whimsical wildflower print around it.
Helps save on soap usage as well.
I had amazing suds using this and helps save on soap waste.
The last product I bought was a Bon Ami powder cleaner.
I did not really get to use this one as of yet.
It is supposed to help deodorize as well as clean.
Is safe to use on pots and pans as well.
I am considering trying this on my copper pans.

So did I like the products?
Yes!

Did I place a second order first of the month?
No.

Why?

Because I actually want to check out more in store.
The site is not the easiest to shop through if you do not know exactly what you want.
Or for me it isn't.

I also do not want to pay for a year of VIP to get free products and free shipping.
I can purchase the same products from Target.

We actually are thinking about trying the Method brand dish soap and cleaner.
I want to see how it compares to Mrs Meyers since we enjoy their laundry products.

So over all I do recommend Mrs Meyers and Method for sure.
Grove has some really nice exclusive products as well.
The prices are good and if you enjoy shopping online this is amazing for you.

Products: 5 stars
Website: 4 stars
Shopping Experience: 4 stars

Until Next Time!

#RustonStrong | Aftermath of April 25 2019 Tornado | The Wendy C Life

Hello Lovelies!

I hope everyone is having a blessed Monday.
Our life for the past few days has been filled with shock.
So let me explain why I have lacked on posting past few weeks.

Past few weeks we have had some pretty bad storms.
Days when I have a chance to record a video it would storm.
Loud thunder and all that fun stuff.

So, Wednesday night of this last week we had a chance of thunderstorms.
They were supposed to have started earlier in the evening I think.
I am not totally positive on that though.
My husband got home from work around 11-ish pm.
He was napping in his recliner while I watched tv.
Around 1 something our phones started going off.
Mind you we are not expecting real bad weather.
I don't even think we were under a tornado watch.
When they were doing the warnings on tv they didn't even have a Tornado Watch up.

The first warning we received was not even for our town.
We get the warnings for south of us a lot, as a precaution.
We watched the weather report on it discussing what we should do.
For 30 minutes they kept talking about how this rotation was weakening.
Then suddenly they said it was tightening back up.
Come to find out the one that was going to hit West of us did weaken.
The one that hit Ruston head on formed as the other was weakening.

They said it traveled a path through Ruston of 6.68 miles.
It was a half a mile wide, around 1000 feet (10 football fields).
My biggest pet peeve of all during all of this has been one thing.
Ruston as a community was devastated...
But news medias has been all about Louisiana Tech.
I am proud of our University, I really am.
I do not think however the Community itself should be overshadowed by Tech.
A mother and her 14 year old son passed away.
They were not on Tech campus.
Businesses were tore up in a severe way.
Again, not on Tech campus.
Not even by Tech campus.

The neighborhoods that got hit took the brunt of it all.
There was damage  to some dorms, but they were not lost like many homes.

Also, we seriously need to teach the Tech students what Tornado Warnings mean.
I have seen some post and videos of the students watching at windows.
Some even went outside and went to go back to sleep!
I will add back to sleep with windows at their heads.
We need better shelter provided for some areas.
I don't mean a shelter to go to afterwards.
I mean a place to seek shelter if your home is old or a mobile home.
A storm shelter!
We do not have a storm shelter in our town.
Not that I know of.
We also need to improve the siren system.
We live on the outskirts of city limits.
The sirens go off and we do not hear them.
I have to be awake and listening to hear them.
Also, they use the same tone for every thunderstorm that blows through.
They need to use a different tone for Tornado Warnings.
That way people will take notice and act immediately.
Too many people think, oh it's just another thunderstorm and go back to sleep.
Not everyone has their cell phones on at 2 am.

So with that being said.
The community has been amazing in the aftermath.
I have seen people volunteering helping out in anyway they can.
My 91 year old grandfather even got out with a chainsaw helping with clean up.
People have also been getting out passing out waters, Gatorades and Powerades.
Tons of items needed have been donated to the Recovery Center at the Civic Center.
It is really nice seeing people helping their community so quickly.
People who have worked storms like this even said it has shocked them.
Our small community has come together and did so much in only 4 days.
The schools were able to open back up today.
There is still a long road of recovery ahead...
But the clean up, rebuilding the power grid, Fiber lines and all has been fast.
Most areas around we see lose power for weeks.
That is from something less minor than this.
I think they said yesterday 80% of the power within the city is back up.
Our internet has been going in and out some.
We were actually without cell service, home phone and internet for 2 days.
This has been a time for patience for sure.
Mother Nature forced people to be present.

So, I am very proud of Ruston as a community.
I am proud of the people who came into our small community to help.
It has been a huge team effort.
I can see a lot of growth continuing for Ruston in the future without a doubt.

#RustonStrong

Until Next Time!

Sex Education & Evil UPS! | The Wendy C Life

Hello Lovelies!

Hope all of you are having a beautiful weekend!

My sixteen year old just let me know we need to cover STD education.
No, it is not due to sexual activity on his part.
He just told me he only knows about two STDs.
One being AIDS and the other Blue Waffle.


Blue Waffle?!?!

So to give a little back story...
I bought a book about puberty for my son years ago.
We have mentioned various things dealing with STDs and STIs.
I am very open in discussion so my children are educated.
I want them to be safe when they become adults.
I want them to be safe when that moment does happen.

So where the **** did he get Blue Waffle from!?!?

I mean, I know we have mentioned Blue Waffle as a joke.
But...
Did he really take that as it being a serious STD?


Have you had that talk with your kids yet?
Did you go with the 'buy them a book' route?
If you haven't made it to this point in life...
Are you planning on doing the book thing?
Or
Will you go the sit down and talk route?
I did the book route, but have always been here to answer questions.

"Here son, go read this. If you have questions ask. We can google together."
Yes, that is all me.
Google is the answer.

Also

UPS is killing me!
My products I got from Grove is estimated to be delivered Monday.
I was hoping for them to get here today.
They arrived in a town a few hours away from me yesterday.
Apparently UPS is going to hold them there until tomorrow.

They do not want me to get my package until Monday.

They are evil!

Keep an eye out on my YouTube channel!

I am planning on grabbing the camera today.
Video should post tonight.
I should say it should post as long as technology doesn't hate on me.

Until Next Time! 

Positive Vibes & Adulting | The Wendy C Life

Hello Lovelies!


It is a rainy Thursday morning today.
I woke up to the sound of rain splattering my window.
Still a beautiful day to say the least.

Some people ask me why I say everyday is a beautiful day.

I have people saying things like:

"It's rainy and grey. How is this beautiful?"

"Nothing has gone right today. How is it a good day?"

And so forth and so on.

So, how is a day beautiful no matter what?

Because I said it is.

Every grey cloud no lie has a silver lining.
We just have to choose to see it.
Just like the whole thing that after every storm is a rainbow.
Choose to chase those rainbows instead of the storm.

My day so far has been filled with adulting.
Literally the second I woke up.
I wasn't even fully awake!
I choose to chase the positive of it all though.
So, now I am sitting here writing this post before having to adult more.

It is Speech Therapy day for my youngest.
I have to come home and put my nose to the grind stone after.
I think I want to find a new recipe to try.
I have all of this extra greek yogurt from making the cheesecakes.
I need to find a healthy recipe to use it in.

Any ideas?

Dinner last night ended up being Ahi Tuna Fish Tacos.
Super yummy!
I love me some fish tacos.

Well, I hope all of you continue to have beautiful days!
Adulting awaits me.

Until Next Time!

Beautiful Wednesday, Cheesecakes & Free Products! | The Wendy C Life

Hello Lovelies!

*Insert a yawn and stretch*

That is me this afternoon.
I have been watching a lot of YouTube lately.
I call it research...
Which technically it is.
I have noticed people like these clean with me videos.

I watch these videos then get depressed.
My kitchen is not like these pretty bright ones I see.
I might be a tad jealous.

So, I got a burst of energy today and scrubbed my stove.
When I say I scrubbed I mean I scrubbed.
Did you know there are small vents on the back?
Be sure to pull your stove out and clean the dust from them.
No need in having a fire start.

That has pretty much been my day.
That and ran a few errands this morning.

I do have something I am super excited about!

I got a free Mrs Meyer Set last night!
For those of you who do not know what Mrs Meyers is...
The products are Natural cleaners.
I personally have never tried them, but have wanted to.
It seems to be the favorite products many YouTube Moms.

So go to Grove Collaborative and claim your free set.

It is the Spring sent collection.

So what am I getting and how much did I have to pay?

Well firstly you do have to put in a minimum order of $20.
I ordered myself a laundry set:
Method Laundry Detergent & Scent Booster in Beach Sage
I needed one more item to hit my minimum so I got a powder cleaner.
It is called Bon Ami.
I am looking forward to trying both items.

Free items:
Mrs Meyers Dish Soap, All Purpose Cleaner, Hand Soap
All three I got in Basil scent.
They have a long list of Spring scents to choose from.
I almost got Honeysuckle.
Maybe next time.
A suds up crock with brush.
These are super cute honestly.
It has little wildflowers around it.
I love these though.
Very useful and decorative.
I had one from the Honest Company in the past.
Your soap goes in the bottom.
You use the brush by pressing down to "suds up"
Then scrub away.
They also are sending two walnut scrubber sponges.

I also got an extra free gift.
It is a Floor Cleaner Concentrate
With a Glass Spray Bottle.
It is Grove Collaborative brand.
They have two scents.
Lavender & Thyme
Orange & Rosemary

I picked Orange & Rosemary.

I am looking forward to giving a review!
Like I said I am all kinds of excited.
Like sadly kind of excited.

Who gets excited over buying new cleaning products?

This is the joys of adulthood.

The products I am guessing will be arriving Friday.
This might actually call for an unboxing video.

Yes, def does call for an unboxing video.

I will share my excitement of getting new cleaners to try.
My review of the new cleaners will follow next week.
I am also going to be giving a review of Grove Collaborative.
That I think of the whole experience and all.

Oh!

I almost forgot to tell you guys how much I spent!
All of the products mentioned above before taxes were $65.
After discount, which was over $43, and taxes I paid...

Less than $24!

*Insert jaw drop here*

Yea, so you def need to check out Grove Collaborative and take advantage.
Especially since the gift is while supplies last.
So chop chop!

Aside from being excited over the products
&
Scrubbing on my kitchen, because YouTube makes me jealous...

I finally got to make my Vanilla Bean Greek Yogurt Cheesecake.
If you want that link check out this post.
They turned out really good.
My kids even enjoyed them.

I hope all of you are having a beautiful Wednesday!

Until Next Time!

Sunday, May 5, 2019

What's New | The Wendy C Life

Hello Beautiful People!


Sorry I have not blogged lately.
I actually have been busy busy with my YouTube channel this week.
That is right!
I am buckling down and putting my nose to the grind stone.

Friday I did my first "Day in the Life" vlog.
I will not lie, I was very intimidated.
I clam up when a camera is pointing at me.
It showed in the beginning of the video.
Big Time!

Luckily my husband was there to crack jokes.
It made the pain of shyness bearable.

If you have not watched my "DITL" video then click over now!


What else is new?

I decided to try something new with my channel as well.
Yes, majority of my "new" deals with YouTube.
So, I decided to give podcasting a try.
I am uploading podcast recordings to YouTube.
Why?
Honestly, it is a money thing.
YouTube is free to upload to.
I can create a playlist just for my podcast.
Other sites I looked at limit free accounts a great deal.
I do not want to have to pay to podcast.
Especially if this ends up being something not for me right now.
Yes, I am cheap like that.

My blog has it's own Domain now.
I don't remember if I mentioned that in the last post or not.
So, I am mentioning it here...
Possibly a second time.

I am struggling with getting it attached to my blogger.
Technology hates on me way too much!
So, for now it just redirects to my blogger acct.
I have a cute website made on Wix.
But I am like I mentioned above cheap.
I don't want to have to pay to attach it to the account.
Also, I don't like the Wix ads on it screaming how cheap I am.

I will be working on the look of the blog soon.
I want to have a general hub where everything is linked together.
I hope that will be this blog.
Another reason why I decided against the Wix site...
I could not keep track of views.
It was extremely difficult and I could not use Google Analytics without paying.
I know you have to invest in yourself to build success...
But...
You do not need to go broke in the process!
Way too many people want money in their pockets.
I am trying to get money into my own!

But yea, in a nutshell it has been a week of networking.
I am working on creating content as well.
I want to know what does well out there.

Oh!

There is another thing that I have come across on YouTube.
Clean With Me videos.
I get the cook with me because you can share recipes this way.
But, why do people enjoy Clean With Me videos?
If you are a person who loves these videos let me know in the comments.
I personally have watched them.
They make me hate my house even more.
As a matter of fact...
They make me hate that I am not that kind of housewife.
I feel so lazy now.

*Reaches for the jellybeans*

What is your favorite type of YouTube video to watch?

Let me know in the comments!

Until the next time!

Technology Hates Me & Healthy Treats | The Wendy C Life

Hello Lovelies!


I swear technology likes to hate on me.
I am trying to get my domain attached to my blog.
Needless to say it says, "Nope, not happening."
This is where I roll my eyes.

Good Sunday Morning!
I hope everyone is having a beautiful day.
I actually am getting ready to bake this morning.

I have mini Whole Grain Gingerbread Bundt cakes on my mind.
Also planning on making mini greek cheesecakes.
Both are low in sugar and fat.
Want those recipes?

Bam! You got em!



That is how awesome I am.
Will I post pictures of them?
Not on this blog post.
This blog post will be live here soon before I even start my magic.

I will however make sure I share photos on my Social Media outlets.
Make sure you are following me so you don't miss out!
Where can you follow me at?

Facebook

I have a love for food and an even bigger love for healthy treats.
That is one of my hobbies.
Find yummy healthy recipes or make unhealthy ones healthy.
I will also add that I always make tweaks to the recipes.
That way they fit for our dietary needs.
Example I have to do low fat unless it is healthy fats.
I use olive oil or my Smart Balance Olive Oil spread.

More news for you guys!
Be sure to check out my YouTube Channel.
I made an intro video for my channel yesterday.
It also will be the intro to all of my future videos.
I decided to ditch the cell phone camera.
I am now going to be shooting with my Canon PowerShot.
Much better quality as you will see from my intro video.

I want to try and shoot a video outside today.
I love the sunshine we have been getting.
What keeps me from actually shooting outside?
My neighbor's AC unit!
I might just throw caution to the wind and do it anyways.
Background noise and all.

Is there a topic you would like me to discuss?
Let me know!
I will say this though.
I refuse to discuss politics and religion.
It never ends well!
But just about anything else I am game!
So comment below or let me know on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
And Remember!
Follow me on YouTube to see if I choose your suggestions!

Until Next Time!

Re-Branding | The Wendy C Life

Hello Lovelies!

I am being a busy lady today re-branding everything!
So My Social Media has been an unorganized wreck.
Way too many Facebook pages for every single thing.
Also not to mention none of my platforms had the same username.
So I am making it easier for everyone to remember.

The Wendy C Life is my new blog name...
&
My new username!
@thewendyclife

Yes, I am dropping the initials and going old school.
I am going by the name that everyone knows me by.
I decided it would be a lot easier.
Especially while doing videos.
Can you imagine the confusion.
People calling me Wendy instead of L.

Also, I have been putting in time to do my homework.
Past few days I have been watching so much Youtube.
I want to get a better idea and love seeing the growth of people's channels.

Also
I am addicted to Jeffree Star.
I use to follow him on Myspace before his fame.
I love his personality and energy.
So yea, I have been binge watching him and Shane Dawson lately.
I even got my kids hooked on Jeffree Star.

So, yea!
I am Re-Branding today!

Now on to building and working my way to my goals.

Until Next Time!

Busy Life | The Wendy C Life

Hello Lovelies!

It's been a while since my last blog.
Life got busy needless to say.

We as a family traveled to Lake Charles last week.
It was my first time to ever go.
I got to meet family I never knew.
We greatly enjoyed ourselves.

Our home has also been battling the crud.
Blah!
I have had to deal with antibiotics for this plus a wisdom tooth issue.
Plus side?
I had my Vascular Surgeon appointment last week.
They cleared me and said I only have to come back if the episodes start again.
It is a possibility that it was all from inflammation.
Cervical Spondylosis causes inflammation in the muscles which can cause pressure.
Pressure on that small artery can make for some interesting happenings.
I swear I was sober the whole time!
I could not pass a field sobriety test for nothing.
I walked around like a drunk person for days.

Now all I have to do is wait to see the GI.
That is not as bad of an issue to deal with.
I have been down that road before.

I also found out I am no longer allergic to Shellfish.
This lady has been enjoying shrimp ever since.
The Mediterranean Diet calls for a lot of seafood.
I can fully enjoy the diet now since Seafood is no longer off limits.
No more just shoving Salmon and Tuna in my face.

I also wanted to let you guys know Youtube is on hold at the moment.
My electronics hate me a great deal it seems.
Last video I did never made it to publishing.

Until Next Time!

Struggles | The Wendy C Life

Hello Lovelies!

Yes today's blog title can be a bit scary for some.
However, it is something we need to stop hiding from as well as behind.
Everybody has struggles in their lives. No single struggle is greater than another.
It is all about how we react to our struggles though that determine so much.

Right now my daily struggle is pain. It drives me insane sometimes.
Another is impatience. I swear I am being tested.
Everything right now I am having to deal with is taking a lot of time.
Took a year to find out I had a small left vertebral artery.
Took a year to find a decent doctor who was going to listen.
Now it is going to be over a year before I can see a GI specialist about some issues.

So, how do I get through my struggles?

Some days it really is hard to get past them.
On days my muscles are tensed up real bad I tend to be lazy.
Being lazy doesn't help me any though. It actually causes the pain to be worse at times.
It also causes another struggle which is my weight.
My husband is helping me try and push through this.
We actually are planning on visiting a Planet Fitness later this week.
I really am interested in the hydro massage bed for my back and neck.
I also need to get active at the least 30 minutes a day.
I do not get outside to walk so this will be the next best thing.

Another struggle for me is motivation.
It isn't from the lack of trying, but more from the lack of energy.
When my energy levels dip low I end up having issues concentrating.
This actually is something that affected my efforts in the past.
I get extremely motivated and excited in blogging then after a few days I fizzle out.
My brain decides it does not want to focus and it is a real struggle for me.
I am hoping better organization of my time will help me in this department.
Maybe writing when my energy and focus are up.

I also struggle with self esteem.
This affects my ability to do a lot of things.
Low self esteem affects so much!
I have a passion for music. I always wanted to be a singer.
I allowed negative words from others keep me from doing what I had a passion for.
As a teen I grew to have a passion for fashion.
I would draw out my own designs all the time. I still to this day have an eye for patterns and colors.
Again, being told I would never succeed ended that dream.
So many dreams I ever had were stomped out fast.
Now all I am left with is a shell.
A shell filled with doubt in myself.
I am slowly trying to get over this since I want to be a YouTube Influencer.
I also have gotten over doubting myself as much and published my first book.
Not only did I self publish it on my own, I also designed and created the cover.
I did everything except for editing by myself.
I have also shared poems in the past that I had written.
Doing so got me awarded editor choice awards.
There have been  times when my poems were not chosen for publications.
That is okay though. Rejection is not a sign of failure.
It simply just means there is something better in the future.

Do I struggle with depression?

Depression is a very taboo subject. Anything dealing with mental health is really.
I will answer this one with full honesty.
Yes.
It is not all the time. As a matter of fact everyone at some point struggles with it.
We all have moments when we feel really down.
But yes, at times I do deal with depression.
I get through this by having a good cry.
If I am depressed feeling and emotional then it means I really need to just let it all out.
I can not hide behind a smile forever.
I do cry and feel down a good bit lately when I am dealing with medical stuff.
Especially at the end of last year. I had no answers and nothing being explained to me.
All I could think about was what is going to happen when I have another 'episode'.
We were thinking those episodes were small strokes.
Can you imagine going to bed Christmas Eve worrying if you will wake up Christmas morning?
So, at these times I sit alone and cry.
Even when people hurt me. I allow myself to cry for one day then I am up and running the next.

My list of struggles go on but I remind myself one thing.
It is not about the struggles I face.
It is about how I allow those struggles to define me.
Am I going to let them control my life? No.
I didn't allow it days after having surgery on my back for Scoliosis.
I dang sure am not going to allow it to do so now.

So remember this when you are facing a hard time in your life.

You are stronger than you ever can imagine.
Push forward and this too shall pass.

Also, and I know this is a clique, remember there really are silver linings to grey clouds.
Stay strong and keep your head up!

Until Next Time!