Positivity

So I have to decided to do a bit of a different post this week because I have recently been going through a lot of positive changes in my life and I really want to share them with you.  So please bear with me as I try to organize my thoughts and hopefully it doesn't just come off as verbal diarrhea hahah.

So to start off, I am going to share some pretty personal things with you about the last six months or so of my life.  A short while after moving to Seattle ( I am originally from the East Coast ) I really struggled to find my place here.  I wasn't really happy with a lot of aspects of my personal life - I wasn't taking care of myself physically and I also felt very lonely not having my friends and family with me, and to be honest I was probably border line depressed.  I was seriously considering moving back home and I had a talk with my bf about it and something he said really resonated with me.  He basically told me that this may be the only time I am out here and that if I put some effort forth it could be a great experience to really grow as a person, and if after that I still thought it wasn't the right place for me then at least I gave it my best shot.

I have to admit this was not an easy thing for me to hear.  My first reaction was to be defensive - "What do you mean? Wasn't moving out here in the first place giving it my best shot?"  But deep down I knew he was right.  I was too busy feeling sorry for myself to recognize that I wasn't making any effort whatsoever to make the best of a new experience.  So slowly but surely I really started evaluating ways I could improve myself and make the best of what I had.

It was slow progress at first, but when the new year came around I promised myself I would start getting some of my shit together.  My bf and I had started taking a martial arts class and were making good progress, we drastically changed the way we were eating to be more healthy, I signed up for a yoga studio, and I really started to make an effort to get out there and socialize more (this is something that was especially difficult for me because I am a fairly introverted person).  But I have to say that I have made so much progress from where I was and I am really proud of myself for it.

I recognize now that we all have control over what goes on in our lives and our own happiness, and that no matter what is going on in your life it is so important to stay positive, even if you don't feel that way about your current situation.  When you start to look at things like that it really starts to change your outlook on life and everything really falls into place.  We are weird creatures and a lot of times we hold ourselves back from so many things out of irrational worries and fears, and most of the time we are the only thing standing in our own way to all these great things that are within our reach if we just let go a little bit.  It is really tough at times, and you have to be willing to be vulnerable (something that is pretty uncomfortable for most of us) but when you do this you will be so surprised at how much the universe reflects that positivity back at you.  I am now a couple of weeks from getting my green belt, am waking up early before work to do yoga several times a week, and have hung out with several new friends over the past couple of months.  

So in summation, I really want to encourage you, no matter what place you are in your life currently, to stay positive and to make those changes in your life that will get you on the path that will make you happiest, whatever those things may be!  I also want to take this opportunity to say that even though I don't know most of you on a personal level, my door is always open if you need someone to bounce something off of or need a word of encouragement - my email is jessica@jumpintopuddles.com.  So go out into the world and be a positive change for yourself and others!!