I hope you are having a beautiful day! The sun is shining in my town today- it's warm and lovely. I have had a wonderful week so far with a suprise ice-skating date, wedding planning, wine and personal training to get me to Hump Day!
I think, seeing as though I now have followers that I do not know personally (hello! You are most welcome!), now would be a great time to really get into the 'nuts and bolts' of what the Beautiful Mess is all about!
If you've visited the blog in the last day or two, you will notice that I have added an 'ABOUT' page to the homepage. It's a link that will take you to a magical land, where you can learn a little more about me, and a little more about the Beautiful Mess and why we're here! And so, without further ado, let's get into the Beautiful Mess...
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It. Is. Your. Life.
You can be happy within it if you choose to be.
Here's the thing. I know how easy is is to become complacent when you feel sad. It's so simple (and so tempting) to stay in bed all day, weeping into your pillow. Or to drag yourself to work and slump in your office chair, thoroughly depressed and feeling more alone than you ever have in your life.
You sit and hope that today will be the day! The day you recieve the fluke phone call offering you your dream job. Or maybe, the day the boy you have loved quietly for years will suddenly fall in love with you, too. Or perhaps, the day your car will magically service itself (and pay for it). The day your dog will train itself to stop peeing on your furniture. The day your best friend will bring you wine and cigarettes and let you cry for three hours, offering you the same advice she has patiently offered you countless times in the last six months.
Enough is enough!
No longer do we need to rely on boyfriends/ parents/ best friends/ girlfriends/ cats to make us happy. Your happiness is an ENORMOUS responsibility to impose on another person! It is unfair and unrealistic to hope that anyone other than yourself should create happiness in your life! It is no one elses job to ensure that you are achieving your goals, living your dreams, doing what you love or falling for the right person. It is yours.
You are capable of creating your own happiness- whether it is as simple as buying yourself some of your favourite fresh flowers, or working hard to achieve the promotion and payrise that you deserve. We- and we alone- are responsible for the light and happiness in our lives.
Manifesting Joy
"The law of attraction is the name given to the belief that "like attracts like" and that by focusing on positive or negative thoughts, one can bring about positive or negative resuts. (Thanks, Wikipedia!)".
My Mama would attest to the following statement (it has been her mantra to me since I turned twelve and started to believe that the Universe was out to get me). If you believe that is what's going to happen, then of course that is what's going to happen. In early highschool, I remember being too terrified to go to parties because I was convinced I wouldn't be able to talk to boys and they would all laugh at me. I've applied for jobs thinking 'there's no way I'm going to get this job anyway, so what's the point?'. I've gone to gym close to tears because I believed that I'm pre-destined to be a porker till the day I die.
I was a terrifying vortex of negative thinking! And -shock, horror- the more negatively I behaved, the worse things became! When you expect the worst, the Universe delivers it right to your door on a silver platter! (And no, the waiter isn't a gorgeous Frenchman who can pronounce 'cordon bleu' properly, it's Oscar the Grouch and he smells like a trashcan).
If we can learn to adjust our thinking and re-order our compulsions so the first thoughts that come to our minds are born of love, joy and thankfulness- it will manifest as positivity in our lives. I am a total, true believer in this principal. It makes you a happier, more vibrant person, which not only benefits your life, but also the lives of all those around you. Give up the Negative Nancy or Negative Nelson act, lover! It doesn't look good on you!
Harnessing Your Strength
You can.
You always could.
You are capable.
You are a fighter.
You are worthy.
We believe in you.
Find the strength to start believing in yourself.
Live Freely
Too often, I think, we find ourselves starting to twist and bend to conform to the standards of others. How many times have you paused, changed direction or come to a total standstill because you were afraid of twhat others might think of you? It is wonderful that we can have such strong relationships with our loved ones. Their love and advice is a treasure greater than anything money could buy. But don't let love and advice become a power over you that crowds your own dreams and decisions.
We are so lucky to live in a contemporary society that allows us freedom. Freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of choice... the list goes on and on and on. Just don't forget that these freedoms exist so you can have your individual voice. It's not right for someone to make you feel as though you are not free to live as you are. Tattoos, sexual preferences, offline and online social networks, pet tarantulas, blue hair, politics, lollipop fetishes, gothic music, surfer dreads, lip piercings, bright red lipstick, religion... your life it yours to live. So start living it freely.
In my opinion, true joy comes from three places: the things we love, keeping good relationships and loving ourselves. It doesn't take much to start creating joy, and fostering the energy that keeps it going round and round.
For example, yesterday on a whim I decided to go into a junky looking discount store. I had next-to-no money in my purse and no real reason for going inside. I came out with a pack of 3D holographic dragonfly stickers. Now, if you don't know me very well, it may come as a surprise to you that I am OBSESSED with anything holographic! I love sparkles! And I love dragonflies, and I love dragonflies in different colours! I came home, ripped the package open excitedly and covered my bedroom door in them. For $2. Yes- $2. And the moral of the story is: always try to appreciate the beautiful things in the world- especially the things that make you smile.
I don't need to tell you to appreciate your friends and family. But remember to take the time to show them how much you love them, even if it's something as simple as picking a flower from a garden on the way home to give to your sister. Keeping good relationships is all about love, appreciation, intent and sincerity. And note that I said keeping good relationships. Don't bother with the bad ones. They kill your buzz, crush your spirit and diminish your self-worth (believe me, I am an expert in this area!).
And, last but absolutely, totally and compeltely in no way least: appreciate the joy you feel for yourself! We all have our insecurities but don't let them get in the way of being the beautiful person that you are. We MUST learn to love ourselves. It's the whole point of everything we do here. Fostering positive energy, celebrating creative force, cultivating our own personal style- we can't achieve all these goals in the long run without deep true belief and appreciation of ourselves and our own Messes. Your Mess- your gorgeous, effervescent, vibrant, sparkling Mess- is your life. It comes from within you. Why did you think I called it Beautiful?
Holographic dragonflies and warm sunshine,
MJx
