Z is for zoom…

I was hesitant when the challenge began and almost didn’t participate. I wish I could’ve been more active but will peruse other blogs to leave comments. My April was really busy and I hope next year this time it is slow enough to allow me to do better.

Zoom, zoom, zoom we are done. See you next year for the challenge…

 

Y of course is for YOU!!

YOU are your best cheerleader. Don’t wait on someone else to yell louder for you. Sometimes it takes looking in the mirror and encouraging yourself to keep pushing through the sadness and pain. When you want to quit its powerful to look in the mirror and motivate yourself.

A lot of times when you discuss your dreams, goals or ideas with others they don’t encourage you to work toward them. People can quickly discourage you when you thought they’d be the first to encourage you. They act as if they’re supportive when they’re actually hoping you fail.  What I’ve found is people may listen, and nod their heads while expecting the opposite to occur. By that I mean, they don’t think I’ll work toward accomplishing the goal. Then I’m driven to prove them wrong.

When I first discussed publishing a book I noticed the slanted or discouraging eyes of some. It encouraged me to work harder proving to myself and my doubters that it could be done. Their negative looks motivated me instead of discouraging me.

If we listen to others our dreams will get lost in the shuffle. Be determined, consistent and focused. Be you and  encourage yourself often.

 

X is for xerox…

Of course like everyone else, when I hear the word Xerox I think of copies. I’m taking it a little further relating it to people since it was the only X word that jumped out at me. So many people try to duplicate what others have already done. Writers do it. Performers and singers do it. In some ways it does make sense to copy something while tweaking it to make it your own.

What people forget is that we are all unique individuals. We all have many talents. There is no reason to be envious or jealous of others. Aspire to make similar achievements or emulate them to some degree. Don’t be an exact copy of them but be the best version of you. The best version of you is better than a version of them on any given day.

 

 

W is for winning…

You can win without crossing the finish line simply because you tried. You don’t have to cross over first to be considered a winner either. There are so many opportunities where awards are given to those that have finished ahead of the rest yet the real winners were at the back of the pack.

I love to see people work really hard at something when they know they aren’t going to accomplish what other people have done. The mere fact that they try makes them winners. If you read the definition of win it doesn’t say where the person finished. It just says the act of someone or a thing that wins.

I had a book signing today. I didn’t sell all of my books but it was a great experience. I made amazing connections with people I had never met and discussed future events. Some may have seen the event as a failure because I took some books back to my car. However, because of the combination of things–the sales, the connections, exposure and scheduling of future events, I won.

You’ve got to try in order to be a winner. Put your best foot forward and you’ve already won!

 

V is for victory…

Victory means different things to people just like success does. Victory to some could be simply leaving the house when they’ve been too depressed to do so for months. To some it could be finishing a race they couldn’t have won this time last year. Or walking ten steps when last week they could only do two.  It doesn’t always have to be something as grand as winning a Super Bowl ring to be a victory although we’d all love to have one.

Appreciating small victories allows us to be grateful for everything that comes our way. Think of the fifth grader that makes strides each month and is finally reading on a higher level. He may not be on his grade level but he’s improved since the previous school year. The state and the school won’t count it as a victory in the same way the student will. For him, getting out of the reading class with younger students and moving with a group closer to his age is almost as good as being on grade level.

Don’t let anyone tell you what you should celebrate. Those are the people who celebrate the big things forgetting that it’s the little things that brought them where they are.

 

U is for ugly…

You can be a supermodel and to me, if you’re mean-spirited and an unlikable person, you’re not attractive. Beauty only goes skin deep but ugliness lives in your soul.

We all have different childhood experiences that shape our personalities. Some children are mistreated and grow into adults that mistreat others. Those are the people who I work very hard to stay away from. I feel like they thrive on negativity.

Mean and cruel people are usually unhappy with themselves. I always say that when you’re happy with yourself and things in your life you don’t worry about or bother other people. Make sure to surround yourself with people who bring you up not down…

 

T is for time…

It feels like it was just the beginning of April and we’re scooting towards the end of the month. Time is the one thing in life that we don’t have control over. If you decide to keep your head on your pillow and not get up the day doesn’t slow down for you. It carries on with or without your involvement.

Time is very precious and when you’re young you think you’ll live forever. The older we get the more precious time becomes. They say time doesn’t wait on anyone and that’s the absolute truth. People are here with us one day and not the next. The one thing I learned about time is to learn to appreciate every second.