Life is not easy for any of us...

We all think everyone else has it easier than us. That nobody else goes through any hardships. We see other pregnant women and wonder why it was so easy for them to get pregnant. We see people who can lift heavier than us and wonder why it was so easy for them. 

Pick anything and fill in the blank and we wonder why they had it easier than us. 

​But I have a little secret for you... life is not easy for any of us. We all go through hard times. 

Sure, there are things that may come easier or happen easier for certain people, but that doesn't mean everything comes easy to everyone. 

Another little secret... we don't always see the behind the scene happenings. We don't see the hardships. We don't see how hard it was for those people to reach their "easy." We often only see the end results, not all the hard work that goes into getting there. 

I know that's easy to say, but it isn't always easy to remember. I get it. I've had my moments too. 

The most important part, however, is knowing that just because it isn't easy doesn't mean it isn't worth it. We must have perseverance and be able to push past the discomfort of actually doing the work. We're going to be told no, we're going to fail, not everything is going to work out the way we want it to...but that doesn't mean we should give up. 

Believe in yourself, believe that you are gifted and meant for greater things. Believe that the gift(s) you have to offer are meant to be attained and then work your butt off to attain them! 

Something that I've been working on for the last several weeks, maybe even a month now, is doing morning intentions and gratitudes. I noticed that I was focusing more on what I didn't want instead of on what I did want. And I was being more negative than positive. I didn't like what that was doing to my mindset. 

​I also knew that I needed to practice what I preach. Focusing on the positives in my life and on what I wanted was going to get me where I want to be a whole lot faster than being negative and down all the time. 

So, I'm sure you're wondering what my morning intentions have been. It takes me about 20 minutes to go through them all. So I've been setting my alarm a little early and waking up to ensure I get them done. I've noticed it helps my morning start a whole lot better when I do them...and I end up having a better day too. 

The first thing I do is write a gratitude list. I write out 10 things I'm grateful for...after each one, I take about 10-15 seconds to really focus on and be thankful for whatever I've written down. That usually takes about 2 minutes or so. Then I spend 5 minutes writing about anything. I usually write about how I slept, any dreams I can remember, anything that kept me up all night. I also write out my intentions for the day...what I want to focus on and how I want to spend my day. 

Then I get comfortable, usually snuggling with the dogs, and I set a timer for 5 minutes. During that time, I close my eyes and meditate/visualize what I want my life to look like. Exactly what I want my life to look like. I usually end up super relaxed, with a smile on my face. I love those 5 minutes of my day.

The last thing I do is set another timer for 8 minutes and I read a personal improvement book during that time. I've had one that I've wanted to read for awhile and it's really hitting home with me every morning. The 8 minutes really help me stay focused and not let my mind wander. 

It's amazing what this quiet time in the morning does for me. Even on those mornings when I wake up super tired or grumpy, doing these four steps helps me turn my day around. 

So yes, I may not have it all easy...I may have my hardships...but I know that it won't always be like that. I'll go through the hard times. But I'll have my easy times too. And just like life for everyone, it will go back and forth. And life will go on. 

So trust yourself. Believe in yourself. Believe you're exactly where you're supposed to be. And never give up. Even when things are hard. 

Have an amazing week. Keep your head up. And focus on the positives you have in your life. Because there are positives...I promise you that. 

With love and wellness,
​Whitney