Think happy thoughts...

I saw this lovely little quote on my girlfriend's facebook page recently, and it immediately struck a chord with me. I can't tell you the number of negative thoughts against myself that stream through my head everyday, downloading themselves into my every fiber. These debilitating thoughts do nothing but prohibit forward progression. No matter how much I will something to be, if I allow the negative to seep through, 

the negative will always win.

I don't know about you, but I hate losing. I'm as competitive as they come. 

So how about this?

I propose I look at those negative thoughts as my opponent. 

They are the enemy. They must be defeated. 

War paint ready. Game face on. Bring it.

If I wake up everyday with a course of action to deter these thoughts, 

then maybe, just maybe I will prevail. 

If a negative thought comes, my way, I'll knock it down with a combative blow 

of self-courage, confidence, grace, and gratitude.

For example:

I can't win.

Pshhhhh, I got this. I eat negative thoughts for breakfast, chew them up 

and spit them out.

You want some of this you dirty awful LA traffic?

I'll simply turn up my "Bittersweet Symphony" in my new rockin car and tune you out!

I'm not good enough.

I am more than good enough. I am strong. I am capable. 

And I am willing to do what it takes to succeed.

There isn't enough time.

I have as much time in a day as everyone else. Time is not prejudice. 

Tackle one thing at a time. 

I can get it all done. My time management skills are bar none.

I don't deserve to be happy.

I deserve happiness as much as the next person. I am kind. I have a good heart. 

I deserve to live a good life.

Maybe if we look at our thoughts this way; if we make a list of all the negative thoughts that enter our mind every day, and have a prepared positive response to armor ourselves, then maybe we can win this battle of negativity. I don't know about you, but I'm tired of being my own worst enemy. It's exhausting.

And there are too many negative people out there in the world that are vying 

to pull me down. Why waste another moment pulling down myself?

Step aside negativity, happy thoughts from here on out!

Think happy thoughts...

A Few Stamps and a Prayer

They say that people who play the lottery are a foolish lot of hopefuls with nothing more than pipe dreams. Well I count myself amongst the MILLIONS of foolish hopefuls who share that pipe dream. 

I think we all play our own lotteries though. We roll the dice one way or another and hope with all our might that fate will show return in our favor. After all, we have to believe in something, right?

I play as often as possible, losing quite often as well. But the winning is truly in the playing. It's in the trying. And not giving up. You never know when destiny will step in and play its hand.

This time, I've set my sights pretty high. Something big, valuable, yet meaningful to me. 

The HGTV Smart Home 2013

This 2400 square foot beach haven is the house of my dreams. It is lavish in its design and supped to the nines in its technology, yet created with all the fine comforts of southern beach living.

What more could anyone ask for?

More importantly, what more could I ask for? 

This is it. The minute I found out about this sweepstakes, I was all in. Now mind you, I missed about 3 weeks of online voting, so I had a lot of catching up to do! So I've been registering EVERYDAY since I found out about it. With every vote, I set the intention:

"This house is meant for me. I work hard. I am kind to people. 

I deserve it just as much as anyone else."

You see, I don't need or want a palatial ocean front pad in Malibu. I don't even need a $600 million Powerball jackpot. Quite the opposite. At this point in my life, a simple home in Jacksonville Beach, Florida a few blocks from the water, sounds perfect to me. Because the older I get, the less farther I want to be from the people I care about most, my family. My family is in Florida and I'm in California. So to call this house perfect, is an understatement for its proximity to loved ones, but also for all the cozy comforts that come with it. Not to mention the beloved guest room decked out in my 
favorite color as well: Coral. 
Enough said.

This home is also perfect for starting a family of my own. I know I get wrapped up in career ambitions and thinking constantly about my independent ventures. But this home gives me faith and hope for a family of my own someday. And even if I don't win, I've already won simply for having the vulnerability to think about these things. For daring to dream. For hoping for more. Cheesy as it sounds, I need this. I need the hope of whats to come...maybe even more than the actual house.

So I'm ALL IN!

Here's a few shots of my mail-in voting efforts today. Hey, you can't win if you don't play. And like I said, I had some making up to do for the weeks of voting that I missed!

  

So on the dawn on a new week, I urge you to play. Get out there and roll the dice...in your own way.

Take chances. The ones that make sense to you. The ones that fit your life. 

Put an image in your mind and your heart, set a strong, mindful intention, and hope with all your might that what's meant to be will be. 

Set your sights high. You deserve it ;)

Hopefully yours,

I'm a business owner. I must be crazy.

It's official. Well not by "official" standards (my LLC hasn't been finalized by the state yet), but in my heart, mind and spirit, I'm a business owner. 

Today, I received my first piece of business mail at my official business address. It hadn't felt real until that moment I suppose. As if the last year of efforts I've put towards it didn't justify the reality of it all! And now this tiny piece of paper suddenly gave levity to the situation and made it truly real for me. Funny how that happens. It's like I needed tactile evidence that my dreams of this business are indeed turning into a reality. 

Along with this brief moment of excitement today came immediate overwhelm and anxiety too. Oh shit. What am I doing? Who am I to think I can do this? I think I'm going to be nauseous. In a few short months, I am on my own. No plan B. No backup plan. 

My biggest fear? Failure. My biggest problem? Self doubt. 

With so many hurdles ahead, I stop to think that this must be what every new business owner goes through. A roller coaster ride to self discovery and figuring out how to take one day at a time, but never biting off more than you can chew. After all, as my wonderful boyfriend says, "You can't eat an elephant in one bite, Molly."

Ha! He'd probably laugh if he knew how many times in a day I tell that to myself every time I want to throw my hands in the air and give up for fear of being anything short of perfect. Thank goodness for his constant encouragement and charming ability to keep me laughing. I probably would've given up a million times already without his smile pressing me onward and keeping me centered.

But this is me. I'm up and down and all kinds of around. I AM a roller coaster. And although that may sound scary to some, I have to believe its pretty exciting to most. My life's journey has not been easy. Nothing has been given to me. I've earned my experiences as well as my accomplishments. And I put my whole heart into everything I do. With that, I start a new chapter in my life. As a business owner, an entrepreneur, a creator, an explorer, a dreamer. Dream big. Or wake up empty.

I will not live a life unfulfilled. I am not perfect. I can always be more. I can always be better. But I will accept where I am and acknowledge where I'd like to be. But always remember that the treasure lies on the road to success. Not at the destination. 

I'm so excited to be in this place. And I can't wait for the adventures that await me...

I am My Own Molly. The buck starts and stops with me. And THAT feels great.