Our Mini Date at the CVS Minute Clinic

This morning I woke up feeling horrible. I just knew I had strep throat, just one of the many perks of being a teacher. So I rolled over and told my hubby that he is going to have to take me to CVS Minute Clinic to get a strep test since my doctors office was closed. So off we went. When we got there 4 people were waiting to be seen before me. Great! What a way to spend our Saturday morning. So we took a seat in the waiting area and just talked.

Without the television, ipad, laptops distracting us we sat in the CVS Minute Clinic waiting area.... and chatted about everything and nothing at all. For the next hour we talked as though there was no one else in that waiting area but us. Funny we never even realized that we were sitting there for an hour...that is how engrossed we were in conversation and I can't really even tell you what we spoke about. But before we knew it they called my name and confirmed my suspicions...strep and an ear infection. As we waited in line at the pharmacy for my 5-day antibiotics treatment I told my hubby that I enjoyed our Minute Clinic date. He laughed and said, "only the best for my wife!"

Marriages need times like these to keep them strong. Sometimes we don't have the time to schedule as many date nights as we would like so when opportunities present themselves to just sit and talk and laugh..... why not take advantage of them! Although, I really wish that I was not sick.... I was glad he was there with me. The truth is it's all about how you spend the time together that matters more than where and when!

The Greatest Love of All

As I drove to work this morning I was listening to a medley of Whitney Houston songs that WBLS was playing as a tribute to her extraordinary musical career. I sang every song loud and off key as if I was performing at my very own private and personal tribute to Whitney. After all many of her songs could be played as the soundtrack for my teenage to adult life. Then the “Greatest Love of All” came on. Now I must have sang this song hundreds of times throughout the years but for some reason this morning the verse “learning to love your self is the greatest love of all” had a new meaning for me. Self-love IS the greatest love of all but it is also the most difficult form of love to give. Many of us struggle with self-love because we think it would be viewed as self-centered, vain or just selfish. But I believe in order for us to receive the kind of love that we deserve from others we first must learn how to fall in love with ourselves. If you can't love yourself how in the world can you expect others to really fall in love with you?

When I was younger I had a very warped view of what I deserved from a relationship. In fact most times I never really thought about what I deserved. I knew I wanted to make the other person happy and never really gave much thought into what made me happy. Now I know that self-love is the foundation of all loves and without it any relationship that we are in will be an unequal one. In my marriage my husband and I have no problem catering to each others needs because we both have a strong sense of respect and confidence in ourselves and for one other.

So what does self-love mean to you? Does it mean you love yourself enough to take care of your mind, body and soul by any means necessary? Does it mean you put your needs first even if sometimes.... just sometimes the needs of others have to go on back burner? Does it mean you let others know how you deserve to be treated and you refuse to settle for less?

Ladies, this Valentine's Day why not give yourself a gift...the gift of the greatest love of all....love of self. I promise you will not be disappointed!

"And if by chance that special place that you've been dreaming of leads you to a lonely place find your strength in love!"

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Thinking Positively!

Please bear with me as self-indulge: I am as fabulous as I let myself be. Let me repeat that. I am fabulous as I let myself be.

This was my positive quote for this week and you know what I learned....I am freaking fabulous and I shouldn't wait for someone to compliment me when I can do it myself! So this week I consciously replaced all of my negative thoughts with positive ones and let me tell you it wasn't easy but well worth it. One thing I learned this week is that having positive thoughts when you are under stress is difficult but it can help you put things in perspective.

So here are some things I did to keep me thinking positive this week!

1. Don't allow what people think and say affect my mood. This was very challenging especially at work when this happens often. So example, when I said good morning to someone and they barely parted their lips to say it back I responded with, "Have a great day!" and I meant it!

2. Associate with people who bring something of value into my life. One thing I learned is that sometimes you can't avoid being around negative people but you can learn how to ignore them graciously when they are in their company.

3. Say positive things about myself. Instead of looking in the mirror and finding all the things I could change about myself. I looked in the mirror and really saw how amazing I am inside and out.

4. Compliment people when I feel they deserve it. I really liked doing this one. Giving compliments not only helped boost the person's self-confidence but it has a way of making me feel good about myself too!

5. Have faith in myself and in my abilities. Self-doubt is a silent dream killer. It can creep up on you when you least expect it and fill your mind with negative thoughts of yourself and your abilities. But I know I am fabulous as I let myself be. Let me repeat that. I am as fabulous as I let myself be and so are you!