#dontjudgeme

One morning I stopped at Dunkin Donuts to get a very much needed latte. The woman in front of me ordered a coffee and then decided to also get a bow-tie doughnut. After she placed her order she turned to me, shrugged her shoulders and said..."sometimes we just have to treat ourselves, right?"

"Totally!", I replied.

As I drove to work I thought about her comment. I couldn't help thinking that she really didn't believe it. It was almost as if she felt guilty for having a doughnut and thought that I might have been judging her decision to indulge. But really who am I to judge? I think that we ALL do need to treat ourselves sometimes!

I know I do!

So please don't judge me if I:

~take a day off just to stay home and watch Lifetime Movies in my pj's all day! (I call it a mental health day)

~buy myself something that I really want for a change before I buy my daughters something they really want. (rarely happens but when it does I will not feel guilty!)

~get gel manicures every two to three weeks....religiously! (my nail lady gives the best shoulder massages while my nails are drying)

~wake up early on Saturday morning just to watch my shows on the DVR alone without anyone constantly reminding me that I can fast forward through the commercials! (ever think that maybe I want to watch the commercials?)

~have a glass of wine (or two) with my dinner on a week night.

~get excited when I am home alone. (I love my family but there is something about spending time with yourself that can definitely feel like a special treat!)

~order the Taco Nachos appetizer to share but secretly hope to eat it all by myself. (and I usually do!)

So ladies go ahead and have that bow-tie doughnut, pour that Wednesday night glass of wine or buy yourself something that you really want for a change. I won't judge you! We should treat ourselves whenever and however we want! Why not? Don't we all deserve it?

I Love Myself Affirmation!

I posted this a few months ago but today I feel the need to post it again. I think sometimes we all need a reminder on how and why we should love ourselves unconditionally! I know I do! I hope it inspires you as much as it inspires me!


Deep at the center of my being,
there is an infinite well of love.

I now allow this love to flow to the surface.
It fills my heart, my body, my mind, my consciousness,
my very being, and radiates out from me in all directions
and returns to me multiplied.
The more love I use and give, the more I have to give.
The supply is endless.
The use of love makes me feel good,
it is an expression of my inner joy.

I love myself;
therefore, I take loving care of my body.
I lovingly feed it nourishing foods and beverages,
I lovingly groom it and dress it, and my body lovingly
responds to me with vibrant health and energy.

I love myself; therefore provide for myself
a comfortable home, one that fills
all my needs and is a pleasure to be in.
I fill the rooms with the vibration of love
so that all who enter, myself included,
will feel this love and be nourished by it.

I love myself; therefore I work at a job I truly enjoy
doing, one that uses my creative talents and abilities,
working with and for people I love and who love me,
and earning a good income.

I love myself; therefore, I behave and think in a loving
way to all people for I know that that which I give out
returns to me multiplied.
I only attract loving people in my world,
for they are a mirror of what I am.

I love myself; therefore I forgive and totally release
the past and all past experiences and I am free.

I love myself; therefore I live totally in the now,
experiencing each moment as good and knowing that
my future is bright and joyous and secure,
for I am a beloved child of God
and God lovingly takes care of me
now and forever more.

And so it is.

Exercising My Right to Bare Arms!

It is so true that we are our own worst critic. Sometimes when we look in the mirror we find everything that can possibly be wrong with the way we look. Our nose is too big, our ears are too small; you name it we have found something to complain about. I know I have. My flaws are many, some I can hide....and some not so much. But I am learning to embrace my imperfections and have developed a healthy disregard about what others may have to say about them. It took me some time, but finally I have gotten to the point in my life where I can honestly say.....I am owning my looks....flaws and all.

My arms have been one of my nemesis for a while. At first it was their size. I hated the way they looked in sleeveless shirts. So I always wore sweaters or some sort of covering over them. Since losing weight my arms are now at a size that I am comfortable showing but now as a result of the weight loss I have....stretch marks. Yes, the dreaded marks that tell the story of skin that has been stretched as a result of rapid weight gain or loss. Story of my life. So now even though I finally have gotten to a point where I feel good about the size, I began to feel self-confident about these marks. sigh.

So after trying a host of products promising the magical disappearance of stretch marks and looking for cute cardigans to go over every sleeveless tank and sun-dress that I own I finally said.....what the heck am I doing? This is me d*mn it! Take it or leave it. How can I tell young girls to own their looks when I am hiding behind cardigans and long sleeves shirts in 90 degree temperatures?

So who cares about a few imperfections here and there. We all have them. I recently saw this picture of Jennifer Hudson and she wasn't hiding her stretch marks behind make-up as most of the other stars do and she looks fabulous! Talk about self-confidence!!

So I said so-long to those cover-ups and hello to my new arms. They may not be flawless or the perfect size and shape but they are all I got and they are mine!
Learning to love what you see when you look in the mirror flaws and all is what really counts. So go ahead exercise your right to bare arms, wear a two-piece, or ___________ (place your flawed body part here) and repeat after me "This is me d*mn it! Take it or leave it!"

I Love Myself Affirmation

Today I am feeling especially inspired. I guess it was the wonderful Spring Break week I had as well as the celebration of Easter one of the most important holidays in my life! So I decided to share with all of you the I Love Myself Affirmation by Louise Hay. I hope it inspires you as much as it inspires me!

Deep at the centre of my being,
there is an infinite well of love.

I now allow this love to flow to the surface.
It fills my heart, my body, my mind, my consciousness,
my very being, and radiates out from me in all directions
and returns to me mutliplied.
The more love I use and give, the more I have to give.
The supply is endless.
The use of love makes me feel good,
it is an expression of my inner joy.

I love myself;
therefore, I take loving care of my body.
I lovingly feed it nourishing foods and beverages,
I lovingly groom it and dress it, and my body lovingly
responds to me with vibrant health and energy.

I love myself; therefore provide for myself
a comfortable home, one that fills
all my needs and is a pleasure to be in.
I fill the rooms with the vibration of love
so that all who enter, myself included,
will feel this love and be nourished by it.

I love myself; therefore I work at a job I truly enjoy
doing, one that uses my creative talents and abilities,
working with and for people I love and who love me,
and earning a good income.

I love myself; therefore, I behave and think in a loving
way to all people for I know that that which I give out
returns to me multiplied.
I only attract loving people in my world,
for they are a mirror of what I am.

I love myself; therefore I forgive and totally release
the past and all past experiences and I am free.

I love myself; therefore I live totally in the now,
experiencing each moment as good and knowing that
my future is bright and joyous and secure,
for I am a beloved child of God
and God lovingly takes care of me
now and forever more.

And so it is.

Sweating the Small Stuff

Every year for lent my family gives up something that would be hard for us to live without or something that is difficult for us to stop doing. Usually, I give up some type of food but this year I am giving up STRESS! Yes, you heard me………S.T.R.E.S.S. You see, I have a little problem; I tend to let the smallest things stress me out beyond belief! I really try not to allow stress into my life but it has a way of creeping into my self-consciousness and before I know it 4:40AM and I am laying in bed staring at the ceiling wondering and worrying about things that I usually have no control over! It’s insane!

So for 40 days I will not sweat the small stuff and eliminate unhealthy stress from my life! How will I do this you ask? Well, first I had to identify some of the sources of my stress. I tend to worry about:
1. work
2. family
3. household responsibilities
4. inability to accept uncertainty
5. Unrealistic expectations
6. Perfectionism

Then I came up with a plan to deal with stress when it does rear its ugly head.
1. take a long hot bubble bath
2. call my bff for some fun "girl talk"
3. schedule a massage
4. get a pedicure
5. play "Just Dance" and break out in my best "uh oh" Beyonce booty shake dance!
6. Give myself a reality check because I have no real reason to be stressed because really my life is pretty darn good!

I would love to hear some ways you deal with stress! I could use all the help I can get!

Hello February!

Hi Ladies,

As I decorated my classroom for the month of February I was anxious to say good-bye to January and it’s paper snowflakes, cotton-ball snowmen and black and white penguins. I could hardly wait to pull out my February decorations because I LOVE VALENTINE’S DAY! Something about the red, pink and purple decorations puts me in the mood for love! So in honor of Valentine’s Day all of my February posts will be dedicated to all the types of love that we experience in our lives. So check back often, share your thoughts and be inspired!

Unconditionally yours,

Nikki

Weekend Inspiration!

Here is a quote that I hope will keep you inspired this weekend! I know it inspired me!

“There comes a time when you have to stand up and shout:
This is me damn it! I look the way I look, think the way I think, feel the way I feel, love the way I love! I am a whole complex package. Take me... or leave me. Accept me - or walk away! Do not try to make me feel like less of a person, just because I don't fit your idea of who I should be and don't try to change me to fit your mold. If I need to change, I alone will make that decision.

When you are strong enough to love yourself 100%, good and bad - you will be amazed at the opportunities that life presents you.”

~ Stacey Charter

Do something fabulous for yourself this weekend and be an inspiration to others!

Unconditionally yours,

Nikki

Allow Me to Reintroduce Myself......

I am Nicole the third daughter of five, a middle child...(yes I had the middle child syndrome).  I am Worley- the nickname my loving and incredibly supportive husband has given me. (It's a long story but it has something to do with my maiden name) I am Mommy to two beautiful daughters who keep me young and on my toes! I am Nikki-the friend of a chosen few. I am teacher to all the little ones who enter my classroom door each year. All of these titles combined is what makes me who I am but in order for me to be the best I can be in all of these roles I had to go back to just being Nicole and learn how to love myself unconditionally!

Let me explain....
At some time or other I let each one of these roles define me. They controlled my level of happiness and how content I was about my life. Now don't get me wrong each one of these roles play a major role in my life and I would not have the wonderful life that I have now without them. However, I didn't always love myself no matter what. In order to do that I had to just be Nicole again. The Nicole that didn't have all these other roles and titles...the Nicole who only had herself to care for. Before the kids, the husband, the degrees, the house in the suburbs and the career.

This past summer I was determined to get to know her again.  So I made a little deal with myself; I would join the gym and get in shape and as I drive to the gym each day I would think about all the things that worried, depressed or burdened me. However, I promised myself that as soon as I walked through the gym doors I would not think about anything else except ME and leave all those stresses behind. At first it wasn't easy because as ran on the treadmill my mind kept going back to the last conversation I had with my daughter or what I was going to cook for dinner or if the all this hard work with my trainer was worth it all.

But eventually it worked. And with the help of Mary, Sasha Fierce and some of the many of gospel songs on my playlist I was able to tune out the world for two hours a day, six days a week, focus on ME and lose 40 pounds! This began the amazing rediscovery of me and learning to love myself from the inside out! I am still a work in progress but I am so excited about the rest of the journey!