Loyalty & Self-Esteem

Loyalty, trust, and self-esteem are intricately woven in relation to one another, often with elevations of one leading to a more fortified strengthening in another. If a girl is feeling self-conscious, they may begin to question the loyalty and trust of their partner as they begin that toxic thought-thread of not feeling worthy enough in their own eyes and conclude they are not sufficient in their SO's.

I, too, have fallen victim to this perverse sensation and c'est mauvais. While this can be inherently that person's issue, it becomes a true issue when those thoughts lead to toxic behavior which continues to negatively affect the relationship and infringe upon other's as words of unwarranted unkindness spew out venomously. I try to stay out of drama and away from such people of high toxicity and ugly hearts...

Simply being in proximity of others who are in this sick cycle may influence those who typically feel they can rise above such pettiness. It is not such a terrible act to cut ties with those who inflict such negative ideas and influences if it means being of healthier mind. It does not make one a bad person to look after themselves in order to take care of themselves and to ensure a healthier relationship with those who deserve such a healthy relationship and are removed from the drama of the influencers.

Love yourself, stay positive, and cut out the bad "fat."

xxxx

2k17 & auld lang syne

Quite a trip, 2016 has proved to be.

Thankful for a chance to relax and reflect upon the mayhem of the past year - oh, how quickly it has come and gone, taking with it extraordinary and brilliant people, robbing the world of innocent lives from malicious attacks and natural disasters, and instilling a great sense of unrest and insecurity with the new US President Elect.

However, 2016 has brought with it many joys as well. As we struggle to accept those things which we cannot change, we can celebrate personal accomplishments and not let the hatred of the world consume or change our hearts. {Plus, I'd rather remain non-political for the sake of sensitivity}

Took a last two days of the year to see friends and hold Loki bear close {despite his initial resistance, he loves snuggles}. 

Regardless of one's position of the world, we can all agree this is not always a bright, sunshine-y world in which we live. May 2017 prove a more loving, tolerant year. In the meantime, hold your loved ones close, as much as you can and don't be afraid, but remain steadfast and resilient among the chaos.

Part of growing up is having an inevitable revolving door through which many people will circle with the good ones choosing not to head back out. Grateful for being able to make memories with wondrous people. Boys and faux friends come and go, but friends {especially Katie} always have your back. As Bey would say: tell 'im {or 'em}: boy, bye.

Looking forward to a year of not only promoting love and acceptance, but of self-love and self-care - we have to learn to take care of ourselves in order to continue take care of those we love.

Working on my self-esteem one day at a time and this body-hugging wrap dress certainly helps with that. Intermittent fasting and pushing the envelope on my social anxiety in order to tackle the gym one sweaty session at a time - social anxiety does not have to define you nor detract from your goals.

At the end of the day, when the noise of daily life in the world is too much, love bugs such as Loki are there to share the burden of the accumulation of too much stimuli and strike a lovely look of disdain for the camera to emulate the necessary need for a cool-down and unwinding. {He could also be upset with the current Netflix binge....}

Looking forward to more snuggle sessions with my favorite bum and more side shade.

Happy New Year!

xxx

Sass and Class

Sometimes, a girl needs to treat herself, particularly when life begins to get a little hairy {metaphorically speaking, of course}.

Shop Priceless had a great sale on some of its items, which, naturally, entailed a wee bit of indulgent spending on a few wardrobe-enhancing pieces. Their ribbed dresses are the bees' knees and I quite fell in love with the pointed, reflective-toe flats I had selected and a simple choker.

Taking myself out for a nice quiet lunch at one of my favorite restaurants for a late-birthday treat provided an excellent occasion to show off the hard work I had been putting into the gym, as well as aid in the enhancement of body confidence, an ever-going practice I have been forcing myself to continue.

Similar design: Sandy Basic Dress Set

I'm diggin' the olive green color, which stands out well against my vampire tan. I much prefer black, but a little bit of color won't hurt...I guess.

Mummy hooked me up with this lovely green cardi from Old Navy, as well as different styles in charcoal, black, and white - four new cardis = 4x happiness.

My love of cardigans still remains strong after many, many moons. Simple and cozy. Dressed up or down, one cannot go wrong no matter the season.

A little bit of sass is not inherently "wrong," especially when it is this particularly sassiness that is holding your sanity together while the chaos only intensifies with the increasing burdens which come along with going to school while working both a full-time and part-time position.

My little lunch with myself offered some loner loser time of self-reflection on my mere 24 {relatively short} years and how I want to shape the upcoming year{s} of life in order to be more positive and achieve the goals for which I have set for myself. I've also come to the epiphanous revelation that my level of sass has only increased/improved with age.

With time slipping away too quickly, long days at work often becoming more challenging knowing that I have a pile of projects due professionally and academically, sometimes it's that tongue-in-cheek attitude that can truly carry us through the day and be the stones upon which we depend to see us through the crumbling positive outlook.

xxxx