Positive Quotes....and Wonderful Friends....

Lately, I've been struggling. I think it's a combination of missing my daddy, stressing about my divorce everything else that life is throwing at me. I feel like it's rapid-fire....and it never stops.

Today, I realized something huge. I really do have the best friends in the world. They always seem to have the right things to say at exactly the right moments. And it's AMAZING what that small little gesture, quote, facebook message or text can do to completely change your attitude.

I read a blog by my friend, Julie, the other day that made me smile. It made me realize that the strength I carry goes way deeper than I ever realized. That there will always be people in your life who try to bring you down, who try to hurt you and who try to take away what you've worked for. The haters in your life don't want to see you blessed, and when you begin to strive, for the first time in a long time, they don't know how to handle it. It was probably one of the most inspirational pieces I've ever read.

In reading that, I started to look into more quotes and poems by Maya Angelou. I read I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings in high school and fell in love with her writing. It was raw. It was real. It was no nonsense.

I found a couple that, instantly, caught my eye and made me go, "Yep, she's right! She's absolutely right."

The first:

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."
~Maya Angelou

This is something that I, admittedly, struggle with. I tend to really hold grudges. I'm not quick to forgive, and I never forget. At times, I don't even remember what was said or why I was angry, I just know that I didn't like the way it made me feel...and that was good enough.

The second, made me go, "Yes, ma'am! SO true!":

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size,
But when I start to tell them, they think I'm telling lies.
I say
It's in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips, the stride of my step
The curl of my lips
I'm a woman, phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman
That's me."
~Maya Angelou

And you know what? I don't need to be skinny. I don't need to be hot. I just need to be me. Confident, old me. I need to get back to the place where I was years ago. Where what I looked like, how much I weighed and what others thought of me didn't matter. I'm working on it. And I'm starting to truly believe in myself...as a mother, as a woman and as a friend.

And you know what? I AM a phenomenal woman. I DO deserve the best life has to offer, and I'm not stopping until I find it. All of it.