2 down...363 to go!

I take pictures all the time and almost every day anyhow, so this isn't too hard.  Yet.

One of the things I do for To Write Love on her Arms is put flyers in places.

Starbucks is the best!

Remember the post about how I am terribly indecisive?

No? Click here to read that one.

Quick recap...

I can make major life decisions with no problem, but I act like I'm ordering my last meal when I go to a restaurant.

Well...I decided I wanted a new shower curtain.
Months went by. Could I decide on one?
No, of course not.

That's just how I am.

But...I finally, yesterday, got one!
Hallelujah!

Yesss!

Ya, half a post about a new shower curtain.
That's just to show you how important the little things in life are.

Prevention

I'm not afraid to keep on living.

It's Suicide Prevention Week.

Make yourself aware.

Did you know...

- A person ends their own life every 40 seconds.  That's unbelieveable to me and yet entirely too real.

- Suicide is among the top three causes of death for people ages 15-44 and the second leading cause of death in people ages 10-24.

- In the United States, more people die each year from suicide than from HIV and homicide.

Our loved ones need to know we care about them.

- Males are four times more likely to die from suicide but females are three times more likely to attempt it.

- White Americans are more likely to die from suicide than Americans from other racial backgrounds.

- Prevention is the key to saving lives and helping other know they matter.

- 90% of suicides in the U.S. are linked to mental illnesses, including disorders such as alcohol abuse and other drug related addictions.

The Suicide Prevention Resource Center states, "Suicide is a preventable public health problem."

Suicide is not a word or idea that should be taboo.  People should be aware that it is a worldwide issue and we need to work together to promote prevention.

To Write Love on Her Arms promotes prevention. 

Love is the Movement.

This is something that has an effect on many people.

I've lost quite a few people I really loved. 

Many of them too soon.

We might need to check ourselves before we can help others.

How do we treat the people we come across?

Whether you know someone really well or hardly at all, respect them. Befriend them. Love them.

I wish prevention could have saved the people I've lost in my life because of suicide.  I work with and support TWLOHA because I don't want to lose anyone else.

You matter.

All information included in this post was gathered from the World Heath Organization and The suicide Prevention Resource Center.

Life's a Battlefield

Everyday, in everyone's life there are constant battles we have to fight and innumerable battlefields we must charge through.

My usual battles include: (in no particular order)

1. Getting up in the morning. (not because I don't want to face the day, but because I would really rather face it after a few more hours of sleep.)

2. Swearing at the people in the cars around me who have no idea how to drive.

3. Successfully keeping 31 children from hurting themselves (usually  because they were not following the rules) or the feelings of others.

4. Teaching important information, life skills, etc. to my students while maintaining #3.

5. Wanting to cook dinner after I'm so tired from working at numbers 2 and 3 all day.

6. Finding the time and energy to go grocery shopping.

7. Choosing which concerts to go to and which to skip.

8. Finding the time and energy to play with Harley.

9. Keep in close contact with my friends and family that I don't see too often.

10. Keeping my house clean. (It seriously suffers during the school year.)

11. The process of sitting and paying bills. Yuck.

But then...

Right in the middle of all those battles,

you get a PERFECT day.

That was today.

It wasn't easy to get up this morning, but oh well.  I'm giving up on the idea that that will ever be easy!

I got things done.

Stuff taught.

No one hurt themselves or made anyone else cry.

Kelle bought me a sonic drink and french fries for lunch.

We got out of our staff meeting early.

I got texts from almost all my BFFs today.

Harley wasn't all muddy when I got home.

Josh picked up Costa Vida on his way home.

It's so chilly in my house I am getting to wear my new

pink Long Island hoodie.

And now I'm going to go make a healthy,

yet delicious, smoothie for dessert.

It was a good day.

I'm practically giddy just thinking about it all over again!

Have I told you guys I love you?

Well, I do.

After all, Love is the Movement.

C'mon, Get Happy!

Follow it.

The Part you can't slack on is the part that says "Change Something."

I found this flow chart on Kate Voegele's blog and she said she got it from The Happiness Project.

That site is by Gretchen Rubin who write the book

The Happiness Project.

She talks about how you can be happy in different parts of your life and how you can't just wait for happiness to come along.

Amen sista!

 I fully agree and say this often.

We have to make our own destiny.

We decide what we're going to be happy about and what we're going to get upset, jealous or angry about.

Isn't it better to filter out some of the things that make us angry?

Ask yourself "Does this really matter in my life?"

"Does this affect my loved ones safety and true happiness?"

"Will this have a great impact on my family, home or career?"

 You will probably realize half of those little things don't matter.

It's so easy to get frustrated over meaningless things.

The plate that got dropped on the floor and shattered.

Waking up late.

Getting every red light when you're in a hurry.

Spilling a whole glass of something you know will dry sticky.

Burning dinner. (Which I have only done once in my life, thank goodness. Because apparently I can't operate a stove and accidently turned it to HIGH when I thought I was turning it to LOW and walked away to let it simmer! Oh well!)

Your puppy throwing up on the carpet.

ETC...

ETC...

ETC...

Do these things suck!? Of course!

After they happen, can we change them?  No.

Are they going to really make a difference in our lives?

No, not for most of us.

I'm not saying you should walk around everyday like a medicated loon just smiling and accepting everything, but I think we need to get better at using that filter.

Things that are important to you will still make you cry, laugh, yell or shoot steam out of your ears, but maybe you won't have to look back and think

"Wow, I can't believe I yelled and wanted to punch that cashier in Walmart because she was such an idiot and couldn't figure out how to ring up a freaking tomato!

(unless you're me and that event is still a sore subject)

Laugh it off!

So...remember. Only you can decide how you will feel about things.

I love you guys!

Love is the Movement

To Write Love

To Write Love On Her Arms

I think you should support this cause.

Some things in life are not always gum drops, glitter and lollipops.  Like previous posts have said,

Life wouldn't be life if everything was easy. 

Sometimes people think life is too hard and they just don't know how to handle it anymore.

During these times, remember to be friend to anyone you think may need one.

Actually, you may never know how much someone needs a friend until it's too late.

TWLOHA is trying to support those in need and raise awareness.

Buy a shirt and help the cause! They are SO cute and when someone asks you what your shirt is about you can spread the awareness too. They have lots of different ones.

Let's make a difference together, you and me!