February Inspiration

So, I have been really trying (for the whole one month we've had so far in 2017...lol) to pick one quote a month to try and live by. I really love looking up and finding new quotes. Inspirational sayings are my absolute fav. I have decided to find a scripture too. I have been having a hard time sticking to my daily scripture reading/studying. I think that maybe if I focus on one specific scripture each month, I will be able to remember to read each day.

My reasoning behind picking the above quote is decluttering. Hamilton and I have been discussing becoming more minimalistic a ton lately. This will definitely be more difficult for me than him, but we are going to go into this together and push each other. Our home is so cluttered and we really need to eliminate some stuff. I am picking this quote to really push us into the right direction.
So far we have gone through our clothes and I have gotten rid of a few other things that I just really don't use. I tried to get rid of some books, but I can't. I collect books and they make me so happy. I absolutely love having full bookshelves, soo I decided that those are things I don't need to get rid of. If they bring me joy, there is no reason to get rid of them (channeling my inner Emily Gilmore.) Our next declutter battle is going to be our front porch. If you didn't know us and you were to just look onto our porch, you would think we were hoarders....that is not fun and I'm ready to make a change. I also love how much lighter and happier I am already feeling just from getting rid of a few things.


The scripture I chose has a deep meaning to me. I love it so much and somehow this is the one that always pops up on my Pinterest, or in a Sunday school lesson right when I need it most. I know that as long as I am following the promptings of the spirit and Heavenly Father, I won't fall.
- He will lift me up when I'm struggling.
- He will pull me out of the darkness when I turn to him.
- He will sustain me in all I do when I look to Him for help.
- He will surround me with His love when I am not feeling loved.
I need these reminders more often than I would like to admit, but it is amazing to me how much Heavenly Father knows me. He knows when I am needing an extra push and He is right there to push and pull me towards greatness. My current calling in the church has put some stress and worries on me, but I know that as long as I turn to him with that, He will help me so much!

I really love that I am doing this monthly because I live my life by quotes! I read so many quotes on the daily and they help me feel inspired in all aspects of my life. It's a super cheesy thing about me, but oh well! I don't care! I also think this will help me to grow as a person so much.
Anyways, if any of you are doing this too, let me know which quotes or scriptures you are using this month!


xoxo, Jacquelyn

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Women's March Thoughts

Pic: Women's March

I know that there have been plenty of articles about this subject already but I have been doing some deep thinking lately and really felt inclined to share. I'm sure we are all perfectly aware of the things going on in the world (especially our own country) right now and these are just a few of my opinions and thoughts on the matter. I have been writing this since I heard about the march. I have just been trying to figure out what to say, and I hope these words are taken with love. Also, I do not want to get into a political debate, that is not what this is about. Please refrain from any of those comments.

I am not someone who supported or was against the women's march. I myself, wouldn't have marched, but that's a personal choice. The things the ladies were marching for specifically I don't totally support, but that's another topic for another day.
I am incredibly amazed by the peacefulness of the march. Many protests in today's society are violent and include massive terrorization of the cities they themselves call home. So, I am very impressed by the way the whole thing was handled.

Society is all about telling us what to be, what to wear, how our bodies should look, how we should eat, etc. Society does not rule out lives. We do. The only way we can even attempt to overtake these insane views the media and society, as a whole, put on us is to stand together and "march" against it. Women tend to be the first ones to criticize the media and society, yet they continue to tear one another down. I am guilty of it just as much as anyone else. We need to start making a conscious effort as women to lift each other up.
  - And I will say that I am proud of the brands that have stopped using photoshop and accepting all models. We are definitely making steps in the right direction.

I almost transferred high schools because I got bullied and talked about. I was miserable and a lot of people knew what was happening and they would join in on it. No one tried to help. I didn't have anyone on my side and it was a horrible time in my life. I was helpless. I look back on my middle school and early high school years and feel so bad for that young girl. She was weak and scared. She had some amazing friends, but most of them were not at the same school. If I had other girls standing behind me and helping me through that time I would have probably really enjoyed that time in my life. I know I am not the only one who has had these experiences, but we can put an end to that. IF we can stand together and stand by the side of our fellow women and especially young girls.
I have tried so hard to make an effort to all the women I know and the ones I don't. I have gone out of my way to talk to the girls who seem sad or seem like they don't have many friends. I know that by doing those small things, just being a friend or just saying "hello" to someone new can make someone's day so much better. This has also made my own life better. It has given me fulfillment and meaning. I have seen a change in myself and the relationships I have. I know so many people try to be kind. I read stories daily of women lifting up other women and it makes my heart so happy. Could you imagine if 1/2 or even 1/4 of us did that every day, though? This world would be a better and safer place.

I know many strong and beautiful women, and you want to know the things that make them so wonderful? They are full of love. They are forgiving. They don't let what others think about them bring them down. They stand up for other people and other women. They are 100% themselves 100% of the time. That is what's wonderful about them.
I could list a ton of ladies I admire and look up to (most are even in my own family), but those women are already trying, doing, and practicing these things.

Could you imagine a world where we don't body shame? Or a world where media and society have no power over us? Or a world where we don't speak ill of other women?
I can, and it is a beautiful place that we should all strive to be a part of.
I may not support the things the women were marching for, but I do support them standing up together and loving one another. I am happy to live in a world where we were and are able to peacefully stand together, but there is more we need to be doing in our daily lives. That was one day, we need to be doing these things and standing with other women every. single. day.

1 John 4: 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

Romans 13: 10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

"See the light in others, and treat them as if that is all you see." - Dr. Wayne Dyer

Next time you overhear someone being mean to their waitress, tell her she's worthy of kindness. Next time you see that girl in the bathroom crying, tell her how beautiful she is. Next time you overhear someone being brought down by others, take a stand against it. You can make a huge impact in someone's life.


xoxo, Jacquelyn

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Grow

I have been struggling kind of a lot lately. There have been such HUGE life changes in the past two-three years. I know that sounds like a long time for things to still be affecting me, but when you lose a loved one or get married, those are things that will probably affect you for the rest of your life. The thing is that you can choose how it affects you. You can have a positive or negative outlook. You can grow from it or you could not. The worst thing we can do to ourselves is to stop growing or stop trying.
I know we get stuck in ruts and life happens. We get into routines and that gets comfortable, but in my opinion, that is how a lot of us stop growing. Routines are wonderful things! Having a morning routine or a nighttime routine is great and it can actually be really good for your health. Start changing other things up. Switch up the meals you eat, change where you and your significant other go on dates or vacations. Go to new places, I can guarantee that there is some place, some park you haven't been to in your local or neighboring town.
Hamilton and I have a rule when we go out to eat, especially if we are traveling. Only new restaurants. We can't eat at any places we've been to before. We also try not to go to the same place twice. There are a few places we've absolutely fallen in love with and I'm sure we will go visit them again. BUT there are so many beautiful state parks and amazing places so close to us that we haven't been to yet!
I also try really hard to come up with new and interesting date nights. For example, we got into a rut where we would just order pizza and watch a movie, or we wouldn't have a date night at all! And trust me, I have nothing against getting pizza and a movie! Pizza is my favorite haha. I love spending any time with my hubs, but I wanted to get outside and do new and interesting things. So I started to brainstorm some new ideas. One night we went to the beach and had a picnic during the sunset and it was absolutely beautiful! Plus neither of us had cell service so it was pretty awesome to just spend time being quite and actually talking to each other.

I know this post probably seems a little all over the place, but for me, all these things really go together. I am not a person who can do the same things over and over again. So for me to continue growing I really have to continually change things up. That isn't to say that I don't have certain things that I do every single day.
For example, I (try to) always read my scriptures and pray. I always check and write new things in my planner. I always try to journal or write something on my blog (I have TONS of posts that I have written that I just haven't shared yet). There is absolutely nothing wrong with having set routines and set plans for yourself every day! These are all simply my opinions and what works for me.

So here are a few of my tips to keeping things new and fresh.

1. Go to your local farmers market instead of your regular grocery store.

2. Read a book that is outside of what you usually read. Especially if you usually only read fiction! Try to read something that is nonfiction too!

3. Watch a documentary instead of the same show or movie on Netflix. I have been doing this lately and I love it! I feel so much better afterward because I actually learned a thing or two. And I know a lot of the times they can be biased, so then I can do some research and see what the whole scoop is.

4. Branch out and listen to some new music!

5. Instead of going for a walk or run down the same street, drive to your local park! It may be out of the way, but trust me, you'll enjoy it so much more. I've been trying a lot lately to do this and it is so much more fun! I'm not looking at the same stuff all the time!

6. Go camping instead of staying in a hotel.

7. Don't just read those inspirational quotes on Pinterest, instead pick one each week and try to live it.

This is the one I'm working on this week.

8. Make one new recipe every week. Some people make new recipes all the time, but I am someone who just makes the same things all the time. I don't know why because I love to cook!

9. Try to eat breakfast every day. I struggle with this. I mean I didn't even eat breakfast this morning! But I do know it makes a HUGE difference in my attitude when I do.

10. Challenge yourself to do something you're afraid of. This is something I really try to do, but never can. There isn't a whole lot I'm afraid of, but the things I am afraid of...I am REALLY afraid of...I will say that I am afraid of putting myself out there and I have done a really good job at opening up to people when I usually wouldn't.

I could really go on forever. Maybe I'll do a part two soon. These are just some of the things that really have helped me continue to grow and develop as a person. I feel like the past two years I have truly learned and grown so much more than I ever have. I have made a conscious effort to do the best I can and to not get stuck in a continuous cycle of the same things over and over again.


xoxo, Jacquelyn

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