This year.....

                                                    Image via the Tao of Dana 



This year….

 

Someone is going to marry the person of their dreams

Someone is going to be offered the perfect job for them

Someone is going to make a difference in someone else’s life

Someone is going to travel to Europe

Someone is going to rekindle a lost romance

Someone is going to become known for their talents and gifts

Someone is going to meet the best friend they’ll have for the rest of their life

 

This year…..

Someone is going to become a parent for the first time

Someone is going to believe in themselves and be blown away by what happens next

Someone is going to learn to stay away from toxic situations and the people that cause them

Someone is going to become ok with being blissfully happy for the first time ever

Someone is going to move into their dream house

Someone is going to start a new hobby that becomes enormously fulfilling

Someone is going to say “yes” to new experiences and “no” to being afraid to try

Someone is going to see that out-of-reach dream become reality

Someone is going to say good-bye to baggage and feel what it’s like to be free

Someone is going to experience things that become their favorite memories to reminisce about twenty years from now

 

 

Sounds like a great year, huh? 2014 is shiny and new and full of possibilities!

 

 

Every day of every year is, actually. ;) Any one of those “someone’s” could be YOU. What changes do you want to make this year? Make it your intention to grow and invite the new and positive into your life! Here’s to the best year yet! I can’t wait to see what happens for those around me. It’s so inspiring to see people living out loud!

 

 

Wishing you lots of light and love in this New Year!
Charin

Look a little deeper

iPhone

I had a conversation with someone today that was pretty awesome.

He was super excited about a BIG goal that had been met and some dreams that are coming to life!

(I have probably mentioned this before, but it is so inspiring to me to meet people who are passionate about goals of theirs! I love seeing that light in their eyes.)

He told me that above fame and success, his ultimate goals is to let people know that they too can dream a little bit bigger.

It was an energizing conversation that left an impression.

 

What I love is that when you come down to it, everyone has a story.

 

We’ve all gone through things that have shaped us and changed us.

 

Every day people are dreaming of things that are life changing.

 

No one need be confined by their circumstances as they are right now.

 

There are a lot of really fantastic people around us with amazing stories of where they’re going.

 

Inspiration is out there, and it doesn’t always present itself the way you might be expecting.

 

Just look a little deeper.

 

xx

Charin

On being who you are, and being ok with it.

 

 

For as long as I can remember I’ve been a little unsure of myself and have had more than my fair share of battles with low self-confidence.

 

I have regrettably turned down some fun experiences because I was too self conscious to let loose and have fun. (Nothing too crazy I should add. Things like dancing with friends or riding an elephant at a circus, or playing a sport when I am NOT athletic at all. What if I messed up and someone stared? It turns out, that would be ok, and I’d have some fun along the way!)

 

I stayed in a physically abusive marriage for years too long because, while I knew in my heart I needed to escape, I also was torn by the thought of “What will everyone think of me if I file for divorce?”  and even worse, “What If I deserve this?” This need for approval kept me from ever voicing a word about the abuse, even to those closest to me, until I was out of it.

 

I have definitely made faces at myself in the mirror when I see a woman who is a little curvier than she’d like to be. ;)

 

I have made some seemingly far -fetched goals and almost gave up on them because I started questioning whether I was being self-absorbed to think that someone like me could achieve them.

 

Thankfully, I’ve made some changes along the way. I have learned (and I am still learning) that it’s ok to be who I genuinely am. Really.

 

Who you are at your most liberated and freed state of being is a God given gift. We all have our own talents and passions and goals and that’s a good thing!

 

I think a mix of things have helped me along the way…the myriad of life experiences that I’ve had over the past 5 years have definitely shaped me. Having a husband who loves me exactly as I am and encourages me every day has definitely helped me be ok with who I am. :)

 

Being a mother, especially to a daughter, has made me realize how very important it is to pass down a gentle self- confidence to my children. My daughter needs to know that there can be girls and women who are comfortable in their own skin and beautiful in their own right. She needs to know that you can be a confident woman without being arrogant or hurting people along the way.  Is it just me, or can women be really catty and judgmental to other women?!  Let’s break that cycle and be encouraging and uplifting to each other!

 

I can’t mention being a mother without adding that when you are raising children who are beautiful and funny, kind and smart you need to realize that they’re looking up to you. Instill in them all of the things that you wish you hadn’t struggled to find until you were much older.

 

I hope that you will celebrate all of those things that make you uniquely you. This isn’t about deciding that you’re done improving and are a finished product. :)

This is about listening to your instincts and being who you are. Don’t let self doubt and low self esteem stop you from being the amazing person that you are designed to be!

There are some really important things out there that will only come to pass through you.

When you realize that, the magic begins.

 

<3

Charin 

  

I like winners! :)

Thank you to all of you who entered to win the package of inspiration from Compendium! I appreciate all of you who commented here on the blog and on Facebook.

Michelle Lopez, you are the lucky winner!

Congratulations! :) Shoot me an email with your address at charinkellie(at)yahoo.com and I will get that in the mail to you.

And for everyone reading, if you'd like another chance to win stay tuned!
*hint*
My next giveaway just might have the cutest project for the littles in your life that I've ever seen!


Have a happy day,
Charin

Giveaway time!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love being a Brand Ambassador for Compendium for a lot of reasons, but today that reason is because I just might be giving you these fun products!
Their pop-up cards are the perfect little bit of inspiration in a small package. I like to leave these in unexpected places.

 

Here are a few ideas of how to share them:

*leave them on tip trays in restaurants

*put them on your colleagues desks for a Monday morning pick me up (or mid-week inspiration!)

*include them in a letter to friends and family (bonus if your letter is handwritten. That is becoming a lost art!)

*hand one to your drive thru attendant (at your bank, at a fast food restaurant…you don’t have to say a word, just see them smile when you drive off!)

*give one to your cashier the next time you’re shopping

*add one to paperwork you’re returning for your child’s school

*carry some with you, you never know when you may come across someone who needs an encouraging word

These are just a few ideas from me, I know you’ll come up with some other creative ways to share!

Get out of your comfort zone a little bit, everyone loves and can use some extra inspiration to brighten their day.

 

I’m also including one of Compendium’s pretty journals! Writing things down on actual paper can be so much more meaningful than typing/texting them. (See my blog post here with more thoughts about journaling.)

 

My winner will also receive the brand new book 99 things to do when you have time.

I love this book! Perfect for your coffee table. This is one you can pick up when you have a minute and take one, two, or five of the prompts as you can! So fun.  

 

Just leave a comment for your chance to win! (You don’t need a blogger ID to comment) I will announce the winner soon.:)

Please check out Compendium’s full line of inspiring and amazing products here.

I will never forget how happy I was when I found their company! They have such a great message to share with the world.

 

Happy weekend :)
Charin

 

 

Nothing is permanent

Nothing is permanent.

Feel the sunshine on your face. If it’s raining use it as an excuse to stay inside. Give your children and lover an extra hug and kiss and say “I love you” once or twice more. Or five times more.

Put your phone away and laugh a little more with friends over dinner. Don’t be too busy to say “yes” to relaxation and fun. Toast to success. Make time for family game nights. Have cake (with candles!) and ice cream just to celebrate today with your children. (Mine loved it when we did that one night! So fun.)

There’s so much joy in this life!

 

And then there are days that feel like they’ll never end. Days filled with stress, with tears. Sickness hits you, or someone close to you. You have a bill that’s due and you’re not sure how you’re going to pay it. You get a flat tire on your way to work. A misunderstanding leads to words being spoken a bit too loudly, and now you both are hurting. You’ve had a crazy busy week and are exhausted.

 

Nothing is permanent.

Life is constantly growing and changing. You can enjoy and really appreciate the great things, and you can stay peaceful knowing that the not-so-great things won’t become your new forever. ;)

 

{I wrote this little blog last week, the day before my son Colin (4) fell and had to be rushed by ambulance to Children's Hospital. He has a broken leg and will be in a spica cast for the next 6-8 weeks. I just might have been writing this to myself! We are taking it day by day, and I'm thankful that this won't be forever. And there's joy along the way :) Real life perspective to solidify something I was already thinking about.}

 

I hope you have a wonderful day filled with moments to cherish! <3

 

Charin