Li'l Pears of Sunshine: Royalty

Sometimes your tiara might get tilted or tarnished, but that DOESN'T mean you are any less WORTHY AND IMPORTANT to wear it. YOU were born with a majestic soul, with grace and strength. It is all right there--you just have to believe in YOU to reign to your potential!

So straighten your shoulders, fix your tiara, and hold your head high, Sunshine. Royalty comes from within.

🌞  🌞  🌞  🌞  🌞

For the full L'il Pears of Sunshine series, check out my Instagram page @lilpearsofsunshine 

Li'l Pears of Sunshine: Take the Stage

Let's face it, it is a lot easier to watch, to wish, to dream, and stay behind the curtains out of sight. But YOU have so much to give, to show, to share--unique perspectives all yours that make you shine, and in turn, inspire others.

Sometimes behind the curtain is where you need to be at the moment, but make sure you challenge yourself to take the stage, too. It's okay to be nervous and unsure, but you were Born to be a unique star, to dance your dance, share your creativity, your movement, art, baking, sewing, compassion, your point of view, your UNIQUE YOU.

So, take the stage, Sunshine. YOU were born to dance!

🌞  🌞  🌞  🌞  🌞

For the full L'il Pears of Sunshine series, check out my Instagram page @lilpearsofsunshine 

Li'l Pears of Sunshine: Somebody's Rainbow

Somebody waits eagerly for your smile, for your daily/weekly chats, for you to simply say hi or pick up something they didn’t know they dropped. Whether you know it or not, each and every single day YOU are somebody’s Rainbow 🌈. The bright moment of colour in their day...a hug, a smile, a helping hand, an unexpected kindness, or even simply being near.

But also in other ways—because you sought them for help or advice that you needed but, in turn, made them feel special or confident by giving them the opportunity to support you like they’ve been wanting to do.

Rainbows are rare and special, just like YOU. And there is someone right now just waiting for your bright colours to shift their day into the positive❤️🌈🌞, because remember, Sunshine, YOU ARE ALWAYS somebody’s rainbow.

🌞  🌞  🌞  🌞  🌞

For the full L'il Pears of Sunshine series, check out my Instagram page @lilpearsofsunshine 

Li'l Pears of Sunshine: Seas the Day

I know I am guilty of this—when things are going well, having those thoughts of “when is the next wave going to crash in on me?” 🌊 ...that if it is good now, there must be a catastrophe coming around the corner. Slowly I am coming to realize that some times are just GOOD times with no shadows, and it's okay to be in the now and enjoy them🌞.

The fact is, good things and bad things and mellow things and nothing and everything happen all the time, continuously. Sometimes in waves, sometimes all at once, and occasionally in slow tides. The best part about understanding/accepting this is when the bad times come, you then KNOW they won’t last and relief WILL come…easier, less stressful times will roll in like an ocean wave to cool you off. And the really neat part is that when you start BELIEVING, looking for the positive light especially in those darker depths, be it by prayer or meditation, a walk in the sunshine or self-care with a bath and a good book, then the hard times don’t seem to last as long as they used to, and the better times surf in sooner.

Choosing to be positive doesn’t make the struggles go away, but it does help to deal with them in a brighter light, catching the wave of belief that will help you through it.

So hey, Sunshine, seize--seas--the day for what it is and make the absolute most of it! And be a mermaid in a sea of minnows today by sparkling a little sunshine on someone else’s rough waves 🧜🏻‍♀️ 🌞 ❤️.

🌞  🌞  🌞  🌞  🌞

For the full L'il Pears of Sunshine series, check out my Instagram page @lilpearsofsunshine 

Li'l Pears of Sunshine: Tough

You really are! Think about every struggle you’ve had, moments, days, situations you thought were horrible or hard or you weren’t sure if you could get through—BUT YOU DID!

You have survived every day so far—celebrate that—even though things were hard, look at the fact you not only got through it, but you learned something new about yourself—how tough you can be when you have to be. That is HUGE. You should be so proud of yourself, of your accomplishments.

Look at how far you’ve come, not at the small moments that tried to push you back. Remind yourself YOU are AMAZING and STRONG and CAPABLE🥳.

So hey, Sunshine, life is tough…but so are YOU.

🌞  🌞  🌞  🌞  🌞

For the full L'il Pears of Sunshine series, check out my Instagram page @lilpearsofsunshine 

Li'l Pears of Sunshine: You're Doing GREAT

This is for YOU, because you need to hear this today...and every day.

We have no problem encouraging others and letting them know how great they are doing, but don’t forget to let YOURSELF know, too.

Whether you are having a good day or a bad day, hit the crest of sunshine or are trying to crawl out of a dark place right now—YOU are doing great, because you are CHOOSING to continue to move forward or are giving yourself the rest you need or taking the time to get yourself put back together—wherever you are right at this moment, you are doing what you need to in order to keep going. That’s not always easy and you are doing it! 🤗❤️.

So hey, Sunshine, YOU are doing great. KEEP GOING!

Feel free to share here today or with someone else something positive to show yourself you are doing great!

🌞  🌞  🌞  🌞  🌞

For the full series, check out my Instagram page at @lilpearsofsunshine 

Li'l Pears of Sunshine: Paint Your Sunshine

There are colours in you that NO ONE ELSE in this whole wide world has or even knows exist…not until you show them.

YOU are unique and special in ways that others NEED you to share…physically, mentally, emotionally—your smile, your light, your talent, your kindness, your compassion, and even the wild or quiet parts of you. You never know who needs your particular shade of sunshine, so please, don’t hide it.

Time to Paint your Sunshine all over this World!

If you can, try to take a moment today to scroll through and explore a few blogs or posts of someone you’ve never visited before and share a pear-size piece of your sunshine with someone new!

🌞  🌞  🌞  🌞  🌞

For the full series, check out my Instagram page at @lilpearsofsunshine 

Li'l Pears of Sunshine: Spread Love

Who you love is who you love 💖. It really is as simple as that. And don't ever forget to include yourself!🥰🌞

Being happy with who you are, who you love, who and what you give your energy and time to makes all the difference in your outlook on life, in the way you treat others, and more importantly, in the way you treat yourself. Loving yourself by celebrating your uniqueness, loving your own special vibe, is so freeing...and in turn spreads to others, often without you even knowing. And that sharing HAPPINESS, KINDNESS, and LOVE promotes even more of the same in you, creating a circle of acceptance and LOVE that can spread far and wide 💕🌎💕!

So hey, Sunshine, spread love freely by tagging someone in their posts today who you love or admire or who shares their love of life and/or passion for their craft freely to spread the love😄🌞❤️

🌞  🌞  🌞  🌞  🌞

For the full series, check out my Instagram page at @lilpearsofsunshine 

Li'L Pears of Sunshine: Every Shape is Beautiful

I’ve always been the “rounder” one—whether next to my naturally thin sister or my friends, even years of different co-workers. It took me a very long time to start accepting myself for who I am as a whole person, not just the container I’m in. Sure, maybe I'm not at the weight I want to be, but that doesn’t mean I won't get there if and when I'm ready. But my shape has nothing to do with who I am INSIDE, how I choose to treat others, my beliefs, my passions, or my choice of friends. And it especially doesn't decide for me how smart or creative or happy I can be.

My size doesn’t define the person I am, and yours DOES NOT define you, whether you feel too thin or overweight, gangly or thick-ankled, apple-shaped, stick-shaped, or pear-shaped—because EVERY SINGLE THING about you, is 100% unique to YOU, and that is why you are so BEAUTIFUL. No one else is like you and that is what makes you so special, so beautiful💖.

You hear all the time that beauty comes from within…that’s because when you start embracing yourself, all of you, the cloud of other people’s opinions lifts, letting your inner light shine out, and it is a truly beautiful thing.

So hey, Sunshine, every shape IS beautiful. EMBRACE YOURS! Share something about you in the comments--shape, personality, passion, your choice--and then go and share a sunshine and a heart today in someone else's post to let them know they are beautiful, too.

🌞  🌞  🌞  🌞  🌞

For the full series, check out my Instagram page at @lilpearsofsunshine 

Li'l Pears of Sunshine: The World needs more YOU

Why does society make it that if you don’t match, you don’t fit in? If you aren’t wearing the right style, or aren’t the right size, or think the same way, then you just don’t measure up…what is with that!?

What fun is there in everyone being exactly the same? Yes, it hurts to feel left out or put down for thinking/acting/dressing/doing differently, believe me, I know, but it took me far too long to realize I was/am just fine the way I am. Great, in fact, because when I finally stopped trying to be just like “them” and especially the way “they” wanted me to be, I found the happy, grateful, unique person I was meant to be.

Respectfully, people have their own lives to lead, and in whichever way they choose, but that doesn’t mean we have to follow their path, take their dark nasty and put downs, or can’t live life in the sunshine, full of hope and positivity, with a grateful heart, in our own amazingly unique way.

So hey, Sunshine, hold your head high and just be your sunny self, because YOU are so much more than “them.”

Feel free to comment with one Positive word to describe YOURSELF, then go around and tag a few friends with a sunshine 🌞 and a positive word on their post to show them you see the special individual they are, too 🥰.

Li'l Pears of Sunshine: Bravery

Why does not finishing something or changing the plan halfway through have to mean we failed at something?

NOTHING is failure, because everything teaches us something…whether what we can handle, what we need more work on, what we like or what we don’t like—what we will accept and what we shouldn’t accept from others. And all those lessons are the footwear for our next step. And that is all starting over is, another step.

Keeping one foot in front of the other isn’t easy—you fall down, pull yourself up again just to trip up and tumble again, but if you keep putting one foot in front of the other, always moving, then you are NOT failing; You are Brave, courageous and life-affirming. (I like the term I heard recently, “falling forward”) No, it isn’t easy sometimes, more of a struggle than you even tell others, right? But that’s okay, because starting over means you have AMAZING COURAGE not to stop, not to give up, but to keep moving forward, one foot in front of the other, one step at a time. 100 times, a 1000 times, it doesn’t matter. Just keep starting over if you have to, every minute, every day, every job, every relationship. Every step forward is taking you closer to where you are meant to be, to whom you are meant to be with, to the incredible person you are meant to be and want to be.

So hey, Sunshine, starting over is NOT failure—it is Bravery. YOU ARE BRAVE. Just keep telling yourself this.

Do you know someone else who could use a little help with starting over, with that next step? Feel free to tag them in the comments, and maybe tag a few on their social media posts today with a heart and a strong arm ❤️💪🏻 to let them know you see their bravery, too.

🌞  🌞  🌞  🌞  🌞

For the full series, check out my Instagram page at @lilpearsofsunshine 

How are your goals going?

Does this look familiar? 😁

I am really hoping not to play that game again!

The difference this year is that my husband has joined me in a health journey and we are taking it slow and steady with a lot more planning instead of just winging it LOL.   

I think the biggest thing is that over the last year I have realized a lot of patterns, or should I say acknowledged a lot of patterns that are more defeating than helping.  I even listed them out with some plausible and positive ways to change as it keeps them more in the forefront of my mind so I notice when I start falling back.  Don't get me wrong...there is a LOT of falling back; you can't change YEARS of habits in one month (boy, do I wish I could!) but I am trying to focus on the fact that I do actually catch myself and it is this recognition and mindfulness of learning that is moving me forward one step at a time. 

Recycle more that just paper...

Dream Big!

I, for one, know exactly how hard it is to juggle a busy family and two jobs, let alone try to find time to work toward your own goals and dreams that fill your head like an Idea Library where you need one of those cool wheeled ladders to reach some of the places you've stored them for years. 

It's hard...boy, is it hard! 

But, it is not impossible.  Maybe things aren't happening as fast as you want or on a timeline that you think they should, but that doesn't mean those dreams will never come off your inner library shelves.  Progress is progress no matter how fast or how slow.  The important thing is that you never stop trying, and you NEVER stop dreaming.

So, DREAM BIG because there is nothing stopping you! 😉

Slow and Steady, People

Do you find these days everything seems to be sped up?  Like the world is running on fast forward ➧➧?

Everyone wants things NOW...videos are sped up to get everything you need to know into 30 seconds...same day shipping...etc., etc.

The problem is that it makes YOU speed up.  Things that should be taken slow, thoughtful, and carefully, I find I am forcing through, making it work, or worse, ruining it and having to start again because I didn't just take a simple breath of pause first.  Anyone else have this problem?

More and more these days I think of the classic story of The Tortoise and The Hare, which has always stuck with me since I was a little girl--I think because my sister was the extrovert, taller, prettier, active, a real go-getter, whereas I was an introvert, short, stocky, and uncoordinated (and still am😊).  Don't get me wrong, I am not making depressing comparisons by any means--I got over that long ago when I discovered the talents I had that she didn't, and I eventually came to understand that each person is very special and amazingly unique in their own way, so if you take nothing else from this blog post PLEASE think on that and your own special talents that make you YOU--maybe it is art or writing, you clean a house to sparkling, bake a mean chocolate chip cookie, can make any crying kid laugh or any dog sit and beg for a petting from you, or simply smile at strangers on the street because you honestly believe everyone needs one.  You ARE special. Period.  

Sorry, got a bit off topic there, but that's because I also think more people need to hear that these days, too.😍

So, where was I?  Oh yes, fast forward and The Tortoise and the Hare. 

The moral of Aesop's famous story is one that often comes to mind when this world gets sped up elf-voice fast.  I find myself repeating it over and over in my head some days as a mantra to help me pull back, pause for a moment, and breath before continuing at a more comfortable pace for me.

If this world has you on the expressway when you would rather be on a leisurely country road, then just think of the tortoise, happy to take his time, smiling at his neighbors, and appreciating his surroundings and his own abilities.  He progresses at a pace that works just fine for him...that actually gets him ahead of the game. 

Winners are not always the ones who compete and get to the end the fastest, but the ones who keep working to complete their goals...no matter how long it takes or how slow they go.  I hope you keep that in mind this coming week.

Are you competing or completing?

Don't hesitate to leave a comment here or on my Instagram post @bystacydawn as I'd love to hear of your own unique, special talent(s), if you took it a little slower this week, and if you noticed a difference. 😉

©bystacydawn 2018