It's Simple. Be Kind

It's easy to be a happy person and give praise to God when things are going great in your life. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping. Nordstrom is having 40% off of EVERYTHING!! Things fall perfectly into place for you- "Thank you God for such a beautiful, easy time. Whoo hoo! My. Life. Is. AWESOMEEEE!!" Then... the clouds start to slowly roll in. It gets a little bit colder and darker. People run away and scatter to take cover. Your storm arrives. There you are smack dab in the middle of a terrible storm getting soaking wet. Things that always came easy to you are a little bit harder in the rain. It takes so much effort to just smile..to be happy...to laugh. To be the amazing mom you were just a few days earlier. The anxiety and not knowing when or if the sun will ever come out is enough to send you into a dark place of despair.  It's in these times we have to make a choice. We can allow ourselves to be swept away by the strong winds or we can anchor ourselves...

"Be still, and know that I am God."  - Psalm 46:10 Well, here we are. Almost a year later! And I'm back!! Not much has changed...except for everything! It's been quite a journey this past year- one that I would like to share...not because I have it all figured out - not even close, but more because if me talking about our journey helps just one person- even if it's myself, then it's all worth it! I guess I will start from the beginning. Our lives are full of choices, thousands of them from the time we wake up, to the time we go to sleep, and then we do it all over again the next day.  For the most part I would say that I am someone who chooses to look at the bright side of things. I choose to be happy. I choose to celebrate life and all it's beautiful chaos. I may take the long route sometimes, but eventually I end up there. I believe happiness is a choice...and we all have that option. But what happens when things in our lives are chosen for...

Some people will never let you grow, or allow themselves to recognize your evolution or progress. It seems like it’s in our DNA to be suspicious or skeptical of people. If they are nice- "Hmm I wonder what they want." If they are kind- "Well, they must want a favor in return." Sometimes our tendency is to see the faults in others first, maybe to feel better about what's going on in our lives, or because they have what we want. Or maybe because that is the way we have always been. But ask yourself this: Would you want to be labeled the way we may label others? Would you want all of your motives questioned all the time? It all goes back to the golden rule: treat others the way you want to be treated. We've all made mistakes.  We all learn from our mistakes. Even though it may be hard to see past someone who has done you wrong, I think that all goes along with creating an atmosphere of kindness and empathy. It's about changing the way we have be...

As 2016 comes to a close I can’t help but stop for a minute, breathe and reflect. No doubt I have been a very busy bee this year. 2016 has brought tremendous personal and spiritual growth. When I decided to compete for Mrs. Illinois International, I had no idea the way it would impact my and my family’s lives. I had no idea that a competition that I was using to “tell my story” would create a ripple effect that ignited a passion that has no signs of coming to an end. (Although come March, a break is very welcomed!) I told myself that if given this blessing of being named Mrs. Illinois- I would use this as a year of service. A year that was not all about me, but rather a year about all I can do for others. I really challenged myself to see how much a person can really do.  I put my head down and began to work.  I wanted to share some stats with you:  71 appearances as Mrs. Illinois International. All of which have allowed me to meet thousands of people from a...

Emotions are very high, but before I get started I have a disclaimer: THIS BLOG IS NOT ABOUT EITHER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE...this is about us as parents. I have seen countless posts saying "Now what do I tell my children?" and I can't help but feel compelled to answer that and offer a few humble suggestions. First things first, it's safe to say some of us are very emotional today. When our emotions get the best of us we tend to do and say things we may regret later...or maybe not...but  I've seen more foul language on my face book news feed than a Tarantino movie!!  Your message will resonate more without the insults, foul language, and all the name calling I am seeing today. The next time you want to resort to name calling- and I tell this to the students I speak to all the time- stop for a moment, take a deep breath- ask yourself would I want someone to call me this?? or better yet...how would you feel if someone spoke to my child this way?? This is a frien...

1.    Know if you are in a protected class.  Protected classes are covered under Title 7 of Federal law and include:   race, color, national origin, religion, sex (or gender), age (over 40), and disability. Anti-discrimination laws only regard unequal or unfair treatment as unlawful discrimination when the victim is a member of a defined group known as a protected class. 2.    Consult your employee handbook (if one exists).  If you are a member of a protected class or not, what is company policy regarding harassment, retaliation, etc.  Can you file a harassment complaint?  Are there time restraints? 3.    If you are being harassed, keep a record of all interactions, including who, when, how, why.  Keep the notes in a safe place, not at work.  Keep them in a separate notebook or on a computer you take with you each day when you leave work.  If the notes are left at work, they may be viewed by other...