10 May 2021 – Be Confident

Weekly Yes Quote

“It is confidence in our bodies, minds, and spirits that allows us to keep looking for new adventures.”

Oprah Winfrey

Weekly Reflection

There are times in life when feeling confident seems near impossible.

This past weekend I sent my mind whirring in every which direction possible except in the direction of my authentic, confident self.

Do I have my fair share of vulnerabilities? Sure I do. I’m only human.

But should I let these vulnerabilities stunt my confidence or worse yet, make me question my awesomeness? No.

Life has a funny way of shocking you into making you question your choices.

It’s okay to be challenged and to consider whether or not the choices you’re making in your life are sending you down the path you want to walk. That’s a healthy activity – for if you don’t stop and look around every once in a while you could totally lose sight of where you want to be going.

But it’s not okay to lose confidence in yourself.

I know I’m awesome – I’m driven, motivated, fun, loving, free spirited… I could, and truly should, make an I love this about me list. Therefore, why wouldn’t I be confident?

So here I am putting my vulnerability out into the world.

Not feeling confident sucks – you begin to second guess your choices, opinions, friends, career path, political/religious stance… the list is endless.

For me I started questioning my worth.

My Aunt passed away from cancer a little over a week ago, hence the missed blog posts (sorry about that), and it made me start questioning my own life now that her life is over.

Are there things she wished she would’ve done? Are there things I wish I would’ve done?
Are there things she wished she would’ve experienced? Are there things I wish I would’ve experienced?
Are there things she regrets having done or regrets not doing? Are there things I regret having done or not doing?

Cue the endless stream of tears and rabbit hole of questions.

Obviously I’m not her – I’m uniquely and wonderfully me. I should’ve never let myself lose sight of this fact while dealing with my grief.

But I let questions that will never be answered start to cloud my own worth and deteriorate my confidence in myself.

Being confident in exactly who I am matters.

At the end of the day the number one person in my life that needs to feel loved and satisfied is me. For, as I’ve written on multiple occasions before, if I don’t love me first I cannot love anyone else.

Be confident in exactly who you are!

Be proud of all your accomplishments!

Be your biggest cheerleader of your life!

As Oprah Winfrey reminds us in this week’s quote,

“It is confidence in our bodies, minds, and spirits that allows us to keep looking for new adventures.”

Weekly Challenge

Have you told yourself how awesome you are today?

Please, take a pause then a cleansing breath, and then take a moment to hug yourself.

Tell yourself how awesome you are! Add in whatever additional adjectives you’re feeling about yourself.

Breed that positivity.

Be confident in your own skin and mind. Be proud of exactly who you are!

Challenge yourself this week to love yourself and to be forgiving when thing don’t go as planned. Be gentle on yourself. Don’t judge yourself too harshly.

If there’s something you’ve been putting off because you’ve not been in your best head space, set aside time to tackle it!

You can do anything you set your mind to.

Be confident and push forward this week.

Don’t let the little things or even the big, daunting things hold you back from being your best you.

Reminder to Just Say Yes!

As always, say yes to experiences that present themselves to you, which will enrich and further your life! Life is full of fun and wonder – don’t be stuck at home wondering what life could be like, should be like, would be like… drop that nonsense! Get out there, say yes, and never look back!

Click on the links below to follow me on my social media accounts, and definitely subscribe to the blog for more Weekly Yes Quotes to help set your intention to kick start your week.

I’d love it if you shared some of the ways this week’s quote has made you feel, and how you’re going to ___!

We each have a unique journey, and I would love to share in yours.

19 April 2021 – Be Charitable

Weekly Yes Quote

“Transformation is not accomplished by tentative wading at the edge.”

Robin Wall Kimmerer

Weekly Reflection

When I was in High School we had a graduation requirement to volunteer 100 hours of our time before we graduated. Doing the math, that averaged out to 25 hours per school year.

I volunteered time primarily at the Church while also assisting with coaching youth recreation sports teams.

When I went away to University I continued my volunteer streak. I volunteered as part of Cal Poly’s (the real one in San Luis Obispo, California) Peers Understanding Listening Speaking Educating, Week of Welcome, and Society of Women Engineers programs.

I love volunteering!

It feels incredible to aid the journey of others towards a successful and fulfilling life through the simple task of being charitable with your time.

This past weekend my girlfriends and I purchased food “to geaux” in support of Louisiana State University (LSU) Alumni Association fundraiser. Every year the largest Crawfish Boil fundraiser for LSU takes place in San Diego (click here for more information about the event). The proceeds from goods purchased, which were delicious crawfish, potatoes, and corn on the cob (usually it’s a bigger event in person, but that has been postponed due to the pandemic), go to various charities throughout the local San Diego community as well as to the LSU community.

Here we are laughing, listening to tunes, and enjoying some cold ones while feasting on freshly boiled creole crawfish, potatoes, and corn (plus we opted to also order a shrimp and catfish platter because why not!).

My point is, regardless of whether or not you are charitable with your time or donate funds, being charitable and giving back to the community you live in is a win for the self and the community.

Weekly Challenge

Some of us are limited on what money can be spent where – being smart with your money is essential especially in times like these.

Some of us are limited on the amount of time we have to share with others – being smart with your time is essential especially when we always seem to be constantly in go mode.

Has anyone ever presented an opportunity to you to volunteer your time or be charitable with your money?

Have you ever volunteered your time or been charitable with your money towards a cause you believe in?

Have you wanted to volunteer or fund an organization, but something blocked your path preventing you from following through?

Have you volunteered your time or been charitable with your money in the past, but for some reason or another you’ve stopped and haven’t found the desire to do so again?

Life is busy.
Life is challenging.

If you are volunteering your time or being charitable with your hard earned money, thank you! You are being a huge contributor to your community.

If you are not volunteering your time or being charitable with your money ask yourself, what’s holding me back?

Through contributing to society we can make our community and hopefully the world at large a better place to live.

Even an hour a month can go a long way.

Challenge yourself this week to brainstorm about what matters most to you.

Are you an animal lover?

Are you concerned with climate change and environmental affairs?

Are you a parent with kids?

Are you an avid sports fan?

We each care deeply about something. We can take action to improve our communities by taking moves towards being charitable with our time and/or money, like I said – even if it’s only an hour a month.

Challenge yourself this week to take action towards being charitable with your time and/or money.

We need more good people making a positive impact in the world.

As Robin Wall Kimmerer states in her book, Braiding Sweetgrass, while being charitable with her time to clean up the pond on her property so that her daughters may swim in the fresh, cool, clean water,

“Transformation is not accomplished by tentative wading at the edge.”

I know you’re a good person who wants to make a difference. Don’t let excuses stop you.

Click here for some San Diego volunteer opportunities.

Reminder to Just Say Yes!

As always, say yes to experiences that present themselves to you, which will enrich and further your life! Life is full of fun and wonder – don’t be stuck at home wondering what life could be like, should be like, would be like… drop that nonsense! Get out there, say yes, and never look back!

Click on the links below to follow me on my social media accounts, and definitely subscribe to the blog for more Weekly Yes Quotes to help set your intention to kick start your week.

I’d love it if you shared some of the ways this week’s quote has made you feel, and how you’re going to be charitable with your time or hard earned funds!

We each have a unique journey, and I would love to share in yours.

12 April 2021 – Dream Big

Weekly Yes Quote

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”

Eleanor Roosevelt

Weekly Reflection

I’m feeling extremely optimistic this fine Monday morning.

Mind you, I usually wake feeling awesome because I am awesome! We are each uniquely awesome and wonderful! Never forget this fact! If you were looking for a sign to remind you of the fact that you are awesome, I am happily here to present it to you with arms wide open and a grin that spreads from ear to ear (standing six feet away so that you can safely see my pearly white teeth without a mask).

But for real, I’m beaming.

This past week I was reflecting on why I started the Yes Ma’am blog.

The Yes Ma’am blog is the vehicle for achieving my big dream: to inspire people to lead their best lives.

I want you to feel like your best self no matter what the situation you’re in entails. I want you to believe in yourself that anything is possible no matter how ridiculous or absurd the idea. I want you to know that you’re worth every morsel of your being, and that the world could not be the same without your brilliant presence.

I know I’ve missed some Mondays here and there and for that I apologize. In order for me to realize my big dream of inspiring people to live their best lives I need to consistently post content – for the Yes Ma’am blog is how I can realize my big dream. The Yes Ma’am blog is my vehicle for getting the word out to you and others that need to hear it.

At the beginning of this year I started out by saying that we need to set our intentions. Mine was to work towards realizing my big dream, and to be completely transparent, I’ve not been doing a great job since I’ve missed several Mondays. Even last week I needed to reply to a comment left by Liz and I completely spaced it (sorry about that by the way – I LOVED your comment!).

So here I am reflecting while empowering you to feel strong, beautiful, confident, magnificent, brilliant… insert killer adjective that describes how awesome you are!

I want you to wake up every day knowing that your life has meaning.

I want you to move throughout your day crushing whatever obstacle or task lies along the way.

I want you to reflect on how awesome your day was and how great the next day is going to be while you’re lying in bed ready to call it a night.

That’s my big dream. That’s my passion.

Maybe now you’re thinking to yourself, why does she care? That’s a fair question, and I have a great answer: because if you live your best life the world will be better for it. And you know what, I love living in a world filled with confident, awesome people who drive change for the better – that is a world I love and always want to live in.

That is my big dream.

Weekly Challenge

Now that we’re all feeling awesome after this week’s reflection let’s focus on your big dream.

Do you have one?

Have you ever stopped to consider what your big dream might be?

Has there ever been an instance in your life where you thought to yourself, I really want this!

Are you achieving your big dream?

If not, why do you think that may be?

Take a deep breath if these thoughts are stressing you out. I don’t expect you to have an immediate answer.

Life is complex, difficult at times, and not the easiest to navigate.

We’re not robots.

But we each deserve to lead our best life in the fashion that inspires ourselves which in turn will inspire others.

Take a moment, using whatever media suits you, to write down what your big dream is, might be, could be… and think BIG!

Notice that the Yes Ma’am blog itself isn’t my big dream, but that the blog is a vehicle for achieving my big dream.

And my big dream is not pinpointed to any one thing… it’s quite broad for I don’t know what your best life is, but I know that I want you to lead it.

Maybe today isn’t the best day for you to be writing down exactly what your big dream is. That’s totally okay especially if you haven’t been able to enjoy your hot cup of coffee yet. I get it.

Instead, maybe you jot down some things that spark joy for you – when you hear them you smile and feel warm inside.

Maybe you start small to build up to whatever the bigger dream may be.

Challenge yourself this week to explore what your big dream is, and furthermore, to set into motion how you’re going to achieve it or continue to achieve it.

It won’t be easy – life isn’t easy.

But achieving your big dream will be totally worth it!

You’re awesome! You’re unique! You’re an important piece of the puzzle that makes up this intricately designed world!

So challenge yourself this week to work towards your big dream.

As the smart and amazing woman, Eleanor Roosevelt, once said,

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”

Let our future be filled with awesome people who dream big.

For in this way, we all succeed.

Reminder to Just Say Yes!

As always, say yes to experiences that present themselves to you, which will enrich and further your life! Life is full of fun and wonder – don’t be stuck at home wondering what life could be like, should be like, would be like… drop that nonsense! Get out there, say yes, and never look back!

Click on the links below to follow me on my social media accounts, and definitely subscribe to the blog for more Weekly Yes Quotes to help set your intention to kick start your week.

I’d love it if you shared some of the ways this week’s quote has made you feel, and how you’re going to achieve or further your big dream!

We each have a unique journey, and I would love to share in yours.

29 March 2021 – Perception is Reality

Weekly Yes Quote

“Accept then act. Whatever the present moment contains accept it as if you had chosen it. Always work with it, not against… This will miraculously transform your whole life.”

Eckhart Tolle

Weekly Reflection

Perception is a funny thing.

Perception, by Google definition, is the state of being or process of becoming aware of something through the senses.

I’ve been told by many sources conflicting information regarding your perception.

I’ve been told perception is reality – what people see and perceive about you is the reality. I’ve also been told the perception you hold of yourself is higher than how others may perceive you.

So, which is it? Which is true?

To a degree I believe both views are true, but more often than not I believe we need to consider why others may perceive us differently than we perceive ourselves.

We need to not get defensive, hurt, flustered, or combative when others tell us things they perceive about us. We need to step back, breathe, listen, and try to understand why we’re not being perceived as we perceive ourselves.

Recently I’ve had a falling out with a good friend of mine.

Over the course of the last six months or so I’ve reached out to him to no avail.

At first I thought maybe there was a communication error – like, maybe he got a new cell phone number, and he simply forgot to tell me.

Come to find out this was not the case.

Finally he felt comfortable enough to break his silence to tell me how he feels about me as a friend.

While this whole time I thought we had a carefree, fun relationship, I learned that his perception of me had become that of a moocher, taker, and non-contributor.

Wow…

I had to pause when I read the text message – that was definitely not what I was expecting.

At first I wanted to draft up a defensive message stating all of the things I’d done that negate his feelings and perception of me.

Re-read that sentence again… I wanted to negate his feelings and perception of me with information from my own perception of me.

My immediate gut reaction was to fix the problem by telling him he was wrong… think about that for a minute.

I am not him.

I cannot see myself as he can see me.

I am only me.

I can only see me through me.

Rather than jump to the defensive, I took a deep breath and put myself in his shoes. I considered what he’s been through recently and where there may be some validity to his words.

And, truth be told, there was some validity to his words.

We’re not perfect humans – I’ll readily admit this fact any day of the week.

But, while I didn’t feel my actions warranted this labeling, I can see how some of my actions may have been perceived by him to justify the labeling.

I’ve since worked to make amends for how my actions have made him feel and to change the course of his perception of me.

My perception of me is that I am a provider, giver, and contributor.

However, perception can be reality – and in this instance the perception my friend developed of me put a rift in our relationship.

We’re such busy creatures that sometimes we forget to be appreciative of and devote time to those that matter dearly to us.

Life was never meant to be easy – if it were Adam and Eve would still be frolicking naked in the garden (totally joking, but you religious folks know what I’m talking about).

I want you to know that it’s okay if someone doesn’t perceive you in the same light that you perceive yourself.

But I also want you to know that you can modify the way others perceive you if it means enough to you.

No one is perfect.

No one is you.

No one knows how you feel even if you tell them how you feel.

The same is true with those you surround yourself with – you can’t truly feel how they feel even if they tell you how they’re feeling.

Weekly Challenge

How do you think others perceive you?

How do you perceive yourself?

Do you think others think highly of you, or do you think they cringe whenever you walk in the room or invite yourself to events?

Do you think highly of yourself, or do you dislike being in the same room as yourself or have a hard time being you?

If you have any negative thoughts whatsoever of yourself I want you to take a pause. I want you to take a deep breath in, hold it for a couple of seconds, and then let it out – all the way out. Expel all the negative energy you’ve just filled your being with.

Again, we’re not perfect.

I cannot say it enough.

WE – ARE – NOT – PERFECT.

But, we can adapt and become a better version of ourselves.

If you’re not satisfied with how you’re being perceived, then change the perception

You have the power to improve your life for the betterment of yourselves and others.

Challenge yourself this week to look at the way others may perceive you. If you like what you see, then great! Kudos! If you don’t like what you see, then devise a plan to change it.

Reality is constantly changing. Reality is not conrete.

We grow, we adapt, and we maneuver through life.

In this way you can make your perception of yourself a reality to yourself and others around you.

Care enough to take a crack at it?

Reminder to Just Say Yes!

As always, say yes to experiences that present themselves to you, which will enrich and further your life! Life is full of fun and wonder – don’t be stuck at home wondering what life could be like, should be like, would be like… drop that nonsense! Get out there, say yes, and never look back!

Click on the links below to follow me on my social media accounts, and definitely subscribe to the blog for more Weekly Yes Quotes to help set your intention to kick start your week.

I’d love it if you shared some of the ways this week’s quote has made you feel, and how you’re going to reflect inward and make the reality you perceive a reality others perceive!

We each have a unique journey, and I would love to share in yours.

22 March 2021 – Cultural Growth

Weekly Yes Quote

“We have to continue to learn. We have to be open. And we have to be ready to release our knowledge in order to come to a higher understanding of reality.”

Thich Nhat Hanh

There is an affiliate link in this post. If you sign-up for a subscription using my link I will receive a small kick back, which is greatly appreciated!

Weekly Reflection

Hello beautiful readers! It’s been too long since my last blog post concerning sharing the love to those who matter to you (8 February 2021 – Share the Love). I didn’t realize how upset I would get while writing that post, and I needed to take a break to breathe and reset my intentions.

Good news: intentions have been set and this lovely Monday morning’s blog post is live and ready for the reading.

I’m switching gears this week to focus on culture, and, more specifically, on cultural growth.

I work in a bilingual setting when I’m away from the blog, and I’m sure many of you have experienced situations where English isn’t the primary language spoken.

Whether that be when you traveled abroad to a foreign country, invited foreigners into your home to stay for holiday, tested the waters by moving to another country, or maybe you’re from another country and have chosen to settle in a place that primarily speaks English.

Whatever the circumstances may be or have been – do you remember how uncomfortable you were being away from your safe place wherein you were just like everyone else (at least the language aspect)?

I have felt extreme discomfort traveling abroad, and though I give a solid effort towards assimilating, I know I stick out like a soar thumb.

My French, German, and Dutch are awful, and any country East of Europe is so foreign to me that I would require a translator or guide to ensure I have a cultural experience wherein I can ensure cultural sensitivity while having a fabulous time.

I took Spanish throughout elementary and high school, and though I am super rusty thanks to a lull while in college and the early years of my professional life, I’ve started to get back on the cultural band wagon to fortify my Spanish language skills.

It’s especially important to me because I live in San Diego, which borders with our Mexican neighbors. Some people at my office, though they speak decent English, speak primarily Spanish.

I want to be able to communicate effectively with everyone in the office, which means my Spanish needs to improve. Also, I love Spain and Mexico, and improving my Spanish fluency will only benefit when I’m able to travel abroad again.

To work on my Spanish language skills I’ve been using Babbel.

And I must say, I enjoy learning with Babbel where I can choose why I want to learn Spanish rather than go through the motions of learning the numbers all over again… which has been the case with Rosetta Stone.

But enough about the Babbel platform, which I recommend you try if you’ve been considering learning a new language or simply need a solid refresher course.

This past week I had a coworker assist me with translating a presentation about 5S from English to Spanish, which will be used as part of our company-wide training program. Then, I recorded both presentations and narrated them separately in English and in Spanish.

Though I’m a go getter and love a good challenge, that does not mean I’m comfortable when I step outside of my cute little box…

If you want to grow you have to step outside of your comfort zone, and if you want to grow culturally you have to be able to get even more uncomfortable.

Weekly Challenge

I’m proud of myself for practicing my Spanish language skills to further my career, myself as a person in this beautifully diverse world, and assisting my coworkers with their journeys towards a more successful and wholesome career.

I’m proud of myself for stepping outside of my happy little space that makes me feel secure to a space that is much less secure and vulnerable.

Cultural growth is so important as we work to bring this world closer together. We need to better our understanding of each other so that we can thrive together.

Each of us serves a unique and important purpose in this world.

We each have something magnificent to contribute that only we can offer.

And the best way to ensure that everyone gets a seat at the table is by ensuring that we grow culturally to further understand each other.

Challenge yourself to step outside of your comfort zone to embrace cultural growth.

Challenge yourself to take action to increase your knowledge and awareness of others in your community and workplace.

Challenge yourself to learn something new about someone who is different from yourself – even if all you do is a quick Google search about a culture you’ve been interested in.

This challenge is simpler than it may seem. I’m not suggesting you sign up with Babbel to learn Japanese today – although if this was the sign you needed I thoroughly support your next steps towards learning Japanese.

Instead, I’m suggesting you be more aware of other cultures around you in your daily life, hop on Google or your favorite search engine and learn more about another country’s customs, call a relative to inquire about your family’s cultural history, check out Pinterest for a foreign food recipe you’ve never made before…

There are many ways to challenge yourself to grow culturally, and I know you’ll seek one or more of them out to further your growth as a person.

Happy learning!

Reminder to Just Say Yes!

As always, say yes to experiences that present themselves to you, which will enrich and further your life! Life is full of fun and wonder – don’t be stuck at home wondering what life could be like, should be like, would be like… drop that nonsense! Get out there, say yes, and never look back!

Click on the links below to follow me on my social media accounts, and definitely subscribe to the blog for more Weekly Yes Quotes to help set your intention to kick start your week.

I’d love it if you shared some of the ways this week’s quote has made you feel, and how you’re going to grow culturally this week and for the many weeks to come!

We each have a unique journey, and I would love to share in yours.