Positivity creates light

Positivity is the practice or tendency to be positive or optimistic in life. When we are positive, we engage in positive thinking, have positive emotions, and engage in positive behaviors like kindness and generosity.

I remember hearing someone use the word positivity back in 2008. I had never heard it before and thought they were just trying to be cute. Since then, I've not only taken positivity into my own vocabulary, but have tried to live by its meaning. Each day I wake up and remind myself that I am already having a great day because I woke up in a warm, dry, safe house. I have enough to eat each day, I have a job that not only fulfills me professionally but pays me well. I have family and friends that love and support me, and overall, my life is good.

10 years ago, I could not have given you that same list. My life was in a very different place and positivity was NOT something I could name let alone find. I was homeless, jobless, and had to let my daughter live with my parents so she could stay in school. Each day I was working hard to find a reason to wake up the next day. Fortunately, I was only homeless for 15 weeks. I was jobless for 8 months, and I never did live with my daughter again. In 2015 I decided it was time to stop feeling sorry for myself and focusing on my losses and instead focus on how far I had come and where I was headed. That was the year I got back into my career, moved into a condo in the town I wanted to return to, and reestablished friendships I had pushed away. It was also when I decided positivity had to be part of my every day.

Here at little light each day I try and bring something to the world that will remind someone, anyone, that there is always something to be grateful for and a spark of light to find in each day. Following me on Instagram will get you daily inspirational posts as well. I hope you find inspiration, affirmation, fun, and a reason to smile today!

Take good care!

kristin

It's All in Your Perspective

Today was one of those days where things were just off kilter a bit. I thought I had my day planned out just right to get work done, run the errands I needed to, and pickup from the airport.

But of course, nothing went as I planned. The reports I needed kept crashing, the errands took twice as long as I had budgeted for. Luckily the airport run was smooth, and that's where the first spark of light shone today. Great conversation, easy pickup, traffic wasn't too bad. As I drove away from dropping off I reveled in the fact that in spite of things not going the way I planned, they went just as they were supposed to.

That got me thinking... those days that things don't go as you planned, how do you handle it? I find that I get very frustrated when I feel out of control. I have to remind myself that I don't ever have control, that when I let go and let God it doesn't matter how the day goes or how my plans work out. I'll get done the things that I'm supposed to get done that day, and I'll have the experiences that I'm supposed to have.

So where did I find light today? It took me a few minutes to think about this and I felt like I had to search my day for those moments. Luckily, I found a few and they are what helped turn around a frustrating morning into an afternoon that I really enjoyed.

So, where else did I find light today? Well, while driving home I found the lane that didn't stop. You know the one, it's seems unaffected by all of the brake lights around it and just keeps rolling. I love that lane, it made my drive home much quicker. I also found a moment when I stopped for one of my errands. The staff went out of their way to help me quickly so I could get going. They were friendly, attentive, and helped make a chore easy to take care of.

I'm going to head out to find more light. I need it today and I need to remember that it's up to me to seek it out. It's all in one's perspective, and today I'm making sure my perspective is finding positive moments.

So here I go!

kristin

Out with the old, in with the new

How many times have I said this to myself, or some variation? "Today is the first day of the rest of your life", "Out with the old, in with the new", "Each day is a new beginning".

The difference this time ... I'm making this change public. So what is the change I need to make? Well, there are quite a few, but before I take you down that rabbit hole, let's start by getting to know each other.

My name is Kristin. I'm a mother, daughter, sister, introvert, aunt, cousin, and complicated mess. I live in the upper left corner of the US and I love everything about it, yes that includes the rain.

I share my home with 3 intrepid cats who love nothing more than causing chaos whenever they can. I work in a geeky, logical job so am always trying to find my creative outlet. One day it's cooking, the next photography, the day after that, knitting (although knitting has been with me for 15 years).

Each season brings new change.

I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's disease about a year ago and I'm still learning to live with it. If you don't know what it is join the club, I had never heard of it either. Suffice it to say it is annoying at best, and debilitating at least. If you want more information here is how WebMD describes it..

Finding out I'm living with an auto immune disease for the rest of my life got me twisted up for a while. Now I'm trying to take all of that fear, stress, and anxiety and make it work for me.

Ok, so let's talk about that change I mentioned. I've already added several chapters to my life story, and most were based on change caused by outside forces. This is one of the times I am initiating the change myself.

My birthday is in a couple of days and I'm making this next year about positivity. Finding the light in each day, cheesy I know, but I have spent a lot of time focusing outside of myself.

This is where I could share a big old list of all of the things that I want to change but I don't want to bore you on day one. Instead, I'm going to take it one day at a time and tell you about what I find each day that brightens my day. I'm excited about this journey we are embarking on. Hopefully you find it interesting and maybe this blog becomes a bit of light in your day.

So here we go!

kristin