Day 14 - Give yourself a pep talk.

When we are discouraged, feeling down and feeling like we have reached the end of the road nothing helps more than hearing a pep talk from someone you love and respect. That one little pep talk can change your entire attitude, give you a boost to your confidence and increase your energy, even make your approach to things completely positive.
I am not one to deny that in times of discouragement, I am the first to review all of the things that are going wrong in my life and instead of being positive I anticipate negative events in the future. I am pretty sure that I am not the first to do that, what's crazy is that usually when most don't have someone there to encourage and build them up they feel worthless and down. The truth is that we can take control of our emotions and determine our own attitudes, why wait for someone else to do it?

The first thing that came to my mind when reading today's deed was that I have never actually given myself a pep talk but the more I thought about it I realized of course I had, I am pretty sure we all have at least once. Haven't you ever been running, or working out or doing something intense and you are just so tired you want to stop and give up? Then that little voice comes in your head saying "you are stronger than you think you are, look around, they are doing it why can't you?". That's a pep talk right? Just one that you keep inside and don't say out loud.

This time I wanted to give myself an actual pep talk, out loud so that I can hear myself say it. I didn't know where to begin so I got to looking things up and learned some easy steps on how anyone can give themselves a pep talk:

1. Think about the progress you've made rather than dwelling on where you wish you were. Consider how far you have come instead of where you think you would have been. Focus on these things and remind yourself that you have come far and that you are getting somewhere.
2. Tell yourself what you need to do next, what your next step is, make a plan, set a goal. Without knowing your goals you will always be hard on yourself because you won't notice what you have achieved.
3. Tell yourself you are strong and you can do anything you set your mind too, talk to yourself in a positive way, stay motivated.

I have never been really good at talking verbally, I am better at writing and can show my emotions more that way so I decided to write down my pep talk and read it to myself out loud, it went something like this:

"Cindee, you are much stronger than you think you are. You are a fighter and can make it through anything; we both know it's in you. Look at everything you've been through, you got through it all and you'll get through anything, I promise you. Don't give up on yourself, you can do anything you set your mind too, stay positive and you will always be confident and most importantly don't forget to smile. Love, Me."

Reading that to myself actually made me feel better than I thought it would. Last night I was watching the movie Bruce Almighty and towards the end of the movie, when Bruce was in heaven and he was talking to God; he said something that really made me think and actually made me start crying. In that particular part he was talking about his then ex-girlfriend in the movie, God asked him "what do you really care about? Grace? Do you want her back?" and Bruce answered "No, I want her to be happy, no matter what that means. I want her to find someone who will treat her with all of the love she deserved from me. I want her to meet someone who will see her always as I do now, through your eyes."

The reason that particular line made me cry so much is because us, as human beings never see ourselves worthy of others, we are constantly putting ourselves down, looking at our imperfections and never see the good we have to offer. I am sure if you we're to ask God how he saw you, how beautiful you we're in his eyes, how amazing you we're to him, and why he created you the way that you are, you would see yourself in a whole different way and in a whole another light.  Point is, don't be so hard on yourself, you are amazing, you are beautiful and you should tell yourself that every day, try by starting today, give yourself that much needed pep talk!!