In case you hadn’t noticed, it is International Women’s Day! Happy International Women’s Day! It is nice to have a special day for women to be recognized and celebrated. We have many days on our calendar that celebrate mothers, grandmothers, Valentines, and so on. However, I’m sure there are many women who don’t “fit” into those types of categories, so it is nice to have a day set aside for women.
I took some time to celebrate and be happy today, if not for International Women’s Day, then just for myself. There had been a couple of things that had been causing me some stress lately, and I had to take the time to recognize that and transform my thinking. I try to be a positive person, and I had to remind myself to be thankful, grateful, and positive. I needed to remember to be happy for the little things. It was necessary for me to remember and be happy with what I have rather than with what I don’t have.
We all have lots of responsibilities, and sometimes those responsibilities, along with added and/or unnecessary stress, causes burdens to build up. Sometimes, work becomes routine, and it is important to mix things up. Sometimes, everything looks the same, bland, and monotonous. Sometimes, we get worn out, burned out, and lose the joy in things. We have to remember to take time for self-care and do something kind for ourselves. It is important to recognize when too much is too much. Sometimes, all life has to do is throw in illness, injury (whether physical or mental), or unexpected expense in the mix, and our lives are thrown out of whack. And sometimes, we have to roll with it, but recognize it and not let it overtake us. It is important to see it and do our best to bounce back.
Today is International Women’s Day, and it was a good day for me. Most days are good days for me, but it’s nice when things go smoothly and proceed well and everything seems to fall into place. I know much of that is related to my attitude, outlook, and perspective. If I was negative, miserable, worried, and upset about things, everything would be a chore and nothing would be fun or enjoyable. Psychological research has shown that the two best things people can do for ourselves is to think positively, such as by telling oneself daily affirmations, and surrounding oneself with a positive support system. This is really so true. I do my best to encourage, support, and promote it. Being positive, while also being realistic, is very beneficial to a person’s mental health.
Being positive and trying to surround myself with a positive support system definitely benefits me, as a woman who has so many responsibilities that I can’t even count. Sometimes, they are so much that I just want a break and to get away from it all, but I try to stay positive, focused, and motivated, lean on my faith, and reach out to other supportive people when I can. International Women’s Day is a day to remind myself to do that even more. God made me intelligent, strong, positive, motivated, and resilient. I believe in myself that I can do it and God walks with me every step of the way in support and guidance.
So, on this day that isn’t recognized very much and that people generally don’t seem to talk about, take a moment to remember, recognize, and celebrate women. And, thank you to those who have! Take time to say or do something kind for a woman in your life or even a woman you don’t know. And, even more importantly, take time to recognize and celebrate women – and each other – everyday. You never know the world of difference it may make in someone’s life!
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