Photo from here.
Happy April, friends! While I’m beyond happy to welcome what should be a sunnier, warmer and happier month, I still can’t believe that we’re already in the fourth month of the year! With the dawn of a new day and a new month, I’m looking forward to some fun and excitement to relieve the stress that comes with it (exam season), and with that, I thought I’d share the word of the month for April here on Beauty Bylaws! The word is…
*drum roll please*
Photo from here.
I think encouragement is far too absent from our lives these days. Society, me included, is the first to jump on the negative train and point out the bad or ugly side of something, and I think it should stop. Now, obviously, this is a trait that we’ve all developed together and it isn’t going away any time soon. However, I believe that if we just take a breath before we complain or get angry about any given situation, we might change our perspective (and if we don’t, perhaps we can collect our thoughts and deliver our point-of-view in a clear manner, so it’s a win-win).
Encouragement is just one side of the equation for peace and harmony (I sound like a hippy, but go with it for a minute).How nice would it be to focus on the positive, for example, if you’re trying to lose weight, instead of focusing on how much weight you haven’t lost, perhaps turn your attention to how much muscle you’ve gained. Or, if you’re trying to learn a new language, don’t get down about not being able to keep up with a native speaker, concentrate on the aspects of the language you’ve learnt and how far you’ve come since beginning this journey. Encourage yourself. It sounds like such a small thing, and it might sound naïve to some, but I think encouragement is an undervalued action and that with just this one small step, you can completely change your outlook on things.
I’ll give you another, more personal example. At the beginning of February, I thought up all of these dreams and goals for Beauty Bylaws, ones that, let’s just say are quite grand in the scheme of things. Naturally, I struggled to get the plans to achieve these goals in motion and I stumbled. I felt under-appreciated, annoyed and demoralized. After a few weeks, I thought about it and I realized, I’d never go anywhere in life or with my blog if I didn’t change my perspective. Blogging is something that makes me so happy, something that I am so passionate about, so why was I getting down about it? Because I got caught up in my own head. As soon as I realized that, I shifted my outlook and decided that I was going to work harder then ever to set things in motion. Almost two months later, I’ve been sticking to a consistent schedule, I have things going on behind the scenes, I’ve hit a personal record for views and I’ve engaged with readers more than ever. By all means, I still have lots of goals to accomplish & I’m nowhere where I want to be, but I’ve made progress, and I’m proud of that. Furthermore, do you think I would have gotten to even this point if I hadn’t encouraged myself? No. A little “you can do it,” or “keep it up,” even if it’s in your head, never hurts. In fact, it will only give you the motivation and courage to get one step closer to conquering your dreams.
To take it one step further, once you’ve begun to encourage yourself on a regular basis, lend a helping hand and encourage those around you whenever you get the chance. It’s funny, because you’d think “oh, they’re just words,” but honestly, words are powerful. Hearing a simple “well done” or “you’ll get there” can completely change a person’s spirit and change their day. As cheesy as it sounds, encouragement is uplifting and in a world in which all we hear throughout the 24 hour news cycle is bad, bad and more bad news, it’s completely necessary.
So, give it a shot! It might set the wheels in motion for something you never thought possible, or at the very least, bring your thoughts together with a whole new perspective. 🙂 #jointheoptimistclub
Here is to a lovely, fantastic and (hopefully) warm & sunny April! I hope it brings out the very best in you and brings you nothing but good vibes! Oh, and if you’re currently working towards a goal or are feeling a bit down, don’t you worry, YOU CAN DO IT because you’re an AWESOME person, go get this!! 😀 ♥
With love as always,
S♥
