Geordie was very disappointed by Lt. Barclay's performance and he wanted him transferred off the ship but picard said no, get to know him so Geordie begins to put a little faith in him. Laforge invited him to a morning officers meeting and giving him special tasks and saying “ok, I trust you’ll take good care of it,” and then Lt. Barclay began performing much better, he arrived on time and put his extra foot in and spoke his mind. 

He ended up saving the ship from certain destruction!! - Because he felt comfortable enough to speak up. He felt important and secure in himself. 

We are on a journey to learn how to love yourself - part of that growth is by facilitating others to do the same. 

Ah, you think you know what I'm talking about! Ha, we can cover that later, eh? 

We all have that thing we’ve been saving. We’ve been saving it for a special occasion or the perfect circumstance, but in the mean time…it’s been sitting there getting dusty! I see you right now picturing it in your head – that special dress in the back of the closet, the fancy china, for me it is a bottle of perfume that is now discontinued. Red Currant and Thyme by Bath and Body Works – it’s my favorite scent in the world and it’s no longer made, so naturally I save every precious drop right? But really, what joy is that giving me? Looking at a bottle of perfume that I’ve had for years that I never use! How am I enjoying that?! So, I took it to Chicago with me and wore it everyday – it was great and I felt great wearing it!

So. Use that thing you’ve been saving for a special occasion and if you can’t bring yourself to – make a special occasion! Set up a date with yourself and enjoy some special time. Take plenty of pictures and scrapbook everything in your self-love bible!

It's been a while since my last post - I've been traveling for spring break! I travelled to Chicago to see my best friend and to spend some time away from everything and just relax and enjoy myself - I had such a wonderful time and I am completely revamped now! 

I spent so much time exploring the city; I went to Millennium Park and saw The Bean! I try to see it every time I visit. I spent some time along the lake and a whole day visiting Lincoln Zoo (which is free, by the way). I tried several delicious cuisines, including some Arabian food and probably the most perfect sushi roll I’ve ever had. I toured Columbia College and rode the Ferris wheel – I could just go on and on about how amazing it was. I spent most of the time by myself – and let me tell you that exploring a new area while you’re on your own is the most empowering experience anyone can have. So, I challenge you to explore something new – get outside your comfort zone. Take a trip somewhere new (that doesn’t mean it has to be far away!), join a new club or hang with a new group of people. Get out, experience and grow! When you are finished, make sure to keep a souvenir or two and use a few pages of your Self Love Bible as a scrapbook so that you can remember how much fun you had and hopefully will feel encouraged to do it again.

Engage.

You have people in your life that you trust - your friends, your family, your teachers, government officials (that's kind of hit or miss...), and others. You trust these people because you respect them and believe in their judgement. It occurred to me last night that one way I could love myself is to not just others, but trust myself. 

Many people in this day are so, like, unsure of themselves, 'know what I mean'? Stand apart and be confident and sure. When someone asks you a question that you know the answer to, reply confidently. If you're in a situation and your gut is telling you something, listen to it. Trust in yourself to make the right decisions and accept the consequences of them - it will be such a relief. 

This was a note written by an old friend titled "Dear Women". I find it beautifully written and comforting knowing that there are still women out there who haven't fallen into obsession about our perception of beauty. 

Let's do a little compare and contrast, shall we?  Us vs. Supermodels. 

Supermodels get paid tens of millions of dollars to exercise all the time, get plastic surgery, and have someone else do their hair and makeup before they go out in public.

 

We, on the other hand, do not.  We've invested our plastic surgery/personal cosmetologist money in an education instead, in the hopes of bettering ourselves so we can get a job that, while it ironically pays much less, is hopefully less demeaning than one that has us strutting the runways in our underwear in front of millions of viewers.  Mommy didn't give us an eating disorder, Daddy didn't kickstart our stardom with his huge fortune, and with class/work from 9-5, in addition to homework for hours and hours after that, we don't have the time or the energy to do 5 hours of cardio a day on a fig leaf diet.

 

Fuck that shit, ladies.  We're better than that.

 

We're more than vapid, living mannequins.  We're intelligent, we're hard-working, we're ambitious, and we are interesting.  We know how to have fun, and we know it doesn't have to involve Britney-style crotch-flashing or drunken partying of the Lohan degree.  If nothing else can be said about us versus the Jessica Simpsons of the world, at least we know how to do our own laundry.

 

So the next time somebody tries to apply the Judd Apatow rules for relationships to you, tell them to fuck off.  If your boyfriend expects you to look like a supermodel, tell him he's damn welcome to go first.  We have neither the time, the money, or the inclination to preen like peacocks, because we're busy trying to change the world for the better.  You are fabulous just the way you are, and you deserve nothing less than someone who recognizes that.

 

Dear God, I do believe I've gone to bed and woken up a feminist.

 

- J

A slice of pizza has to be at least 3 inches, right?! OMG and cake is a black hole - run!!! And the evil mashed potato monster is watching us, waiting to spring an attack at the next family dinner....

No.

So many of us beat ourselves up about having a slice of cake at a party, or enjoying pizza with friends on a special movie night. We don't need to be doing this - stop the madness! I promise, it's completely ok to have a slice of pizza or cake or lasagna for that matter. I began thinking of food as a fuel source, since that's exactly what it is. When you are choosing your food, try to make the choices that are going to offer you the best fuel - which of course is veggies, fruits, whole grains, we all know that. But, on the occasion, you come across what have been labeled "bad foods". There are no "bad foods", it's OK to have these things, just remember they aren't very fuel efficient so when indulging, make sure to do so in moderation, and then pat yourself on the back for having restraint and eating one piece instead of 2 or 3. 

"Thinking about what you can't control only wastes energy and creates it's own enemy." 

-Lt. Worf 

Wise words, eh? This is a tough mantra to remember  - believe me. Stressing about things that are out of my control has always been my downfall. Actually, I'm pretty sure it runs in the family and that there is no escaping it! When you dwell on things that you have no power to change, you are wasting energy and creating an enemy within yourself. I talk aloud to myself to remember that it's out of my control. Feels silly, but it helps a lot...when you're feeling over whelmed try to let go and feel lighter....