Announcements & Guest Blog: I am worthy!

Celebrate via Creative Commons

Today Is A Day To Celebrate!

• Happy 1 month birthday to ButtonToBeans!
• First re-post/guest blogger opportunity over at thewiddahood.com *see below
• 2 weeks into the 30 Day Challenge
• With that comes 2 challenger's updates: **see below below
• 300 blog views....in the past 48 hours! (holy-crap-a-moly)
• and personally...I get to go to my second Krav Maga class tonight and I'm super excited! *Watch out bad guys, Here I come!!

Its been an exciting last few days!

Here's a screen capture of my post being hosted on thewiddahood.com. Yup! I'm a total nerd and I captured it as soon as I saw it! As you can tell by the fact that it says "a few seconds ago", way to look desperate Jess!

The fact that my divorcing widow post was so popular totally blew me away. I have received dozens of emails and comments thanking me for writing this. Widows who didn't know that there were other complicated widows out there and no longer felt alone, and individuals who had never even realized that this kind of situation existed and will now be more conscious and kind. Both scenarios are EXACTLY what I was hoping for. 

This is why I knew it was a story that needed to be told. 

Thank you for receiving it with the positivity and light with which it was offered. 

On to our 30 Day Challenge updates:

Kim: 

Kim boldly (like so many of you) accepted the 30 Day Challenge by deciding to take a photo every day. You can see those photos on her personal blog. Here's my favorite:

Longest Day

I think she really captured this moment well. I also appreciate the effort she is putting into making something unique and indicative of the moment.
She also put a challenge out to her blog readers and gave some really persuasive reasons why you should do something, or not do something for 30 days. Her final point of persuasion...If you chose to do something everyday for 30 days, imagine what you would have to show for those 30 days. It doesn't matter if it is 30 crunches everyday, walk on a different trail everyday, take a picture everyday, or do something you have never done before everyday... Any of these goals would be beneficial to you. Your 2 pack stomach may develop into a 3 pack! Or you may take some really beautiful pictures you may have never taken before! Besides, if you don't take the 30 day challenge we both know you will just sit on the couch creating a permanent butt imprint that everyone will see when they come over and they will all whisper behind your back about how you are such a couch potato. And I know you don't want that.
I think she makes a good argument.

WiddaGoddessMomma04 (WGM04 for short)

This lady is one of my favorite humans on earth. Her light shines like the goddess she is. She helps everyone with a radiant smile and is one of the best mamas I've had the pleasure of knowing. She has one small problem...she doesn't see it! She doesn't know how loved and beautiful and SPECTACULAR she is.

But! Wait! There's Hope! She's learning. Her 30 day challenge was to follow her plan for affirmations that she picked up at Camp Widow. She's agreed to author a guest blog (its awesome) about her affirmations and her experience on the condition that it remains anonymous.
Here it is....... Please leave her some love in the comments section at the bottom. Maybe next time she'll even post under her own name!

I am worthy

Guest Post from: WiddaGoddessMomma04

This past month at Camp Widow 2012 I met an amazing woman named Barbara.  In the few moments I was privileged to speak with her she taught me so much. About life.  About loss.  About love.  About me. In one 15 minute conversation she drew thoughts and feelings out of me that I hadn’t allowed in 21 months.  

You see, when P died, my confidence went with him. My self- worth.  My self- love.  Whenever I would have doubts about myself he would tell me “Well,  I love you, so that’s all that matters.” Or “Who cares what others think?  If they don’t like it,  Fu*k Em!” He had such a great outlook on life.


I always struggled with my self -esteem and self -worth. 

There’s nothing significant in my life that caused this, it’s just the way I’ve always been.  Being married to my best friend, true love and soul mate filled up my “cup” of self- worth.   Having children together and being a family with a home, jobs and security caused it to overflow. Then losing him in an instant shattered that glass into a million pieces.  


Fast forward to almost two years later- on the tail end of my first relationship since his death, and  I have been left questioning my self worth. How can I give to others when I don’t even love the person who’s dishing it out? One thing that Barbara said to me in those first 15 minutes: “You can give and give and give but you aren’t really doing anyone any good if you don’t love yourself first.”  She then went on to tell me  about affirmations and saying them with intent (by putting your tongue behind your teeth on the top of your mouth you are signaling your brain to “pay attention”) and the need for committing to at least 30 days.  I committed to saying my affirmation within 30 minutes of waking up in the morning, and again 30 minutes before going to bed at night. These are times of day when our brain is most open to accepting the thoughts.  Barbara also stressed the importance of saying my affirmation ALL DAY LONG. With INTENT! You have to let go of the negative and allow the positive to flow in in order to create change.  


It hit me like a ton of bricks. I don’t really LOVE me.  I am told all the time about the great things I do for people, all the great things I offer them.  But in my head I immediately dismiss those compliments.  I ALWAYS  return with “Oh, no! – But,  Thank You.”   Compliments on my looks, ideas I have or things I do for others- (I always dismiss the great that I’m doing for others).  Thinking about Barbara’s statement,  and in talking with her a little more, I decided that I needed to instill that self -worth and confidence back into my brain.   I picked one simple sentence for my affirmation.

I AM WORTHY.  

I am worthy of all that life has to offer.
Of what people have to offer.  
Of what I offer myself.  
I am worthy of all good things.  

It’s been just over two weeks, and I am still saying my affirmations.  I am starting to see a change. I don’t dismiss compliments as much.  I still have my down days- but that’s to be expected.  I know I am not going to change completely  “overnight”.  But, by telling myself that  I am worthy every day , I am boosting my own self- worth and retraining my brain to accept it.  I can’t wait to see what the next 2 weeks (and beyond!)  brings!
To learn about Barbara's book “True Love True Self” - visit www.truelovetrueself.com