Sorry Doesn’t Make It Okay

September 4, 2013June 21, 2014 Aurora15 Comments

Grab a plate and throw it on the ground.
-Ok, Done.
Did it break?
-Yes.
Now say sorry to it.
-Sorry.
Did it go back to the way it was before?
-No
Do you understand?

Wow. My cousin sent this to me as its been a topic that she and I have discussed a lot over the last few years. I think it’s a harsh reality that many of us have to face every now and then when the friendship we broke, or a friend broke with us, just cannot simply be repaired.

You try and go back to where it was before, and that place just doesn’t exist anymore. What makes it a harsh reality is that whether or not both parties want to go back to that place, the friendship is forever changed. One or both of you saw a side of that other person that you didn’t know existed… Or better yet, never existed towards you.

I speak from experience in knowing what it is to be on both ends: the breaker and the breakee. I’ve always prided myself on being a good friend and doing what I think is right toward all people. Unfortunately there have been a few times that I can look back on and wish I had made better decisions based on the needs/expectations of my friends and what the situations called for. While hindsight is always 20/20 and everything is clear now, at this point you need to accept that things won’t be as they once were, and adapt to the way they are now and will be.

The other end of this that I have been on is where you have been hurt by a friend, and whether you want it to go back to how it was or not, it’s simply not an option you can let yourself get to. I have wanted to go back to normal with a friend a few times now, but there are limits to what we can consciously allow ourselves to do. Call it what you want, but when someone burns you, or doesn’t think enough about you before hurting you, sometimes our hearts just won’t allow us to go back— which is okay. It’s the harsh reality.

My advice for this however, is that we try our hardest to never let our friendships get to this point. Sounds easier said than done you say? Well, it’s not. It all comes back to the golden rule and a little extra thinking. You treat people the exact way you want them to treat you, and beyond that, think about how the other person feels and how they will react if you hurt them. We can’t be perfect, but it is possible to be pure and genuine in thought.

To the friendships that sparkle in your life…

♡ Aurora Beani

Community Giving · Friendship · Goals · Motivation · Uncategorized

As I Began To Love Myself

August 28, 2013 Aurora1 Comment

As I began to love myself I found that anguish and emotional suffering are only warning signs that I was living against my own truth. Today, I know, this is AUTHENTICITY.

As I began to love myself I understood how much it can offend somebody as I try to force my desires on this person, even though I knew the time was not right and the person was not ready for it, and even though this person was me. Today I call it RESPECT.

As I began to love myself I stopped craving for a different life, and I could see that everything that surrounded me was inviting me to grow. Today I call it MATURITY.

As I began to love myself I understood that at any circumstance, I am in the right place at the right time, and everything happens at the exactly right moment, so I could be calm. Today I call it SELF–CONFIDENCE.

As I began to love myself I quit steeling my own time, and I stopped designing huge projects for the future. Today, I only do what brings me joy and happiness, things I love to do and that make my heart cheer, and I do them in my own way and in my own rhythm. Today I call it SIMPLICITY.

As I began to love myself I freed myself of anything that is no good for my health – food, people, things, situations, and everything the drew me down and away from myself. At first I called this attitude a healthy egoism.Today I know it is LOVE OF ONESELF.

As I began to love myself I quit trying to always be right, and ever since I was wrong less of the time. Today I discovered that is MODESTY.

As I began to love myself I refused to go on living in the past and worry about the future. Now, I only live for the moment, where EVERYTHING is happening. Today I live each day, day by day, and I call it FULFILLMENT.

As I began to love myself I recognized that my mind can disturb me and it can make me sick. But As I connected it to my heart, my mind became a valuable ally. Today I call this connection WISDOM OF THE HEART.

We no longer need to fear arguments, confrontations or any kind of problems with ourselves or others. Even stars collide, and out of their crashing new worlds are born. Today I know THAT IS LIFE! – Charlie Chaplin

If any truer words have been more perfect from my own heart, I have yet to find them. Read these words. Read into them. How can you find true happiness in your own life, if you aren’t honest with yourself and have what it takes to look deep inside? I believe that people are afraid of feelings. Feelings are thought to show weakness, be embarrassing and allow others to see our vulnerabilities. These are e x c u s e s and the LIES we tell ourselves to avoid letting others in.

The difference with this is, now, you need to let yourself in. I need to let myself in.

And I’m open to saying this because I know it can be helpful to others. I too worry often about what others think, say, don’t think or say, and I, like you, let it ruin moments where I should be happy and doing things that bring me joy. This is what Charlie meant, I love myself, and so I will no longer allow myself to WASTE my own time. This is what fear and worry do to us. They take away the only time we are truly guaranteed right now– the present.

I love this quote because I feel like every single one of you can pick out at least ONE thing that mirrors your own life, and how it can be applied to make it better. There’s no better way to be your best self, than to take a look inside every once in awhile, reflect and then make some changes.

As I began to love myself, I found that I’ve been searching for a fulfillment I thought was so far away. When you eliminate all the noise you create for yourself, all of a sudden you find things to be very clear, and discoverable. Be authentic, be respectful, have maturity, show confidence, be simple, display modesty, be wise in your decisions…

and sparkle. ✨

♡ Aurora Beani

Community Giving · Friendship · Goals · Motivation · Uncategorized

The Impact of Connections and Life Choices.

August 6, 2013August 6, 2013 Aurora1 Comment

Connections.

I’ve been thinking a lot about what I wanted to post the last few weeks and I think I am finally able to put into words my thoughts. Have you ever taken a second to think about the people in your life and how they got there? Even your family… While they’ve always been there and will always be there, sometimes your closer with some members than others… But why? Where are these relationships cultivated and what does it all mean? This has been something on my mind a lot lately, as I’ve been so thankful for some of the people in my life, and it made me wonder how I got so lucky, and where my relationships with these people began.

I received a Facebook message from a dear friend of mine that I haven’t spoken to in a little while, reaching out about The Weekly Sparkle, his appreciation for my positive outlook, and offering his own insight on relation to the site and things with his life. It completely made my week. It got me thinking about how I know him and how lucky I am to have someone I hardly have to speak with, but can still feel an impact by their words and our relationship. We met one summer in LA when my best friend and I decided we wanted to experience California. Once I was hired for the job at UCLA {that I found out about one night during drinks with a friend-connection}, I had no idea about the great people I would meet, and how they would become lifelong friends, no matter where in the country they lived.

This is just one occurrence, among many lately that have me taking a step back and realizing how each decision, conversations, moments etc all impact our lives and where we are right now. Even my current relationship, I wouldn’t be in it if I hadn’t decided to take my Target job almost 8 years ago, not knowing 6 years later I’d begin dating one of the best guys I’ve ever known. And in the subject of that, all of the friendships, connections and opportunities I had stemming from my decision to work at Target {and stay there} is mind blowing. I had two offers on the table and went with the one I felt best about… What if I chose the other?

Think about an important decision you made in your life. {Really… Think of one for a second}. Was it a move? The acceptance of a job? Was it a break-up? A proposal? A split decision that would have an immediate consequence? Now… Think about the person(s) who helped you make that decision. Where did you meet them and how they did they get in your life? What if you hadn’t met them and didn’t receive the same advice/counsel and it changed your decision? What pieces of your life would be missing or different because you didn’t make the decision? It’s so amazing how all these tiny details mold our bigger picture.

This is a strong support as to why I don’t believe in having regrets. Each and every decision we make, relationships we build, and doors we open, lead to paths in our lives that we have to walk… Whether we continue the path, change directions, or begin a new path that we were lead to through another connection at one point… It all has to begin somewhere.

And so, I stand proud and humbled to see where many of my decisions and relationships have lead me in my life, and I appreciate the incredible support and unconditional love I receive everyday from people I’m close with and connected to. I can only hope that I am as big of a support to them as they are to me. It’s amazing to even see the connections your able to make with people that you hardly ever see, maybe only speak with through social networks, yet know the bond you have with them has impacted yours and their life.

Someone I have admired for years and follow regularly is author and public speaker, Brene Brown, who wrote the quote that I used above. I believe in it full heartedly. It is the connection we build with others and the impact we make in one another’s lives that make life worth living. I believe it’s the choices and directions we take that makes life more exciting and fun to look back on, rather than the things we don’t do and later question what may be different had we done the unknown.

So I say, we appreciate and enjoy the connections we made, the great relationships in our lives, and take a look back every once in a while to remind yourself how it all came to be, and that you’re currently exactly where you should be, because it’s already molding your tomorrow.

Sparkle On ♡

-Aurora

Friendship · Motivation · Uncategorized

The Loss of Friendships

July 10, 2013July 10, 2013 Aurora15 Comments

This is something I’ve wanted to talk about for awhile, because I’ve seen some friendships around me fall apart, and seeing how it has effected the ones I care about has made me wonder what others think. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt as though I lost someone’s friendship that really meant a lot to me, but over the last year or two, I’ve seen some of my best friends lose close friends to them, and I’ve lost a close friendship of mine as well.

A close friendships that dissolves can be painful. In a conversation I’ve had recently about this, I said losing a close friend feels like a breakup. Isn’t that the truth though? This person hasn’t died, they didn’t move, they probably are still in the same proximity to you as they were when you were close, but all of a sudden, they stop actively taking a part in your life and you in theirs.

At 26, I look back in my life and see all of the ‘best friends’ I had and who meant a lot to me all these years, and it’s easy to see that we lose a lot of our close friendships along the way simply because of maturity, different interests, life, etc. These aren’t the friendships I’m talking about. Of course, many of us have friends that we’ve had almost our whole lives, and those are friendships I believe we need to cherish and nurture… But not all of these friendships have lasted until now.

At this stage in my life, being in my mid-twenties, I believe that friendships we lose at this point and forward are because of an extreme situation, immaturity or the inability to see eye to eye (or understand) the person you once knew very well who now looks like a stranger.

Extreme situations and maturity often go hand-in-hand, because while we all have moments where we wish we would have said/did things differently, as long as the level of maturity and respect is there in the friendship, the relationship you have and want to preserve will always prevail. Hold on to these friends. I have people like this in my life, and I’m more and more thankful for them everyday. Apologies, an open mind and understanding go father than you could ever imagine.

The inability to see eye-to-eye with someone you once really cared about, is the hardest one to swallow. This typically stems from the maturity issue or extreme situation that one of you we’re unable to step up to and discuss. This is one that I feel mostly effects me, and makes me upset to look back on, as I’ve always tried to be someone who looks for the best in tough situations, and wants anything more than to resolve issues and move forward. It is hurtful, when the person, or people, on the opposite end cannot, or refuse to do the same.

Any friendship worth fighting for needs understanding, openness and maturity.

The friendships we lose, where we just don’t understand what happened, are the ones that either deserve another chance, or are the ones you were fortunate to get away from. If in your heart you know you’ve done all you can to salvage a relationship and it still isn’t alive, it’s okay to let it go and move on, for yourself. If you have a past friendship that you think about and wish you had done things differently, regret is the worst form of self-hurt. It’s never too late to make things right.

I’m interested in hearing what others think about this.

Have a great day friends,

-Aurora

Goals · Motivation · Uncategorized

Resolutions in Review: Six Months In!

June 30, 2013June 30, 2013 Aurora1 Comment

The picture above is a list of my New Years Resolutions that I framed exactly six months ago. Amazing. It’s hard to believe we’re already half way through 2013, and only six months away from Christmas and 2014! Where does the time go? I decided I wanted to reflect on this, when I looked at my list again last week, and realized I was accomplishing some of these things, and incorporating them into my life, while others, I haven’t kept up with, or tried to improve for myself.

1. Drink More Water. Ugh, this has been the hardest for me, because I haven’t made it a priority. Water is everywhere. I need to take my consumption more seriously, as it helps with your health, cleansing, skin etc. I’ve decided I’m going to bring a gallon (yes, and actual gallon), of water to work each day, and promise myself I’ll bring it all within the work day.

2. Spread Positivity and Upkeep My Website. YES. This website has been a godsend thus far in 2013, and helps me to feel more connected with all of you. THANK YOU for making this website a success and for spreading the Sparkle and positivity along with me.

3.Be Punctual. I’m getting there!!… So much better than 2012! I’m going to continue incorporating more time into my day to ensure I get to places on time. The biggest issue I find with this is allowing myself an appropriate time to sleep each night. I’m going to challenge myself to get more rest, so I’m not dragging as much in the early mornings.

4. Get More Organized (Plan!) This is something I work toward every. single. day. and I feel that it’s getting better with time. Planning, strategizing, organizing– all of this comes easy to many people, I’m not one of them. Haha, if you’re a planner, good for you!!!… I’m going to continue to work on this long after 2013 passes.

5. Be Yourself. This one means the most to me. It’s only two words, but it carries the most meaning. I can’t say that I lived a life where I wasn’t myself in the past, but I began to notice that too often, I was worrying about what others thought (too much) and would dim who I was or my personality, to yield to the needs/expressions of others.

I think #5 is something I’ve worked on through the creation of this site. The Weekly Sparkle is 100% my thoughts, feelings, topics, areas of interests and things I want to share with all of you and get your opinions, thoughts etc.

What do you do to become more in touch with yourself and who you are? I have more plans to better myself for the rest of 2013, which is why I’m glad to have visited my New Years Resolutions again and remind myself of the promises I made six months ago.

Are you keeping up with your Resolutions?! If so, congrats. It’s an incredible feeling to follow through on goals you set for yourself. If you’re struggling, it’s okay. You have six months left in 2013, which is plenty of time to make the improvements you were hoping for.

Happy New Year,

Aurora

Community Giving · Goals · Motivation · Uncategorized

Spilled Milk

June 18, 2013 AuroraLeave a comment

A few weeks ago an old classmate of mine at Penn State contacted me via Facebook and asked me to read and review her book that was coming out soon on Amazon. After seeing current updates of her new baby, and reading about her happy marriage updates, life events etc, I was very interested and happy to hear she had a book coming out.

I by no means am an avid book reader, but the idea that someone I knew put out a book, immediately sparked my interest and I wanted to support if I could. While I told myself I would make sure to try and have the book read within two weeks, I was shocked to find that I couldn’t put my iPad down, and read the entire thing within three sleepless nights. I’d tell myself, “only one more chapter, then you have to sleep,” not once noticing the hours fly by each night.

Spilled Milk is about a young girl and her struggle to discover what real family life is, after growing up in a household where the norm was distorted and abusive. Brooke, the main character in the book, plays the role of mom majority of her life, and at night becomes a slave to her father’s sexual abuse for as long as she can remember. Even when times seemed the hardest for Brooke and her siblings, she would never tell of her abuse at home, because she believed she would be destroying her family, or putting her other siblings at risk of receiving the same treatment from her father.

Spilled Milk is a story about resilience. The strength of the human mind and will power to live a better life, is what makes Brooke such an amazing character in this book, and makes the reader cheer for her along the way. Once she discovers that her life at home isn’t normal, she finds the courage to take a stand against her father and to get help that she and her family deserve.

I firmly believe that Spilled Milk was written for a purpose. As you read the book, you will find that a strong supporter of Brooke, Midge, saw all along that she was meant for greater things in life. I know that this book is a testament to that belief, as I feel like it could really inspire those in a similar situation to Brooke’s. Some of the outlets and resources Brooke used to face her abuse are some that others could use as well in their local communities. Spilled Milk is proof that there are plenty of lifelines and people out there who are able to help at any moment if you or someone you know is being abused.

This book would prove to be highly beneficial to those studying in the mental health field, guidance counselors or educators working with children, summer camp workers, or even parents looking for knowledge surrounding the thought process of children being abused. The key to all of this, is knowing what the signs look like, with hopes that abuse like this can be prevented, or stopped sooner than it had for Brooke and her family. Brooke was a star cheerleader in high school. She was beautiful, at the top of her class academically, and would appear to have everything going for her. None of the “signs” that many of us would assume pointed to someone as perfect as Brooke Nolan. Not one.

I’m humbled, and proud to know someone as strong as Brooke, as I would never have guessed she had been through such hardship in her life before I had even met her in college. I strongly encourage you to download this book on Amazon today. For $4.99, it’s a must read that you won’t want to put down.

Brooke, this weeks Sparkle is dedicated to you. You did it!

Xo
-Aurora

Goals · Motivation · Uncategorized

Graduation, Success and Looking Ahead

June 3, 2013 AuroraLeave a comment

“When you grow up, you tend to get told that the world is the way it is and your life is just to live your life inside the world, try not to bash into the walls too much, try to have a nice family, have fun, save a little money. That’s a very limited life. Life can be much broader, once you discover one simple fact, and that is that everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you. And you can change it, you can influence it, you can build your own things that other people can use. Once you learn that, you’ll never be the same again.”
– Steve Jobs

http://t.co/rsS3FmJtoE

I had the opportunity to watch this video a few days ago, and I knew it was something worth sharing. Steve Jobs is someone I have grown to admire over recent years, as it seemed like his influential and motivational speeches, comments, conversations etc came more to light before his passing. I lump the lessons I’ve learned from him with some of my other favorite, inspirational people, like Oprah, Ellen and classic go-to, Confucius.

Last weekend, I walked in my graduation from the University of Scranton where I received my Masters degree in Community Counseling and Mental Health. While I finished classes months ago, I knew I wanted to walk in the ceremony, as the sense of accomplishment and success hadn’t fully set in since completing my course work. This is probably how I stumbled across this video. Each year around graduation time, all of these videos, commencement speeches and books surface to inspire the grads as they move ahead in life. “Sky’s the limit,” “Oh the places you will go;” “Let your dreams and ambitions come true,” are all sayings and motivation we offer to those graduating in our lives to show them we believe in them and know they have the power to accomplish great things.

In hearing Steve talk in this segment, I’m inspired by the not-so-common approach he takes when looking at achievement and success in life. He says, “…life was made up by people that were no smarter than you. And you can change it, you can influence it, you can build your own things that other people can use.” I LOVE this. He’s right. The world we live in tells us what our successes can amount to and what is expected of us as we strive toward greatness.

I guess what I gather from this mainly, is that we are the ones who can define for ourselves just what greatness is. This is why I’ve begun my journey and created The Weekly Sparkle. This is what my site and definition of Sparkle is: become your best self in the way that YOU define it. Go against the grain. It is so easy to fall in line with what society tells us and expects of us. I am by no means saying we shouldn’t want a family, good career or to “stay in the lines.” I’m simply saying that the greatness within you can be one that the world has never seen; spinning a new way to influence others and add value to the world we live in.

My desire in life is to break the mold, be different, inspire others and leave the world a little bit brighter, just because I was here and impacted the lives of others. As I reached another great milestone in my life, I’m reflecting upon the amazing experiences I’ve had so far, where they can take me, and the blank pages ahead of me that are open for my interpretation and ability to make a change.

I want to continue to pass the Sparkle to all of you, and challenge you to do the same for those in our life. Go against the grain, and be bold.

Sparkle strong,

Aurora

Goals · Motivation · Uncategorized

Knowing Your Happy Place

May 22, 2013May 22, 2013 Aurora3 Comments

It has been exactly three weeks since I’ve posted here. This is interesting for me to talk about, since I’ve posted pretty regularly (usually once a week), since the beginning of the new year. To be honest, I began to worry about when I would post and what it would be about when I reached the two week point and hadn’t been inspired to talk about anything specific. That’s the thing about my site; I won’t ever post about anything I’m not passionate about or things that I believe won’t add value to the people around me. It took until this morning for me to realize that it was okay I hadn’t posted anything in awhile, and to reflect on why I hadn’t done so, and move forward.

The truth is, the last few weeks, I began feeling like I didn’t know who I was. I felt like I wasn’t being true to myself (my beliefs, values etc), was acting differently, and even began treating the people around me differently than I normally would. The part that was shocking to me, was that I recognized it the whole way through but felt like I couldn’t bounce back. I felt powerless in my own thoughts.

Has this ever happened to you?

As someone who typically is aware of who they are and how they treat others, the last few weeks really threw me for a loop as I began trying to understand what was going on with me. And while I thought about a lot- my relationships, certain situations, good things, bad things (and everything in between), I finally reached the point where I told myself to calm down and relax.

The last few days, I went on a trip with friends to Florida and had the opportunity to clear my head. I had no idea how much I would appreciate this time away, until I was there and had an overwhelming feeling of relief. As I lay under the palms trees and the warm sun on the beach, I can tell you that I literally did not have a care in the world. I was in my happy place, and nothing before those moments or the future moments to come mattered. And I think this is what it all comes down to. In the times where you need to be reminded of who you are, who you want to be and what’s important to you, can you recognize what your “happy place” (or people, memories, values) are and know yourself well enough to go there?

I was reminded today and in writing this now that my website is one of my happy places and that I’m grateful I have it as a way to connect with so many of you. Not a day goes by where I don’t interact with someone about something they saw on the site, or hear how it has inspired them in one way or another.

What these last three weeks have taught me is to recognize my happy places regularly, go to them when needed and be appreciative for what they provide. What are your happy places? And when was the last time you went there?

Go to your place and get some air,

Xo Aurora

Goals · Motivation · Uncategorized

Forgiving… And The Ability To Let It Go.

May 1, 2013May 2, 2013 Aurora7 Comments

“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.”

There is no need to sugarcoat this. The word forgiveness is something that brings up a lot of emotion for me, as it does the same for many I have spoken with about the subject. To forgive someone can be hard, as well as asking someone we hurt to give us forgiveness. In thinking about this lately, I ask why is it so hard to give and grant forgiveness?

So let’s break this down: Ego, Insecurity and Fear. Why is it so hard to ask to be forgiven? Or, in other words, offer an apology. The first stop would be to identify what’s getting in the way. Ego… feeling that you don’t need to apologize, or are better than the situation. Insecurity… are you insecure about the situation?… Afraid to open up or be viewed as vulnerable/in the wrong? Or, fear, do you think that the issue is so severe that apologizing wouldn’t do any good and isn’t worth the shot?

I can tell you that I’ve at one point or another felt all of these ways in my life, and I’ll give you the advice that I eventually made my way to: Get Over Yourself. When you identify what it is exactly that’s getting in the way, the answer should never be something that involves YOU and your insecurities, drawbacks, worries, etc. When you care about a person or situation, your intent needs to be around making things right, regardless of how you’re perceived or viewed by others and how hard you need to swallow your pride.

Bringing me to 2. Why is it hard for us to forgive those who have hurt us? Well, this breaks into an A & B category: Has the person apologized and you’re unwilling to accept the apology and forgive them, or have they not extended an apology and you’re holding resentment because of it? A. We all have needed forgiveness in our life. Accept apologies and allow yourself and the other person to move forward. Forgiving breaks the chains of anger and resentment, even when it’s not easy. B. The HARDEST time to forgive someone is when they’ve hurt you (no matter how severely), but are unwilling to apologize, or do not recognize that they need to be forgiven. These are the most important times we need to let it go. You cannot change the way people think or their ability to be accountable for what they say and do. As Smedes says, you need to set the prisoner free… In forgiving at this moment, you’re doing that- for yourself.

My stance on forgiveness is this: in times during my life where I have done wrong by others, I’ve learned that it’s always better for both parties when you own up to the wrong you’ve done and clear the air when necessary. This doesn’t mean the person will accept your apology, but at least you will know you’ve done the right thing and can move forward from the situation. Whether you are the one giving or receiving forgiveness, I challenge you to let go; you can’t move forward without doing so.

“Learn from mistakes, admit when you’re wrong and apologize when it’s due. Forgiveness isn’t the problem… people are sometimes too proud or stubborn to ask for it”

Forgive, for yourself.

Sparkle on, Aurora

Goals · Motivation · Uncategorized

Genuinely Being Positive

April 19, 2013 AuroraLeave a comment

I made this quote into a picture because I love it and have always believed in it’s value. We live in a world where it’s easy to take someone who is always happy and in a good mood and categorize them as something negative. “You’re too happy,” “How can you always be smiling?” “You know, some people might take your optimism as being fake or think you’re a push over.” (Those are a few of my favorites). This has to be one of the biggest battles I have faced over the years, because it’s hard for people to believe that genuinely happy people do, in fact, exist.

It hasn’t been a battle in that I feel a need to defend myself, rather, I struggle in helping others see that many live their lives this way, and choose to put their best foot forward each and every day. It’s a choice. You have to wake up each day, or decide in difficult moments, that instead of letting difficulty, anger, fear, anxiety, jealously or negativity take over, that you are knowingly and willingly going to choose the higher route.

This subject came up in speaking with my best friend the other day, as she was dealing with a situation similar to this and knew I would be able to relate. It is not easy being a positive source for the people in your life, especially when at times they are determined to try to provoke negativity within you, or worse, doubt that you’re being genuine. It’s people like my friend who remind me that it’s worth it to live positively and this makes me appreciate our friendship even more.

So why is it viewed as UNrealistic for us to lead a life that’s more positive, or has a silver lining in difficult/challenging times? Because it’s easier to get angry, react impulsively, yell, blame others, be in denial, etc. As with many difficulties, the challenge is to recognize your behaviors, overcome undesirable reactions and change!

As I write this, I must begin getting ready for work, have not slept all night, and am looking forward to a long 10 hour day ahead with no rest. But I’m still optimistic because I got to write for all of you and it’s FRIDAY.

Let’s do this together, shall we?

Xo Aurora