Fight the battles and challenges of each day with a happy heart!

You can feel defeated and still choose a happy heart. You can be struggling and still choose a happy heart.

I have experienced some really hard parts in my journey. I refuse to sweat the small stuff. I would rather focus on the beautiful parts and choose happiness. Choosing happiness, even while facing hard things allows you to be gracious and happy. I do sometimes have to regroup. Practicing a life of gratitude and happiness really does start to spill over into everyday life!! It helps in my decision making and keeps me from assuming or believing the worst in situations.

Aside from the adversity that we face in our daily lives, we must remember we are what we choose!

I have been in dark places and simply wanted someone understand the experiences I’ve had. Then, I realized life is all up for interpretation and everyone is fighting their own battles. From a young girl.. I decided I wasn’t going to let the struggle be the outcome. A fighting and happy heart has and continues to take me far. I want the message of overcoming to be bigger than the adversity faced!

As my husband, Johnny and I enter this chapter of life we are able to look back at the hard parts and realize it truly has built character. I am not saying I always handle myself in the best way. Emotions sometimes get in the way. Like the other day when a representative on the Lowe’s helpline was rude to me. I found myself offended and annoyed and told my husband to just get our flooring somewhere else. Thankfully, he’s a patient man and figured it out!

An attorney once shared some of the wisest words with my husband and I, “You believe you are experiencing the hardest thing in your life, until the next hardest thing comes!” I will always remember these words when I am going through things that are disheartening and desperate!

If I have learned anything and want to be remembered for, it’s that comparison is the thief of joy. We are all on our own journey. I think we can and should learn from others and from our own experiences. Sometimes we have to do it our own way and sometimes we have to fall several times to get where we are going!! We don’t have to assume the worst in others, healthy boundaries and expectations are necessary.. I am still working on the foundation of these! I believe in forgiveness and finding the best in others!

I will always believe the best is yet to come. I decided to share this photo of my doggie, Oscar and I from the other day.. having a coffee break during the somewhat tedious process of brush painting the ceiling in the front room at our new-to-us home. I honestly never knew I could love a dog so much! This picture says, “I am here with you!”

Stay Rosy, Amber

#HalfwayToAnywhereYouPutYourMindTo #Halfwaythere