Princess in Training

Have you ever been treated like royalty?  If so, it is hard to go back to “normal”, and if no,  it is hard to accept “exceptional”.  So here is a little blurb about ladies becoming Princesses.  Let’s first get a healthy outlook.  I am not talking about a Prima Donna who demands, gives harsh orders, and is downright selfish. I am talking about a real Princess.  Think about Princess Diana. She was filled with class and humility and admired around the world.  She used her position to bring good, and she treated all people with respect. She most definitely left a mark on society.  

Now that we have a proper image of a Princess, let’s talk! There is no doubt that Princess Diana was served and had the finest of things.  In a crowd she was set apart and treated extraordinary. So go and do likewise and be a Princess. Oh wait, you weren't born into Royalty? You didn't marry a Prince? My apologies. What shall one do? Start training. Yes, train, or practice if you will.

Any lady at any age can become a Princess. What does that look like? Surround yourself with people that encourage you, believe in you, and motivate you. Look in the mirror and truly see your beauty. Carry yourself in such a way that others can’t help but to respect you, and when criticism and chaos visit you, handle it with grace. Be the best version of you possible. Admit your wrongs and lend a hand to those in need. If you are unfamiliar with the royal life, it may be awkward at first, but hang in there you’ll start to love it.

Now, I want to take this a little further and speak about raising a Princess. If you are a parent and have a daughter my hope is that you will teach this “Princess mentality” to her at a young age. Fathers, respect and honor your children’s mother that you may set an example of a lady’s worth to your daughter. Mothers carry yourself in a way that promotes a healthy self image, respect yourself, and speak kindly of others. Finally, tell your little girl every day that she is a Princess.  Chances are if you model the behavior, demonstrate the actions, and speak the affirmation, she will grow into a beautiful Princess leaving it hard for her to ever go back to being “normal”. Not to mention that living the Princess life just may keep her from settling on a toad instead of waiting for Princess Charming. So fill let’s fill the world with more Princesses and less Prima Donnas because that is a world worth leaving for future generations.

Go live the Princess life!

Wishing you and the little girls in your life tiara sparkles,

Princess Shante

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The Trade Off

I was reading today and came across the most interesting story about a devastating trade off. As I read I thought to myself, “How stupid! Don’t these people realize what is going on right now? How could the leader allow such a thing, and for what?”

Finishing up my critical thoughts I realized I had just smacked myself right in the face! Impatience, losing sight of the goal, and even an unhealthy idea of self worth can all cause a devastating trade off.  I am pretty sure that I have made some trade offs in my life based on the same criteria. Chances are you have too. The trade off often leaves us with trinkets and forgoes the treasure that was waiting. It’s like trading a Bentley for a beat up Pinto … not even this simple girl would knowingly do that!

Think about impatience ... You see the treasure only to find out that it is much farther than you realized and in the moment it seems like forever. But wait! What’s that, oh it’s a little trinket to pass the time and gain some instant gratification. You know like setting an entire bag of Oreos in front of a child and telling him if he can wait 4 hours you will give him the entire bag, or he can have one right now and forfeit the bag. Impatience would tell him to go for the one because 4 hours is forever. Quite frankly when we are talking about a bag of Oreo cookies versus one Oreo this mom would say go for the one too, but that is solely from a health conscious view :) I thought about using broccoli for the example, but it just wouldn't have worked.  Or how about this ... save for several years and be able to book a dream vacation paid in full, no debt incurred, or put it on the credit card, go this coming summer, and pay on it for the next 20 or 30 years.  You get the point!

Losing sight of the goal ... Has this ever happened? The cards are stacked against you, your fears are on high alert, and your friends have jumped shipped, but there was a reason you started and it was because you had a goal, a treasure to reach. The only problem is that a million things have blocked your sight and you no longer know why you are here. You want accomplishment, you need something to move so you lay down the pursuit of the goal and settle for an easy “win” only to find out that it was no win at all. You made a trade off.

Now on to self worth. Do you find yourself valuable? Are you worth the prize or do you just find solace in the trinkets? Chances are that if you are constantly settling for the trinkets, you are going to find yourself unfulfilled. This could play out through an array of relationships, constant change of careers, or even placing yourself in degrading and unhealthy environments.  If you don’t know your value, please take a moment to read an earlier post I wrote highlighting your worth. Unless you believe that you are worth it, chances are you will never hold out for the treasure.

So here is what I was reading, found in the Bible, the book of Exodus, chapter 32. Moses had gone up on the a mountain to meet with God.  He had been away for a bit so the people became impatient and asked for a golden calf, an idol to be made so that they may worship it. Casting off their gold jewelry and the gold jewelry of their household, a golden calf was made.  The people brought sacrifices and offerings and worshiped this thing; celebrating it as if this idol had released them from bondage in Egypt when in actually it had been formed by the hand of man.  Now maybe you don’t acknowledge God or believe in the bible, but stay with me and to see the point. This congregation of people had seen mighty works from God.  He had feed them, released them from bondage, and split the Red Sea. Then they traded that power for a golden calf made by the hand of man.  That most definitely is like trading a Bentley for a beat up Pinto.

Final point, be careful of your trade-offs.  Know the difference between treasure and trinkets.

A Simple Girl's Dream

I have tried to dress it up, but it seems that I always come back to the fact that I am a simple girl. Not simple minded, not uneducated, but just simple in the joys of life. I like front porch swings, wooded trails for hiking and running, waterfalls, and the sound of crickets chirping in the night air. It seems that I crave a slower pace of life than our current society offers and therefore I constantly wrestle with being accomplished versus being filled with joy.  I mean let’s face it, hanging out on a creek bed off a wooded trail mostly likely isn't helping to provide for my family unless of course I were there catching dinner AND that’s not the case.

It isn’t often that you will find me decked out in jewelry or wearing the latest fashions.  I’ve tried because there are some gorgeous designs out there that I wish I could rock!  Every time I try I feel overdone; yet just being “simple me” seems to be less than this world says that I should be. Now please understand, I love women that can pull off great fashions with matching accessories which is why I continually try to make it happen. It just doesn’t work for me. I’ve found that I could seriously take some flip flops, couple them with a comfy tee and some jeans and call myself dressed up. Now this doesn’t mean that I run around town in a sloppy manner or carry myself without dignity.  Me being not overly accessorized, just happens to be the place I feel most confident and most real.

So I got to thinking about all of this and how each of us are different.  There may be some that would never step foot on a wooded trail or step out of the house without being completely accessorized, and that’s awesome. It is okay to be different. It is okay to have your own style. It’s okay to enjoy a different pace of life. It makes you who you are!

Here is what is not okay.  It’s not okay to diminish a person’s worth because they choose a different style than you. Press in and listen up!

Here is an excerpt for Martin Luther King Jr.’s I Have a Dream Speech: “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

This quote made me think how we as ladies discriminate against one another and it is often merely by outward appearance. The stay at home mom can’t understand why the mother of two is a CEO of a major corporation rather than home with her children. The girl sitting in her running shoes is looked down on as the lady in stilettos walks by. The slim toned fitness minded chic at the gym has no empathy for the overweight lady attempting to walk a mile on the treadmill. And the list could go on.  I know that was brutal. It hit me hard too, but here is the truth: our world would be much better off if we would reach out a hand of support rather than offering up a glare of judgement. Now there is much to be said about surrounding yourself with friends that support you and do not cause your insecurities to flare and be on high alert, but that is not what I am talking about here.  I am merely talking about taking a moment out of your day to share a smile, listen to someone’s story, or give a shout of encouragement.  One simple act really could change the course of a person’s day!

Reach out and lift others up … it’s just a simple girl’s dream!