Table 4 One

“I’m proud of you!” “I can’t wait to see your dreams come true!” “You are great!” “Your life looks like so much fun!” “You are awesome!” As I cleaned my house last Sunday, I began to think of these words of encouragement and admiration that I hear from my friends and loved ones often.   I love words of encouragement and I will always be grateful for them… they keep me going.   The problem is I can’t see the things others see in me for myself.   Sad, right? My cousin sent me a text the other day that simply said, “I’m so proud of you!” and I was completely thrown off guard because it came at such a random time.   My reply was, “For what?!? LOL”.   The “LOL” is a significant part of my reply, because I truly chuckle at the fact that people see so much greatness in me!   It’s not low self-esteem, at all; I’m just trying to see it in myself… She said that she was proud of me because I have taken a situation (the breakup) that would have bro...

How often do you take the time to say “thank you”? I mean, being really grateful for where you are in life… I say “thank you” often; when I'm happy, sad, frustrated, confused... WHATEVER! I always try to remind myself that things could be worse… I've learned that no matter what, I will always want more... So, I thank Him, in the meantime… I could talk to you for days about how I want more of this or more of that, but I'd rather tell you why I'm thankful for what I already have. My parents are my biggest fans.   They are, without a shadow of doubt, #TeamCourtney!   They give me wonderful advice, they support me and all of my big ideas, they catch me when I fall, and will always be there for me. Not everyone can say they have both parents in their lives or their support; I am thankful for my mother and my father because they believe in me. Does your family work your nerves?!? LOL… Mine does! But I am SO thankful for them.   They challenge me to be my bes...

“You are looking for the perfect man!” I was completely shocked to hear these words come from my friend’s mouth, as we had one of our heart-to-heart conversations a couple of weeks ago.   And I know that this wasn’t a blurb or senseless thought because, as friends, we are always open and honest with one another.   So she meant it…she truly feels that I am single because I am looking for the perfect man!   Wow!   At first, I was defensive but then I challenged myself to take a step back and make sure that she wasn’t correct in her observation. I used to be a “one chance girl”, when it came to dating.   I’ve written before that I had to open my eyes and begin to date men who I normally would not, just to see if I was missing out something.   So I did; I pretty much went out of my comfort zone and I didn’t come across anyone I was super interested in, while reluctantly dating those men.   I would run away as soon as something went wrong.   I...

Lessons!   I love them; I believe that life is used to teach us…   The experiences we have whether good or bad should be used to grow. I have found that I learn the most lessons from the experiences of others. I’ve been fortunate enough to have open and honest friends who I talk to on a regular basis.   I’ve recently tried to make my experiences mean something.   Meaningless interaction is for the birds!   No one wants to feel alone… Having great friends who you can be completely “you” with, is not only comforting but extremely necessary... I recently had a heart-to-heart conversation with a very good friend of mine and it got REAL.   I had to make the decision on how/where this completely necessary conversation was going to go.   As a friend I had to make the decision to be completely honest (whether it helped or hurt my friend) because I needed to!   We all know that the grass is always greener on the other side but sometimes we need a ...