Just the Way You Are

Sorry, I haven't posted lately.

I was...busy... Every happen to you? I thought so.




I want to wish you a Happy Valentine's Day and thank you for spending your time with me. We do have fun, don't we. I love women. They are awesome. I love celebrating their gifts.

You are amazing and beautiful, inside and out. I love celebrating you. Today, take time to love yourself, remember that you are loved, and know that I like you, just the way you are.



Just the Way You Are

I like your eyes. I like your nose.
I like your elbows and your toes.

I like the way you laugh and shout.
I like your insides and your out.

I like the happy way you walk.
I like to listen when you talk.

I like the way you think and feel.
I like the part of you that’s real.

I like you when you’re on the go,
And even when you’re movin’ slow.l

I like to see you jump and run.
I like you ‘cause you’re so much fun.

I like to watch you sing and dance.
I join you when I get the chance.

I like the spunky clothes you wear.
I like the way you wear your hair.

I like the sparkle in your smile.
I like your attitude, your style.

I like you when you’re happy,
and even when you’re sad.

I like you when you’re snappy,
and even when you’re mad.

You’re gentle, brave, and helpful, too.
You’re funny, cheerful, honest, true.

You’re talented and very smart.
You have a kind and loving heart.

And even on the worst of days
When nothing goes quite right,

I like you in the best of ways.
I like you day or night.

And though you’re always changing,
You don’t have to change for me.

I like you just the way you are.
Be who you want to be.

Happy Valentine's Day
Linda Garner

p.s.

Today I am celebrating the release of my first e-picture book, A Valentine Disaster. Click on the button on my sidebar to order your copy. You don't need a kindle to read it. Click here to get a free kindle app for your computer. If you like it, you can leave a review here.

It's Okay to be Different

We like to be alike.

I don't know why, but we love to be the same. We were created to be different, but we spend a lot of our time trying to be like everyone else.

"What are you going to wear?" we ask each other. Where did you get that hat, that purse, that lipstick?

We want to fit in. We follow the crowd.

What's wrong with being unique? What's wrong with celebrating our differences? What's wrong with setting a trend instead of following one?

You are amazing. You are one of a kind. No one in the world is exactly like you. Why be the same when you were born to stand out?

Own your identity. Stand in your truth. Love being different.

Be yourself. Only you can do it.

Linda Garner

Counterfeits

If I were to offer you a choice between a $20 bill and a photo copy of one, which would you take? No question, you would want the real thing. What if the choice were between a genuine $20 bill and the photo copy of a larger bill, say one hundred smackers. Are you interested in the photo copy? Of course not.

Did you know it is illegal to make a color copy of any denomination of money, unless it is larger, smaller, or a different color than the real thing. There is a huge difference in the appearance of photo copied money and the real thing, yet there are laws protecting us from the confusion that arises from having realistic copies around.

Sometimes we are tempted to pretend. We want to make a good impression. We want to be liked. We want to be accepted. We aren't sure that people will like us the way we are, so we pretend to be different. I'm all for self-improvement, but not so much for pretending.

Pretending is exhausting and unfulfilling. There are easier games to play. You can't pay your mortgage with Monopoly Money.

If we can love ourselves and be comfortable in our own skin, then we will always be okay around others. Everyone loves the real thing, so be yourself, that's the one thing no else can be.

Isn't it time we start loving ourselves?

Linda Garner

Hats Off to You!

There’s something about hats. Even though I love carefree simplicity and am casual by nature, I adore hats. When we cleaned out our parents’ home, after they had died, we discovered a bag of hats belonging to Mom. I have no memory of Mom wearing these hats, but I felt an instant connection to her and claimed the hats.

I love those vintage hats. I have used them often, in displays and presentations. I also claimed Dad’s army hat, and dress hats which I believe belonged to my two Grandfathers. My grandfather’s hats have a spot in a display case in my living room. Mother’s hats were once displayed atop an etegere in my bedroom.

Last summer we added a closet to our bedroom and removed the etegere. Where did the hats end up? It crossed my mind more than once, and yesterday I went on a frantic search because I needed the hats for a skit tonight. To my horror, I found the hats in the garage in two boxes. One box was moist and full of mildew. I almost cried. I cleaned up what I could, and sorrowfully threw two hats away.

I’m not sure what fuels my fascination with hats. I’ve always loved them. Like you, I wear many hats. I wear the mother hat, the sweetheart (wife) hat, the grandma hat, the piano teacher hat, the friend hat, the sister hat, the aunt hat, the writer hat, the speaker hat. I’ve also been known to wear the listener hat, the advice giver hat, the advice taker hat, the learner hat. I’ve often thought about wearing the organizer hat or the clean house hat, but they just don’t make them in my size. Wish they did. Or do I?

Mostly, I wear the hats I love, and I love the way I feel in them. I love being myself. Your hats may be different than mine. If they are right for you, that’s all that matters. Wear the hats you love, and have fun wearing them. Enjoy being yourself. Choose it.

Hats off to you!

Linda Garner

Something Wonderful

“By being yourself you put something wonderful in the world that was not there before.” Edwin Elliot

I’m not pretty enough. I’m not smart enough. I’m not good enough. No one likes me. I’m not popular. My clothes aren’t cute enough. I hate my hair. I hate my freckles. I wish I were blonde. I wish I were taller. I wish I were slimmer. I’m ugly. I’m fat. I’m a loser.

If you’re a woman,or a young women, chances are you’ve had thoughts like these. These thoughts are demeaning and drain us of our self-worth. Somehow, we have been programmed to believe that our worth is somehow attached to the way we look. TV, movies, and magazines give us a distorted view of beauty and reality. Trying to live up to the distorted pictures we see is not fulfilling. No wonder we sometimes feel empty.

A beautiful woman is one who accepts and appreciates herself as she is. A beautiful woman loves and appreciates her body, flaws and all. A beautiful woman radiates confidence and smiles often. She believes in herself and doesn’t compare herself to the images on the screen. A beautiful woman takes care of herself. She is comfortable in her own skin and doesn’t try to live up to anyone’s expectation. She is content to be herself.

What if we could change the way we think? What if we could change the way we see ourselves. Instead of the trash talk at the beginning of this post, we could say: I am beautiful. I am clever and smart. I am good. I am amazing. I am enough. Everyone likes me. People love me. People are so nice to me. I love my clothes. I adore my hair. Freckles are fun. I like being myself. I am beautiful just the way I am. I am a winner.

Silence the negative chatter in your head. You’re in charge. Take control of your thoughts. For every negative thought that pops into your head, give yourself three compliments. You give complements to others. How about treating yourself kindly, for a change. Do something nice for yourself. Think beautiful thoughts.

You’re beautiful. Yes, you. It’s true, but it won’t mean a thing until you believe it. Go look at yourself in a mirror and tell yourself so. Look in those gorgeous eyes and say “Hi Beautiful. You look fantastic.” It’s okay to love yourself. I promise you it will make all the difference. Start today.

You don’t need to be like anyone else. It’s okay to be different. Different is awesome. There is nobody else on the planet that is exactly like you. You are amazing. Appreciate your unique gifts. Appreciate your unique beauty. Be yourself. That’s something only you can do.

It's true, you know... By being yourself you put something wonderful in the world that was not there before.

Linda Garner