Interview with Stephanie

I know we are a little behind this week but come on, we are working on not judging others so don't be that person! ha ha.. So how has it been for you guys? Have any of these interviews with these women helped you see things differently or think about yourself and others in a more positive light? I know it has for me, a lot. I just find myself always being negative and finding something wrong with myself and others and then I think about something I remembered that one of these ladies said and then I focus on that and try to be more positive. Most of the time it helps I wish I could say all the time but that is not true. We are human and have natural instincts to be critical and harsh. And by a little practice and hard work we can overcome this and have more control over our thoughts. 

Anywhoo.. this weekend we will be sharing our interview with another momma 

STEPHANI @Steph__pollock 

She is a mother to a darling little girl, a wife, a photographer, and a blogger

1.     What is self esteem to you and how does it affect the person you are?

Self esteem to me, is believing in myself. When I believe in myself I am the most productive, positive and outgoing person. When I don’t, I feel like my world falls apart.

2.     What are five words that you would choose to describe yourself?

1. Loyal 2.Passionate 3.Beautiful 4.Outgoing 5.Stylish

3.     Do you ever get down or are too hard on yourself sometimes?

Yes, ALL the time. I think as women we are too hard on ourselves all the time. Especially now that I’m a mother, on top of being a women I feel like I’m always wondering if I am enough. Or if I’m doing anything right.

4.     Are there specific things that trigger those negative vibes and feelings?

I’m usually down on myself when I have a deadline to meet or if I have a dream project but can’t make it a reality. I start criticizing myself instead of owning it and doing my thing.

5.     How do you help yourself get out of that “negative funk?”

I totally take a bath! Or I light a few candles and blast the music in my house while I scroll through funny buzzfeed articles. Then I have a good cry about why I don’t feel good enough and my husband encourages me and tells me I’m awesome! haha.

6.     Do you ever find yourself judging or comparing yourself to others? (if so when)

Yes, Usually in situations I feel uncomfortable in. But I try and catch myself and instead I start complimenting that person. If that’s inside my head or out loud. I try and correct my thinking because I’m only comparing myself because of an insecurity inside of me. Often, I’ll go tell that person something nice like I like their shirt or their hair and I am genuine about it.

Do you feel like social media as a whole helps build you up and or do you feel like it makes it harder to be positive?

I feel like social media builds me up more than it drags me down. I love the feeling of community that social media has created. I feel like so many people who I follow or follow me are all just trying to relate in some way. Either to celebrate with each other or to let each other know we are in the same boat. I’ve connected with so many women who have let me know I’m not alone in so many situations. There has been a few times I’ve found myself comparing to other people on social media but that’s not long lasting at all.

7.     What helps you not compare yourself or judge others, or what have you done or do now to help yourself not fall into the game of judging and comparing?

I try to compliment instead of compare. Everyone is so different from our personalities to individual style. There's no reason to constantly compare because it will be a never ending game of making you feel like crap. So instead I try to celebrate that difference instead of feeling negative about someone or something.

8.     What helps you feel confident and beautiful?

I feel like we are all born feeling confident and beautiful and don’t know any better until someone tells us different. Being confident is really just being okay and liking who you are. Also realizing that the world doesn't define what “beautiful” means. Beauty goes so much deeper than outer looks. My mom taught me from a very young age what inner beauty looks like. Because of that I often see past outside appearances and see their inner beauty no matter what.

9.     What brings peace in your life?

Jesus. When nothing else seems peaceful in my life I know I can go to him and claim that peace. I recently listened to a teaching where the women said where there is fear and anxiety in your life that is satan stealing from you. It has stuck with me and I’ve done my best not to just sit in fear, anxiety or self-doubt because I know my worth, and I don’t want to waste my time focusing on all the negative or something I don’t have. When you focus on everything you do have and change your attitude to being thankful is it so much easier to see all the beauty in life.

10.  What do you think women today can do to have more self love and positive vibes towards themselves and others?

Grace!!!! Grace to be who they are but to also embrace who they are becoming. We are constantly changing, and absorbing or adding to ourselves. I try and remind myself that who I am today isn’t who I will be in 3 months from now. I think women need to accept themselves for who they are and stop focussing on what the world says they have to be or look like. Start loving who you are and acknowledging how awesome you are just for being you!

Self Love (interview with Sydnee)

Okay Friends, today is a new week so we have a new something or someone here on the blog for ya! Seriously when I re-read this I got teary eyed. Sydnee is AMAZING and is so motivational. I love love love some (or all) that she talks about! Her view on loving yourself and not comparing others because it is a thief of joy is so TRUE!  I hope you all enjoy this as much as I did!! 

SYDNEE

@SYDNEE_ANDERSON

Seriously so beautiful inside and out!

(Utah living, wife, adventurer and explorer.)

1. What is self esteem to you and how does if affect the person you are?

Self esteem to me is how I truly feel about myself on the inside and outside. It reflects my self confidence.

2. What are five words that you would choose to describe yourself?

Dependable. Caring. Optimistic. Cheerful. Brave.

3. Do you ever get down or are too hard on yourself sometimes?

Sometimes I for sure do. I’m not sure what it is but sometimes I feel like I need to just be better. When I see photos of girls looking “perfect” (a word that is misused) I start to compare myself to them and I then realize that I am being way too hard on myself. I have really tried to make an effort to stop using the word “perfect” because no one is truly perfect. I sometimes get jealous when I see people I know going on fun vacations, wearing the cutest clothes, having a specific body type…the list could go on. I get so down and I realize that I am being way too hard on myself.

4. Are there specific things that trigger those negative vibes and feelings?

Definitely. I think that social media as a whole contributes to those negative vibes, especially Instagram. I think that we have to remember that some people may only posting their “highlights” in their life. When we look at someone’s life through social media, of course we are going to think that “their life is perfect” or “they are so put together” if they are only posting those things. We need to remember that we are all imperfect human beings. We all have flaws and have experienced different trials. It’s hard because I want to contribute to the positive side of social media, but I also want people to know that I am flawed and have had many trials. I struggle with knowing whether or not I should post about specific things. I don’t want it to seem like I am a Debbie downer who tries to make people feel bad for me!

5. How do you help yourself get out of that “negative funk?”

Sometimes I just have to disconnect. Although there is a mixture of positivity and negativity on social media, staying off social media sometimes helps. The amount of followers, likes, comments, or attention that we may get from social media should not build up our self esteem. It’s so much more than that and I think many of us need to realize that. About a month ago I saw a post on Instagram by a woman who was explaining how she was feeling great about herself, until she got on social media and throughout the day those good feelings started to disappear. Her self esteem decreased because she started comparing herself to others. Her point was to not let that get you down. Anyways, there was a comment from someone who was confused as to why she was feeling down because she got 2000 likes and has 70,000 followers! Clearly, she misunderstood the point. Followers and likes do NOT give you self confidence. It makes me sad that some women think that is the case. If we are not careful, social media can destroy us! Taking breaks from social media usually helps me get out of that “negative funk.”

6. Do you ever find yourself judging or comparing yourself to others? (if so when)

Like I mentioned before, I compare myself to others all the time, I think it’s really hard not to. I’m trying really hard to break this habit!

7.  Do you feel like social media as a whole helps build you up and or do you feel like it makes it harder to be positive?

I think it can be both! I think it can obviously make it harder to be positive when you are constantly comparing yourself to others. However, I feel like there are so many great people out there on social media that are inspiring and make me want to be a better person in a good way. A way that doesn’t make me get down on myself.

8. What helps you not compare yourself or judge others, or what have you done or do now to help yourself not fall into the game of judging and comparing?

I just kind of have to realize that judging and comparing won’t do anyone any good. I know that I would hate for people to judge me, so I try my best not to judge them. There is always good in someone or something if we just look for it.

9.What helps you feel confident and beautiful?

Being myself. I’ve really learned to love myself for who I am over the past year and it has made the biggest difference in my life. If you aren’t yourself than who the heck is going to be you? Be you and learn to love yourself!  When I was growing up (in a house full of girls) I often criticized the way I looked as I was getting ready in the morning. My mom would always get so mad at me and not allow us girls to say anything negative about ourselves. That has really helped me focus on things I do like about myself rather than things I don’t like about myself.

10. What brings peace in your life?

Honestly, my faith gives me the biggest peace in my life. I am LDS. I know that I am a child of God. I have a Heavenly Father and Savior who loves me unconditionally. Having that knowledge gives me more peace than I can even explain.

11.What do you think women today can do to have more self love and positive vibes towards themselves and others?

I think that women need to stop comparing themselves to others. It’s hard and I know that I am guilty of this as well. I’m not sure who said this quote but my mom said it to me several times when I was in high school, “comparison is the thief of joy.” I think that women need to try to stop comparing themselves to others and focus on finding their gifts and talents. Everyone has something to offer, everyone has different talents and attributes, so let’s not waste our time comparing. Be yourself and love yourself! There is a book called “Way to Be” by Gordon B. Hinckley that I read when I was younger. I recently started reading through it again and there is a section that specifically talks about being positive. He says, “I am suggesting that we look for the great good among those with whom we associate and live, that we speak of one another’s virtues and positive qualities more than we speak of one another’s faults, that optimism replaces pessimism, and that our faith exceed our fears.” Although this is easier said than done, I love this so much because as I have made an effort to apply it to my life, I am a much happier person!

Interview with Fatima

We have teamed up with some amazing women who are each unique and come from different backgrounds. I had such a fun time getting to know these women on a more personal level.

We asked them a few questions about self love and confidence and they shared personal experiences

and stories. Each week we will be featuring a different gal and learning more how they feel about themselves and what helps them stay positive.

FATIMA (@Stylefitfatty)

She is a wife, a mother, a blogger, a personal trainer, and a photographer. She is beautiful on the inside and out!

Our interview with her:

What is self esteem to you and how does if affect the person you are?

Self esteem is everything! It is not always on top, but I try to be confident in myself everyday. It makes me a happier person, wife, mother and friend.

What are five words that you would choose to describe yourself?

Happy, Loving, Selfless,

Do you ever get down or are too hard on yourself sometimes?

Of course, we are all human! I think that happens mostly when I am so involved in the social media world. It tends to pull me into this “fake world”. It’s easy to think that other people have it all made, that their lives are perfect, but many times that is not the case.

Are there specific things that trigger those negative vibes and feelings?

Social media is the biggest one for sure! Stalking perfect feeds, and feeling like I’m not there.

How do you help yourself get out of that “negative funk?”

Honestly, my husband is the best at helping me getting out of that negative funk. If not him, I look at my life and realize how blessed I am, and that it is OKAY to have a messy house ;)

Do you ever find yourself judging or comparing yourself to others? (if so when)

Yes! Specially as a blogger, it is really easy to compare myself with others. I really think that I have gotten so much better. Comparing yourself with others will just bring you misery.

Do you feel like social media as a whole helps build you up and or do you feel like it makes it harder to be positive?

Builds me up for sure. The people I follow, I follow for a reason, I try not to follow people that live these unrealistic lives...because let’s be real! Motherhood isnt glamourous everyday!

What helps you not compare yourself or judge others, or what have you done or do now to help yourself not fall into the game of judging and comparing?

Not follow those kind of people that would bring those kind of feelings.

What helps you feel confident and beautiful?

Taking care of myself! If thats taking a shower, getting my eyebrows done, working out or just getting ready for the day. Being a Mother, seeing the miracles of what my body has done. Our bodies are literally capable of anything!!

What brings peace in your life?

My family. They are my everything.

What do you think women today can do to have more self love and positive vibes towards themselves and others?

Taking care of themselves!! Don’t feel guilty for wanting to take 30 min to workout, or going to get a pedicure with your girlfriend. I think in todays society, we focus so much on taking care of others (which is not a bad thing), but we forget about ourselves. Happy wife, happy life!

Hello MAY

Its MAY already I can't believe it!! I am so excited for this month!!I know I am a few days late but there has just been so much going on already this month! But we have so many amazing things happening! Our main focus this month is Empowering Women and helping them know and remember that they are loved, needed, and important. 

I don't want to giveaway all the amazing things we have going on this month, but I will tell you a few things that we will be doing this month the honor and strengthen women. 

1. It's Mothers day!! So that of course will call for a huge Sale! So watch out for when this will be taken place! We have so many new items that will be added and you won't want to miss it!

2. Each week we will be featuring a different women who will share their personal experiences of self worth and love. This is something huge that I want to focus on and something I believe we all struggle with at times. I feel like when we share our experiences and thoughts with others we can be strengthened.

3. Giveaways will be taken place throughout the month just because we love you and want you to know that!! 

Thanks for tagging along with us and please feel free to let us know what you would like to see or if you have any suggestions on what you feel like we should focus on or a cause we should donate to, please feel free to contact us and or comment below. We always love the suggestions!! 

And now let the exciting events begin.