Good morning! I decided to branch out from my current pumpkin-obsession with oats this morning. Enter a more sweet and tart variety!
In the mix:
- 1/2 cup oats, rice milk, POM Kiwi juice and water mix
- 1/4 cup frozen cherries, thawed
- 1/2 a pear, chopped and warmed
- dash of cinnamon
- unsalted, roasted peanuts for garnish and crunch
At first I really missed my fluffy, delicious pumpkin oats (and the fact that pumpkin oats means vegetables for breakfast!), but the sweet and tart flavors of this bowl of oats grew on me.
Anyway, as we all know it’s a Monday morning and while for most of you Mondays can bring about the cliche “Monday blues” because it’s back to school or work, Mondays are challenging for me for a different reason. Every Monday I’m faced again with the fact that I am still unemployed. I may try to make light of it, but it’s been a really long, tedious battle. I’m reminded of it when I roll out of bed and have no where to be, nothing to do (I know it may sound nice to some of you right now, but after a couple weeks, let alone months, the nothingness get’s frustratingly overwhelming). I’m reminded of it when my husband heads off to work early each morning, and when the vast majority of my human interaction comes to a close because all my friends and family are off at school, working, or both.
As I’m sure you can imagine, it takes a lot of willpower to stay positive. When you add in other things to the mix (like when I gained around 35 pounds in 9 months due to birth control pill changes, problems and issues), the strength to stay positive is strained even more.
That’s why this morning, in honor of Caitlin, Operation Beautiful and myself, I decided to post an Operation Beautiful note to myself.
You Are:
- beautiful
- strong
- healthy
- compassionate
- qualified
- intelligent
- talented
- worthy
- ENOUGH as who you are today, RIGHT NOW.
I know all of these things are true. No matter what issues I may have had in the past, I am beautiful (and always will be!), I am strong, healthy and nourishing my body (the only one I will ever get!) with wholesome, vegan food and a great combination of cardiovascular exercise, stength training and yoga/stretching. I am very intelligent and capable of working hard – I graduated college with a major and a minor in three years, never missing a semester on the Dean’s List. I am talented, creative, a fast learner and worthy. More than all of that is that I AM ENOUGH as I am today. I won’t be made further complete by a job, by a new degree, by a certain number of friends, a certain number of hits on my blog or anything. I am me and me is wholly perfect and enough RIGHT NOW.
Leave a little Operation Beautiful for yourself today, and remind yourself that no matter your circumstances, you are enough as you are today. 
P.S. I have another copy of this post-it, similar to mine, that I’ll be posting over at Publix or Starbucks later today, too. I know I’m not the only one who can benefit from this note!
I love it! This is something I had been thinking about doing for a while but I need to find a good place to put it since my husband and I share a bathroom. Not that he’s not beautiful, but you know what I mean
Have a great day, keep it positive!
GREAT POST Lindsay! All of those things are true and sometimes we need to reassure ourselves! Just remember their is a plan for us and everything happens for a reason.. Don’t give up hope girl! Your job is out there somewhere!
Great post! I hope you have a fantastic day! I feel like I should do the same thing. I want a job, but that won’t make me a better person
Awesome
I know what you mean. It’s not like I don’t work, I’m just a freelancer which unfortunately, for now, means a lot of down time. Some people feel the right to say that I don’t have a “real job”. It hurts sometimes.
This post made me smile so thank you for that. And you ARE enough and beautiful and all those things.
I love this! It’s good to have a reminder of all of the good in life!
Aww, I’m sorry about your work situation. All those things on that OB note are true! Great post, and don’t give up
I hope you have a wonderful day!
I love this post. I’m very much in the same boat and have a similar sentiment toward Mondays. Needed this on this Monday morning so gracias
Lindsey, this is beautiful.
I was just wondering-have you thought of joining a women’s bible study that meets during the day, volunteering, or even doing an internship just to get yourself out of the house more? I was in this same boat last spring with only 8-10 hours/week of work in the afternoons, all online classes, and a husband who was gone a lot in the evenings. It was really hard on me. I joined two Bible studies (one was amazing-Community Bible Study-you should see if there is one in Gainsville) and started volunteering with the middle school youth group at church. It really helped me to feel less alone and less like the weeks were endless tests of my endurance of how long I could be alone without crying.
I would also go to Panera or Starbucks once a week by myself to work, just to have something going on around me. I know it costs $$, but if you get tea it’s $2 or less and worth it for your mental health. Just an idea…
Aw thanks Sarah, you are too sweet. These are some wonderful suggestions. I have been looking for a Bible study that meets during the day, but am trying to find one with women my own age, ya know?
And yes — totally planning on hitting up Starbucks later. I justify the cost of a beverage because I can walk to Starbucks so I save gas money? hehe.
Great post and attitude! With that type of outlook, I’m sure a great job is just around the corner for you!
[...] Operation Beautiful Note to Self [...]
Aw linds this is so great. I have my life a liiiittle more together than oh, a year ago- but there are still so many unanswered questions and HUGE blanks in there that it is really scary and overwhelming. I’m always here for you and thinking of u my job-searching partner in crime
What a beautiful note. So true! I’m glad you know that you are all those things, because I sure do