Heat Wave 2K17

It's hot. Maintenance said they're waiting for parts to fix it. If it's going to be this hot in my apartment, can it at least make me (more) tan?

Jokes! I've been telling myself not to be upset about it, rather to just laugh it off. So I'm sitting here with a cold wash cloth on the back of my neck and a fan blowing on me. I also have those ice packets you put in your lunch to keep cold IN my bed. Yes.

It's not the worst.

God First

I left work right at noon, because I had things to do.  (This whole week is a busy one!) Anyways, I grocery shopped like a boss (meaning I was in and out), ate lunch, and had my dessert in the oven for my relief society activity within an hour. Then I heard a knock. She came to visit unexpectedly and asked how I was doing. I turned around and looked at my messy kitchen. Garbage can overflowing, dishes in the sink, flour all over the counters...yikes! I asked her to pull up a chair while I got to cleaning up. We chatted and by the time we were done, it was nearly 5:00.

Where had the time gone? There were so many things on my to-do list and I only had two hours to cram in five hours of work. (#firstworldproblems) So I went about getting things done and then it was time to stop by to pick up my friend for the activity. Again, where did the time go? I wasn't feeling it. I wanted to drop off my dessert and quickly excuse myself.

All those worries were quickly diminished as I sat at the sticky picnic table admiring the beautiful, strong sisters I was surrounded by. I didn't care that I didn't even get half of my to-do list done. I cared more about the women in my ward. This feeling of love came over me and I knew it was God telling me that His daughters are so very loved. I could see how brightly they radiated the light of Christ. We're all different, but we all laughed and enjoyed each others company. And gosh, I haven't belly laughed that hard in sooooooooo long! It was very cathartic!

Today didn't go as I had originally planned. But I promised God that I would put Him first. So if talking with a friend for a few hours is what He wants, then I'm ready. The to-do list will never be as important as God's will for me. I needed today. I needed humility. I needed friends. I needed laughter. (I needed those ice cream sandwiches at Macey's for $1.49/box. I resisted, but you know I haven't stopped thinking about them.) Anyways, God first. Even when you're busy.

It's not the worst.

Let me slip into something UNcomfortable

I'm currently sitting in my apartment hallway, because it is hot in my room. I fixed the A/C like a Queen and am now waiting for my apartment to cool down to a nice 70 degrees.

I started a business with It Works Global, because the way God speaks to me is by telling me something months in advanced and letting me think about it until I'm ready to do what He asks. This was an answer to my prayers and something that would help me reach my financial goals and also to motivate me to treat my body better. Two women who had followed me on Instagram were part of this company. I've been watching their business grow. One is a married  BYU student and the other is a retired, 20-something year old with a family. Both were kind, motivating, and incredibly successful. The only part that scared me about this business was putting myself out there and selling. I am not a sales person. I don't do that. So after much prodding, I took the plunge.

And I became stagnant. Anxiety and fear really hit me. But I knew that if I followed everything that Christy told me to do, I would be successful. But still. I was scared. Scared of failure. Scared of rejection. Scared! So I got the kit and opened it, but then put the contents back into the box and it's sitting on my desk with some books and papers on top of it.

While paroozing my way on Instagram, a friend of mine posted these very words:

Nice, Heavenly Father. Way to put that out there. So I resisted again. Then this:

Yeah, but then I'm saving myself from feeling anxiety and uncomfortable. A few days later, I read these words that really hit me hard:

"The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers." M. Scott Peck 

Okay, Okay, I'm listening. I realized that I was making things so complicated and I was overthinking everything! I just needed to simplify it and bring out the beauty in it. So I started up with my positive affirmations again:

I am a Daughter of God.

I am Beautiful.

I am doing hard things.

I am successful!

 God only will I serve.

I am attracting like minded people.

I am financially abundant.

I am making my dreams come true.

I radiate the Light of Christ.

I am making a difference in the world.

I felt my Spirit come alive once again. I promised God that I would try again and give it all I've got. I promised to always put Him first and then go to work. Even though this is very uncomfortable for me, I know that I have two choices. I can grow. Or I can be stagnant. We all know how I feel about the power of change, so I've re-committed myself to God, to myself, and to this company. I will bask in the uncomfortable-ness that comes and I will let it refine me. I can do hard things. I am successful.

Here's to new adventures. You can visit my Instagram @simplymarlisa for my lifestyle and "work" posts. I'll be sharing with you my journey and bringing the simplicity and beauty in the products, but how it is influencing both my life and those I get to work with. (I still have my regular Insta @missmarlirock so feel free to go there if you're not interested!)

Here we go, darlings! It's not the worst.

***If you're interested in any products or whatever, just DM, text, email, FB message me. We can embark on this journey together! You can be skeptical, but at the very least, you should just try it!***

Don't Commit to Failure

Don't commit to your mistake.

These five words have been ringing in my head the last couple days. I've felt like I've been screwing up left and right! And I get really bogged down about that. It's probably due to the "perfectionist" in me, but also, I just don't like making mistakes. I hate messing up. 

Don't commit to your mistake(s). Keep moving forward. Keep trying. You're not a failure, so don't commit yourself to that. 

It's not the worst.

Love YOUR Body

I spent a good chunk of time looking at myself in the mirror. Then I broke down in tears and put on the baggiest of clothes and laid there in a mess on the floor. He always talked about how Provo is obsessed with having a beach body. Then he made the assumption that I had a beach body. I told him no. He dismissed my response and asked when we'd hang out. 

Every thing about this conversation triggered the self-conscious part of me that hates my body. But why did I give him power to do that to me?

After an ugly cry, I came to my senses. I wiped away those tears and picked myself off the floor and began to recite my positive affirmations. 

I am a Daughter of God. I radiate the Light of Christ. I am beautiful. God created me. I love my body. I love my curves. I have a beautiful body, full of energy. God only will I serve. My body is working this very minute to do the Lord's will. I am beautiful!

I felt a power within myself come alive and my very frame was strengthened with so much conviction. When you recite truth,  you will feel your spirit confirm it. It's a beautiful experience and one that I will continue to do.

Love YOUR body! You were made by a God who loves you. He created you in His image. You are beautiful, no matter what anyone else thinks. Your body is beautiful just the way it is. And don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise, because they're not worth your time. 

Can you imagine how God must feel when we express any kind of dissatisfaction with our bodies? He created you in HIS image. He wants us to love our bodies and treat them with respect. I'm trying to ingrain this in my mind by telling my body, "God only will you serve." This helps me keep me focused on the beauty and purpose of my life. 

Love your body, m'y friends. Your body is beautiful and divinely made.

Free-write: Late Night Thoughts (part 2)

It's night time and my corner of the world is quiet, so a free write if you will.

Everyone heals differently. I've been coming across many individuals who strike me with so much strength as they endure hard trials. Their way of healing intrigues me. Some turned to religion. Others turned to therapy. Some even put forth all their energy into making their dreams come true. All of these things are great. 

I've always believed that true healing comes through the atonement of Jesus Christ. And I still do. That's what works for me. But I've had this admiration for anyone who has healed by other means and have found so much joy. Good on you! Everyone is uniquely different and healing comes in different forms. Everyone deserves to be so deeply happy in this life! And when you truly find it, don't let go!