In the not too distant past, it used to be that I loved my job…
THE STORY
…As a matter of fact, there were times over the last few years that I thought maybe it sounded like I was making it all up. I mean seriously, who could be that blissfully happy at work? Well, I was; the operative word being “was”. Like most things in life, that era has apparently come to a close. I know…at this point in the post you’re probably thinking, “Sorry about that friend, but I don’t really want to read a post wherein you’re whining about your job.” Don’t fret my loves, that’s not what this post is all about as I’m not much for whining and wallowing. Nope, this post is about perspective and how important it is not to lose it.
First though, a little background so that all of this makes sense. My life skills support class was started just four years ago; I’ve built it from the ground up. It’s an ever-changing work in progress, but I’m pretty damn proud of what I have achieved. My classroom is a happy healthy environment where my kids can learn and grow at their own pace. They are loved, they are safe and I try to make things fun.
When it all began, I suppose since it was new, people were so excited about it; they were interested in it, they were invested in it. My kids were a priority, as they damn well should be. Time has passed though, and like any new thing, the shiny novelty has worn off. And we all know what happens when new things aren’t novel anymore…they no longer matter quite as much as they once did. Hence, I’ve been growing increasingly hurt, frustrated, and yes, angry. I felt myself slipping into a dark place in my head, and that needless to say, is not a good place to be.
Typically when I’m upset about something I’ll allow myself to have a pity party for one for a few days, then I kick myself in the ass, get my head straight and move on. This time I was struggling though. There are a whole lot of emotions caught up in this mess, both professional and personal. This was making it exponentially more difficult for me to straighten myself out. Shelbee’s post on Friday gave me the final nudge of motivation that I needed to crawl out of my deep dark mental hole.
Her post was all about perspective (take a moment and go read it, really, you need to). In it Shelbee said, “And sadness generally dissolves back into happiness anyway. And happy is the place I choose to spend most of my hours these days. Keeping perspective. And a focus on happiness.” I could not agree more. The older that I’ve gotten, the more important it is to me to exist in a place of (mostly) positivity. It’s not humanly possible to be happy all of the time, but it is possible to be happy most of the time…it’s all a matter of perspective.
I still love and enjoy being with my kids every day. I still am so very fortunate to spend every single work day with three of the best friends a girl could have, working tirelessly by my side to make our classroom a place full of joy and laughter. I’m still healthy. I still have my soulmate with whom I’m crazy in love. I still have a son and a daughter whom I love to the moon and back. I still have the other beautiful women in my small tribe of friends who support me and love me no matter what. I still have my fur pack who are absolutely unconditional love exemplified.
See what I mean? Existing in a dark hole simply isn’t worth all that I would be missing out on if I stayed there. I cannot control how others in my world are behaving nor can I control the decisions that they are making, but I can control how I react to their behavior and to their decisions. Enough is enough. I will immerse myself in the joy that the people within the confines of the four walls of my classroom bring me on the daily, and to hell with the rest of it. My happiness, my enjoyment of my life is what is relevant…not the background noise that’s going on around me. That noise? It is utterly and completely irrelevant. It truly is all a matter of perspective.
THE OUTFIT
It’s been awhile since I shared a super casual look with you guys, although once Summer arrives, casual is pretty much all that you get from me. I actually wore this a few weeks ago to a family baby shower. I’m sure for many of you, this isn’t necessarily “appropriate” baby shower attire, but believe me, in my world it is.
This was one of the first days in a long time that it was warm enough to wear my very favorite super shredded boyfriend jeans. Cold weather necessitates either jeans with no rips or leggings/tights under said rips because frostbite is no bueno, so I was pretty excited to pull these babies out of the closet.
It was also just the right temperature for an off the shoulder sweater. I so love off the shoulder sweaters, but they are one of those awkward pieces that can be challenging to wear; they are a sweater, which by definition means “cold weather”, but they are off the shoulder which translates to “warmer weather”. See, awkward. This day though was that nice in between mix of chilly, but not too chilly…perfect for an ots sweater.
No off the shoulder top is complete without a pretty lace bralette…okay, that might not be true, but I do love a good lace bralette. My new slate blue bralette from the Aerie outlet was the perfect shot of pretty pastel with the gray sweater.
THE TIP
Pick up some pretty lace bralettes. Not only are they sweet peeking out from under an off the shoulder or sheer top, but they are also a super comfortable alternative to a regular bra when you’re just not feeling like being all confined in wires and hooks and whatnot.
THE LINK UPS
Check out the weekly link ups I participate in for even more fashion and style ideas…
Boots: JCPenney (Similar); Sweater: Missguided (Similar); Jeans: GAP; Bralette: Aerie
