As I was driving to work this morning I was thinking about all the wonderful people and events in my life recently. First off, I have been through many changes this year. I quit my full time not so fun job to finally become a full time Infant Swimming Resource instructor. It had been a dream for quite a while and in May 2014 I was able to begin my new career. As the year has progressed I began noticing many positive changes happening in my life. As I reflect back I truly feel like these changes came from the place of gratitude and positivity from leaving a job where I had been surrounded by so much negativity it was seeping into every aspect of my life. As an instructor, I have met so many wonderful families that I became truly grateful to be able to provide a service that was making a difference in the lives of their children. I am able to work with some fantastic colleagues who are generous not only with their time but with their expertise  and have become amazing mentors.

I have 3 amazingly wonderful, kind, smart, healthy children. They are involved in many activities but swimming has taken over our house primarily due to my youngest daughter who has been blessed with talent. As we became more involved with her team we have met so many kind and generous people. The atmosphere on our team is contagious. The coaches are dedicated,  knowledgeable, tough, and kind. It takes special people to coach that many kids. These coaches are always at practice (even 5:00 a.m. in the dead of winter, Well Arizona winter anyway, but we practice outside so it is cold!), I have never heard a cross word from these coaches. They challenge and push the team but with the kindness that the kids all know is genuine. The kids are all amazingly kind and sweet to each other. They compete against each other but are encouraging each other at the start and finish of each race. The older kids are great roll models for the younger ones and take them under their fins (not wings, we are , of course, talking about swimmers) my daughter was the recipient of this kindness by many of the young ladies. My daughter has commented that she is careful to be a positive roll model as she knows the younger kids are watching. I find this to be one of the most endearing traits of these kids and have heard of it happening with the young men and boys on the team as well. The ages range from 6 years to 18 years, I find it amazing that with such an age range there is absolutely NO bickering I have ever seen and no bullying or fighting, rare these days. How can you not enjoy a sport where a positive atmosphere, hard work, and fitness is fostered? Parents are genuinely interested in the success if every child, not just their own. No beastly antics on the deck from parents trying to relive their glory days through their child, not this team! Practice is a time for talking with friends and meets are just weekends by the pool with friends, with an occasional time out for cheering.

So my year has seen a shift from unhealthy negative "stuff" to a more peaceful life with more time for my kids and enjoying time with amazing new friends that were put into my life at just the right time. It didn't happen over night, there wasn't a huge epiphany but rather a feeling of happiness that became so great it finally occurred to me what had happened. I started feeling the positivity and in turn found it easier to look at the good and turn the bad into better or discard it.

What has all this taught me? The cliches are true. Positivity and gratefulness generates more of the same. Kindness is a virtue. It may seem unreal until it happens in your life but once it does an amazing peace and joy pushes out all the "toxic waste" and you can embrace all the good in your life. Cherish the goodness around you, be grateful for all you have and those you love. Bad things will still happen but learn from them and use it to foster an appreciation of  what is good. I still have plenty to work on with myself; being a better parent, wife, daughter, sister, friend, and business woman but at least I know what I have right now.

Welcome!

Well, here it goes. My first attempt at blogging. I am not one who has typically written about my thoughts on a regular basis but when I have written in the past I have felt that it helps me to clear my mind, sort my thoughts, and clarify my feelings. Whatever happens to be running through my brain. So this is my attempt at modern day journaling. I'm putting it out there in a not so private online world. Whatever happens to tickle my fancy. You can expect plenty of stories about my family, my thoughts on current issues and my passions. Thanks for following and let me know your thoughts!