Category Archives: Erika Beebe

My Best Things In Life Are….

Mar 20

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  1. A really great cup of steaming coffee. For me, there is no better way to wake up. 
  2. Stargazing, and catching sight of a shooting star. 
  3. Summer breezes on my face. 
  4. Seeing beautiful places I studied back in school. The Sistine Chapel was amazing. 
  5. Waking up first thing with my babies. To their smiles. Their hugs and their sweet voices saying, “Momma, come snuggle me!” 
  6. When my husband smiles. He has a beautiful smile and bright blue eyes. 
  7. A really great workout where you muscles are a little trembly afterwards, and you feel like you just rocked it. 
  8. I love music. So when one of my favorite songs happens to be playing at the very second I’m listening, my whole day brightens. It sort of feels meant to be. 
  9. The smell of fresh flowers. 
  10. When a stranger smiles at you or holds the door open to be polite. 
  11. A sweet text from a friend. 
  12. Getting ready for Christmas. The music. The laughter. The great smells in the kitchen from baking all the goodies. 
  13. Peanut butter and chocolate! Yum…. 
  14. Knowing a strange fact no one else does, and silencing a room when you say it. Those moments are rare, but fun. 
  15. Making chocolate chip cookies with the kids! 
  16. Hearing them laugh and tell me all their silly stories. I’ll never forget my son’s explanation of Werewolf Jesus. 
  17. Swinging on swings. 
  18. Road trips with your besties. Thanks T and Becky! I’ll never forget how you taught me how to ski. 
  19. My first kiss. 
  20. When my husband plays me a song, that reminded him of me. 
  21. Family time in the living room! 
  22. Dance parties! I love to play some of the kid videos and watch the kids race around the living room and dance. I love to dance right there with them. 
  23. When my kids want to do something because they see me doing it…Yoga, cleaning the kitchen floors, and the shower. 
  24. Knowing my friends are there for me anytime. Anyplace. 
  25. Feeling someone care about you. 
  26. Playing with a puppy or a kitty. 
  27. Holding a baby and feeling them snuggle in your arms. 
  28. Painting a really great view. 
  29. Singing a song out loud and completely out of pitch because it feels so good. 
  30. The beach, when the suns warm on your face. The sand between your toes! 
  31. A bubble bath. 
  32. Giggling at a really funny memory or something someone says and it just feels good to laugh. 
  33. Having someone tell you, you’re beautiful. 
  34. Finding lost money in your pocket. 
  35. Watching my favorite feel good movie when it’s cold and rainy outside. 
  36. I could go on and on….
What’s your favorite thing?

Posted in Day Two Blog Challenge, Erika Beebe, The BEst Things in life

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Monday Morning Makeover: Balance and keeping my eyes on the stars and one foot firm on the ground

Mar 19

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http://music-lyrics-words.blogspot.com

Over the last few days, I have felt the need to reassess balance in my life. Dreams verses the moment. My current roles verses the ones I want for me in the future. Dreaming is never easy and so now I’m working real hard to recreate a daily schedule so I can be everything I need to be and also strive so hard to live.
What does this mean?
It means I work harder with a plan. It means I organize my day and try to follow most of the steps, but not feeling disappointed when sometimes I have to jump over one step or fall backwards down a few to the bottom of the cold hard floor.
How do I plan to do this?
Begin early. Stick with my 4:30 a.m. plan. Say my prayers and feel grateful for each day I have a chance to live my dreams, write and push harder to get the things done I want to do for me.
And the rest of the day?
I am the mom. I focus on the family. I focus on work, and friends, and my household. I take care of all my responsibilities and help my family be all they can be. And at the end of the day, if I’m not tired, I sneak in a few more selfish moments for me.
What issues do I face?

Stepping outside of my whirlwind thoughts. Shutting down my characters and plot lines racing through my head, and how to lock myself in the here and now. Playing with my babies. Laughing, singing, being the mom I love to be. And this week? I have one huge obstacle in my path. Surgery. But it has to be done and recovery is hopefully only 6 days. When it’s over, I’ll be breathing freer and clearer than I ever would have known.
 So when you want something to happen, dream it. Do it. Remember the balance. I swear by my lists. I just don’t swear myself to every step anymore, because life is messy. Just a  bunch of puzzle pieces thrown in a box and we have to sort through them. Some of the pieces will fit. Some won’t, and that’s okay too.

Posted in balance, cloud nine girl, Dreams, dreams verses reality, Erika Beebe

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Friday Flashback: Just a story about a girl who never felt smart enough

Mar 16

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www.curiositiesbydickens.com 

I once had an English teacher with an infamous reputation so big and scary most of my classmates dreaded the return to school in the fall. She had red curly hair. A stare so narrow it could cut a person to their knees in seconds. And that thin fine mouth. She’d squeeze it so tight you couldn’t see her lips. We kept hoping every year, she’d retire—but she didn’t.
It was my Junior Year in High school, the last semester, and the class was assigned to groups of three for our end of the year project. A book we’d never read. A paper, a project, and teaching the class a lesson over the book. I was petrified of public speaking at that point. I was so scared of saying the right words I often defeated myself from over thinking. Needless to say, I never thought I’d make it through that project with a decent grade. I stayed up hours, burning the candle at both ends, tired beyond tired. I think my dad carried me up the steps at one point, when I’d fallen asleep in the middle of a late night study group. I’d wake up with dark circles under my eyes the next morning. My feet felt so heavy I swore cement blocks were tied to the bottoms of my shoes.  I had this problem back then. I wanted to be smarter than I thought I was. I worked so hard to make good grades I think I actually made worse grades because of the amount of stress I piled on top of myself. I realized much later, I couldn’t accept me for me.
Some of who we are when we’re young carries over into who we are today, and this week, I remembered all too clearly the fear of failing when so much pressure rides on my shoulders. I let the stress take hold of my mind at many moments this week, causing more mistakes to happen, than if I would have stopped myself and taken a moment to find some peace.  I realize now, I still want everything to be perfect, but I’ve also learned, I will live if it isn’t.  I know now, mistakes happen, and yes, I’ll make them.  And I’ve finally accepted my role as a perfectly imperfect human being. The best news is this, every day ends.  I’ll go home. I’ll crawl into bed. And when I wake up, the sun will shine with the promise of a new day.
So don’t forget, tomorrow is always a new day and you have every opportunity to make your dreams happen all over again.
Hugs!
Erika

Posted in challenges, cloud nine girl, Erika Beebe, not feeling smart enough

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I have a new goal: inviting change in my heart

Mar 7

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It’s Tuesday after work. I’ve clocked the kids out at school, gathered their papers for the day, their coats and buckled them in the car. We’re sitting at a stoplight, the light turns green and off we go on the drive to our house when my son makes an observation out loud, igniting a mini feud in the car.

Big Brother: Sis, we are going to Target first and then we’re going home and mommy’s going to make dinner.

Little Sis: No, Simon. That’s not right. We are not going to target.

Big Brother: Yes, sis! Mommy said that’s what we are doing.

While Mom chuckles under her breath as they go back a forth a few more times.

Finally, Me: Sis, Simon told you the truth. His feelings are hurt. Please say Sorry, Simon, You were right.”

Sis says: I’m sorry Simon, in her sweet little voice.

Silence.

Me: Now tell him he was right.

Sis says: But mom, I don’t want to tell him he’s right.

I tried not to laugh. It was a hilarious moment where I wanted to say, when do we learn this stuff?

I have been in so many moments where I’ve felt myself caught in wanting to be right. My face feels warm. My heart rate picks up a few too many notches, and I know, words are just about to fly out of mouth—and they’re all the wrong words. Maybe the words do fly out of my mouth. I’m human. I lose it. And the funny thing is, it’s usually because I’m living so deeply in my personal story about the cause of the whole fight, I haven’t stopped to take in any new information to change my heart.

The best advice I heard in all my training experiences was this simple line: be curious. When something isn’t right, wonder about the person. Wonder about what their day, their moment, even their life must be like right now. That one question changed my life. No, I’m not good at it, but at least I know and I can make a strong effort to try.

So I guess my point of the day is this, we need people. I need people. And people may even need me from time to time. It’s always a good thing to try and see through the eyes of someone else. The person standing in our way of doing our job. The person on the other side who keeps telling us no, when all we want to hear is a yes. Some circumstances can’t be helped—true. But at least, if we try to understand where that other person is, in the moment, even if it is a permanent no, at least the answer goes down a little easier.

One of my dreams for myself is working on changing my heart. So, I’m thinking and I’m reflecting about the moments when I face defeat, or when someone says no to me, or anything else that doesn’t seem reasonable, how can I make it reasonable?

I don’t want to ever give up. So what that means for me is, I need to build a state of understanding in my head and my heart. I have to think, Erika, you are not always right.  And maybe, just maybe I can show my kids this! Now, wouldn’t that be something.

Posted in be curious, changing my heart, Erika Beebe, life is about people, work is about people

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