Finding the Good Stuff Within

Today was an interesting day at work. My co-worker and I got asked by the boss's wife to head up a project - doing something nice for another fellow co-worker who just had his 4th baby. We had to design a banner, take up a collection for a gift, and go buy said gift. We were both extremely irritated by this request. That was until we realized that the parts of the project that seemed daunting, the other was willing to do. What I mean is, I did NOT want to go shopping for baby crap on my time off. Heck no!! I am NOT a kid/baby person. And my co-worker hated the idea of going around asking people for money. That part didn't bother me, and she was happy to go buy the present. It worked out well when we pulled our talents together as a team to get this done in a way that made us both comfortable.

And I reflected on it afterwards. I walked around the office and in the plant, asking everyone. I made note in my reflections that I have a cheerful, flirty nature, therefore a good rapport with all of my co-workers - most of them are guys. And for some reason, I also am pretty talented at raising money. So everyone gave me a smile and a few dollars. In some strange way, I am very good at this - and it's not often that I'm able to reflect on a hidden talent and praise myself.

I'm also a hella good dancer, but that's beside the point right now.

Basically, I just wanted to reflect on this, because of a quote I read the other day on Facebook.  Something along the lines of ... it takes as much energy to beat yourself up as it does to praise and pump up yourself. I've been pretty exhausted from all the beating up I've done to myself. I'm going to start practicing praising myself, hence the hidden talent reflections. :)

Tonight, after work, instead of going to the gym, I went to the beach and walked "the Loop" and listened to a podcast, ate some soup when I got home, took a long bath, read some of my book, now blogging, and going to head to bed soon ... if that isn't loving myself, I'm not sure what is. :)

Life is optimistically good. :)