While I’m out taking a break and healing from surgery, some of my favorite bloggers and bestest of friends have kindly agreed to help out with an LCMF blog series:

This series will hopefully answer some of your most frequently asked questions about “what can I do?” for someone who might be needing your help or support.

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Hi! I’m Amy from Mod Podge Rocks, also known as Mod Podge Amy. As you can see, I like stripes, even when they don’t match. I also like pugs and making funny faces. In addition to all of these things, I like stories of hope.

When I heard that Lara had to get surgery, my heart really cried out for her. I don’t like it when anyone has to go through hard times, especially friends. I have been impressed with the way she’s stayed positive throughout all the “poop.” I have my own story (don’t we all!) and it’s about how my life has just recently started to take a turn for the better after months of being in the dumps. God works in mysterious ways. So here is my story of hope.

About six months ago, my life felt hopeless. This is me in September. You can’t tell from this picture, can you? Yes, I was anxiety ridden and at an all-time low. That smile is fake. What had happened to get me there?

Well, a variety of things. One of the biggest was that I had left a decent job in April of 2011 for a job that *really* sucked. I had thought it was going to be a better opportunity, but not so much. It turned out to be a sexist, borderline abusive work environment – and I thought, “what have I done?”

I was working full time from 9 – 6, writing a blog AND it was during this time that I wrote my book. I totally burned myself out mentally, physically, spiritually and in every way possible. I fell into a bit of a depression and had to take some medication, which bloated me (eww) and made me feel even worse. Nice, huh?

I spent a lot of time in my apartment, not really coming out that much and not really socializing. It felt like an effort to do anything but blog – interacting was just too hard. I couldn’t even handle phone calls. Then in December I hit a low, and made a decision.

I decided to move back to Seattle, my hometown.

I thought it would make things “better.” No – I thought it would fix everything. That’s a better way to say it. So on January 12th, I quit my job and decided to go back to Seattle and live with my parents until I could establish a new life on my own. I never felt 100% right about the moving situation, but it was balanced by my elation for quitting my job. And then I moved.

I’ll try to sum up the bad news by saying that on the day I arrived I fell into an even greater depression, and knew that I had made a mistake. I had only lived in Seattle for three months. And I knew there was only one thing I could do – move back to Atlanta. So about three weeks ago, I did.

Where is the hope in all this, you ask?

Well, guess what. I realize something now that I didn’t know then – through all of it. I didn’t know that God was taking care of me and watching out for me. I didn’t know that living in Seattle with my parents would actually enable me to un-burn myself out and embrace having time again. I didn’t know that I would be able to focus on my own business and build it up enough in three months to to be able to live and do this full time.

And the good news, the hope, is that I’m happier now. I’m happier than I have been in over a year. I’m slowly but surely pulling myself out of those dumps and embracing my life. Sometimes I’ve allowed myself to be a victim – of myself. That sounds silly, but I have blamed the universe for things that have happened to me, when guess what: it was the choices I made that got me there.

So, I’m not necessarily out of the woods yet, but I have great hope. I didn’t have that before. 2012 is the year of figuring out what I’m doing and getting my act together. It’s about growing my business. It’s about becoming confident in my personal life. AND it’s about not overworking.

Do you need hope? Let me know. I would love to hear your story.

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<em>Thank you Amy!!.  I kind of think we all need to remember to serve ourselves.  By being the very BEST you….you are able to share that person with others.  And I LOVE the thought of listening to your inner self.  It will tell you what to do.  For yourself…..and other people.
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<em>Please visit Amy at her amazing blog:<a href=”http://www.modpodgerocksblog.com/” target=”_blank”>Mod Podge Rocks</a>. (I mean….for real?  That blog name alone should make you jump for joy.  It’s like, one of the truths of the universe.  Mod Podge, does…in fact….ROCK!  And Amy does too.)</em>

While I’m out taking a break and healing from surgery, some of my favorite bloggers and bestest of friends have kindly agreed to help out with an LCMF blog series:

This series will hopefully answer some of your most frequently asked questions about “what can I do?” for someone who might be needing your help or support.

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Hey LCMF readers!  I am Cheri from I Am Momma Hear Me Roar.  When Lara asked me to write about the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me I thought about it a lot.  I tried to think of meaningful gifts I’ve been given.  I thought about unexpected acts of service.  I thought of thoughtful phone calls and kind notes.  However, after a lot of thinking, it finally hit me.In my opinion, the nicest thing anyone has ever done for my was to believein me.  That has meant more to me than anything else.  I’ll just share two examples.1) I have been blessed with supportive parents in my life.  As college ended I began to record my first album.  In hindsight, the album frankly wasn’t that great.  My dad listened to it every day in his car on the way to work.  He shared it with everyonehe knew.  I later went on to record more and had some fun experiences, but knowing he was proud of me gave me the courage to keep going.

2) When I first met my husband we mutually noted that we weren’t each other’s type.  We were quite different, but we quickly became great friends.  After several months of hanging out, his feelings for me progressed.  I could tell that he wanted more, but the idea made me a bit nervous because I wasn’t sure how I felt about the whole thing.

 

 

One night he walked me to my door and started to address the subject that I had been avoiding.  He frankly told me that he wanted more and that he thought our relationship could really go somewhere.  He said he knew I wasn’t sure, but he told me that he wasn’t going anywhere.  He would wait until I sorted things out.  He gave me a kiss on the cheek and drove off.  Wow.  I loved his confidence in himself and in me and it wasn’t long until I realized I felt the same way he did.

He continues to believe in me, supporting me in my blogging and anything else I take part in.  I am so lucky to have him.

 

 

photo by Katie Dudley

 

So, when I know someone in my life is struggling I think one of the most important things I can do is to believe in them and make that belief known.  When I was in labor I never wanted my husband to say “You’re okay.”  I wanted him to say “You can do this.”  I believe we have the capacity to handle the trials that come our way, but sometimes we need a friend to remind us of that.

Believing in each other helps us to rise to our potential and become the person we want to be.

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Thank you Cheri.  What an inspiring and different way to look at service.  It might mean THE WORLD to someone.  I’ve  had several teachers that made me feel that way.  I want to try and be more supportive and uplifting to the people I am around.

Please visit Cheri at her amazing blog: I Am Momma. (We first bonded over the nastiness of Dino Chicken Nuggets.  And made a pact not to eat them.  Plus, she still owes me a duet.  She’s an AMAZING talent!)

While I’m out taking a break and healing from surgery, some of my favorite bloggers and bestest of friends have kindly agreed to help out with an LCMF blog series:

This series will hopefully answer some of your most frequently asked questions about “what can I do?” for someone who might be needing your help or support.

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Thank you so much for coming Steph! What a TOTALLY awesome way to teach kids about service! And guess what? One of my favorite acts of service comes courtesy of Steph and her sister-in-law Becca. They drove me home personally from SNAP! because I was unable to even make the drive home. Just stepped in and did it. Amazing.

Please visit Steph at her amazing blog: Somewhat Simple. (You will for sure love her as much as I do!)

While I’m out taking a break and healing from surgery, some of my favorite bloggers and bestest of friends have kindly agreed to help out with an LCMF blog series:

This series will hopefully answer some of your most frequently asked questions about “what can I do?” for someone who might be needing your help or support.

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Hi LCMF fans! If you are reading this, I know I love you already, because you love Lara and I love Lara. I’m so happy to pop in for Lara this week. I’m Kami and I blog at NoBiggie.

She has invited me to share a time when I have been served by someone else in a way that would make me want to pass it on or DO UNTO OTHERS.

Well, I could give you 50+ examples of this from just the last 6 months. I recently lost a baby girl. Our little Afton Jean was born 3 months premature this last November. She lived for one week and then peacefully returned home to her Heavenly Father.

It has been the most hard thing I have ever been through, but so many kind and wonderful things have happen since she passed. It has helped me so much in dealing with the grief to remember all of the kindness that we (my family and I) received during our heartbreak.

One of the sweetest things we received yet so very simple, was this little peg family that was personalized for my little family. The sweet Kim Orlandini sent it to us painted exactly like how we were dressed on the day our little Afton passed on.

It’s crazy how sometimes the most simple things can mean so much. I recently wrote an article on the BabyCenter Blog sharing ideas on how to serve or help a friend who has experienced a loss whether it be losing a baby, miscarriage, or just infertility in general.

It really doesn’t take a lot to serve others, sometimes it’s just letting them know that you are thinking of them that matters most.

I really do believe that service to others and getting out of our own heads is the key in our happiness here on earth. I love this quote:

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”
― Aesop

Thanks Lara, for including me in this sweet series. It’s such a great reminder for us all.
*For more craft tutorials, great recipes, free printables, fun giveaways, and real life you can follow Kami at NoBiggie.net, or find her on Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter.

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Thank you so much for coming Kami! I am so FLATTERED that you would share this with my readers. I feel like I’ve been around for some of Kami’s hardest trials. And I learned I DON’T EVER DO ENOUGH FOR FRIENDS. She has been a wonderful reminder for me to get out there and JUST DO IT! Not in a Nike way. In a just call, or stop by, or send something way. Thank you for sharing all your wisdom through your trials, Kami.