Bright Pink Lipstick

Six years ago today, and to be honest I try not to remember that day.What I like to remember, all of the reasons that my mom put a smile on a face and still does.

One of the best memories was a tradition that carried on from my childhood until I was 18, the year I lost my mom. I was watching her while she was getting ready to go out and I had had a terrible day. I was maybe 13 years old and the girls at school were making fun of me. Truth be told I was a late bloomer, but my mom always made me feel like I was beautiful, and she said that no matter what happened to never lose my sense of humor and my smile.

Well my mom was a natural beauty, but there was one piece of makeup she always wore, red lipstick. So as I'm sitting there talking with her about my day and she told me to come up by the mirror with her and pulled out bright pink lipstick, and put it on me. I asked why I couldn't wear what she was wearing and she told me "because lindsay lou, you are meant to stand out, and no one should make you feel otherwise."

That night she cancelled her plans, we ordered in pizza and sat in our jammies her with her bright red lipstick and me with my bright pink lipstick and ate ice cream from the carton. We talked, we laughed and we fell asleep in a mini campground we had created in our living room. From then on, we would have our date night when my stepdad was traveling for work.

To this day, I still wear my bright pink lipstick even in the middle of corporate america, because something about it just makes me smile remembering the good things.

Don't get me wrong, I try to always be the strong one about it all and be positive and I have learned to work to make sure that I get one day a year to just let it out. In the end I was there with my mom and saw things I would not wish upon my worst enemy, so it's not always easy to just remember the good, but that doesn't mean I don't try to.

 One thing I do always remember: That my mom loved me with all of her being, and although she didn't win her battle with cancer she fought, and the reason behind her fight was that she always wanted to be there for me.

I think sometimes we all need a reminder and today is mine: There is always something to be thankful for. ALWAYS

Everything Happens For a Reason

I've never liked this phrase...NEVER

In fact, I have despised it. When my Mom passed everyone told me that everything happens for a reason, and to be completely honest I wanted to say BS to every single one of them. I will never understand the reasoning behind that.

But in the past month I have learned that maybe this statement does hold true to a point. But instead of everything happening for a reason, I think its: EVERYTHING SERVES A PURPOSE

 Maybe sometimes you just have to have a little faith that there is a purpose behind what's happening in your life, and looking back on my recent job experience I believe this did happen for a reason.

After working for five years in the marketing field, I begin life back in the corporate office next week (and couldn't be more excited).  This job is exactly what I was looking for, somewhere where we were growing a business and busting our asses to do it. I like having skin in the game and personal relationship to the businesses I market. It pushed me that much harder. But getting to this point taught me more than I realized.

In early July I moved from my previous marketing specialist position into a consulting position. It was a big step in my career, and it took me a few days (and glasses of wine) to catch my bearings again. I had always taken care of myself and worked hard to ensure I could, so this was me putting everything out there, and to be honest taking a large, life-changing risk.
 

Over the next few weeks I was experiencing an uncertainty as a marketing specialist I had not before. I was use to knowing to be at the office at 7:00 and leaving at 4:00, and knowing I would be there every day. And through all the uncertainty I was happy. Why? Because although it was scary, it was a chance for me to push myself out of my comfort zone and see what I could really do. Even more importantly it made me take a step back and look at all of the great people I have in my life and appreciate each and every one of them for their unique beings.

Everything has a purpose, the hardest part is waiting to discover the purpose and make sense of it all. And most of the time, the only way to do it is through hindsight.

I mean it is 20/20

Photo Credit: http://www.deviantart.com/art/Purpose-320078457