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Hat by Forever 21, sweater by Frederick's of Hollywood, jeans by Rock & Republic, heels by Vince Camuto.

There's nothin' like a fedora and a chunky sweater on a blistery day like today. I wore the sweater clearly because it's just so cozy!! And I love wearing fedoras on rainy days because it catches the rain drops so my face isn't the gutter. Hats are also great, especially for people like me, because I don't have to mess with my hair - I can just flip it upside down, throw some product in it, put my hat on and I'm out the door.

As you know, I'm reading the book, You are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life, by Jen Sincero, and I'm really enjoying it! It's a very inspirational book. She makes numerous points that are motivating and thought provoking. One point she makes in the book is that we need to forgive ourselves for our past mistakes. She says that, "...guilt, shame, and self-criticism are some of the most destructive forces in your life...," continuing on to make the point that being bold and forgiving ourselves is one of the most powerful actions we can take.

I have to say that I'm one of my worst critics and I find that I dwell on mistakes I've made or stupid things I've done. I sit and reminisce on them and cringe, and think, "Why did I do that!?" or "Why did I say that?!" or "Why didn't I do that?!" With me vs. me it's a no brainer that neither of us are going to win, no matter the previous stats.

Now I'm not saying that if you have a concience and you did something bad, maybe it's telling you to evaluate what you've done and come up with an action plan so that you become a better person. Regardless, we can't change the past, we can only march ahead. So instead of beating yourself up over these things day in and day out, allow yourself to be forgiven and move on.  Jen Sincero recommends an internal conversation that can look something like this, and if you're spiritual, I would imagine that you would involve God in this conversation and put your own spin on it:

Holding onto my bad feelings about this is doing nothing but harming me, and everyone else, and preventing me from enjoying my life fully. I am an awesome person and I choose to enjoy my life. I choose to let this go.

Don't live a life of guilt, shame, self-deprecation. Choose joy, freedom, and life.

Jennica