Flooded with Memories

Posted on June 12, 2021 by Positively Alyssa

~June 12, 1999~

Sometimes it seems like time flies by us, while other times it feels as though it is standing still. I can only speak for myself when I say this, but I did not enjoy my high school years and some reasons I will not go into. June 12^th makes 22 years since I graduated high school and even though I did not go directly to college, I never looked back. I graduated high school at 17 years old because of where my birthday falls in the school year. The choices that I made when I finished high school probably were not the best, but I was young and could not wait to get as far away from the small town I grew up in as possible.

The funny thing is, I was always a dreamer and had thoughts of what I wanted my life to be like after those miserable four years in high school. Of course, there were many dreams I had that might not have come to fruition, but I have always thought that everything in life happens for a reason even if we do not know what those reasons are right away.

One thing I never dreamed of after I got out of high school was to be diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis only two years later. To be honest, I did not know much about this disease all those years ago and only knew one other person that had it, which is my father’s wife. It took me many years to realize that having MS was nothing to be ashamed of and I did not have to hide it from anyone. I do think that this disease has made me a stronger person and of course, I promised my late grandfather that I would never allow it to control me. I also promised that I would never let MS win the fight because I would win the war my body was having within itself.

A dream I had 22 years ago was to be a Broadcast Journalist, which as you know did not happen for me and I do not have any regrets. The reason I do not have regrets about not being in Broadcast Journalism I know I would be able to deal with lies from politicians and would probably get myself in trouble calling them out on their deceitful ways. It does not matter if a politician is a Republican or a Democrat because the truth seems to be a little challenging for all of them to provide. Plus, I also strongly believe that people deserve honesty, especially with issues that impact our lives.

Once I had given up on my Journalism dreams, I thought being a Pediatric Nurse would be an amazing career. Unfortunately, not too long after I decided nursing would be a great option, I had an awful relapse and was worried that it would be a little too challenging to be a nurse if I had mobility struggles. I was a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) for a few years on a Pediatric unit and I learned fast that mobility issues would be far less challenging for me than the emotional impact this had on me. There were a few patients I will always remember, but one little girl that even to this day sends chills down my spine. She was a sweet six-old little girl that had been brutally raped by her uncle. Due to the legal issues, her mother was not allowed to be with her in the room, which was for good reason. Part of the job for the nurses and CNAs was to help the little girl with her bath, but she would not allow anyone but me to help her. I would also sit with her and read her the book of her choice. There were a few other children that weighed heavily on my mind and would put me in tears at the end of the day. This emotional struggle caused me to have a lot of stress, which created issues with the MS.

I am an overly emotional and strong-willed person. I am the type that will fight hard for what I believe in and defend anyone unable to defend themselves. I have never and never will allow anyone to change my mind on something I am passionate about, which can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on the issue. I think it is safe to say I would have made one hell of an attorney if I had wanted to be in school that long and have that amount of student loan debt.

Again, as I have already said I do believe strongly that everything in life happens for a reason. We may never know what the reasons are for the things that happen in our life but should try believing there are reasons for everything. The best and most we can all do is be happy in life and be thankful for what life has provided us, no matter what.

It does not matter what I have gone through in life because I know I am who I am from all of it. I have a quiet and happy life with my husband and three cats. Y’all may remember that in early February we lost our cat we had for almost 16 years, which was a painful loss for both me and my husband. There are still times today that I think of Chloe and what could have been done differently. I might be an emotional person, but logically I know nothing could have changed that day she took her last breath on my lap. The only good thing about this was she did not have to suffer, and she was able to pass away peacefully in her home.

First, I want to thank you for visiting my site today. I hope you enjoyed what I wrote today. For some reason, it had taken me several days to think of what I wanted to write about, which might be because I had a lot of ideas on my mind. Plus, it was a long week for me, and I was feeling very fatigued. Second, I hope you are having a great and safe weekend. Our weekends should be spent doing what makes us happy and helps us to relax to recuperate from the week we just had. I am looking forward to reading your comments and I promise to respond as quickly as I can. Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love, comfort, support, and MANY positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa

The Perfect Day

Posted on June 7, 2021 by Positively Alyssa

Sometimes life gets extremely challenging, and we might just need a mental break from the normal, but toxic events in life. Have you ever taken a quiet moment alone to consider what a “perfect day” would look like for you? If you have, that is wonderful and what would this day look like? If you have not thought about this, now might be a great time to try it out. I am going to ask you to take 10 to 15 minutes to take this journey with me because it might be rather fun and exciting. Considering I am requesting your input, I will share what my “perfect day” would be for me.

Sometimes it is hard to imagine a “perfect day”, especially after this past year being a combination of chaos, sadness, stress, consistent challenges, and anything else that could describe negative. I guess with everything 2020 and some of 2021 provoked, I thought it would be a relief and fun to daydream because some daydreams can become our reality if we want it bad enough and try a little harder.

A “perfect day” for me would start by waking up in an ocean-front hotel room and witnessing the sun start to rise before providing a beautiful blue-sky day with the sun shining bright. The beach has always been the happiest place for me because there is nothing the ocean breeze and waves crashing down cannot make better. I do not think there is anything better than walking out on a balcony that overlooks the ocean first thing in the morning. It is something between the sun radiating over the gleaming ocean, while the seagulls dance with each other overhead that clears the mind and cleanses the soul.

After spending time rejuvenating and admiring the ocean scenery with my husband, enjoying a nice breakfast or lunch depending on the time near the ocean would be the next step in the day. We have all heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but on my “perfect day”, I would not want to be forced to rush to make it anywhere before breakfast is over. One great thing about being at the beach is nothing should ever be rushed or forced as it is a time to just relax and enjoy life.

Once either breakfast or lunch is finished, I would want to spend several hours relaxing on the beach. I am terrified of sharks and jellyfish, but still love to kick my feet around in the ocean water. It is always so hot during the summer months in the south, so refreshing in the water helps to not become too overheated, especially considering the heat can cause some awful MS issues that I do not want to deal with on my “perfect day”.

As the daytime turns to evening, I would want to return to the hotel room to get cleaned up and wash away the summer heat. It is always nice to take a break from the sun and take a cool shower and get ready for a nice dinner at a restaurant on the ocean. There is always an amazing breeze near the ocean, so worrying too much about my hair is never a factor because it does not matter at all. It is always fun to get dressed up in a pretty summer dress to enjoy dinner with my husband.

After dinner, I enjoy taking a short walk down the beach and watching the sun as it sets for the day and the moon make its way up in the sky. I find the ocean sky peaceful and full of wonder. It is a great feeling to have watched the sun start to rise, then watch it set as and the moon begins to rise above. I am fascinated by the colors of the sky and love seeing as many colors as I can in one day!

Now that I have explained what my “perfect day” would look like, what would your “perfect day” be? This can be anything your heart desires! I am looking forward to reading about your “perfect day” because I think this will be interesting to learn. Some ideas might be the same or like others, but some might be vastly different, which is where things can get interesting.

Thank you for visiting my site today. I hope you enjoyed this change of pace in this post and that it helped you to find enjoyment again. We have all been through a lot over the past year and a half or so, so it is the little things that can bring us the most joy. Of course, I am looking forward to reading your comments and I will respond as quickly as I can. Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love, comfort, support, and MANY positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa

~Inspirational Wednesday~

Posted on September 16, 2020 by Positively Alyssa

We Are Half-Way There!

WOW, what a week! I can’t believe it is finally Wednesday and we are halfway until we finally get to the weekend! How has your week been? I hope you are having a great week and keeping yourself positive! For some reason, this week has been a little exhausting, but good. I know that doesn’t make a lot of sense because how can an exhausting week be good, but I enjoy being busy and doing well with my job!

With us being halfway through the week I think a little inspiration would help us get through two more days! I love the quote I am sharing with y’all today because it does hold a lot of meaning. I am looking forward to reading your comments and I promise to respond as quickly as I can!

I hope your week is going well and that y’all are staying safe! I am not sure how concerned y’all are about the virus, but it terrifies me. I do everything I can to keep myself and my family safe because I worry about my weak immune system. We have all heard those with weak immune systems should be extra careful because if we get the virus, it could potentially be deadly. I am not really ready to chance my life, so I stay home 99.99% of the time. If I do have to leave my house, I always weak a mask, practice social distancing, and wash my hands multiple times a day. Thank goodness for Bath and Body Works having great specials!

Thank you for visiting my site today! I always appreciate your continued support and love the great conversations we have! Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love, comfort, support, and many positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa

Pick-Me-Up-Thursday!

Posted on April 16, 2020 by Positively Alyssa

Happy Friday Eve y’all! I hope your week has been good and you are staying safe! I think I have lost count for how many weeks we have been dealing with this horrible pandemic. My husband and I have been watching the numbers as they rise daily. Of course, I do not leave the house and when I do go to the grocery store, I wear a mask and gloves. Thankfully, the job my husband recently got will be a work from home in the near future, but while going into the office they are ensuring no one could possibly be carrying the virus. Actually they have everyone working from home already and my husband is only having to go into the office while training.

Even though all the days feel the same and the weeks just fly by, I still want to continue with my normal “Pick-Me-Up-Thursday” posts. I did find a fabulous quote that I hope will serve as a pick me up for y’all. I do feel we all need to make the most of things in our lives and even when there are a struggle, there is still a silver lining in everything! I think many people are in fear of COVID-19, but there are so many things we can do to keep ourselves and our family safe. Often times, it is having good common sense and following what the experts tell us. Y’all already know that I do not care much for the president, nor do I take him at his word, but there are so many people working with the government that are intelligent and know what is best for all of us.

Thank you so much for visiting my site today. I will always appreciate your support and value your opinions! I hope y’all have a wonderful day and you are feeling the best you possibly can. Right now with not being able to work and no companies are hiring, I am trying to focus on what I want out of life, which y’all know my aspirations for writing as a full-time or at least a part-time job. I do think all good things come to those who wait and never give up on their dreams! Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love , comfort, and many positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa

Why create a vision board?

Posted on March 28, 2020 by Positively Alyssa

I feel confident saying you have all heard about vision boards before, but what do they mean to you? Have you made a vision board before and if so what did you include on yours? If you have had a vision board in the past or you currently have one, did you find it to be beneficial, why or why not?

Honestly, I have heard about vision boards before, but I was not 100% clear on the purpose or what should be included in it. Of course, I am always intrigued about ways to add as many positive outlooks and or tools to life as I possibly can. With all that the world as a whole is going through at the moment, I think now is a time we all need as much positivity as we can get.

There are numerous reasons for having a vision board. As I list the questions I was curious about, though please note they are not in any particular order. What is the purpose? What should be included on a vision board? What is needed to create one? Do they really help? Are there any benefits and if so what are they?

There are several reasons to have a vision board and yet there aren’t any rules. Your vision board is a corporeal portrayal of a goal or goals you are focused on accomplishing. It is meant to be your dedicated exhibit of what you want in life. Your vision board can bring your ambitions, desires, dreams, objective, and intentions into your existence and reality.

The sky is the limit to what you can include on your vision board. Your vision board can be your goals for career, relationship, home, travel, personal growth, education, spirituality, social life, education and anything else revolving around your goals. Your vision board can include things you want to view every day and motivates you. Any quotes, pictures, sayings, and places you desire going to, people that inspire you, reminders of events, and anything that encourages you.

You should give yourself time to create your vision board, it should be fun utilizing your creativity and NEVER stressful. I have discovered a few ideas to help start a vision board that might be helpful which include:

Working on ways to heal from hardships
Explore your passions and talents
Learn more about who you are
Envision what you want from life
Spend time with those you admire
And literally anything else that comes to mind, just don’t limit yourself

To create your vision board you only need a few simple items including:

Posterboard, corkboard, or canvas
Several old magazines
Pictures printed from an online source
Scissors, tape, pins and or glue stick
Markers, paint and or sticker
Most important anything you know you will want to see daily. This is where those inspirational quotes, sayings, and people will come into play

The benefits you may get from a vision board are endless and could be different for each person. I will share a few and then you can decide how it benefits you.

Brings clarity to your dreams
Initiates your ambitions
Allows for your creativity to shine through
Enables you to be more motivated
Makes you more productive
Grants you with better focus
Promotes your opportunities for success
Releases your inner potential
Encourages you to be positive and happy
Gives you additional motivation
Amplifies your self-confidence
Poses as a mental rehearsal
Relaxes you
Enhances your self-image
Expands your desires

Thank you for visiting my site today. I hope you found this information helpful and something fun to try, if you haven’t already done so. I do look forward to reading your thoughts on this and if you have any other reasons why a vision board can be beneficial to our lives.

Of course, I already know there is not much we can do outside our homes, but I do hope you are enjoying your weekend so far. I only hope your weekend is relaxing and enjoyable. Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love , comfort, and many positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa

Three Helpful Sleep Practices

Posted on March 8, 2020 by Positively Alyssa

Do you ever have trouble falling asleep and or staying asleep? Do you find it difficult to turn your brain off from any stresses you might be experiencing? I know I do because my brain is on constant overdrive. I have discovered a few sleep practices; I wanted to share with y’all to try.

Progressive Breathing:

First, try counting each inhales in seconds, then each exhales by two counts. Simply by doing this exercise before bed, you can be provided with many benefits which include relief from insomnia and anxiety and peaceful easy feelings. Try the following steps tonight and see how much it will benefit you and your sleep.

Begin by sitting in a comfortable position, keeping your spin straight.
Close your eyes take a few deep inhales through your nose and exhale from your mouth.
Inhale through your nose for a count of 3 seconds, and then exhale through your mouth for count of 5 seconds.
Inhale counts 4 seconds, and then exhale count of 6 seconds.
Inhale count of 5 seconds and then exhale count of 7 seconds.
You can continue with this pattern increasing inhale count by 1 and exhale count by 2 each time for as long as you are comfortable. Do not increase more than you are comfortable with considering this will not work if you are not at ease. The important part of this exercise isn’t the length of your inhales, it’s the exhaling longer.

Visiting Your “Happy Place”:

The purpose of this exercise is to mentally put yourself in a setting where peace and relaxation are purely natural. We can prompt our brains to release serotonin, which makes us feel good and helps override panic by spending time in our “happy place”. This doesn’t mean we are avoiding any stress we might be feeling, but rather we are learning how to cope with the stress. We don’t want to allow stress to control our sleep; we want to be in control of the stress.

Let’s try creating the perfect place in our minds!

Sit tall or lie down comfortably, supporting yourself with blankets and pillows. Create the most peaceful setting possible in your mind.
Now close your eyes. Focus your attention on your breathing while gradually relaxing every muscle in your body.
If you find it difficult to create a pleasant image, just focus on the journey you would take to get there. The journey might take a lot of effort, but the purpose is well worth it.
Image there is a protective entry-way made of light. This entry-way keeps the outside world out and provides restfulness and peace.
Picture a peaceful and beautiful scene, a place where everything is exactly where you picture it in your “happy place”.
Submerge yourself in the sensory elements of the beautiful place. For instance, imagine the warmth of the sun heating your skin, the sounds of the waves crashing on the shores and the smell of saltwater filling your nose. The feeling of warm sand surrounding your feet.
Linger in this comforting place as long as you can, even if for only a few minutes. It will help!
If any thoughts from the day appear, gently guide your mind back to the peaceful place you had been in. In a tranquil state of mind, bring your focus back to your breathing

Emotional Landscape:

Direct your imagination to help overshadow the tormenting and agonizing thoughts keeping you awake at night. By gaining a different perspective on your emotional landscapes, you are giving yourself the liberation for relief. You are basically renewing your subconscious mind to distinguish emotions without allowing them to dictate your course of sleep. Sounds pretty interesting, doesn’t it? Follow the steps below and see what this can do for you.

Sit comfortably and use relaxed breathing.
Choose an uncomfortable emotion you would like to change. It can be anything, regret, shame, self-doubt, bitterness, and the list carries on.
Try to imagine yourself sitting barefoot in a place where you can feel the earth beneath you. For instance, this can be on top of a mountain or on a quiet hill or even on the beach with the whitest sand.
Invite the discomfort to present itself to you as a landscape. Utilize your curious mind, notice what you can see, a dark forest, vast ocean, the choice is all yours.
Observe any details on the landscape. Don’t force it because things will come together. Describe anything that grabs your attention, sights, sounds, colors, shapes, impressions, everything means something.
Recognize the place showing itself as an internal state of being you recently inhabited.
Try to heighten your exploration by calling in a winged creature that is big enough to climb on. You could even imagine being on a hot air balloon or sitting on your own cloud.
When you feel ready, ask to be brought back to the mountain or hill you started on.
Don’t forget to bring back the steady breathing.

I hope the information I have shared with you will be beneficial and you will have a much better night’s sleep. We have all heard how important sleep is, but unfortunately, some of us struggle with sleep for so many reasons. I will be honest and tell you, I am unable to turn my thoughts off at night and this does include all the stress I feel daily. If you do end up trying one of these habits, please let me know which one worked for you, if any.

Thank you for stopping by my site today. I hope you have enjoyed your weekend to the fullest. Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love , comfort, and many positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa

First post for 2020

Posted on January 4, 2020 by Positively Alyssa

It is the first Saturday of 2020 and I hope your weekend is starting off great. I have managed to start 2020 off with a migraine that just will not ease up. My migraine started while I was at work on Thursday and it was horrible. It wasn’t easy but I did get through the day. I spent Thursday evening miserable on the couch with an ice pack on my head only hoping the pain in my head would ease up. When I woke up Friday morning, I could still feel the pain in my head but forced myself to go to work. Considering I am still new at my job I couldn’t call out sick already, but did end up leaving early. I really hate that I had to leave work early and I have only been at my job 3 weeks, but it was something I couldn’t avoid. People always want to ask, “What do you think is causing your migraine?” That is one of the most irritating questions, especially when I am in that kind of pain. The only thing I can think of that could have caused the migraine is it was raining. I do tend to get more headaches/migraines when it rains. Unfortunately it looks like it is going to rain a lot over the next week.

I have been thinking a lot about what I want for 2020. One thing I am focused on is improving and building my writing skills. Y’all already know I want to get into freelance writing and even though it isn’t going to happen overnight, I will accomplish this goal. I am not rushing this goal because I want to be sure everything is done right. I need to go through the posts I have done over my years of blogging and pick a few of my best posts to add to my writing portfolio. Once I figure out which posts I think might be some of my best, I might ask y’all for your opinions because I do value what you think!

I recently received “365 Writing Prompts” from The Writer’s Digest. I want to try doing all 365 prompts because I think it will help build my writing skills. I hope that by continuing to blog as much as I can and completing the writing prompts I will be better equipped for a freelance career.

We only have one chance at our life and should always work towards making our dreams come true. Of course there are times when life will get difficult and we might want to give up, but we have to continue to fight for what we want! There will be many times we feel we have failed and just do not want to try anymore. I have said this before but I think it is worth saying again; the only time we truly fail is when we give up. I made a promise to my dear sweet Poppy a long time ago which was I will never surrender to Multiple Sclerosis and I will never give up on my dreams, I plan to keep that promise to him. We are the only one that can make our dreams come true, no one can do it for us.

This is my first post for 2020 and I plan to continue blogging. I am unfortunately starting 2020 off behind on reading your posts, but I will get caught up and hopefully not get behind again! Working full-time and then battling with migraines does make it hard, but I am determined to get better with it. I want to continue trying to spread positivity and share great content with y’all!

Thank you for stopping by my site today! I hope you are enjoying your weekend and you are able to do what brings you the most joy! Even though I know it isn’t easy, especially when you live with a chronic illness, I hope you hold on tight to your dreams because I know you have the power to make your dreams become your reality! Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love , comfort and many positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa

Your dreams can become reality!

Posted on September 22, 2019 by Positively Alyssa

So often we will sit daydreaming about random things. Sadly, we often feel that our precious dreams are unreachable because they seem so outlandish. In hindsight, anything is possible with enough determination and courage.

What is something you have dreamt about for as long as you can remember? Have you ever thought about the steps you could take to make that dream your reality? Of those dreams you hold onto, has any of them come true? Or if some of these dreams never made it to reality yet, do you know why?

Something I have dreamt about and wanted for so many years is to be able to write a book, but I still have yet to accomplish this. I have asked myself time and time again why something I want so badly hasn’t come into fruition. Honestly the only answer I can come up with is I discourage myself with thoughts like I am not good enough or I can’t do it. Those negative thoughts have held me back for way too many years and I am going to start fighting against them! I really want to make my dreams come true and I know in my heart I will.

Most of the time I think we are often our own worst enemy in life. I can say without any doubt or hesitation that I am my biggest and hardest critic. How do you get past this in life? How do you look past your own criticism and start believing in yourself? Training your mind to know your strengths and using them is not easy, but it must be doable because look at how many others do achieve their goals.

When you take a step back and look at your life the way it is currently, are you living the life you want and are you happy? Are you proud of what you have accomplished? Are you able to enjoy the simple pleasures life has to offer? Personally, I like living a calm and drama free life style. I know there are many out there that enjoy having conflicts and constant issues because that makes them feel excited for some reason. I will never understand that frame of mind. I told someone the other day the only drama I like is General Hospital because that isn’t real! I think all drama brings to life is stress and pain! I also think that those of us living with a chronic illness already have enough to deal with and anything else is just unnecessary!

This post was just to share things with y’all that I was pondering and wanted to be able to read your thoughts about daydreaming and turning dreams into reality. I enjoy sharing my thoughts with you and then reading your comments because they are always amazing.

Thank you so much for visiting my site today! I do appreciate your continued support! I hope y’all have enjoyed your weekend and you are feeling the best you possibly can. Please know that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love , comfort, and many positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa