Positive affirmations to brighten your Monday

Hello and welcome to my blog! Happy Monday! I’m not on a happy pill. This is just how it feels when my depression gives me a break. It’s like I was drowning and I got up for air. I take a deep breath, feel it fill my lungs, and slowly let it out. So much better than the feeling of my chest caving in.

Also, you know me. I get super excited when I’m ready to show you something creative I made. I’m working on a few projects at the moment, but this post took me 3 weeks of preparations, with no wifi or electricity 10 hours a day. I present to you a few positive affirmations for when your brain feels numb or you are overwhelmed with negative thoughts and you want to replace them with positive ones. I even made canva designs of each affirmation so that you can download and maybe even print. I didn’t come up with these affirmations. I did a 21 day positive affirmations challenge, but all the designs were made by me. I hope they help.

To do this challenge, go to: https://21dayschallengeapp.com/app/challenge

You are doing your best.

Choose to be happy.

Love yourself today.

Your possibilities are endless.

You are worthy.

You are talented and intelligent.

You can and you will.

You are unique and powerful.

You are in love with yourself and your body.

You are in peace with your past.

You will be kind to yourself and others today.

You are worthy of love and respect.

Today will be a positive day.

You are grateful for all that you have.

You are more than your negative thoughts.

You accept yourself unconditionally.

You’re healthy and happy.

Everything that is happening now is happening for your ultimate good.

You are in charge of how you feel and today you’re choosing happiness.

Today you will not compare yourself to strangers on the Internet.

You have the power to create change.

Your feelings and thoughts are valid.

I hope these affirmations helped. Not all of them work for me, but it’s much better than negativity.

Peace, love, and joy

I don’t have much silver and gold, not because I was never a fan, but because we couldn’t afford it. I got my 1st silver set from my friend, a necklace and earrings. I got my only gold earrings from my mom when my niece was born. I got a few more as gifts but I never actually bought anything silver or gold, besides my gold simple wedding ring. I was too shy to ask for these things when I 1st got married because I wasn’t used to them. I regret not asking, but the past is the past and now in this economic crisis, I can’t ask anymore.

Anyway, I have accumulated a lot of faux bijoux over the years. I gave away half of them when I got married, but then bought more later on. I haven’t bought any faux bijoux in 3 years. I have a varied collection. I have hearts, butterflies, stars, and other shapes and sizes of necklaces and earrings. I have one bracelet which I rarely wear.

Every once in a while, when I’m feeling girly or when I want to cheer myself up, I put on a necklace and sometimes even earrings. Even though I have a wide variety, there are only a few my husband likes, so I reserve the ones he doesn’t like to when I visit my family or when friends come over. I wear silver when I go to my grandparents, otherwise they would make snide comments about how my jewelry is obviously fake.

I have a necklace that has 3 pendants on it. The 1st one is a circle with the word peace written on it, the 2nd one is a heart with the word love on it, and the 3rd is a star with the word joy on it.

I wear this necklace when I’m severely depressed, like right now. My husband doesn’t like it, and requests I remove it every time he sees it. I don’t know why. It’s my favorite necklace. I love shirts with quotes on them, and necklaces are no different. When I wear this necklace, I immediately begin to repeat the words as I rub the pendants.

Peace

Love

Joy

It works as a mantra to help me tune out all the bad things that happened during the day, like my son breaking my favorite cereal bowl and spilling cereal all over the kitchen (the floor is still sticky after mopping it 3 times), or the drama I created with my husband for no reason, or my lack of energy and my apathy for everything lately, including spending time with family and texting friends, or the economic and fuel and political crisis in Lebanon.

Peace is my ultimate goal. To find inner peace despite everything going on around me.

Love is what I try to give and I’m learning to accept it in all its forms, even if it’s delivered in a love language different than mine.

Joy is the mindset I aim to have. I don’t want to chase happiness like I’m chasing a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. I want to find joy, even in moments of sadness and distress.

With peace, love, and joy, I will now go and be a better parent, a better wife, a better friend, a better sister, a better daughter.

Have a nice day, with peace, love and joy…

Motivational Monday: Cheesy motivation

Hello and welcome to my blog! Welcome to this motivational Monday which, unfortunately, will be the last one. I began this theme to motivate and inspire you to overcome the Monday blues. The daily reminders were too short and so I would gather motivational phrases sent to me throughout the week and compile them into one post and elaborate on them. But those became redundant. It’s the same thing. Love yourself. Believe in yourself. I felt outdated and cliche.

There will still be themed posts on Thursday, Friday, and Sunday. All other days, I may or may not post and it won’t be themed. Some may be how-to posts. Others will be storytime types. A few will be promos for my books (speaking of which, Motherhood in poems in on sale now so hurry up and get it).

Anyway, here is some cheesy motivation:

Trust yourself, accept your challenges, and dig deep inside yourself to conquer your fears.

Let nobody ever bring you down.

You must keep going. You must persist.

Have self-respect, and compassion, and patience.

You can deal with anything that comes your way.

You can always count on hope and love.

Take it easy on yourself. Your worth is not determined by how far you have progressed.

Any small victory should be celebrated.

Forget about the pain of the setbacks, but remember the lessons they taught you.

Motivational Monday: Go after your dreams

Hello and welcome to my blog! Welcome to motivational Monday where I send you off with some motivational words to kickstart your week. Some people love Mondays, but most people get the Monday blues and need a few reminders to make it through.

Last night I slept, exhausted, but grateful for everything. I could barely keep my eyes open, but I recorded a memo to remember what was on my mind and I was supposed to listen to that memo today and write a blog post of more or less what was in it. But that was then and today I woke up exhausted and I had a busy day so far, so writing that is out of the question.

Also, yesterday was the 1st day of Dhul Hijja which is a very holy month in Islam. It’s the month in which Muslims can go to Hajj and those who can’t, myself included, can do a lot of good deeds, like charity, and get many rewards. If I find the time and energy, I’ll write a post about this soon. I also need to finish chapter 2 of my novella Tony and Sandra, but for some reason I’mdoing everything but that. So for now, here are a few reminders for the coming week:

It’s a lovely day to go after your dreams. If you dare to pursue your ambitions, they can all come true. Make sure that whatever you choose makes you happy. Don’t put any restrictions on yourself. Many people place limitations on themselves based on what they believe they are capable of. You can go as far as your imagination will allow. Remember that you can achieve whatever you believe.

Trust your life’s timing. Things don’t just happen; they happen for a reason. Throw off the bowlines, sail away from safe harbor, and catch the trade winds in your sails, because twenty years from now, you’ll be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did. So explore, dream, and discover.

Think about how many battles you’ve already endured. You’ll win this one as well, because every time you thought you couldn’t go on any longer, you did. Remember it won’t transform you unless it challenges you. Growth does not happen in your comfort zone!

Have a great day and a great week! Follow me on Instagram @sajidahaddad and @lostinthewoodswithnotv if you don’t already. Don’t forget you can find my books on Amazon. My latest book is The best advice to improve yourself and your relationships. I also recently republished the kindle versions of Growing up between USA and Lebanon, and Find your voice in the middle of the noise. I also published a paperback version of these books. You can now gain points on Amazon for buying books and redeem them for ebooks!

Motivational Monday: Affirmations to help you believe in yourself

Hello and welcome to my blog! I’m having a bad day today because I hate confrontations, and yet something happened yesterday that made me want to avoid certain people. However, fate has it that I most likely will have to see those people today. I have the choice of declining and looking bad or going there and facing the music. I decided to go, but to tell someone what happened and how upset I am by it. I didn’t go yet but I’m dreading it because I hate confrontations. They always seem to backfire. I lose my cool, say something I regret later, then beat myself up all over again.

I tend to swing back and forth between hating myself and righteous indignation. I know I complain a lot, especially about marriage and parenting, but only because the most people I interact with are my husband and son. Believe me, before I got married, I complained a lot about my parents and siblings, and I’m sure if I had a job I’d complain about that too.

I decided to stop complaining about my husband and son, not to their faces or behind their backs, but that’s difficult to implement. It will be a lifelong practice. Today is my chance to prove it, to start defending my husband, no matter how scary it is.

Part of me wishes that something would happen so I don’t have to go, but I need to believe in myself and get out of my comfort zone. Here are some affirmations I picked up to help motivate myself for the task ahead. Maybe they’ll help you too if you have something difficult you need to do but are too afraid to do.

Affirmations to help you believe in yourself:

You’re capable of amazing things.

It’s okay to take as many moments as you need for yourself.

It’s a good day to have a good day!

If you have the power to make someone happy, do it. The world needs more of that.

It’s time to start being the person you want to be, not the person you think everyone else wants you to be.

The sky isn’t the limit, your mindset is.

Never stop doing great just because someone doesn’t give you credit.

Today I want you to think about all that you are instead of all that you are not.

Little minds are tamed and subdued by misfortune; but great minds rise above it.

You are loved no matter how you feel.

Wish me luck!

Update: The visit went well. I’m glad I went.

Motivational Monday: Motivating yourself out of depression

Hello and welcome to my blog! Welcome to motivational Monday, even though my Mondays haven’t been very naturally motivated lately. Depression creeps up on me and shows up as laziness and lethargy. I woke up at 5 am today because I wanted to watch a movie before my son woke up, so then he wakes up at 6 am and there goes my alone time.

I’m not complaining. I’m learning to embrace every moment as it comes and to try and enjoy life as it is, but something I have been reading a lot about lately is that transient happiness is about seeking pleasure, whereas long-lasting happiness is about finding meaning in pain, and with everything going on in this country, I’m trying to find meaning because looking for the next hit of dopamine is getting a bit addictive.

I keep needing more tv shows, more novels, and the effect seems to wear off pretty quickly when I compare it to reality. My son is adjusting well but I’m feeling guilty for being depressed. Does that make sense? I try not to show it. I seem busy and self-indulged but on the inside, I feel hopeless and helpless and I’m trying not to be.

Watching Islamic reminders on YouTube helps. Reading doesn’t help much anymore because I’m so unfocused but writing helps. I feel so lonely but I keep praying that God takes that loneliness away because only He can.

The following reminders I have gathered over the week are as much for me as they are for you. I even created designs of them on Canva to help them sink in.

You matter simply because you exist.

One day you will look back on this and you will be proud that you didn’t give up. So keep on going. You got this!

I hope you know how wonderful you are.

Happy looks good on you!

Be gentle with yourself while you’re growing…

You attract what you are, not what you want. If you want great, then be great.

Your potential is endless.

Be proud of how far you’ve come.

You can’t grow when you’re comfortable.

Your only limit is your mind.

The key to success is to focus on goals, not obstacles.

I hope these reminders helped. They helped me as I was making them and posting them made me feel like maybe one of you is going through something and needs a reminder or two. I’m off to eat ice cream with my son because that’s what we do when the electricity is off between 5 and 6 pm.

Motivational Monday: Feeling overwhelmed or insecure?

Hello and welcome to my blog! It’s been such a day today. Monday is starting to become my most dramatic day. It’s like all the drama charged up during the week is let out on Monday. It’s exhausting and very anticlimactic after having a wonderful weekend.

Nevertheless, I’m training myself to look on the bright side of everything. Despite all the pain and drama today, I’m grateful for the 3 hours of me-time (technically I had 2 hours of alone time) and for being productive (I may have overbooked my to-do list).

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, insecure, or you’re just looking for some Monday motivation, you’ve come to the right place:

Cultivate an optimistic mind, use your imagination, always consider alternatives, and dare to believe that you can make possible what others think is impossible.

Focus on the step in front of you, and not the whole staircase.

Stop comparing yourself to other people. If you enjoy what you are doing and it fills you up, that’s all that matters.

Take the risk. Don’t let the unknown stop you from progressing.

Sometimes later becomes never. Do it now.

Don’t worry so much about tomorrow that you miss today.

Enjoy the good moments, stay positive in the bad. Know that everything will be alright.

Dream it. Wish it. Do it.

Motivational Monday: Be your motivation

Hello and welcome to my blog! Today has been a long but productive day. I cooked. I cleaned. I watched 2 episodes of The Resident Season 2. I spent a lot of quality time with my son, all the while my neck and shoulder were hurting because I slept on the same side all night.

Here are some gentle reminders for you this Monday

Be the reason someone feels welcomed, seen, heard, valued, loved, and supported. 🖤

I try to motivate and inspire others, even when I’m not feeling so motivated or inspired myself.

Beauty is how you feel inside, and it reflects in your eyes. It is not something physical.

This is so true. When I feel beautiful, it usually has nothing to do with my appearance, but my mood. Naturally, when you feel good, you take care of yourself more. You eat healthily, exercise often, sleep early, and it reflects in your appearance as well.

Be proud of yourself for being so strong.

You are so strong. You have been through so much but you are still trying. Keep going!

It’s okay to be scared, but you have to get out there, make mistakes, learn, be stronger, and start all over again.

Growth does not happen when you’re in your comfort zone. Bit by bit, get out of your comfort zone. Before you know it, your life will be much better and you will be happier.

Talk to yourself like you would to someone you love.

I wish I encouraged and motivated myself like I did my loved ones. I often beat myself up for my mistakes and feel like I’m doing a lot of effort with little results, so I give up or slack, then hate on myself for slacking.

When you recover or discover something that nourishes your soul and brings joy, care enough about yourself to make room for it in your life.

This is something I’m working on. Life keeps getting in the way but I’m making room for the things that make me happy.

The sooner you start believing in yourself, the sooner you’ll start seeing results.

Another thing I’m working on.

Every day is a new opportunity to change your life.

Now say it like you believe it!

Take care of yourself, be healthy, and always believe you can be successful in anything you truly want.

Hang that on your fridge or bathroom mirror.

Do more things that make you forget to check your phone.

When I visit my family on Saturday, my phone usage goes from 7 hours to 3.

The ability to be in the present moment is a major component of mental wellness.

Mindfulness is key.

This is your Monday reminder that you are amazing and you can handle anything 🙂

And with that, I wish you all a great day and a great week!

Motivational Monday: An accurate definition of happiness

Hello and welcome to my blog! Welcome to today’s Motivational Monday. I love Mondays, so I normally don’t need much motivation. But with everything that’s going on in the world, it’s enough to dampen anyone’s spirit. I put together a few motivational phrases to help raise your vibration a bit.

A little motivation for your Monday

Happiness is not found in things you possess, but in what you have the courage to release.

The media has us believing we need to own more things in order to be happy, but this couldn’t be farther from the truth. The more detached you are from material possessions, the happier you’ll be.

Nothing is a waste of time if you learned something.

You will fail several times on the way to succeed. But a failure is not a failure unless you learned nothing. So make sure you find the lesson in every setback so you don’t repeat any mistakes.

Never feel guilty for choosing yourself.

The world is divided into selfish people and selfless people. Then there are those in the middle. The ones who think people pleasing is being selfless and creating boundaries is selfish. This is your reminder that it’s okay to choose yourself sometimes if choosing others is harming your mental health.

Hold up your head! You were not made for failure, you were made for victory. Go forward with joyful confidence.

Having a defeated personality invite defeat. You are not a victim of your reality. You are the artist. Go create your own reality. Dream. Do. Be victorious.

Never be a prisoner of your past. It was just a lesson, not a life sentence.

A lot of us get hung up on the past and repeat their mistakes on a loop. Learn from your past, just don’t keep reliving it.

Just enjoy where you are now.

There is no time like the present. Be mindful of where you are, literally and figuratively. Focus on your surroundings, and enjoy every detail. Appreciate where you are in life. You’ve come a long way from where you were. You don’t need to wait until you reach the top to be happy. Enjoy the journey as it comes.

Celebrate every win, no matter how small.

If you’re trying to live a healthier lifestyle, every day you successfully eat healthy is a win. If you’re trying to write a book, every page is a win. Make a plan and take small steps. Don’t be indimidated by the enormity of your dream. Take it one step at a time and celebrate each step.

Nothing contributes so much to tranquilize the mind as a steady purpose.

Roaming around aimlessly will leave you anxious and depressed. You need to have a purpose, a why, a reason to get out of bed in the morning. We don’t live to eat, sleep, and repeat.

You are not weak for needing rest.

Life can be overwhelming sometimes. You don’t have to get everything done all the time. If you feel tired, stressed or overwhelmed, it’s okay to take a step back and rest when you’re tired. You can’t hustle 24/7 or you’ll burn out.

True happiness is to enjoy the present without anxious dependence on the future, not to amuse ourselves with either hopes or fears but to rest satisfied with what we have.

Finally, an accurate definition of happiness everyone!

Motivational Monday: Reminders to get you through the week

Hello and welcome to my blog! Happy Monday everyone! I hope you have a great day and a great week. As for me, I’m really sick (it’s just allergies but my allergies are like I’m dying). I’ve been bedridden almost all day. Also fasting which on its own exhausts me.

Tomorrow may be the last day of Ramadan. I’m feeling bittersweet about it but ever since I got sick 4 days ago, I haven’t been able to enjoy Ramadan that much anyway. I just want to get better.

There are things I’m not satisfied with in my life and I know once Ramadan is over, things will go back to the normal that I don’t like. I’m trying to come to terms with it. It’s true that you don’t fully appreciate something until it’s gone. For example, I was complaining all Ramadan about being tired from the fasting, but I completely neglected how lucky I was that I wasn’t sick. I mean what’s a bit of lethargy anyway, right?

These past 4 days have made me wish I could go back to just being tired from fasting, not sick plus tired. So even in my sickness, I’m trying to find things to be grateful and hopeful about.

I ordered a pizza today. So I’m grateful I didn’t have to cook while I’m sick. I’m grateful I don’t have a fever, or vomit and diarrhea. What’s a cough and a stuffy nose anyway, right ?

You may be going through financial difficulties right now or sickness or marriage problems or maybe you don’t feel like your best self lately, and that’s okay.

So in order to boost my morale and yours on this Monday, here are a few friendly reminders:

Today I want you to think about all that you are instead of all that you are not.

If your motivation or mood is low today, it’s normal. Be patient with yourself.

Don’t let today’s disappointments cast a shadow on tomorrow’s dreams.

Don’t be pushed around by the fears in your mind. Be led by the dreams in your heart.

You are not a machine. You’re supposed to take breaks. You deserve to rest.

Instead of worrying about what you cannot control, shift your energy to what you can create.

Comparing your life to others will lead to jealousy and pessimism and will only hurt you. I know it may be hard at 1st, but look for things to be grateful for.

I hope these reminders helped. Hang in there. Before you know it, it’ll be Friday!