Get a tissue

Because you're going to laugh until you have tears after you watch this.

Billboard for your life

Throughout my adult life, I've been really aware of how different companies/products advertise and market - which is normal since I studied and currently work in marketing.

More recently, I've been more aware of how people advertise and market themselves - more importantly how I advertise and market myself.

The way I am - the way I act and talk and treat other people advertises and markets myself more than anything else. I am the billboard of my own life - I am a billboard for what is in my heart and soul - not just me but the energy that I exude. The clothes I wear, the things I watch and read, the activities I participate in that fill up my time - all of those things say more about me than anything else ever could.

There are only a few more days of November - the month of Thanksgiving. I could/should list the things I am thankful for for days and days. The thing that I am most thankful for is the ability to live the kind of life I want to live. I am so thankful that I have the ability to choose everyday - or every moment if I am going to be happy or sad, grateful or ungrateful. I get to choose if I am going to work hard or not, be honest and true or not, challenge myself or not. I can decide if I make the most of situations - even the hard ones, or not.

I am thankful that I can live the life I want to live.

I got this from a friend and loved it

It is an excerpt from an Anne Lamott interview.

Enjoy.


"I'm much calmer as I get older, but I'm still just as capable of getting that strung-out stressed-out feeling of mental and spiritual unwellness. But for the most part every year has brought with it a little bit more wisdom or a willingness to throw out the trunks and brown boxes I've been lugging around psychically all my life. I want to throw that stuff out of the plane that keeps me flying too low. And really getting more comfortable with my body and really going easier on myself.

Age has given me the gift of me, it just gave me what I was always longing for, which was to get to be the woman I've already dreamt of being. Which is somebody who can do rest and do hard work and be a really constant companion, a constant tender-hearted wife to myself. It's given me more patience, though I'm not a patient person. Age sort of forces you into loving and accepting yourself, because what are the options? I'm not a Hollywood type, and I don't have any judgments-not very much-about people getting cosmetic surgery or Botox or liposuction, but it's not my style, it's not going to happen.

I want to bring people hope and laughter and a ferocious commitment to self-love".

Thanksgiving

I love today. I love everything about today. Today is a day that is about family and friends and reflection of blessings. And I love that.

I am ending my day on my couch. with my dog. I am completely content. I feel peace. I wouldn't say I feel happy. It's something much more than that. It's peace.

This year has been crazy. There has been so much stuff - too much to write in a novel - lots of happiness, lots of pain and lots of learning and self discovery. Truth is, I have never felt so good in my life as I do now. I am completely comfortable in my own skin. I am happy about who I am and I have no desire to hide any part of myself. I feel peace. And that is why this Thanksgiving might be the most memorable Thanksgiving I've had. Or maybe it's memorable because it's today....

Long day

:)

So many things have been on my mind recently. I feel like I could write a novel.

Everyone is special because everyone is a child of God. But we aren't special when we are trying to be like anyone else. God didn't make me to be like anyone else. I was created to be me - to bring my gifts and talents to the world - so I need to get busy being myself and loving myself and stop trying to be someone else  - that is when I will reach my full potential.

November is my favorite month. I think it's my favorite month because of Thanksgiving. I have always loved Thanksgiving. It seems people are nicer and more aware of the blessing in their lives. People say that we should have the Christmas spirit all year round. I disagree. I think we should strive to have the Thanksgiving spirit all year round. Being thankful changes the world.

Statistically, the majority of people aren't happy. Ernest Holmes said that you can't truly show love toward other people and be happy until you learn to love yourself no matter your situation. I wish people would love themselves more. People are amazing. I am amazing. You are amazing.

Perhaps I can't change everyones world. But I have the power to change my own. I can make my world and my life whatever I want. And I am so thankful for the life I have created. I do good things. I am around good people. I laugh. A lot. And cry a lot too. I like doing both.

I am sooo thankful for Harley Boy. He makes me smile everyday. We got a few pictures taken last weekend. I will leave you with a handful of them.

Life is beautiful. I am thankful. Even when it is POURING outside.

I hope you are too.

I was on the radio

I was on the radio yesterday. I talked about gay marriage/ref 74 with two of my friends/coworkers/lawyers from the law firm I work for. It was fun. It was a little scary - but mostly fun.

People tell me that it is really cool that I talk about so openly about why it is so important to me that gay marriage is now legal in Washington State. I don't necessarily think it is cool. But it is necessary. It is necessary

Here is a little preview of the show.

Wicked

I went to see Wicked last night. Oh man, I absolutely loved it. I cried. A lot. I kept taking deep breathes trying to let the essence of the story change my life. It is such a beautiful story. 

As my favorite song, 'For Good' was sung I was thinking of certain people in my life that I wish I could sing it too. There are a lot. There are so many people that have changed my life for good and I am so thankful! In return, I hope hope hope that no matter my personal circumstance, I can always share my light and influence people for good.

 

Enjoy!

Thank you

Dear Friends, Family and Potential Strangers,

I sat down to write a letter a few weeks ago asking you to approve Referendum 74. It passed. Thank you. Thank you a million times.

I am kind of in shock. I don't know how to handle my emotion so I keep telling jokes about exercising so I can look good in my wedding dress - and I won't even wear a wedding dress. I danced on the streets on Tuesday and I've participated in the banter and celebration on facebook and other social media sites. But something unexpected has happened inside of me. Something that I have a hard time explaining.

I want to hug everyone. And thank them. And cry. And scream. And smile. I feel like I am going to explode.

I have always been an independent person. I am determined and driven and don't usually rely on other people to make things happen for myself. But in this case, in my ability to have the possibility of getting married and live the life I have always wanted to live, I have had to rely on other people - on people I don't know. It has been a completely humbling experience and I'm overcome with emotion.

In the last couple days I have had flashbacks to my second grade class - to the day Mrs. Bagley, worlds best 2nd grade teacher, told us we could grow up and be anything we wanted to be. I've thought about daydreaming in my 8th grade history class about changing the world and making it a better place. I've replayed countless conversations with my mom as she pleaded with me to see the beauty in myself.

To most, Referendum 74 might not mean that much. To me, it means everything. Really. Everything. Other people voted that I am normal. It means that other people feel that I, and my potential marriage, is worth celebrating. Referendum 74 means so much to me because I have always felt less than.  I have never felt normal. Or equal. Because I haven't been.

People say that it shouldn't matter what other people think of you. Maybe it shouldn't. But it does. A lot. The way people view you can create or destroy confidence. Other peoples perception makes some walk in the clouds while it makes others take their own lives. It will always matter to me what the people in Washington thought - because their collective opinion about gay marriage gave me one of the greatest gifts in my life.

Thanks you. I promise to cherish the gift you have given.

Sincerely,
Chelsea

Election Day

Today, more than any other day in my life thus far, my ability to pursue my own happiness is in the hands of other people - in the hands of strangers.

I hope, hope, hope Referendum 74 is approved. Tonight could be a epic celebration. Let's hope.

I want to be a mom like this mom

I stole this from Jami's blog. Thanks, sister. I love you. And I love this!

But I have to say that my very most favorite thing I have come across on Pinterest is this story. When I read it the first time I bawled my eyes out. And the second, third and fourth. I absolutely LOVE this.
I love it because I grew up with a mom who really stressed the importance of loving, accepting and being kind to everyone. She was one who, at Parent/Teacher Conferences, was more concerned about how my siblings and I treated the other kids than how fast we could read or how well we did our times tables. Sure, those things were important, really important, but playing with or eating lunch with an 'underdog' was more important. I am so grateful for a mom who instilled that certain kind of compassion in me.  

I hope it resonates with you like it did me.

Dear [Chase],
Hey, baby.
Tomorrow is a big day. Third Grade – wow.

Chase – When I was in third grade, there was a little boy in my class named Adam.
Adam looked a little different and he wore funny clothes and sometimes he even smelled a little bit. Adam didn’t smile. He hung his head low and he never looked at anyone at all. Adam never did his homework. I don’t think his parents reminded him like yours do. The other kids teased Adam a lot. Whenever they did, his head hung lower and lower and lower. I never teased him, but I never told the other kids to stop, either.
And I never talked to Adam, not once. I never invited him to sit next to me at lunch, or to play with me at recess. Instead, he sat and played by himself. He must have been very lonely.
I still think about Adam every day. I wonder if Adam remembers me? Probably not. I bet if I’d asked him to play, just once, he’d still remember me.

I think that God puts people in our lives as gifts to us. The children in your class this year, they are some of God’s gifts to you.
So please treat each one like a gift from God. Every single one.
Baby, if you see a child being left out, or hurt, or teased, a part of your heart will hurt a little. Your daddy and I want you to trust that heart- ache. Your whole life, we want you to notice and trust your heart-ache. That heart ache is called compassion, and it is God’s signal to you to do something. It is God saying, Chase! Wake up! One of my babies is hurting! Do something to help! Whenever you feel compassion – be thrilled! It means God is speaking to you, and that is magic. It means He trusts you and needs you.
Sometimes the magic of compassion will make you step into the middle of a bad situation right away.
Compassion might lead you to tell a teaser to stop it and then ask the teased kid to play. You might invite a left-out kid to sit next to you at lunch. You might choose a kid for your team first who usually gets chosen last. These things will be hard to do, but you can do hard things.
Sometimes you will feel compassion but you won’t step in right away. That’s okay, too. You might choose instead to tell your teacher and then tell us. We are on your team – we are on your whole class’s team. Asking for help for someone who is hurting is not tattling, it is doing the right thing. If someone in your class needs help, please tell me, baby. We will make a plan to help together.

When God speaks to you by making your heart hurt for another, by giving you compassion, just do something. Please do not ignore God whispering to you. I so wish I had not ignored God when He spoke to me about Adam. I remember Him trying, I remember feeling compassion, but I chose fear over compassion. I wish I hadn’t. Adam could have used a friend and I could have, too.
Chase – We do not care if you are the smartest or fastest or coolest or funniest. There will be lots of contests at school, and we don’t care if you win a single one of them. We don’t care if you get straight As. We don’t care if the girls think you’re cute or whether you’re picked first or last for kickball at recess. We don’t care if you are your teacher’s favorite or not. We don’t care if you have the best clothes or most Pokemon cards or coolest gadgets. We just don’t care.
We don’t send you to school to become the best at anything at all. We already love you as much as we possibly could. You do not have to earn our love or pride and you can’t lose it. That’s done.
We send you to school to practice being brave and kind.
Kind people are brave people. Brave is not a feeling that you should wait for. It is a decision. It is a decision that compassion is more important than fear, than fitting in, than following the crowd.
Trust me, baby, it is. It is more important.
Don’t try to be the best this year, honey.
Just be grateful and kind and brave. That’s all you ever need to be.
Take care of those classmates of yours, and your teacher, too. You Belong to Each Other. You are one lucky boy . . . with all of these new gifts to unwrap this year.
I love you so much that my heart might explode.
Enjoy and cherish your gifts.
And thank you for being my favorite gift of all time.

Love,
Mama

November

November is my favorite month. Not because of the weather or because the beauty of the earth (although it is proving to be a VERY beautiful month so far - the leafs are amazing!). I love November because Thanksgiving is in November and people seem to be more aware of their blessings!

I love reflecting on my blessings. I have so many!

You know what I especially love?! Feeling thankful for things in my life that are hard. And I love not faking that thankful feeling. I love when my heart and mind turns from putting energy into the hard things of the hard thing and starts putting energy in experiencing gratitude because of the hard thing.

The hardest things in my life have created the most growth. And has taught me compassion and forgiveness. And I am so thankful for compassion and forgiveness. And love.

I have novels of things to be thankful for. I am thankful for my life. And all the experiences I get in my life. I am thankful for the people in my life - and all the people that have ever been in my life. I am thankful for learning and feeling and loving and playing. I am thankful for family. Oh, I am thankful for family! I am thankful for Harley. I am so extremely thankful for Harley!

I am thankful for for the people in my life that have doubted me or hated me because of my sexuality. They taught me to dig within myself and find courage and confidence. I am thankful for the illnesses that have effected my family. They forced my siblings and I to become best friends. I am thankful for the loneliness I felt when I moved to Seattle. It allowed me to really get to know myself. And love myself. I am thankful for the heartbreak I have experienced. It have taught me that hearts heal and have the ability to love again. I am thankful for the financial struggles I have faced. They taught me the importance of hard work.

I am thankful for all the laughter and all the music and the all good conversations that have always been apart of my life.

I am thankful for my own heart. And mind. And the power that lies underneath my own skin.

I am thankful. For my life. And for November.

Join me. Be thankful. It will change your life.