Living in a blended family is tough… there are good days and there are bad days. Just remember that it is all dependent on your perspective. If you focus on the negative, then it will consume your life. Negativity can put a shadow on everything else in your day!

DON’T LET IT HAPPEN.

Life may not always be all unicorns and rainbows, but if you truly try to live like it IS all unicorns and rainbows, then you will love the transformation in your life. When we focus on the positive and take every baby step like a mountain has been conquered, then you start to realize that life is pretty darn fantastic.

You realize that you aren’t the only one going through whatever it is that you are going through… and that if others can persevere and come out on top, then YOU CAN TOO.

As a co-parent, try to be proactive rather than reactive. Treat your ex like you want to be treated. Share information that you would want shared with you. Share only information with your children that you would want your ex to share with them. Never speak poorly of your ex in front of the kids or your friends (let’s be realistic… I mean, you are going to speak candidly about things with your closest friends and family, but there is no need to run your ex into the ground. It’s kind of a reflection on YOU too if you were married to the person for a while!!!!). Encourage a positive relationship with your children and your ex. Show your children how to live a life with grace and forgiveness… to love others unconditionally like Christ loves us.

Surround yourself with like-minded people who also live a life of grace and forgiveness and kindness and love. The more you surround yourself with those people, the harder it is for the negative and high conflict people to affect you. If negativity tries to seep in then IGNORE IT.

Just follow the golden rule and things will slowly but surely get better. Hope is a wonderful thing and if there is one thing I can do today, I would like for it to be that I have given hope to someone who is going through a hardship of any kind. My children pick on me because I smile incessantly… but if my smile can boost just one person’s day or help me ignore negativity when it surrounds me, then I AM GOING TO KEEP ON SMILING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My wish is that you too can live a beautiful life full of love and laughter. It’s a wonderful place to be… I am blessed indeed.

HAPPY FRIDAY… xoxoxo Val