Mother Hustler

This morning, I went to wake up my daughter, per usual. I stroked her hair and her little, cherub face. My sweet mother-daughter moment was interrupted when I realized that my daughter had wet the bed…again. (It’s an ongoing struggle you guys).

I cleaned her up and went about my morning, running behind, rushing around, getting ready. And just as I went to walk out the door, I saw a giant, yellow puddle waiting for me, compliments of one of the pups.

Y’all. I have had ENOUGH urine for one morning! I was already running behind and that was the last thing I needed.

I could have lost my cool.  

I could have yelled.

I could have punished the dogs.

I could have taken it out on my daughter.

I could have let it ruin my whole morning.

But I didn’t. And I want to talk to you about how to not let inconveniences and distractions derail your whole day. And sometimes it’s hard y’all. Trust me, I know. Moms, I know you feel me on this one!

But the fact of the matter is that when the dogs pee in the house, when your daughter wets the bed for the umpteenth time, when you get caught in traffic behind people who can’t drive, when your coworker makes an underhanded comment, we all have a choice.

We can’t choose the stressors in our lives. Those are going to come whether we like it or not. However, we can control how we respond to those stressors.

You have to stop and make an active decision to brush it off.

• Count backwards from 10 if you have to.
• Scream into a pillow.
• Yell in your car where no one can hear you.
• Say 3 things outloud that you’re grateful for.

Do whatever you need to do to get back on track, but girl, don’t let it ruin your day!

My mom always says that happiness is a decision. I didn’t get that when I was younger, but it finally clicked for me.

Thoughts become things.

Your thoughts control your feelings, which control your behavior, which leads to either bouncing back and making the best of your day, or spiraling out of control.

This week, when things go awry, I hope you’ll all take a moment, and choose how to respond. I hope you’ll choose happiness. 3b2

Tonight I sat around checking out the latest from the blogs that I like to follow. These powerhouse women who came from nothing and created empires.

I admired their website layouts, their beautiful branding, their theme colors, their… legit-ness (Is that a word? Oh well, I’m going with it).

I aspire to be like these women that I look up to so much, and I aspire for this blog to evolve into that as well.

Rachel Hollis. Marie Forleo. Cara Alwill Leyba. Jenna Kutcher. These are my inspirations.

I want this blog to be a place you come to for inspiration. I want it to be a safe haven. I want to provide value. I want it to feel like you’re having a cup of coffee with a girlfriend.

Won’t you join me on this journey?

Here I am, at the beginning of something new and scary and exciting.

Y’all. Do you know how scary it is to start your own blog? To put yourself out there and make yourself completely vulnerable to judgment and ridicule? To wonder if your words will even make an impact?

That’s where I’m at. But I’m so stupid excited about this blog, that I’m going for it anyway, even at the risk of failure!

I’m Jaclyn. I’m a thirty-something woman living in Orlando, FL with my soon-to-be-husband and my 5 year old daughter. My daughter is the light of my life, but I do not identify myself as a mom only.

I’m also a hustler. For years, I’ve had side hustles. A makeup company. An online boutique. A home staging company. A blog at one point. Life coaching.

Ambition courses through my veins, and I am always pushing for more, pushing to be better, pushing to hit my goals.

I’m also a huge confidence advocate and I want to dedicate this blog to women like me, who want more out of their lives. I want to uplift, empower, and validate women. I want women to know that we CAN achieve our dreams. We can love ourselves. We can be wives, and mothers, AND badass businesswomen all at the same time. And I want women to know, that there are no glass ceilings when we’re building our own house.

So, while this blog may come from tiny, humble beginnings and zero followers, I hope that it will grow into something beautiful.