I have been working on this blog for a few days now and I have honestly rewritten it 5x. I think the reason I have rewritten it so many times is because I want to make a lasting impression on you and to help impact your life somehow and help give you hope. Hope has two meanings one is a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen another meaning is a feeling of trust. By the end of this blog I hope that you have been filled with hope! We have had a wild few weeks around here and while I love being busy and meeting new people, my heart has been weighed down. I saw a lot of people tearing others down and it just broke my heart. Judging is not ok in my book but it is something that we are all guilty of from time to time whether we admit it or not. There is a saying I once heard that really just stuck with me and it was hurt people hurt people. Wow how true this saying is,  I think the reason so many people judge others knowingly or not is because there is something inside of them that is hurt. It has caused them to be insecure so it is easy to lash out or talk bad about someone for being; to skinny or to big, to short or to tall, for being rich or poor or even someone on the rise faster than you are. There is so much judging going on in the world today and not enough encouraging. If we encouraged others as much as we tear them down or even just gossiped or talked about them we would be amazed at all the changes we would see. We choose to see the flaws in others because we don’t want to bring our own hurts and flaws to the surface and face them head on. (I am sorry if I am stepping on any toes but I really felt so strong about writing this and please stick with me to the end.) Bringing your flaws and insecurities to the surface is so hard I know for some and for others it’s easy. I choose to be a little bit more private about my insecurities that I think it causes people to look at me like I either think I am perfect or that I don’t ever have bad days. Well, I do have bad days I call them my melt down days or moments they don’t seem to last long but I do have them. Also, I do not ever think I am perfect because I am always trying to strive to be a better me. Honestly the fear of succeeding is one of the things that scares me the most, odd I know but knowing that I am a role model and that so many look up to me  I am scared I am going to let them down or disappoint someone for maybe not doing something right. You see I am a people pleaser it is a blessing and a huge flaw at the same time. I have this thing were I worrying if I hurt someone’s feelings or if I didn’t say the right thing what does that person think of me. It just goes on and on and could make a person go crazy or have a melt down. You see when we choose to face these flaws/ insecurities head on we are making a conscience decision to say no I am better than this and I can beat this. I am such a visual/ verbal learner that I did a little poll between a couple people I am close to and had them describe me in 3 words. The reason I did this is I see the flaws in myself day in and day out, I see the Hannah that sometimes has low self confidence, the girl who is constantly feeling like the big girl in the crowd and like I just don’t fit in even though I just put a smile on my face. I see how easy things are for certain people and how hard I have to work at things. I know money doesn’t define us but I struggle there too because being a blogger I don’t always have the money to put in to clothes like I would like to, to help support some of those amazing small businesses I so dearly love. I tell you all this not for a pity party but because I want to show you we all have these silent struggles we don’t want to tell anyone or put out there because we  compare our real life to someone else’s controlled online content. We are only human y’all and just because we are struggling doesn’t mean we should lash out and judge others. Who are we to tell someone they shouldn’t look like that or act like that. An example is I was recently complimented a few times for not being a skinny twig while I was flattered to represent a curvy girl I was also offended for my friends who were big at one time and worked really hard to be healthy and skinny and even my friends who were just blessed with an amazing metabolism. I felt like they were getting judge granted we are all told by social media these days that being a twig is the only way to be basically. Well, we all know it is not but we shouldn’t knock those amazing women who have worked so hard to be where they are today. Being in the spot light is hard enough and judging them just only in the end hurts our selves, because we go grab that pint of Blue Bell ice cream and sit on the couch and grumble. We are forming an opinion or conclusion about a certain types of person without really knowing who they are instead of seeing the beauty in each other. When I asked my friends to describe me I did it to show y’all how we view ourselves and how those closest to us view us are not the same. Here is what they said…

Friend 1: Beautiful, Exceptional & Determined
Friend 2: Caring, Loving & Easy to talk to
Friend 3: Kind, Giving & Beautiful
Friend 4: Powerful, Inspiring & Encouraging
Friend 5: Kind, Beautiful & Loving

I was so honored by what they all said at first and then it hit me like a ton of bricks that I need to stop judging myself. If I don’t like something about myself only I have the power to change it. Just like you do! See the amazing qualities that you possess and run with them because that is honestly what makes you uniquely you! There is never going to be another you out there so we need to be the best versions of ourselves. When we fall and make mistakes shake it off and keep moving forward. When people try to tear you down, don’t tear them down choose to take the higher road because it is the right thing to do. Remember, hurt people hurt people. Start praying for those people instead of judging them you may say I can’t pray for that person. Honestly you can’t take 30 seconds to say Lord please just bless that person and help them in their struggle and Lord give me the peace in my heart to love them and not judge them. See not so bad you just prayed for that person! You my friend are amazing and so beyond talented you know how I know this because God doesn’t make mistakes and He made YOU!  So get out there and start focusing on the positive parts about your amazing self, encourage those who are struggling around you and watch how much you grow! This time next year you will have made such a huge impact on the world because you chose to see yourself for who you really are and not for all the flaws! May your heart be kind, your mind be fierce and your spirit be brave. If you ever need any prayer, help or encouragement always know that I am here for you. Just message me anytime! Blessings and hugs to all you amazing people!
XO
Hannah Leigh

Picture Credits:
Photo By: Michelle Nolte
Top: Crazy Consuella (Rafter JM)
Earrings & Necklace: Rafter JM
Cap: Maverick Western Wear