Don't Want to Forget

Just watched Soul Surfer after reading the book months ago. Book was the best I've ever read, and the movie was the most inspiring I've ever watched.

Things that stuck out to me from the movie:

*Brando just told me the other day I need to own it - "it" being my past and who I am. He gave the example of the hat I wore to a party once, how it was beautiful and different than anyone else's in the room and how I decided instead of being embarrased because it was so different, I was going to own it and own the room. And no less than twenty people complimented me on that hat. So his advice and his relating to that story resounded with me.

*Bethanny, in the movie and in real life, owned her story. She didn't back down from it. She shows where she's been, how far she's come, and where she is now - along with what she's done along the way, and how hard she had to work to get there. She uses it to inspire.

*One of my most favorite blogs I read, Bitch Cakes, owns her story of losing weight over and over again until finally she is keeping it off and making her lifestyle an amazing combination of fitness and health. She doesn't use it to pity herself. She owns it - shows where she's been, how far she's come, and where she is now. She uses it to inspire.

*My story is not so different. Being a single Mom at 17 is not a piece of cake. And overcoming it was not "easy" as I dismiss it to be. I need to own that. Show where I've been, how far I've come, and where I am now - along with what I've done along the way, and how hard I've had to work to get here. I want to use my story to inspire.

*Being a single Mom is not like being bit by a shark, being bit by a shark is not like being a single Mom, being a single Mom is not like being overweight, being overweight is not like being a single Mom, being overweight is not like being bit by a shark, being bit by a shark is not like being overweight, but we each have our stories, and we each worked through them.

*Own your story. I want to own mine.