Happy Tuesday Everyone! I love Tuesday evenings because my favorite show – Housewives of Beverly Hills comes on! I love their fashion, their travels, the way they tell each other up front when there is an issue within their friendship, and I even have Grant invested since last season LOL.

Anyways, I received some blog photos back today that I took a few weeks back. I’ve honestly slacked on my lifestyle blog content the past few months with launching Randa Carrabba the Label and the PowHer.fit fitness app, but I am ready to start bringing a lot more lifestyle posts your way! Fashion, fitness, health, Southern Living, married life, and anything to do with positivity and living the best life possible!

The talented photographer I worked with was Catherine Smeader Photography. I already linked her website, but here is her instagram! I was connected with her by Cat of Luke and Cat Photography (our wedding photographers and dear friends of years).

One thing I noticed while scrolling through these pics (besides the fact that Catherine is an extremely talented photographer who creates beautiful images) was the fact that I look so bright, vivid, happy and even just glowed in so many of the photos! I have to say it’s the happiest I’ve probably ever looked in photos and I literally loved the entire collection! I even did my own hair and makeup!  Then this got me thinking on the changes I have made recently in my life that can be accredited to this, and I figured I would share on my blog. I’m not say I have life figured out, that you should do the things I do, or that you’re wrong for thinking differently than me – I am just sharing what has worked for me! 🙂

Changes I’ve Made to Become a Happier Person

These are in no particular order!

1. I have become VERY protective of who and what gets my time, energy and company! I take care of myself, my immediate family, and then each mine and Grant’s immediate families first. Anybody that drains me, wears me down, makes me feel yucky or is just a negative energy who gossips and talks about others does not get the present of my company! This was hard to accept at first – I’ve really distanced from some extended family members and even some long time friends because of it. I’m never mean, there’s never a “falling-out”, there’s just a boundary that I create for myself. Instead of thinking I’ve done something wrong, I’ve just accepted that I could be the ripest and juiciest peach in the world, and some people lose their taste for peaches! Maybe I’m considered “too selfish” and I focus on my “own happiness” way too much, but I personally feel if the world was filled with a lot more happy people it would be a better place to live. Unhappy people hurt other people, cause crime, drama and heartbreak to others. Happy people are happy within themselves and then that happiness shines onto others. Nobody can pour from an empty well!  You can read more from last week’s blog post when I talked about setting online boundaries for myself and having to automate some of my message responses! (PS, I had quite the Negative Nelly voice her opinion in the comments!)

2. I do NOT compare myself, my journey or my life to anyone else’s. I’m only here to live my OWN life! I do love having an online community, checking in on my PowHer.fit members progress, and encouraging others along the way, but I don’t do it in a way that I compare. If I catch myself going to the “comparison game”, I interrupt myself with a prayer. Jesus always steps in and handles it!

3. I have taken work responsibilities off of my plate. This primarily has to do with me selling the Southern Jewlz company. Yes, I still influence, take pictures, create content and style for the company (the parts I love most), but I gave up so many day-to-day tasks whenever I sold this company. (Side note, you can ALWAYS use my code “Randa10” to save on your online purchases at www.southernjewlz.com!) I have loved evolving into my own designer for Randa Carrabba the Label (even though it’s a slow process) and a fitness motivator for my own app (PowHer.fit)! I knew I couldn’t do it all, so something had to give. I’m really feeling the relief, and because of that I feel much happier!

4. I’ve been saying the word NO a lot lately. No. Yes, the word and just a period is a complete sentence. It doesn’t require a “why”, “because”, or any other justification or validation.

5. I am getting A LOT more rest! This can come from selling a company and saying “NO.”, but it also comes from me appropriately planning and making an effort to get more rest. With strength training multiple days a week on the PowHer.fit app, I do output a lot more energy which helps me to sleep harder and deeper at night. With having to be “ON” so many days out of the week for social media and clients, sometimes turning “OFF” for proper rest and relaxation is very important for my mood, future energy, and continuing on with all my jobs!

6. Accepting (and LOVING) the fact that perception is reality! I would rather live in my own perceived reality of positivity, optimism and unicorns any day than living in a “Negative Nancy Land” LOL. I personally feel that our own mindset can be the greatest ignitor or the harshest limiter to each of our own live’s and success! What we think (perception) can manifest into reality!

7. Focusing on being thankful for how far I’ve come and how much I’ve grown, rather than being discouraged by how much further I have to go. I have some big dreams set out for my life and I’ve only scratched the surface! Instead of feeling like I’m “behind” or not accomplished enough, I’ve been finding peace and happiness in how far I have come since I started!

8. Choosing to “make an impact” far more of a business priority than actual sales has also helped me to feel happier. I get so much fulfillment from encouraging others to better themselves or to find joy in their lives! God always provides enough for me and he always steps in when I need him. Entrepreneurship can be scary and risky, but I know I am living out my life the way God wants me to and that comes with such a sense of protection! There’s no need for me to stress over business. As long as I focus on making positive impact on others, the rest falls into place and the sales follow!

9. I’ve made my own little family such a high priority and I continue to love on them all I can. Yes, Grant and I fight and have to work through differences. Bucky can be grumpy, and Barbie can have potty training accidents, but I feel so blessed by my little family. Adding Barbie Love to our family really has brought us all so much joy! (Just don’t ask Bucky at dinner time or if she ends up between Grant’s legs at bedtime HaHa)  I know we may not have human babies, but Grant and I enjoy our fur babies so much! Grant, Bucky and Barbie Love all make me a very happy person! (especially when everyone is acting right LOL)

10. I only had 9 written down, but why not make it an even list of ten!? The last thing I will say is staying committed and consistent on my fitness journey with PowHer.fit continues to make my skin glow and my mood happier! Exercise creates endorphins and endorphins make you happy. Happy people don’t kill their husbands, they just don’t! (Can anyone name that movie below? It’s one of my favorites!)

I love the woman I am because I fought and worked to become her!  Life doesn’t get easier or more forgiving, we just get stronger and more resilient!

Remember YOU deserve to be happy. I support and encourage whatever steps you need to make to become a happier you! Thanks for reading along!

xo,