The Blog - Page 6 of 58 - Mandy Hale - Just a single girl with a story to tell

Dash of Sass: Let’s Stop Trying to Be Right & Just Be Real

July 1, 201528 CommentsMandy Hale

I’ve been in a bit of a creative slump lately that has definitely affected my writing and tweeting and posting. I’m not sure why, but every summer around this time, I hit a creative wall. And because I don’t really have anything brilliant to say, I stop saying anything at all. When I saw this beautifully perfect quote by Brian Andreas, it occurred to me that perhaps I don’t have to say anything brilliant. Or … » Read More

Dash of Sass: Hindsight is 20/20

June 8, 201544 CommentsMandy Hale

You didn’t know. You trusted, and you loved, and you assumed the best of someone…and that is never wrong. You took a shot on love or on friendship…and that is always brave.You believed that the other person would treat you with the same dignity and respect with which you treated them…and that is noble.You didn’t know. You didn’t know they weren’t capable of loving you back. You didn’t know they weren’t trustworthy. You didn’t know they didn’t … » Read More

40 Days of Surrender

May 25, 201541 CommentsMandy Hale

As a follow-up to 40 Days to Feeling Good, my dear friend Caroline and I have decided to kick off 40 Days of Surrender, and we want to invite all of YOU to join in with us! Basically the goal of this process (for me, at least) is to learn to loosen my grip on the things that I can’t control (which is most things). To stop trying to force and manipulate and endlessly overthink life and … » Read More

Dash of Sass: Stop Forcing. Stop Chasing. (Seriously, STOP.)

May 14, 201569 CommentsMandy Hale

There’s something I’m super frustrated with lately, observing myself and my friends and reading emails from ladies who write to me for advice…and that is this idea that women seem to have that we need to work our toenails off to make a relationship happen with a man. That we have to “put ourselves in the way” of these men, otherwise they won’t remember us. That WE have to go out of our way to … » Read More

Things I’m No Longer Apologizing For

May 13, 201540 CommentsMandy Hale

Last weekend I posted something on my personal Twitter page that a lot of people disagreed with. I got hate tweets for two days about it, which was baffling to me, because when did having a differing opinion become so offensive to people? Are we all supposed to be cookie cutter versions of one another, never having or voicing a contrasting idea or thought or viewpoint or opinion? How boring would life be if that … » Read More

Dash of Sass: God’s Plan Vs. Our Plan

May 7, 201534 CommentsMandy Hale

How many times do we get angry and upset with God, thinking He has forgotten us or is ignoring us or isn’t answering our prayer? Only to later look back and see how detrimental it would have been to us had He brought us the thing we were begging for and thought we couldn’t live without? We’re stuck down here in the details of everyday life, but God sees all. He sees the big picture. … » Read More

Love is Messy

May 6, 20159 CommentsMandy Hale

I was reading this well-known and beloved quote from The Velveteen Rabbit today that popped up in my Timehop and something occurred to me that I’m not sure has ever occurred to me before.

Love is messy.

We always talk about life being messy, and it is. But love…LOVE…real love, true love, life-changing love…is impolite. It’s untamed. It’s not always pretty. It knows no boundaries and lives by no rules.

Love is messy.

Look no further than a grandmother’s … » Read More

Dash of Sass: Be Who You Really Are

April 30, 20159 CommentsMandy Hale

Today I hereby give you permission to feel exactly how you are feeling without apologizing or stifling or excusing or resisting. I give you permission to drop the politeness and the masks and the sugar-coating and just be REAL. To stop wasting time justifying and rationalizing and analyzing and just say what you mean and mean what you say. To accept yourself in all your brave, broken beauty and to stop trying to pick up … » Read More

Ten Easy Ways to Instantly Improve Your Mood & Increase Your Confidence

April 20, 201521 CommentsMandy Hale

•Let yourself off the hook a little.•Be kinder to you.•Speak to yourself the way you would a friend.•Show yourself grace.•Realize that no one’s life is perfect and stop comparing your bloopers to their highlight reel.•Forgive yourself. You are doing the best you can.•Replace the negative self-talk with positive affirmations.•Begin each day with gratitude.•Stay mindful and present. Leave the past in the past and let the future take care of itself.•Accept everything about yourself, because God … » Read More

Dash of Sass: 40 Days to Feeling Good

April 17, 201534 CommentsMandy Hale

I’ve realized over these past few weeks (as I’ve been dealing with some challenges) that I’m not very nice to myself. I am kind to others, supportive of others, encouraging to others…but when it comes to myself, I can be really harsh and unforgiving and completely lacking in grace. Examples of negative self talk:
“You look terrible today.””You’re so weak. Why does something so stupid bother you?””You’re never going to be normal and happy, like everyone … » Read More