For those that read my blog you’ll be more than aware that I tend to write about the yucky love stuff. Emotional posts where you’ll find me gushing over my gorgeous boy and life as a family. After all together we make the Hargreaves family. I choose to be positive, to write about all the little things that make me smile, precious moments, snapshots of our life, that first cup of tea in a morning and the smile on my gorgeous boys face when I arrive home. They are the ones I want to remember, the ones I want to share with you. Just because I choose to be happy, to be positive doesn’t mean my life is easy. Just because I have a smile on my face, doesn’t mean that something isn’t bothering me. I choose to be positive, I choose to not dwell on the negatives, to keep my head up and continually move forwards.
When I find myself feeling low I pick myself back up by looking back through my camera roll, reading a magazine or one of my yucky love posts and if all else fails sneaking a snuggle off my gorgeous boy. Oh, and a little online shopping or having my nails painted! I look for the good. I want nothing more than to have a happy life, one fuelled by love and laughter, making memories together. To create an environment for our little boy to flourish in, to grow up feeling loved, secure and happy. There is so much pain in the world around us, you see it each time you turn on the news, read about it in the papers, it makes me paranoid and on edge. The least I can do is provide a safe haven for our gorgeous boy to grow up in, for me that starts with being positive, choosing to be happy. It’s how it should be.
I choose to maintain a positive attitude, it certainly feels better than having a negative one. I am not one to moan or grumble about being a mummy, to me it truly is the most rewarding job and a gift bestowed upon us which should never be taken for granted. It is possible I feel this way because for those first twelve hours of Lil G’s life we didn’t know if he would survive. Whether we would be able to hold our baby and we very nearly lost him. For that reason alone I am thankful and will always be positive. We got through those first few hours, days, weeks and months of premature birth and illness by being positive. We were and still are so thankful that our gorgeous boy is alive, is healthy and take one day at a time.
For that reason I am drawn to positive people, to a smile, a happy face, to people who inspire me through their happy thoughts and positive outlook. Whether in their writing, through the photo’s on their blog, their attitude or the moments in time they share on their Instagram feed. That’s just who I am. Just because I write positively, share moments from our days that make me smile doesn’t mean that I am fake, smug or hiding something, this is who I am. I look for the good. I don’t dwell on the negative or the tough moments because invariably they are far and few between in a lifetime of happy moments. Happiness is a choice, so choose it. We have our health, our friends and family around us. More importantly we have each other. Life as our little family really is the most precious thing.
Life can be tough. I have suffered in ways I choose not to share. That is a part of me I have closed a door on. It is in the past. I have picked myself up and I only look forwards well unless it is to look back at the memories we have created. Life has been very tough at times, at least until I met Mr H 11 years ago. Choosing to be positive, happy about the life I have is something I consciously choose to do. Its a viewpoint. I had a very difficult upbringing with my family, so much so that since Lil G was born I haven’t had a relationship with my parents. It’s a personal battle, one which I fight each day. I don’t allow it to cloud my judgement, to cast a shadow over the wonderful life I have. I really do feel thankful for our little family and the opportunities that come our way. I choose to be positive quite simply because, why not?
I have heard it said and seen it written down many times that the blogs which air on the side of positivity, that celebrate the happy things in life aren’t real. That for some reason they aren’t showing the real side of parenting. What rubbish. Well, I am one of those people, no matter what life throws at me I try to see the positive things around me. My blog is real. I am real. My feelings are real. My life isn’t perfect, it is far from it and we certainly have our struggles. Lil G is a little cheeky monkey on occasion but I choose to see the good, when he is being demanding, torturing me with a tantrum or more recently throwing a punch, I try to remember that he is only four years old and merely battling with his emotions. Helping him to realise that he can turn a frown upside down in a flash by changing the way he views a situation is a powerful lesson.
I write about my real feelings. Whether its gushing of love for my family, a daytrip or my latest review, I write from the heart, I always have and it’s what feels most natural. I really do think that people should write their blogs in whatever way, shape or form that makes them happy. A little less judgement and a little more love. This place we call the world wide web really is a big enough space for us all no matter what or how we choose to write. Who needs a mood hoover in their life, not me that’s for sure.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that a little positivity never hurt anyone.
KA x
I’m Kerri-Ann or KA as my friends call me, always found with a cup of coffee in one hand and my camera in the other. I have a huge passion for photography, fitness, fashion and family travel. I started this blog in 2014. It began as my creative outlet after becoming a mummy to our little boy George Archie. I started out blogging about parenting and over the years it has evolved into a blog that covers lifestyle, fashion, family and travel. Today TheKAEdit is ultimately a life and style blog. Thank you for reading x x
Love this post! I completely agree with your statement. Im glad you choose to be positive and I’m sure your little guy will grow up choosing that too 🙂 Love this post 🙂
Thank you Maddie. I think that’s the main point for me is that by choosing to create a positive environment for him he will hopefully be the same as he grows. x
Totally agree – I look on the positive side as well and it doesn’t make me or my blog any less ‘real’, it just is what my life is like. Overall mostly just damn nice. Everyone has their struggles but you choose what you focus on and what you remember and think about.
Aww I am so glad you enjoyed the post. Like you my life is for the main part just lovely. I love to look for the good. I was a little nervous on posting it as it is quite personal and so many people may feel differently.
Love this post and your attitude, KA. It is very short-sighted of people to think that focusing on the positive means that life is all roses. We’re all different – there are some blogs I don’t like because they focus too much on the negative. Agree about being able to scroll through my IG photos when I am feeling low and seeing the better times. Carry on writing from your heart – and you’re right, positivity never hurt anyone. The opposite in fact – it can be a huge benefit. I try to be positive – it isn’t always easy, but it feels better than dwelling on all that is bad and wrong. xxx
From you that means so much Leigh you truly are an inspiration. I use IG for my happy place and I love to see others sharing their moments on their too in whatever form. I truly believe it is for the better to be positive. And you’re right it isn’t always easy but like everything time is a healer or at least time allows you to eventually to see the positive behind a bad experience or chapter in your life x
I always try to look for the positive too, and although I share some of my worries on my blog, on the whole I try to keep it a positive place – I’ve seen a bit of backlash sometimes about this kind of positive spin, but ultimately I’m going to post things that I’ll be happy to read back in a few year’s time – things that I want to remember.
For me, I was touched that you shared about your relationship with your parents as well – I’m going through something similar with my in-laws at the moment, and it’s really hard to deal with. I’m glad you’re able to look at it as a positive move for you, even though I’m sure it was a difficult decision and process. I hope I can get to that kind of viewpoint in the future (it’s all still quite recent at the moment).
I think that’s what important, keeping something positive but acknowledging the struggle which is exactly what you do. I do hope you manage to come out the other end of what you are currently going through feeling stronger, happier and in more of a positive place. Hugs x
Oh lovely, you shouldn’t have to justify how you write and how you blog 🙁 I think it’s fab that you’re so positive and your love for G shines through. Your blog will be such a lovely place to look back on in years to come because of you focusing on all the positives. Keep doing what you’re doing lady! x
Thank you so much Becky, that means so much. It’s difficult sometimes, you do feel like you have to justify it but I agree I shouldn’t have to. It feels better for writing me feelings down though. I hope you had a super time at Disney x
Love this KA. I love your blog and Instagram for exactly this reason! You are real and it’s important that we look to the good and smile even when sometimes things aren’t going to plan! Thank you x
Aww thank you so much Gemma, I am so glad that’s why you follow me and my blog. I completely agree, when you’re unhappy about something you have to take steps to change it whether big or small, that’s exactly what I have done x
I agree 🙂 I am with you so much. I like sharing all my happy thoughts and memories on my blog too – lots of people comment and say that my blog is a happy place. I am like this in life and also write like it too. Love your blog and always have – your love for your family always shines through and that’s incredibly warming to read xx
Thank you lovely. It means so much that you say it. Like you its my place to share my happy thoughts but also that’s because 99% of my thoughts are happy. I have always been a positive person, some days more or less than others but that’s just who I am. x x
A mood hoover – love that phrase!
I love reading blogs that are positive. We all have tedious times in our day to day lives, so being able to get away and smile when you’re reading is sure what we’d all like to be able to do. Plus of course, with boys as cute as ours, how on earth could you be miserable with them.
Gorgeous photos as always as well.
Aww I completely agree, our boys are blooming gorgeous and who indeed would want be negative around them x
I absolutely love this post, like you I choose to be a positive person, I share happy photos on my Instagram as I want to remember the happy times 🙂 life isn’t easy, but I do think being positive helps get through the rough times. I am very much drawn to positive blogs like yours and I love reading what you and you family have been upto and what you have planned, keep being positive, it is the best way to be 🙂 xx
Thank you Steph. You’re right, having come from quite a dark place on a couple of times it is the happy thoughts and positive attitude which allow me to be the person I am today. Have a lovely weekend x
Totally agree with all of this KA, your blog is such a lovely space of the Internet and I love it becuase it is so happy. I’m the same, of course our life isn’t picture perfect and people who know me know that but we are happy and that’s what I like to share. Like you things happened in my past that make me appreciate what I have and the they aren’t things I like to dwell on or write about but I don’t think that makes me, or anyone else who does the same, fake. Just as I feel people who do write about difficult subjects are brave to share and help others, we are all different.
Your love for G, for Mr H and for your bond always shines through and that is what I love to read. Your photos are always full of fun and beautiful, don’t ever stop spreading the positivity xxx
Aww thank you so much Hayley. I completely agree with you, we are who we are whether we share the gooey posts or the hard hitting posts. I choose want to be surrounded by positive people. We have such fun as a family and I am so glad that it shows in the pictures. Have a lovely weekend x
I think it’s lovely that you are able to and have chosen to be positive and that you are sharing that joy and happiness. Im with you in that it’s not smug or unreal. Like you say blogging only shows a part of our real lives – real they are, but the full story they are not. I do however think that sometimes it’s not possible to choose to be happy. It depends on the individual as much as the context and their past. I don’t blog about happiness unfortunately because I struggle with my life as it is. I think having supportive relationships is much more relevant to our levels of happiness than what we are actually dealing with. So as a single mum its not so much the mum bit I struggle with. It’s the single bit and having felt I’ve lost friendships over the recent years. It sounds like you have a really supportive hubbie which is great. As someone who doesn’t have a support network I blog about things to help me move on, to get over it and to just let off steam. I hope that, like you, it doesn’t make people think that my blogs show what all my life is about. It’s not that I’m choosing to be unhappy though, its that I’m fighting hard to be happy and blogging about the negatives to help me get there. Xx
Aww honey you are right I have a very supportive husband who I am eternally grateful to for rescuing me from my previous life. Being positive is to a degree my way of coping but also because I want to be. I completely agree that writing things down helps us to rationalise and move on. I do hope you find your happy place honey x
I love this post so much. So positive. I am someone who is prone to depression, and after 2 horrible bouts of PND I’ve worked very hard to look after my mental health. But despite all this hard work I still found it easy to slip into a less positive frame of mind – last autumn was particularly bad and I felt like I was in some kind of mental fug for a few months. Everything was very much ‘glass half empty’
However, at the start of this year I made the decision to change that – to find the positive in as much as possible. And it’s made such a huge difference.
I love that you say ‘Happiness is a choice, so choose it’ – a perfect phrase to live by. Xxx
Why do people want to be miserable? Why do they want to rain on other peoples parade? I don’t get it. I choose to be positive. I’ve been through a lot. Many nights I cry. The next day I get up and as the little wise fish says I just keep swimming. Great post.
I love this post! What a refreshing change to see someone post about being positive and finding happiness in your life. It’s so inspiring. Like you say, life is far from perfect but if we don’t choose to find that one bit of positivity what hope is there!? Well done, fantastic writing xx
Wonderful post.
i feel exactly the same xx
This post is perfect. It’s also a bit of an eye-opener because I sometimes feel like some blogs aren’t real. I mean I know people choose to share the positives and I certainly do on my blog. Sometimes I forget they must encounter bad stuff in their lives and now I realise it’s okay to share the positives and only that. I should just acknowledge that bloggers have ups and downs even though they only share what’s good in their life. I should really be more positive in my life, thanks for the reminder! Clem x ravacholle.blogspot.com
I’m glad you liked it and thank you for popping by. I think there is room for everyone to have their voice. Naturally I am quite a positive person and I choose not to dwell on the negative. My life and everything I share is very real, I just choose not to share photos or posts about the negatives, but honestly for me there are no negatives of being a mummy, it truly is a gift x
I’m doing a virtual standing ovation here! Summed it up perfectly. Blogs and Insta are photo albums that are in the public eye. Some choose to make holiday ones, happy ones or funny moments ones. Not everyone is the same, that’s what makes us…us! I love to share in other people’s happy, sad or funny moments. xx
Aww thank you so much for your support lovely. My online presence is always a happy one x