Win Today
BRINGING STORYTIME MAGIC TO YOUR INBOX
FROM MY READING CORNER | 1/23/26
Win Today
As you read this, I am on day 18 of 75 Hard. For those of you who don’t know what 75 Hard is, it is a mental toughness challenge that lasts 75 days. Each day, you must drink 1 gallon of water, perform two 45-minute workouts (one must be outside no matter the weather), read 10 pages from a nonfiction book, stick to a diet such as macro tracking or whatever that might be for you, but you have to stick to it, no drinking alcohol, and take progress photos every day. I know to some of you, these tasks might seem silly and unnecessary — just ask my husband, ha. But it has been on my radar to complete for a couple of years now. Honestly, I’m tired of having a goal and just thinking about it without taking action. Much like my novel, which I am happy to say, I started back up the other day. Is it difficult to complete this challenge, yes. Do I have to create a detailed daily calendar to fit everything in? Yes. Is it worth it? I hope so.
I believe we are all capable of more than we give ourselves credit for. If you take a moment to look back and think about where you came from and where you are now, I bet you would be surprised by what you have overcome. The biggest hurdle is negative thoughts. If you wake up thinking about everything that is overwhelming you, you will more than likely continue on that trajectory the rest of the day. Your mind seeks ways to affirm what you already think. What if you shifted your perspective and the way you talked to yourself? There is a commercial that plays during football games that makes a bunch of negative statements about how the athlete sees themselves, then reads those same sentences in reverse as positive statements. The subtle shift changes everything. It’s no different than adding the word “yet” when you say you can’t or don’t know how to do something. That word is powerful. Collectively, as a society, I think many of us are afraid to be uncomfortable or to fail at something in order to learn or grow. I don’t want to fall into that category. I want to prove to my kids that they can do hard things if they persevere. I want to remind little readers and their loved ones who are reading with them that positive self-talk matters.
As I continue through this journey of 75 Hard, I want to keep reminding myself that instead of looking at 75 days as a whole (which is completely overwhelming), I just need to win today. Look at the step in front of me, not the whole staircase. What small step can you take towards a goal you have? Instead of staying stuck and proving your negative voice right, you can slowly start to surprise yourself, and you too can WIN TODAY.
I hope you have a wonderful weekend and, as always, happy reading.
THE KIDS’ CORNER |
What We Are Reading
Tuck’s Bookshelf: We are reading a Bluey chapter book together, titled, Bus.
Ella Bella’s Bookshelf: Before bed, Ella has been practicing letter recognition by working on a kids’ word search. She can’t read the words, but she can find the letters in a sequence.
My Bookshelf: I forgot to finish Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World, so I am finishing that and then starting Poems and Prayers by Matthew McConaughey.
What are you reading?
THE CRAFT CORNER |
Foil Fun
This activity got us through manyyyy hot, “boring” summer days. We recently got it back out, and it is the best activity because they will sit and focus on it for such a long time.
There are scenes with stickers, and on top of the stickers is adhesive that the colored foil sheets stick to. You make the little foil stickers in whatever color you want, then stick them on the scene cards. My kids like to create little stories out of the scenes.
-Katie Marie
