Note to Self™ - Notes 2019-01-01T20:58:00-07:00 Note to Self™ 2019-01-01T20:58:00-07:00 2019-01-01T20:58:21-07:00 I Am Here. Cara Mathis More

I will lose 20 pounds.

I will stop drinking soda.

I will shop less.

All too often statements like these become our New Year's resolutions. But notice one thing about them: They are all negative.

Sure, they're positive sentiments, but they're stated in a way that implies we need to be something more than we already are.

Don't get me wrong; I think we should always be improving ourselves. But I think sustained improvement comes from knowing your worth. Specifically, it comes from a sense of value and gratitude.

Think about it. We can tell ourselves every day that we should be skinnier. But if we aren't grateful for our bodies and all they can do, we will inevitably fall short of our goal -- because the result will not mean anything.

We can tell ourselves that, in theory, soda isn't good for us. But if we do not value our bodies enough to protect them, we will succumb to instant gratification over sustained health.

And we can acknowledge that overspending or impulsive shopping could damage relationships and financial stability, but if we are attempting to fill a void left by a lack of self-worth, we will continue the habit.

We are so lucky to wake up every day with the same opportunity to choose: I am here, and I am able.

So this year, instead of talking ourselves out of bad habits, why not adopt a little self-worth? Rather than scolding ourselves for being less than, why not remind ourselves that we are worth self-care and healthy habits? 

This year, make it a point to tell yourself:

I am here.

I am able.

I am enough. 



Happy New Year, all! Make this the best year yet!



]]> 2018-12-10T21:21:00-07:00 2018-12-10T21:34:37-07:00 I Am Hungry. Cara Mathis More

When I introduced Note to Self™ Apparel to my girlfriends this weekend, I mentioned my vision to collaborate with other talented women across the country.

Once such woman is my cake baking goddess bestie, Ashley of LivingBeaUTAHfully.

After the unveiling, she had jokingly scolded me for not listing her as a potential collab, to which I responded, "Oh yeah, the shirt'll say 'I Am Hungry,' and it'll have cake smashed across its front."

It was a comic exchange, but it inadvertently got me thinking about the phrase "I Am Hungry." 

having a strong desire or craving.
"he was hungry for any kind of excitement"
synonyms: eager, keen, avid, longing, yearning, aching, pining


While I am, indeed, pretty much always hungry, I'm also hungry for life.

We women need that energy, that fire, that hunger.

If we don't have it, it's an indicator that we're not on the correct path, and we should probably consider a change of course. 

I'm not talking about contentment or happiness, either; rather, a passion for life and a joie de vivre. A hunger. We're not always guaranteed to be happy, but we can make sure we're hungry for all the world has to offer. That way, even in the darkest of moments, we will have a flicker of light to keep us grounded and going. Always moving. Always pushing forward.


So even though it all started in jest, turns out it's an important message:  I Am Eager. I Am Strong. I Am Hungry.


Stay hungry, girl! You got this!



]]> 2018-12-06T20:21:00-07:00 2018-12-06T20:23:31-07:00 The Power of Persuasion Cara Mathis More

If you're an online shopper like I am, you know all about the power of persuasion.

I like to joke that I'm the person companies are targeting when they come up with jingles and witty marketing campaigns. Because I'm the person who can still remember every word of the Goldfish jingle from 2nd grade.

But more than puns and quick humor, it's repetition that'll sell an audience. You tell a person they need something enough times, they're going to believe it. (Either that, or they'll get so tired of hearing it that they'll give in just to make it stop lol).

But riddle me this: If we're so pliable when it comes to our perception of a product, why are we less so when it comes to our perception of ourselves?

If enough people told you that you were smart or beautiful or kind or bold or confident, shouldn't you believe them after enough iterations?

And even more so, if ﻿you﻿ told yourself enough times, shouldn't you believe it, too?

Yet somehow we don't. Somehow our ability to be persuaded ends at the limits of our own self-worth.

And trust me, I'm not preaching here. I have the same self-imposed limitations. I think we all do. I imagine much of it stems from society telling us not to be too confident or too bold or, heaven forbid, too passionate.

But that mindset has to shift. 

I, for one, don't want to come to the end of my life, look back, and think, "Man, I should've believed them earlier. They were right."

And furthermore, you're right. You know better than anyone how amazing you are. So tell yourself. Every day. Until you believe it. Persuade yourself.

Because, by golly, you're everything you know you are. 

And more.

]]> 2018-12-06T20:05:00-07:00 2018-12-06T20:05:12-07:00 Shop Featured Products! Cara Mathis ]]>