Everyone loves the sunshine

"When the sun is shining I can do anything; no mountain is too high, no trouble too difficult".Wilma Rudolph

What a beautiful day it has been here in the UK! As an August baby I am officially a summer bunny! I absolutely love the feeling of the the sun on my skin as I’m sure most of you do too! It changes my mood and excites me into planning picnics in the park, lunches on the river Thames or simply just enjoying a beautiful leisurely stroll down the hill in the mornings (instead of that hurried hot step, trying to hold my umbrella, whilst faffing with my blackberry and getting my oyster card out of my handbag). Here in good ole England we don’t see the sun much so it’s best to make the most of it when it is around...

People often comment on the fact that we're a lot happier on sunny days; more smiles, people are genuinely more friendly and there's less of an irritation when getting out of bed at the crack of dawn and going to work. I'm sure we can all relate to the last one! heehee Oh how we love a sunny day!!

Anyhooooooo I digress, SO back to reality! I'm equating sunshine with happiness and that feel good factor, the feeling of being:

i) on top of the world,

ii)ready for anything that life throws at you,

iii)an unstoppable force of nature and

iv)having a positive impact on those around you. (this list is by no means exclusive)

So my question to you today is...... do you have some sunshine in your life?

Life has its ups and downs but we must dig deep and find the sunshine. Find out what makes you tick? What motivates and inspires you? What lifts you up when you're having a down day! As Selina said 'Happiness is your birthright'. It doesn't really have to be sunny outside in order for you to be or become happy. Happiness comes from within. Motivational drive and a passion to succeed also comes from within. So let's work on developing those attributes of our character.. find out what makes us happy and do it, so long as it's legal and doesn't cause anyone else any misery ;-)

I love the quote by Wilma Rudolph which I've used as today's sub-title as it often does feel like we can do anything when the physical sun is shining, the flowers are blooming and everything looks beautiful.. even the River Thames. We don't have any chunky boots, heavy coats or umbrellas weighing us down or getting in the way. There's almost a sense of freedom!

My dream for all of you is that the sun will shine out of you every single day. Turn that frown upside down, dig deep and find the happiness within and if you've already found it rejoice and share it with others! Whether it be dancing, listening or singing (or in my case trying to sing) your favourite song, reading and reflecting on that quote/scripture that means so much to you, praying/meditating or simply just reflecting on how gifted and highly favoured you are, I urge you to discover if you haven't already what makes you happy, embrace it and hold on to it!

For me personally music always helps! Listening, dancing or singing (in my own special way) to my favourite praise and worship song of the moment ALWAYS ALWAYS lifts my spirit and creates a smiley, happy sunny sunshine Nics.

I'd just like to leave you with a small snippet about Wilma Rudolph, this lady was nothing short of amazing and a true inspiration!

An excerpt from the "Women in History " website

Wilma was born prematurely and weighed only 4.5 pounds. In 1940 because of racial segregation, she and her mother were not permitted to be cared for at the local hospital. It was for whites only. There was only one black doctor in Clarksville, and the Rudolph's budget was tight, so Wilma's mother spent the next several years nursing Wilma through one illness after another: measles, mumps, scarlet fever, chicken pox and double pneumonia. But, she had to be taken to the doctor when it was discovered that her left leg and foot were becoming weak and deformed. She was told she had polio, a crippling disease that had no cure. The doctor told Mrs. Rudolph that Wilma would never walk. But Mrs. Rudolph would not give up on Wilma. She found out that she could be treated at Meharry Hospital, the black medical college of Fisk University in Nashville. Even though it was 50 miles away, Wilma's mother took her there twice a week for two years, until she was able to walk with the aid of a metal leg brace. Then the doctors taught Mrs. Rudolph how to do the physical therapy exercises at home. All of her brothers and sisters helped too, and they did everything to encourage her to be strong and work hard at getting well. Finally, by age 12, she could walk normally, without the crutches, brace, or corrective shoes. It was then that she decided to become an athlete.

Wilma Rudolph's life is a story of achieving against the odds. Her first accomplishments were to stay alive and get well!

In high school, she became a basketball star first, who set state records for scoring and led her team to a state championship. Then she became a track star, going to her first Olympic Games in 1956 at the age of 16. She won a bronze medal in the 4x4 relay.

On September 7th, 1960, in Rome, Wilma became the first American woman to win 3 gold medals in the Olympics. She won the 100-meter dash, the 200-meter dash, and ran the anchor on the 400-meter relay team.

This achievement led her to become one of the most celebrated female athletes of all time. In addition, her celebrity caused gender barriers to be broken in previously all-male track and field events.

Be inspired and continue to be Gifted and Highly Favoured. xxx