I had a fantastic week. 

Not only were there no tears shed, but I eliminated a few stressful items in my life and they have made a world of difference. 

I've cut out two days of commuting to the city, I'm moving up in the Coffee Shop world, I let go of a few boys that have been unhealthy to my self-esteem, and as a result, I have been feeling absolutely bomb. 

In all areas except.... my lips.

Ask anyone here who knows me and they'll agree that I have been talking nonstop about my lips.

What can I say, I love my lips!

And for the past few months, they haven't been adjusting well to this 90 plus degree heat. Or the pollution. Or the homeless people. 

I've tried different chap sticks, Vaseline, turning my fan off when I sleep, drinking more water, avoiding the sun (except those afternoon splurges in the pool), putting honey on my lips at night, but out of them all, there's only been one consistent remedy: Carmex.

My good friend Madi lent me a new stick she so conveniently had and I've been addicted ever since. 

So addicted that unbeknownst to me, I dressed like the very tube I had tucked away in my pocket. 

Who even does that?

Me. 🙈

I'm even getting so into the stuff that it’s seeped into my sense of humor, naturally. When I was complimented about my outfit, I replied with, “Don't I look balm?"

Get it? Balm? Badum tiss.  

See, ever since I cut out all the things that weren’t adding value to my life has allowed me to use my newfound free time to focus more on myself. And I feel really happy because of it.

I didn't understand at first what it meant to be “focusing on myself” when I had all of these negative things dragging me down, but now that they're out of the way, I feel free.

Free to indulge in self-care, free to spend entire weekends by myself watching Netflix and wearing something sexy that only I have the pleasure of seeing, free to spend time with my new friends, free to pursue my career and the potential I have there, and I'm free to spend all this time on becoming who I'm meant to be. 

Which at the moment is a cat loving, coffee making, Carmex dressed lady who habitually speaks in puns. 

And there is nothing wrong with that!

One might say my way of living is the balm...