I am honored to have one of my closest friends write her first guest post for Love Well Live Well!

She is one of those amazing women who makes you wonder how she manages to do it all and do it so well. She excels at work, maintains a beautiful home, gives so much love to her two adorable kiddos, husband and the rest of her family, and still makes her friends a priority too.

She always makes you feel good when you are around her. You feel loved the minute you are in her presence.

Her message today is of unconditional love – of yourself and of others.

It is real. It is love. It is Sam.

Enjoy!

Guest Post by Samantha Schwartz

It is Friday night. I have allotted myself an hour to do nothing – it is deserved and I know it is good for me (some What to Expect With Kids book or Oprah, right?). 6 months of Real Simple are piled up on my side table, begging to be read…dripping of the guilt I feel for not opening one since they were ordered as that just-right Christmas present: I am determined as pie to get through these and by God have fun doing it. Yes, a perfect gift for this Crazy Type-A who thrives on organization and making everything just-so; okay, I have the time in my planner so let’s get to the fun!

Yet here is my hour and the rush of anxiety is gripping my toenails as I force myself to read the first few pages. Freak – look at that pantry, why have I not thought to recycle applesauce jars as elbow macaroni containers?? Damn – why haven’t I decorated the game room with an old Scrabble game pasted with pieces spelling the words of the family I adore? And look at these healthy 30-minute, easy as they can come, and healthy as can be menu choices – did my kids really just eat a Happy Meal with (gulp) fries?? My heart is beating, I feel defeated, and I close the magazine and instead turn to my “punch list notebook” (Vera Bradley by the way, and super cute) to quickly jot down Container Store, game room upgrade, and crock pot “healthy!!” for next week chores.

For someone who at the heart of her being is a believer in the law of attraction…I could not be a worse example in my own self-talk. Seriously – I have a gratitude board in my office and by my bedside, I trust and profess (both at work and play) the power of positive energy, and I have diligently moved myself into circles (one of the best things of my 30s!) of friends and family that do the same. However…it is simple moments with Real Simple when I realize that I still have so much work to do – and by God I am my own worst barrier. So this week, I ask you to join me in the following SIMPLE tasks.

1. Give yourself a break.

 a.  Today I got up, showered, put on an uncomfortable suit and heels, got two sleepy kids up, sang songs, made them laugh, got them dressed, remembered their blankets, dropped them off, drove to work, went to 8 meetings, wrote 2 status reports, had 3 clients that were upset, worked on 3 deals, closed a job, did 3 finance reports, picked up my kids, sang songs, dressed like princesses and fought a dragon, made a spaghetti dinner, danced like a prince and princess, gave baths, laid out clothes, talked to my hubby about our days, read books, cuddled in princess’ bed, did dishes, paid two bills…

b. I did okay. Maybe my house doesn’t look like Crate and Barrel, maybe my cabinets are missing glass container jars, maybe I didn’t go to my book club (or read the book), maybe my kids will not be top athletes because I have not yet signed them up for soccer – but I did okay.  And tonight my baby girl said, “You are the best Mommi. You are a princess and my friend and will you get me some water?”

2. Give others a break.

a. It is human nature to feel vulnerable and we tend to forecast it on others…and most likely those closest to us. When someone shows up to work unprepared, friend bails for dinner, brother forgets your birthday – let’s give each other a break.

b. The more forgiving and uplifting energy we put out…it will only come back, even if not in the ways or times you most think.

And in my case, I am hoping 3-fold. Give ourselves a break week starts now! Who is in?

To read more from Sam, check out her (temporarily retired) blog, Adventures of a CEO Mommi. It will definitely make you smile! And stay tuned for more Guest Posts from Sam!