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I swear, there is something about me that attracts men who think I'm a moron. My ex-husband had a nickname for me, Jack, short for Jackass. Can you see why he's my ex-husband? He thought I was such a moron that I often wondered why he was attracted to me in the first place. One special memory I had was being rear-ended on I-405. He arrived at the accident after I called him to let him know that I had been rear-ended. He jumped out of his car and stormed to my driver's side window to lecture me because he was convinced that for some random reason I put my car into reverse and hit someone.
I am not joking!
After that seven-year, disastrous relationship, I walked away with a smile and a shiny new trigger. I hate when people treat me like I'm a moron. I also love when I'm proven right.
Huskies Are Escape Artists
We now have a Husky cross in the house. Apollo, a Goberian, joined our family in August 2019 and has taught me a lot about cross-bred dogs and Huskies. When I initially learned that we would be adding a fifth dog to our family, I reached out to the dog lover community to ask about the characteristics of Siberian Huskies and Golden Retrievers (aka Goberians) and one thing that came up, again and again, is that Huskies are escape artists.
Apollo has escaped our yard several times, a few times as I watched him. He can open doors, he can remove the doggy door cover, he can jump over fences and baby gates, and he runs if he has something that he shouldn't in his mouth. He runs fast.
Before Apollo, our dogs spent the day outside, with the third bay of the garage serving as an inside area with dog beds, blankets and fresh water. With the exception of the cold winter months, this worked for our dogs for years. Today, our dogs are inside until we get home because Apollo has proven to be quite efficient in escaping the yard.
I would spend the day glancing at my phone repeatedly as I checked the various cameras to make sure Apollo was still in the yard. Several times, I had to drop everything and drive the hour-long trip home to put him in the house (or call around to find someone who could help me out).
Am I Ridiculous or Am I Right?
When I told my boyfriend about what I was doing and that I was concerned that eventually, I would be asked to choose between working full time or leaving to find a part-time job, he laughed and said that I was being ridiculous.
I saw red!
When it comes to raising dogs, I don't mind doing most of the heavy lifting. I make their food, I organize their freezers, I clean poop every day, I take care of the training, vet appointments, dog toys, treats, beds, and more. I love it and I have fun doing it. And because I'm putting in so much time learning how to raise healthier dogs, I kind of expect to be able to justifiably claim the EXPERT title in our home. I'm an expert on our dogs.
My boyfriend doesn't agree, which is a point of contention in our relationship. He just thinks I'm a crazy dog lady who is obsessed because I never had kids. He said this once – only once. Now it's just an unspoken thing he believes much to my chagrin.
So when I told him that we needed to keep the dogs in the house when we were at work, he thought I was being ridiculous.
Smugness – Is There an Essential Oil for That?
And then there came a day when I was proven right. My boyfriend assured me that he fixed the dog yard and there was no way Apollo would be able to escape again. And then he did. Again and again. And the feeling of smugness that welled up inside my heart was wonderful.
I didn't have to say “I told you so.” It was probably all over my face as a floated on Cloud 9 with Apollo by my side after he climbed, wiggled, or jumped his way out of the yard to reach me. There was a time when he managed to get IN the yard to reach me – clever boy.
The feeling was so good and addictive that I wondered if there was an essential oil. Nothing strong, just something that would put me back on Cloud 9 where I can congratulate myself over and over without saying the words “I told you so!”
Essential Oil Recipe for the Feeling of Smugness
I did a Google search and couldn't find any oils specifically for smugness, so I broke down what smugness means and feels like so that I could find the next best thing.
Definition of Smugness: excessive pride in oneself or one's achievements.
So, basically, smugness is an out of control sense of confidence. I know that there are several essential oils that promote confidence and self-esteem. According to my research, essential oils for confidence include:
- Bergamot
- Cardamom
- Cedarwood Atlas
- Cinnamon Bark
- Coriander
- Cypress
- Fennel
- Geranium
- Ginger CO2
- Grapefruit
- Jasmine
- Mandarin
- Pine
- Sandalwood
- Orange Sweet
- Vetiver
- Ylang Ylang
Lucky for me, I have most of these. Any that are missing from my insane collection of essential oils can be picked up from Plant Therapy, one of my favorite sources for quality essential oils.
5 Essential Oil Recipes for Confidence
1 – A Citrus-y Blend for Confidence
- 10 drops of Grapefruit essential oil
- 10 drops of Orange essential oil
- 5 drops of Bergamot essential oil
Recipe is by BioSourceNaturals.com.
2 – Something a Little Difference in a Good Way
- 10 drops of Frankincense essential oil
- 5 drops of Mandarin essential oil
Recipe inspired by AromaWeb.com.
3 – Up Your Determination Game
- 12 drops Bergamot essential oil
- 3 drops Jasmine essential oil
Recipe is by RecipesWithEssentialOils.com.
4 – Need a Little Empowerment Boost?
- 7 drops Grapefruit essential oil
- 5 drops Sandalwood essential oil
- 3 drops Ylang Ylang essential oil
Recipe is by RecipesWithEssentialOils.com.
5 – Gingerly Step Out with Confidence
- 5 drops Sweet Orange essential oil
- 3 drops Cedarwood Atlas essential oil
- 3 drops Ginger CO2 essential oil
- 1 drop Jasmine Absolute essential oil
Recipe is by TheresAnEOForThat.com.
