One of those areas in our lives where little thought is given to how we effect those around us. It's interesting that we clearly believe that the sun, the weather, the moon, pollution, as well as global warming have a huge effect on all of us on a daily basis, but have no clue that we have the capacity to cause reactions, emotions, good or bad, in another person. If you don't believe me, when you go out today, zero in on someone that crosses your path who has a blank look on their face and smile or even say something like good morning, and see what happens. An easy place to start your experiment, it's harmless, takes little thought or energy, but could ultimately change a persons outlook for that day.
When I go out, I picture a sea of life stories, waiting to be spilled out, good or bad, sad or happy, content or frustrated, lost or peaceful, broken with no hope, or hopeful with a hint of joy. In other words, we ALL have a story to tell, and how our life has been effected by something or someone, good or bad. However, I do realize clearly that there are so many wounded people out there, whose lives would change drastically if they were around people who would encourage them in some way. As well.....with those who are fairly content and happy, encourage them to pass that on in some way. One thing I have learned through the years, is no matter how bad your situation, there is always someone who has it much worse. That somehow eases my own pain and suffering, and takes the focus off of what I need onto what someone else might need.
I know, all this is heavy stuff, and I'm sure your thinking good grief, are you kidding me? I have such an incredibly busy life, with so much to keep up with, who has time to think about what someone else is going through, or how you can change your way of being so that it makes life easier for someone else. Trust me.....I get it. For a very long time my life has been consumed with facing each day feeling like I have the flu, and left for dead in a ditch somewhere, but realized the only way to stay out of that ditch, even if I never got better, was to look outside myself and realize so many people are in far worse shape, so why wouldn't it make sense for me to start with some gratitude each day that my stuff is trying, to be sure, but not as bad as another. You quickly see how you can use YOUR pain and suffering to lift others up.
How do I help others, I'm sure you're asking yourself. And the answer is very simple. Start with changing how you see the world around you, and how little it would take to make someone feel better. If you can't get out, then take advantage of how you communicate by emails, FB, twitter, blogging, or a simple card in the mail to someone you know who is suffering in some way. And you don't have to know the person, if you're out and about. Just start with a simple good morning, a smile, a gesture of help if needed......anything. I promise, once you do it once, and see the reaction you get, you will want to do it again and again. If the person is shocked you noticed, or looks suspicious, don't let that deter you. Some people who are beaten down with no hope have no idea how to react to something positive, but that's ok. Don't let that stop you.
My point.....just realize that your way of being in this world DOES in fact have an impact on others. You CAN make a difference, and the more you do this, the less stressful your life becomes, and the more joy and contentment you feel because you are living from the inside. God didn't put us here to just take.....but to give.
So take a breath and enjoy your new way of being. You'll see.....it works.
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
Change.....what is it good for?
OK.....so let's just get it over with........people hate change. They like to wake up every single morning, have their coffee the same way, the paper at the door, the weather, not too severe one way or the other, and watch their roots grow deeper into the earth. In other words, they have found their place in the world, and that's it, end of story. If someone comes in and suggests they do any of those things differently, they want no part of it. Not only that, they believe that the people around them should want the same thing, just keep the status quo.
Then, there are people who adore change and can easily get in a flow of being open to change, because it's easier to go with it than against. I guess you could say they are more adaptable, allowing for growth in their daily life, work, family, and more importantly within themselves. And from where I'm sitting, I think a huge part if not all of it has to do with where you came from and how you were raised. Meaning, we are taught behaviors, ideas, theories, coping mechanisms, likes, dislikes, the list goes on, which whether you realize it or not, stick with you all your life. Now you can get to any point and realize that a certain person, place, idea, or thing does not suit who you are and change directions, and make different choices, so you should never get to a place where you profess loudly that it's just who you are, you can't help it, and that's the end of it. If you do then you're cheating yourself as well as those around you from being completely authentic in this life.
We are all changing not only on the outside, but just as much on the inside. Now the outside we only have a degree of control over the natural aging process, but the inside......truly.....the sky is the limit. Like a well maintained car, you can pop the lid to see what's working, and what's not working, and make repairs or adjustments along the way. Some are minor, some require a good overhaul, but the condition of your car can change and get better.
Now we can ignore the signs that something is not quite right, but after a while, it will resurface and get our attention. Of course the longer you put it off, the worse the problem gets, and then it turns into a real mess, more costly, and ultimately has the potential of shutting down completely. So just as your car has an engine, tires, gear shift, whatever the case, that needs adjusting, your inner self has attitudes, mindsets, self talk, judgements, fears, etc, that need adjusting as well.
So if you want your mind to run as smoothly as you would like your car to run, then change is a good thing. You wouldn't want your family to ride around in your broken car, and as well, you wouldn't want them to live around someone who has behavior and attitudes that bring a lot of hurt, sadness and dysfunction to their life.
Think about it......change.......it's a good thing.
Then, there are people who adore change and can easily get in a flow of being open to change, because it's easier to go with it than against. I guess you could say they are more adaptable, allowing for growth in their daily life, work, family, and more importantly within themselves. And from where I'm sitting, I think a huge part if not all of it has to do with where you came from and how you were raised. Meaning, we are taught behaviors, ideas, theories, coping mechanisms, likes, dislikes, the list goes on, which whether you realize it or not, stick with you all your life. Now you can get to any point and realize that a certain person, place, idea, or thing does not suit who you are and change directions, and make different choices, so you should never get to a place where you profess loudly that it's just who you are, you can't help it, and that's the end of it. If you do then you're cheating yourself as well as those around you from being completely authentic in this life.
We are all changing not only on the outside, but just as much on the inside. Now the outside we only have a degree of control over the natural aging process, but the inside......truly.....the sky is the limit. Like a well maintained car, you can pop the lid to see what's working, and what's not working, and make repairs or adjustments along the way. Some are minor, some require a good overhaul, but the condition of your car can change and get better.
Now we can ignore the signs that something is not quite right, but after a while, it will resurface and get our attention. Of course the longer you put it off, the worse the problem gets, and then it turns into a real mess, more costly, and ultimately has the potential of shutting down completely. So just as your car has an engine, tires, gear shift, whatever the case, that needs adjusting, your inner self has attitudes, mindsets, self talk, judgements, fears, etc, that need adjusting as well.
So if you want your mind to run as smoothly as you would like your car to run, then change is a good thing. You wouldn't want your family to ride around in your broken car, and as well, you wouldn't want them to live around someone who has behavior and attitudes that bring a lot of hurt, sadness and dysfunction to their life.
Think about it......change.......it's a good thing.
Thursday, September 24, 2015
The Life of a Hermit
You ever wonder what it would be like to live like a hermit, or at least have the mind of one? Well, because of some physical limitations that have followed me most of my life, I had to learn how to be content and happy with that sort of lifestyle. Seemingly from the point of view of most people, that must be a sad situation, but let me put your mind to rest, it's not at all. Now part of that, I believe, is that I had to learn that very early as a child because there was a lot of chaos and dysfunction in my family, so I remember quite vividly many hours spent alone away from all of that. And it's interesting, as I recall, it wasn't a bad thing. I had things that I loved doing on my own as a child, and most if not all of them included being still and quiet.
One way was finding a quiet nurturing place and simply being still and taking in nature. One that stands out is lying under a huge pine tree stretched out across a bed of pine needles, simply looking at the clouds, or climbing a huge pecan tree across the street, away from everyone to watch the neighbors going about their activities outside. Or decorating a shed in the backyard, pretending it was my house. But no matter how I found ways to set myself apart, it worked, and I wouldn't change those days for anything. So what did I learn during those few precious years? That I was in fact content to spend time alone in the quiet, which should have been very difficult with a family of 4 girls, and a very angry father, but by some miracle I was able to pull it off, and most grateful that however I managed to do that, it has carried over into my adult life.
Now, until I started getting worse physically, I was in fact still lying under trees on a blanket, reading, napping, drawing, writing....etc.....and could still capture that childlike nature that was still inherent in me. Of course being a bit more fragile, climbing the big tress went by the wayside, but as long as I could be close to them, I was fine. I did have an apartment once that was surrounded by very tall pine trees, which was heaven on earth, but unfortunately I moved away to a place I thought was going to make me much better. I dream of those pine trees quite often and wish I could recreate that environment, but so far have had to find others ways to get that feeling. Hence, living like a hermit.
So my point, and trust me, I do try to have one eventually, is that I believe that even though I am lacking the trees, I am still able to create and live the life that is good and nurturing. Quiet is probably the most important element to living the life of a hermit. To get away from all the noise that covers up those incredibly precious crickets that you hear at 4 in the morning. The only thing I hear at this moment is the distant hum of a jet, that comes and goes, but I allow the crickets to overpower that sound. A hermit wants to have their mind clear and open to contemplate life and the real and true things that it has to offer all of us. Being alone and quiet allows and is open for creativity to appear when you least expect it. It allows us to pay attention to the breath, and how precious it is when you haven't been able to breathe properly for a long time because of pain. It allows you to remember and think about what is really good for you individually in this life with your own pursuits, dreams, hopes and doing what you feel like God meant for you to do while you're here. And whether you believe it or not, we were all put here for a very specific purpose, whether you live like a hermit, or live in the middle of time square.
So for today, and in this moment of quiet, with the crickets and tapping of my keys, I will be thankful that I, even with all the limitations and pain, or even with the unfortunate or trying things that happen right outside my door each day, I can also be thankful for those moments of peace that most often bring clarity that even as a hermit, I am in fact doing what God needs me to do each day. Embrace my inner child and what she needs each day, love myself and others, and simply be available to connect in whatever way I was meant to connect. So if you are in desperate need of peace and quiet, and wonder what life would be like living like a hermit, just remember, you have the extraordinary gift each day to not be constantly in search of peace and quiet, but can actually find it and experience it each day.
I encourage you to find a tree this weekend, throw out a blanket, and look at the clouds roll by.........you alone, or to share with your children or grandchildren. What an amazing way to teach them how easy it is to find peace and quiet, and the simple precious things in life.
One way was finding a quiet nurturing place and simply being still and taking in nature. One that stands out is lying under a huge pine tree stretched out across a bed of pine needles, simply looking at the clouds, or climbing a huge pecan tree across the street, away from everyone to watch the neighbors going about their activities outside. Or decorating a shed in the backyard, pretending it was my house. But no matter how I found ways to set myself apart, it worked, and I wouldn't change those days for anything. So what did I learn during those few precious years? That I was in fact content to spend time alone in the quiet, which should have been very difficult with a family of 4 girls, and a very angry father, but by some miracle I was able to pull it off, and most grateful that however I managed to do that, it has carried over into my adult life.
Now, until I started getting worse physically, I was in fact still lying under trees on a blanket, reading, napping, drawing, writing....etc.....and could still capture that childlike nature that was still inherent in me. Of course being a bit more fragile, climbing the big tress went by the wayside, but as long as I could be close to them, I was fine. I did have an apartment once that was surrounded by very tall pine trees, which was heaven on earth, but unfortunately I moved away to a place I thought was going to make me much better. I dream of those pine trees quite often and wish I could recreate that environment, but so far have had to find others ways to get that feeling. Hence, living like a hermit.
So my point, and trust me, I do try to have one eventually, is that I believe that even though I am lacking the trees, I am still able to create and live the life that is good and nurturing. Quiet is probably the most important element to living the life of a hermit. To get away from all the noise that covers up those incredibly precious crickets that you hear at 4 in the morning. The only thing I hear at this moment is the distant hum of a jet, that comes and goes, but I allow the crickets to overpower that sound. A hermit wants to have their mind clear and open to contemplate life and the real and true things that it has to offer all of us. Being alone and quiet allows and is open for creativity to appear when you least expect it. It allows us to pay attention to the breath, and how precious it is when you haven't been able to breathe properly for a long time because of pain. It allows you to remember and think about what is really good for you individually in this life with your own pursuits, dreams, hopes and doing what you feel like God meant for you to do while you're here. And whether you believe it or not, we were all put here for a very specific purpose, whether you live like a hermit, or live in the middle of time square.
So for today, and in this moment of quiet, with the crickets and tapping of my keys, I will be thankful that I, even with all the limitations and pain, or even with the unfortunate or trying things that happen right outside my door each day, I can also be thankful for those moments of peace that most often bring clarity that even as a hermit, I am in fact doing what God needs me to do each day. Embrace my inner child and what she needs each day, love myself and others, and simply be available to connect in whatever way I was meant to connect. So if you are in desperate need of peace and quiet, and wonder what life would be like living like a hermit, just remember, you have the extraordinary gift each day to not be constantly in search of peace and quiet, but can actually find it and experience it each day.
I encourage you to find a tree this weekend, throw out a blanket, and look at the clouds roll by.........you alone, or to share with your children or grandchildren. What an amazing way to teach them how easy it is to find peace and quiet, and the simple precious things in life.
Friday, September 11, 2015
The Rhythm of Life
I suppose I could have titled this BUSY......but I've become very sensitive to that word because it's all I ever hear. No matter the time, day, or who I'm speaking with, it's always a part of the conversation. Maybe the world I live in is so far at the end of the spectrum, that I can't appreciate the other end? Well maybe. But I don't think so. Maybe if another word could be used to express how one spends their time, I could tolerate it a little better, but I don't think so.
Maybe if I heard words like quiet, peace or simplicity just once in a while, the word busy wouldn't bother me so much. But the fact is, I don't hear them at all.....ever. Now I realize that growing up in the 60's, it was much easier to express those words, and where I'm from the city made a point to incorporate them into the lifestyle at that time. Each Wednesday at noon, all the stores closed, and people went home to relax, go fishing, or just sat out on their front porch and drank iced tea. On sundays the stores were closed and you did no work at home. And as well, there weren't so many ways to entertain or distract back then, that there was plenty of time to just sit back and watch the cars go by, or take a nap in the backyard on the weekends. But is there any reason why we can't do that now?
I suppose one reason is because there is, in every era, a rhythm that everyone keeps up with, feeling as if they didn't, they would somehow miss a beat. That whatever the neighbors are doing, next door or down the street, we are supposed to keep up with them or they might talk about us in a not so pleasant way. But no matter the reason, I'm wondering how or why we can't slow down the rhythm a bit, because honestly I believe that if we truly wanted to, we could in fact find time to be quiet, as well as experience more peace and simplicity. It's a choice...period.
If you wanted to, you could in fact decide right this moment, that you are going to spend the whole weekend at home, in your pajamas. Tell your friends and family you're going to make it a priority to spend more down time, whether that means alone, or with your family. You've stocked the frig, marked the calendar, and are in search of quiet, peace and simplicity. If you're single, married....no matter, the plans are made and you're sticking to them. Now to me, this is no different than marking the calendar for a weekend trip away. You're just choosing not to be in the car, on the road, at movie or restaurant, and will not be answering the phone either.
Wow.....what an amazing thing to do for your children, to show them how important it is to just stop and slow down. To be able to say no to the busyness of life, without the burden of expectations from others or from yourself. Taking the time to do this will not cause you to lose your job, your friends, family or make you seem off balance. If anything, it will make a statement that we all have the choice to slow down if we want to, and invest all that busy time everyone seems to be burdened with on ourselves and those around us that mean the most. If you don't share the ability to do this with your children, then they will assume that busyness is the only choice there is in life. They won't know the meaning of simplicity or peace at all or how to find it for themselves when they are overwhelmed with life and it's demands.
What a wonderful thing to do for yourself.....and a powerful message for those around you. So go and pick out your weekend pajamas, books to read, movies to watch, favorite foods, and a heads up for those around you that you are not going to answer the phone or text. Try it just for grins.......and start setting your own rhythm in life!
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
The Power of :Laughter
OK.....so let's talk about laughter today......for I truly believe that if any doctor's appointments were met over the last month, there was no mention of how powerful and healing a tool laughter can be. Now I've known this for a very long time, in dealing with my own health issues, and always being sure that I have ways to release the physical pain that I have a tendency to carry with me each day, but since I'm human, and getting older, I will plead ignorance for now, and promise that I will never set this extremely helpful tool aside ever again.
Now I don't want the focus here to be totally about pain, and how terrible pain is, and how we must get rid of the pain....and honestly this can be physical or emotional here. We can all wear our big girl/boy panties and profess that none of us have any emotional issues, but I'm here to tell you, if you are in fact human, then you've had something at some point happen to you that you carry with you most of your life. However...........I will focus on how to lessen or redirect the pain so that we're not all lying in a ditch on a deserted dirt road waiting for someone to drive by and pull us out. Now I'm sorry, but for me....it's the most accurate way to describe how I feel some days physically.
Now, back to the doctors office. I am weary of watching most of them try to pull a rabbit out of their hat, and instead offer ways of finding a healthy level of acceptance of the situation by using some valuable tools such as laughter. Mine used to be crying. Yes.....and it's not a pitiful crying......its a wailing actually that would have to happen in order to release the pain in my body. Some days I have to put a sad movie in the player just to give me a prompt, which may sound insane, but it works really well. However.....after talking to a dear friend on the phone last night, and having moments of uncontrollable gut level laughter, and how good it felt, I decided I would get out the Seinfield DVD's today and let her rip.
So now......if I can recognize how helpful this is....why wouldn't a doctor know? I realize they have to be objective, and of course offer the newest medication that is on the market to make money for all those involved, but when does it become more about healthy changes that are just plain and simple and honestly help the most? And I'm not getting into a doctor bashing here....but after a while, I think we just have to get back to the nuts and bolts of what is available and FREE as far as healing our bodies. I believe God gave us those tools, but on the whole, it's not really encouraged, at least not in my neck of the woods. Which again is no excuse, I can search and find whatever works for me, but for today, I'm going to be grateful that I remembered that laughter is like a healing balm for the soul, mind and body, and it will be part of my daily routine from now on. We all have access to the internet and can watch whatever we find funny at any given time. So I encourage you to do the same.
So for today, have a laugh, and see if it makes a difference in how you feel. Will it makes all your health issues go away....probably not, but it changes something even more important than that. It changes how you SEE your pain and suffering, and how you can lessen the severity. I promise at the least it will bring a smile, and for heavens sake will keep you out of the ditch!
Now I don't want the focus here to be totally about pain, and how terrible pain is, and how we must get rid of the pain....and honestly this can be physical or emotional here. We can all wear our big girl/boy panties and profess that none of us have any emotional issues, but I'm here to tell you, if you are in fact human, then you've had something at some point happen to you that you carry with you most of your life. However...........I will focus on how to lessen or redirect the pain so that we're not all lying in a ditch on a deserted dirt road waiting for someone to drive by and pull us out. Now I'm sorry, but for me....it's the most accurate way to describe how I feel some days physically.
Now, back to the doctors office. I am weary of watching most of them try to pull a rabbit out of their hat, and instead offer ways of finding a healthy level of acceptance of the situation by using some valuable tools such as laughter. Mine used to be crying. Yes.....and it's not a pitiful crying......its a wailing actually that would have to happen in order to release the pain in my body. Some days I have to put a sad movie in the player just to give me a prompt, which may sound insane, but it works really well. However.....after talking to a dear friend on the phone last night, and having moments of uncontrollable gut level laughter, and how good it felt, I decided I would get out the Seinfield DVD's today and let her rip.
So now......if I can recognize how helpful this is....why wouldn't a doctor know? I realize they have to be objective, and of course offer the newest medication that is on the market to make money for all those involved, but when does it become more about healthy changes that are just plain and simple and honestly help the most? And I'm not getting into a doctor bashing here....but after a while, I think we just have to get back to the nuts and bolts of what is available and FREE as far as healing our bodies. I believe God gave us those tools, but on the whole, it's not really encouraged, at least not in my neck of the woods. Which again is no excuse, I can search and find whatever works for me, but for today, I'm going to be grateful that I remembered that laughter is like a healing balm for the soul, mind and body, and it will be part of my daily routine from now on. We all have access to the internet and can watch whatever we find funny at any given time. So I encourage you to do the same.
So for today, have a laugh, and see if it makes a difference in how you feel. Will it makes all your health issues go away....probably not, but it changes something even more important than that. It changes how you SEE your pain and suffering, and how you can lessen the severity. I promise at the least it will bring a smile, and for heavens sake will keep you out of the ditch!
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
The World at 4am
So why would any normal person get up at 4 in the morning? I don't ask myself that question too much anymore, probably because what I find when I do get up is the quiet I so desperately crave. Course I have always been an early riser for some reason, even as a child. And again, I can say at that particular time of life, I was craving peace and quiet, and this was in a very small town in south carolina, for sure off the beaten path.
So what' so important about peace and quiet? Well for me, it's the only time I can hear the crickets, a long lost friend of mine, that was used at the end of a cane fishing pole. Good bait for sure, but for now, it's just that lovely sound they make very early in the morning. I hear no traffic, no slamming doors, no leaf blowers, mowers or garbage trucks. It amazes me at how engines and electrical gadgets, supposedly that get the job done quicker, can completely steal the sounds of nature. So disruptive. But this is the world now, and for several reasons, I am not able to find a quiet and peaceful place in which to live. I make do with what I have before me, and remind myself the reasons are valid and good.
But for the meantime, my crickets will do, and I am grateful to have my noisy desktop computer that goes clickety clack under my fingers. However do wonder why people are so anxious to fill up the quiet. That quiet that soothes the soul and refreshes the mind. Like an etch a sketch board, where you can draw and write, and when you're done, turn it upside down, give it a shake, and it's all erased. We have the gift of a clean slate in which to fill for the day.
Course the sad part is not realizing that we can fill it with whatever we choose. We make choices every single day with how we wish to do that, but sadly, I think too many people are so haunted by their choices, priorities and direction, that they feel it necessary to each day find some other way to fill up the hours with some activity that' not absolutely necessary, but seems like the right thing to do at the time.
So while that goes on each day, you find less and less time to stop and appreciate or make future plans of slowing down, checking things off your busy list to appreciate the quiet. And just because you now think that it's ok to slow down a bit, does not mean you have become a slug, or lacking in productivity.
I'm not exactly sure what I'm shooting for here, for I was just trying to convey my feelings and reactions to a day that starts at 4am. I myself love it, will continue to do it, though it can vary between 4 and 5.....and listen for those heavenly creatures that can only be heard while the rest of the world sleeps. My own little quiet haven in which to draw strength, courage and hope.
For me....I would rather go to bed at 9 and get up at 4 or 5, than to go to bed at 10 or so and sleep till 9. If you have never tried this, I think it might be time. Maybe you've never even heard a cricket before, or heard them in a very long time.....so enjoy.
So what' so important about peace and quiet? Well for me, it's the only time I can hear the crickets, a long lost friend of mine, that was used at the end of a cane fishing pole. Good bait for sure, but for now, it's just that lovely sound they make very early in the morning. I hear no traffic, no slamming doors, no leaf blowers, mowers or garbage trucks. It amazes me at how engines and electrical gadgets, supposedly that get the job done quicker, can completely steal the sounds of nature. So disruptive. But this is the world now, and for several reasons, I am not able to find a quiet and peaceful place in which to live. I make do with what I have before me, and remind myself the reasons are valid and good.
But for the meantime, my crickets will do, and I am grateful to have my noisy desktop computer that goes clickety clack under my fingers. However do wonder why people are so anxious to fill up the quiet. That quiet that soothes the soul and refreshes the mind. Like an etch a sketch board, where you can draw and write, and when you're done, turn it upside down, give it a shake, and it's all erased. We have the gift of a clean slate in which to fill for the day.
Course the sad part is not realizing that we can fill it with whatever we choose. We make choices every single day with how we wish to do that, but sadly, I think too many people are so haunted by their choices, priorities and direction, that they feel it necessary to each day find some other way to fill up the hours with some activity that' not absolutely necessary, but seems like the right thing to do at the time.
So while that goes on each day, you find less and less time to stop and appreciate or make future plans of slowing down, checking things off your busy list to appreciate the quiet. And just because you now think that it's ok to slow down a bit, does not mean you have become a slug, or lacking in productivity.
I'm not exactly sure what I'm shooting for here, for I was just trying to convey my feelings and reactions to a day that starts at 4am. I myself love it, will continue to do it, though it can vary between 4 and 5.....and listen for those heavenly creatures that can only be heard while the rest of the world sleeps. My own little quiet haven in which to draw strength, courage and hope.
For me....I would rather go to bed at 9 and get up at 4 or 5, than to go to bed at 10 or so and sleep till 9. If you have never tried this, I think it might be time. Maybe you've never even heard a cricket before, or heard them in a very long time.....so enjoy.
Saturday, August 1, 2015
What are you a slave to?
A most ominous subject I should think, but of course from my side, one that's worthy of digging a little deeper for meaning. The first thing that comes to mind when I hear that word, having been born and raised in the south, is a person who is the legal property of another, and forced to obey them. But there is another way of looking at this word, and that is a person who is dependent....excessively dependent.....upon or controlled by something. Of course you see the difference here, where you can be controlled by someone or something, and honestly sometimes I don't know which is worse. You would think that being controlled by a person would be far more oppressive than a thing, but I suppose it would depend on the thing.
Someone can say or do something to make you feel bad about yourself, just by what they say and how they say it, but how does some "thing" make you feel bad about yourself? I guess it depends on how overpowering the thing is. It could be as simple as food, work, perfectionism about ones self, money, sex.....the list goes on. All those little pesky things that get in the way of peace and contentment, that can so easily slip into the unhealthy bracket, that if we found a healthy perspective could in fact allow us to awake each day looking forward to what lies ahead instead of dread.
So how do we get a healthy perspective? Well, it definitely takes some time in recognizing exactly what trips you up each day. And I think we all know on some level what those things are, but have just managed to keep it under the radar so we don't have to own up to it. Hey, been there done that. It's so easy to get busy with life and our own particular challenges each day, that we just hope it goes away on it's own, or at least ease up on the intensity.
Here is my latest, and its not a major issue, but it's one that sort of nags at me each day. I've been down this road before, knowing that tea is probably a better option for me heath wise, but so easily getting sucked into the coffee madness that goes on each day. Of course I love coffee, but love tea as well, and I guess I could reach a healthy balance of one of each per day, or of course my preference would be to nix the coffee completely, and get back to just tea. So today I decided to tackle it head on, and found that if I make a ritual out of my morning and afternoon drink, meaning getting out my really nice tea service, then it turns into something very special.
I truly believe you can do this with anything, but the most important part of this, is actually recognizing that you are in fact a slave to something, and it's not going to change until YOU make some sort of movement in a different direction. I suppose it would make it easier if you have something that will replace the thing you're trying to get rid of. Sort of like buying some yummy yogurt instead of reaching for the cookies and ice cream.
So for me.....switching things up today freed me up, and it's a good feeling. Now will I cave and head for the Starbucks while I'm out? Well, maybe....but maybe not. And I'm actually looking forward to having some really good tea in the morning with my china, Earl Grey, and low fat milk instead of sweetener, which has been SO easy to get hooked on...........or a slave to! Think about it......see what comes to mind that would be fun to change up.
Someone can say or do something to make you feel bad about yourself, just by what they say and how they say it, but how does some "thing" make you feel bad about yourself? I guess it depends on how overpowering the thing is. It could be as simple as food, work, perfectionism about ones self, money, sex.....the list goes on. All those little pesky things that get in the way of peace and contentment, that can so easily slip into the unhealthy bracket, that if we found a healthy perspective could in fact allow us to awake each day looking forward to what lies ahead instead of dread.
So how do we get a healthy perspective? Well, it definitely takes some time in recognizing exactly what trips you up each day. And I think we all know on some level what those things are, but have just managed to keep it under the radar so we don't have to own up to it. Hey, been there done that. It's so easy to get busy with life and our own particular challenges each day, that we just hope it goes away on it's own, or at least ease up on the intensity.
Here is my latest, and its not a major issue, but it's one that sort of nags at me each day. I've been down this road before, knowing that tea is probably a better option for me heath wise, but so easily getting sucked into the coffee madness that goes on each day. Of course I love coffee, but love tea as well, and I guess I could reach a healthy balance of one of each per day, or of course my preference would be to nix the coffee completely, and get back to just tea. So today I decided to tackle it head on, and found that if I make a ritual out of my morning and afternoon drink, meaning getting out my really nice tea service, then it turns into something very special.
I truly believe you can do this with anything, but the most important part of this, is actually recognizing that you are in fact a slave to something, and it's not going to change until YOU make some sort of movement in a different direction. I suppose it would make it easier if you have something that will replace the thing you're trying to get rid of. Sort of like buying some yummy yogurt instead of reaching for the cookies and ice cream.
So for me.....switching things up today freed me up, and it's a good feeling. Now will I cave and head for the Starbucks while I'm out? Well, maybe....but maybe not. And I'm actually looking forward to having some really good tea in the morning with my china, Earl Grey, and low fat milk instead of sweetener, which has been SO easy to get hooked on...........or a slave to! Think about it......see what comes to mind that would be fun to change up.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)