life can be fulfilling or draining…choose your thoughts carefully!
Welcome!
This site is set up for those of us living an ordinary life. I know that most of us spend so much of our lives trying to make things better that we forget to enjoy the very life that we already have! This is a quick reminder to stop for just a minute and appreciate what we have. Life isn’t always perfect, but we can still be happy and content every day.
There’s a lot going on in our lives every day. Remember that you’re not alone on this journey. Let’s talk about things that matter to us. I would love for you to share your thoughts, stories, ideas for conversations, and comments. I’m looking forward to talking with you soon!
We need to take care of ourselves physically and mentally. Sometimes that means we need to take a beat and JUST take care of ourselves and that’s okay. It’s the most important job that we have. What can you do when you really don’t want to do anything?
Whether you’re ill or feeling down, we all have days when we’re feeling “less than”. You’re not quite up to doing much or don’t really feel like getting involved in anything. If you want to do something, but not much, there are lots of choices!
I’m not sure about you, but on days that I don’t feel well enough to do a lot or when I’m feeling down, I get mad or I feel bad because I feel like I should still be doing something. None of us want to feel lazy but some days require more rest or down time than others. Sometimes I don’t even have enough energy to think about much. Rather than feel bad about it, I’ve made a list of low-key activities that I can do instead. Having a list means I don’t have to think about it. All I have to do is grab my list! These activities vary from zero energy to a little bit more energy or thought. Depending on how you’re feeling, there’s something to choose from that will keep you busy, make the time go by a little easier, and hopefully make you feel better! Add your own ideas to it and you’ll be all set.
I hope this helps to make your low-key days just a little bit easier!
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about needing a change. I’m not at a major milestone time of my life and nothing has recently changed, but I’m feeling compelled to figure out something new for myself.
I know we all go through different times in our life when it seems as if we’re destined to make decisions about our life, our work, our goals, etc. This happens while deciding what you want to do as a career choice, where you want to live, how you want to live, what to study, etc. But have you done this just randomly? Have you ever just had this nagging feeling that you need to do something different, to change something in your life? Do you pay attention to it?
We all have a built-in intuition about what’s best for ourselves. We might not always hear it and we sometimes just ignore it, but it’s there. We inherently know what we should be doing but we may not have the money, the time, or the circumstances to accommodate it. Sometimes we can make small changes to quiet that voice for a while.
Every now and then, though, we’re afforded an opportunity to make a REAL change in our life. Most of us spend our lives doing what we have to do and what we’re supposed to do. We go to school, we work, we raise families and take care of the hundreds of things that need doing. What do we do for ourselves though? What is it that makes you YOU? What inspires you? What makes you happy? What is it that touches your heart and speaks to your soul? Give yourself some time to think about all the feelings that come up when you ask yourself these questions.
I think it’s important to listen to that voice when it speaks to you. Make whatever changes you can to honor that voice, whether it’s a tiny little change in your daily routine or a monumental life choice; it doesn’t matter! Listen to your Voice. Listen to your Self.
What if, this New Year’s Day, instead of listing all the things that we want to change about ourselves, we instead make a list of all the things that we are proud of ourselves for?
This does not come easily for some of us. We are so used to telling ourselves that we are too fat, don’t do enough, or that we are just not good enough for somebody or something; that we don’t deserve it. This is self-defeating and self-fulfilling. It has been proven that our thoughts directly impact our feelings. Far too many of us say negative things to ourselves throughout the day. What if, instead, we start telling ourselves how beautiful we are exactly as we are and how proud we are of ourselves for the things we have accomplished?
How many times, when we go out to eat or go the refrigerator to get food, do we say to ourselves “do I really need that?” or “I should not be eating this; I’m already overweight.”. When you look in the mirror when getting ready to go somewhere, do you think to yourself “Wow! I look great!” or do you look and say “I really need to lose some weight” or “I wish I were prettier”? When are we good enough? Even though you are exhausted by the end of the week because you’re juggling work, home, maybe kids, pets, cooking, cleaning, paying bills, etc., do you think you did enough? We spend our weeks getting stuff done so that we can enjoy a few hours of rest and relaxation. During that time, do you think to yourself that you’ve done a great job all week or do you think about things that may be left undone or feel that you could have or should have done better?
This has been a rough time for all of us. We all carry a lot of emotion about the times we are living in, ranging from confusion to anger to fright and impatience. This takes a toll on our emotional, mental, and physical health. The least we can do is be kind to ourselves and, in turn, to each other. Let’s just be enough for a change.
For this upcoming year, instead of making a list of things wrong with us, let’s instead make a list of all the things that are right with us! Are you kind? Are you helpful to a friend or neighbor? Are you the go-to person in your group of friends or family for advice or for support? Have you tried to be patient with people during these stressful times? These are just a few things that should make us proud of ourselves! Just surviving these past couple of years with the chaos of work, covid, stress, fear, and anxiety is worthy of honoring and respecting ourselves!
Before the new year starts, think about all the good things about yourself and your life. Be appreciative of who you are and what you do. Instead of physical attributes, jot down the values that are most important to you. How many of them do you practice? Honor the good parts of you. It’s fine to think about what you want to change; it’s how we grow and improve as human beings. Just don’t live there.
Wishing us all a very Happy New Year and a year filled with happiness!
