The planned life

Ah yes. The way life never goes as you have planned. At least it doesn't for me. I waste so much time planning only to have it all change in an instant. I need to find the beauty in the unplanned. Keep the faith when all goes up in smoke and life does a 360. Stay positive when all I want to do is set in a corner and cry. This post definitely hit home tonight...back to being positive and finding beauty in this unplanned existence called life.

Feeling vs Knowing

I can see how that could happen, especially where other people are involved. Even involving yourself and feelings. You logically know something is true, but your feelings tell you something else. 

Stop and think about a situation where that has happened to you. How did you deal with it? Which part won? Was it the right decision?  Remembering these types of 'battles' often helps us in the future to make better choices or to validate those we made. 

Staying positive

It is snowing, again! I just shoveled off 4-5 inches of really heavy, great snowman making snow from the deck...the entire time trying to look at the positive side of this weather. 

But we don't need to just be positive about the weather, we need to try and be positive about every aspect of our lives. Set yourself a goal... try and find at least 5 positive things each day, or 10 or whatever number you choose. Then each few days or week increase that number. It does make a difference.

I remember when doing digital scrapbooking we set a goal to take 1 photo a day and do a layout. At first it was fun, then it was work and then, low and behold, we all started realizing what beauty there was around us that we had just never noticed before and had no problems taking and doing one each day. 

So, start small and work your way through what ever goals you set for yourself, the main thing is to do something about positivity in your life each day!  

Take every chance, drop every fear

Fear is not a tangible thing, but it should be. It would make it so much easier to deal with. I would venture to say we all experience fear, some on  higher levels than others. 

I have fears. Strange sounds during the night. Confrontation with authority (the boss on a job for example). Fear of not measuring up to ??? standards. I can continue but you get the idea. Those are some of the ones I can put a name on, but there are those that I know I am feeling fear, I just am not quite sure what triggered it or what to do about it. 

I call on God a lot, put the situation in His hands. Sometimes I freeze and don't really do anything, figuring if I don't, the situation causing me fear will go away. Usually it gets worse. Just taking chances and going out of our 'comfort zone' can cause fear. 

I see posts like the above all the time, and others, which tells us to confront our fears, drop our fears, don't allow our fears to control us. Like all things we have to deal with, sometimes a tiny step at a time is all we can do. Sometimes we need professional help to deal with those fears. Some can just look their fear head on and move on. Whatever your situation is, the main thing is you do SOMETHING about  your fear. That tiny step, help, facing it head on or just trying to figure out what is causing it when you are not sure. Try and do something, anything. The more you deal with it, the easier it gets. I have always found the worst thing about fear is actually the fear itself and what it causes. We all have fears. It is up to each one of us to do what we can to deal with them. Just remember,  you are not alone. You CAN do this!!

Give and take

Sometimes that is all you can do in a day... give what you can and take what you need.

A very good question. What is your happy thought? As I started to write I stopped to think and realized that I had many and could not pick just one. 

In trying to start a new routine for the animals each morning I realize it also brightens my day. Life has settled into a very comfortable, happy place. Things are taking shape around the house, the pets are settling in. I get lots of purrs, wags and love. I also realize that I have been getting very burned out the last 2 1/2 years. Taking care of a loved one with dementia is much more difficult than I ever imagined. I also know her fall could have been so much worse than a broken leg and I think it was a wake up call to me. Also giving me a much needed break with her going into the nursing home for  rehab and healing.

I find myself needing "something" from those who come into my life in the form of a visit or a call, but not knowing what. At the same time I did not want that phone to ring or people to come over because I just did not have the energy to "give" anything or anyone. I used to find I was like a light and people like moths were drawn toward my energy. This last year especially I found myself searching for that light in others. Now I think that something was a form of a lifeline because I felt like I was drowning. It is not just the physical energy you expend taking care of someone, in my case a parent, but also mental and at time it felt the very essence of my being was slowly seeping away. 

I don't know what is going on in  your life or how you are feeling. All I can do is share some of what I have gone through and hope it helps someone to know they are not alone, those feelings they have are not foreign or wrong. They are our bodies trying to tell us something and we need to listen. It may mean we need more help and it is not a betrayal to our loved ones to get that. If we don't help ourselves, we cannot help others. 

My happy thought? I am thankful to have been given the chance to refind my light and energy that I may be able to help others find theirs. 

How often do you plan to get a 'whole list of things' done only to find at the end of the day you may have managed some on the list, but not all? My days are like that. They pass with amazing speed and I look back and think, I have not gotten anything done! What I forget to look at is all of the small things I do every day. Cook, dishes, light cleaning, laundry, take care of the pets, fire in the stove...  Not a lot but these things take time regardless. I have a couple hours a day where I visit mom in the nursing home. Before I know it, the day is gone and another one is starting. Life flies by so quickly, the birthdays, holidays all come much faster than before. We just need to remember that the little things we do each day also count, even more when they are done with great love!  Put love in those things you do daily and be thankful for the opportunity to be able to do them each day.