2 Chronicles 16:9 NLT-The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.
This blog entry comes in the midst of some particularly challenging days for me. I am not sure why but for some reason God has allowed circumstances, stresses in my life to come to a boiling point and my heart, my mind are weary. I know the grit of it, is simply my inability to find a peace with myself, with my life. I have been extremely unsettled and unhappy for a very long time. It is hard to say that but I am. I have come back to this realiziation on several occasions over the past two years. My work life has taken some interesting twists and turns. I have chosen each one for better or worse, and rode it out as best I could. I knew God intended for me to be in each one for a reason, and no matter how good or bad it was I made the best of it. I have found a certain level of satisfaction with each one, but never truly felt any one in particular was the career of a lifetime for me. I came into each one and through each one knowing in my heart and mind that I could do it, I could do it well, and it was right for the time being but I didn't see any particular one being a life long career for me. The only thing I was certain of and what kept me going was, this could work for me until the time is right, and God provides for me to have the freedom and blessing to be at home full time. That was my goal, that was all I wanted. God has provided some very interesting opportunities for me and I have worked toward it and attained more than I thought I would. I am proud of what I've achieved, but when I set that aside, I'm not where I want to be. My greatest achievement is my family, my pride is in being the best me God intends for me to be, and the jewels in my crown are my sweet husband and my children. It doesn't matter to me what my resume shows I did in life, because what matters most is my family. I am at another point in my life, a crossroads you could say. I know what awaits me, the realm of possibilities and I am excited to see what may unfold in the next few months for me professionally. It would be easy at my age, at this point in my life, the experiences we have had to say, "What is the point of changing anything now? It is better, it is safer, it is smarter to go with the expectations that have been placed upon me. It is better to settle and make the most of what has been granted to me now. It is better not to take any risks. It is better to put aside any lofty ideas, dreams of something different and the creative freedoms that may come with taking a less predictable road."
I don't like feeling unsettled, and I am tired of being unhappy. Don't get me wrong-I am very thankful for where I am today, but it is possible to be thankful for where you are and yet be unsettled, unhappy and itching to do something more! Don't you think? Some life lessons I stumbled across today:
Slow down. Rushing is rarely worth it. Life is better enjoyed at a leisurely pace.
Goals aren’t as important as we think. Try working without them for a week. Turns out, you can do amazing things without goals. And you don’t have to manage them, cutting out on some of the bureaucracy of your life. You’re less stressed without goals, and you’re freer to choose paths you couldn’t have foreseen without them.
The moment is all there is. All our worries and plans about the future, all our replaying of things that happened in the past — it’s all in our heads, and it just distracts us from fully living right now. Let go of all that, and just focus on what you’re doing, right at this moment. In this way, any activity can be meditation.
If you find yourself swimming with all the other fish, go the other way. They don’t know where they’re going either.
Mistakes are the best way to learn. Don’t be afraid to make them. Try not to repeat the same ones too often.
Failures are the stepping stones to success. Without failure, we’ll never learn how to succeed. So try to fail, instead of trying to avoid failure through fear.
Rest is more important than you think. People work too hard, forget to rest, and then begin to hate their jobs. In fitness, you see it constantly: people training for a marathon getting burned out because they don’t know how to let their straining muscles and joints recover. People who try to do too much because they don’t know that rest is where their body gets stronger, after the stress.
The destination is just a tiny slice of the journey. We’re so worried about goals, about our future, that we miss all the great things along the way. If you’re fixated on the goal, on the end, you won’t enjoy it when you get there. You’ll be worried about the next goal, the next destination.
Let go of expectations. When you have expectations of something — a person, an experience, a vacation, a job, a book — you put it in a predetermined box that has little to do with reality. You set up an idealized version of the thing (or person) and then try to fit the reality into this ideal, and are often disappointed. Instead, try to experience reality as it is, appreciate it for what it is, and be happy that it is.
Gratitude is one of the best ways to find contentment. We are often discontent in our lives, desire more, because we don’t realize how much we have. Instead of focusing on what you don’t have, be grateful for the amazing gifts you’ve been given: of loved ones and simple pleasures, of health and sight and the gift of music and books, of nature and beauty and the ability to create, and everything in between. Be grateful every day.
Get some perspective. Usually when we’re worried or upset, it’s because we’ve lost perspective. In the larger picture, this one problem means almost nothing. This fight we’re having with someone else — it’s over something that matters naught. Let it go, and move on.
Don’t sit too much. It kills you. Move, dance, run, play.
Do less. Most people try to do too much. They fill life with checklists, and try to crank out tasks as if they were widget machines. Throw out the checklists and just figure out what’s important. Stop being a machine and focus on what you love. Do it lovingly.
Fear will try to stop you. Doubts will try to stop you. You’ll shy away from doing great things, from going on new adventures, from creating something new and putting it out in the world, because of self-doubt and fear. It will happen in the recesses of your mind, where you don’t even know it’s happening. Become aware of these doubts and fears. Shine some light on them. Beat them with a thousand tiny cuts. Do it anyway, because they are wrong.
("38 Life Lessons I've Learned in 38 Years", Post written by Leo Babauta, zenhabits.net)
I"m no expert on life, and I believe we are each one destined for greatness but-that destiny is in God's hands, and it is up to you how you choose to navigate the path He lays out. I want to breathe life in, and not miss what may be right before me, the chance to tap into some hidden potential just waiting to break free! I am excited, hopeful, ready to see where this new direction in my path may lead. I don't know what lies ahead, but I know there is the possibility of something greater than what I have today. I do not want to leave a single stone unturned, and I am looking forward to seeing what God has for me.
This blog entry comes in the midst of some particularly challenging days for me. I am not sure why but for some reason God has allowed circumstances, stresses in my life to come to a boiling point and my heart, my mind are weary. I know the grit of it, is simply my inability to find a peace with myself, with my life. I have been extremely unsettled and unhappy for a very long time. It is hard to say that but I am. I have come back to this realiziation on several occasions over the past two years. My work life has taken some interesting twists and turns. I have chosen each one for better or worse, and rode it out as best I could. I knew God intended for me to be in each one for a reason, and no matter how good or bad it was I made the best of it. I have found a certain level of satisfaction with each one, but never truly felt any one in particular was the career of a lifetime for me. I came into each one and through each one knowing in my heart and mind that I could do it, I could do it well, and it was right for the time being but I didn't see any particular one being a life long career for me. The only thing I was certain of and what kept me going was, this could work for me until the time is right, and God provides for me to have the freedom and blessing to be at home full time. That was my goal, that was all I wanted. God has provided some very interesting opportunities for me and I have worked toward it and attained more than I thought I would. I am proud of what I've achieved, but when I set that aside, I'm not where I want to be. My greatest achievement is my family, my pride is in being the best me God intends for me to be, and the jewels in my crown are my sweet husband and my children. It doesn't matter to me what my resume shows I did in life, because what matters most is my family. I am at another point in my life, a crossroads you could say. I know what awaits me, the realm of possibilities and I am excited to see what may unfold in the next few months for me professionally. It would be easy at my age, at this point in my life, the experiences we have had to say, "What is the point of changing anything now? It is better, it is safer, it is smarter to go with the expectations that have been placed upon me. It is better to settle and make the most of what has been granted to me now. It is better not to take any risks. It is better to put aside any lofty ideas, dreams of something different and the creative freedoms that may come with taking a less predictable road."
I don't like feeling unsettled, and I am tired of being unhappy. Don't get me wrong-I am very thankful for where I am today, but it is possible to be thankful for where you are and yet be unsettled, unhappy and itching to do something more! Don't you think? Some life lessons I stumbled across today:
Slow down. Rushing is rarely worth it. Life is better enjoyed at a leisurely pace.
Goals aren’t as important as we think. Try working without them for a week. Turns out, you can do amazing things without goals. And you don’t have to manage them, cutting out on some of the bureaucracy of your life. You’re less stressed without goals, and you’re freer to choose paths you couldn’t have foreseen without them.
The moment is all there is. All our worries and plans about the future, all our replaying of things that happened in the past — it’s all in our heads, and it just distracts us from fully living right now. Let go of all that, and just focus on what you’re doing, right at this moment. In this way, any activity can be meditation.
If you find yourself swimming with all the other fish, go the other way. They don’t know where they’re going either.
Mistakes are the best way to learn. Don’t be afraid to make them. Try not to repeat the same ones too often.
Failures are the stepping stones to success. Without failure, we’ll never learn how to succeed. So try to fail, instead of trying to avoid failure through fear.
Rest is more important than you think. People work too hard, forget to rest, and then begin to hate their jobs. In fitness, you see it constantly: people training for a marathon getting burned out because they don’t know how to let their straining muscles and joints recover. People who try to do too much because they don’t know that rest is where their body gets stronger, after the stress.
The destination is just a tiny slice of the journey. We’re so worried about goals, about our future, that we miss all the great things along the way. If you’re fixated on the goal, on the end, you won’t enjoy it when you get there. You’ll be worried about the next goal, the next destination.
Let go of expectations. When you have expectations of something — a person, an experience, a vacation, a job, a book — you put it in a predetermined box that has little to do with reality. You set up an idealized version of the thing (or person) and then try to fit the reality into this ideal, and are often disappointed. Instead, try to experience reality as it is, appreciate it for what it is, and be happy that it is.
Gratitude is one of the best ways to find contentment. We are often discontent in our lives, desire more, because we don’t realize how much we have. Instead of focusing on what you don’t have, be grateful for the amazing gifts you’ve been given: of loved ones and simple pleasures, of health and sight and the gift of music and books, of nature and beauty and the ability to create, and everything in between. Be grateful every day.
Get some perspective. Usually when we’re worried or upset, it’s because we’ve lost perspective. In the larger picture, this one problem means almost nothing. This fight we’re having with someone else — it’s over something that matters naught. Let it go, and move on.
Don’t sit too much. It kills you. Move, dance, run, play.
Do less. Most people try to do too much. They fill life with checklists, and try to crank out tasks as if they were widget machines. Throw out the checklists and just figure out what’s important. Stop being a machine and focus on what you love. Do it lovingly.
Fear will try to stop you. Doubts will try to stop you. You’ll shy away from doing great things, from going on new adventures, from creating something new and putting it out in the world, because of self-doubt and fear. It will happen in the recesses of your mind, where you don’t even know it’s happening. Become aware of these doubts and fears. Shine some light on them. Beat them with a thousand tiny cuts. Do it anyway, because they are wrong.
("38 Life Lessons I've Learned in 38 Years", Post written by Leo Babauta, zenhabits.net)
I"m no expert on life, and I believe we are each one destined for greatness but-that destiny is in God's hands, and it is up to you how you choose to navigate the path He lays out. I want to breathe life in, and not miss what may be right before me, the chance to tap into some hidden potential just waiting to break free! I am excited, hopeful, ready to see where this new direction in my path may lead. I don't know what lies ahead, but I know there is the possibility of something greater than what I have today. I do not want to leave a single stone unturned, and I am looking forward to seeing what God has for me.
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