For those of you that have read my blog from the beginning, you know I am pretty candid with my posts - ups, downs, battles, and everything in between. Over the last couple years I got stuck in a warp of negativity, which I struggled with and so I vowed at the beginning of 2013 to start anew and six months into the year, things have been positively great! Or this quote by John Barrymore says it best: "Happiness often sneaks in through a door you didn't know you left open."
Since I've stopped looking at the negative aspects or things that were happening in my life or the lack of and started looking at them as blessings and life lessons, my focus has changed into a more positive one and it radiates out. When I was younger I would take the time to meditate and visualize my life, but I stopped for a long time and just recently started and it has made a difference in how I feel and respond. When I sense negativity either in a discussion or something else, I try to change the focus and I'm not going to lie and say that it is happiness every single day as it is hard - it's not easy to stay happy every day, but the difference it makes is amazing. I believe that my life is happy, that it is the life I want and no one else is responsible for that, but me. And it is radiating out to every aspect of my life, I'm eating healthier, I'm feeling better, and somehow when something goes wrong within moments it works itself out.
I have two examples to share:
First, my parents took the kids on a Friday night and typically the hubs and I would go out to eat and run to Target (without the kids, yes that is a treat), but lately I felt like we have been in a rut, so I decided to create a scavenger hunt. I sent him a clue to initiate the game, he accepted the challenge and so I sent the first clue, however, after working 8 hours in the sun and out of town, by the time he was ready to come home, his eagerness for the game was gone. I planned four clues throughout various places, my brother had come to the house and was waiting to take me to the final location, which at the last minute I had to scrap it all. I typically would have been upset over the whole thing and a little of me was a bit disappointed, but the hubby called and told me how tired he was and how sorry he felt and I told him not to worry, so instead of feeling disappointed and angry, I let it go. We would do dinner and just see how the evening goes. Well, it was a fantastic evening - we went to dinner, had drinks, laughed so hard, went to an art showing and then went to the wine bar before ending our night. It was a great evening and one of the best date nights we've had in a long time. And even though I went to a lot of work planning the scavenger hunt and could have gotten upset over him bailing out at the last minute, I chose not to get upset and not to make a fuss about it....I chose to be happy to just have the opportunity for an evening out with my spouse and it made all the difference.
Second example, just this past weekend, the hubby's truck was overheating....well after inspection, the radiator needed replaced and we didn't have the cash to get a new one and I knew we would have to wait til payday, but I didn't freak out, I didn't panic. I simply said it will all work out and the next day, we got a check for the amount we needed. And granted it was for a project the hubby worked on several weeks ago, so we knew the money was coming, but we didn't know when to expect it, but it came just when we needed it most.
And I know that there are some that don't buy into the whole positive outlook thing, but this is my journey - I'm not asking anyone else to change their behavior or their thought process. I decided that I needed to change my outlook because I was growing numb. I've also noticed that I'm attracting happy people around me. I'm genuinely a quiet person and enjoy silence, however, I find lately when I'm around people before too long we are laughing and having a great time. And what I've realized is that negative thoughts force me to look at the negative things in life, which is a vicious cycle because the more you focus on the negative things in life, the unhappier you become and you just get stuck in this cycle of repeated negativity. Then before too long, nothing is enjoyable, nothing is funny, nothing is beautiful, and you become numb. Numb to life and critical to everyone.
There are a million possibilities at my door and I'm open to them all and to me, that is exciting!
"When people feel beautiful, they act in beautiful ways. Your awareness of beauty impacts others to see the world around them in the same way." - Wayne Dyer
"Remember at all times that what you think and what you do affects other people." Wayne Dyer
Monday, June 17, 2013
Summer Sun, Fun has Begun......
Right before summer break, I was able to take a girls weekend trip to Indiana....yes, Indiana - Fremont to be exact. It is the half way point between where I live and where a couple of my friends live. We thought since it is such a long drive to visit each other, why not meet halfway and thankfully it worked out with every one's schedule. It has been several years since I've last since these girls and it was so great to catch up and just relax - we all have two children each, so taking time to for a weekend getaway like this was great. I did get momentarily lost when my GPS started rerouting me to a hotel in Michigan. The town was small and hopefully we will get to do this again sooner rather than later. I definitely miss those girls!
Summer break has finally arrived and you would think my kids are yelling with excitement, but my kids are counting down the days till school starts up again. Yes, they cried when school was over, both of my kids would love it if school were year round and the fact they enjoy it that much makes me happy.
To kick off our summer, we took a spur of the moment trip to Kansas City Legoland - we just went down for the day and didn't tell the kids, which considering we spent a good portion of time in the car, was tricky. Once we got about 20 miles outside of Kansas City, we spilled the beans and I honestly wish I had recorded the moment. You would have thought we won the lottery or a trip to Disney - it was priceless.
So, we spend the day doing whatever they wanted to do at Legoland and then went to dinner before heading back. I initially didn't want to go, but once we were there and just having fun, was well worth it.
We've got the kiddies signed up for the summer reading program at the library, they have been reading almost everyday and I think only because the idea of earning a "prize" from the library sounds so alluring to them, it is the driving force behind their reading. We'll be keeping busy with other activities and happenings as well. One of my cousins will be visiting from NZ and I'm so excited to see him! He is so much fun and it's great to just spend hours catching up. The last time he was here, we were up till dawn just talking about our hopes, dreams, and reminiscing of our childhood. We are a lot a like, which is why I think we are so close. I miss him and I'm definitely excited that he is coming for a visit!
And of course, summer is not complete without a project or two - the hubby has been trying his hand at repurposing old pallets - he made us a wine bar table and a wine rack for our backyard.....pretty crafty that man of mine!
“Come with me,' Mom says.
To the library.
Books and summertime
go together.” - Lisa Schroeder
Summer break has finally arrived and you would think my kids are yelling with excitement, but my kids are counting down the days till school starts up again. Yes, they cried when school was over, both of my kids would love it if school were year round and the fact they enjoy it that much makes me happy.
To kick off our summer, we took a spur of the moment trip to Kansas City Legoland - we just went down for the day and didn't tell the kids, which considering we spent a good portion of time in the car, was tricky. Once we got about 20 miles outside of Kansas City, we spilled the beans and I honestly wish I had recorded the moment. You would have thought we won the lottery or a trip to Disney - it was priceless.
So, we spend the day doing whatever they wanted to do at Legoland and then went to dinner before heading back. I initially didn't want to go, but once we were there and just having fun, was well worth it.
We've got the kiddies signed up for the summer reading program at the library, they have been reading almost everyday and I think only because the idea of earning a "prize" from the library sounds so alluring to them, it is the driving force behind their reading. We'll be keeping busy with other activities and happenings as well. One of my cousins will be visiting from NZ and I'm so excited to see him! He is so much fun and it's great to just spend hours catching up. The last time he was here, we were up till dawn just talking about our hopes, dreams, and reminiscing of our childhood. We are a lot a like, which is why I think we are so close. I miss him and I'm definitely excited that he is coming for a visit!
And of course, summer is not complete without a project or two - the hubby has been trying his hand at repurposing old pallets - he made us a wine bar table and a wine rack for our backyard.....pretty crafty that man of mine!
“Come with me,' Mom says.
To the library.
Books and summertime
go together.” - Lisa Schroeder
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