As it turns out, I am a hoarder.
I am a hoarder of books, ideas, and aspirations. These are the things that fill every nook and cranny of my brain (and sometimes my bookshelves.)
Productivity and creativity are part of my personal prescription for hard days when depression tries to make a surprise appearance. Accomplishing one thing sets me on a path to do one more thing, and then another until I am back on the purposeful path of living life.
I almost bit the dust again today. Bit the dust with baby in stroller in tow. Not good.
I was going to write about this the other day when my social butterfly Iris Bernard (not so saintlike) Campbell decided she wanted to say ‘hello’ to a neighborhood pekingese. That day, I was ready for it. I had a strategy and I had my feet firmly planted so that I could be the one to come out victorious.
Today, not so much. Iris won.
Planted. I want to believe with every ounce of my being that when I am planted (aka deeply rooted) I win. Winner, winner, chicken dinner. ‘Nuff said.
Just like the people we hang out with have influence on us so do the things we choose to fill our minds with.
I am having a not so secret love affair with Zumba. The setting of the YouTube videos I follow is tropical and the music is Spanish Reggae.
Did I mention I don’t speak Spanish? The books we read, the shows we watch all impact who we are and how we think and engage in the world. I am going to continue in my bad words and body parts Zumba but I will think twice before I mindlessly binge on yet another Netflix show.
Enjoy one of my repartee.
Celine Dion!!!
Did I just date myself? That’s right… I said it. I am a Celine Dion fan, so there.
Approximately a year and a half ago I had the thought that if nothing else… I was to love wholly and sing over the baby/& or babies brought to our home through foster care.
When words fail, sometimes the song that comes up in our mind/heart just seems to do the trick. Healing balm to a hurting soul via earworm.
Little man has something up today,… the cause has yet to be determined. Teeth are always a very real possibility. On days like this, we look one another in the eyes and just sing together. It is so very precious. So very healing. So very pure. It is also the perfect picture of what I believe to be true of my Heavenly Father who rejoices over me with singing… & He quiets me with His love. (Zephaniah 3:16-17)
I believe I can extrapolate enough evidence to prove definitively that… I. AM. NOT. IN. CHARGE. Case in point, Iris Bernard Campbell decided to chase a squirrel on today’s walk…. I almost bit it. (no, I did not eat squirrel… although I hear it tastes like chicken….)
I don’t have control over a lot of things, but I do have control over my thoughts. I wage battle daily against the trap of despair, defeat, and comparison. Who’s walking who?
Today, I am firmly grounded in truth. Tomorrow, I will wage war again.
I have had a bully for a good chunk of my life. She has the capacity to bring me to tears with a single glance. Her words are destructive and full of malice. This mean girl has had the power to keep me in hiding, having reduced me to a state of complete devastation. She knows exactly which buttons to push and she is a thief who comes to steal, kill, and destroy.
Today’s blog is brought to you courtesy of my mirror. Today, I choose life. Today, I choose truth. Today, I choose to walk in the light. Today, that mean girl can suck it.
Today’s blog is brought to you courtesy of goose poop. (yes… I planned my blog on today’s morning walk… ) Canada Geese and goose poop are part of my daily norm.
I need to reference Crystal Thompson again @flourishintoyou -www.flourishintoyou.com as her wisdom seems to be a common thread underlying my bursts of inspiration. Her and Matthew McConaughey. I listened to the speech below this morning on ‘happiness.’ Take a listen and then think about your next right step in your daily battle.
Let’s hope we all avoid ‘stepping in it’ today.
Should I be concerned for my character if the person I spend the most time with is under 2 years of age? You know that expression ‘you become like the 5 people you spend time with?’ So if you see an increase in curiosity and exuberance I guess blame it on the baby…??
As someone who does not possess infinite amounts of energy I try and be discerning about the who and how of my time. That combined with a short attention span *squirrel!!* make it so that each day I filter out more and more and focus on the better.
Just as I am careful about how I nourish my body with food (please do not read this to mean ‘diet’) I also strive to feed my mind and soul with the ‘better.’
I am in the process of cultivating a better morning and evening routine so that: a) I get enough sleep b) I don’t waste time with mindless netflicks or social media c) I am able to daily face what comes my way because I have spent time intentionally with the One who matters most.
How could we all do a bit better in the how and who of our days? Who are your top 5 people? How do they impact your character? If you needed to recharge what is your go to?
I am posting this blog on the way to a local park to try out our new (to us) child carrier on an easy hike.
I should probably mention that I get motion sickness. I made the 10-10-10 commitment so I guess bring on the nausea induced burps!
An important part of my life is getting outside and moving my body in some capacity. As my particular depression was onset by an extended time of stress in my life, I go to great lengths to keep my stress levels under wraps. This means that I do not choose to punish my body through exercise but rather choose daily to engage in anything and everything that brings me back to the bliss of childhood. Swing sets, slides, swimming pools, splash pads, games of chase, and dancing are among the many activities I do. Today we add hiking back into the mix.
Wish me luck as I strap on a 30 lb wiggly toddler to my back and wage war against any insects that come my way.
Today’s blog is brought to you @selfaesthetics with my forever friend Tanya Lilley-Chan. I am so grateful to have Tanya back in my life during my seemingly mid-life crisis. She makes me feel body confident and teaches me to age with grace… and Botox!
I facetiously named this blog narcissistically because I HATE making everything about me. I have the best people in my life. True forever friends who have seen me at my worst and at my best. I love doing life in tandem with my lovely gal pals. Feeling alone does NOT have to be a thing. Depression or no… I am not alone. It takes a village. Thank you Tanya Lilley-Chan for being my friend since we were preschoolers. Love you to the moon and back forevermore.
Ps here is a shameless pitch for @selfaesthetics … if you have pondered the freedom of laser hair removal DO IT! If you wondered if Botox makes you look like Tim Allen in Skipping Christmas… you won’t. If there is a little something you would like to lift, tighten, brighten, augment or just plain feel a little better please do call Tanya @selfaesthetics (204) 237-1388
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