This has turned into a week of reflection.
I got to peer into a world of music and travel and hear about rubbing elbows with the rich and famous. Those things are appealing to a lot of people, but what made me smile the most this week is the prayers of my children, talking with old farmers, and making a new friend. I enjoy moments of glitz and glamor, but that is not how I want to live my life every day.
I went to the concert of an artist that I saw for the first time right after I moved here. I didn't realize it had been so long until they announced the date at the beginning of the show. It stirred up memories of all the things that have changed in the last 6 1/2 years.
I'm definitely in a better place emotionally. Those days where I barely had the strength to crawl out of bed to take care of my kids are long gone. Things that used to bother me don't as much any more.
I think I'm in a better place spiritually too although I still have a lot of room to grow. I have tried to maintain some daily quiet time to be renewed.
I'm in a better place physically. I am jogging on a regular basis and feel fit and healthy.
My mind is probably the only thing I was able to hang onto all this time. Although the cognitive dissonance at times between what was said and what was done frustrated me, my mind continuing to work helped me sort things out.
It's not the journey I would have chosen, but I can see that I am in a much better place.
It's that time of year when people reflect on the past year and set new goals. I set a few goals this past summer, so let's see how I did.
1. Restart something that has fallen by the wayside.
I did start jogging again and ran a half marathon in October! I ran a 5K about a month after that. With the change in weather and the addition of some hip pain, I will have to rethink my exercise goal for 2015. I have started hiking with my boys and hope to continue that.
2. Make an improvement in your life that you've been meaning to do. Some weeks sorting the mail goes better than others. Sometimes I look and the basket is brimming over the top. I still have a couple of days before I return to work and hope to get the mail back to a manageable level.
3. Do something special for yourself. Running the half marathon was that something special I did for myself. During that first mile on the course, I remembered why I chose this challenge. It was something I could do for myself without needing a man to help me. Plus I had a weekend alone in a hotel room to relax. OK, I did spend some time writing a paper for class while I was there. Going back to grad school is another thing I have done for myself.
4. Spend time with friends. Unfortunately, spending time with friends has been challenging between school and work. Where I would normally have time for lunch, I had to rearrange my schedule a couple of days a week to be able to get to class on time. I still make time for my friends, but it has been more limited.
How did you do with reaching your goals this past year?
Have you taken time this week to rest in God? Are you feeling renewed today or weak and weary?
Loving other people sounds simple enough, but think of it in light of how you love yourself. Clearly a lot of people don't love themselves or they would be a whole lot happier and wouldn't work so hard to make other people miserable.
I've been thinking about ways to love myself, especially with my newly found free time that isn't dedicated to pleasing someone else. Time to refocus on taking care of me! Maybe you are looking for ways to love on yourself too. I made a list of several things I want to accomplish in life. Here are some things I decided to start doing first.
1. Restart something that has fallen by the wayside. I decided to start jogging again. I was hoping to get rid of some of the jiggle, which has definitely improved over the last two months. Today a high school classmate issued a challenge for people to join her for a half marathon. I've never run that far, but I'm willing to try!
2. Make an improvement in your life that you've been meaning to do. This doesn't have to be something big. Maybe you want to balance your checkbook more often. I want to start opening my mail as soon as it arrives so I don't end up with large piles to sort through every month. It's not a big project, but it will reduce clutter which is helpful.
3. Do something special for yourself. With 2 small boys, it's easy to put me on the back burner. Factor in a boyfriend, and that time for myself shrinks even more. As I said, there's more time to focus on me now. Get that massage you've been wanting. Try a new hairstyle. What is something you have put off doing because you were busy meeting everyone else's needs?
4. Spend time with friends. Evenings are busy trying to feed kids and get them ready for bed. However, lunch is a great time for me to catch up with friends. Maybe the opposite is true for you. Plan a special girls weekend away even if it's only a morning out to get pedicures and eat brunch.
Just because one phase of life has ended doesn't mean life has ended. It means you have new opportunities. You don't have to fix it all in a day, a week, or a year. Take your time and love yourself!
