Friday, January 28, 2011

Better Me Epiphany ~ What If?

Shadow of a Doubt - S5isShadowDoubt

So the other day i had a big case of the What If's ~ and not the good kind. You know one of those moments where doubt rushes in and hits you real hard

What if no one cares?

What if I never move forward?

What if I never become anymore than I am now?

What If I'm wasting my time?

What if none of this will ever be worth it?

Depressing right? Tell me about it! I think we all go through these little moments, but that doesn't make them any easier. I don't know where all those thoughts came from but I know it's a place that I refuse to stay. Fear has the sneakiest way of creeping in and crippling who we are and who we will be. It can be so convincing and can litterally pull you backwards in life. I believe that fear is deceit in its purest form. It takes everything in life and distorts it and has all us believing in something that isn't true. When we believe lies we act accordingly and everything is thrown off.

I decided a long time ago to enjoy my life exactly how it is right this instant. It's the only life that we have to enjoy. I may never have a blog following of 15,000. I may never right a book that ends up on the Oprah book club list. I may never have a booming business. That is ok, because those are all extraneous things. I know in the very deepest part of me that who I am is not determined by these things. My identity lies in what I choose. So each day I will continue to do the things I love, share the things I care about, and enjoy life in spite of what fear, doubt, and anything else tell me. It won't trick me.

Better Me Epiphany ~ The what ifs in life will always try to cover up what is. Every time fear trys to distort my lifes' image it is my responsibility to step back, focus, and remember the truth. Today will be the event of a lifetime every time it comes.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Better Me Epiphany ~ Lose Your Grip


Closing doors (365/365), originally uploaded by JenniPenni.

These past few days have been a huge reminder of the tenacity of the human spirit. No matter what, we all have the ability to hold on. The only thing is that sometimes its time for us to just let go.

I have millions of examples... I was cruising through facebook and saw a status update of a friend declaring for the 100th time that they are so glad their ex is out of their life (they were out 3 months ago... still holding on), a friend of mine brought up a time when he was snubbed for something months ago, and ME ~ I was talking to my friend and a name was brought up. I frowned my face and my friend asked when are you going to get over all that. I responded that I was over it, but I won't forget the lesson learned. I'm wondering if I really am though. I don't ever think about that person or the situation unless it's brought up. I'm not harboring ill feelings against them... but I do have a certain perception of them because of the whole situation.

It is easy to go back . Our rearview mirror can take us so far back in an instant. It would be no problem to replay that whole scene over and over and talk about how I was right and they were wrong and I can feel justified in my attitude. But whats the point? Things in our past are over for a reason. We don't have to go back and drudge up all the old hurts, worries, and disapointments. The only thing that can do is muddy up our present. When we replay all of those things over and over we are painting our minds with them. A mind painted with hurt, disapointment, and worry (however real and valid) can only produce more of the same. So the point is to learn from it but don't relive it. We all go through things as a way of teaching us and stretching us into our best selves. So the next time I hear a certain name I don't have to turn up my face, because I won't relive that hurt. I will simply think of the lesson learned and let the rest stay in the past where it belongs.

Better Me Epiphany ~ Reliving a life that already happened is as redundant as this sentence. I won't waste my time, life, or energy focusing on a past that can't be rewritten. It happened.. I survived... I learned... and now I'm letting go and moving forward.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

CREATE ~ Valentine’s Card

Hey Y’all!!  So I have been really excited about this whole card making thing! I have kind of gone crazy buying craft supplies lately! I am stopping myself… no more… for a week! Ha!  Anyways I wanted to share my latest card! Tell me what you think!

 

Here is the cover!

 

2011-01-12_23.59.00

And here is the inside

2011-01-12_23.59.21

Here’s another

2011-01-13_01.39.18

Here is the inside with a matching envelope

2011-01-13_01.40.52

What do you think?

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

The Sophistareaders ~ Skipping Christmas

51Be6yZhlJL__AA300_

Hey Ya’ll! Well the book for December was very appropriately picked by Laura! It was called Skipping Christmas by John Grisham. It is the book that the movie Christmas with the Kranks was based off of. It was a fun read and a fun book club meeting too!

jlowe_169

We had Japanese! I had the Fuji roll… and it was delicious!! We just sat around and discussed the book. Laura asked us if we could ever “skip Christmas” and not celebrate. Most of us decided that we couldn’t . One of the great things about Christmas and most major holidays are the family traditions that come right along with it. I don’t think I could give up waking up to a fire on Christmas morning with my family all around eating Cinnamon rolls!! Or the multitude of card games that follow. We love to play cards in my family (all of us are the worst losers too!! It makes it very interesting!!) Pus the most important thing about Christmas is the real meaning behind it. I don’t think I could go a year without stopping to be thankful for the miraculous beginning of my faith!

So Laura thanks for the great pick! and I need to order our next book! I love this little group of people called the Sophistareaders! I couldn’t ask for a better bunch!

What about you? Could you ever skip Christmas?

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Lunch Date Table

A Communal Table for One.............

While eating lunch ALONE today i had an idea. I was sitting in there without my "eat alone materials" ~ a book, magazine, or something to look interested in. I looked around and saw a few single person occupied tables. Then i remembered my trip to New York. While I was there i went to a little jazz club to see one of my favorite singers ( Melonie Daniels... she wasn't there though!). Anyways seating was sparse so they sat me down at a table with a few other people at it. I was a little taken back because I had never been seated with strangers before. But it turned out really nice. I met a young couple from Europe ( I can't remember which country), theey were really nice. It was a good experience fetting to know perfect strangers just because. I looked around there and saw that most of the tables were mixed together like that, with some very opposite types of people. I would've liked to hear some of those conversations!

So i say all of that to say this. I propose that restaurants have a communal table. When i walk in and say table for one they can ask if I'd like to sit there. I think it would be a great way to meet someone new.. and maybe gain a little wisdom from a perfect stranger. I know.. they have a bar for that, but nothing incites conversation like sitting across from someone. You just have to talk!.

So that's my idea for today! What do you think?

Monday, January 3, 2011

CREATE ~ Here We Go!

Hey Y’all!  I’m starting this New Year out with some creativity!!  I had today off ~ tomorrow is the big day back to BOTH jobs. I’m excited about going back to work…. it’s just been so long!! ha!  Back to the point!  Today I decided to see what I can do in the card making department. Here is what I came up with

2011-01-03_18.58.07

A simple leaf card with a blank inside that I stamped myself. I even did the envelop too for a little coordination! ( I need to get a camera ~ my phone gets the job done but it doesn’t capture the color very well!)

 

My best friend saw that one and asked me to make one to accompany some baby gifts. A friend of ours had a little baby boy. Here’s what I came up with

2011-01-03_23.14.36

I was excited about how it came out!

 

So I’m putting my creative juices to good this year. What about you?  What have you decided to CREATE?

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Better Me Epiphany ~ A New Year

Frozen web.

We are officially in a new year! Everyone has been asking me what my New Year’s resolutions are for the upcoming year. I responded with a blank stare and a pregnant pause……  I don’t know that I have any right now. This may sound crazy because this year is the perfect time to start over ~ It is chock  full of 1’s. 1/01/11 (Doesn’t this look like a setup for everything to start over?). If you have ever read any of my old posts then you know I fiercely believe in starting over every day, hour, moment, second. We don’t need a calendar full of 1’s or even a sunrise. We have the ability to stop whatever we are doing in that moment and change. I love that idea because it means that we can literally have 86,400 chances to start over every day (that's the number of seconds in a day).

      So I say all of that not to make lightly of the New Year or the New Years resolutions ~ they are grand and wonderful and the most consistent reminder of a new start ~ but I say this all to point out that we don’t have to limit ourselves to that. So many times we resolve to do something in the new year… we mess up.. and then we quit. I put its picture of a spider web up because it is a great reminder to me about new beginnings. Every day that spider laboriously builds it’s web, and every night the dew drops, the wind blows, or a by stander haphazardly walks through it, and it is destroyed. Even the purpose of the web destroys it when a bug gets stuck in it and flails around it messes it up. The spider is continually rebuilding, redoing, and restarting. It takes a lot of dedication, but for the spider it is a matter of survival. So I challenge you and I challenge myself to do the same thing as that spider. persevere like our very survival depends on it ~ because it does. When we mess up, have a setback, walk completely in the opposite direction of where we said we would head, we will not give up. We will simply spin a new web with each new moment and build our lives and our very being into exactly what we set out to do.

Better Me Epiphany: I will remember the web. Destruction is sometimes evident, but it is never the final outcome. My life is what I make it and the chances to change course are only limited by the seconds I have in my lifetime.

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...