what's needlin' you?
Or, better yet, what ISN'T?
I think we can honestly all admit that each and every one of our lives aren't perfect, that there is always something that feels a little off, something that is a challenge. I know that we can have moments, too, where we experience absolute harmony in the midst of life and it's challenges. I have these experiences much more than I ever used to. I stick around, riding the bumpy road of life, knowing that those moments of release are right around the corner (somewhere). But what to do while waiting?
There is always something in my life that I can decide to worry about. There is always some challenge in my life that I can choose to focus on. If I don't acknowledge or get support around it in some way, I am one of those people who can let it take over. As much as the intellectual piece of me knows that what I am choosing to give power is just a tiny blemish on the canvas of life, my emotional and spiritual self can tell me otherwise. All of the sudden what is a small blemish can spread over the course of the entire canvas. And after years of knowing this, yes, this still happens....to me.
What do I do in an attempt to shrink that blemish back to it's original size?
I acknowledge the challenge. It's helpful for me to do this, out loud, with my supportive and loving "peops".
I make a decision to shift my focus back onto what's important to me. This can take a lot of discipline especially if the challenge feels BIG.
I make a list of what IS working. Recently, I had the idea of making a visual image of everything that was going well in my life as well as the challenges. I put what I wanted to give more energy, a large circle in the middle of the paper while giving the challenges a place on the paper as well (though not at the center and not as large).
I may choose to take an action in one of the areas in my life that I want to see flourish.
I may decide to take extra good care of myself in some tangible way (no matter how many times this have proven to work, I will still try to tell myself there isn't time for this)
Another way I work at bringing that blemish down to size is to immerse myself in something I love. This is when it's good to have a running list of "what I love" that I can reference because, in the midst of a challenge that has taken over, sometimes I can start to feel like I don't love anything (crazy, huh?)
One thing is certain: When I finally surrender to the challenge, when I take action to shift my focus elsewhere, all of the sudden, the blemish itself has brought me closer to my vision: a life where I focus on the positive, a life filled with supportive and loving people, a life that is flourishing, where I take good care of myself and LOVE.
How do you keep your eye on the prize? I want to know.
I think we can honestly all admit that each and every one of our lives aren't perfect, that there is always something that feels a little off, something that is a challenge. I know that we can have moments, too, where we experience absolute harmony in the midst of life and it's challenges. I have these experiences much more than I ever used to. I stick around, riding the bumpy road of life, knowing that those moments of release are right around the corner (somewhere). But what to do while waiting?
There is always something in my life that I can decide to worry about. There is always some challenge in my life that I can choose to focus on. If I don't acknowledge or get support around it in some way, I am one of those people who can let it take over. As much as the intellectual piece of me knows that what I am choosing to give power is just a tiny blemish on the canvas of life, my emotional and spiritual self can tell me otherwise. All of the sudden what is a small blemish can spread over the course of the entire canvas. And after years of knowing this, yes, this still happens....to me.
What do I do in an attempt to shrink that blemish back to it's original size?
I acknowledge the challenge. It's helpful for me to do this, out loud, with my supportive and loving "peops".
I make a decision to shift my focus back onto what's important to me. This can take a lot of discipline especially if the challenge feels BIG.
I make a list of what IS working. Recently, I had the idea of making a visual image of everything that was going well in my life as well as the challenges. I put what I wanted to give more energy, a large circle in the middle of the paper while giving the challenges a place on the paper as well (though not at the center and not as large).
I may choose to take an action in one of the areas in my life that I want to see flourish.
I may decide to take extra good care of myself in some tangible way (no matter how many times this have proven to work, I will still try to tell myself there isn't time for this)
Another way I work at bringing that blemish down to size is to immerse myself in something I love. This is when it's good to have a running list of "what I love" that I can reference because, in the midst of a challenge that has taken over, sometimes I can start to feel like I don't love anything (crazy, huh?)
One thing is certain: When I finally surrender to the challenge, when I take action to shift my focus elsewhere, all of the sudden, the blemish itself has brought me closer to my vision: a life where I focus on the positive, a life filled with supportive and loving people, a life that is flourishing, where I take good care of myself and LOVE.
How do you keep your eye on the prize? I want to know.
"So here is a rule to remember in the future, when anything tempts you to feel bitter: not, ‘This is a misfortune,’ but ‘To bear this worthily is a good fortune.’” - Marcus Aurelius
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