Wait For It, But Go Get It...

Do you know what you want in this life? Have you taken the time to answer this age old question or have you just asked yourself a million times only to give up because you get impatient? Patience is a virtue that some of us still have yet to learn. Sometimes it feels like "I don't have time to wait," or "I'm fine the way things are, I don't need anything else." Knowing what we want is an inside job. What happens when we don't take the time to figure it out?

I find that throughout my life I have displayed a history of impatience. If it wasn't the fact that I gave up on an art project because it was taking too long to finish, or the short cut I decided to take off the bike path even if I risked the chance of getting a flat tire. I've DONE THEM ALL!!! I think back now and even as a kid I learned to manipulate what I was tired of waiting for. I found that this worked out perfectly as long as I rendered the same result I desired. This is a terrible habit and I don't recommend it because you know what I DISCOVERED?? That not everything in life is able to be manipulated. HUMMMPPHHH! Childbirth....un-manipulable! Too much weight to lose by Sunday....really unable to manipulate. Wrong relationship? Job that is unsuitable? ? Wanting that apple to be an orange? All bring negative results when trying to manipulate the outcome. The insanity always bring the same...a very unsatisfied and tired ME! I usually sit alone afterwards at some point and reflect. When I am finally able to see clear enough I usually come back to the same discovery.  I wanted this....I got impatient....I settled. Then I get to suffer. It's like teaching your kid to hit a baseball. They can't always predict the exact speed or curve it will have so you learn the basics and CRACK! Once you make contact....you know. It feels good, it looks good, and everyone cheers!!! Well, something like that anyway. It's a hard lesson to learn but giving up, settling, or simply not doing anything to get what we want is just INSANE!

Bottom line is, we can't afford to settle. Nothing in this life is fulfilling if it's just O.K. Think about what you want, know that you deserve every bit of it and GO FOR IT!

Avoid the Avoidable Irritants...

  
  It seems are bodies are like cars. You have to keep up on your fluids, fuel, and do the necessary maintenance in order to get the most miles out of it. Every time you take your car out of the garage, you expose it to factors you have no control over. Weather, other cars, and road conditions are all outside factors that can affect the outcome of your trip.

     One of the first things I think of when I get "crabby" is, Where did this come from? One of the biggest offenders for me is HUNGER! Plain and simple. If I'm thirsty, hungry, or tired, my mood is directly the first thing affected. I suppose that is why I was so attracted to this poster. While I cannot control who crosses my path and what they choose to present to me or determine the weather, I do have factors I can control. If I keep my nutrition levels up and exercise what I can then my body feels better and I operate better physically and mentally. I have to focus on what I can do and not what I can't.

    Is there ONE thing you can change today to make it better and easier? Focus on what you can control in your life and not what you can't today. One minor adjustment at a time can make a big difference once you recognize it and follow through. Be your own driver today....and feel the BENEFITS!

    

A Change In What Comforts You...

Recent visits with the doctors have brought about another change in my lifestyle. I know it's for the better, but I am independent and slightly resistant to change. Since I was diagnosed with a connective tissue disease that features abnormal immune system activity with inflammation in my tissue (LUPUS), I have been told I am a lung transplant is not an option. When surgeons consider doing transplant operations, they look at the odds. Those of us with connective tissue disease generally have a very low success rate as our tissue will not connect and accept the new organ. Being faced with that, you look at what CAN be done.

Well, I still have 48% total capacity left that is still good. What can I do to improve that or keep it from deteriorating? I get to try pulmonary therapy. This is generally for patients with Emphysema in which they breathe "differently" than I do but we are going to see if they can adjust it to fit my need.

Next....is diet. Relieving the body of excess weight and certain ingredients will allow daily tasks to become easier and build muscle instead of putting all the burden on the lungs. Basically, I have to go low carbohydrate and gluten free! I didn't realize it but since this "ruling" I have been taking in all the carbs and gluten I can find!!! All of these foods involved have been my comfort. I couldn't help but throw my own little internal FIT because I feel I have been stripped of everything that soothes me over the past year! Figuratively speaking, I had to take the time to bang my spoon on the high chair and cry it out. Now that that was over, I had to start looking at the positive. I was going to live, my health is going to improve, this will enable me to feel better overall. This new lifestyle is going to be my NEW comfort. Is this the kind of thing it takes before we get up and do something GOOD for ourselves? The thought is a little alarming...but its true. I would have never given these things up on my own.

Think about what it will take for you today? Is there a small change you can make today that will make a difference in your health? Is it worth it to exercise a couple of times a week now to lessen the chances of a heart attack later? I used to think I was an exception to a lot of life's rules. I found out.....I'm just HUMAN. Make a change for you today....YOUR WORTH IT!

Hmmmmm...

Some days your the windshield....some days your the bug. Those other days...well, must be when I'm the windshield wiper! Your just hanging out....and nothing is bad or wonderful. It's just MEH. These days are still days to be treasured. It's our pit stop in the middle of all this LIFE that continuously happens.

These are great days for recharging. To refill our energy levels so to speak. Let's face it. It's easier to stay positive in life if you nurture yourself once and awhile. There is a reason why in flight emergency situation call for you to first put your oxygen mask on before helping others. This is so you will be able to help them. Makes sense when you look at it that way doesn't it?  I used to think I had to get permission for this. I had an extremely busy lifestyle being a full time employee, single mother, and head of household (no maids were ever used). I didn't stop! I just kept going and going past my limits until I ran out of energy and crashed. This is not an option for me today and it's a blessing. I've learned that if I learn to balance my health and my responsibilities I not only feel good, I am happy. When I'm happy, I can be positive about things that cross my path. I have a better attitude about eating healthier, accomplishing tasks, and living!

How is your personal tank today? Is it running low or full of life? Do a spot check every once and awhile. Avoid hunger, tiredness, and lack of YOU time. We cannot be there for others in life if we don't first take care of OURSELVES. 

Lessons Learned The Hard Way...

One of the greatest lessons I have learned in life is to pick my battles. Let's face it. Not everything everywhere being said or done is going to be satisfying to us. If we let it get under our skin, it doesn't upset the situation or others....it upsets us. Is it worth it? I recently attended a Women's Expo and talked to a medical expert about the effects of our nervous system on our health. It is a bigger connection than you think. When you think about it....it makes sense. If we are stressed and anxious in our day, how do we feel physically? Achy? Tired? Sick? It comes from within.

Being the "human" that I am....I challenge what I know on a daily basis. I seem to want to take something that is unsatisfying and wrestle with it until I am wore out. That is when I have to stop myself and ask "HOW IMPORTANT IS THIS GETTING UPSET OVER"? I can be upset by a doctor's decision and thoughts....but it doesn't do anything but upset me! It certainly does not change the diagnosis. I can worry be upset about the price increase in limes and lemons but as long as I buy them...does it really matter? My point is....by getting upset and complaining I am simply stealing my own joy. I don't have enough life left to do that. I choose to be happy and that requires me to use my energy wisely.

Take a moment today to look at what matters in your life. If you are getting upset over things that are out of reach or something you don't intend to do anything about....STOP! 

 Focus on what you can do and not what you can't. Make sure you tank is full before trying to drive over someone else.

Happiness Is A Choice...

It seems that each day I find a new way to be happy. It may be something as small as being able to clean my one bedroom apartment, or walking my dog further than I did the day before. There are even days that simply making an old lamp work makes me happy. I find happiness in these things because they give me a sense of accomplishment. Accomplishments make me feel good about myself. It's as simple as that sometimes.

There are things that come up in our lives that require us to be unhappy. Mourning the loss of a loved one, changes in our lives that do not seem fair, money, news we didn't want to hear......there will always be these factors. It is very natural to first feel our reactions, what isn't natural is continuing to sit in the pain or sadness from them. Don't get me wrong, just because I said it was simple, doesn't mean I said it would be easy. I find that sometimes I can be pretty happy about most things during my day but there is something that just bothers me and keeps me from feeling like it's a "good day". Once I become honest with myself and address it, then find the positive in it....I can move forward. That's when I feel the glow in my smile again and reveal the sparkle in my eyes. It takes what it takes and it's up to me to do it!

How do you feel today? Is there something small and easy you can do to make it better? When you can't find the answer try this.....Do something for someone else. It's an old magic trick that has been around for years, but it works! I SWEAR!!! It doesn't have to be for anyone you know, it may be as simple as putting something back where you found it at the store instead of dumping it in the checkout line because you changed your mind. It allows the store person to focus on helping a customer rather than clean up what we left behind. Take someone's shopping cart back for them. Do SOMETHING......GET OUT OF YOURSELF...that's the KEY. That's when the answers to my trials or sadness come. That's when we can look back and see that everything is as it should be.

It Takes Action...

Just as the old Rankin and Bass shows that come out at Christmas time say, "put one foot in front of the other, and soon you'll be walking across the floor". Life REQUIRES action. When I was growing up there were all kinds of "life" messages in movies and  cheesy kid shows. The truest thing I know is that...Everything I Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten.

Think about it. Be nice, don't hit, always say "please" and "thank you". Those were the simple ones to follow. It was the lessons like this one that I forget. You will get nothing if you don't take the necessary actions to get there. I could stand all day in the garage and it will never make me a car!  I can hope to someday be a great writer but if I don't start the first chapter I will only be a writer in my own mind. We want others in life to treat us with respect and love. The question is...do we give it? I want to get to a point in my health that is acceptable for me and I will never get there if I don't do my part. Sometimes it's the lack of motivation that needs to be sparked but honestly, sometimes it's the simple fact I need to get off the PITY train and do it! It's always easier to play the victim than than conqueror. It just doesn't work that way! 

SO.....this is what I do. I take it slow at first. I stay focused on what I want to accomplish and I keep going. If it's one thing I have learned about myself is that I'm a "fighter". I don't know what "giving up" means. Although there have been times I wanted to....I can't. That is a GREAT GIFT! I'm lucky because not everyone thinks that way and it's sad. In moments of weakness (let's face it...we all have them) I feel it, sometimes cry about it, and then shift into a plan of action. It is what works for me and what I know is that all the faith in the world is not going to change a thing if I don't do my part and Take Action!

 It's in all of us....we just need to find it and USE IT!!!