I find myself sitting alone in a rare moment of quiet and calm today. The all too common rush of life lately has paused and is giving me time to reflect and attempt to catch up on everything else. It’s awkward, uncomfortable and I don’t really know what to do with it…
And I can’t help but remind myself that “we should be careful what we wish for”! All too often it is easier to focus on whatever the current emergency of the day might be or to allow the drama du jour to deflect us from our to do list. Then we find ourselves needing a break from the distraction because it consumed our time and energy to the point of madness thus perpetuating a cycle of constant disarray and non-completion.
So here I sit in my silence.
A phone call here, a text there, an email even, and suddenly I’m caught up on all things currently stirring my pot…and yet there’s a sink full of dishes, clothes needing to be dried, a bed needing to be made…I can’t tell you how relieved I was when as a young mother I made the conscious decision that these same things could wait, that they were less important than spending time with my little boy. Trying to channel that mindset right now feels daunting…and yet necessary if I’m gonna power through.
So once again I have a choice to make: these things will either conquer me or I will conquer them. A friend reminded me recently of the Serenity Prayer:
“God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference…”
While another friend added that while serenity, courage, and wisdom are fine things to pray for, she also believed that praying for understanding the test that He has provided is a worthy endeavor as well. What a relief to give ourselves grace, to be able to accept and realize that our hardships are also our blessings! Yeah, I warned you, I’m always making lemonade over here and she just reminded me to always remember me. Funny, I’m usually the one to do the ninja’ing!
Are you, too, struggling to find serenity? Are you drowning in the madness of the day to day? Are you straining to hear your own silence? Take a deep breath, and take heart, for you are not alone. Let’s get through it together. Here’s how:
Stop beating yourself up on things that are beyond your control. Stop having conversations in your own mind about what you think someone else is saying or doing or thinking about or against you. Stop allowing anyone else to dictate your happiness. Stop being consumed by the negativity-suck of others who only wish to stand in the way of your progress. Stop focusing on the noise, the gossip, the hearsay.
Stop giving other people control over your thoughts, your time, and your energy. Realize as quickly as possible that every second you allow someone else to interfere with your momentum (literally, figuratively, spiritually) that you are allowing them to control you and have power over you and that just won’t do! Make a promise to yourself right now to be your own top priority in a way that will not stand for others to even make a dent in your thoughts, dreams or desires. Not even for a second.
Start focusing in on what really matters. Cut through the nonsense and know that there is always a purpose and mission to everything and this should be your target. Have a plan, a goal, a vision in mind and strive to make that a reality. Never lose site of the bottom line…
But what is your bottom line? Do you even know what your threshold is yet for someone else’s’ projections about your future successes, failures, limitations, capacity, strengths, or weaknesses? How much are you willing to tolerate or give up because somebody says you can, can’t or shouldn’t? How far are you going to let another uninvested person push you past your prize and onto something less than you deserve?
Don’t let others drag you down. Don’t be afraid to rise above it – for in the end, even though others may try, only YOU can take credit for your own successes or failures. Ignore the noise. Because it is ALL noise and other people’s baggage and insecurities are just static getting in your way. You’ll never know what you are truly capable of if you never spread your wings.
Try. Try again. Fail even. Remember, you are a lion(ess)…don’t be afraid to roar!
Stay strong, wax courageous and be brave.
Always do your best. Work hard, have fun. Smile every chance you get.
You don’t need me to remind you that life is short.
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