Month: July 2017

• I don’t care if you like me. For most of my life I’ve been a people-pleaser. I’m a gal who learned good manners from my parents. Always be kind and good to people. Good lesson. But it’s taken too far when you get it in your head that you must make everyone your friend. Subconsciously I had it in my head that it was my sacred duty to make sure everybody knew and understand what a good friend and good person I am and I thought others would be crazy not to jump on board my friendship train and become a major part of my life. It wasn’t designed to be that way. Now I understand that I can love all people but I only want to have a handful of them in my life. There are a precious few that I feel a true connection with, and they are my tribe. I have no time or passion for trying to force friendship where it does not exist.
• Keep Calm and Carry On. I used to go at a much faster frenetic pace and I just don’t anymore. I’ve gotten off the hamster wheel, but on the treadmill. Even when I wasn’t physically running crazy before, my mind was, and I felt a pressure to go, go, go and get tons of stuff done. I still have a desire to work hard and leave something of myself behind once I’m gone, but with age comes an awareness that being frantic doesn’t make one, necessarily, more productive or lead to a better, happier, or more joy-filled life. It can lead to a more stressful life. I take each day as it comes and try not to get overwhelmed about anything. I take more time for myself (self-care) and as a result enjoy a much better quality of life.
• Family First. I love my family and desire to be there for them whenever possible. Now that my own children have flown the coop (or nest) I am so much more aware of how important time with them truly is. My husband and family (and that number keeps growing!) are my top priority.
• Art is Life. I take time to paint, write, and listen to my favorite music. It is more of a necessity than only a pleasure these days. Things of beauty and great talent elevate me to new heights. Poetry, books, artwork, plays and movies… they mean more to me now than ever before. By and large, people don’t take enough time to appreciate and take in the beauty that is found amongst this chaotic mess called life. My current schedule allows me to do this, perhaps more than some others are able, but I find it immensely worthwhile.
• I do not separate the sacred and the secular. I have a life. It’s made up of spirituality, work, art, and many, many things. I do not have a “church face” and a “home face” and a “friend face,” I just have a face. My life isn’t in waffle boxes. Everything I do is sacred to me, whether going to a church service or preparing a meal for a loved one. When I write, it is sacred to me. When I paint. When I spend time with friends. It’s all the same to me. I am not a Christian author, I’m an author with a spiritual journey. I’m an author. I’m not a Christian artist, I’m an artist who looks for God in all things. I have come to loathe trite labels that put people in boxes and separate out areas of one’s life. Ultimately, I’m just who I am, and that’s just as it should be. I would never write or paint “to” Christians only. I have no tolerance for Country Club Christianity that sets itself up as an alternate society. I believe we are all God’s creation and we ought to stop putting up walls that we think may keep us “unspoiled” when all it does is isolate and push others away. Instead we ought to become an integral part of the world with our fellow humans. If one hopes to impact the world in any capacity, one cannot live in a closet.
• Happiness/Joy is a Choice. Just as marriage (or staying in a marriage) is a choice, so also is your own happiness. It is not a place or destination. It is something you carry around with you. If you have mess (baggage) to work out, get it done because it will kill your joy. Deal with your past. Make amends. Give and receive forgiveness. Once you’ve done that, let it go. I’ll say it again. Let. It. Go. Living with guilt or shame or unforgiveness is a joy killer. If you need help, seek it out. A friend, priest or pastor, psychologist or counselor… any of these are great resources to help you unpack your baggage and get on with the business of life.
• Health is everything. If you allow your physical body to fall apart, you won’t have a happy, joy-filled life. You take care of your kids, your home many other things, but often ignore your own “shell” and let it fall into disrepair. I understand that we cannot help some things in this toxic world, but there is MUCH that is within our power to control when it comes to our bodies. Yes, we will age, and things won’t be as firm as they once were, but we decide what we eat, how much, and when. We decide if we are going to prioritize exercising our bodies to keep our heart, lungs, and muscles functioning. We decide. These decisions determine a lot about our energy and well-being. Step it up. Take responsibility. You’ll never regret it.

Just the other day I walked around the yard and thought, “What’s it all about, this life? Why are we here? Why am I here?”

Truth be told I’ve asked myself this many, many times. I’m a deep thinker.

At twelve I thought my little family and my little town was the entire world. Looking back, I can see it all like a snow globe scene. Life’s little dramas with friends and siblings, they seemed so big to me then.

At eighteen I was utterly clueless. I fell in love, got married. Not a thought given to doing something with my life, or what I was meant for or supposed to do, who I was meant to be.

Late twenties found me divorced, two kids, then re-married and a new child on the way. I always wanted children. I always thought I was a writer. Those are about the only things I knew.

Except…

I always chased God. I always wanted to know who He was. What it was all about. Again, why are we here? Why am I here? Yada-yada. Deep thinking. Apparently, another thing I’ve always been is a philosopher.

Once as a small child, the family was outside on an unseasonably warm Christmas Eve night and my dad pointed up to the stars and said he thought he saw Santa’s sleigh. I ran to the end of the driveway, (as far as I was allowed to go at the time), so I could get closer and see it better. My entire family thought this was hilarious and busted out laughing. At the time I couldn’t understand, despite all their explanations, why that was funny. I had no concept of how far away the stars were. I must’ve been about three.

If I knew then what I know now, I’d have gone to college and studied the stars, took science and biology and oh-so-many classes about everything. I may have been a perpetual life-long student. (But only as long as I still had my beloved kids.)

I’ve learned a lot by this time in my life. In fact, I dare say, I know more about some things than some people who have degrees. Of course, there is still a lot I don’t know, particularly outside of the world of writing. (I have taken a couple college-level courses but never completed a degree, being too busy at raising babies for much of my life.)

I get documents submitted to me through the publishing company by degreed people all the time that are unreadable and unpublishable. But I’ve learned a lot in my chosen field by reading, reading, reading, and writing, writing, writing. This combined with my passion for the written word has brought me to a place where I now help others get published, help others become better, more confident writers. I believe strongly in education, but it is not and will never be a substitute for hard work and passion and die-hard perseverance. God-given talent helps, and I think/hope I have that. (Confidence in yourself and what you do, your mindset, is everything.)

So, all this rambling to say this: I still don’t know, and will not ever, truly understand why we’re here. But part of what I am and I’m supposed to do has been revealed to me. Revealed by a still/small voice that guides me and shows me what is uniquely me, what I do, what I should do while on planet earth. I believe we can all discover this, what makes us uniquely us.

I still look at my garden and wonder at the beauty and variety of plants and flowers. I still read, I still write, I still philosophize. I still look for God everywhere and in everything.

I still look at the stars and look for Santa’s sleigh in December. And in many various ways, I still reach for those stars.