Sunday, January 24, 2010

List #4: What's that?

Okay, folks, another list. Woohoo!

List #4: List the places you go in your mind when you want some peace and quiet.

LOL -- peace and quiet? Really? What's that?

Okay, I actually have quite a bit of peace and quiet in my life right now, now that I have only one child left in high school, and at 17, he's not really anxious for me to be a big part of his life or to be a big part of mine, unless a sunny beach or copious amounts of good food are involved. And even then, it's a stretch.

But, there have been times in the past when I've needed lots of help finding peace and quiet, and there are even times now, especially when I am concerned about work or my children, that peace is about the best gift someone could give me.

So where would I go in my mind? Well, here, I'll show you:






Here's more:








Don't you just love that last photo? We swam with sea turles while snorkling in that exact spot. Talk about peaceful. It is truly amazing to swim with a creature that could be a hundred years old.

These photos were taken at Hapuna Beach on the big island of Hawaii. The hotel at this beach is something else. We would wake every morning to the music of island birds in our ears. Each night on the lobby deck overlooking the beach, a hula dancer would gently tell her stories, moving seamlessly to the ukelele and Hawaiian singing in the background. Ocean waves lulled us to sleep every night.

Can you tell I can't wait to go back sometime? Hawaii is one of the most peaceful places I have ever been. I'm sure it would be somewhat different to live there, but I have a feeling the peace and quiet could still be found.

There are other places I go in my mind for peace and quiet, but I'll save those for the next post.

Friday, January 1, 2010

List #3: it's good to be me

It seems fitting to start out the new year full of 'hope' by acknowledging some of my strengths. So, here is a variation on that theme with today's list:

List #3: List the compliments you receive on a regular basis.

1. That I am pretty ...
Okay, this one used to bother me. Not a ton, because who doesn't like being told they look nice, right? But, on one level, it did bother me because I really didn't have anything to do with how my looks turned out -- that credit goes to the gene factory. And on another level, it bothered me because it seemed a rather superficial compliment to receive. Also,does this mean some women are not pretty? Oooooh, that really goes against me big time! I think every person is beautiful and unique and oh, so interesting. BUT, I have come to peace with merely saying 'thank you' and moving on. Oh, and now that I am getting older, I don't hear it quite so often, LOL.

2. That I am smart.
I'll take this one ;-). Yeah, I graduated valedictorian -- gotta brag about it someplace, eh, so why not here? But I always envied folks who had common sense, something I have been a bit short of most of my life. I think I'm finally getting some balance between the two.

3. That I make good comments in Sunday school.
I think this one is related to #2, but hopefully in a spiritually common sense way and not in a 'Oh, she knows so much about the scriptures way' which could never be true because of my NOT amazing memory.

4. That I am calm.
Hahahahahahahahaha ..... this one always makes me laugh inside to the point of pick me up off of the floor, if you only knew, hahahaha! Let me just say four words: NO I AM NOT. For a calm person, I have quite the temper when I am feeling off-kilter. But I will admit, I'm not a big drama queen OVER MOST THINGS BESIDES THE HOUSE. (That one is for my husband and children.) Could be, but prefer, in my ideal life, not to be. I think Jennifer Garner said it best, and I do wish I could live life this way all the time, "I prefer to be dumb and happy." And by dumb, I don't mean not smart (see #2 above) but dumb as in not spending too much time worrying about DUMB things that don't really matter, which to me is the essence of having LOTS of common sense.

Hope

Well, here it is New Year's Day. DH is taking a nap before we head out to see DS, 23, and other ds, 17, just woke up (yes, it's 2 in the afternoon!) and is enjoying his mancave time downstairs. Me, I probably could take a nap but decided to log on instead.

I think I have been the recipient of several God-breezes lately (thank you, flylady -- see flylady.net) that all came together today. For some reason, the concept of 'hope' has been on my mind. I've been thinking about its role in our lives, and how just a change of perspective from despair (the absence of hope) to one of hopefulness can change EVERYTHING. And then someone anonymously sent me a silver star ornament in the mail yesterday with the word 'hope' engraved on it. And then, DH played this video for me today and I was all like, 'What is going on here?' Click on the link below and let's just say, I LOVE IT. I need to watch this every morning and probably several times throughout the day until it becomes a part of me.



I love this video for several reasons, but the most important one has to do with the truth - one that is easy to forget - of how our mindset can affect our actions and thus, my life and the lives of others. When I am in despair, I am predisposed to act a certain way both towards myself and towards others, and I have no doubt that my actions when I am in this place do not help anyone, including me. In essence, my actions keep me stuck in an unhelpful place. But when I have hope, I DO act differently, and in many ways I am an entirely different person -- or perhaps I am able to access the best part of myself, who I truly am and want to be. The amazing truth is that it is precisely these different, hopeful actions which have the power to bring about the change I seek or the change that is needed.