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I haven’t posted for a while and thought today was a good day for one! I decided to write this right now because I just got home from the gym! I also realized I am still pretty sore from playing in the snow a few days ago. I saw this photo and decided it was a good starting point to write from. We will see where this post goes, and I make no promises!
A few months ago, I wrote about What Makes You Happy and then Standing At Your Crossroads (if you didn’t read them, and are interested, click the links). Since then, I have had some people dig in and provide some neat answers and even some additional suggestions. I am begging to realize the most important thing is to take time out of your busy life to do something that you want to do!
So, I decided to make some pretty drastic life changes myself. Mainly due to realizing I was not happy in my current situation. I had a great job with decent pay, excellent health coverage, and a part-time job that is for fun. I even lived in a beautiful place but ended up having some pain in the you know what neighbors. They annoyed the heck out of me, but after a few months, that helped me to start looking at my situation.
When you go over your life with a fine comb, you realize a few things. I am also, as I’ve said before, pro list. Meaning I will make a pros and cons list to have an overview. There were a lot of cool things, like the area I was living in was beautiful. I was about 40 min away from San Francisco, a beach, mountains, or Napa! This was when I realized there were a lot of things making me unhappy. Some of this included reliving past life experiences, going through a divorce, not being around my primary support system, living in an expensive area, loud annoying neighbors, not having enough time, and I’m sure the list could go on). This is when I stopped and decided a change was needed! I was defiantly not doing what I loved.
Over The Last Few Months
Over the last few months, I resigned from my well paying job, moved over 150 miles away, started working only one job, reconnected with a lot of my friends and family, started to take care of myself again (actually looking at my nutrition and overall health), among other things I can’t think of right now.
I will try not to get too personal, but I now have more time for things I’ve wanted to do and the things that make me happy. I started to focus on myself, and honestly, I feel a weight was lifted off my shoulders. Another thing I noticed is that I think my head isn’t in a fog anymore! I believe this is because I am on a regular sleeping schedule. If you have ever worked nights for an extended period, I know you understand.
I am a big believer in taking things one step at a time. I tend always to jump all in (like going to the gym, getting an injury, and not going back). I now take small steps for the overall goal of making life changes. One of the more simple things I decided to do is to read more. It is something I’ve wanted to do for a while but felt like ‘I never have time.’ I set a goal for reading ten pages a day and have been doing it for over 30 days now. It is strange, but I have been doing this consistently, and it is incredible! I found I have a lot of books I was going to read, “Someday,” that I am enjoying.
I also started to do one 5-10 minute break for meditation and reflection. I have used apps and even went to YouTube for some other ideas. One application I found is called Meditation and Breathing (I have also tried Calm and Headspace, which are both excellent as well). I am still trying to make this a daily practice, but I still miss days here and there. Even doing something as simple as sitting quietly for a few minutes and focusing on breathing helps.
Best of all, having the time to go on a hike or bike ride is fantastic. Having the time to sit down and take it all in is truly amazing. I am finding there are some things I have been missing in my life. Just simply being present, listening, and remembering to take a breath is something most of us are lacking in our daily lives.
Self Acceptance
With all that said, I have started to accept everything that has happened in my life. One of the main things that I think we are all guilty of is looking and living in the past. We tend to think about what happened, who wronged us, issues from different chapters in our lives, or even looking to the future like days off and vacations.
Stop living in the past and the future! Focus on the now; how does the air feel, what sounds are around you. Have you had a conversation with someone, or are you thinking about what you are going to say next? All the experiences you have had up to this point have helped shape who you are today. It is difficult to do, but it is essential to accept that and move on.
I am also guilty of always looking to the future. A few things that come to mind are, I will start working out more tomorrow, I will start eating better later, I cannot wait for the weekend, and where am I going to go when I have time off? Deciding to live in the now has helped me combat all of this.
It doesn’t always work, but I try to keep it in the front of my mind at all times. I hope that eventually it will become second nature and I won’t have to keep thinking about it and will do it!
“Treat Yourself”
Parks and Recreation are one of the best TV shows ever (along with Scrubs, Friends, and The Office). Treat Yourself is one quote I say a lot, and it is always good to be reminded of it.
So I have decided that taking a “Treat Yourself” day here and it is good for the mind and soul.
With that said, a few days ago I decided to take a snowboarding lesson! I will try to sugar coat this, but I took a few magnificent falls (even my instructor said, “That had to hurt” on one of them…okay maybe two of them). And yes, I am still pretty sore today, but it was a lot of fun!
I ended up taking a few pictures, and since I am not talking about it, I will post a few of them with an app I just got. I have been interested in technology for as long as I can remember and am interested in what you all think. So, for my first time using the app I have, the pictures are in a short slide show click here to view it.
If I could get your help, that would be EPIC! Could you please leave me a comment below on how the picture slide show was??
Thank you in advance because, as I said, this is something new for me and the first one I have done. I am interested to know if the link worked, overall look, if it is at all impressive, and the quality. This will help me determine if it is something worth putting in the time to make others, THANKS AGAIN!
In Closing
If you could take a moment and let me know what you think of this post. Most of the time, I don’t talk much about personal stuff, but this last week has been pretty exciting. I have even had some close friends come to me for my advice. I know that is strange, but it does happen (both in life and two friends going through a separation themselves).
I have always enjoyed helping others and never thought this blog would bring up so many exciting conversations.
I enjoyed this article. Thank you for sharing on a personal level. I am proud of you for making the big changes that you did. Epic!
Thanks for the excellent comment. Sometimes it’s nice to get some personal stuff out there and off your chest. But this is a journey, and we are all part of it. Thanks again!
Your video was very good, especially impressive for your first one.
So good to read this article and see that you are doing what YOU want and taking time to Treat Yourself! I know this journey of life will take you to some unexpected places and experiences, and I’m sure that you will be all the happier for it. Keep it up!
Thanks Carolina! And life has a funny way of throwing twists and turns at you. The best way to deal with it is to go with the flow. And having a few ‘Treat yoself’ days is the best thing anyone can do. Thanks for the comment 🙂