The Journey

Yesterday I posted about happiness is the journey, not the destination and that gratitude is an attitude. I cannot take credit for those exact quotes...but it is part of the motto of my life and how I view it. Yes, ME, cuz last time I checked, this is MY blog.

I have often been questioned and put to the test so to speak on how I can really believe that. Now, it's not to say I don't have bad days or times where I'm upset, cripes, I am human. I just choose not to dwell after I've thought through what may be upsetting me. I am a person that needs to verbalize or pen my thoughts to reorganize them and put them into a "new light" if you will. But yes, I do believe in taking the high road, so much easier.

Now, getting to this place in my life wasn't the easiest...I've been through my fair share if crapola. I've found my waders, shovels and horses to carry me through this stuff. Naturally along the way I come across those who feel the need to try to knock me off my path and try to reroute me or even go as far to try to chastise me into feeling like I shouldn't be this happy. Pollyanna syndrome, yes, I've been told I have that. Thank you. I do think life is great, I can find good in about anything...but I am completely aware of what is going on around me. I simply choose not to dwell on the negative or "what if" in life. I cannot live my life to the fullest if I am always upset over what I don't have, what someone else has over me, what could happen, what hasn't happened...you get the point. I've broken 7 bones...still able to walk, run and do anything I put my mind to. I have a job that I am on my feet to upwards of 12hr/day...I still am thankful for that job, for the body I have to allow me to stand so I can provide for my family. My job is one that I work hard to have, I am able to make people feel beautiful, not just look good! I work for myself so I can schedule work around my kids' lives.  I've been a single mom to three kids...all the while living in a house and being the sole means of income to that house. I've managed to have a reliable vehicle to transport my kids to and from their activities. Yes, it's been a long road, but I've found that great place. I want that for my kids. To teach them life isn't just a happy pill or place you get to, that yes, you have to work, you have things to overcome, but you can do it all with a smile on your face. To fault another for being happy??  Really, what is the point? Be happy for yourself. No one can take that from you, nor should you rely on anyone else to make you happy.

Now, how did I get to that state of mind??  Simple. Gratitude. Yes, being thankful for the small things, it is what took over the being upset over what I didn't have, thought I wasn't able to have, or what crappy thing happened to me. I also had to take ownership over my feelings. Only I, Me, MYSELF can control how I feel. I don't want someone else to have that power over me. I own it, it is mine. Jealousy can play into this. Now, not saying I don't envy, but I feel that envy can be a good feeling, IF put in a positive light. I can envy someones style to better myself after, I can envy someones experience so I can work towards having a similar one for myself or family. If you use envy to create goals and not to covet things, man, the power of positive outcome is great!

Start daily...find one, just one thing you are grateful for. Could be that it quit raining, maybe it's you got the laundry put away, maybe it was that little old lady who let you go ahead of her in line cuz you only had two things. Write it down...daily, for a month. Then take a look at that month and see how blessed you really were. Wow, I bet you'll forget about all those little trivial things that "ticked" ya off ;)  Yes, people tick me off for a moment, like when dropping my kids off at school and they seem like they just don't get how the taking turns goes, but if I take a deep breath and smile, knowing that I'm paying enough attention to avoid an accident, wow, that was good. Maybe that slow poke who had to pull out in front of you is helping to slow you down to avoid that pile up on the highway or another car that may have blown a stop sign. We don't know why certain things happen, but rethink it and find out something good about it.

Yes, those piles of clothes and dishes, they can make a person mad that it seems never ending. But as I see it, I have a house for them to pile up in, I have a family to dirty them and a chance to converse with them on how I'd like their help in getting a grip on it.  It is an inconvenience to have to get out of my warm house to go pick up a kid from their activity, but I have my child to do so. I have my kids who want to bring their friends over to hang out at my house so I know what they are up to. These same kids still ask to go and do things with me (I sure hope that doesn't change, I know it'll slow down).

I am not the first person to walk through this journey and I know I won't be the last. I am thankful that I am allowed such blessings in my life and have found that way of thinking that works for me and my family. Since I have thought more positively, tons more positive things have happened in my life. You get what you put out there...and I wouldn't wish bad Karma on anyone either, so when what comes around goes around, I truly hope it is all good that you have put out there. Yes, bad things happen to good people, but that just means you are finding ways to strengthen yourself and learn a new direction. Different isn't bad, it's just different, and it can even be good!

Life is good, get on with it!