At the mercy of others . . .

I think I have always stood up for my convictions. I can't think of a time in my adult life when I backed away from what I strongly believed to be right. Because of that, I have made life hard for myself on many occasions.

I have often wondered what it would be like to just be a follower, and go through life blissfully unaware of what is truly happening.

As much as I try to be open minded, and see things from another perspective, I can't help but wonder how people, who seem to come from similar situations and backgrounds, can be so polarized.

Doing the correct and the best thing when taking on a "project" of any size can be a daunting task, but pair that with having to work with or around people who don't or can't see the same vision, always makes me wonder how the two visions can be so very different and why there is no middle ground.

I used to be a big volunteer person. I loved the thought of doing something good for a cause. Unfortunately, there always seemed to be someone who was power hungry, and who was at the opposite end of the goal-objective-scale than I was. Because I'm not good at backing down on my beliefs, tension would insue, and the whole point of what we were trying to do was lost in the disagreement. I have stopped volunteering, and my mental health thanks me!

The reason this is all fresh in my mind is because I have been thinking a lot about how we are often at the mercy of other people's actions and beliefs, and how it can turn our own life into a miserable mess. Could I go through life ignorantly and happily, just being a follower, without a care in the world - - Nope!

Quotes for the day . . .

I saw the first quote this morning and it struck a cord; I wanted to share it. I've also included a few more, along with a website I found. Here's to a good day and a happy life!!!


"When you choose to forgive those who have hurt you, you take away their power."
~Unknown

"Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional."
~Unknown

"No matter how full your life my seem, there is always room for a couple of beers with a friend."

 ~Unknown

“I care not what others think of what I do, but I care very much about what I think of what I do! That is character!” 

~Theodore Roosevelt

“Don’t ask what the world needs, ask what makes you come alive and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” 

~Howard Thurman

“Life is inherently risky. There is only one big risk you should avoid at all costs, and that is the risk of doing nothing.” 

~Denis Waitley

“A man is not old until regrets take the place of his dreams.” 

~Proverb

Link to "Tiny Buddha."

An aha moment . . .

‘We never live; we are always in the expectation of living.’~Voltaire


I have been spending a lot of time in the car lately. Over the summer, I discovered an application for my phone, courtesy of Amazon (I wish I had bought stock in that company!!), that's called Audible. It's a site where you can browse a large selection of books, read reviews, get samples, buy and download a book and then turn it on and have a book read to you. I have been read to at home, in the gym and in the car. I have the books on my phone, on my computer, and on my Kindle. It automatically syncs with any device I'm using, and picks up right where I left off on another device - - magical!

Since April, I have had a very hard time reading a book and concentrating on what I'm reading, so when I found this app, I was thrilled.

Last week I listened to "The Gifts of Imperfection" by Brene Brown. I had never heard of it, but it got good reviews and seemed very appropriate for what's currently happening in my life. 

The author discussed how we conform to the expectations of others and miss the important things in our life. She gives examples, talks about her own imperfections, and then suggests ways we can stop conforming and start living. 

The section that really caught my attention was about how we rush our lives away. We are always in a hurry to get to the next thing in life without stopping long enough to just be in the moment. This is how I have been living for as long as I can remember. I sometimes feel like I wished away my life, waiting for, and anticipating the next stage of life without enjoying the stage I was in.

I have been making a concerted effort to be in the moment, trying not to think about the list of things I need to do and the places I should be instead of where I am. I have been very conscious of my surroundings and the people that I encounter, and I've tried not to be impatient when things aren't moving at the speed I would like them to be moving. 

 "Why are you in such a rush?" is my new question to myself. I think if I can stop skipping ahead to the next thing before the current thing is over, I will reap the benefits.