We have had a very strange summer here so far…. Relatively mild and LOTS of rain. I mean LOTS of rain. You find yourself wishing it would just stop. I mean, the humidity alone is messing with my hair and my eczema damn it!
It begs the question… if/when the rain does go away, will I then complain it is too hot? Too dry? My plants and lawn need rain!! Gah! It’s a never ending cycle. It is also a good reminder that we need to be content with where we are in any given moment. LIVE IN THE MOMENT.
We often get so caught up in the wishing or willing something to improve, go away, be better. I feel like we lose precious time. I am so guilty of this. I literally just text’ d my friend…. “Will it ever stop raining?” Who cares if it does or doesn’t? It does not change how I will manage my day. I may not go to the pool with the kids tonight but I am sure I can find something else to do with them. That is of course if they even want to do something with me. LOL.
My point…. I often remind myself to let it go, take a deep breath and embrace… whether it is the rain or heat or something else going in my life. Worrying, willing it away, asking for more more more… does me no good.
I find when I catch myself I will sit back and just try and relax my mind and force a positive state of mind. Block out the noise. Think of all I am grateful for in that moment.
Some of this all might sound a little hokey but it works and gives perspective. A good friend recently shared an analogy with me that hit home. He used the example of a waterfall. Instead of standing in the waterfall (life coming down on you)…. You sit back behind it and take it all in. The beauty of it all. AGAIN – Step Back. Take a breath. Get perspective. Does that makes sense? It did to me which is why I share now. Thank you Ed!
When I first started my therapy, the therapist used another great analogy for how my mind and anxiety worked...… I was doing the equivalent of throwing a stack of papers high up in the air, and as they came down I was trying to grab them and prioritize them BEFORE they actually hit the ground. I was
like…. Right? Isn’t that what everyone does?
NO JENNIE!!!! That is not what "normal" people do.
Fast forward.... Now I let the papers fall to the ground and sit back. I decide when I will pick one up and when I will move on to the next. Life is full of challenges. We are all busy. We HAVE to do our best to channel our inner “Ferdinand” as I like to say. Stop and sit and smell the flowers. If you don’t know Ferdinand I strongly recommend you meet him in what was my favorite book to read to my kids when they were little. We can learn a lot from Ferdinand.
Enjoy your weekend…. Stop and smell the flowers!
