Stumbling Upon an Answer

I just happened to stumble upon a terrific blog this morning, and it really struck a chord in me, so I thought I'd share it with others. One of the things I have struggled with over the last couple of years is what my purpose is in life. I think this happens to a lot of us - particularly stay at home moms - when our kids go off to school all day, and we are left with the task of rediscovering ourselves once again and deciding - "what now"? Do I go back to school? Do I get a job? What is my calling in life? In a nutshell...who do I want to be?

I finally decided that it was important to me to go back to school, but then the question became - what will I study? I felt such an immense pressure to make the "right" choice, because unlike those days of being fresh out of high school, I no longer want to spend endless amounts of time in school changing my mind and my major. Been there done that as they say. So, I asked myself - what is my calling in life? what is my purpose? how can I help others and fulfill myself? I made a choice and started back to school only to have to take a hiatus while moving halfway across the country. Now, it is time again to start thinking about jumping back in, and once again my mind begins to flutter and spin - am I still on board with my previous choice? is it the right thing for me? If I make the "wrong" choice will I miss out on my true calling?

I thoroughly enjoyed this blog post and recommend it to others as an inspirational read if you're struggling with your purpose in life or even if you're not:

http://kriscarr.com/blog/the-myth-of-finding-your-purpose/

It made so much sense to me and made me feel instantly lighter as she explained that putting so much value on an "external purpose" doesn't make sense as there are too many ways that it can be unfulfilled or lost. Placing value on knowing ourselves, loving ourselves and nuturing ourselves is so much more important, the rest is just gravy - so to speak. It felt like I happened upon this blog post for a reason - a reminder to look within for the answers and fulfillment.

Cutting the Cable

The hubby and I have been talking for quite awhile about the prospect of living without cable. I know, I know, those that know me best and know that I tend to leave my TV on 24/7 are either laughing uncontrollably or are thinking - "are you nuts? you'll never survive!" I thought the same thing for awhile, but the more I thought about it the more I realized that 95% of the time, I am either watching reruns of old shows, watching movies/shows on Netflix or just have it on for the background noise and am not even actually watching it. Hubby doesn't watch TV except for the occasional movie/show with me, and I can report with certainty that the day will never come when I will attempt to take away the internet or his XBox, because I am quite certain that would end in a battle more gruesome than the world is ready for.

Now, don't get me wrong...I'm not saying I am giving up TV, because I enjoy it WAY too much! We're keeping Netflix on the TVs, so I can still watch as many "Everybody Loves Raymond" and "BTVS" reruns as always (if you don't know what BTVS stands for, then I'm not so sure that you are welcome to read my blog anymore...I'm just sayin'...). I'm just hoping to be a little more mindful of how much TV I am watching, and saving about $80/month has inspired me to do so. ;) We also have hulu, so those few newer episodes I like to watch will be available on the TV also - speaking of - if you don't watch New Girl or Modern Family you're totally missing out on some laughs!

Quit Your Whining!

2013 will be a year of a more positive and appreciative attitude for me! I hear so many around me (myself included) constantly whining about what they don't have, how stressed they are, how unfair things are or basically anything else they can find to gripe about. Why is it so easy for us to find the negative over the positive? I guess it's all about perspective. Don't get me wrong, it's not like I just suddenly noticed this phenomenon, but what did bring it back to my attention most recently was Facebook. Reading some positive, upbeat comments from a friend recently I realized - wow, most of the people on Facebook are just constantly complaining about something - I haven't seen an update this positive in awhile. I was refreshed to read some positive thoughts for a change.

I, personally, am going to make a conscious choice to focus more on the positives in my life. Appreciate the things I have. Truth be told, I SHOULD have very little to stress or complain about. I have all the things I need plus more, and currently I definitely don't appreciate that enough. I challenge others to do the same - next time you catch yourself complaining - just QUIT YOUR WHINING! and think of something that you are thankful for instead or a positive side of the current situation. Change the things that are not working for you, keep the ones that are, and enjoy life!