Life is too short to sit on the sidelines.

If you want something in life you have to reach out and grab it.  If you have kids, work around them.  It is hard to work around the little people in your life, but it is possible. 

Today, we went out doors.  I love that.  I love nature.  It makes me feel that the boundaries I put on myself are a little less limiting.  It makes me feel closer to my maker.  I took my boys on a walk.  One was on a bike, one on scooter and one in a stroller and one sleeping.  It was quite the crew.  We still don't know all the streets around our neighborhood very well, so at each intersection, we took turns deciding which way to turn.  We ended up at a little nature trail.  I was hesitant, but the birds were chirping and calling to me.  We took the path and it was beautiful.  There was a fork in the road and we took one way and we're all excited to go back next time and take the other way.  I even took my heart rate monitor and kept my heart rate up.  Yay!  This little thing, made me happy.  We were only gone for 20 minutes, but that is all it took to boost me up. 

Being out doors is one of the things that makes my heart happy.  It is something that I have missed doing since I started having babies.  Today I was tired.  I almost didn't go, but I did go and that made the difference in my evening.  I'm so glad that I'm not ending this day saying, "I almost went on a walk outside with my boys."  There is little difference in my statements, but the outcome was quite a bit different.

The movement of a gate at the hinge is small, but the result of it's tiny movement is huge.  The end of a long gate moves several times more than the inner part at the hinge.  Our choices, though small, can make a big difference.  This means that we only have to make small changes and if we stay on the same path, big things will happen.  It also means that we have to evaluate our lives often to make sure that our small movements are moving us in the direction we want to go.  If they are not, then make the small changes you need to to get back on track.  Baby steps.

This evening we colored Easter Eggs.  It was a lot of fun to be gathered around the table with excited little boys.  I know these moments are fleeting and some day there will be boys that resist dunking the little white chicken eggs, but right now, in this moment, they all loved it.  And I loved watching them love it. 

My thought for this post.  Life is a roller coaster with lots of ups and downs.  When you're up, enjoy it. Cherish it.  When you're down, hang on.  Work past it.  Do your best - it won't last.  That is life.  We aren't entitled to the ups or the downs.  They happen.  Life is not always great.  That is okay.  That is what makes the highs so much better.  Hang on tight and enjoy the ride.  

Happiness.  Enthusiasm.  Optimism.

Day 26 - Surround yourself with positive people.

My sister-in-law saw a picture of me and commented that I looked "so skinny".  It was a simple comment over email, but it meant so much to me. That was all it took.  That was my catalyst.  That's what got me out of bed.  Most of us work better on positive feedback and that is what I needed.  I went outside with three of my kids and we went for a 20 minute brisk walk.  It was freezing!  We did it anyway and I only got my heel ran over once by one of their bikes.  Thanks Melinda!

My thought for today - Positive people are a blessing!  Make people feel like better people after talking to you.  People don't remember what you say, but how you made them feel.  Spread goodness.

"A ship in the harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for."

Happiness.  Enthusiasm.  Optimism.

Day 23 - Choices

  
   "The choices you make today will determine the path that your life will take. When you sit back and look at the decisions you've made in your life, are you happy with the route you've paved? If you're not, make a change today. The next time you make a choice, ask yourself if this decision will lead you to the path you want to travel along. Set some new goals that will lead you to your dreams and then plan your course."  Sparkpeople Quote

That's all I have to say today.  I have tried to explain why this quote means a lot to me, but each sentence I write doesn't jive with me and I have erased it.  It is the hinge concept.  The hinge on a wide gate moves ever so slightly, but the end of the gate moves a lot.  Our small decisions and actions create the movement of our lives. 

Day 4 - 40 Day Challenge

It is the toddlers that dare to fall that learn to walk the quickest. It is the ones that when they fall, they get back up. They try again.

My youngest son tried to climb out of his crib when he was about the age of my other boys when they decided to climb out of their crib. Unfortunately, something went wrong.  He ended up jack-knifed on the edge of the crib. His upper half was hanging out of the crib and his arms were out in a V grasping onto two slats. His arms were keeping him from flipping out while his legs dangled on the other side. He was screaming when I came into his room. He was terrified. It was as though he was certain that death was waiting at the end of the fall. Since that event, he does not dare to climb out of his crib. For me this is nice because I don't have to buy a new bed yet and he is perfectly contained in that little bed of his. He is almost 3 and because of a near fall, he hasn't tried again.


I think there are two main things to learn from this story. 1. If we try something and it was scary and it didn't work, doesn't mean that that will be the outcome again. I'm certain if he flipped his long leg up onto the bars, he could easily navigate the climb. He is a good climber.
2. I think of how scared he was of falling. Truth is that if he had fallen, he wouldn't have been too hurt, if at all. Sometimes we imagine what will happen if we fail. Most of the time our imaginations are too good and the truth is that it really won't be that big of a deal. The fall usually isn't as large as we thought.

“Tell me it can’t be done and I’ll do it. Tell me a goal is too high and I will reach it. Place an obstacle in front of me and I will leap over it. Challenge me, dare me, or even defy me but do not underestimate me.” Author Unknown I found it on smilewithyourheart.com

I love this quote because it shows spunk and confidence. These are two things that often get stomped out of a person as the years wear on. Don’t let them go. DARE to try. DARE to fail.

I heard a championship fighter said, “Fighters get up, no matter what.” Believe you are a fighter. Fighters always get up. You’ve been knocked down by life. I get that. Believe it or not, we all have. You are not unique in that arena, my friend. Life does that – to EVERYONE. Get back up. Shed a tear or two, but get back up. You are a fighter. I know you are a fighter because you are here. You made it to this earth. You fought the war in heaven. You won and now you have the most important match to fight of your life. Get back up. Stare your problem in the face and FIGHT.

“Fighters get up – NO MATTER WHAT.”

It doesn’t matter what your excuse is because I guarantee you that there is someone out there with the same excuse that you have, but the difference is that they got back up. They started fighting again, and they are rising above.

My favorite quote is one I used to repeat to myself again and again in high school.

“The person who thinks something is impossible, is interrupted by the person doing it.” I believe this.

Whatever your excuse is, let it go. Set your sights high. ALLOW yourself to rise up. You can do it. You have divinity within you. It starts with a dream. Start dreaming and then become.

Happiness. Enthusiasm. Optimism.