Feeling Emotional

  Good morning, friends! Today I am thinking about overcoming our off days. Some days we wake up feeling tired, in a funk, or just off our game. Sometimes we face sadness, regret, fear, anger, or weariness on our journey, and when we do, our routines and habits can ground us. You see, successful people don’t wake up feeling 100% every day either, but successful people know that no matter how they feel, they need to stick to their routines.  James Clear says it this way, "Professionals stick to the schedule, amateurs let life get in the way." (Atomic Habits)

  I read an article recently which talked about things we learn as we age, and one of the most profound was that often we feel badly because we’re off balance in some way, and if we can recognize this, then what we need to do to feel better is to figure out how to get back in balance. And here’s how our routines can help. When you wake up tired and feeling blue, you could reach for comfort food and wallow on the couch, but most likely that will only make you feel worse. But if you have been in the habit of going for a jog and eating a healthy meal in the morning, following through with those habits will most likely help you find renewed energy and endorphins to carry you through the rest of your day. 

  So often we get ourselves in a rut because we allow ourselves to be blown one way or another based on our feelings.  But if we can begin to establish good patterns, they can aid us in getting our feelings back in line. The key is making the choice to follow through with those healthy habits even when we don’t feel like it. And the best way we ensure we will stick with it is by making them a routine. 

  Today, no matter whether you feel like it or not, make the choice to stay the course and hold on to your habits.  You will thank yourself later. You weren't born to be an amateur.  Become a professional by reaching for your habits on a consistent basis. I can't wait to see you succeed!

~K.L.W. 

Wise Up

   Hello Friends! I recently had a discussion with my 11 year old.  Spoiler alert, 11 year old boys are not rational people.  He was claiming he wanted a solution to some difficulties he was facing.  However, he did not want my advice.  I offered him a few books written by experts on the subject, and he said he did not believe what they had to say. I referred him to specialists whom he also did not want to listen to.  Finally, in desperation I asked him what he thought the solution was.  "Well,"  he said, "If I had a phone and had access to TikTok."  (Insert a firm "No." and uproarious meltdown here.)  

  The sad thing is though, it's not just pre-teens who aren't rational people. We are a lot like this too.  Our culture has conditioned us that the answer to our problems is another item, pill, quick fix; the newest designer "it" is all we need to have the life of our dreams.  But the truth is, that's all a marketing lie.  

  The book of Proverbs, however, offers a different solution to our problems.  "Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom.  Though it cost you all you have, get understanding." (Proverbs 4:7) And with regard to wisdom, it also says this, "Whoever finds me finds life." (Proverbs 8:35a) When was the last time we truly sought wisdom and understanding?  

  We live in a fast paced world, and we often expect all our problems to be fixed instantly.  The truth is though, true change requires work, and more than that, lasting results require wisdom.  When was the last time you sat down and read a book, sought expert advice, or attended a conference to gain wisdom and insight?  Are you truly seeking answers or are you just seeking products? 

  This week, don't be sucked into the lie that just buying one more miracle product will make your life all you desire it to be.  Choose wisdom.  Do the hard work.  Seek out truth.  I can't wait to see you succeed!

~K.L.W. 

Shut Up

   Good Morning, Friends! This week I was struck by a quote I heard while listening to a podcast, and it has gripped me. I have been ruminating on it all week and allowing it to guide me and motivate me. 

   We spend so much time talking about and thinking about things we want to do or be, but we don't take action.  We talk about getting healthy, but we don't ever lace up our tennis shoes.  I am the queen of making elaborate plans while avoiding taking the simple first step.  It's as if, somehow we think that by talking about it and preparing for it, we can negate the hard work of just doing it.  

  In this podcast, (the link is below for reference), writer Natalie Goldberg states, "You wanna write?  Shut up and write." This is such a simple statement but so powerful.  It's like the well known Nike slogan, "Just do it."  How many times have we heard this and yet not let it sink in?  We make things so complicated, when in reality it's as simple as taking the walk, saving the money, eating the salad, just doing that small action step day in and day out.  But we avoid this because it's mundane, simple, not as glamorous as talking and planning and imagining.  In truth, the path to the life we want is not lined with gold, it's paved with hard work. 

  Who or what is it that you want to be, that you talk about, plan for, but haven't done?  A healthy person, a great lover, a college grad, a debt free person?  You can say it all you want, but maybe like Natalie says, you need to shut up and do it.   

  What is the life you've been dreaming of? Are you living it?  Are you practicing it?  This is your one life. Don't waste it.  Stop talking.  Start doing.  Start being.  I can't wait to see you succeed!

~K. L. W. 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/elephant-journal-walk-the-talk-show-with-waylon-lewis/id1454710052?i=1000512729746 

Right Now

   Good Morning Friends!  Today I am thinking about "If and When" mentality.  You may not have heard that exact term before, but I am sure you know what I'm talking about.  "If I get that job I'll be happy."  "When I retire I'll have time for my family."  "If my spouse would help more I wouldn't be so grumpy."  You know what I'm talking about.  "If and when" mentality is the mindset that something is missing from our lives, and until we get that something we can never be happy, satisfied, content, etc.  But the problem with this thought process is, it is like a black hole.  It just keeps sucking us in, and it is never filled.  When we get the promotion we spend more money, and then we need more.  We get the bigger house, but have more work to do so we miss out on the people that are important to us, and we still aren't happy.  It's a never ending cycle of want.  So how do we break free of this mindset and start to just live our lives here and now?  

  I believe breaking out of the "If and When" mindset requires us to ask ourselves one simple question.  "What can I do now to enjoy my life as if I already had the result I want?"  You see, the "If and when" mindset teaches us we need something or someone else in order to be happy or at peace. And our consumer culture is constantly reinforcing this with ads for more and bigger and better all the time. But when we begin to find happiness right where we are, we retrain our brains to stop basing happiness on some future payout and start looking for it in the present moment.  

  Here's an example from my own life to help you understand this concept.  I love going to the beach.  And I would like to live there someday.  But right now, I live in Pennsylvania where it is cold.  But someone once asked me the question, "What parts of beach life could you incorporate into your life right now?"  As I began to think about that question, I realized part of what I love about the beach is the ocean and warm weather.  I cannot change that.  But the other things I love about the beach are slower days, taking time for family, walks outside, reading a book, etc.  All of these are things I can incorporate here and now. I don't have to wait until I move to the beach for those.  

  We don't have to keep relegating our happiness and well-being to some far off land of "If and When." Ecclesiastes 8:10b says, "Nothing is better for a man under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad.  Then joy will accompany him in his work all the days of the life God has given him under the sun."  We were created to enjoy the life we've been given right here and now.  Stop basing your happiness on some future event or acquisition, and instead begin to ask yourself how you can incorporate what you care about into your day right here and now.  You just might find out you need a whole lot less than you thought to be happy. Live for today, and stop waiting for "If and When." I can't wait to see you succeed!

~K.L.W.