January . . .

So here we are, pretty much at the end of January.  How did it go for you?  How were you at keeping your resolutions?  I had told myself that I was going to keep a journal this year, a handwritten one and I have been doing just that.  As well as my writings on here of course.  I haven't written in it every day, but I've written in it quite a bit, which is good, and I plan to continue.

My journal started off with two words  . . .  "Be Present."  Two words which I hope will be a byline for my year.   Be present . . . 

 

I have quite taken those words literally this month, or at least tried to.  I am a work in progress after all.  I took them to mean . . . live here and live now.  Not in the past where you can't do anything to change what has already happened, and not in the future which has yet to be written, but in the NOW.  Right now.  Where you are.  Doing whatever it is that you are doing.  Living in the present is a part of finding joy . . . to living a blissful life.  Where you have been only matters in so much as it had brought you to where you are.  Take lessons from it, then move on and be present to what your life is now.  Eek out every bit of joy that you can from each day.  Be open to the "present" which comes with each day.  In this month I have found joy in the things I already have and have tried not to  overly mourn the things that I don't.  I have tried to celebrate the here and the now.  I have lived in the now and not in the past.  Its been good and its been empowering.   I guess I have given myself permission to just be happy.  Now. 

 

Yes . . .  it is.

  

Another word I had written in it was  . . .  reconciliation . . . .  included in that was a little print-out I did of the serenity prayer.  You know the one??  

God grant me the Serenity 

to accept the things I cannot change, 

the Courage to change 

the things I can, 

and the Wisdom 

to know the difference. 

And so I have been embracing that this month. Serenity. I can remember reading the Serenity prayer when I was a teenager.  Oh, what did I know about life then?  Not as much as I thought I did!!  I think a part of living in the present, of finding joy in the present, is coming to a reconciliation with the past.  Of learning to accept that there are things you do not have any power to change and might never be able to change . . .  in learning to reconcile these things in your heart and in learning to forgive . . .  self and others, but mostly self.  There is a great peace to be found in forgiving yourself. 

 Jesus died crying. 

But He forgave.

"Shame is a bully, but Grace is a shield."

Ann Voscamp  

 

Right on the cover of my journal are penned two three small words.  "Believe in Yourself."  If you believe in yourself, in your abilities, in your power to overcome and to flourish . . . then anything is possible.  If you don't believe in yourself, it doesn't matter how talented you are, or how big . . . your dreams are. The larger part of doing is quite simply . . . .  believing that you can!  There is no room for self doubt in a "can-do" life.  One of my favourite stories when I was a little girl was "The Little Engine that Could."  The story of the little steam train who  replaced her "I think I can" puffs of smoke with "I know I can" puffs.  Believing that she could, believing in herself . . .  made all the difference in the world and got her up the daunting hillside in front of her.  

I had written down three ways to believe in yourself, to build confidence  . . . 

1. Take note of your positive accomplishments, and embrace them.  Learn from them. Identify the skills that helped you to accomplish these things, and then put them more into practice.

2.  Talk to people who love you.   And so I have spent quite a lot of time this month in coversation with people I know care about me.  Who have a vested interest in me.  Not that I am the "Be All" and "End All."  Far from it.  But it is nice to feel good about yourself and to know that others do as well.

3. Be persistent.  Don't give up at the first obstacle that presents itself.  If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.  I think it was Thomas Edison who said that the only failure in life was in not trying.

Another thing I had written down is this . . .  "Be the kindest voice in the world, even to yourself."  Kindness wins.  Every. Time.  We are often our own harshest critics. We need to stop that. We need to be kind to others and to ourselves.  Its like that advice that Thumper got from his mother . . . .  if you can't say something nice, then you best say nothing at all. Speaking your mind can't say anything at all like speaking kind can.  I love that song that Tim McGraw sings  . . .  humble and kind.  There is a lot of wisdom in those few words. Stay humble and kind.

To be humble is to be teachable, and to be kind

Nothing good ever came from being

pumped up with pride. 

 

The last word I have written in it is this  . . .  "Courage."  Having the courage to keep doing the right things without expectation. NO matter what.  Having the courage to rise above hurt feelings, not to dwell on them or allow them to colour my present.  Having the courage to stand up for what  I believe to be right and correct, but also know to be right and correct.  Just Courage.

And those are the things I spent journaling about this month.  I think it was a good start to the year, even if I did have a few blue moments along the way.  I was able to rise above them.

A thought to carry with you  . . . 

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★
 *.˛."Courage doesn't always roar,

Sometimes it is that quiet voice 

at the end of the day that says,

I will try again, tomorrow."

~Mary Ann Radmacher   •。★★ 。* 。

Spiritual Enlightenment 

 

In the kitchen today . . . Salted Caramel Drizzle Loaf.  Nom Nom!

Have a wonderful Sunday . . .  Don't forget! 

═══════════ ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ ═══════════ ⊰✿░G░O░D⊰✿⊰L░O░V░E░S⊰✿⊰░Y░O░U░⊰✿
═══════════ ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ ═══════════ 

And I do too