Has this first week of May been a doosey for you, too? Lots of weird little things popping into your day. Running into strange occurrences while you are out and about? It just has been an odd little week, but it got me thinking about my April Lessons and what I should be learning in this life. Do you ever do that? Wonder what life’s events are trying to teach you? Maybe I attach meaning to too many things, but it is what helps me keep on keeping on, so it is what I do. If you are that kind of person that you get me and that is why I share my lessons in hopes that they will resonate with you. So if you are taking a rest from a crazy week to be a bit reflective this post is for you.
1. Find your church:
Alright so let me be clear, I am not saying go out and find an actual church exactly. I say exactly because if you have found a church you love then go there. If you think an actual church is what you need and you don’t have one, then by all means go out searching. Even though I am baptized Catholic, the Buddhist Churches have always been my favorite. But church is not for everyone. Church is not everyone’s place that they feel the most connected to God or where they even find peace.
For me running is my church. When I am out jogging I am talking to God. I spend the majority of my run being thankful and grateful for my life. And most of my time out there witnessing God’s work. The mastery of the landscape and the gifts that have been bestowed in my life; that is where I connect with God in ways I have never found anywhere else. When I stopped running 18 months ago I lost this. This past week, I am on my way back to it again. Finding your church fills you up in ways nothing else can.
2. Never give up:
We live in a world full of excuses and blame. When I taught I used to write this on the white board.
Then I would draw this over it:
We can do anything. I know sometimes it seems impossible, that everything is stacked against us and obstacles pop-up in every instance. The one thing I have learned is that if you want to do something you will find a way; no matter what. If you don’t want to do something than you will find an excuse. So my point is if you are after something, if you want it; do not allow excuses to happen. Get past the obstacles, get past the doubt, get past the objections, keep going and you will get to where you want to be. When the haters out there tell you, you can’t; when you tell yourself in weakness that you can’t – make sure that the strength inside you answers, “watch me”.
3. The upside of depression:
So when you live with depression your inner voice and your brain feel as if they work against you. Waking up is hard, taking the first step is hard, you feel like you are worthless in every sense. You feel like you damage everything you touch. You walk around the world with your nerve endings on the outside of your skin. Each thing that happens to you; you feel it for days, weeks, months. You feel each thing deeply.
There is goodness in that . You develop a sense of empathy that other people cannot match. You know what it is like to feel and to be broken. With that comes an understanding of others that is vast and deep. If you are “extra feely” as I like to call it, then you are extra kind, extra caring, and you reach out to help others even when you don’t always help yourself. You know hurt when you see it in someone else’s eyes even when they are wearing their strongest mask. You see the line in someone’s smile that is just a tad bit off, that shows their pain even when they laugh.
These things can help us connect. Depression leaves you feeling alone, so lost that sometimes it seems like a dark, dank never-ending cave. But if we use our “extra feely-ness” as a spidey sense; then we can connect to others when they need it most. We can catch the things others might miss. Our kryptonite can be our super power if we learn to use it instead of succumb to it.
4. Every single day is a do over:
You know when we were kids and we got do overs. The other day I was thinking about how much I missed those. And then it hit me; every single day is a do over. We get another shot to make things right and do better because we know better.
To quote Glennon Melton, “God is forever tries.” God is forever tries. He gives you another chance every single sunrise.
5. Shake the “busy’s”:
Everyone is busy. Anyone you talk to you can tell you how fast life is going, how busy they are and how little time that they have. I fall into this trap all the time. Do you?
I know, it is hard not to. There really is so much going on in our lives and the blessing of technology also has created a much more fast paced environment. Everyone is in a rush to get through all the things.
It is my goal each day to try to shake the busy’s. You have as many hours in the day as Beyoncé. Now I know you may not have as much help as she does to get through your day, or the funds to do all the crazy adventures you might want to; I get it. But if you take excuses out of the equation and you envision the life you want to have; then all you have to do is make that your goal for the day. Don’t be too busy to get your work out in. Don’t be too busy to read that book to your little one. Don’t be too busy that you can’t check in with that friend you have meant to. Don’t be too busy that you can’t take five minutes to yourself to reflect upon your day. All of these things are important. Focus on what you want in a day and make that your priority. Everything else will still be there and still get done, eventually. Take your time and do what you think is important and time will slow down.
So know you know what I have reflected on during all the craziness this week. What are you learning? I would love to hear more about what meaning you are extracting from life’s events. Tell me all about it on my facebook page or your facebook page with the #myaprillessons. Or you can just leave me your lesson in the comments.
I can’t wait to hear what you are learning…
On pins and needles,
I posted this on your Facebook page, too. I was in a reflective mood this past week. Focusing too much on my shortcomings, but in the end I remember that I am essentially a good person. Maybe sometimes prickly, but I am who I am. Here’s my lesson I needed to remember this week: If your number one goal is to make sure everyone likes and approves of you, then you risk sacrificing your uniqueness. This is one of lessons that came out of therapy after I was sick. It took a long time to feel mentally fit after that experience and this lesson is one I keep in my back pocket.
That is a valuable lesson. Jane you are awesome in every way. People who are who they say they are and mean what they say are priceless. You are one of those people.