Don't miss the in-between

There are so many things I want to do and accomplish with my life.  My list is soooo long.

Take more pictures
Join a church group
Blog more
Exercise
Volunteer
Redecorate the house
Visit family
Plan a girls night out with friends
Eat right
Keep a clean house
Do art projects with the kiddos on a regular basis
Cook one new recipe a week
Organize

I could go on and on...and on and on and on...you feel me?

I like to consider myself a emotionally dynamic passionate person :)  I get frustrated easily but I also get inspired and fired up quickly for things that matter to me.  This usually leads to frustration that I can't DO all of these things Right. Now.  But I think about them alot.  Maybe more than I should.

Does this happen to you?

We are so caught up in our busy busy busy that we forget to stop and just breathe.  Stop obsessing.  Life is still happening and we aren't even fully present in it because we are always so focused on the future and all the things we want to accomplish with this precious life.  But I don't want to forget to live it and I bet you don't either.  I encourage you to find some small ways to be more present in your day.

Take a slow inhale of your morning coffee/tea
Look people in the eye when they're talking to you (I'm so guilty of this even with my kids sometimes!)
Get off your smart phone...take a brief walk
Hug someone
Lift your face to the sun and feel the warmth it provides
Chew your food slowly and really taste it
Listen to music





 What are some small ways you can find to be present in the in-between?

rest before you're tired

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“So, to prevent fatigue and worry, the first rule is: Rest often. Rest before you get tired.” - Dale Carnegie, How To Stop Worrying and Start Living

Rest BEFORE you get tired?  What?

Is it just me or is this concept foreign to you too?

This little gem hit me like a palm to the forehead.  Duh!  Of course resting before you get dog-on-feet-dragging tired makes total sense, but did my fuzzy brain pick up on it?  Nope.  Thank goodness I came across Katie and her blog Conquering Fear Spiritually.

Let me back up a bit.  Katie writes a lot about Chronic Fatigue Syndrome but there are golden nuggets on her blog to help everyone improve their well-being, not just CFS sufferers.  I don't think I have CFS...I really don't know...but I can tell you that I am exhausted All.The.Time.  Like fighting-to-keep-my-eyes-open-at-work exhausted.  Like so much so that sometimes my own driving scares me.   Not good I know.  People have told me that it's just because I have 2 small(ish) children.  That I work full-time.  That I don't get good sleep (my youngest suffers from night terrors almost nightly).  That I don't get enough exercise.  That our lifestyle is just too busy.  All of these are probably true but I don't know...something still seems off.

Anywho, now that I've rambled on about my struggle right now (which was not the intent of this post), let's move on shall we?

Back to resting before you're tired.  I don't think we know how to do this anymore do you?  Our lifestyle these days is to stay busy, constantly do or accomplish something....anything.  There is a sense of guilt that comes washing down if you don't.  You're lazy, or some other such nonsense.  I myself have bought into this for some time now too but slowly....slowly...I am learning how to unwind and put my health (mind, body, and soul) first.  Carnegie's words are like getting permission to rest and take care of yourself, no guilt included.

Normally if I have any "down time", I immediately seek out something that "needs done".  I really struggle with making rest a priority.  One of the ways my family has recently started to do this is to spend about 30 minutes every night, in quiet fellowship with each other.  This meant telling my boys that there would be no TV after 7:30 (the normal pre-bedtime routine).  No ipad or iphone either.  We have the house quiet, turn down the lights, and simply do something quiet and relaxing together.  Listen to oldest read a story (to also practice his reading skills - two birds with one stone!), play a card game or board game, or build with Legos.  Making sure we get this quiet time every night benefits us all.  Not to mention bringing us closer as a family by giving each other our undivided attention.  Thirty minutes, that's all it takes.  You can start with less than that if you need to.  But taking just a short time each day to stop, breathe, and be solely in the present will change your life for the better. 

I encourage you to go to Katie's blog and check out some of her posts, I know you'll find something that will help you!

I find rest

I've often thought that it would be best to live somewhere where it is warm all the time since I really am not a fan of the cold.  But in all reality I would really miss the changing of the seasons.  I am one of those people that actually like when the stores are busting out the Halloween stuff in August.  

Gets me geared up for what's to come :)

And I'm totally in love with Fall.  

The warm cozy sweaters, the cool breezes, the smell of the leaves, and the oncoming of harvest time ultimately leading to a period of rest.

As moms, rest is something that often alludes us.  I don't mean to exclude those that are not mothers by any means, but I found my life took on a whole new meaning of busy when I had kids.  Not only the physical demands but the mental as well.  My brain never stops thinking about the never ending list of things to do.  I check a few things off only to end up adding more.  

When thinking of rest in the past, I would envision days at the spa or shopping and lunch dates with the girls.  But let's be real, that's just not going to happen very often.  Lucky for me I found that rest is not restricted to a specific activity or location.  

It is a state of mind.  

And that my friends is something I can indeed have.

Quieting my mind is the best way I can rest.  I've found that being present in my current situation is actually rest for me.  Letting go of the mental list.  Focusing on one thing.  I think multi-tasking is over-rated anyway.  To really stop and fully engage yourself in the moment is where it's at.  

That elusive resting place I've been trying to find.

It doesn't need to be a fancy trip to the spa, it can be a simple as watching 20 minutes of TV with my family before bed.  Sitting all together on the couch, that physical contact, and all engaging in that one shared experience, that can be restful.  Or taking some time to spend one-on-one with an animal.

I'm definitely an advocate for having a pet in your life.  They are such wonderful creatures and add immeasurable joy to your life.  Even if I can fit only 5-10 minutes of sitting and petting Lord Seamus, I am better for it.  It's like his peace and contentment seeps into me or something :)

A quiet mind is something I'm still working on but I can see some of the benefits already.

How do you find rest?

*Side note: I've lived in my current home for 6 years and never tasted these apples from our apple tree until this past weekend.  Oh. My. Delicious.  I ended up making a heavenly apple crisp with them.  Why did it take me so long to give them a try?  Ridiculous.  I have a feeling we'll be having a lot of apple crisp from now on ;)