Day In And Day Out

(I found this in a September archive of drafts.  I have no idea why I did not just post it then as it appeared to be complete.  So I am sharing it now.)

Does that ever happen to you?

Where you feel like your life is just going through monotonous motions?

I am not referring to the Zombie phase.

The one where you are not able to function.

Like after my divorce,

Or when I was struggling with overcoming abuse.

But the one where it is just another day in,
and another day out.

With no momentous happenings?

I am talking about those days that pop up once in awhile.
The ones where I feel like I am starring in Groundhog Day.
Where I am repeating the actions of my days.
With no subsequent changes, no subsequent growth.
And yet I continue doing the same thing.


Well, I had one of those a few days ago.

It made me ponder what I was doing in my life.

What I was doing with my life.

To ask myself if there was a better way.

I think so.
I know so.


On one hand I should be relieved.
I have no pressing emergencies,
No crisis'.

But I also am not experiencing a lot of excitement either.


Just a typical day on the ranch,
(well, except that I live in the heart of the city.)


On the other hand, precisely for that reason, ( that life is mellow) I can be proactive.

What am I doing to make the best of my days?
To make the best of my life?


Do I ask myself, "Why has the Lord brought me here today?" as Sheri Dew suggests.

And then do I look for ways to build up the people within my perimeters of influence?

She suggests five thoughts about our impact, our ability to influence:

1.  We have more influence than we think.

2.  Righteous influence is a spiritual gift.

3.  Influence is not about elevating self, but lifting others.

4.  It is not possible Not to have influence.

5.  Our influence has no limit and no end. 

After pondering these ideas, I feel a sense of obligation.
A responsibility for my influence on others.
A need for optimism.
(Since I have been known to be a candidate for the pessimist-poster-child.)

If good starts with me, it will spread outward.

Like Phil in the movie, I will endeavor to change my life a little each day.
So that in the end, those around me will be better people,
And I will be too.


If I am blessed with a day coming in,
then it is only fair that I will bless a life going out.


“We cannot escape the influence our lives have upon the lives of others.”~ Thomas S. Monson

 

If We Could Convert Guilt.....

"If we could convert guilt into fuel, we would never have to visit the gas station again."~Reyna

I can not speak for men, 
But some women, including mothers,
feed ourselves guilt daily.


No, we FEED off of guilt every day.
It is the foundation of our food pyramid.

Guilt has it's place.
I think it's in the back of the refrigerator with that other stuff that needs throwing out.

I know, we can use guilt to our advantage.
If it spurs us to change something for better.

O.K., if it is sinful then it is good prodding,
But many of us make up 'sins'-
Things that could not keep us out of heaven if we wanted them to.
Things that would make God laugh...
Or maybe cry, if He saw what it was doing to us.

We then use those imagined 'sins' to punish ourselves.


Do we know that if something is making us:

Resent those we love,
Feel we are a hopeless, worthless cause,
Show negative physical symptoms,
Despise ourselves,
Want to throw in the towel,
And eat the whole three pound bag of semisweet chocolate chips,
THEN IT IS NOT GOOD FOR US?!


Sure, there are things in our lives that need adjusting.
ADJUSTING people
Not pummeling!


So adapt.
Learn,
Change (or try your darndest) when needed,
and keep going forward.
PROGRESSION not regression remember?!


If guilt is keeping you stuck,
Or worse yet,
Destroying your peace,
IT IS NO LONGER SERVING IT'S PURPOSE.
(Or is it?)

It is time to ask ourselves why are we doing it?
What is the payoff?
And what is the price we will pay if we do not stop?


Mostly ask, "Why do we expect perfection from an imperfect being?
And then beat ourselves up when we don't and can't come through?"
How humane is that?!


That came off a lot little harsh didn't it?
I guess it is because I have been there, done that,
(and still visit sometimes),
And I know the destruction it can leave in its wake.

All we will have to show in the end is more guilt.
It isn't worth it.

Find a new diet.
Or pyramid.

Lighten up.

This is not a ticket to reckless irresponsibility.
But how many of us have marinated in guilt to the point of inertia and misery?
Unnecessarily?

Be gentle with us.
We are all we get,
We are all we got.


Count your blessings (meaning ALL the good you have done).
Name them one by one...
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done (through you!)

 "It is simply not for us to judge each other [or ourselves]. The Lord has reserved that right for Himself, because only He knows our hearts and understands the varying circumstances and complexities of our lives."
— Sheri L. Dew