Week 33: What a smile can do!

‎"A smile is the light in the window of your face that tells people you are home." - Author Unknown


This weeks challenge: smile, smile, smile!!

Week 32: Patience

"Sometimes patience can make an ETERNAL difference!"

This week's challenge: be more patient.

Week 30-31: Laugh a little

What a couple of weeks it has been.  I learned a couple valuable lessons this past week.  Let me share:

I woke up Friday morning feeling rather ill.  I had been up most of the night with a sick stomach and an achy body.  Husband was already gone to work when I got out of bed.  I mustard the energy to get 3 of the 6 kids out the door to school.  I had an hour and a 1/2 before I needed to be at the gym teaching a group fitness class.  I thought to myself, "There is no way I can teach a class this morning, I better get a sub."  I was leery though about not teaching my class because I had been out of town a lot from summer vacations.  I decided to suck it up, take some medicine, and go and teach my class.

I made it to my class and even taught a pretty good one despite being sick.  I gathered the kids from the kids care at the gym, hopped into the car, buckled up, and started on our way home to get my kindergartner on the bus for school when all of the sudden I heard a horrible sound of scraping and bending metal.

My heart sank in an instant.  I felt sick to my stomach all over again!  "Did I just really do what I thought it sounded like I did?", I said to myself.  I immediately stuck the car in reverse, backed up, stopped the car, and got out.  Oh yes, it was true, I had hit the car next to me as I pulled forward out of the parking spot and turned to go home.  I couldn't believe it.  I had never been in a car accident before and yet, I created my own accident with a parked car!  How idiotic is that????  As I assessed the damage I couldn't believe what I saw.  My car didn't have much damage, a little denting and scraping by the back door, but the car I hit.....OH, BOY...it was bad.  I mangled and tore off at least half of the bumper and damaged lights and all.  How does one do that going just a couple miles an hour?

I felt horrible.  I went back into work and had to tell my boss I hit a car and then we had to try and find the owner of the car.  When owner saw his car he about died.  I apologized over, and over and over again.  We exchanged information and insurance stuff and then off I was heading home again.

I spent the whole drive home beating myself up about what had just happened.  "If I would have only stayed home and gotten a sub", "I didn't feel well anyway", "How could I be so unobservant", "That one hour of work cost me lots of money," were the things that kept going through my mind.  By the time I got home I felt even worse.

After dwelling for an hour over what had happened that morning, I had a little "wake up moment" and realized I could either keep ruining my day by beating my self up and feeling down about the situation, or I could just simply laugh at my silly mistake and move on.  Mistakes happen and the reality was, it is only money.  As I changed my view on the whole situation, I began to chuckle a little that I actually hit a parked car.  Not many people can say that.  And I did have a 19 1/2 year clean driving record to be proud of.  I also learned to never drive when you are sick, your depth perception is off!!  My kids got a chuckle out of it when they got home from school and my husband was very understanding.

Life is to short to get angry, instead laugh a little!  A smile will make everything better.

This week's challenge: laugh a little more      

Week 29: The gift of tender mercies

I don't have any spectacular story to share this week or an inspiring quote to give, but as I look back on this past week I sit in awe at all of the tender mercies my Savior and Heavenly Father have bestowed upon me.  I have been constantly reminded that they love me because of the small, simple things that have touched my life this past week.  How thankful I am for their tender mercies and for the great love they show me.

This week's challenge:  don't overlook the tender mercies...they are gifts of love!  

Week 28: Becoming more selfless

I was reading a Facebook post by a friend and it said:


"Take the time to change the world for just one person."


That saying really hit me when I read it.  If there is one thing I have learned more over the last little while than ever before, it is concerning the principle of selflessness.  This saying reminds me of selflessness.  Many times we are so busy in our own lives and schedules that we fail to make time, or should I say, leave time in our lives to serve others.  Sometimes in my life, I have found myself being so over scheduled that all I can think about is myself and all "I" have to do.   Life all the sudden becomes all about "me".  I end up feeling so frazzled that I don't possibly have any energy or time left for others.  Not a way to live!!  I have found though, that as I have slowed down and made life and my schedule not all about me, but more about others, I have found a greater feeling of happiness, peace, and fulfillment in my life.  It is a conscious choice we all must make.

This week's challenge: less about me, more about others

  

Week 27: T-I-M-E

Near the end of his life, one father looked back on how he had spent his time on earth.  An acclaimed, respected author of numerous scholarly works, he said, "I wish I had written one less book and taken my children fishing more often."

"Time is a gift, a treasure not to be put aside for the future, but to be used wisely in the present."  
-President Tomas S. Monson

This week's challenge:  Be more mindful of how I use my time each day

Week 24-26: Half way there and committed all the way!

I have to confess, I have been on vacation for the last 3 weeks and have missed posting.  In order to keep on track with my birthday, this will be a combined post for the last 3 weeks.

Speaking of birthdays, tomorrow is my 1/2 birthday.  It is my "YEA day"...every 27th of each month.  I will be 35 and a 1/2.  My "but a spring chick" journey is 1/2 way over.  It has been 6 months of a lot of pondering, learning, and growing as I have worked more at trying to become who Heavenly Father needs and wants me to become.  I haven't been perfect, but I have seen a change take place in myself for the better.  

As I have been focusing on making this year the best ever and as I have tried to improve myself for the better, I have found myself slowing down more, making more time for the little things that matter most like my family and myself.  I have given myself permission to sit and enjoy life moments more without feeling guilty about the "to do" list written on my paper.  I have learned how important it is to forgive.  Holding grudges only weighs one down.  I have embraced more fully the power and the blessings that come from saying, "I am a mother!"  I have recognized that I am of worth.  I have found myself relying on the Lord more and paying attention and recognizing His tender mercies in my daily life.  I have also taken more time to ponder and feel His love in the beauty around me as I have watched a setting sun, a beautiful snowfall, a budding flower, or have felt the breeze on my face as I have biked past a field of green.  I have felt more joy in my heart as I have focused more, the last 6 months, on things that matter most!  

I read this week an article out of the July 2011 Ensign of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints.  It was entitled, "I'm Committed".  In that article President Uchtdorf says: 

"Either you are committed or you are not.  Either you are moving forward or you are standing still.  There's no halfway.  We all face moments of decision that change the rest of our lives."  

I love this quote!  I want to be one of commitment.  I want to be one moving forward, changing my life and the lives of others for the better.  I get excited when I think of life in that way.  The last 6 months have been a learning experience for me.  I am committed to moving forward and I look forward to more learning and growing experiences over the next 6 months.    

It is never to late to change, to develop talents, to learn, to grow, and to become who we want to become!  Remember, we are all "but spring chicks!"  I am committed to this great journey, to my family, to myself, and to my Maker.  Cheers to the next 6 months!  

This week's challenge:  to always remember I am committed to my family, myself, and to my Heavenly Father