Day 25: Things That Hold Me Back

It’s not a thing that holds me back, it’s a person and that person is me. My thoughts and fears hold me back.

My thoughts that are lies. Lies that I am not good enough, that I can’t do it for whatever reason. My thoughts that say it’s too late. The “not good enough” lie can show itself in anything. If you believe you are not good enough then that is the way you will act. Friend, that is a complete lie. You are good enough and can do whatever you want to. It’s in your hands. Change your thoughts. Know the truth and believe it.

My fears that are fears. Fears that won’t allow me to try something new. Fears of failure and not making it the first time. Fears that talk way louder than any of my positive thoughts and meld together with the deafening sound of the lies.

They are best friends; my thoughts and fears.

The beautiful thing is that this doesn’t have to be the end. I can change my thoughts and I can fight my fears. AND that’s what I do. I have made it my beginning!

What holds you back my special friend? Fight it!!!

I’m Cheering you on my friend!  I loves you!

Day 24: A Day Late

I didn’t even make it to my computer yesterday. I was off running first thing in the morning with my husband and then by the time we got home it was time to get ready for Family Night and enjoy the evening. It was a GREAT day!

Minimalism in my Life: I was so excited for this one and yet late. Weird how that works.

Since I discovered “minimalism” things have changed in my life. The first person I came across was Joshua Becker at Becoming Minimalist. I was getting his emails and read his book The More of Less. I forget if it is through Joshua Becker that I heard of The Minimalists. That would be Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus. You will have to go to their website to hear their stories. They are worth checking out. There is so much great information on their website. It is there I learned of The Minimalist Game. You are basically getting rid of things every day of the month based on the date. I played it for two months: February and March and got rid of 929 things. It was so freeing. I was so ready to do this. It was time. Not because I had tons of stuff but because I wanted to minimize my whole life and this seemed to be the way to start it. It worked GREAT! In a physical way, how it has affected me most is in the way I shop. I was never a big shopper but sometimes there are things I just want, just because I have the money to buy it or else it is a great deal. I have learned to distinguish between what I need and want and I am learning to bring those two terms together and in some

In a physical way, how it has affected me most is in the way I shop. I was never a big shopper but sometimes there are things I just want, just because I have the money to buy it or else it is a great deal or it’s just plain cool. I have learned to distinguish between what I need and want and I am learning to bring those two terms together and in some cases, they are the same. I am happy about that. It has also caused me to research more what I am shopping for so that I get not only a good price, but it’s a good item that will last me. For example, I am on the outlook for an electric roaster to also use as a crock pot. I want to buy something that I know I will use lots. I am taking my time because I already have a crock pot I can use. Another example is my wardrobe. I am still in the process of getting rid of things and adding things. I am on the outlook for tee shirts that I am happy with and so far haven’t found any. I do have a gift card at a store in the city that I think will have what I want. I just haven’t taken the time to go there. My goal is to have a small wardrobe that I wear everything and I love everything. These are the biggest changes I notice in me about minimalism.

On a different level, it has and is helping me with discipline. Playing The Game two months in a row every day had me doing something every day and I actually did it. I’m not that great at finishing what I start so this so was encouraging for me so I decided to do something this month as well, on a daily basis. That is where this 30 Day Challenge came from. Today is the first day I have been late but I refuse to beat myself up over it. In fact, if I could give myself a pat on my back, I would! You Go Self!!!

Spiritually, minimalism has taught me about meditation and prayer in a different way. I have already been going through a paradigm switch with my faith, but add minimalism and hearing some of Josh and Ryan’s thoughts on stress and anxiety and how to handle them has been invaluable. Going into this I already had an open mind to hear new ideas and I am so thankful that that. Since Christ is in me, He is on this journey with me and for the first time in my whole entire life, I have moments of peace. Better yet, I am understanding that peace is not something you achieve, it is a state of mind. It is Christ in Me.

Oh friends, if you decide to check this out, let me know. I do not call myself a Minimalist but I love many of their ways and they have made their way into my life. I am so grateful, so so very grateful!

Have a super duper blessed day friends! You are so amazing if you have come to the end of this blog. It’s the longest one I have done. 🙂 I loves you!

Day 14: Why Am I Doing This Challenge?

One word: Discipline

It probably would have been even better with Accountability but I didn’t want guilt. “A writer should write every day.” That’s what you read everywhere. I don’t. Well, I do now and chances are, with this challenge, I will have the habit of writing daily. I kind of like the idea of a topic too but I don’t want to tie myself too much. Easy does it.

I am one of those many people out there that start something BUT tend not to finish. Intentions are good, but well, that’s all they are, intentions. Feb and March I did the Minimalism Game. The idea is to get rid of your possessions every day; the number based on the date. On the 1^st, get rid of one thing, on the 5^th get rid of 5 things…all the way to 28 and 31 (Feb and March). I did it! For April I wanted to keep the momentum going of doing something daily. This is what I chose. Not only is it good for discipline but it is good for so much more. See Day 13: “Why Do I Blog?”.

I have to say I am at a place in life that following a Challenge like this is something I actually want to do. I am finding some of the days harder than others. I can’t believe that I didn’t pick questions and topics that would be easy for me. LOL I am also finding that I am being more transparent in ways I wasn’t planning to. I had a plan NOT to be too open and yet as I write on some of the topics/questions I find that I almost have to share something I wasn’t planning because it is part of the answer and it just fits. I will continue on this path. 🙂

ADVICE: On another note….if your husband finally decides he is going to clean the top of his dresser…put aside a full afternoon for changing your bedroom around. While you are at it, when your son decides to do his laundry, don’t forget that you have to pay attention to when the cycle starts so you can turn the water off since it doesn’t do it on it’s own anymore ( well, sometimes it does). If you get distracted then because you are changing your room around (starting from the top of the dresser) you will come out and find water everywhere. BUT, you will be thankful because the water isn’t too dirty and the floor does look cleaner now, though you have tonnes of more laundry to clean because of all the towels and stuff you used to sop up the water. You are VERY welcome for the advice! ❤

Have a great day friends. It is Good Friday. I loves you.

Day 3: Bucket List?

Bucket List? Nope! Don’t have one and don’t want one. I know they are popular to have. I understand there are things that people want to do in their lives before they die or get too old to do them ( or however they see their bucket list). I am kind of boring. I have no desire to travel anywhere really. I am a homebody with anxiety issues. Home is good. Home is safe. Safe is necessary. Even as time goes on and my anxiety gets better, I have grown used to going with the spirit and seeing where I go and where I end up. Whether it be the Dollar store or the Grocery Store…the Hardware Store or the Bakery. Get my drift?

In saying all this, I know that people put more than just travelling on their bucket list. The way I see life right now, is in the moment. Right now, what can I be doing? I have choices to make and I will make them and life will take me to the next step. I guess in a nut shell what my goal in living life is living it so I don’t have regrets. I try to make the right decisions. I know I will make wrong ones but to live in regret is living in the past. I struggle with that as it is.

This is what I wrote in day 2:

God is good and He has me on an amazing journey that will take me places I can’t even dream about. If I can dream about it, I don’t even want to go there which might give you a clue as far as tomorrow goes and my next topic.” hint hint!”

The truth is I quit dreaming several years ago. I was in a bad spot with my depression and things weren’t going so well between my husband and I. His drinking had really drained me and I let it. There is so much more to that and maybe in future blogs I will share more about it. But…nonetheless, I was in a bad place. All I wanted to do was write and I couldn’t even do that. Nothing came and nothing had come for years before that. I knew I wanted to write, but I couldn’t and yet, I still called myself a writer. Cray Cray! I gave up. I gave up my only dream and that was writing. I gave it to God and said, “whatever…do what you want with this. I’m done.” And I quit.

My youngest son has a Bucket List. I think it’s a great idea in many respects. He gets quite excited about it and keeps adding things to it. I would never discourage that, ever. It is also a great way of keeping track of your dreams and hopes (maybe that’s what a Bucket List is). It’s easy to forget some of these things as we go on through life’s journey.

I haven’t started dreaming again yet, but I have started writing and for now, that is all I need for now. For me, they are a “ two in one deal!”

Keep Dreaming Friends! I Loves you!

Day 1: Introduction to the Challenge

Day 1 for Camp NaNoWriMo

For this month I am blogging. My goal is to blog daily for the whole month of April. I also hope to blog at least 500 words per post and I am following a “list” that you can see in this post. 🙂 It is a list that I made up taking ideas off of other lists because to be honest, I love lists! One thing that I do not love though is long blogs so I am curious to see just how long 500 words is. I lose focus easy (  it seems ) so unless I am reading a book, I shy away from blogs that look long. Ok, if there are pictures in it and if I know you or have loved something else you have written, then, I “may” read a long blog. As a rule though, I don’t.

There are a few reasons that I chose to do Camp NaNoWrMo and actually I think that is a question for later in the month but I will share a reason now as well. Feb and March I did monthly Challenges. I did The Minimalism Game. It was good for me to be focused on something like that for the month and that is why I am here. I want to step up my game for writing ( and making sure I write daily). Some days are hard for me to write because of my depression. Even when I have something to say, I just can’t put it on paper ( or my screen). It’s a struggle but it’s life. I am hoping that I will be able to stay focused enough on writing everyday for this challenge that I can break through the depression. That’s my goal anyway.

I was filled with joy weeks ago that my writing seemed to have been revived once I quit Facebook. I am so so happy to say that it is still the case. I have had writers block literally for years. Which brings me up another reason I am here…to celebrate! My time for writing has come. My kids don’t need me hovering over them anymore and well, my husband…he does but one out of three isn’t bad. Lol

Camp NaNoWriMo is an extension from November’s NaNoWriMo. I believe there are two Camps; one in April and one in July. They encourage not only novels but other projects as well. I didn’t see where they had blogging listed but I thought that was what I wanted to do because that is what I am writing right now. It makes sense.

So here I am, Day 1 and almost 500 words ( 441 as of the first bracket). Good to know how long 500 words is. I know I can so this all month and I will, as well as other blogging as I so see fit.

Friends, have a wonderful April 1 ( and that is no joke!)

Do something that excites you today!!!! Make your inner child laugh. I loves you!