Attitude

I've had this draft sitting in my queue for a week now.  I am forcing myself to focus and finish this thing before I don't remember what I was going to say!  I must add that the week has added more to my perspective.  :)

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Usually I end the post with a quote but I think today I'll switch it up.  There are really so many that describe what I'm feeling so I'll only give you a few...

• "A glad heart makes a happy face; a broken heart crushes the spirit." ~ Proverbs 15:13, NLT
• “You cannot control what happens to you, but you can control your attitude toward what happens to you, and in that, you will be mastering change rather than allowing it to master you.”~ Brian Tracy
• “I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.” ~ Jimmy Dean
• “The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes.” ~ Charles R. Swindoll

Can you tell where I'm at right now?? Yeah I'm swallowing a big piece of humble pie.  Not that it was caused by someone's actions or words to get me to wake up.  It was my own.  Crazy how life kind of happens to us sometimes.  I've been Negative Nancy for a while and I hate it!  I really, truly HATE being sad and depressing.  I enjoy waking up with the sun shining in my face, thanking God for a new day.  I'm finally back to that point!  

I've been struggling with a few things since November/December and it put me into a funk.  Maybe one of these days I will inform you of what happened.  It was just a series of events that sent me spiraling out of control.  For those of you who know me, I HATE not being in control of my life.  I'm pretty easy going and don't mind just running with the pack.  However, I usually know how things will happen.  For example, when I go stay with Seth, we don't really make plans.  We do whatever the family is doing.  Not a big deal.  I expect that to happen.  Another example, going to Walmart to use competitors coupons and then telling me that you can't use them.  Didn't expect that and was super annoyed because it was a waste of my time.

So how did I get out of the funk?  I kind of had an out of body experience.  It was like I was watching myself speak to people, act around people, do things by myself.  It all looked horrid!  I thought to myself "Who was this person?  I wouldn't want to be around her."  And with that, I figuratively kicked myself in the hind end!  I made it a point to change my outlook.  I can only control so many things in my life.  One of those being my ATTITUDE.  There is no need for me to be so cranky and blah.  I am blessed beyond belief!  I serve a loving, forgiving, gracious God.  I have an amazing boyfriend, wonderful friends, a family that I can depend on.  I have a job with insurance and benefits.  Etc, etc... Some days are easier than others to remember to keep my chin up.  It is all so worth it in the end.  (For me and everyone around me!)


Hope everyone has a wonderful Monday!

Monday Madness

Sorry to those of you who were trying to access blogs last week but didn't make it through.  There was something messed up w/ Blogger but everything should be back to normal!

I have written several topic based blogs lately.  Not too much about my totally random life though.  I figured I would get you caught back up.  Really and truly, I've been pretty busy and pretty lazy all at the same time.  If you look at my calendar, weekends are OVERBOOKED!  I don't have any set in stone plans for Memorial Day weekend.  I definitely have a lot of ideas though.

This past weekend, I stayed in Huntington on Friday evening running errands and cleaning around the house.  I was pretty lazy during the week putting off dishes and laundry.  I usually buckle down under pressure though.  So I was able to finish up those tasks.  Saturday was the special election for Governor.  Being a Saturday primary, voter turnout was REALLY low but it is still my civic duty to cast my ballot.  (I hope the rest of you did.)  I didn't know who I was going to vote for until that morning.  I woke up thinking one guy and ended up voting for another!  After that, I packed up to head to Seth's for the weekend.  I made several stops along the way.  Starbucks.  Dropped off lilies in Charleston.  Pictures along the way.  Oil change.  Then finally to Seth's house and he wasn't there!  Thankfully, I've been around the family enough to feel comfortable alone with them.  That evening we attempted to go bowling but ended up watching "Water for Elephants".  I owe Seth for that one.  He was such a trooper!  It looked great from the previews but my honest opinion was that it was a good movie.  Definitely not something I would purchase.  FYI - it had a lot of animal violence in it which I absolutely hate!  I covered my eyes for parts of it.

Sunday was even better.  Church, nap, food, nap, movie, ice cream and Wii.  It was a very lazy day.  I think we were all pretty worn out!  But here I am, back to reality trying to write a report.  I have three issues laid out but so much work to do to each of them.  I did, however, just hoof it out to my car to get my camera cord to show you some of my pictures.  You better enjoy them.  Every last one of them! :P

I hope that your week is off to a great start and you also had a wonderful weekend!!

“Nature is too thin a screen; the glory of the omnipresent God bursts through everywhere.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Awesomeness

How AWESOME is the God that I/we serve???  He continues to amaze me.  Really and truly.  I'm sure the youth group kids are so sick of me talking about it.  But I am honestly so amazed at the way that God is moving in my life and in the lives of the people around me.  Maybe it is just because I am becoming more attuned to his influence in my life.  Maybe I'm just becoming more aware in general.  Don't get me wrong.  I've known God is always there.  I just get distracted by being busy or lazy or woe is me kind of attitude.  Sure we all have our good days and our bad.  Being a Christian isn't easy.  God never said it would be.  However, knowing that God is there to provide and comfort us helps on those bad days.

Here in the past week or so, God has thrown so many things in my face.  Not in a harmful, spiteful way but in a loving wake up call kind of way.  I think that I've openly admitted to the fact that I am somewhat hardheaded.  Okay.... I can be extremely hardheaded.  It takes a good jolt to get my attention.  But wow has he jolted me!  Maybe explain it as being in a funk.  But I think I'm out of it.  I hope so at least!

Now... I have all these things going on in my life.  I have to prioritize and figure out what is the most important.  A huge part of this requires me to petition God and actually listen to his answers.  Sometimes I have to be patient to hear his answers.  This is another area where I struggle.  I'm a typical generation x kid.  I want it now if not 15 minutes ago. Please and Thank You!! :P  But I have struggled.  I have kicked and screamed.  I have pouted.  Finally I gave up.  After a little bit of time, God just waltzes back in giving me what I want.  With all that excitement, I don't know what to do with everything he is giving me!  Such craziness, I know. Guess I'll just have to keep praying. :)

I just wanted to share with you that I am so very blessed!!  (And you are too!)

Being Quite Frank

As I am going through my "Edit Posts" pages, I have so many drafts.  Usually they are too revealing for me to post on here.  Part of "Identifying Sarah" is well - hard.  I was raised in a very small, rural area.  Population roughly 7000 in the entire county!  One high school, NO fast-food chains or Wal-mart, a blinking caution light, and farm land.  I was blessed to live close to my grandparents and spend a lot of time with them.  It was the kind of town where the village helped raise the child or I like to think so.  I knew that if my parents weren't around and I did something I wasn't supposed to... Well I got in trouble then and when I got home.  I appreciate the way that I was raised.  I grew up very sheltered and naive about the world.

Saying that, I could be pretty close-minded and judgmental growing up.  Since leaving the small town and experiencing the big world, I've grown up.  I understand that not everyone thinks or feels the same way that I do.  Heck, very few people are like me!  Everyone is raised differently.  Everyone is taught different things and experiences life in different ways.  That is what makes the world go round.

Something has been on my mind for the past couple of days.  Seth told me I need to loosen up.  This isn't the first or hundredth time someone has said that to me.  Knowing where I came from and being able to recognize characteristics of my life (good and bad) hasn't helped me determine why I'm so uptight.  To be honest, I don't really think about it.  It is just who I've always been.  As years go by, I've lightened up a little.  Obviously not as much as other people would like me to be.  Boy if I had HALF of a penny for every time someone had said that I need to loosen up or that I'm wound too tight, etc. etc.  I would not only be a millionaire but well on my way to being a billionaire.  Seriously!

As I mentioned, I've grown older and let go of my close-minded, judgmentalness.  It is still there but just not as much as it once was.  I try to understand where other people are coming from.  I may not agree with it.  However, it is your life.  You do what you want.  I would appreciate it if you treated me the same though.  Just because I don't drink or smoke or do drugs or vandalize people's property does not mean that it gives you the right to call me uptight.  If you choose to do anything, that is your choice.  You will reap the rewards or consequences of your actions.  I have no problem with that.  I do have a problem when your actions could possibly affect me or any of my friends/family.  Examples - Egging my car, driving under the influence of whatever, etc.  Just because I don't live life the way you do, does not mean I don't enjoy it and loosen up.  To each their own. 

Now, I agree that sometimes I get wound too tight.  I let things fester.  I overbook my life.  I worry about what people think of me.  I have trust issues.  I've been burnt in the past as I'm sure many of us have.  Here's the general scenario: You let your guard down.  Let someone into your life.  They see more of the real you.  They learn intimate details of your life.  You go on thinking that you can trust this person as more and more time goes by.  Then all of a sudden one day they are gone.  POOF.  Disappeared. OR  They end up telling someone information about you that shouldn't have been told.  It all boils down to the fact that they betray your trust.  They have hurt you.  Trust is one of those things that will make or break any relationship.  With it, everything is so much easier to handle.  Without it, there is no relationship.  If it is broken, it is so very, very hard to rebuild.  But.... all of that stuff, makes me who I am today.  I may be a little biased but I like who I am.  Sure there are things I could do better.  But as I have told Seth... love me or leave me.

I'll let you in on a little secret though.  You ask "You say that you loosen up on your own terms but how do you do it?"  I do it all by myself. :)  I have late night dance parties.  I travel to far off places.  I go to concerts.  So there.  I loosen up.  You just aren't privileged enough to see it.  Well I suppose you see it after the fact when I post pictures on Facebook or a few here.  Technically those are censored though...

(PS - I'm not writing this blog specifically to Seth.  I'm writing this to anyone.  Maybe you know people in your life that are uptight.  Give them a break!  Appreciate them for who they are.  Show them that they can trust you.  But don't push them to "loosen up".  Let it happen on their time.)



While looking for a quote, I found this gem and couldn't pass it up! :)

“While the rest of the species is descended from apes, redheads are descended from cats.”

Hope everyone has a wonderful Wednesday!!

Giving Thanks

I'm having one of those blah moments.  I think it is important to remember the good times instead of focusing on the not so good especially when you're in a grumpy mood.  So by swallowing a bit of my own medicine, here goes!

Today I am thankful for the following:

• Friends.

• Family.
• God, church, the kids in the youth group, overwhelming peace.
• FOOD!!

• The fact that it is time to pull out my hammock and lay in it. :)

• Seth.
• Creativity.  I love being able to come home at night and break out of that restricted business atmosphere.  I love being able to decorate, play with colors, shapes, textures, etc.  I miss the free flow of thinking.
• Animals!!

• Music.  A good beat gets me moving!  Raw instruments give me cold chills especially when blended together.  Silence, tension, crescendos, etc.
• Self-control and will power.
• Travel!!

Hope that you are having a blessed day or by reading this, it makes you appreciate life!  God Bless!

Relationships - Tres

In case this is your first time viewing my blog, this is the first multiple-post blog topic I have written.  This all began because a friend asked me a relationship question and I decided to write something about it.  Please go check out Relationships.  Then read Relationships 2.0 to get you caught up to speed!

*Drum roll please........*

Back to the original question and my answer. Yes.  Finally an answer!

Q - "Why do girls you ignore 'love ya' and the ones you show attention to take it for granted?"

A - Girls that you ignore, want your attention.  They want to feel wanted.  They want to feel desired.  They want to feel pretty and special.  If you all of a sudden just fall off the face of the Earth, that shakes our world.  We don't know if we have done something wrong.  We analyze and over analyze every word, thought, outfit, conversation, date, etc.  We reach out to you by calling, texting, showing up where we know you'll be.  Sometimes it goes to the extreme of making ourselves lose sleep, break out in a rash, stop eating.... (Yes, I've been there.  I thought I was "in love" with the guy.  His loss.)  Guys - That is why you need to be honest with us ladies.  And you might hate me for calling you out but MEN you want all of the same things.  You hate it when we ignore you just the same.

The latter part of the question can be answered by the sheer fact that we take it for granted when we can have something all the time.  It is just like family, friends, a favorite store, the park, God, etc.  The unfortunate fact is that if something is always there, we know we can get it whenever we want.  We take it for granted.  I think that is why we appreciate the seasons so much more.  We endure temperatures and inclement weather because we know that the next season is right around the corner.  We appreciate each season for what it is and know that it won't be here forever.  I'm not saying that we are justified in the fact that we take things for granted.  I think it is again part of human nature.  Also, if someone is ignoring you, it is probably because they are not interested.  Truth is that if someone is interested in you, they will show it whether it is phone calls, texts, making plans together, visiting you at work, etc.  VERY RARELY are they ignoring you because they are preoccupied with something else. ie. family problems, work stress, financial issues, etc.

I think it boils down to honesty.  Honesty from both parties to yourself and the other party.  First off, you have to know what you want.  If you are just looking for someone to entertain you and not a relationship, then you shouldn't be getting all bent out of shape.  If you are looking for a relationship, then you should have already completed the work on your end.  You know who you are and what you're looking for.  In Patti Stranger's book, she instructs the reader to create a list of 5 things that are non-negotiable and 5 things that are negotiable.  You should stick to your list.  Even carry it around with you.  Look at it often.  I posted it on my cork board at work and even took a picture of it with my phone.  For instance, a smoker is a non-negotiable for me.  If I met a smoker, a switch flipped in my brain to not feel anything for them romantically.  This actually helped me tremendously.  Remember boys and girls, you cannot change someone.  You have to accept AND appreciate the person for who they are today.  Not who they were or who they will be.  The list prevented me from wasting my time on guys that didn't fit my list.  Now my negotiables are somewhat negotiable.  Not saying this happened but for example... If a guy fit all of my requirements but wasn't exactly tall or outgoing.  I should give it an honest effort to see what could happen.

Secondly, if both parties are honest with each other from the get go, it cuts out a LOT of drama and hurt feelings.  If you're looking for a relationship and the other person isn't, don't waste your time.  Add them to your network and move on!  Being honest can be scary.  You're putting your feelings out there.  Trust me it is SO worth it.  I don't know about you but I can't read minds.  I can assume something but we all know where that leads...

Now before you go out and practice this, please use discretion.  Don't go on a first date or even when you're first meeting someone and tell them that you are looking for the future father/mother to their children.  That is just creepy.  Get to know the person.  If you feel those sparks flying, wait a little bit longer.  Then wait a little bit longer and then casually bring up the conversation.  This advice is the same for marriage or anything that is a major life decision!!

I hope you've learned something from this topic.  I've certainly enjoyed writing about it.  Relationships are tricky things.  Some of us are lucky enough to figure them out early on in life.  Others... well we have to bang our head against a brick wall several times before we finally learn our lessons!  Regardless, everything happens for a reason.  Every encounter you have builds you into the person you are today and someone, somewhere will love that person for exactly who he/she is. :)  Now go have some fun!



“Consider how hard it is to change yourself and you'll understand what little chance you have in trying to change others.”