Be The Best

Have you ever wondered who you want to be?  I have.  Many times who I want to be resembles  every person that is having success in any area of life.  See a problem with that?  Maybe not, but let me tell you it is counterproductive!

Just for example, one is most likely not going to own a farm in the country and live in the city and take the subway to work. Wow, that was elementary right! As simple as that was to uncover,  it is what I have been doing (and maybe many others) for a while.  This made me think maybe the question is not who do I (or you) want to be. Maybe the better question is who am I (who are you)?  Each of us were created uniquely with different likes, dislikes, strengths, and struggles.  What ignites passion and brings peace?  Where is that sweet spot where strengths and enjoyment collide?  Do we know?  If not, I highly recommend hanging out with yourself for a while and journaling your experiences. Be honest about the things you did really well and the things you bombed.  Think about the projects, conversations, or tasks that brought you the most joy and see if there is a common factor linking them. Learn to know yourself and accept yourself.  Then ask yourself “what version of who I am do I want to be.” For me the answer is simple.  I want to be the BEST version of me possible. What does that completely look like?  I have no clue. I only know that it means that I grow daily, do an extra rep, discover a new fact, do more of what I love and stop worrying about someone else’s version of awesome.

So for your sheer entertainment here are few counterproductive versions of someone else’s awesome that I have thought about being (all at the same time might I added):

• A size negative 2, a power lifter, a marathon runner, and physique competitor.  Who am I really and what do I really want … to enjoy my workouts, look nice and gain confidence, be healthy and encourage others to do the same.

• President of a major corporation, stay at home mom, and win the Nobel Peace Prize.  What is realistic for me … a balance of work and family and flexibility to volunteer at my childrens’ school. Quite honestly I get overwhelmed when my children are scheduled for too many activities and they overlap so I am really not corporate president material. As far as the Nobel Peace Prize, I think I have a shot with this blog -  ;)

So those were quite silly and unrealistic!

I encourage you to know yourself, shed the things that really aren’t you, pick up the things that are, and be the BEST version of you possible.

Blessing for the journey!

Shante  

Lessons From The Trail

After dropping the kids off for the first day of the new school year, the husband and I headed to the Greenway for a run.

Being a country girl, the first step onto that wooded trail awakened my senses and made me truly feel alive! There was an excitement that could not be contained.  I found myself shouting “This is awesome!”  Although not marked by girlish screams, my husband shared in the excitement as well.

As the run progressed, I started noting several lessons the trail was teaching me, and they are worth sharing. Here are a few:

• The terrain is ever changing. If you fail to stay engaged in the present you just might trip.

• The journey is sweeter when shared with the ones you love.

• You never know what may block the path, but there is a way around it or through it.

• Beauty can be found in the most unexpected places.

• Sometimes you have to get a little dirty. (Thanks to many muddy spots I learned this well)

• The beginning is exciting; the end is welcomed, but it’s the journey on the trail that grows you.

Life is waiting … go live it to the fullest!

Shante

 

                                                       

More than Junk

On my nightstand there is a pile of scraps that my daughter arranged into a special sculpture just for me. You see she has a knack for picking up junk with the desire to later craft it together into a masterpiece. Often times I discourage this habit because it means I find bottle caps, string, nails, candy wrappers, and all sorts of unattractive stuff lying around the house or in the car. And with that admission I realize I may have just taken myself out of the running for World's Greatest Mother. So let's continue ... What my daughter sees as pieces to a brilliant piece of art, I see as a heaping pile of trash. Wow, what a creative optimistic genius I am! On the bright side, I bet you are feeling better about yourself right now, huh? It is worth saying that I do not see my sculpture as trash because I know the heart from which it came.

So what is all this about?  I had a day (ok, a string of days) that I felt like junk. You know the uncool parent, the unaccomplished adult, the unproductive servant, and well just plain ill. Then, on my nightstand, I found a note from my husband highlighting my worth; reminding  me that even though my days had not been as joyous and easy as hoped for, I was on the right path, and I was making a difference. That resolved it! My husband said it so it was true; no questions asked. Problem solved ... until next blog. Yeah, so that isn't completely the truth.  There was a letter. It was nice and made me smile, but truth is, he is my husband and adores me even with my flaws. You remember that sculpture, the one made from the junk I usually discourage my daughter from gathering ... Yeah that one!  There it too lay on my nightstand, and as I looked at it, these words filled my mind' "you are not junk."  What I feel like junk?!? My kids clearly do not like my rules, my big plans are fill filled with potholes, and my accomplishments aren't impacting the world. Then  the words came with more force "You are NOT junk." Huh? Really? And then the understanding:

Sure we have all been challenged by life, some of us even left in pieces, some dreams unfulfilled and some bad choices that linger, but the truth is that if the broken unattractive pieces are picked up and arranged by the right artist our junk can be a masterpiece. For me that artist is Jesus Christ. He has picked up the pieces and reminds me that I am not junk.

And as for my passionate little girl ... She now has a collection bag and will begin putting her findings together into a masterpiece.

You are a masterpiece in the making,
Shante