mommalert

Moving…forward and backward

The packing and moving process is time-consuming. Mentally and physically challenging, but mostly it is mentally tough. Looking though old memories – happy times, sad times, treasures, and “what the heck did I keep this for?”. I find it really challenging to look at photos of myself. To look at the picture, look into my own eyes, and recall that time of my life. Remember what I felt like then, what hopes and dreams I had, what fears and insecurities were lurking there. Looking at pictures of the kids, and remembering the joys we shared so often, as well as the worries of being a “good” parent.

I guess that sometimes you have to move backward to go forward. Sometimes, it’s easy to get stuck in backward, in some of those old emotions you thought were long gone. It’s going to be a very long, very short two weeks!

New Chapter

Yesterday we sold our house. Now we are on a countdown to move-out day. We haven’t bought another house, and aren’t looking right now. Today we start a new chapter, a new adventure. Today, we are going to look at 5^th wheel trailers, with the intention to be full-time happy campers for a while. Scary? Sort of, in a good kind of way. Exciting? Without a doubt.

For the first time in 50+ years for me, “home” will not come with a solid, fixed location. It didn’t take long for me to figure out that home isn’t a fixed physical place during our 6 moths in FL. Home is where you find love and family. We are sitting here, right now, planning the first two weeks after our last day at this house. It’s pretty neat to realize that you can choose – actually have to choose where you are going to be living.

How long are we going to do this? As long as it is right. We’ll know when we are ready to stop. This is a really important lesson for me – in grace, in joy, in peace. I have a great sense of peace about this choice we have made. God has shown us, every step of the way, that we are on the right path. That sense of peace comes with feelings of excitement and wonder. I know that we will find joy in this journey. Sure, there will be challenges, but those make the joy greater. The other great lesson (for me) in this adventure is letting go of control. Getting “okay” with not knowing every next step, trusting and exercising my faith.

Here’s to lessons, joy in the journey, and faith exercises!

Lessons After 5 Months…

Retro from 22 February 2017…

Some things to share…because I’m old, and old people get to do this. I really hope that this will be important to someone reading it, and maybe make a difference.

1. Love yourself. Believe you are enough, just the way you are. You don’t have to save the world, the dolphins, or the unicorns. You were created as a unique, beautiful being. You just have to believe it. Be gentle with yourself. At the same time, be connected with your higher power – (God, for me). The One that created you did so out of love. That is a two-way street.

2. Move and sweat each day. It makes things really good – like a bigger smile, more love, more energy, more happy. You get to know your body a whole lot better, and it is an amazing body. Push your limits – see if you can find them.

3. Leave your comfort zone. Everything doesn’t have to be an “extreme” adventure, but try something new. Often. Alone or with friends. Good things happen – maybe you succeed, or maybe you learn how to circle back and take another run at it. When you start feeling comfortable, it might be time to move again.

4. Laugh more. It’s a choice. Even if it doesn’t seem like there is much to laugh at, find something. Contemplate your belly button or name your toes….whatever it takes to get a giggle.

5. Stop judging others so harshly, and to do that, you must first stop judging yourself. This is closely related to item #1.

6. Ask for help. It’s OK. It sure makes things easier. Choose your helpers wisely, and be open to those you least expect to be helpers in your journey.

7. Don’t make too many finite goals. Resting points and milestones are good, goals are like endpoints or stopping points. The journey isn’t over if you are breathing….

8. Start with a safe milestone if it makes you feel better, but after that, choose big, scary ones. Open your heart and your mind, and believe that you can.

9. Surround yourself with positive people, and find two or three people that you trust to help you navigate the really challenging times, and kick you out of your comfort zone when you get stuck there. Try to be that kind of person for someone else!

10. Don’t try to do it alone…remember, you are already enough, just the way you are. Sharing journeys and adventures – so much more fun than being alone. Sitting quietly and enjoying silence, or the beauty around you – so much nicer to look at the person next to you and share the joy with them. It is good, though, to enjoy some quiet alone time – everything doesn’t have to be an adventure all the time.

These are things that I am working on, things that I had to learn the hard way. When I am able to remember to incorporate this stuff into my life each day, I really do smile more, laugh more, and love more. Some of the lessons were harder than others to learn, some are still really hard to practice. But it gets easier each time. Perfection is a myth, no room for messy fun. Get dirty, cry, laugh, hug, run, sing out loud….do it with passion. It is totally worth it!

Goal Setting

Retro – from 10 March 2017
Let me start off by saying that I was not a fan of goal-setting (detailed and specific), vision boards, or being patient and persistent about attacking what I wanted. Until the last 6 months. Some of you know that we (Bill and I) have been off on a little adventure that began at the end of September. Our 6 months is rapidly drawing to a close. When we left, I had a few vague goals, but wasn’t brave enough to write them down. I did talk to Bill about them. About the same time, a few very special people crossed my path, and encouraged the goal-setting thing.

I spent some time yesterday reviewing what has been accomplished, and what is yet unfinished. Not only did I accomplish every goal I set before we left (vague as they were), I added and accomplished many more. I have two particularly pesky goals that I will be finishing up in Cadillac. The benefits are amazing – physically, spiritually, psychologically – and I have already started setting new goals/intentions. I am shortening my time frame from 6 months to 3 months, and this time, I have clear, concrete ideas about what I want. That’s the really cool thing about this goal-setting stuff. You set the goals first – don’t worry about how they will be accomplished. Believe that you can, and you will. The “how” will appear (I have this on good authority from a very wise person) – and it really does!

I challenge you – set some goals. Pick a time frame, pick specific goals. It’s OK if they are big and scary – it works with them too! Start small if you must, but you’ll soon be aiming for outrageous. Once you have those goals, write them down, put them where you can see them. Think about them often. Enlist a few trusted friends to keep you on track and remind you of them. Then – watch the magic happen!

Never Too Late to Learn

September 20, 2016 was the beginning of another one of our adventures. This time, we were leaving “home” for 6 months. Escaping winter was our reason, and we were also looking forward to trying out new jobs as campground hosts at Osprey Cove on Naval Station Mayport. This also gave us the chance to try out the “full-time” RV lifestyle. At the time, I didn’t realize the profound impact this journey would have for me.

There were so many lessons crammed into the past 7 months. Lessons about grace, life, joy, peace, and growth. It is my hope to capture those lessons here as I remember them, and record the new lessons we are about to learn. Over the next 32 days, we will finish packing and storing “stuff”, moving out of our house and selling whatever we don’t need, become the proud owners of a 5th wheel that we have yet to discover, and dive into a full-time RV lifestyle. I’m pretty sure I have a lot of learning in my future!

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