Tag: Lifestyle

Finding A Balance

Although balance is extremely important, it is very hard to achieve…at least for me. There are so many things in life that require our time, attention, and devotion. There are so many things that we want and have to do. With 24 hours in a day, it is up to us to manage it all.

Life is all about trying to accomplish what we want to and having time left for ourselves to do whatever makes us happy. Whenever these scales are not balanced, it leaves us feeling unsettled and unhappy. We strive for a happy medium.

Overdoing

I tend to overdo things in my life. I push myself and push myself until I am burned out with no energy left to give. I have a hard time recognizing when I need a break. I get onto autopilot mode and just keep going. Sometimes, I wish that I had 8 legs like our octopus friends. Imagine what we could accomplish!

We give our energy to our families, relationships, work, and our goals. We leave little time for self-care and self-love. We don’t set aside enough time to do the things that we love and that brings us comfort because something always takes precedence. What truly is worth our happiness and health? We need to take this time back!

When All Else Fails

When the plan that you made to get your life back on track and to have that balance that you seek doesn’t work, there’s one thing that I try to remember and that is to PAUSE! Take a moment, a few days, a week, even a month to just pause and give yourself a break. This pause allows you to reevaluate your life and see where changes are needing to be made. There is nothing worth jeopardizing your well-being.

Sure, there will be sacrifices that need to be made and some things in life may have to take the back burner, but it’s all part of the process to a happier you.

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Speaking Your Truth

We all have a voice inside of us, stories that are uniquely ours, and life experiences that no one else has experienced exactly as we have.

Deep in our souls is our truth. At our core is what we believe in, everything that we feel strongly about, and every ounce of who we are. This truth, 100% of it at least, is hardly shared with the outside world.

Bits and pieces of ourselves are released and exposed to a rare few, but much of our core remains in hibernation.

My Word 

I chose authenticity as my word for 2023. I am working on expressing myself fully and not being afraid to be vulnerable and be myself. I don’t want to have to censor my thoughts and feelings, I want to be open and express myself in the way that others seem to do so effortlessly.

Feelings

The feeling of not sharing our truth and expressing ourselves can be very detrimental. We need some sort of outlet for our deepest emotions, whether it be through journaling, writing, or verbally communicating. 

Withholding thoughts causes a lot of inner turmoil. It can create stress and that can lead to even more intense emotions. The older I get, the more I realize just how powerful speaking our truth can be.

Lately

I have been trying very hard to stay true to myself. I am trying to take each situation and conversation that presents itself in my life as a new chance to speak my truth. I still fall, but I am holding myself accountable.

I’ve noticed that when I share my thoughts and feelings, I feel so much lighter…almost like a weight has been lifted from me. When emotions are released it’s almost as if their power is taken away. They can no longer haunt us and cause inner turmoil. They are free to escape and roam, lessening our burdens.

You Are Needed

The world needs your truth, and the world needs YOU. We all add value to this world. We all have stories that we can share to help and inspire others. We deserve to be heard, loved, cared for, and respected as the individuals that we are.

Speaking your truth puts you on the path to freedom.

Who’s ready to start this journey with me?

I Should Have

Life leaves us with many questions. We spend much of our day going through the motions and trying to do the best we can with what life presents to us.

Being human is not easy! We deal with a lot of situations, trials, roadblocks, detours, we deal with pain, and a brain that feels like it’s on a never-ending hamster wheel.

Thankfully, on the contrary, we also have beauty, resilience, love, determination, and strength, and we are learning to be better every day.

A Common Phrase 

I notice myself saying “I should have” so often…too often. Possibly even daily. I found myself saying this a lot just this morning and it doesn’t give me the best feeling. 

Why am I saying this over and over? Are there regrets? Am I not confident? Is it because I am human? Could it be because I wonder what COULD have been? I pondered the answer and I suppose it’s a mix of all.

After I do something or make a decision, you can most likely find me saying “I should have done x,y, or z instead.”

My Thought Process 

I am a very deep thinker and observer. I am always in thought, which is exhausting. I am very much an over-thinker.

When I make a decision, I am always wondering what would have happened if I chose a different path or made a different decision. Sometimes I wish that I could foresee the future to know how a situation will play out. Don’t we all!

This way of thinking is detrimental and also against one of my favorite phrases “everything happens for a reason.”

Let’s Change This Around

If I want to be more confident in my decisions, I need to change my mindset. This may help you as well!

I truly do believe that everything happens for a reason and that in time we will have what we need and want. I believe that we may stray from the life path that has been laid out for us, but something will always bring us back to where we are meant to be.

It’s natural to wonder, but we can’t possibly know the answer to everything, nor should we. At the moment, we make the best decision that is right for us and we move forward. What will be, will be!

Worst case scenario, we end up in a place that doesn’t suit us and we can then make further decisions on how to remedy that.

The Takeaway 

Life is all about making decisions, taking risks, and figuring out what is best for us along the way.

We can’t be so afraid that we don’t live. Fear shouldn’t be what controls us, we are smart and capable and in the end, most things work out even if there is a long dark tunnel to get there.

I encourage you to practice this with me! Let’s stop thinking about what could or should be and let’s focus on what IS!

The Power of Peppermint

There are a few lovely scents that come to mind this time of year, one of them is peppermint!

Peppermint is one of those flavors that some people do not like. I love the taste of peppermint, but some of my loved ones are not a fan.

Peppermint has many great uses and properties. For those that don’t like the taste, if you enjoy the smell, peppermint oil can have a similar effect!

Uses For Peppermint

  1. This herb can help relieve headaches. I have a peppermint essential oil roll-on that I rub on my temples when I get a headache, it works wonders!
  2. Peppermint can reduce stress and anxiety. Just the smell alone is enough to help with this but consuming and/or applying it to your skin helps as well. Sometimes when I’m feeling stressed or anxious, I will use my essential oil roll-on, or eat a few mints.
  3. It can make you feel fresh and clear your mind. I love mints and peppermint chewing gum. Whenever I have these, the smell and taste are so invigorating, it really peps up my mind! I find the taste very refreshing and pleasant.
  4. Peppermint can quell queasiness. It has helped me with morning sickness, indigestion, and helped me tremendously when feeling nauseous.

A Christmas Scent

Peppermint always reminds me of Christmas and the holiday season! This is another reason why I love the taste and scent.

The ever-popular candy cane has been a holiday tradition for many years. They are eaten for fun, hung on Christmas trees, and even tied to a gift or card. Just seeing a candy cane makes me happy because of the memories associated with it!

Peppermint Joy

Enjoy a candy cane or get lost in the aroma of peppermint essential oil and see where it takes you!

Just Me, Myself, and I

When I was a young girl, I changed schools very often. My family moved many times during my school years for different reasons.

I enjoyed moving and getting to experience different people, surroundings, and schools, but it also left me alone a lot of the time when I first started at a new school.

Memories

I have memories of eating alone at the lunch table, being picked last in gym class, and just feeling in general like I had no one on my side.

I was an outgoing child, but a very shy and anxious teen. I was embarrassed to be alone, and I felt like it meant that something was wrong with me.

I recall trying to enjoy my lunch in the cafeteria, but at the same time being too distracted from looking around to see if anyone saw me alone.

Alone, But Not Lonely 

I didn’t mind being alone, and I didn’t feel lonely, but like a lot of kids, I was worried about what others thought of me.

In my head, I could hear them thinking “what’s wrong with her?” “Why is she eating alone?” “Does she have friends?”

Growing Up

As I grew older, I started becoming more confident in myself and I slowly broke out of my shell.

I found it easier to communicate and being around others felt more natural. I didn’t let my anxiety take over as I had in the past.

As I matured, I felt like the true me was coming out and I was finally enjoying life!

The Irony

Fast-forward to my young adult and adult years and although I love socializing and being with others, I crave alone time and I need a lot of it!

Ironically, the very thing that had me anxious and embarrassed, is now the one thing that I constantly crave.

Although I don’t like to admit this, I am guilty of turning down a social event or two. I don’t get much time to myself at all these days, and I enjoy having a moment to be in my own company to reflect on life. I try hard to balance this because my loved ones are very important to me.

Just I

I feel as though there is a stigma of being alone or wanting to be alone. I used to wonder how people could travel or eat at a restaurant alone and now I realize that these things are a beautiful and relaxing part of life!

How wonderful it is to be able to be in your own company and be content. I must say that there were many times in my past when I longed for people to be there because at that point they weren’t. It’s possible that because people are fortunately in my life now that I have the choice.

One can also get pretty comfortable wanting to have alone time to the point where it is not healthy.

We all have varying degrees of needing human connection. I do love and thrive on seeing my friends and family, however. I equally love the time that I get to spend just me, myself, and I.

I have found a comfortable place between enjoying my own company and being much less reliant on others to make me happy. Previously, my happiness depended on others, but I have learned to find that within myself.

Whatever Works for YOU!

We are all different and we have to find what makes us happy and find that balance in life.

I feel like this is such a stigma about being alone or wanting to be alone in society today.

I believe that having time alone is crucial to one’s health as is social interaction. Everyone’s view of balance will be different. Some prefer less alone time and more social interactions, while others prefer the exact opposite.

The goal in life is to do what makes you happy!