Tag: #presentmoment

Stay In Today

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The high temperature today in Texas was 40°. My 10:00 am Dentist appointment was in the forefront of my mind.

While at the Dentist, I overheard people calling in canceling, but was really glad I didn’t. I told the hygienist, “Nobody wants to leave their house today.” Tomorrow will be even more difficult to step outside. They say the low tonight is 28°.

I’m practicing what I know to stay in today. Not inside my house, but in the actual day.

Life just flows better when I’m present and do what’s right in front of me to do. It’s so easy to mind jump into tomorrow, next week, or next month, but doing that stagnates the natural flow. When I allow my mind to travel the well-worn path of future thinking, I miss out on the little things of today.

So, I stayed in today and it flowed. After the Dentist, I went to the market and picked up items to make dinner tonight and tomorrow night. That’s as far ahead as I would let myself think, and then I came back to today.

No matter what you have before you lovely, I encourage you to stick with it and stay in today.

Redefining Self Care

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Self-care began as a weekend treat, but now it’s a part of my everyday life. My neighbor saw me sitting outside and asked, “What are you doing Barbara?”

Me: “Staring at a page with a question in the middle of it! It says, ‘I want to say thank you to myself because…'” He just nodded his head and said, “Okay Barbara!” 🙂

It didn’t phase him one bit. He thought it was normal for me to be doing that. I still haven’t filled in the page. How often have I said, ‘thank you’ to me?

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I can recall a handful of times.

This month I can feel a shift.

I show up for myself everyday, no matter what happened the previous day. To just continually show up and remain present. “Be still and know that I am God”, is one of my favorite verses. A season of stillness is where I am and so thankful to be aware and acknowledge it.

And be good with it.

I can begin filling in the page with, “Thank you Barbara for being still and standing calmly in place.” Just by showing up every day, no matter the circumstances, is a redefinition of self care.

A Divine Responsibility

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I had planned on writing about Self-care Sunday. It was pondered continually and a couple of people asked, “What does that look like Barb?”

It’s ironic because I gave a different answer each time. It was like I couldn’t pinpoint just one thing and give a duplicate response. It was difficult to convey, but here I sit feeling very well cared for.

The weekend flowed from one thing to the other. It’s not that I have a feeling of accomplishment or really did anything noteworthy, but maybe it’s in the things I didn’t do.

I didn’t worry about anything.

I didn’t look at my work for tomorrow.

I didn’t strategize the week ahead.

I didn’t go to any of my favorite shops and become inundated with Christmas when we haven’t even had Thanksgiving yet. The world outside my home felt rushed. Sirens blared down the highway above my street every few minutes.

I lit the candle from Savor the Moments.

Every time I walked into my bedroom a deep breath was greeted by the scent from that candle. My workload was light this weekend, but I gave it my best. It would seem the ultimate self-care is a divine responsibility.

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Be at Home

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I spent some time over the weekend looking at the changes in my life.

I went to see a neighbor yesterday and it was like stepping back in time. Her husband was sitting on the couch watching a football game. I had forgotten it’s football season. This time last year, I was sitting on a couch watching football.

Later, I was driving into town and saw an abundance of firewood for sale. This time last year was all about the firewood. Where I was, there was a fireplace. This year, I asked my landlord if he would be willing to to knock down a wall and put one in this little house. He said, “No.”

Hey, you don’t know until you ask.

My other neighbor told me I could buy a fireplace. He saw a little heater that resembled a fireplace, so I did some research.

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This is what I came home with.

I actually like this little guy better than the real thing. With the flip of a switch you have instant cozy, no mess and no wood to buy.

We have heard it said, ‘Home is where the heart is’, but today my darlings, this heart is home.

Savor the Moments

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The best email of the week.

“Barbara…Your Holiday candle is here!”

My daughter laughed as I put this reminder in my calendar. “Only my Mother schedules a candle pickup”, she quipped. Life is not all business. You have to schedule in goodness too.

The lady who sent the email owns a local shoppe and we’ve become friends. She saw me fall in love with the candle last year and when the holidays were over, the candle disappeared.

She promised to get it back in her shoppe this year and said she would email me. She stayed true to her word and in turn, I went to pick it up!

 

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We are only as good as our word.

I’m being careful not to overextend myself this year. To stay present and go with the flow as life unfolds. It’s a matter of slowing the pace and saying, ‘no’ a lot. A fast ‘yes’ is face to face with my daughter, a neighbor, or friend. Connectivity is so important and I’m happy to be still for that.

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It hasn’t been lit yet, but there’s time.

Pumpkins on the front porch and listening to Christmas music as I type. Savor the moments.

The Rearview Mirror

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It allows a view of what’s behind us.

In life and while driving. The mirror is there to be used, but don’t stare at it for long. Use the windshield to look ahead.

I don’t spend time thinking of what happened yesterday. Heck, I barely remember. Each day is new and is treated as such. What happens in the rearview is behind me, but it made me better with unfathomable faith. Trusting God is a much smoother drive through this journey.

May you live in the windshield of life my darling and only glance when needed at the rearview mirror.

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Save the Lizard

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It was a long seven minutes waiting for the French press of coffee to be at it’s peak this morning. I normally set a timer for it, but instead just periodically glanced at the clock.

While I was waiting, our younger dog Winnie, began playing with something on the floor. We’ve had a baby lizard living in the house this week and Winnie had spotted the lizard.

I told her, “No no,” and she let it be. A few minutes later our big boy Denver spotted it, but he wasn’t as willing to leave it alone. I grabbed a glass out of the cupboard and scooped the lizard up into it.

It was so tiny. Smaller than my pinky.

I walked outside and released it into the yard. Small acts of kindness are not exclusively toward people. Even if I don’t see a person today, I believe the lizard had a good start to it’s day. The outdoors has to be better than a dog’s belly.

Within those seven minutes I remembered time passes either way. It’s what we do with our time that makes a difference. Being presently in the moment and aware of what is happening around us allows ample opportunity to fine tune our world. To make it better for everyone involved.

What began as waiting for coffee was really the perfect amount of time to save the lizard.

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