By Mr. J’ean
I’ve been through many phases in this whole “starting life over at __” process. As I look over them, I can see just how valuable each phase has been for me. Each phase has been a stepping stone of its own magnitude and even though some were so small that they weren’t noticeable until well after the fact, they still provided an incredible learning experience. I’ve found the trick was, I needed to be paying attention to these, otherwise the lesson would have just passed me by and I’d be none the wiser.
Learning to have an open mind about just what exactly my journey is meant to be has been a very important phase for me. I came from the mentality of wanting something “right now” as opposed to the more realistic view that I’ve been able to learn to have, which is that the journey is what is important here. The journey is where the lessons are, achieving the goals are the cherry on top of my sundae.
I find that I need this reminder from time to time when feelings of frustration are starting to set in. It’s hard to continually be happy and positive, especially when I don’t feel like being happy and positive. There are so many things I could use to “make” myself be moody and crabby and negative. I’m not at my running goal for speed yet, I’m not at my goal weight yet, my other half is on the other side of the world from me, money is tight…the list could go on.
One of my cherished phases I’ve gone through is learning to have the ability to take every one of those above listed things and tweak it so it sits in my mind in a way that sees it as a positive. I’m not at my running goal yet, but I’m so much closer to it than I was just 3 months ago. I’m not at my goal weight yet, but because of my efforts to get to that goal weight I am now eating healthier than I have ever eaten and physically feel strong and healthy. My other half is on the other side of the world, but he will be home soon and in the meantime we grow closer and closer through our words and creative actions we come up with to make it all work. Money is tight right now, but it has forced me to stick closely to a budget and has also shown me needless spending in the past.
The challenge is to take one thing you see as a negative, tweak it and see it as a positive. Even if it’s just for a few minutes. The more you do this, the easier it becomes. Living in a positive mindset has been one of the most freeing phases I’ve had the pleasure of going through. Doesn’t mean I don’t teeter from time to time, but finding that established ability to pull myself out is a must-have for us all.