I’ve had this blog a long time, probably longer than most of my blogging friends. I started it as a way to document a family road trip, but I didn’t realize back then that this would become the start of something much bigger. Had I knew there was a world of blogging before I started, I would have begun even before I did. I had no idea that there could be so much support and friendship found online… although considering I met my husband online, I should have known better. The internet has opened up a new world for me… not just because it introduced me to my husband, but because it introduced me to a new way of life. It brought me some of the best friends a girl could ask for, a business partner, and a new career.
Sometimes I drown myself in sorrow and what-ifs. Why don’t I have a bigger house, a better car, more money, more opportunities? We all want more, don’t we? But wanting more doesn’t mean that we can’t be happy with what we already have. When I think about how much I do have, it’s overwhelming. I really DO have it all. They say that it can’t be done, I say they’re wrong. You CAN have it all… maybe not at the very moment you want it, but eventually you will find that it’s possible to get everything you want.
Of course, along the way there were many (many) trip-ups. Part of what held me back for so long was not being happy with what I had. Before you can begin to move forward, you have to appreciate the things you do have. Sometimes that means letting go of what isn’t working, sometimes that means asking for help.
These are the lessons I learned on my way to having it all.
Like Yourself
This is the most important, and it’s also the hardest. If you don’t truly like who you are as a person, what you stand for, make peace with what you look like, know your abilities and your limitations, you can’t possibly be happy. Acceptance of the muffin top, the wrinkles, the fact that your friends might disagree with you on a social or political issue… it is all part of who you are. You can’t expect anyone else to like you (or want to work with you) if you don’t like yourself.
Ability is Learned
Sure, there are people who are naturally smart in any given subject. There are great writers and great mathematicians and fantastic artists, but there are also careers out there that you can learn. Don’t let yourself be held back because there is something you don’t know. Google it. Take a class. Ask for help. Read. A lot. If there is something you want to do, something you have an interest in (maybe even a passion for) and you are afraid you don’t know enough about the business… LEARN IT! You are NEVER too old to learn something new.
Count your Blessings
Life is messy. People come in and out of your life all the time. Find the things (large or small) that are the MOST important to you and make yourself a BLESSING LIST. When you are feeling down or disappointed, go down the list and count up how many wonderful things you have in your life. Most likely, they will be things that other people don’t have. Wow… you ARE lucky.
Say No
I love this one. It took me a VERY long time to learn this lesson. I was always the one who volunteered for everything. Women, in general, have this need to be liked and be seen as agreeable and dependable. Saying yes to things that you don’t really want to do (and don’t have time to do) makes us miserable. I can’t tell you how many nights I would stress myself out over having to do something I didn’t want to do. Of course, there will always be things we just have to do (wake up early, pack lunches, go to the dentist), but once you learn that saying no to things you don’t really want to do (like meeting a friend for coffee, volunteering in your child’s classroom, driving an hour for a blog event) isn’t going to be the end of the world… you will free up time to do the things that make YOU happy (reading a book, taking a hot bath, going to a movie alone).
Be Kind
You can have the worst day in the world, but I bet if someone compliments you on your outfit or thanks you for helping out, it turns your day around. Be that person to everyone else. Say please. Say thank you. Hold the elevator. Tip. Compliment a friend. Compliment a stranger. I promise, you will get SO much more out of it than they do.
And when you are feeling like nothing is going right… take a lesson from Abileene. Sometimes we all need to hear it one more time.
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