Day 117: In One Ear

 

. . . and out the other?

Maybe. Maybe not.

It's so easy to take in the viewpoint or opinion of others and adopt it for our own. 

Just think back to when we were kids. 

I can recall many times hearing adults talk about things I'd never experienced or wasn't remotely aware of and taking them as fact. Little did I know these unintentionally adopted viewpoints would influence many of my future beliefs, behaviors, and actions. 

As kids, there's not much we can do about this.
As adults, it's a whole different story.

That's why being an adult is so great! Because we get to decide what we believe - no one else can do this for us.

With that said -
how often are we taking time to ensure the information wanting to hang out between our ears is what we actually believe? 

When do we pause to break down new ideas we've heard - to fully understand what they are made up of?

What body cues are we listening to or ignoring?  

[Good rule of thumb: if you feel relaxed, calmed, or lighter by a thought - it's typically a green light to keep it. If you feel restricted, tense, or heavy/weighed down by a thought - it likely does not align with your values and you might want to reassess.]

We do the world - and ourselves - no favors by blindly accepting the viewpoints and opinions of others.

Be Brave.

Be Bold.

Be You - Do You.

Day 116: The Soul Reason

Stop judging yourself - you know what you need.

The things that "randomly" flutter into your mind that you quickly brush away.

The interests that call to you, but are silenced by "priorities"

The things you like. Not the things you need.

Oh, aren't they?

They may actually be JUST the things you need.

A thriving soul is fed. A starving soul is maintained.

Feed your soul.

Prioritize your interests.

They interest you for a reason. Find out why.

Day 115: Bittersweet Realizations

Bittersweet realizations are exhausting.
I've had so many lately, my brain and emotions feel like mush.
It is so draining.
But so worth it.
Bittersweet realizations are helping set me free.
Slowly. draining
Slowly. Repairing.
Showing me the horror of what I actually believed
To reveal what I really want.
Appreciating what I had
and what it gave me.
Finally, mourning the loss, fully,
and leaving it in the past.
But keeping the memories.
The memories that spur me forward
Towards what I Really want.

Day 114: Complete Yourself

How often have we heard the message that we need another person to 'complete us'?

Watch any romantic comedy and it will be oozing with this sentiment.

But guess what? 

Despite the image painted by the society we live in, this isn't true.

We don't need another person in order to feel whole, to feel complete.

We need ourselves. 

All of ourselves. 

The parts we embrace and the parts we don't. 

Every break we experience is important - and inevitable. It's part of being human.

The beauty in breaking is the growth that comes from it. 

With growth comes power - the power to rearrange the pieces of yourself however you want them to be; the power to direct your own life.

Complete Yourself

You've already got all the pieces you need . . .

Day 113: Condiment Confusion

How'd [fried] chicken get on the barbecue sauce container?!

...uh, that's not chicken...

eww

Day 112: Shark Parade

"Good job, Sharks! Keep walking, Sharks. When we get back, we get stickers!!!"

Oh, the days when stickers were the Ultimate reward. 

I witnessed this kid parade pass by my window this morning. Despite my best efforts to be stealthy, I was eventually spotted. 

Upon further observation, I saw some of the kids were carrying toys with them. 

My favorite: a piece of wood. Not sure if it was found on the walk or brought from home, but I REALLY hope it's the latter.

Runner up: Goofy. Poor guy, must be rough having your head drag along the pavement all day . . .

Day 111: Beach Gear

As the kids say these days - 

I was Today Years Old when . . . I saw my first fitted sheet at the beach. 

 . . . and I totally lost it.

I could NOT stop laughing!

Seeing the wind catch the corners of that fitted sheet and really billow in the wind was more than my funny bone could take! 

Then watching the sitting space shrink in size by about 1/3 every time the elastic was let go set off another eruption of giggles. 

I really commend the spirit of 'working with what you've got.'  

It was just so funny to me because I NEVER would have thought to take a fitted sheet to use as a beach blanket.

Boy, oh boy, it was truly a sight to behold.