Happy Wednesday!

I hope everyone’s week is going well. My time here in Minnesota is coming to an end shortly and I’m a bit ready to get home and relax. My patio finally got the sealant on on Monday and I’m quite excited to see what the final look is! There’s always something to look forward to wherever I’m going.:)

My ten day trip had been so busy! The first few days were filled with shopping, park trips, picking up drive thru food. Then my old friend came to town for his brothers funeral, so we got together Friday evening at my moms. Saturday we attended the funeral, Sunday was Mother’s Day and we went to visit my grandma. Monday we threw a surprise party for my youngest sisters 15th birthday, Tuesday I went to do some overspending returns and then to visit my dads grave. Today I brought the kids garage saling and for dinner! It’s been non stop.

Anyway, I came across this quote on Pinterest today and thought I’d share it with you. It’s spot on.

I have discovered in recent years, that there’s never a point in wondering why. Why things happen, why things couldn’t go a different way, why why why. It doesn’t change anything. You can’t change the past. All that will do is make you not move forward and instead stay stuck with whatever dilemma you have. Some people enjoy seeking sympathy and attention and won’t bother moving on, they crave what their turmoil brings them. That is no way to live.

When you can move forward, accept what is and what will never be, you can live in the moment. Not having anxiety about what is to come, or sad about what came to be. We can feel the emotions, pack them away, and feel lighter overcoming the trauma. Of course, moments of sadness and sometimes frustration will arise, but when you can be stronger than your emotions, you can continue on.

Sometimes we have no choice but to be strong. I’ve mentioned before, but it’s almost like you can sink or swim. I’ve had many different circumstances in life that have nearly sunk me, and somehow I’ve eventually found the strength to swim. Pull myself up and out. Often you need to completely change the way you think. You need to put yourself into a different mindset and think of yourself differently.

I think one of the best mindset shifts for me was thinking of my kids. They say you need to keep yourself healthy to be able to be there for your kids. I believe those two things go hand in hand. Being there, loving, and taking care of your kids will in turn plant a seed of fulfillment. You are then able to enjoy a moment to yourself to recoup without feeling guilt. And it doesn’t even have to be long. Honestly, a trip to the coffee shop alone is all I need most days!

Another is remembering that you are the only one in control of your emotions. Do not depend on others for your happiness or take others words and actions to cause you sadness. Remember it’s on them, not you. If they betray you in any form, it will be detrimental to you if you depend on them. Sure, people can really hurt you even if you don’t depend on them. But that’s where you can feel the emotion, and move on from it. That is strength.

I’m at this point in my life where I feel a lightness I haven’t felt in years. I am no longer trying to prove myself to anyone or pretend I’m someone other than I am. It was exhausting. I have the strength to say no when I mean it. I’m still working on voicing how I feel about situations with people though. Ive had a hard time with conflict and I don’t do well with it at all. Even with my Etsy shop, I get frustrated when I have difficult customers. But at the same time, I won’t be taken advantage of. I’ve honestly been trembling sometimes with messages I’ve received because they’re so mean and I don’t want to engage. It’s a work in progress there!

All in all, I’ll always be who I am regardless. I’ll love deeply, think often about those who mean a lot to me, be a friend as much as I can, a shoulder to cry on and an ear to listen. I know what it’s like to not have that. Knowing sadness has definitely brought happiness to my life. Crazy.