Focus

Hello everyone,

How are you all doing on this beautiful Easter Sunday? I pray all is well and I hope you enjoy making some wonderful memories with family and friends. I know for John and I, we’re just hanging out at home, enjoying some quiet time and reflecting on our many blessings. I’d love to hear what you’re doing today, so drop me a comment and if you are ever so inclined, I would love for you to subscribe to my blog.

Whatever you’re doing today? Whatever it is, I hope it’s good day for you and yours.

For today’s blog, I wanted to talk about life and how sometimes when things aren’t going exactly how we planned, or, perhaps life is constantly tossing us nothing but hard balls, how do we react?

I know for me, when things become so overwhelming, I shut down. It’s hard for me to tackle too many things at once. I’ve heard it said that we should embrace life’s challenges, and while I agree, it’s not always easy.

So what do we do when we’re dodging those hard balls? Focus!

We need to learn to focus on something other than the negatives or challenges in our lives. Notice, I said to focus, not ignore. Ignoring our challenges, in my opinion, only makes them worse. What we can do is acknowledge the challenge. First, try and see what we can learn from the challenge. Figure out a way to tackle the challenge, then, move forward. We need to stop getting stuck in the challenge, otherwise, we stop learning. We become frustrated and then lose site of tomorrow being a new day to try something new.

“Rivers never go in reverse, so try and live like a river. Forget your past and focus on your future. Always be positive.”-unknown.

Okay, so it’s not realistic to always be positive. Sure, it would be great to live every moment of every day in the positive, and I know there’s some people that can and do accomplish this, however, for most of us, we do succumb to the negative, especially when we’re being hit day after day with a challenge. Those challenges add up, and it’s difficult to focus on always being positive. Even our futures become clouded by the challenges we face.

One thing that I’m trying to put into practice in my every day life is this. I try to acknowledge the challenge. I give it its due credit, after all, if somethings challenging me, the challenge is there for a reason. What lesson am I meant to learn, is the question I try and ask myself.

Challenges are meant to help us grow in life. They’re meant to redirect our step, if for some reason we’ve fallen off the path we are meant to be on.

When challenged, as we all are, or most of us at least are, perhaps, if we accept the challenge, then try and focus on finding, even the tiniest of a morsel of positive in that challenge, possibly we can find something to be grateful for.

“An arrow can only be shot by pulling it backward. So when life is dragging you back with difficulties, it means that it’s going to launch you into something great. So just focus, and keep aiming. “-unknown.

Over the last 8 years I’ve been in some of the biggest battles I’ve ever faced. Those battles aren’t over, not yet anyway, and I won’t lie, it weighs on me in one way or another every day. I sleep with my mind constantly doing the what if’s. I am learning to quiet my mind for short periods, by listening to soothing meditation sleep music, but, this only quiets my mind for a moment. I am grateful for those moments even thought those what if’s are still there.

I know there’s something for me at the end of my trials and I believe it will be something better than what my mind can even begin to imagine, but, I still struggle with fear of the unknown. I’m only human and I’m still working on finding my inner strength and bringing it to the fore front entirely.

I’ve been dragged to the darkness of the sea, to it’s lowest point. I’ve felt God’s hand reaching out to me in order to pull me back up. I know God has something planned for me, as long as I stay the course. He’s always been there for me, so I have no cause to doubt Him.

It is hard to focus on that concept at times, especially when I do allow the fear of the things out of my control to run rampant through my mind.

I do believe when life pulls us down, we’re being prepared to launch into something more grand then we realize. It is hard to always stay focused on what could be waiting for us on the other side of the challenge, and it’s hard to always stay positive when we’re being pulled back like the arrow on the bow. I suppose, this is where faith comes into play.

I’m learning if I read something positive before bed, or I try and think about a positive outcome for my anxiety, it does help. I pray a lot and I express my gratitude to God every morning when I wake up. This helps me stay calm and in a state of gratitude. It helps me stay focused on the positive things in my life.

I do fall short and I allow my thoughts to rise above the promise God has given to all of us. “Even to your old age and gray hairs, I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.”-Isaiah 46:4, NIV.

Funny, I just realized, God gave John and I the lake house, so my worry of losing it because the owner raises my rent too high or he decides to sell it, either could happen, but only if it is His will.

While both these scenarios are out of my control, I need to switch my negative and toss out the what if’s and embrace the gratitude and realization that God gave us the lake house for a reason, even if it’s only for a season. I know He’ll always guide us, guide me on the path in which I need to stay on.

Rivers are such an amazing gift from our creator. So much life moves along as the water finds its way to the sea. Life is like the river, “time is like the river. You cannot touch the same water twice, because the flow that has passed will never pass again. Enjoy every moment of your life.”-unknown.

I’m coming to realize that just like the river water that can only be touched once, the moments of time in each of our days can only be lived in that moment.

When we, or, when I focus on the anxiety of the unknown of my home, I’m not fully able to enjoy being there, because I’m allowing my thoughts and emotions to rob me of the peace of mind of the here and now.

I can’t go back and undo my thoughts of when I failed to stay focused on the positive. I’m just like the river, I can’t go in reverse, only forward. I need to keep my focus on, not only my future, but on the now.

Maybe living each day as though it were my last is some really good advice after all. If I don’t wake up tomorrow, I would hate to think my last thought was focused on the what if’s.

I am naturally drawn to water. It is my calming place. Being on the water, or near the water, I feel like I’m one with the earth. Water is my happy place. Find me floating on a lake, or putting my big toe on the edge of the ocean, or let me sink into the body of water of a pool, every ounce of stress leaves me and I’m drawn to reflect on the now. I’m drawn to God and his many wonderful gifts and blessings. I feel his presence.

I need to focus more on the gift of being able to walk out my back door, walk a few yards and touch the lake. Just thinking about this makes me smile. I think I’ll focus on being grateful for the lake house and for all the love that surrounds John and I when we’re there.

What will you focus on today? Perhaps, we can give some gratitude for the meaning of Easter and what that means for us? Just a thought.

Tomorrow, I’ll try to remind myself of the blessings of the water that surrounds me and I will try and stay focused on the positive and finding the positive in each challenge that comes my way. As I’ve said before, I’m a work in progress.

I’m excited to be writing to you again. You all help me stay positive and your comments sure do make my day.

Thank you for taking the time to read today’s blog and please don’t forget, Love Life++ Hugs.