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Get your butt outta bed, girl.
6:00am- ALARM.Snooze.
6:07 am- alarm--louder.
* (get your butt outta bed girl).
Creaky bones. Look in the mirror. Terror. Shower. Coffee. Yogurt. Kids! Loud, loud ones clamoring for attention. Breakfast? Really? Homework now?
Matching socks -- Do I look like a magician? (Eight hundred plus life-hours wasted trying to find ONE matching pair- I am done done, done, double done).
Hugs, kisses. A wave goodbye -- dang it they don't even look back.
8:41 - a minute to collect a thought. Where's that hunky man I live with? Did I see him? Did I give him a kiss or even a high 5? (I'll think about that later).
Jump in the car. Wrinkled blouse. Forgot mascara. The office. Troubleshoot, chat, meetings, reports, repeat.
5 o'clock. Jump in the car. Blouse very wrinkled. (Shoot - why didn't any of my lovely co-workers mention the Africa-shaped salad dressing schmear smattered on my trousers for the past 4.5 hours? ) Oh well - I have bigger things to tackle.
Dinner. House is a wreck. Kids need me. Basketball practice, homework, laundry, oh crap--dinner. Pizza again.
Husband-sighting! --"Hey -- what's up? good day?" Smooch. "Sam has a history project due tomorrow. " Smile. "Can you pick up dry cleaning tomorrow?"
9:42 -- kids in bed. 18 minutes on Netflix. Asleep on the sofa. 15 minutes in REM and -
ALARM -6am.
Change = Scary!
Life, for all of us, gets monotonous. The everyday grind of our days can become mind-numbing. These necessary daily routines often create a level of comfort in our lives. And this feeling of daily comfort breeds complacency. Complacency can feel like a warm blanket on a cold winter's morning. However, it can manifest into a life without passion, desire or purpose. Complacency effectively extinguishes the God-Inspired spark that we are all made to ignite.
Perhaps you are thinking -yes -- I need to feel like I am living a purpose-filled existence-but I can't! Well, I hear ya sister. Your time is in demand! You have children, you have careers and relationships that need tending. Infusing purpose into your daily routine -is not meant to derail your "adulting" responsibilities. In fact, focusing your path towards more concrete, passionate interactions will enhance your human experience and radiate to those around you. Carving out 30 minutes a day to focus solely on what feeds your soul will have an intangible effect in every facet of your life.
Close your Eyes.
Just for a sec. (Squeeze them extra tight). Try with all your mite to access that one time in your life that you dabbled with true, soul- elevating excitement? Were you thrilled knowing that there were unlimited possibilities ahead?
Maybe -- just maybe - you need to dig a bit further into the archives of your earliest experiences. Look deep into the wonderment of being a kid. I clearly remember, the summer of 1984 -- I was 11 years old. Let me preface this vignette by underscoring that I was never an athletic girl. In fact, I would do anything in my power to be excused from gym class.
But in 1984, I found myself transfixed in front of my grandma's 19 inch Zenith television (the kind that you actually had to get off the sofa and turn the dial) watching a pint-size firecracker, Ms. Mary Lou Retton -when she nailed a historic Olympic performance. This force of nature, not only grabbed my attention, but the collective envy of all little girls nationwide.
Dressed in her red, white and blue leotard, #danskin Retton made it look effortless as she won GOLD for the best all-around gymnastic competition by just 0.05 points. I was hypnotized by her performances. Consequently this lead to feathered bangs and countless afternoons trying to balance on a random 4X4 plank in my backyard. I never did master a dismount or a cartwheel for that matter, but I had purpose that summer. And that purpose brought my indescribable joy.
I had a vision of how I wanted to live out my life with this poorly, styled pixie hair-do--as an Olympian. My mind-blowing, 11 year-old purpose made those long summer days feel so good. #Marylou1984 @Marylouretton
Fast Forward to this Tuesday of 2019. As an adult my passions have morphed into other areas-however, I still feel that there are a million and 1 life-giving possibilities waiting for me to grab! The trick is-(write this down) on figuring out what brings you organic joy-and how you can your sprinkle it into your daily routine.
Time to Leap, Time to Renew
(And boy does it feel good)!
Finding purpose in your life can be extremely uncomfortable. Change can be prickly. And this unease may lead you back to the comforts of your predictable schedule. I get it, the melodic rhythm of that hamster wheel is soothing. However, ask yourself- does your life breathe purpose? And if you remain in this standstill with stained trousers and half-watched Netflix movies will you be ok in 52 years? (This is not you girl--there is a reason you are on this Earth). Listen in the silence, listen to the whispers of the universe.
But How, Girlfriend?
Indulge me. Grab a pencil and get ready to jot. Just a bit. Just brainstorm. Write 3 things that you would love to do but it is too big-or overwhelming to accomplish.
One . . . Two . . . Three . . .
Next to these dreams - list 3 reasons why & 3 reasons why not to make a change.
Ok -- go ahead. I have time. Write down the 3.
Done? Now scratch out the WHY NOTS.
This is going to be hard. This will be a challenge--it is meant to push you to limits you thought were impossible. The bad news is that you will fail. And you may fail again. But at the end of the day-you will persevere. The mental strength it took you to even think of 3 joy-filled changes has all ready made you stronger. By doing this simple exercise you have begun to flex your "purpose-filled" muscle. And you have nothing to loose! Except a rickety, well-worn hamster wheel.
This metamorphosis will take grit. And it will challenge you to face your fears. Ultimately , this determination will create momentum. This momentum may not take you from A to Z--but rather from A to K to B and maybe to Y. However, one day between your alarm at 6am and your 15 minutes of Netflix you will start to notice an inkling of change.
Caution: there is more to this process that can be outlined in 4 minute-blog. So, girl, polish up your Google-searching skills and research everything and everyone who has experienced the purpose-filled journey you yearn to take. Soul-electrifying opportunity is right in front of you.
And this is my truth.