DO THE THINGS

I don’t know about you, but some days I just don’t wanna! How can one person be expected to do all these things for work, home, church, family, and whatever else life may throw my way? Some days I have my act together and other days, not so much. You know what I mean? Those are the days I want to wallow! Do you know what wallowing is? Wallowing is to roll around, be lazy, and relaxed in an ungainly manner… Sounds like a good thing doesn’t? Usually, this is referring to an animal rolling around in mud or water to keep the bugs away; but for us humans it’s our bathtub, bed, or in soft, comfy jammies on the couch. Mmmm… one morning a week to stay all snuggled up without a care in the world! I want a day I can just be lazy!! That’s my dream! Who am I kidding?! This is not reality. One thing I have learned though is, we have to do something to keep the bugs of life away.

The thing is though if I let myself wallow then I want to stay there. It gets comfy and I enjoy it. Like, I really enjoy it and want to stay in it for days!! Sometimes these days can be good but some days, let’s face it, if we are having a bad day, we like to wallow in self-pity… That’s why we can’t stay there too long. Pretty sure God had other things in mind when He created us. His Word says He has a plan for us but we don’t always want to do the things to fulfill the plan. I have a cycle of starting and stopping that plan. He has never given up on me. So I won’t give up on myself. That dream that He planted in your heart is obtainable. He wouldn’t have put it there if it wasn’t.

There are daily things I do that keep me on track and out of the mud (start with small stuff and build):

1. Quality time with God – music, Bible reading, writing, studying. It doesn’t have to be for long periods

2. Make my bed. Yes, I work to do this daily. It starts my day off right. And it freaks me out when I get home and it’s not made.

3. Drink water – UGH, this is so hard! I consume coffee and Diet Dr Pepper on the regular but I FORCE myself to drink water. Did I mention this was HARD?! I have a friend that all she drinks is water. I. DON’T. GET. IT.

4. Write down my gratitude. What am I thankful for? What do I appreciate? What has God done for me? – because He is ALWAYS doing for me. Not gonna lie, there are days I have to dig deep cause I’m wallowing in self-pity. Never been there? Okie dokie… if you say so.

5. Move my body. It may not be as much as I should and this is one I struggle with daily, but I try to get in some movement. My fave is just to turn on music and dance. I LOVE IT!

6. Quality time with my family… we always had dinner at the table when possible. Even now we try to make sure we spend at least 15 - 30 minutes a day with our son that is still at home.

7. Push myself to try something new. Find something that will challenge me. Let’s face it, currently, I am in the midst of the new challenge. Writing. I have put it off for years and God said “what’s wrong with you?!” while getting ready to set another bush on fire so He can get my attention. So… here we are trying something new fearful that I will fail. You know what? That doesn’t matter. What matters is He told me to do it. No one else has to be involved. But deep down, I’m hoping to get good feedback and people letting me know if it helps them. That is human nature.

8. Be optimistic. Even though you may plan for the worst-case scenario, plan for the best-case scenario and talk to God about how that will be able to happen. You can choose to be in a bad mood or a good mood - fake it til you make it. You can choose to love and choose joy. Some days it's harder than others.

9. Laugh. Find something to laugh at, someone to laugh with or at - if that's what it takes. Laughter is the best medicine and it is good for your soul.

10. Get outside. Open the curtains and let the sunshine in. Sit on the porch and have your coffee.

I hear ya! You are telling me, “that’s too many things”. Ladies, we are multi-taskers. We can do it. Make that plan and stick to it! You will have days that you feel like you are swatting flys all day and want to wallow in the mud. Go wallow for a bit... then do the things.