Friday, February 12, 2010

Positive Thinking

Every day may not be good, but there's something good in every day. ~Author Unknown

Lately I have struggled with thinking positive each day. I've been tired, feel fat (and can't give up the coke) have no energy, have screaming kids etc etc. The month of December was a little rough for me. I laid in bed at night wondering if I would ever get my life back. Thinking to myself, "is this how its always going to be? Will I ever have time to do something I want to do? Will Mike and I ever leave our house together, alone again?" I was feeling sorry for myself. I knew having kids your life turns around. I know this means there are these two little people who need me for everything. Its just so hard to hold onto yourself during this process. Over the last month, things have gotten easier and easier, and I am seeing the light each day get a little brighter. Don't get me wrong, I love my children. I love being with them. I have just struggled with loosing myself in the process. I have put things in place to make this better (sewing 5 minutes a day, working out etc). Things are looking up.

When you feel dog tired at night, it may be because you've growled all day long. ~Author Unknown

Reading this post today got me thinking. Make a list of all the positive things in your life and then make a list of all the negative things. For most of us the positive list is so much longer, yet we spend more time thinking about the negative short list.

A person will sometimes devote all his life to the development of one part of his body - the wishbone. ~Robert Frost

I was raised by positive thinkers. My mom always taught me to be positive and believe I could do anything. I remember on days when I would get down she would pull me into her lap (even at 16) and tell me not to feel sorry for myself and to be happy. She was also raised this way by Jiggs my grandpa. He was the King at positive thinking. Because of this up bringing, I have learned to let the negative things in life roll off my back. Things happen in life to bring us all down, but I've learned to brush myself off and get back up. Not to let something (especially if its out of my control) ruin my day.

Life is great. Don't let circumstances and society fool you into believing it's not. ~Adabella Radici

Since having children of my own, I find myself pondering my day. Usually my thoughts bring a smile to my face as I think of something Jake said (how does a 2 year old learn all of these things?) I find myself saying a pray of thanks that we are all healthy and happy for the most part (a little tired, but happy). Here is my current positive list.

- Healthy family
- Happy family
- Mike and I both have jobs
- Nanny Grama
- A home we love
- To live in a location with 4 seasons (can't wait for this one to be over!)
- Smart, well rounded children (I can already tell Sam is smart)
- FABRIC and new fabric

Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things. ~Robert Brault

What is there to be unhappy about when I have all of those things?

Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful. ~Buddha

4 comments:

whit said...

well put Abby. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us all..everyone has those days and it's great to look at all the great and little things we have in life. You're a great mom and awesome example. Keep it up!

polly said...

great post. i love the buddha quote! keep thinking positive or you might have to sit in my lap!

Travelin'Oma said...

After my 3rd baby was one of the many times I reinvented myself, and redefined my priorities. We had just moved from a trailer into a house and I could not figure out how to take care of 3 little kids and a house. I was totally overwhelmed.

I remember making a list of all the stuff I had to do (change beds, change diapers, give baths, do wash, vacuum behind the furniture, etc. Deciding how often each thing had to be done, and then making a chart.

I can't imagine factoring a full-time job into that crazy schedule. But you'll somehow get it all done in the end, and it will build your self-esteem to see that you could do the impossible. Great post!

Kelly said...

Well said Abby! Something I need to hear too! Thanks!