Thoughts

Been doing a lot of thinking lately. About my life. About the hard things. And about the things that are good. I have had many thoughts:

When we speak of self-reliance, we often speak of food storage set in place. And we also refer to finances. While self reliance has much to do with food storage and finances, I believe that self reliance is much more than that. Self reliance involves our frame of mind. With self reliance, we really should be asking ourselves these questions; Where am I spiritually? Where am I mentally? Where am I socially? Am I spending good quality time with my family, and is it enough? Am I doing something for myself so I can be the best (Mom, Dad, daughter, son) that I can be? Am I well balanced in each of these, and many more, aspects? What can I do to improve upon these things? Life is all about balance. We all know we need to eat to survive. And we also are aware we need to sleep. But if all we did was sleep, we wouldn't be healthy and we wouldn't be happy. The same is true for eating. There are certain areas where I don't ever feel balanced. But, this morning, my sister and I had a chat about this. She helped me realize a few things I could do to balance out my life more. And I believe she was inspired to bring those things to my attention. I will not mention your name, but thanks! You know who you are. I love you. And I appreciate it. My goal is to have balance so I can be more self-reliant.

I also want to talk about trials. I believe God gives us trials for reasons. I believe he hand picks those trials to give to us (some of them anyway). And I personally believe that if we heed HIS council, that we can not only overcome those trials (in HIS way), but that we can also grow from them. I feel sometimes that trials can feel like salt in an open wound. And more and more trials come and it feels like you don't have time to heal between each trial. I am realizing lately that there are a good number of people who are feeling that way. Not just a few. And because of this, I also see why words like optimism and humor and spirituality and faith and family and friends and appreciation need to be set high on the priority list. So, in short, I try very hard to take each trial one thing at a time. I don't always feel good about the way I handle things. But, I guess that's where we learn and we grow. I am so grateful for these things. My life would be so much worse without them. I am blessed. I am grateful for those around me who have shown me to love life in the hardest of times. And I am grateful that God has given me the strength to overcome challenges.

A few thoughts from my planner that I love:

"Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections but instantly set about remedying them -- every day begin the task anew." - Francis De Sales

"I think a hero is an ordinary individual who finds strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles." - Christopher Reeve

"You must grow in patience when you meet with great wrongs, and they will then be powerless to vex your mind." - Leonardo Da Vinci

"Rightly conceived, time is the friend of all who are in any way in adversity, for its mazy road winds in and out of the shadows sooner or later into sunshine, and when one is at its darkest point one can be certain that presently it will grow brighter." - Arthur Bryant

"Derive happiness in oneself from a good day's work, from illuminating the fog that surrounds us." - Henri Matisse

"He rises on the toe: that spirit of his In aspiration lifts him from the earth." - William Shakespeare

I love sharing thoughts like this. Thanks for reading.:)