Halllooo out there!
Surprised to see me here? Well, me too, sort of.
Not a day goes by that I don't think about writing; that I don't think about my blog friends; that I don't wonder if my absence has caused me to lose the small reader group that I once had.
Do you ever wonder why life is such a balancing act? Maybe I'm the only one that feels that way. It just seems there is never enough time to do everything that NEEDS to be done, much less the things that I want to get done or should get done.
Unfortunately, summer is especially hard for me. While some people get S.A.D. (seasonal affective disorder) in the winter, I'd promise it's a summer disease for me!
Check out some of my posts from last year about this time:
pouting and digging out
I'll warn you, neither is a warm fuzzy read!
This seems to be a pattern for me and one that I would rather not repeat next summer.
I already know what my issue is - lack of planning. It's difficult enough to work from home anytime; you have to be a great boss and a great employee; be able to multi-task but also a great time organizer and not a time waster. Throw both kids back into that mix and things get super complicated.
Have your summer party calendar go down the toilet = recipe for disaster.
So I tell you all of this to get at the bottom line: I am being humbled. My priorities are being tested and adjusted. And just like most people in trying times, I don't really like it.
I'm upset and I'm frustrated, and really, the big thing is I'm embarrassed! I spent 8 years building my business and in one lackadaisical summer, I have taken myself many, many steps backward.
But, I am tired of beating myself up. I have long known there is a fine line between being proud of myself and my accomplishments and being prideful about those accomplishments. My struggle has always been allowing myself to celebrate my accomplishments enough.
So it's my attempt today to celebrate my accomplishments with grace. Because I think that's how God wants us to live; He wants us to live a blessed life; to feel joyful and accomplished.
A wise friend told me lately, "you're not super-woman! Think of all the things you have accomplished in the last 6 months, rather than all that has gone wrong."
So here goes; in the last 6 months I have:
- lost about 35 pounds
- lost 4 pants sizes and been able to wear things from the waaay back of my closet, PLUS go buy new clothes.
- managed to work out regularly (albeit not very consistently)
- maintain a home-based business, while spending as much time as possible with my kids and husband
- make an average of $1100 with my home-based business, even though some recent months were REALLY bad, some were REALLY good
- work minimal hours to make that money
There are so many reasons I have to be thankful for the events of the last 3 to 6 months. One of the biggest? For the first time in many years, I do make time to take care of myself!
I haven't perfected it yet, but I'm making progress.
And this blog, is one thing I want to do more of for myself. It was supposed to be an online diary of sorts for myself; a way to grow closer to God and work on me, not some obligation dropped to the wayside in lieu of "more important things".
So I am trying to do better! And please, if you are reading this and like it, Share me with your friends (thru Facebook or otherwise). NOT because I want to grow my reading audience as much as I just want to be able to have a conversation with other women and Moms. We all need a little companionship and camaraderie, wouldn't you agree? It's just so much more effective when there are two sides to the conversation!
If you have any feedback or just want to say "HI" leave me a comment to let me know you were here!
Grace cannot be earned; by it's sheer definition, you receive it when you least deserve it. May you have a day drenched in grace!
~Leslie~
Surprised to see me here? Well, me too, sort of.
Not a day goes by that I don't think about writing; that I don't think about my blog friends; that I don't wonder if my absence has caused me to lose the small reader group that I once had.
Do you ever wonder why life is such a balancing act? Maybe I'm the only one that feels that way. It just seems there is never enough time to do everything that NEEDS to be done, much less the things that I want to get done or should get done.
Unfortunately, summer is especially hard for me. While some people get S.A.D. (seasonal affective disorder) in the winter, I'd promise it's a summer disease for me!
Check out some of my posts from last year about this time:
pouting and digging out
I'll warn you, neither is a warm fuzzy read!
This seems to be a pattern for me and one that I would rather not repeat next summer.
I already know what my issue is - lack of planning. It's difficult enough to work from home anytime; you have to be a great boss and a great employee; be able to multi-task but also a great time organizer and not a time waster. Throw both kids back into that mix and things get super complicated.
Have your summer party calendar go down the toilet = recipe for disaster.
So I tell you all of this to get at the bottom line: I am being humbled. My priorities are being tested and adjusted. And just like most people in trying times, I don't really like it.
I'm upset and I'm frustrated, and really, the big thing is I'm embarrassed! I spent 8 years building my business and in one lackadaisical summer, I have taken myself many, many steps backward.
But, I am tired of beating myself up. I have long known there is a fine line between being proud of myself and my accomplishments and being prideful about those accomplishments. My struggle has always been allowing myself to celebrate my accomplishments enough.
So it's my attempt today to celebrate my accomplishments with grace. Because I think that's how God wants us to live; He wants us to live a blessed life; to feel joyful and accomplished.
A wise friend told me lately, "you're not super-woman! Think of all the things you have accomplished in the last 6 months, rather than all that has gone wrong."
So here goes; in the last 6 months I have:
- lost about 35 pounds
- lost 4 pants sizes and been able to wear things from the waaay back of my closet, PLUS go buy new clothes.
- managed to work out regularly (albeit not very consistently)
- maintain a home-based business, while spending as much time as possible with my kids and husband
- make an average of $1100 with my home-based business, even though some recent months were REALLY bad, some were REALLY good
- work minimal hours to make that money
There are so many reasons I have to be thankful for the events of the last 3 to 6 months. One of the biggest? For the first time in many years, I do make time to take care of myself!
I haven't perfected it yet, but I'm making progress.
And this blog, is one thing I want to do more of for myself. It was supposed to be an online diary of sorts for myself; a way to grow closer to God and work on me, not some obligation dropped to the wayside in lieu of "more important things".
So I am trying to do better! And please, if you are reading this and like it, Share me with your friends (thru Facebook or otherwise). NOT because I want to grow my reading audience as much as I just want to be able to have a conversation with other women and Moms. We all need a little companionship and camaraderie, wouldn't you agree? It's just so much more effective when there are two sides to the conversation!
If you have any feedback or just want to say "HI" leave me a comment to let me know you were here!
Grace cannot be earned; by it's sheer definition, you receive it when you least deserve it. May you have a day drenched in grace!
~Leslie~
