" Being Present, is a GIFT we can give ourselves daily."
-Jamie B
She reported that during a two-year
stretch of her distracted life, she "communicated" more to a screen
than to those people in her lives she loves. She talked about her schedule
being so packed with "got-to-do's" that she didn't take time to
relax, be silly or marvel at interesting wonders in her life. Over the
past year I too have felt distracted with what's going on inside a little small
device, aka my iPhone, rather than the everyday real things going on around me.
"REALITY." I find that often times it is very easy to bully our own
thoughts with "I need to be doing this, or we should be going there, or I
should I should I should." In the past (I really struggled with this BTW),
I guess I could say that I had moments where I was basically shoulding all
over myself all day long. (BULLY RIGHT?) (ANXIETY RIGHT?) (NEED A LITTLE INNER "MENDING"?) YES!
It’s those days I know that I can't take back, moments I missed some of the really good things about my personal life.
(Kind of like the saying..."Where ever you are, there you will be.")
I have since tried to find a happy medium. I still look at whats going on in my social media network and yes there are times I’m like, “Dang! I should work out a little harder like those cross-fitters!” Then I try and remind myself that I enjoyed that fro-yo or my dirty Diet Coke that I had last night. I’ll try a little harder tomorrow. THAT’S OK. Just like sometimes we need to be reminded to be more disciplined with those enticing goodies and treats that are sometimes hard to pass up (for me like all the time), I find it even more difficult to be disciplined in being HANDS FREE.
This blogger HANDS FREE MAMA went on about how her internal drill sergeant was continually pushing her to make everything sound better, look better, and taste better. Her body, her house, and her personal achievements were never good enough. She simply explained that she was holding herself to such an unattainable standard that really weighed heavily on her soul and her inner turmoil eventually spilled out onto the people she LOVED the most. I'm sure I'm not stepping over the boundary by saying; most of us BUSY, DRIVEN, PERFECTIONIST, Anxious types have all done this, including every-other type.
I have found through my 20's, this has been an area that has needed some major "MENDING". This does not mean I'm broken. This simply means I have found myself at a point approaching 30 next November where I would like to really be more in-tune with all the simple beautiful things in my life. (Over the course of this past year, I feel I have been making progress towards being more in the NOW and present in my life),but still know that it is an area that I am still progressing in and need to continually work at it.
It’s those days I know that I can't take back, moments I missed some of the really good things about my personal life.
(Kind of like the saying..."Where ever you are, there you will be.")
I have since tried to find a happy medium. I still look at whats going on in my social media network and yes there are times I’m like, “Dang! I should work out a little harder like those cross-fitters!” Then I try and remind myself that I enjoyed that fro-yo or my dirty Diet Coke that I had last night. I’ll try a little harder tomorrow. THAT’S OK. Just like sometimes we need to be reminded to be more disciplined with those enticing goodies and treats that are sometimes hard to pass up (for me like all the time), I find it even more difficult to be disciplined in being HANDS FREE.
This blogger HANDS FREE MAMA went on about how her internal drill sergeant was continually pushing her to make everything sound better, look better, and taste better. Her body, her house, and her personal achievements were never good enough. She simply explained that she was holding herself to such an unattainable standard that really weighed heavily on her soul and her inner turmoil eventually spilled out onto the people she LOVED the most. I'm sure I'm not stepping over the boundary by saying; most of us BUSY, DRIVEN, PERFECTIONIST, Anxious types have all done this, including every-other type.
I have found through my 20's, this has been an area that has needed some major "MENDING". This does not mean I'm broken. This simply means I have found myself at a point approaching 30 next November where I would like to really be more in-tune with all the simple beautiful things in my life. (Over the course of this past year, I feel I have been making progress towards being more in the NOW and present in my life),but still know that it is an area that I am still progressing in and need to continually work at it.
HANDSFREE MAMAs blog struck a cord that now is the time to SLOW down this CHRISTMAS holiday and see all the JOY and the beauty that is around. NOT worry about those Christmas lights that didn't get hung on our new home. Don't worry about all those projects that I wanted to get to before a certain day. Don't worry about what we can and can't fit into our BUSY schedule this month. This month is a time where peace should fill the air and we should be happy because we are blessed. Take the time to put down your devices a little more this month. I know sometimes it seems like we are MISSING something. I would say we are. We are missing the important things in our lives that really add value and happiness to our souls when we are “distracted.” Dedicate the rest of this month to take the hands-free challenge with me.
(Even if it’s a little less time here and there)
PLEASE take the time to ready her blog. (link below) As you read it you may too be reminded that you are human. This is our time to learn and grow. Our loving Heavenly Father let's us live, try, fail. He doesn't want us to be perfect, he wants us to develop into who we need to be. Like I mentioned before, we all need mending in areas of our lives. THAT’S OK
HANDS FREE MAMA HAS A NEW BOOK SHE WROTE ABOUT THIS TOPIC. I HOPE YOU TOO PICK UP THE COPY IN JANUARY WHEN IT COMES OUT.
"A guide to putting down the phone, burning the TO DO list and letting go of PERFECTION!"
CHECK OUT LINK BELOW
http://www.handsfreemama.com/2013/12/10/the-bully-too-close-to-home/
5 Simple Ways to Start Living in the NOW
1.
Pick one evening a week that no-one uses
devices
(Ours
is NO Technology Tuesday)
2.
CALL a neighbor, family member or friend just to say hello.
3.
Set aside 15 personal minutes a day to write
in a journal or start a blog or post in your blog.
(Consciously
try to only focus on the topic you are writing about. DO NOT look at Instagram
or Facebook the entire time)
4.
Write a letter to someone you LOVE. (old fashioned charm)
5.
Laugh!!! AND when you notice yourself
laughing… Laugh some more.
Thank you for reading.... Jamie B. xoxo
PS. PLEASE SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCES WITH HOW YOU "MEND" YOUR DISTRACTED LIFE AND WHAT WORKS FOR YOU.
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