Do Less, BE More!

When I had my first daughter, Allison, my world completely changed.  I think most people with children would say the same thing.   I devoted myself to her care which meant many hours in the rocker, nursing her, smiling at her, talking to her, and holding her.  I soaked in every sigh, every yawn, every smile.  My little angel slept in half hour increments and only slept longer when I held her, so even though it was kind of difficult to sit in a chair for two hours at a time, this was how I found peace in my day, even if it meant a sore butt!  Sometimes I had to force myself to let it all go...the dishes, the laundry, the shower (haha!  If you've ever been a new Mom, you know what I'm talking about!), and "just be" with my baby, feeling the love and blessings that I had been bestowed. 

                                                               Allison sleeping in my lap!

 

We live in a society that craves instant gratification.  We're constantly multi-tasking, sometimes to a fault.  Don't get me wrong, I think the art of multi-tasking is an important and necessary skill.  It's important to know how to prioritize, juggle tasks, and complete things in a timely manner.  However, when you multi-task so much and you can never enjoy the moment you're currently living, you fail to recognize the beauty of life as it is, right now.  Taking the time to sit in a rocker staring at my baby made me realize...this is what it's all about!  Life is too precious to keep living for tomorrow.  I was doing less, but "being" more, and as a result, I felt more fulfilled.

Another way to look at Do less, Be more, is to eliminate the unnecessary aspects of your day and focus more on the greater priorities.  By doing this, you will become better at what you're choosing to do.  I used to make TO DO lists with a hundred million things on them and would feel frustrated and disappointed if I couldn't get everything done.  DUH!!!  Did I really think that I could accomplish all those things in the short amount of time that I had?  Well, yes, as a matter of fact I did, but again, it was very unrealistic and I was coming up short way too much for all the effort I was putting in!  When I do something, I want it to reflect my best and if I'm stretched too thin, there is simply not enough of me to go around to do things very well.  Now I limit my To Do lists to 5 items.  These are the 5 things that are the most important and if I accomplish these things, I am happy.  Do I do more than five things in a day?  Well of course, but I don't treat everything like it's top priority anymore, because it's not.  Another trick is to circle the most difficult, pain in the butt task and tackle it first everyday.  This way it's done and over with early in your day, and you can feel good about your accomplishment.  Make your list at night before you go to bed and you will start your day knowing exactly what your priorities are and what you expect to get done.

So if you've ever felt overwhelmed, stressed, or frustrated and you took some things off your plate by eliminating or delegating them, would that open up some time in your day to "just
be?" Even if it's just 15 minutes, a half hour, an hour... to chill, enjoy the moment, daydream, appreciate life, enjoy your family and friends, laugh...  Try it!  Remember, Do less, Be More!  And make sure you let me know how it goes!!!

Love to you!

Kristie 

Whatcha Waitin For?????

     So here I am, two days before my 38th birthday, finally starting my blog!  This is something I've wanted to do for some time now, and now is the time.  I wanted everything to be just perfect but if I keep waiting for all conditions to be perfect, I'll never get started!  So even though my page isn't perfect yet, and I don't have any pictures, and I will probably write this in 2 minute intervals because one of my daughters is still awake and will no doubt need me for something...this is my life at this point, and rather than try to fight it, which I mistakenly do sometimes, I'm going with it!  I love my life and the more I work with what I've got, the better every day is for me!  So what am I waiting for?  Enter theme song here:  Whatcha waitin for?  (Think Gwen Stefani) 

click here to listen and for lyrics:   http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/gwenstefani/whatyouwaitingfor.html

     About a year and a half ago my husband and I decided to move across the country from Interlochen, in Northern Michigan, to San Antonio, Texas.  We so loved our little town and the big town nearby, the fabulous Traverse City, but we were in need of a change.  Hubby was working three jobs, seven days a week, so I could continue to be a stay at home mom.  Our quality of life was getting...well, let's just say, less than quality, and we were definitely plateauing.  My family had lived in San Antonio for years and we loved the area when we visited, not to mention, the wonderful family time we were able to share.  So a decision was made, just like that in a casual conversation in February.  I remember it well, it started with "I'm so sick of winter..."

    Flash forward a year and a half and here we are in fantastically H.O.T. Texas!   Whew!  I love it here though, hot and all, and I'm slowly soaking in the many blessings and realizing that we've really made a lot of our dreams come true...again!  My dreams up until now have gone something like this:

          1. Become an elementary school teacher.  Check!
          2. Marry the man of my dreams.  Check!
          3. Earn my Master's Degree and further my career in education.  Check!
          4. Have beautiful babies and take time off from my career
              to stay home with them.  Check!
          5. Be happy!  Check!

     So, now what?  What else do I want to do with my life?  What new dreams are waiting to be fulfilled?  We are all creators of our own lives.  Over time I've learned what this statement really means.  We all have choices, every moment, every day.  We get to choose what we think, what we say, what we wear, and our attitude toward things, amongst many other choices that we make all the time.  Each and every one of us has the power to achieve our goals and dreams but first, and this is very important, we have to know what we want!  That seems so logical and obvious but have you asked yourself lately what you want?  My little dream list that I wrote above was one that I made back when I was in elementary school.  No kidding.  But as an adult, I've really had to dig down and think.  What the heck do I want???   

     At first the ideas came slow and then I started making a list that filled a couple of pages.  After that, I had to narrow it down, what do I want right now or in the immediate future AND what am I willing to do to get it?  Aha!  That's when some things get crossed off the list (hahaha!) or at least pushed aside for a later date!  So finally, after two years of being on my list, my newest goal is to run my first half marathon in November.  I just "became" a runner two years ago so I still have a lot to learn, but I know it will be a great challenge for me both mentally and physically.  Sure my baby wakes up at least once, but usually two or three times a night, and I AM NOT a morning person and will probably have to do most of my runs at the butt-crack of dawn but still, what am I waiting for?  My life is now!  It's time to do it Kristie, go get it!!!!!  My training officially begins Monday, August 22nd, so I'll keep you posted on my progress!

     So what are you dreams?  What are your goals?  What do you want to do with your life?  Don't wait for everything to be perfect before you begin!  Whatcha waitin for?  Just DO it!  And remember, you CAN do it!!!

Love to you!

Kristie