Anxious

#8 Complete this sentence - I feel anxious when-

I feel anxious when I have to walk into a public place when I feel people may be watching me. Especially alone (not when I go into a grocery store or shopping but true when I go in a restaurant, party, or something like that)

On my way to work I feel anxious , not knowing what the day will bring.

Traveling, just the arriving part..I always worry that I'll be late or unable to find my way.

Driving someplace unfamiliar...I'm awful with directions.

This is all part of the 101  Journal Questions for Women book . See previous blogs for the first 7 questions.

Spirituality

#7 What does the word Spirituality mean to you?

To me, I feel very spiritual but not very religious. I am not on board with the heaven and hell thing or believing in a book from years ago to be interpreted differently by many who read it.

I believe there is something greater than myself. I find more peace and spirituality in nature than I ever have in a church. I am blessed and thankful. It is uncomfortable for me to think that there is a "God" out there that would send people to hell for any reason. I was taught from an early age that God was all forgiving. I like to think that the Godesses and Spirits out there are just as forgiving and non judgmental .   I do believe in Karma ..what you put out in the world comes back to you. Good and Bad.

With all of that said...have a blessed day!

Smile

#5 What Makes you Smile?

Life! Here is a video I made a few years ago with this theme...









Smile

Strength

Todays Question from "101 journal questions for women": What is your best strength as a woman.


I took a facebook quiz and it said being positive. Which I believe I am.
But I think even greater than being positive is being compassionate.

Don't Sweat The Small Stuff

#3 in the book "101 Journal Questions for Women" by Tony Robinson
What is the greatest lesson you have ever learnt?

Something my mother has been saying to me as long as I can remember "Don't sweat the small stuff" and in the phrase made famous by the movie Frozen...LET IT GO.

I know this was something that I wasn't very good at for much of my life prior to around age 35 maybe...so it gets easier with getting some maturity under your belt..or it did for me.  
My ex would tell me "It will all shake out" and 9 times out of 10 whatever I was working myself up about would "shake out" and be nothing after all.

The serenity prayer comes into play here too...it's all about learning to accept what you can and can not change.

Question # 1
Question # 2

Achievements

a·chieve·ment

noun

1. 1.

   a thing done successfully, typically by effort, courage, or skill.

   "to reach this stage is a great achievement"

   
   
2. 2.

   the process or fact of achieving something.

   "the achievement of professional recognition"

Todays prompt in the "101 journal questions for women" book is to list your top 10 achievements. 

This one is very hard for me. For each thing I came up with, a negative thought followed with "but I didn't follow through, or it wasn't because of any great effort on my part" type of thing.  I feel like I have not had to work too terribly hard at things that I have really wanted , I have put them out in the universe and they've happened for me and I have an amazing family that has helped me and given me tons of things/support/love/opportunities to make things happen over the years. 

1. Fostered dozens of children for two years after becoming a foster parent. By far some of the  most difficult and rewarding days for me. 

2. Traveled to Europe while in high school as a High School Student Ambassador with the People to People program. 

3. Coming out as a gay women at age 39 and changing up my entire world as I knew it. 

4. Spending a year being there for my dad as he was dying of cancer. Skyping everyday, making multiple visits to stay with him during his treatments and being there to send him off. Not sure it's what you'd think of as an achievement but it fits in courage and effort and something I'm proud of doing and would do again.   

5. Purchasing a brand new  car all by myself.

6. Growing up.Not just getting older but growing up mentally and emotionally. With the wonderful world of Facebook I see that not all of my school friends have mastered this and seem to be stuck back in high school. Life is so much better when you open your mind, let go of negativity  and stop allowing drama into your space. 

7. Getting the lap band surgery. I had the surgery almost 3 years ago. I am not where I want to be yet as far as weight but I know that I never would have gotten there without it. My health issues were just getting worse and after having both hips replaced my mobility was not at a state to just add exercise and expect to get where I needed to be. 

8. Starting this blog. It's been 5 years now. I don't keep up with it everyday but as much as I love journals, diary's, calendars it's fantastic to look back and see where I was and what I was doing back then. 

August 3 2010   It's amazing when I looked back to that Aug. 3 2010 blog and it was so similar to these 10 achievements..WOW! 

9. On the courage part..I went parasailing. I am afraid of heights and will never go again..but I went. 

10.  An achievement that I'm still working on..is trying  new foods and expanding my pallet. As a child I  was a very picky eater and even into adulthood had very limited "likes" in food. Vegetables were out of the question and now I will eat most or at least try them.  

101 Journal Questions for Women #1

While looking around on facebook the other day I saw a post on a friends timeline for a book that sounded like something that would be very helpful for my blog ideas. 101 Journal Questions For Women. Plus bonus, it was on sale at Amazon for only $5.53 ! 

Well today it arrived! Before I even got dressed or put on make up I found it in my mailbox and jumped right online to post in my blog. See, the book is already working on making me motivated to blog more lol 

#1 Question was "What Makes You Happy?

I think overall I am a happy person naturally. Here is my list just thinking about it for half a second; Sunny days , full moons, bright star lit nights, the way my dogs greet me when I get home no matter if I'm gone for two weeks or two hours, the smell of fresh cut grass, the feeling of clean sheets, unexpected texts from Vic saying "my heart is full of love for you" , hearing my mom laugh, getting mail, times spent with friends or family, milk duds, having a clean house, a full tank of gas that I didn't have to pump, hugs, messages from beyond, fire flys, pink anything, youtube, facebook, lifelong friendships, good hair days, random acts of kindness, puppy breath, baby toes, glitter, trees,music...there just isn't enough space for what makes me happy. Life makes me happy!