Rantings of a Tipsy Girl (day 1)

2012 is upon us and it is what I've been waiting for over the past few months.  So much happened this year-some good, some bad, but all wonderful lessons on life, courage, endurance, trust, and family.  It is my hope that they are deeply cemented in my brain, but mostly in my heart.  New Year's resolutions don't work for me...they seem to fizzle out by week's end.  So I have learned to just clear myself of  the baggage that I have carried around all year in order to make room in my life for whatever blessings are headed my way.

Sometimes I have actually seen my blessings passing me by because I didn't have a free hand to grab what was sent to me.  I have been found guilty of holding on to so much stress, fear, anger, tears, and negative memories that there's just no room to pull any good thing toward me.  The good news is that I recognize this about myself, but the difficulty is in doing something about what I know.  So this time around, I am being very intentional about dealing with my messy life and making a nice cozy spot in my life for abundance.

What I hope we as women realize is that:

1.  We can't do it all (at least not all at the same time).  We must plan and sometimes give up things for the moment to create success and peace of mind. Maria Shriver spoke about this in one of her books and I always find it to be quite useful when I become overhwelmed with my 'to do' lists, my creative ideas to make extra income,

2.  Taking a break for ourselves is great role modeling.  Our children live in such a fast-paced world where they are born juggling everything from playdates to sports, from mom's house to dad's house, from school to homework, from playing Wii to playing Xbox, from going full throtle to trying to get good sleep.  We schedule their lives like we schedule our own and that can only leave both you and your children exhausted.  Sometimes when moms take some time out to restore, recalibrate, get still and ready for more to come.  When we do this, we give our children permission to do the same and I can't think of a better gift to them then to learn how to slow down.

3.  Forgiveness is freeing.  Watching some of these "reality" shows like the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills or Atlanta should remind us to let some things go when it comes to friendship.  All these women do is fight, argue, and make fools of themselves.  Bitterness destroys the host...so it does nothing but harm you and not the person with which you have a  problem.  Sometime you have to walk away from people who are no healthy enough to be in your life--as Susan L. Taylor says, "you have to love them from a distance".  You must find ways to rid yourself of negative energy, people and forgive those in your life that have caused you pain so that you are free to live without heavy and unnecessary weight.

4.  Know your worth.  Whether it's our careers or our role as mothers or some other way you find your passion in the world, it's is vital that you know your value, your worth.  Often at work, we want to ask for a raise or promotion, but we haven't spent any time discovering just what we mean to our company or organization.  We have to be clear with others about who we are, how we contribute to our work or the world that adds immensly to the mission and vision of our employer.  There's no reason why someone would just give us more of something when we can't articulare our value.  Take some time to write down what you do that no one else in your position does for your place of business, church, PTO, organiation, or even your family.  We often think that it is evident what we do and what we should mean to others, but sometimes you are going to have to spell it out for them and you need to be prepared.  Get to gettin ladies!

5. Be specific about your desires. Too often we just throw out the first thing that comes to our mind about what we want. "I want a man"...well that's easy, but I suspect that if Mr. Wrong showed up you wouldn't be satisfied.  You have to get real clear..." I want a man that is tall (at least 5'11) and is gainfully employed with a great sense of humor and no kids.  I would like him to physically fit and for him to enjoy courting a woman like me."  See...it's a bit more clear who might be suitable for you.  Doing this for anything you want in your life is important-a job, a man, a car, a promotion/raise, a home, anything.  It takes a bit more time, but it is worth it because you are worth the time it takes to get it right.

6.  Lastly, Get to Gettin'.  You don't have to wait until New Years to start living the life that you desire.  It just takes daily slow steady steps toward your goals, your dreams.  Now is all we have so take this time and use it.

Many blessings!