mindset – Site Title

STRESS

“I stress about stress before there is any stress to stress about.” Unknown

Does that ring a bell? It does with me and I’m sure there are many others out there who do the same thing. We STRESS before stress gets here. I’ve been stressing for the past week or so and I’ve been putting it down to Christmas. Well yes, this time of the year does bring its stress factors. So much to do and so little time. However, I think that we contribute to that stress and make it a lot worse than it is.

“Stress is an ignorant state. It believes that everything is an emergency.” Natalie Goldberg

How true?!! I’ve been rushing around trying to make everything perfect for my son when he arrives home tomorrow for the holidays. The house has to be just right, it should look Christmassy like he remembers it, presents need to be bought and wrapped and food, yes food is important for a kid who has been away from home and one who craves all his favorites! So much to do and there is just too much STRESS! That was my cry until I decided to put the brakes on it today.

“Stress is not what happens to us. It is our response to what happens. And response is something we can choose.” Maureen Killoran

I decided to choose how and what I do to get everything done in time. It doesn’t have to be a mad dash, I can take my time. I’ve slowed down, I’ve taken deep breaths, I’ve given Chachi, the cat, several hugs and kisses and I’m almost done for his arrival tomorrow. The presents are wrapped, they don’t have to be perfect, a stress factor in itself! Let’s just say, they are wrapped and under the tree, the lasagne is done and ready for tomorrow, the house looks festive and I’ve got what I need to make it through Christmas! Dare I take a sigh of relief? I think I will, it is well-deserved.

“The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.” William James

Choosing carefully is the key. Not everything is an “emergency” and some things can take their time getting there. It is not the end of the world. So what if things are not perfect, you did your best and that is what matters.

“Give your stress wings and let it fly away.” Terri Guillemets

AND

“Everyday brings a choice: to practice stress or to practice peace.” Unknown

Choose carefully.

Have an amazing day.

LOL!

I thought this was hilarious and decided to share.

Photo by atelierbyvineeth . . . on Pexels.com

A blonde, wanting to earn some money, decided to hire herself out as a handyman-type and started canvassing a wealthy neighborhood.

She went to the front door of the first house and asked the owner if he had any jobs for her to do. “Well, you can paint my porch. How much will you charge?”

The blonde said “How about 50 dollars?”

The man agreed and told her that the paint and other materials that she might need were in the garage. The man’s wife, inside the house, heard the conversation and said to her husband, “Does she realize that the porch goes all the way around the house?” The man replied, “She should, she was standing on it.”

A short time later, the blonde came to the door to collect her money.

“You’re finished already?” he asked.

“Yes,” the blonde answered, “and I had paint left over, so I gave it two coats.”

Impressed, the man reached in his pocket for the $50.

“And by the way,” the blonde added, “it’s not a Porch, it’s a Ferrari.”

I’m not going to saying anything although I’m dying to!

Letting Go of Control

Most of us are “control freaks” when it comes to controlling outcomes. I know I am. We want to take whatever comes our way, things of the unsavory nature and we want to change it or we spend time, sometimes lots of it, mulling over what we cannot control and instead of letting go or accepting it as a lost cause, we try to control the narrative.

“To find calm, let go of the need to control every outcome.” Unknown

I had a tough day yesterday and “calm” had flown the coop and was nowhere to be seen. I kept playing scenarios over and over again and no matter how many times I kept playing it over, the outcome was the same. It was done and dusted and there was nothing I could do about it but to let it go. The only thing I could do was to control my feelings and how I viewed the situation. The other thing that was staring me in the face was that I had no control over the events of the day, only in how I dealt with it. It was time to let it go and I did.

“When you release expectations, you are free to enjoy things for what they are instead of what you think they should be.” Mandy Hale

I spent most of yesterday getting angry, agitated, frustrated, and whatever else you could throw into the pot, I was ready to take it all and to run with it! Human nature is such that we love to entertain problems. Truth is, problems do show up when we least expect them and they throw us for a loop when we come face to face with them. More often than not, anger and frustration accompany problems. Not knowing how to deal with them is why they appear in succession. In my case, it is the opportunity to fall off from the path of self-discovery I was on and to VENT for all its worth! Ok, it’s alright for awhile but I see the toll it takes on my psyche and even then, I refuse to stop, hell-bent on wrecking havoc as I go along on my path of self-righteousness! The good part is, I’ve learned when to put a stop to it. It took me most of the day but when evening rolled around, I was ready to come to my senses and to look at it with a clear head.

“One of the most rewarding and important moments in life is the moment you finally find the courage to let go of what you can’t change.” marcandangel

Learning to let go of control is not easy because letting go of whatever it is means that you no longer have control over the situation. However, sometimes that is a good thing. You need to step back, view it from a distance and come up with solutions to break down the problem and to make it solvable. Yes, it takes time and it takes focus but it is better than going off the deep end as I did yesterday.

“Real strength isn’t control. It’s knowing when to let go.” Christopher Barzak

Have an amazing day.

LOL!

A very jealous husband calls his wife from the office every morning to make sure she’s at home.

“Honey, where are you?”

“At home, love.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course – where else would I be?”

“Then turn on the blender next to the phone so I’ll have proof you’re really at home.”

The wife switches on the blender and, hearing the noise, he relaxes.

“Okay, honey. See you at home tonight.”

This goes on every day: she has to prove it with the blender’s sound.

One day, the husband leaves work early, gets home, and only finds their son. Surprised, he asks:

“Where’s Mom?”

“I don’t know – she went out with the blender!”

🤣🤣🤣

Rise Up and Stand Tall (Archives)

“Every morning you have two choices; continue to sleep with your dreams or wake up and chase them.” Carmelo Anthony

I’ve found that it’s easy to stay where you’re at. It doesn’t take much effort and it is comforting. You can mope, scream at whoever wants to listen and sometimes look for someone to blame for all your woes but what does that bring you? You’re not going anywhere if you stay put. It takes strength to stand back up. It takes courage to fight the battle and it takes the fire within you to keep on going. There were times when I wanted the world to go away and to leave me be. Let me wallow in misery was what I screamed but when all was said and done, I stood back up as I have done many times before. It takes putting one foot in front of the other and to just keep moving. I didn’t know where I was going, I only knew that I couldn’t stay where I was.

“It’s ok if you fall down and lose your spark. Just make sure that when you get back up, you rise as the whole damn fire.” Unknown

One thing is for sure, standing back up is not for the weak of heart but there is no other choice. You can claw your way back up, grasp at a helping hand to give you the boost you need or you can do it on your own. Whichever way you choose, there is only one way to go. Rise up and stand tall. It’s scary I know and it takes superhuman strength to move even an inch at times and that rabbit hole is inviting. If truth be told, it is not a permanent solution. If you want to feel the light back on your face again, you’ve got to move. You are fully capable of doing it.

“Do not forget who you are and where you come from. You are made of the brightest stars and the widest oceans. You are made of the highest mountains and the tallest trees. You are made of magic and dreams, wishes and light. You have heroes, warriors, kings, queens, gods and goddesses flowing through your veins. You come from infinite possibilities and incredible odds. You are here for a reason.” Nikki Banas

Make that reason count. You, my friend, are invincible. There is magic within you and that wand you hold in your hand, invisible though it may be, it has the power to change your life. Put it to good use and don’t give that rabbit hole a second look, it’s a thing of the past. You are meant for bigger and better things. You are powerful, you are beautiful and you are enough as you are.

“Fall seven times, stand up eight, and with each rise, you’ll find your strength will multiply.” Unknown

Have an amazing and powerful day.

What a Day!

Photo by Nataliya Vaitkevich on Pexels.com

Sometimes you wake up and you have this perfect plan in mind. Mine was to have a nice and relaxing day today. I was going to head to town after breakfast and get the Christmas presents for the people I mentioned in my post yesterday. The day was brighter than it was yesterday but there was a wind blowing. Bundle up, I told myself.

The village where I usually go to was jam-packed with people! It was still pretty early but I guess everybody had the same thing in mind. I decided to get some money from the ATM and that was where my day took a turn for the worse. The first one said, “Card declined.” Hmm….no big deal, there was a bank around the corner so I tried there. Again, “Card declined!” It was a new card and I got the pin activated successfully or so the confirmation email said. So, I went to the supermarket and the same thing! I was PISSED! Nope, not a good start to the day but luckily I had cash with me. So I bought the box of chocolates for the mail delivery person and I got a box of dates for the people at the cafe.

It was time to have a good cup of Italian coffee so I headed to my favorite place in town. They had a skeleton crew going. Most of the regulars were gone and won’t be back till next year. I took my usual seat and the boss showed up. I gave him the box of dates and his eyes lit up. “I love sweet stuff!” I said, “Enjoy.” We talked for a while and then I left still pissed about the card. Pulling into my driveway, I noticed the neighbor lady and I realized I had forgotten the bouquet of flowers for her. It was still early so I made a mental note to get it done the next time around. She waved and smiled. We talked for a while and she told me about the health issues she was having. Normal stuff in this village. We have an aging population here. I didn’t realize it then but my day was about to get worse!

I walked in, put the shopping away and decided to call stateside about my card. I was transferred here and there, business as usual. I waited and finally a supervisor came on, I told her my problem and she said, “You need to send us some information.” I was getting PISSED again! It doesn’t happen often this pissing thing, but today it was there and ready to go off the rails! I told her you have all that information already. Nope, you’ll have to do it again.

I took out the paperwork and tried sending the information but Microsoft wasn’t having it! It decided to add more oil to the fire! I got the message that my password was wrong and they needed to verify my ID! God! Passwords and me don’t jive. There’s just too many of them and I found out just how many! After going back and forth, I decided to take a step back, figured it out, and got the mail off to where it needed to go. By now, half the day was gone. I had a quick lunch, put on my boots, jacket, and scarf and headed to the fields. I needed to destress.

Once I saw the fields before me, I felt myself deflating! It was cold, the wind was blowing and there was a horde of crows having a conference of some sort cawing up a storm. The witches were not there yet but just a matter of time I figured the way my day was going! I stayed on the graveled pathway, the rest were too muddy. Taking some deep breaths, I let it go. The stress, the anger, the pissed off mood, and whatever else that needed to go. It took minutes and I found myself relaxing. It never fails, nature always has that effect on me.

After half an hour, I headed home feeling like myself again. It was time for a nice hot cup of green tea, a slice of cheesecake, yes cheesecake, and some quiet time with my little sweetheart, Chachi, the cat.

Mental Note to Self: It will get better.

Have an amazing day.

The Quiet Glow

The streets are alight with Christmas decorations and it looks pretty. I love it when it is all lighted up, the darkness that rolls in at around 5 p.m. doesn’t seem so dark anymore and it helps to brighten up the mood. I haven’t been in the Christmas mood lately, but I’m trying and looking outside at the lights makes me want to get in the holiday mood as well.

One neighbor has a big Christmas tree out front and it looks gorgeous all lighted up and wearing its festive wear. Another has fairy lights framing a window and yet another has some kind of mural playing on a wall. I can’t make out what it is but it is festive. I’ve got a Christmas bouquet of cream-colored Poinsettias in a vase out front, lighted up with fairy lights and instead of my big Santa with the friendly smile, I have a big star with the Poinsettias. Santa will have to stay in the cellar as he is too heavy to lug up and down the stairs. Too bad because he made a fantastic showing every Christmas in years past. I am toning it down this year as I did last year. There is a really cute Santa bear hanging on the door instead of a wreath to complete the picture and to make it Christmassy.

Nothing indoors yet. I’ll get to it once I get some shopping done tomorrow. I plan on getting some Christmas presents. Mostly for the people who’ve been really nice throughout the year and who do the work that we sometimes overlook. The hard work, that is. The post delivery person is one of them. She is a middle-aged lady who seldom has a smile on her face but delivering mail in any kind of weather is not a nice job so I understand her attitude. The smile comes on when she gets a small token of appreciation before Christmas. Then there is the gardener who helps throughout the year to keep the garden in tip- top shape, so I always make sure he gets a little something. The neighbor lady across the street is next. She always watches out for me and calls when I forget to shut the garage door. She gets a Christmas bouquet of flowers. The people at the cafe are next. They’ll get a box of chocolates or cookies, I decided on stuffed dates, because the boss loves sweet stuff!

I hope doing all that will put me in a Christmas mood. Perhaps, I’ll start decorating the house later in the afternoon. I’m going to keep it simple this year. Just some of my favorite decorations to make the living room and fireplace area light up like a Christmas tree! I love lights and Christmas is the time to amp it up without going too crazy! I’m going for the quiet glow this year.

Christmas is on the way and it seems to be arriving with bells on! It is almost upon us and I haven’t done much at all. Got to get moving.

Have an amazing day.

FOCUS

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

It is one of the hardest things to do. You’ve got a plan in hand, all set to go, you take off and then you come to a screeching halt! What happened? Life did. Your focus is not on what you need to get done, the noise surrounding you is too loud, it is hard to concentrate and “giving up” is less work and easier to do. You are at a standstill not knowing which direction to take or worse still, you don’t have the energy to carry on.

“Starve your distractions, feed your focus.” Unknown

How do you starve your distractions? First, what are distractions? They are defined as, “things like technology (phones, social media, websites, YouTube, video games, Netflix), other people, or noises around you,” all vying for your attention and quite often they win.

“Stay focused on your goals and ignore the noise.” Unknown

Not easy to do, I know. I’ve let distractions get the better of me and what I could have achieved in a short amount of time took forever and a longer route to get there. You have a plan? If not, make one. You want to get somewhere? You’ve got to focus. Here’s the truth. If you don’t focus, you’re left by the wayside. Tony Robbins once said, “Your life is controlled by what you focus on.”

Focus on the good things and you get more of the same. Focus on doing better and you will. Focus on what’s in front of you and you’ll start moving forward.

FOCUS! FOCUS! FOCUS!

Oh, one more thing.

“You decide how to show up, and you’d better come correct: the way you look, what you say, how you act and react. No excuses! Get in front of the mirror and own what you see. You may have to drag your fabulousness out of hiding, but it’s there.” Alyssa Edwards

AND

“The more you focus on you, the better you become.” Unknown

Cut out the noise and the excuses. Zero in on what you want. You’re allowed to waver now and then but get back on track. FOCUS, and you’re halfway there, the rest needs work!

Have an amazing day.

LOL!

This one got a laugh out of me this morning. What can I say but that’s Trump for you!

So DONALD Trump

GOES TO THE VATICAN to

Meet the Pope.

He later said: “I met with Pope Francis today. He’s a really great Pope – great, great Pope. You know he’s the leader of the Catholic Church – big church. I couldn’t believe it when he told me how many Catholics there are. Way more than I thought. They have churches all over the world — Some are very, very close to my hotels and golf courses.

He tells me he’s elected for life, probably copying that Xi guy in China. Fantastic idea, though. Fantastic. It turns out the Pope is a lot like me, you never see him with his wife. He told me he’s infallible. I said that’s great, you’ll never have to worry about breaking a hip.

He told me about a Mary Magdalene, beautiful girl, beautiful. Apparently a hooker. I asked him for her number. Didn’t catch his answer. I’m told he said it in Latin. I give the guy credit because he doesn’t look Latino.

He took me into the Sistine Chapel. Beautiful ceiling. Not the usual white stucco stuff. I don’t think too many people even know about this place. The paintings are great, I’m telling you. Lots of colours. The Pope (great guy, by the way, knows more about the Bible than almost anybody. We got along great, I think he really likes me) told me the whole thing was painted by this young Italian. I think his name is Mike Langelo. At least that’s what Francis (we’re great friends) called him, I think.

Trust me, we’re going to hear more about this guy. He’s really artistic, and everybody tells me I have the greatest eye for the best art. It’s natural, just like my incredible understanding of science. All the renowned scientists say they can’t believe it.

I told Frank I’d like to buy some of Mike’s art. I asked if Mike’s done anything on velvet. He’ll check. I’ll hang his stuff at Mar-a-Lago or Trump Tower. This Mike guy needs more exposure. He’s too much with the churches. He could paint my presidential portrait on the Capitol Dome. Or maybe a mural on my big, beautiful border wall; but just on our side.

When we left, the Pope gave me a bible. Huge book. (Huge.) I told him I have the full set. You get one for free every time you take a porn star to a motel room.

Unbelievable. Just heard. The mainstream media are at it again. Fake news. (Fake news.) I just saw something on TV. They claim Mike the painter died 450 years ago. Sad. I’ve already got people looking into this and you won’t believe what they’re finding

A Frosty Morning

The rooftops are sprinkled with white and so are the streets this morning. No snow yet but frost was there. It looked cold outside and it was. Brrr!!! I bundled up adding a thick scarf around my neck but no gloves and that was a mistake.

I walked as I usually do taking the same path and as I approached the apple trees, I noticed that the mountain was barely visible. It was shrouded in a haze. Yes, it was cold as I shoved my freezing hands deeper into my coat pockets. Nothing was moving out there, just a big fat crow cawing about something. My guess is, it was complaining about the weather as well. It kept me company for a while until a neighbor came into view with her dog. We stopped, exchanged niceties and the topic turned to our kids. She has twins, a boy and a girl, each one as different as night and day. The girl is dark-haired and the boy a blond. The boy sweet-natured and an absolute sweatheart and the girl, not so much. They are both the same age as my son. The conversation turned to the children and how they were doing. Turns out, I’m not the only one having to deal with the “walking on eggshells” concept. She was having the same problem which made me feel a little bit better. I waved her on and took the other path heading to the fields.

It was quiet, too quiet. The world was still asleep and the “cold” it was now kissing the tip of my nose and it was time to head back. The weather forecast is predicting snow for Saturday. I’m actually looking forward to some snow to get me in the Christmas spirit. My ex told me that our son will be heading home for the holidays. He doesn’t want to stay with me because I have strict rules about letting his friends using my place as party central. The last time it was late nights, lots of noise and a constant run to the bathroom! They are no longer scrawny kids but tall, strapping young men! So, my son has decided to stay at his Oma’s, just a stone’s throw from where I live. I won’t have the hassle and he will still come visit. A win-win situation either way.

It was time for another cup of coffee but Chachi, the cat, just walked in and let out a loud meow! He loves having his mommy at home 24/7 and absolutely hates it when I take off for an hour or two. Spoiled? Absolutely, but I’m not complaining. It is kiss and cuddle time with the little brat!

Have an amazing day.