Morning Smile

My youngest daughter needed to take her car into the shop yesterday morning, so she asked if I would meet her there, drive her to a doctor's appointment and then loan her my car to drive to work. :::insert major hesitation grimace here::: Not to get too attached to an inanimate object, but I love my car! It's the first one I ever bought myself that was brand new right off the showroom floor (seriously, it was inside the building) and I take very good care of it. I don't like garbage inside or dirt outside. I like it to smell nice and look nice. I like it to be in one piece! Still, I agreed to let her use it (understand, her driving record is, well, a bit of a mess). She assured me she would take good care of it. So, while I was waiting for her to finish her appointment, I drove over to McD's for some oatmeal, yogurt and a bottle of water. I even bought the kid a yogurt too, I'm so nice LOL! Upon returning to the doctor's office, I noticed how pretty the surrounding area was and decided to have my breakfast al fresco. It was a bit chilly, but a beautiful day, sunshine beaming down giving so much relief from the week of  heavy rains we had just experienced. There were benches positioned amongst the trees - very convenient. As I enjoyed my breakfast, I was enamoured by how beautiful the day was; how the sun dappled through the trees making interesting and intricate patterns on the ground. The crickets were still out chirping, providing pleasant background music and a band of crows lent their "caw caw" bass to the mix of other birds, who happily tweeted away. I took in a deep breath and let it out, slowly, while allowing my shoulders to drop and body relax. "This is what I need" I thought. "This is what we all need".


Since getting my business license and going full time into self employment, my world has been a whirl of activity, both physically and mentally. I am constantly thinking, day and night, which is not allowing for proper sleep time, but new ideas, questions, concerns and the like are constantly running through my head. How can I make my business a success? How can I draw more attention to my online shop? What other options for selling are there that I haven't tried yet? What should I create tomorrow? Where should I begin with all the projects I want to do and have in mind? What if this doesn't work? Yes, it's been a mix of highs and lows, of confidence and doubt, of self-assurance and nervous worry.

I think that we all experience this at some point in our lives (please tell me I'm not the only one going bonkers), whether it's related to a job, a business, our relationships, or personal growth and I hypothesize as to whether it's counter-productive or not? Is it best to be less obsessed and more passionate? Does the obsession drive us to motivation or insanity? LOL  I may have already gotten to that last part! Anyway, all kidding aside, I think what we all need is to get in touch with something that makes us take that deep breath and exhale slowly, to relax, to gather our thoughts in a more organized, less frantic manner. We need to clear the clouds of doubt and negativity, whether originating from outside sources or from within ourselves. We need to work hard, but take time out to regroup and reconnect with our lives as a whole. We really do have the power to accomplish anything we put our minds to. We have the talent, the intelligence, the motivation and the drive to make things work, whatever your "thing" is. So, I'm suggesting that today, no matter what it is that you are doing, take a little time right in the middle of the chaos and find something that will cause you to breathe, to relax, to rejuvenate and reflect. It really has done wonders for my motivation today (I woke up early, organized in my thoughts and ready to go) and I hope you will benefit from it too! Have a fabulous day, friends! Hugs, ~Leena~

This says it all. Photo courtesy of julie.shelander