Five Ways to Find Relaxation, Balance, and Joy

Lemons are a favorite taste among many of us. Think of how often we enjoy things like lemon meringue pie, lemon drop candies, and of course, lemonade, especially in the summer. Cooks use it in all sorts of mouth-watering recipes. And, of course, some people, but not all, like the taste of lemon on fish. If we travel through the very warm states of California, Arizona, and Texas, we will see the numerous crops of nearly all of the citrus fruits, except oranges and grapefruits which are grown mainly in Florida. Right about now, our mouths are probably puckering up just thinking about juicy wonders. 

Seeing Our True Selves

Other than foods, when we consider how we affect others in our everyday conversations and connections, we may make others think about the sour taste of lemons! It is a trait we may wish to change, but sometimes, we do not even recognize we have such a characteristic. An actor once said, “I don’t think of myself like other people see me” and this could very well be true of all of us at certain times.

Mainly, we prefer to see ourselves as sweet and agreeable. Maybe most days we are just like that description. If we grew up with a mother or relative that we adored and sincerely loved, we wanted to be just like her. So, we imitated her gentle disposition and the manner in which she came into contact with friends, family, and strangers alike.

On the other hand, maybe exhibiting kindness, sweetness, and thoughtfulness was not our natural tendency and we had to really practice and work at the behavior. We did not have the adults around us that could demonstrate a good example of such a person. As adulthood approached with all its ups and downs, difficulties, and adversities, it changed us or, at the very least, brought out the worse in us.

The type of job one has trains us to become whatever a particular industry expects. Yes, employers do want employees who demonstrate kindness to customers or clients at all times, but global competition is the main focus in many--if not most--companies. From senior vice presidents and managers to waitresses, cab drivers, and grocery clerks, we all understand what it takes to keep a job.

Where There Is a Way

Unless we find ways to relax, balance work and home life, and strive to enjoy life, our opposing tendencies can get the better of us. We then, unknowingly, take it out on each other. Instead of listening with courtesy, speaking with love, and reaching out with forgiveness to each other, the measurement of our sour and bitter attitude can and will turn others away from us. This is exactly the opposite of what we really need in our lives, as we entirely miss the opportunities to combat loneliness, experience love, grow in faith, and expand hope. Pick one of these five and start there:

1. Find the cause of our discontent: change jobs; get caregiver or babysitting help; speak with a counselor.
2. Escape the house: get out with friends; vary housekeeping schedule with fun activities; take an interesting class.
3. Get a companion: if the house is too quiet, get a roommate; a pet; turn music on every day; or start dating again.
4. No overtime: arrange work duties so that overtime is kept to a minimum; spend quality time with others; skip the laundry and give yourself a facial.
5. Goals: make time now to finally accomplish our life-long passion.

Love is All-Around

Changing long-lived attitudes are certainly not easy. It takes practice day in and day out. The best place we can transform our outlook on life is when we are spending quiet time with God and finding out how much He loves us. Because when we discover and understand His love for us, we can begin to love others too.

It is an everyday starting point, and God will not fail to bring us to a whole new level of peace and joy. The best news is we can communicate with God anyplace, anytime and it costs absolutely nothing other than minutes we carve out for our own well-being. He is waiting and He has the answers!

“Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can fully share its joy” (Proverbs 14:10 NLT).

 

 

How to Keep Our Balance When Life Gets Shaky

Celebrate every day!

We are already six months into the year and are anxious to celebrate our country's 244th birthday, July 4th, 1776--the day when the Declaration of Independence was adopted by Congress and still stands today!  

No, we are not going to have a history lesson here today. We are simply saying that the celebration of America is more than just sparklers and fireworks (although those are lots of fun!). Instead, we want to point out that our lives can be a celebration too--every day. 

Now that we are out on our own and living as single-again women, what could we say is our greatest feeling of all? Would it be the peace we now enjoy? Would it be relief from all the chaos and verbal and physical abuse? How about freedom? All of these and more are a reason to celebrate and fill our hearts with unexplainable joy.

Our Own Independence Day

If our lives don't exactly feel that way (yet), it's okay! We may still be mourning for a life left behind even though that life wasn't what we imagined it should be way back when. Now, think about this: all that freedom we talked about in the above paragraph can be scary and maybe the reason that keeps us from moving forward.   

We have many difficult choices right now so it may seem easier to just turn back and grab for something that is no longer there, which only causes confusion and emptiness. But when we look at our own Independence Day and determine to move through the open doorway, we’ll see the possibilities for our best life on the other side. And our hearts will dance and sing! 

The momentum that escorts us through that door is exciting. It’s like riding a bicycle for the first time in many, many years. We won’t have time to look back but only to view the passing scenery. There are so many things to do, places to go, and plans to make that our days will fly by! We certainly have had ideas running around in our heads for years that we are now free to make happen.

Ready to ride?

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” (Albert Einstein)

This quote is a favorite of this blogger because it displays an attitude of never giving up. If one thing doesn’t work in our lives, we can try another way. If traveling in one direction is frustrating, we can choose a friendlier path. We cannot allow any detours to get in our way because we are determined and know what we want. We just must go after it. Today!

New, Fresh, and Hopeful

Hooray! We are on our way! Planning, experimenting, and seeking wise counsel are all part of this new way to rebuild our lives. We may even want to find other women who are traveling in the same direction. In fact, it is advisable to do so. They may be struggling at the beginning or learning to navigate in the middle or have nearly reached the finish line. So, someone will be able to come alongside us to help no matter where we are on the journey.

The Bible says, “A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:12 NLT).

If we keep our eyes and ears open and sense something missing while planning our adventure, it may just be a lack of support from others. We shouldn’t feel as if we need to keep our new marital status a secret fearing what others will say. If our attitudes are new, fresh, and hopeful, others can’t help but see improvement in us. And they are the ones we can count on for a friendly face.

"A miserable heart means a miserable life; a cheerful heart fills the day with song" (Proverbs 15:15 The Msg).