Happy 2015…..Looking for the Present!

· · ·

I am not much on resolutions as in past years I have made resolutions and quickly broken them.  I am however all about self evaluating and making some changes to improve daily life.  I had a boss once who said to me “I don’t want problems, I want solutions” and it was one of the biggest kicks in the gut I have ever received.  I was a hard worker so I initially took offense but it turned out to be a turning point in my career.  It’s time to find solutions for my every day life instead of just focusing on the “problems”.  A friend shared this on Facebook and all I could think the entire read was YES!  A “Soulution” is what I need.

The main source of my frustration in daily life is ME….that’s a hard pill to swallow.  The one benefit of the problem being myself, however, is that is the one thing I do have control over.  In thinking about what I wanted to change in the coming year the one big thing that stands out is my need to be present.  I go through my daily routine and spend lots of time at work and with my family but this past year I really feel like I was there in body but not in mind or spirit.   It seems like I always have a running list in my head scrolling through what I need to be doing, what I wish I was doing, what I should be doing instead of focusing on what I AM doing.

I like to pride myself on being able to multitask well but unfortunately you cannot multitask and be present at the same time.  I ran across this article by Tom Stuart on 8 was to be present and, while not earth shattering, made me stop and think about which areas I need the most improvement to help me succeed this year with my goal to be present.  In the article he notes being present requires a focused engagement of every aspect of our being including physical, mental, emotional and even the spiritual.

Staying focused seems to be one of my biggest issues.  When I’m at work I’m thinking about home and when I’m at home I’m thinking about things I would love to be doing or planning to do.  I think social media has really created a lot of jumble in my mind as I’m always seeing little projects and vacations and things I would like to create and plan.  I truly believe if I asked my kids or my husband what they would really like more a vacation or a present me, I really think they would choose the latter.  (If one of you are reading this and you really want a vacation just keep that to yourself…ha!)  The first thing I am going to work on is creating a more organized plan for my days and really budget in the time during the day to do the things I have to do and during the allotted time give 100% of my focus to whatever it is I’m suppose to be doing.  I love this verse to go along with this first area for improvement.

Isaiah 26:3 Those of steadfast mind you keep in peace – in peace because they trust in you. 

Setting aside space in my day for time with God is always one of the first things to go when things get crazy for me and it should be the exact opposite.  Instead of just trying to fit this in whenever I can and not really focusing and absorbing the words I’m reading, this year I hope to make this a top priority.  I have seen in the past when I am “right” in this area how much smoother my days seem to go and I know it is the first step to living in the present.

The second big area for improvement will be being content.  This will be a conscious choice and it will be a struggle.  I am so grateful for the life I have so I really don’t know why this is always so hard.  I am thankful God has blessed me with the strengths I have and with the people so carefully placed in my life so why oh why is it so hard to just BE with those people and share a moment without my mind running wild with a million other things.  Learning to just be still is one of my biggest challenges and I know that this will be the first step in learning to be content.

 

I would like to think that being loving is the one area that I am excelling at 100% all the time but to be truly loving to others means thinking of others before ourselves.  I definitely have some room to continue to grow here.  I love to love on others but often it is in the way I choose to love them and not the way they really need to be loved.  One of my biggest struggles this past year has been my supporting role as a wife to a man who leaves at 5am and returns at 7pm.  He loves his job and I know for the first time in our marriage he is so proud of what he is doing to support our family.  I am so proud of him as well but my goodness I am so tired sometimes and his lack of being around sure has gotten in the way of me doing some things I want to do.  What??  Did I just type that??  Yep….you cannot be truly loving and have self-pity at the same time.  I hope this year as I work to be more focused and present, I will find ways to tackle the things that must be done so I can truly love those in my life the way THEY need to be loved.

So for me as I look forward I still have all the same goals I usually have each year….stay committed to quiet time, health & fitness and my family as well as reading some books, taking some trips, tackling a few household projects and learning to love my job every day.  The difference this year, I hope, is I will be present in whatever moment I am in and turn to God to guide me through it.  I know that if I can accomplish these things that being present will be my biggest present in 2015.

 

Friends…life is hard….we all have our individual issues and struggles and in the end we cannot do this alone.  Turning to God is the only answer I have ever found that will ease my frustration, pain, loneliness, etc.  Unfortunately sometimes it takes so much longer than necessary for me to realize He is the answer and instead I am spinning my wheels trying to fix life and be God myself. Here’s to letting God be God in 2015 and the freedom this gives me to just be me….but the very best me I can be.

19 Comments

  1. I love this post. I struggle with letting Go and letting God. Happy New Year to you and your family. I really enjoy your blog! I have 25 and 22 yr old daughters and a second marriage, although Tony and I didn't have any more kids together, but I resonate with so many of your posts! Thank you!

  2. Shelly, thank you for your encouraging message. I work in corporate America too, and I have also heard that saying before from a boss. I'm your neighbor at Serving Joyfully linkup. Happy New Year!

  3. As always, I loved this post and could relate to so much. My biggest struggle is always contentment, and it is so easy to get distracted from what's important. Distractions can be as big as work responsibilities or as small as technology. I recently took Facebook off my devices since that is a major distraction for me. It helps me stay off my phone. I am still addicted to instagram, but at least one distraction is better than two! Happy New Year!

    1. I get sucked in so easily to social media and am not very good at disconnecting! Sometimes I will catch myself having my phone, iPad and Macbook all at my fingertips at once. Why?? Definitely must do better in 2015. Happy New Year!

  4. Love this! Turning your focus from problems to solutions is the same as turning your negative thoughts into positive thoughts. I love your honesty and your clear vision of yourself. I often struggle with admitting when I am the source of my own frustrations. I see it now just a little more clearly, Thank you!

    Thanks for linking up to the New Year Resolutions & Goals #linkup. I have shared your post of StumbleUpon and Pinterest 🙂

  5. Such a great post!! I had a boss who would always tell us, "Don't come to me with a problem unless you've come up with at LEAST one real solution." It took me quite awhile to get used to that but eventually became incredibly helpful in my day-to-day… it really did change my thinking. I'm really loving the "soulution" though so much more 🙂 Happy New Year, Shelly!!

  6. Wonderful post! I am doing the She reads Truth bible in a year challenge and it is so nice to take that time each day to study. I am a big multitasker as well… and it does complicate things at times!! Have a wonderful week!

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.