Sometimes, there are just those days. These are the mornings that the alarm doesn’t go off at the right time, when the kids aren’t cooperative in getting out the door to school, and the toast gets burned in the toaster. Maybe you leave your house later than normal and get caught behind the school bus convoys that seem to stop at every single corner. Then you realize you forgot your lunch.
Monday always seems to come just a little too quickly, doesn’t it? We have all been there. Some of us get there at least once every week. When Monday morning rolls around – or even Sunday night – we start to worry about the week ahead. Maybe we dread going back to work because we don’t get along with our coworkers or we don’t feel fulfilled. Sometimes it can feel like we’re just spinning our wheels. Feelings like these make for a difficult start for the week and have a way of draining our motivation before we even get started.
If you venture out into the world at all during this time of year, you will probably be overwhelmed by hearts and chocolates and silhouettes of Cupid. Don’t get me wrong; it is great to have a time on the calendar when we focus on love and romance. It can benefit every relationship to have seasons like these that encourage partners to express their love. Do it. Love it. Enjoy it.
Have you ever had a conversation with someone who really listened? It’s remarkable, isn’t it? Perhaps we go through most days with so many distractions and interruptions that we aren’t necessarily aware of all the things that compete for our attention. But when someone truly listens to us, we notice.
We live our lives at such a pace that staying present is difficult for us. We get distracted by cell phone dings and notifications while we are sitting around the dinner table with the loved ones we haven’t seen all day. We get caught up in trying to figure out how get that stain out of our favorite shirt while our kids are wanting to play.
The desire to make resolutions to change something about ourselves can be motivated by a lot of different factors. Sure, they can come from a place of simply wanting to take a more positive direction. But, they can also come from a place of self-criticism or doubt. This time of year can be tough because of the memories that are brought up or the anxieties that get triggered.
This time of year – the holidays – always seem to bring up so many things for so many people. Everywhere we turn, we hear messages of peace and love and goodwill to all of humankind. Houses are decorated with lights and tinsel. People tend to be in a giving kind of mood. Everything seems to sparkle. And then you try to find a parking space at the mall. Need I say more?
