"It's never too late to bounce back.
What goes around, comes around.
Sometimes the down times seem endless.
But they're part of a cycle.
Be persistent.
That's the key.
Keep the faith.
It may take time.
But you'll bounce back."
- from It's Never Too Late...172 Simple Acts To Change Your Life
What goes around, comes around.
Sometimes the down times seem endless.
But they're part of a cycle.
Be persistent.
That's the key.
Keep the faith.
It may take time.
But you'll bounce back."
- from It's Never Too Late...172 Simple Acts To Change Your Life
My daughter just turned 8 this past weekend. To think 8 years have passed since that moment she entered the world and changed my life and truly changed my everything. My life is completely different then it was 8 years ago. I am a single mom of my daughter and son...living in a house a quarter of the size...couponing my way out of getting my electric turned off...and to be frank, I am happier than I have ever been in my life.
Maybe I am happier because I finally like myself. Maybe I am happier because I live a simpler life. Maybe I am happier because after years of wanting one, I have a beautiful garden flourishing with fresh vegetables and aromatic herbs. Maybe I am happier because I have realized that it is the little wonderful moments that help us move forward to a better place.
Eight years ago, the house I resided in was bustling with kids and neighbors and friends...it was the stopover between dropping kids off at school, running them to events, a quick cup of coffee or on the way out to another fun group dinner. With the garage door always open, we entertained the neighborhood kids with a seemingly endless supply of juice boxes, popsicles, and snacks. It was a fun, lively place and it was a life I had always wanted.
And now, once again, after some difficult times and tough decisions, my house has become a bustling "stopover" with no less than five children running through, munching on fresh fruit, sipping down sweet tea and dancing to whatever is on the radio. Neighbors walk in and out of my yard, constantly greeted by my pair of golden retrievers.
I walk into my 1000 square foot home with a smile, and a feeling of gratitude. Yes...gratitude. When you can look back at what you have endured...when you can forgive yourself for the mistakes you have made...when you can look at your life and BE CONTENT in your spirit...that is gratitude.
I have come full circle, living in a place I never dreamed I would. Enjoying life with family and friends like I never have. Getting up in the morning with a sense of purpose and not a feeling of defeat. Isn't this what life is all about? Learning? Progressing? Maturing into a human being of purpose and contentment?
Push aside all of the falsehoods of your youth...the "false advertising" of the white picket fence that we all fell for. Breathe. Focus. Become content in knowing life is hard for EVERYONE; the rich, the poor, the famous, the "nobodies". How we handle the difficult moments (because they are just that...temporary moments) paves the way on how we can flourish in the glory of the goodness of this world.
Embrace where you are and love your family and friends with all your heart.
"If there is no struggle, there is no progress" - Frederick Douglas
