Confronting the Things

In the previous post, I talked about small things, and how much harder everything else becomes when we try to cram in too much. It’s easy to say we’re going to cut out those small things, but not as easy to implement those changes. Every so often, this involves confronting people, or behaviors, or inner demons, or real ones  or whatever whatever.

Most of the time, I’d prefer to hide my head under a pillow and ignore the thing until it goes away. But. Doesn’t generally work, because when I remove the pillow the THING is still there. And it seems bigger. Like it grew when I wasn’t looking.  (It’s a THING in all caps.)

And then it’s harder to confront. But it still needs to be done. Vocally, physically, emotionally confronted.

*grumbles and whines*

It takes courage to speak up. To disagree. To *gulp* say no (especially when you originally said yes out of guilt or fear or whatever). But courage is one of those bricks we need. A really important one. So, it needs to be molded and fired to just the right shape.

I think I have that courage. But my well is running a little dry, so I’ll have to scoop way down to find it. But when I do, I’ll confront all the THINGS that consume me, and vanquish them. And then, my friends, I’ll figure out where to put the next brick.

What about you? Do you have a hard time confronting your THINGS? 

Small Things That are Big

I’ve met a lot of new people lately. Visited a lot of new places. Started new traditions. Am learning new routines. A whole lot of new, new, new. And for the most part, it’s all really good stuff. Regardless of how comfortable we are in our lives, after a while it becomes necessary to break the pattern by turning your world upside down.

And I’m becoming an expert at this upside-down world thing.

But there comes a point when you have to put a limit on how much new you can handle. How many responsibilities, how many new friends, how much change. Because as fantastic as it is—theoretically—for your life, emotionally, people are still human and human beings have limits to how much they can take.

A thing that seems small and mostly insignificant to one person might be just the absolute last thing another can handle. The thing that sends them over the edge of tolerance or withstanding or whatever.

I am finding that this is the case for me and my family. And we’ve hit upon a semi-solution. There are a lot of things we have to continue to do, big things that can’t really be changed or cut out of our daily lives. But there are other things for which we can say no. Things that can be removed from the endless load of new that keeps being piled upon us, and that will lighten our burden just slightly enough that we can carry it another day. Or week. Or whatever.

There comes a point when we have to remember that the pyramids were built brick by brick. The strongest foundations, the lasting ones, have to be created over time.

One of these days we’ll be less new. Less overwhelmed. And then we’ll be able to take on more of the small stuff. Until then, those things will just have to wait for when we’re stronger.

When’s the last time you evaluated your priorities and cut out some of the small things that weighed you down?  

More Thankful Things

I figure I have a month’s worth of thankful statuses to catch up with, so I hope you don’t mind if I keep going for a bit. I did warn you that I have a long list, didn’t I? No? Well, consider yourselves warned.

It’s the small and simple stuff that makes life grand. So today I’m thankful for:

Twinkling Christmas lights, Little Giant ladders, and our Elves Gone Wild CD.

Online shopping, since Black Friday has turned into Black Thursday (which, IMO has gone out of control) and I have no desire to fight strangers over toys anymore. Also, special advance sales geared toward people who are prepared, and who can shop from the comfort of their bedrooms.

Free shipping!

Amazon—because they have everything, and usually at a discount.

Email. Seriously, I remember a time when I had to write letters to my long distance friends on paper and stick the paper in an envelope with a stamp, then wait days for my words to reach them. Now we can have real-time conversations via chat. Or for that matter, face-to-face ones with Skype,

Vacuum cleaners that pick up fake pine needles, dust, dirt, and sludge off my floor whenever someone walks in. Also, Clorox wipes, Awesome spray cleaner (yeah, that’s actually a brand), and melty wax cubes that make my house smell good.

My convertible Mustang, because even though it’s getting up there in miles, I continue to love driving it. (And it’s still cheaper than therapy.)

My followers, who give me a reason to write blogs every week, and who stick around and comment, even when I’m introspective or reminiscent. Or making silly lists, like this one.

Writer’s groups where I have made some amazing friends who have greatly enhanced my life. Also writer’s conferences and CON’s. Because, well, they’re amazing and fun, and great for my career plans. And the most amazing people attend them.

Take-out restaurants. Because, let’s face it. All too often this is the best way to assure the family gets fed.

Soft new flannel pajamas. Because that is my most productive writing outfit. (Now you know.)

And Chris Baty, who invented National Novel Writing Month, which thousands of authors now utilize in order to bulk up their levels of creativity to bigger, better heights. For the third year in a row, I hit 50,000 words. Yahoo!

So there you have them. My status updates that never made it to Facebook. I hope you’re having a beautiful, fun-filled Thanksgiving weekend. Oh, and if you’re out shopping, keep your eyes open and your fighting hands at the ready. And may the odds be ever in your favor.