I Choose to Bless This Life...

"Bless a thing and it will bless you.
Curse it and it will curse you...
If you bless a situation, 
it has no power to hurt you,
and even if it is troublesome,
it will gradually fade out,
if you sincerely bless it."

- Emmet Fox

The older I get, the more I realize how true this quote really is.  I am challenging myself to concentrate on faith and bless a particular situation, knowing worry will not help or solve anything.  Our lives unfold and events happen...  Often we don't like the results, but disliking it and getting all worked up only make it worse.

I've been a "worry wart" so much of my life and the only thing it did for me was make me nervous, negative, fearful and insecure.  When I learned to embrace change instead of fight it, I feel my life flows better.

My husband is always saying, "It is what it is" and "Everything happens for  a reason"; and his philosophy has influenced me for the better...  For a long time I felt this was a cop out.  In my younger days I was a warrior and fought for my principals.  Not that I don't today, but often what I thought were battles were really my not liking the outcome of something. More and more now I see the wisdom in not sweating the small stuff...and really, most of the time, it is ALL little stuff when placed in perspective of an entire life.

Circumstances often challenge, but the more I tell myself "You can handle this", the easier it becomes...
Doubting myself is like slapping myself across the face.  Who needs that?

One of my most stressful times of my life was after my divorce, raising my two daughters alone.   I suppose struggling to make a living for us, often working two or three jobs, was a big part of it.  I wanted to keep my girls in private school and knowing I was in it pretty much alone as a single Mom with full custody was extremely stressful.  I had a lot of doubts in my ability to hold it together but by doing it I learned how strong and capable I am.

My daughters are now grown with their own families and I get to bask in the joy and pride of how capable and strong they are.  Raising them I was the teacher,  the comforter, the protector, the provider, the problem solver, the enforcer, and it was challenging.  Now, despite living further away, I am called upon when needed and occasionally invited to share my opinion.

Living a life of purpose has always been my focus.  Being retired and not having the responsibility of raising a family can often feel aimless and without purpose.  I don't want to allow the fact of my aging to become an excuse to slow down and lose my vision.

I have to confess, I have cursed having to stay here in Nevada, being further from my children, grandchildren and large circle of family and friends. We came here originally for a better job for my husband and planned to return to California when he retired.  No one had any idea the economy and housing market would fall off a cliff as it has....

I have decided to bless the fact we are living here now.  I will have faith and believe our lives will continue to weave and enter twine despite the distance because we love one another and are a close family. I hope one day soon we will eventually live closer, but in the mean time, I accept and bless our lives as they are now.  Cursing my situation will only make me feel full of regret, hopelessness and misery.  The last thing I want to do is burden my family with a negative attitude.

So today, I submit this vow into the Universe and pledge to see more blessings and do a lot less cursing and complaining...  You all are my witnesses.