July 4, "Independence Day", is tomorrow. All of the familiars with be on the menu: fireworks, cookouts, swimming, and family. A top 3 Holiday for me. I love celebrating the freedoms that our great country has given us. Given those freedoms, how many of us are truly free? Some currents events have me questioning my personal freedom. I think many out there fall into this category. It is time that you "Celebrate Your Independence Day"!
Grudges- We let those anchors weigh us down and hold us back. How much easier would life be if we just cut the chains loose? I know; People have wronged us, lied to us, stolen from us... But what does holding that grudge do for you? Forgive! Some of the wrong doers were major parts of our lives and without them in our lives now, there is a dark hole. Free yourself from that dark hole. Reach out to those people and forgive them. This life is too short and apologies and forgiveness that aren't given before one or the other pass on, only create larger dark holes. If these people are still in your life but you are holding onto to that grudge waiting for a time to spring you revenge, what are you doing? Is that how you really want to live your life? "Grudges, huh yeah, What are they good for? Absolutely nothing. Say it again." Let loose those anchors and enjoy life. Bring those once special people back into your life. Forget that circular revenge trap and feel the Freedom that it gives.
Where you are vs. Where you thought you'd be- What? Your life didn't turn out the way you expected? Yeah, I'm beginning to think that no-one's ever does. We spend way too much time comparing our lives with others. We question our life choices, wonder where we went wrong, worried about what those classmates that you haven't seen in 20 years are thinking about you, asking where that 6 or 7 figure salary we thought we'd have by now is. STOP! We are where we are. Look around. Are you happy? I think most people would say "yes". Then why are we doing this to ourselves? Life is full of curves, potholes and forks in the road. Even if we can handle the curves, swerve the potholes, we still have make a choice at the fork. We made our choice. We can live with it. It's okay. "Yeah but if I'd only..." The choices we have made make up who we are today. I know all of us would love the change history, but that is not going to happen. So why dwell on it? I know work sucks sometimes but will a new job or new company really be better or bring you that much joy. I'm not saying don't look to better yourself, I'm saying make sure you are doing it for the right reasons. This makes me think of a Chris Rock bit; (paraphrased) "So you are with someone who doesn't work, and you run off and get someone new, only to find out now you're with someone who doesn't work and whips your ass." Stop thinking of how perfect your life could be and start enjoying your life. Enjoy the people around you, enjoy the world around you and most of all enjoy who YOU are.
Soda - PSA- Free yourself from this crap. There is no benefit to drinking it. You are taking in extra calories, extra sugars, or if your a diet drinker then chemicals. When you are eating your dinner, do you even taste the soda that you are drinking or does it just help wash your food down? Anyway, I'm still stuck on my Coke Zero. I'm working on it. There is a reason they put caffeine in it and it's not for your benefit. If you must, then cut down to one day. (steps off soapbox)
Tobacco - Really? It's 2016 and this is still a thing?
PS: This is my first post in over 20 months. I could carry on about the reasons why I've been absent: difficulties at work, car wreck/recovery/physical therapy, diabetes diagnoses,... you know: life. I was burned out too. I had lost the will to write, lost the joy and lost the interest. Part of it was the struggle was figuring out what this blog is. I know it is probably a little confusing for the readers to go from a comical short story to a post about serious life issues. But then again that is what inshanesbrain is- that difficult yin and yang balance that is my brain. So I'm freeing myself of worrying about what the readers want and I'm going back to what I want to write. In other words, I'm back!
