When God Speaks

There is a saying that goes, ‘Stop & smell the roses’. The meaning behind this is for the person to slow down, enjoy the moment, and quit rushing ahead to the next thing. Life is short and time seems to run at a quicker pace the older you get so to enjoy life and not take the world on is a wonderful idea. A wonderful idea is all these words are unless you dive in and live them.

Most of my life was spent running to the next thing, being the fixer in the family, living by a list made each day with a checkmark beside each one as I completed them. Stressful is not even close to how I felt, but my idea of life was to go, go, go. Needless to say, this lifestyle takes a toll and the very thing you hoped it would accomplish falls short because a person with this agenda gives a little to each project instead of all to each. Results are not great quality. You have spread yourself to thin.

Another problem with this thinking is when mistakes are made or regrets formed you spend more time trying to make up for things that cannot be made up. Rarely do we get do-overs so instead of staying stuck in the past, apologize and move on. If someone else is trying to keep you there, that person is toxic at the time anyway so remove this person from your life (maybe temporarily or maybe forever) and move ahead. We must love others, but we don’t have to be a doormat because of mistakes made.

Find something you are passionate about and you will find success in doing it. I found myself in situations that I would counsel against doing to others I talked to. Success is doing what you love. This is different for everyone. If a person loves cleaning, then do it and success will follow. If a person loves acting, do it and success will follow. We spend too much time trying to ‘keep up with the Jones’ and in so doing we find that we are miserable, insecure, and at times possibly suicidal. There was a show ‘Keeping Up With The Kardashians’ that aired for years and a lot of folks tried keeping up. Keeping up with what? A scripted TV show that only shows a life of wealth, laziness, and self-absorption and we wonder what is going on with the younger generation. Hint: check out what your kids are watching or listening to and you might be able to stop the craziness. Kids are followers by nature so see what they are following. Following always begins with watching another.

I have learned, albeit later than I would have liked that I need to enjoy the moments, enjoy my loved ones, and the best thing is learning that it is ok to have fun, become childlike, and love those that love me. So many times we have to learn the hard way that taking people for granted is not attractive for you or them. Finally they may decide to move on and then you are left with only what ifs. But, even that should not be a reason to wallow and moan and stay stuck in the past. Take that incident and make sure it doesn’t happen again and move forward.

As I said before life is too short to not stop and smell the roses. Savor the smells of living life at its fullest. The choice is yours. Make the right one.