My website has been giving me some trouble since the middle of December and I finally got everything squared away! Hope you didn’t miss me too much!
Just a Reminder…
Category: Choose Happiness
Life in the Burbs
Why are some people so obsessive about their lawns? I don’t get it. I mean, I like our lawn to look nice; it gets mowed and occasionally weed wacked. But it often looks shaggy with its share of dandelions and weeds. In my humble opinion, lawns are not meant to look manicured! If I wanted manicured, I would live on a golf course.
The guy who lives behind us works on his lawn all of the time. I left the house the other day at 7:00 (still pretty dark out) and he was out there raking the handful of leaves that had fallen overnight. Every time I manage to mow my lawn or simply tidy up the front yard, my next door neighbor comes out and does his. Just once I would like to not have the saddest looking yard on the street.
How Times Change
Isn’t it funny that when we make a purchase there is often a surge of excitement that courses through us? It is like happiness is created by spending money to get clothes, electronics, toys and stuff. But that happiness is short-lived and we quickly move on to the next thing that catches our attention, hoping to generate happiness again. This is like a wheel that keeps turning. Stuff will not bring long-term happiness. The thrill wears off quickly and the need for something new and shiny takes its place. The last purchase is stuck in a closet, moved to the basement or stored in the garage to make room for the next shiny object.
I jumped off of this wheel a long time ago and that helped my finances considerably. I stopped spending money on stuff that I didn’t love and need. It also helped me emotionally by guiding me to find other outlets for my anxiety and my boredom. Now when I engage in retail therapy it is at the Thrify Shopper or Salvation Army. I prefer a walk in the woods or spending time with my loved ones.
Keep Your Bubble Close
My alarm went off this morning at 5:45AM which is pretty typical. What happened next was not at all part of my normal routing. First I hit the snooze button and cuddled up closer to my honey. I was not ready to start the day. Then I reminded myself I had to work at 8:00 and I better get moving. I reached for the phone to turn off the alarm and hit a glass of water. I knocked it over and heard the gentle pouring of the contents all over my nightstand. “Shit, shit” I uttered and tried to get myself up. I was moving in slow motion and having trouble opening my eyes. By the time my feet hit the floor the water was running off of the table, over my journals and onto the floor.
Acknowledge Your Fear…
As of January 1, 2021, I will officially be a business owner. How cool is that? I have filed all of the papers, opened the bank account, and obtained my Employer Identification Number. I am learning an accounting program where I can also create invoices and researching APPS to track my mileage. I still have to figure out how to collect and track sales tax and file that information with the government. But Nors Chores is official!
Not Stopping
I’m not going to beat around the bush here. I’m not going to hold back. I’m going to tell you all about the week I have had. Here goes… It sucked. I know I am usually full of positivity and good vibes but some things can’t be denied and this week was absolutely awful.
My 2013 RAV4 was totaled in an accident involving 4 cars. I loved that car. I was one block from my brother (Number 9’s) house to drop Fenway off for a sleepover. The first three cars were all braking appropriately for whatever reason (I was car #3) and the fourth car was NOT STOPPING. I saw the big blue Durango barreling down on me and was alarmed because he didn’t appear to be braking. He was still going over 30 MPH while the rest of use were almost stopped.
No Party This Year…
Usually we have a big theme party on July 4th that includes whatever family members are around and some good friends that are part of our extended family. I think it started with a Mexican party many years ago when my sister had a bunch of Sauza Tequila stuff from the restaurant. In years past, we have celebrated Christmas, Easter, Casino Night, the Super Bowl, Hawaiian Night and the Sixties all on the Fourth of July. We have hunted for Easter eggs, exchanged Christmas stockings and tied dyed t-shirts. There is usually a food theme that requires planning, games to be played and we have even busted open a few pinata’s over the years. In case you couldn’t tell, the Fourth of July is a big deal in my family.
Failure Leads to Success
When it comes to do it yourself projects, I hear myself say “I can’t do that” or “I don’t know how” and then I give up and walk away. That is the equivalent of sitting on the couch and that is no place to be. I recently wrote about my attempts to try new things and not let my fear of failure prevent me from experiencing success. Recently I tackled changing fuses in my car, fixing a cabinet door and repairing a rust spot on my car. Over the last few weeks, I have experienced plenty of failure on the road to some success and I am kind of proud of myself. Yeah, me!
Update on my readiness to fail!
Are You Ready to Fail?
Learning something new is hard. You have to get through the awkward stage of being a beginner, of not knowing what you are doing, of failing regularly. You have to get comfortable making mistakes, of asking questions, of doing things over. I realized something about myself recently, I find it difficult to learn new things. Not because I don’t have the smarts to learn them but because I don’t want to put myself in that awkward, beginner stage. To put it in a nutshell – I don’t want to fail.
Brilliant Sparks… Not
When you are feeling stuck in a rut what steps do you take to get out? I am discovering the steps that work for me but am wondering what works for others. I have been in a rut before and know the signs. When I am in a rut, I feel listless and dull. I have no energy and dread the day. I start believing everyone feels the same and that we are dragging each other deeper into the rut. Deeper and deeper, making escape seem impossible. I avoid people, I avoid social situations, I even avoid conversation, as they all irritate me. I try hard to not let others see my irritation but am not always successful.
Yes, when stuck in a rut I am not much fun to be around. Hey – don’t judge, I bet when you are stuck, you aren’t much fun either…
