When Things Don’t Work The Way We Wish

Although my thankful challenge is now complete, I find it necessary to add another item to my list. I’m thankful for the times that things don’t work out the way we had hoped, but rather work out the way we need them to.

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We all reach times in life where we feel totally lost and frozen in place. Unsure what to do and unable to see our way out. The storms sometimes seem so insurmountable in the midst of it.

Sometimes we find it hard to trust God that He’s in control and has our best interest in mind. Sometimes, what we don’t see is how God so perfectly wraps us in His arms of love and protection, even when we don’t understand it.

I find that often I pray more when I reach difficulties in life. It’s not just that I pray for things to work how I wanted them to, but rather, that in those moments when things don’t work out as I planned, I find myself thanking God that He is blessing and protecting me through it all.

I don’t say this to elevate myself. I don’t believe myself to be stronger or better than anyone else. I just find it interesting. So often I have a tendency to just live life as it is. Sure, I try to make God a priority, but very rarely am I truly thankful to Him for all that He’s blessed me with.

Until trouble strikes.

Then my heart is full of joy and thanksgiving. Because, somewhere, deep inside myself, I know that God has a plan. I know that everything will be okay. I know that all it takes is a little faith. And I know that I’ve been blessed far more than I deserve.

Eleanor Roosevelt And The Topic Of Fear

“We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face… we must do that which we think we cannot.” -Eleanor Roosevelt

Dear Mrs. Roosevelt, how wise you are and how aptly you capture my weakness.

I think fear is a big thing for an INFJ. We seem to feel it more than others, or, at the very least, more frequently.

I so often allow fear to control me and dominate my life. I feel weaker every time I do, which leads to very self-deprecating thinking, which leads me to be more fearful and unsure of the things I’m capable of. It’s a cycle, just like that, spiraling ever downward, never slowing long enough for me to grasp hold of myself and get things in perspective.

Only, that’s not how it works. I have things in perspective and realize I shouldn’t be so afraid, so that just makes me feel even worse about myself.

There have been some things lately that have really made me realize I need to face my fears. I’ve done it some, even just in small ways, and it’s making a huge difference.

I wouldn’t say that I’m courageous, and I wouldn’t really say that I’m confident, but I’m trying to be. I’m trying to be more secure in myself, and who I am. That’s really hard sometimes.

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As a teenager, I was essentially told that I had to be perfect. Not just act perfect, but literally be perfect. Perfect was a relative term, of course, and it was more an issue of being told that I have to live in someone else’s shadow, following their footsteps, or I wasn’t good enough.

After I stepped out of that mold that was created for me, I stepped directly into another one, one with much harsher consequences. This is something that I’m beginning to come to terms with, and hopefully break out of. I’m trying, but the very act of breaking out and away from such things, is extremely difficult for me.

I have such an ingrained fear of what will happen if I do accept myself that I’m absolutely terrified to accept who I am and who I want to be.

If this quote is true, and I believe it is, then the only way to gain strength, courage, and confidence is to look that fear in the face and confront it.

Allowing it to control and defeat me is, well, allowing it to defeat me. If I continue to live in fear, then I am never living to my full potential. I don’t want to live like that. I want to be able to be myself, without feeling insecure about it.

And so, I suppose this leaves me with only one thing to do. “We must do that which we think we cannot.”

I will leave you with this thought.

Image Credit (Go ahead and read the post the picture came from, it’s a good one.)

Black Friday

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I’ve never understood the concept of Black Friday. Aside from the above, the idea of sitting outside waiting for hours to go shopping in hordes of people never made sense to me. That’s one of those things that I would do practically anything to be able to avoid.

Maybe it’s the introversion, or maybe it’s something else. I’ve never been too into shopping (except for a few select items), and when I do go, I try to avoid the crowds as much as possible, planning my trips out during a time when most are at work or something of the sort.

Heck, I won’t even go down an aisle half the time if someone else is in it, let alone a store full of people. Too much stress. Inferior Se overload much? I think yes.

I’m the one you’ll find dodging through the store, taking the long way around, or aimlessly staring at a single shelf or item until my desired aisle clears out and it’s safe to go lurking.

Okay, I sound like an social-anxiety-ridden stalker… And maybe in some ways I am.

I just don’t get it. I don’t think the sales would ever be enough to convince me to go through that. And, as the image said… Only in America would we go shopping for more the day after being thankful for what we already have.

Maybe we should reconsider the topic, or be a little more truly grateful for the things we have. Why the fixation on things, anyway? Aren’t there so many more valuable things in life?

I don’t know. These are just my thoughts on the matter.

Do you like to go Black Friday shopping? If so, is there something more to it that I’m just not getting? I’d love to hear about your experience (or thoughts, good or bad) in the comments!

Have a good one!

Happy Thanksgiving

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Thanksgiving Eve

As the day before Thanksgiving, and the last day of my thankful challenge, I have so many things to be grateful for. I want to be able to end this with something powerful and significant, but sometimes, the most powerful things are the little things.

I’m thankful for my family, for friends and church, for this blog and the people I’ve found here. I’m thankful to be able to do something creative that I love. I’m thankful for creativity in general. I’m thankful to spend Thanksgiving with family. I’m thankful for this life that I’ve been given, and even for the hardships, because they’ve helped make me who I am.

As we near Thanksgiving and enter the Christmas season, I hope that all of us can bring that attitude of thanks and gratitude into the new year and throughout the holiday season. Let our homes be filled with love and joy, whether tomorrow is a day set aside for thanksgiving and family, or if it’s just another day.

If you do happen to be in the US, I hope your Thanksgiving is filled with love, happiness, and wonderful food. No matter who you are, or where you are, have a good one!

What are you thankful for today?

Games

Today I’m thankful for game nights and just awesome nights hanging out and spending time with family and/or friends.

Sorry for the short posts, I’ll hopefully be back to longer ones soon.

What are you thankful for today?

Fear Will Keep You Stranded

A Window Of Wisdom

When we become content in dysfunction, the fear of a change is keeping us stagnant.

~ WOW ~

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Community

Today I am so thankful for my church, the people and community that we have there. They are such a blessing to us and I’m thankful to be surrounded by such positive, encouraging and uplifting people and friends who hold me to a higher standard.

I’m on a tablet right now, so it’s just a short one for now.

What are you thankful for today? Have a good one wherever you may be! 🙂

Transportation

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Today I am so thankful for easy transportation. That visiting friends and loved ones for the holidays is made so much easier, and just travel in general. As much as I often wish I could have lived in a different time period, this is certainly one thing I am very grateful for.

What are you thankful for on this lovely Sunday?

Overlooked

So often I will feel overlooked. I tend to be quiet and sit on the edge of a crowd or group. I don’t say much, I just watch, observing everything that’s going on around me.

Then I have moments that I try to branch out and do something, often something online, and I just feel like no one pays any attention.

This blog is different, I’m writing it mostly for myself, as selfish as that sounds. A few other things I’m working on are in the hopes of having a positive impact on others.

I so badly want to be able to help, but come up feeling less-than because no one pays attention. How can I help others if I can’t manage to catch their attention? Then I start berating myself.

The image above was a good reminder to keep going, to keep trying, even if I feel overlooked by others.

God has a plan and purpose for each and every one of us. If we allow the shadows of others loom over us, feeling like we’re so much in the dark that no one could ever notice us, then we’re missing out and making the world miss out on some wonderful things that we have to offer.

Isn’t that where persistence comes in? We have to keep on trying, and we have to be able to be ourselves, even if we think that no one else is seeing it. Because we never know who might be watching. Even if no one else is, don’t we deserve to be our best selves? After all, we have to be around us all the time. Let’s make it the best that we possibly can.