Showing posts with label struggling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label struggling. Show all posts

Monday, February 24, 2014

JUST FOCUS... on the positive side

... and the negative disappears.

Last week was a doozie for me. I had a VERY busy work week and within it, as usual, I had to intertwine my everyday life of also being a homemaker /mom to my three kiddos at home. Mid week, I realized that I had WAY over committed myself, but I had to make it work; it was my fault, so I figured it out and dealt with the fact that I said "yes" too much. Trying not to let the natural stress of having too much to do take over my thoughts, I kept reminding myself of how blessed I was to be so busy when so many people are out of work, hoping to make ends meet... and with that came the calm feelings I needed to erase the stress that was playing tug of war with my brain. Self talk and thought processes are TRULY the most powerful things on the planet and honestly the most crucial to our well being. It is a process... one you have to fight to maintain and you WILL inevitably lose control at times, but the more you practice the power of positive thinking the less drama and negative emotions you will have in your life.

Among the things I had to do, taking my son Zane to the eye doctor for his yearly check up was one of them. First thing Thursday morning that is where we headed. Last year, we discovered that he was seeing -500, meaning his close up vision was pretty much non existent. The positive side to this was that it explained his difficulty learning his letters, shapes and numbers and also his fidgety nature in a classroom or at home when trying to keep him on task. He was already being labeled as a "behavior issue" in pre-school because he could not stay still and focus. He has been wearing his corrective lenses for nearly a year now, and things had been better, however recently he started having issues in his class again as well as with homework and he had been telling me that he was blind in his left eye. Now... for those of you who do not know, my 12 year old daughter Baleigh was born blind in her left eye due to Optic Nerve Hypoplasia; so when he said this part of me thought maybe he was just trying to be like her, but another part of me worried that there was more to it.

I sat in the exam room as my son's doctor performed a comprehensive eye exam and watched as my son struggled to see, I listened to my son respond as the doctor covered up his right eye, which is the only eye he had been saying that he was seeing out of and the truth was revealed; he was not seeing out of his left eye. As a lump filled my throat and as a tear formed in my eye, I found comfort and strength in my son's courage and calmness when he simply said... "yeah, I can't see anything now." I quickly filled my heart with faith that whatever this was, we could fix it. Luckily, as the exam went on and his pupil was dilated, the doctor discovered that his left eye was intermittently "coming on" which meant that his brain was shutting it off when his eyes were having a hard time working together.  Luckily with vision exercises and 2 hours of patching the good eye each day, over time we can correct it. I was relieved in knowing that it's not permanent if we are aggressive... yes, another thing on my full plate of life.

My point in sharing this story with you is this... we all face things that can tear us down, rip us up, cause us to be resentful, angry depressed... all which will keeping us from being all that we can and could be. The naked truth is that many people travel through life with poop-colored glasses on. It's typical; something bad happens to you, and for days, weeks and sometimes months or years, you swim around in that pool of mud finding it hard to get out and rinse off because staying in it seems easier, even oddly more comfortable, you want to sulk, to feel sorry for yourself, to be mad, angry, upset.. but in the end who does that truly hurt? (yep... I don't even have to say it.)

I got through my crazy, busy, emotional, and exhausting week with a positive attitude with only one night that I wanted to run from my own grumpiness, because defeat was not an option. That is how YOU must do it too. When we give ourselves no other option than to JUST DO IT, JUST ACHIEVE IT, JUST CONQUER IT... then success and accomplishment will be our inevitable.

As always
Have an awesome week! 
xoxo

Shells


FEEL FREE TO:

SHARE THIS POST

Follow me on Facebook


Follow me on Twitter

https://twitter.com/shelleygiard




To purchase my book click here:

https://www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore/book.php?w=978-1-62563-858-8











Saturday, November 30, 2013

It's Time to Push Through...

Now that Thanksgiving is behind us and you Black Friday shoppers are happy, broke and lucky to be alive, let the Christmas Holiday officially commence! My house sits quiet today since my kids are away at their grandparent's for the weekend and that allows my mind time to think; which in this case is a good thing. My thoughts of the upcoming month and all that will take place leaves me excited, joyous and warm and fuzzy on the inside. My mind quickly wanders to a time when I was always stressed this time of year. A time when I wore myself out working 70-80 hours a week getting my salon clients in... not only to make them look beautiful for the holiday season, but having the need to make as much money as I possibly could in order to pay my bills and still give my kids a suitable Christmas. I actually get a bit teary-eyed remembering how hard that was at times as a single mom, but I always did it because I do what I have to do without complaining or using excuses of why I can't.  Deep down I always felt blessed that there was always one more client that had to get in before I closed my salon doors on Christmas Eve each year that always helped me make Christmas happen. For years I did all my shopping on Christmas Eve as soon as I left the salon. It was hard... but I always did it and got through the holidays by the fur of a Santa hat. I remember my need to be close to family even when they all lived far away, so I would forfeit something each year in order to have the gas money to travel up to ring in the new year with them by my side because being with my family is what always made the holidays meaningful to me. I remember that sacrifice being my electric bill one year, knowing I would come home to an apartment with no power, but that did not stop me. It's funny how that year I had a client booked the day I got back so I told my kids that something was wrong with our power and paid my bill as soon as I finished my client's hair; I was always doing what I had to do in order to get what I wanted while staying ethical and honest, and I still do.

As I sit here today knowing those days are gone for me, at least momentarily, I think of the many people who are in that place right now... maybe you are one of them. Perhaps you lost your job, got demoted, lost a spouse or family member that caused financial devastation in your life, or maybe it's just how life is for you, just like it was for me. I want you to know that there is ALWAYS HOPE, don't ever give up trying to create a better situation than what you have now even if you are just fine, because maybe that will mean you can help someone who is struggling when you have more than enough.  I never thought I would see myself out of the woods, but that did not stop me from running through the trees; THAT perseverance is what ultimately got me out of them. I still have the same mentality though; I still go through stores and load a cart up with stuff only to put half the things back before I get to the register because they are not necessities, simply because I have been wired by hard times and a fluctuating income. I feel that this makes me smart, educated, wise and thankful for all that I have today; I don't look at any of it as unfortunate and neither should you. I will never forget the times when I had to make choices that nobody should have to make... "Groceries or rent?" I simply realize those times are what allow me to appreciate today with my whole heart and that is how you find the positive light in the negative clouds that hover.

If you are struggling... I encourage you to keep pushing through, we are right around the corner from a BRAND NEW year... and who knows, maybe THIS will be YOUR year to shine. I love you all to the moon and back and look forward to sharing this holiday season with all of you!

xoxo 
~Shells~


Follow me on Facebook

Follow me on Twitter

Buy a copy of my inspirational memoir 

Watch my retouching course on Kelby Training