Weekly Inspiration 6.29.14

So I'm currently FAILING at posting weekly... However this one is a healthy reminder that I think can make up for a few weeks 

It's simple, yet resonating.  We live in a world where nothing is ever good enough.  We always want more.  We're all guilty of wishing we have someone else's life at some point or another. 

We've each been given this life to live and we've been dealt our cards.  If you're reading this right now, you are blessed enough to live in a first world country and to have some sort of access to internet.  I'd like to wager there are many more things that you've been blessed with.

Now I'm not trying to be self-righteous, preaching that we all need to be grateful. I'm saying this because this is something I currently find myself struggling with.  I've been feeling particularly pessimistic and sad at this point in my life.  I'm at a plateau.  I'm not finding a teaching job and hating the part time job I currently have.  I'm seeing all the exciting updates of my friends moving into post grad apartments on Facebook (which is a whole 'nother topic for another day) while I'm living in my parents house.  Needless to say, my spirit has been feeling low.

Seeing this made me think.  This is the only life I get on this earth, the only chance I have.  I need to love my life and the things I've experienced.  In addition, I need to be more grateful.  I'm lucky enough to have a job, even though it's not my ideal choice.  I'm blessed enough to have parents who love me and a place to call home for right now.  

I need to stop the comparison.  I'm never going to be that other person, never going to have their life.  And that's okay.  I have a fabulous life.  It's time I start loving it!

Weekly Inspiration 6.8.14

Yes, I am a Harry Potter fanatic.  But even if you aren't, this is still a fabulous quote.  All too often we have all of these dreams and ambitions, but are afraid to act and take the necessary steps toward these dreams.  This week (and beyond) I'm trying to be more deliberate and take action in order to make my dreams come true. 

:)

Scurrying about our lives

Today while at the daycare I work at, I happened to notice a hole with thousands of ants wandering in and out, to and fro.  

The picture does it no justice, there were literally thousands of ants.  As I stood there and watched them, I noticed how the ants would sometimes run into one another.  The ants would bump and some of them kept going the direction they were originally while others seemed to bounce back and head off into a completely different direction. Some ended up in good places (back to their hole) and others ended up in some not so good places (under my preschool students' shoes). 

As I stood there staring at these ants, I couldn't help but think about how these ants lives and paths were changing, and how this parallels to our lives.

As much as we like to say we are in charge of our own lives, the people around us affect us.  People come into our lives, even if only for a brief period of time, and really change them for the better. God made our paths cross for a reason and to help us become who we are.   And as much as I firmly believe in loving everyone, there are also people who can change our paths for the worst. They can influence us in a seemingly harmless way, but actually cause us to end up in some not so good places in the long run.  It reminded me of a quote I've heard many times, but never really applied to my life personally, until now. 

I'm at a spot in my life where the people I'm surrounding myself with are really starting to change.  It's exciting to be making new friends, yet heartbreaking to be leaving the old.  Thinking about these ants and how they parallel human life has helped me gain a perspective.  I'm going to love those around me as much as I can, but I'm going to be extremely conscious of who I allow to influence me and change my path.  After all, you only live once.