Politics - Orange is the new OddBall

 Orange is the new OddBall 

I'll never quite understand some of the political feelings of some.  

Someone can outright lie on camera and live in front of thousands of people and they STILL believe the lies.  If this were anyone else, it would be said to be an outrage.  For some reason this
Orange Abomination
is believed and supported by so many.  I wonder where in the world their minds are.  If any previous POTUS were to have acted this same way, they'd have been imprisoned immediately or sooner.

While I know not all in that political party agree with the
Orange Abomination,
I feel that those that do could easily put a monkey in the White House as POTUS as long as he's from the elephant's zoo.   

While everyone has the distinct right to their own opinion, I wonder where on earth their common sense has gone.

I've always told my kids that common sense is a gift, not a given, because not everyone has it and it's even more evident in today's world.  

Let your vote be your voice.  That's the most important thing at the end of the day.  If you're 18+, be sure you're registered to vote and get to the polls this November 2024.

Let's see if we can make a difference.

I'll catch you on the flip side!

Be Authentically You

                         Be Authentically You!!

It’s finally trying to sunshine today after a night of storms! ☀️ 

Here’s a question for you….

How have you been truly living your life?  Are you a people pleaser, doing whatever and saying whatever to keep those around you happy despite how the situation makes YOU feel?  

I’ve lived the majority of my life that way, doing and not doing things to keep the peace & living to everyone else’s ideals.  

I’ve always put my own feelings aside, taking on any hurt myself instead of subjecting the other person to it.  The end result was me living my life in silent misery.

As long as everyone around me was happy, then I could be happy… or so I’d convinced myself. 

I’m not truly sure where this way of thinking came from.  It could be because my father could be overbearing and I’d do what I had to in order to keep him happy…. It could be because my ex-husband was the same way 🤷🏻‍♀️.  Part of it could be because I’ve lived most of my life with imposter syndrome, never truly feeling like I fit in anywhere and always feeling judged, just wanting others to like me. 🤷🏻‍♀️

As a 55 (56 in October) year old woman who has been through ovarian cancer resulting in a complete hysterectomy & a later reoccurrence with surgery, thyroid cancer (2 different types) resulting in a thyroidectomy, a mucocel appendix resulting in an appendectomy, …. I’ve decided to do something for ME, even though I knew some family & friends wouldn’t approve.  I got my first tattoo & I love it!! 

I have to admit that it felt SO GOOD to truly do something for me & making myself happy! 😊 

Stop trying to keep others happy!  I’m not saying you should be a jerk.  But know that your happiness is worth so much more than you may be giving it credit for!!

Life is short!  Eat the cake, buy the crystal, get a tattoo! 

You deserve it!!

I pray that you’re healthy, happy & safe….

And I pray that you have PEACE in your life!

Be authentically YOU!!

Pia

PRESSURE ...........................

 PRESSURE

Hello if you find yourself here again!  I hope you're staying safe in today's wild tornado watch weather.  😉

pres·sure

/ˈpreSHər/

noun

1. 1.

   continuous physical force exerted on or against an object by something in contact with it.

   "the slight extra pressure he applied to her hand"
2. 2.

   the use of persuasion, influence, or intimidation to make someone do something.

   "the many pressures on girls to worry about their looks"

Above is the definition of 'Pressure'.  We all have pressure in our lives from time to time, don't we?  Whether it's physical pressure or stressful pressure, sooner or later, we all feel it.

How do YOU handle pressure..... that of the stressful kind?  Do you go for a walk, hit the gym, seek out professional therapy or talk to a friend?  Have there ever been times when you're just fed up with a situation, but unsure how to deal with it?

I find that sometimes we cause our own stressful pressure, while at other times, the stress is coming from an outside source other than ourselves.  Maybe it's someone at home or someone at work or someone in your group chats, etc... 

Have you ever tried to address it yet nothing changes?  To me, that's when the EXTRA STRESSFUL PRESSURE happens.  You can address the situation in hopes that things change, but when they don't, you get even more stressed because you're unsure of how to proceed.  

Sometimes, if at work, higher ups need to be brought in and that's when things get extremely uncomfortable.  It isn't because they'll intervene to help correct the situation, it's because of the fear of not knowing what the repercussions will be as a result.  Will you be retaliated on even though it doesn't directly concern you?  Will that person get their pink slip, that you never intended for them to get?

Part of what makes up the pressure is our own thoughts ..... the dreaded 'overthinking'.  We play out a multitude of scenarios in our minds of the potentials of what COULD happen.  I'm guilty of that 100%!

Sometimes I journal, although that can be dangerous should someone find those thoughts.  I sometimes talk things out in therapy, but now my therapist has retired.  I'm happy for her, but sad for me. LOL

I try to distract myself with other things (music, tv, podcasts) while I wait for the pressure to ease up.

I'd love to hear how you handle stressful pressure.  Any tips and tricks are appreciated!!

I pray that you are happy, healthy, safe and that you have

P.E.A.C.E. in your life!

Until we meet again my friends, do your best to work on being as pressure free as humanly possible. 

  

Don't Let Them Rent Space In Your Head...

 Don't Let Them Rent Space In Your Head...

Another week has passed and we're back to Monday once again.  If you live in a normal routine, it can feel like another episode of 'Groundhog Day' from 1993.  

I hope you all had a nice holiday weekend depending on if you celebrate Easter or Ostara.  For me, holidays can be a tense time...not due to my own family but from extended family members.  

While we shouldn't allow anyone to get under our skin, it sometimes happens.  It can affect us mentally, emotionally and sometimes even physically.

When someone seems to live in perpetual stubbornness, anger and martyrdom,  it can have an effect on you.  If you're an empath, like me, you REALLY pick up on the feelings of others including those negative feelings.  

While I try not to take them in on a personal level, it DOES happen on occasion and especially when there's negative talk about someone I love.  My defenses kick in, my back hair raises up like a momma bear, and my irritation level flairs extremely high.  If you want to talk about me, that's one thing, but leave everyone else alone.  

You know the old saying, 'Hurting people hurt people.'.  While that may be true, it doesn't mean those hurting people can't learn to change their ways in order to NOT hurt anyone else.  

If you happen to experience this type of situation, someone speaking ill of you or a loved one, please don't dwell on it.  They're trying to live rent free in your head.  Make sure you KICK THEM OUT!  No one deserves to ruin your happiness just because they themselves are miserable.  I often think it must be terrible to live such an angry life when life is so short.

PLEASE take care of yourselves.  Don't let anyone steal your joy!

I pray that you're happy, healthy, safe and I pray that you have PEACE in your life!

Catch you on the flip side!

What To Do When You Don't Know What To Do..................... 

When we are young and have kids, we're enamored by this little piece of us that we've created.  So small, so innocent, so adorable, so unaware of this world... and then they grow up.  

We go through all the stages of their lives.... from newborn, to toddler.....terrible 2's and before you know it, they're going through puberty and a high schooler that 'knows everything' and we as parents 'know nothing'.  😉😉

We've all been through it with our own parents, but we don't realize the entire spectrum until we have our own kids and go through it all ourselves.

Once grown (not that 18 is grown and they'll always be our babies!), they, like we did, make decisions for their lives.  The thing is, we're now on the outside looking in and we know that some of the decisions they make aren't always the best and can sometimes be dangerous.  But because they're 'adults', there's nothing we can necessarily do to help them, depending on the situation....especially when it comes to our kids being married and when they have marital issues.

I'm a Libra and have always considered myself the peacemaker and fixer of things.  I just want people to be happy, safe and secure in their lives.  I'm working on realizing that I can't always make peace or fix certain things and frankly, that sucks.  I hate seeing my babies in pain, regardless of age.  But I also know we're subject to the consequences of our actions and that's how we learn in this life.  Without those consequences, we continue to do the same thing over and over expecting a different result, which is the definition of insanity.  

As a parent, it's difficult to remove myself from situations, to take my hands off and to keep my mouth shut.  I've gotten myself into my own trouble from not remaining silent.  And those were MY consequences.

I've just always been in the mindset that I would take on someone else's pain because I KNOW how much I can take, but I don't know how much THEY can take.  The reality of this is that everyone needs to individually deal with their own messes and I need to just take care of my own.  When I take on the messes of others (my kids), unknowingly I continue to build up anger and resentment on the back burner until one day, something as simple as dropping a pen on the floor can throw me into a tizzy.  It wasn't the pen, it was everything else that built up to that point that I 'thought' I could handle.  In essence, it's the 'straw that broke the camel's back'.  The camel (me) can only carry just so much before something's gotta give.

Why am I rambling on?  Because I want to tell you to be a sounding board for your kids/family, but be careful of what you say in return and careful that you don't try to carry the weight of their issues.  You have enough of your own life to handle.  But being a caring, concerned parent/friend is totally justified.  Be a listening ear, a hand to hold and/or a shoulder to cry on.  Most people DON'T want you to FIX their problems, they just need to vent to someone to lighten their load.  

No one ever said being a parent would be easy.  I can attest to good days as well as struggle bus days, but it's what we call life and we just need to get through it one day at a time and remember our limits, realizing we can't fix everyone or everything.

I pray this blog finds you happy, safe and full of peace.  Life is to short without these.

Catch you on the flipside!

Feeling Thankful

 Feeling Thankful

Spring has nearly sprung and its been a hot minute since my last post.  I've moved on to a new job, but still living in the same home.  That may change, but for now, I'm just taking life one day at a time. 

As I live my life, my new job continues to remind me to be thankful and to NOT take anything for granted.  Life can change in a heartbeat and we need to appreciate where we are and all that we have.  

I see people I know who were once vivacious, now going through the throws of hell that life is putting them through for whatever reason.  I stop in my tracks and reflect on the things I've gone through and how thankful I am to be where I am today vs where I could be.

NO, I'm not making this about myself, per say, just that these encounters help to remind me and keep me humble, remembering we never know what tomorrow may bring or even the next hour or moment.  

I feel as though, we as humans, get so wrapped up in the little things, making a mountain out of a mole hill, that we don't realize we're sweating the small stuff.  That the things we feel are huge, are no doubt not the most significant in the grand scheme of things.  (My nail broke off!  Ughhh ;  I HATE waiting in traffic!!  ;  That vehicle just passed me in a no passing zone!!  Ughhh  ;  My favorite shoe has dog poo on it!  Now what will I wear?  ; Etc...)

If only we would take a step back and ask ourselves, will this situation matter in a day, a week, a month or a year?  If the answer is no, we need to work on letting it go to retain our peace because there may come a day when the answer is yes.  

While all of our feelings are valid, it's more about how much time and/or power we give those miniscule situations.   They say life is 10% of what happens to us and 90% of how we react to it.  

If you have a roof over your head, food in the fridge/cupboard, running water and a comfy bed with blankets to keep you warm, you're more rich than a large percentage of the population.  

Again, your feelings are valid, whatever they are, it's just not good for your mental health to camp out in those feelings for an extended period of time.  Allow yourself to feel what you're going through.  That's the biggest issue we seem to have as humans....  We go through something, don't want to face it head on, put it 'on the back burner' to deal with another day and forget about it................... Until one day, when something small and insignificant happens, that becomes the tipping point and all of those feelings of anger, rage, sadness, (issues you never dealt with to begin with) etc... come spilling out all at once.  You not only hurt yourself, but hurt all those innocently around you in the process.  

Let's face it.  This life is challenging to navigate.  Sometimes we're damned if we do and damned if we don't.  We just do the best that we can in the moment we're in.  

So if you don't handle a situation perfectly, be kind to yourself and show yourself some grace.  A good night's sleep does a world of good as it makes tomorrow much brighter, with a rested mind.

So for this week, think of all you need to be thankful for and love yourself through the moments of discontent.  You deserve it! 

Until we meet again my friends.......

I pray that you're healthy, happy, safe and I pray that you have peace in your life.  

I'll catch you on the flip side!

Pia

 

Lack of Loyalty

 

A perplexing thought as come across my noggin this morning.  That thought is about loyalty or the lack thereof.  

Is it something you've ever contemplated in your life?  Whether it's loyalty to a mate, or to a business, or to a job?  What are your feelings?

I've always been told that money talks and bullshit walks.  While I understand the concept to a point, what ever happened to loyalty to a point that money doesn't matter or at least not so much?  

I've had loyalty to my job for the past 25 years, but in recent months, things have been a bit rocky and unsettled.  As a result, my own loyalty comes into question.  I make a decent living and have great benefits, yet I feel at times like I'm a rat on a sinking ship.  Part of me wants to bail before it completely sinks and part of me wants to see things through.  

My whole body, on the inside, is a quivering mess.  It's the fear of the unknown.  If only we knew one way or the other how the end of the story will turn out, it would definitely help make decisions so much easier.  Unfortunately, we don't have that knowledge ahead of time.  It's like blindly walking into a volcano.  Will it erupt and cause utter chaos or will it be still and peaceful?

Part of me would like to look for another job, put my home up for sale and move away.  Is that the smart thing to do?  I haven't a clue.  It's scary as hell though.  It's also scary staying where I am waiting to find out if the volcano I'm in will erupt or not.  

Sometimes I've felt that I should do something, but don't have the courage to do so until God intervenes and makes the decision for me.  

Maybe that's the answer.  Just wait on Him to push me one way or the other.  

I've looked at other jobs and nothing seems quite right.  It's either too low of wages, not the best benefits or something I'm unable to physically do (heavy lifting or constant standing).  

I know that when He's involved, the right things happen and fall into place with ease.  

I just get tired of head butting different situations; ones that make me feel less than or not good enough, that I can't handle whatever is happening or that will happen (being put in charge).  

I'm a Libra, which means I'm a peace keeper and a lover of all things in balance.  When my scales begin to tip heavily one way or another, my insides begin to panic a bit.  It's a feeling I'd rather not deal with.  It happens every so often, when life seems to need to get shaken up a bit.  

I just had a memory pop up on FaceBook.  The post says "I am not in control, but I am deeply loved by the One who is.".  For this I'm truly grateful.  But I also wish this life came with a detailed instruction manual.  

I know, some of you will say THE BIBLE!  While this is helpful to a point, it doesn't give us the exact answers of what we need to do and what will happen in any specific instance.  For example, 'I know you're going to be going through such and such during this particular time in your life, but here's what's going to happen............' (showing the specific names of people, places and things).  I wish there was such a book.  Everyone would want a copy.  It would be so expensive though, that no one could afford it.  I guess that's why we need to learn to trust in and rely on Him.  

I try, but I haven't got a lot of patience. I have FOTU.....FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN.

I know none of you ever feel like that.  It's only me, right? (insert wink)  

Sometimes it FEELS like I'm the only one going through any particular situation, but I know that's just false information.  It's one of the lies we seem to tell ourselves when everything feels like it's going to hell.

I shall now step off my soap box and continue to try to figure things out... loyalty and everything else that goes along with it. 

It's always easy to speak on someone ELSE'S loyalty, but when we take a step back and examine OUR OWN, it puts a completely different twist on it.    

Better clean off my glasses! LOL

I hope you all have an amazing weekend as we all collectively try to figure out this thing we call life.

I pray that you're healthy.... happy..... and safe......

And I pray that you have PEACE in your life.

Until we meet again my friends, be safe and I'll catch you on the flipside!

Pia