Spring Is Springing in a Spring-Like Way! (At Least in Some Parts of The Northern Hemisphere)

Omigoodness...I can explain!  

I have really good reasons for not posting the Motivational Mondays post yet! 

Especially since it's my favorite topic, so far!

        Actually, just imagine I took the time to give you the list, because they're great excuses, as you can see in your imagination! 

        Because really, all it comes down to is I had some big stuff last week, and...well...

        Let's just face it:
 
        I forgot. :-/

        So while I'm really, truly, honestly not one who likes the facades of excuses, perhaps my best excuse might simply be: I'm human, and we just have to accept that.  (Now you might see how that last post fit...and how I sometimes work to shake loose the "writer's block".)  Moving on...

        For Week 13, I have to admit this was perfect timing...the theme is my favorite season of the year!

Welcoming the Spring inside Ourselves

"Spring shows what God can do with a
drab and dirty world."

~ Virgil A. Kraft

        In this section of the book, Christine includes some of her own insights, which includes this lovely thought:

        "Through growth and renewal, we can have a reconnection with our joys and spirit - we just have to consciously make the choice to grow."

        She then asks:
 

What is blossoming in your life?

        So I have to ask myself, what does that mean? What within me is in process, and is it what I really want, within myself? Am I happy on the course of my life, and if it continues in this direction, will I truly be happy when I get where I'm headed?

        This isn't an easy series of questions for me, but perhaps anyone who gives it serious thought might take some time to really ponder the answers. Because sometimes, we don't want to think about it. Sometimes, we are scared, or feel hopeless to change. Maybe we feel too weak to even try. Perhaps we feel alone on our journey, and don't have the support we need to make a proper modification of ourselves, or the course we're traveling...or we're afraid that if we deviate, those we love will abandon us, and we feel we can't go it alone. Sometimes, we simply don't want to be bothered to go through what it takes to accomplish the change.

        Whatever our reasons for resisting a new course in life, they may be valid feelings, but they are probably unhealthy, in and of themselves. Who or what taught us we were weak, or lazy, aren't worthy of healthy love, or will be rejected and abandoned - or worse, even persecuted? What right does anyone else have, to tell you what is best for you, once you are old enough to make your own choices? Who are they, to try to control you into being something that you feel, in your heart and being, you are not?

Now, just take a moment and look inward.

        Do you feel that longing? Do you have the sense that somehow, you are not living to your potential? Do you feel you are not where you belong? Is there something that comes to mind, that has come to mind every time someone asks or says something about what would you do if you could do anything? Because even if you can't be or do exactly what you've longed to have happened in your life...there is a way to do something valuable that can give you a sense of light and purpose, in something close to that for which you yearn to have in your life.

        For me...there have been a lot of things I thought I could do, and even thought I could love doing, but it seems that every time I find an avenue, something unexpected comes into play that blocks my progress. My physical and mental health being huge parts of that, but also circumstances involving other people, and such. I think one of my greatest skills, these days, is related to scrounging up what pieces I have left, and trying to make something functional out of them. 

        Perhaps that could fall under, "growth and renewal", in her description? That is the definition of life, is it not? Even the plants take whatever they can from the soil, water and air, and use sunlight to help make of them, energy stored in reserve. They use the tiny building blocks of matter, and convert them into life and beauty.

        There, that is one way to make what often feels like a pathetic excuse for a life (what, you never feel that way about your own, ever?), seem more uplifting and constructive. I do have a network of various forms of support, however, and that network is quite seriously the reason I can keep going much of the time. For that, I am grateful. I continue to look for ways I can help others, and help to build where life has destroyed. It might just be the way life goes, sometimes, but for every destruction, someone must help build again.

        As you can see, life has been shaking up my focus a bit, but I've not completely given up on the Monday personal challenge. It had just taken me more effort to get this one done in time. And really, that's the way life works. There are places in the Northern Hemisphere that are still under tons of snow (that are typically not so, this time of year), so that only goes to show that sometimes Spring takes some time to really get underway. At least, that's my story.... ;)

         Better days ahead, my friends.