Good morning, y’all!
It has been a hot minute since I’ve had the time to sit down and write. We’ve “been busy living” as one of my friends put it! And man, we have been doing so much adventuring and exploring. It’s really been such a blast since we relocated. I apologize if this post turns out to be a sloppy mess. I have about a month's worth of thoughts to organize and let out.
As a family, we’ve been hiking and exploring as much as possible. We have found a few new favorite spots that we keep going to over and over again. They are such beautiful places, every time we visit, the trails look different. We have been getting a ridiculous amount of rain and everything just keeps getting more and more lush and green. So far, this move has been everything we wanted it to be. It’s important for us to get the kids outside in nature, teach them about the Earth and all that lives here. I’ve been thinking a lot about how our life would be so different if our kids were in public school. I honestly cannot imagine sending my kids anywhere during the day. What would I do with myself? I would be worried about them constantly (even more than I already am), I would miss them like crazy, and we wouldn’t be able to give them the gift of outdoor exploration almost daily like we can now. I know and understand homeschooling isn’t for everyone but I truly love it and I love having my kids home with me all day.
I believe parents should have the most influence on their children's values and beliefs. Sure, I do also think it’s important that they hear opposing opinions and they can grow up to make their own sense of life. But as a society, I think we have gotten so far from protecting the family unit and we’re allowing so many outside entities to influence our children. There really is so much madness going on in the world, no matter what side of the coin you’re on, and it’s been wildly overwhelming. One of the things that keeps me grounded is knowing that I’m doing my best to raise my children to be respectful of all things and people. I can only do my best, but I certainly will not be allowing social media and the likes to guide my children through life. One thing I realized when I had social media was how I always thought I was making my own opinions on social matters – only to find out after getting rid of it, that the videos and posts I was seeing were influencing me whether I realized it or not. Only after getting rid of it all did I start to really form my own opinions without the suggestion or influence of anyone else.
Recently, I’ve changed up my daily routine quite a bit. The time change from Florida to Colorado has helped a ton. I now wake up between 4:45am and 5:30am and go to bed anywhere between 8pm and 9pm. Honestly, it’s been such a refreshing change and the sun is up when I wake up and is still up when I go to sleep. We used to watch TV before bed but now most nights, we go up to bed and read which has been so nice. I’ve recently read 2 books that have been so eye-opening. “The Untethered Soul” by Michael A. Singer and “No Death, No Fear” by Thich Nhat Hanh. There were a lot of take-aways from these books. It’s so important to make time for reading and there is so much to learn. Learning will come from reading the book itself but it also taught me to make time for myself daily. Ever since we moved into a bigger house, I feel like I can breathe. Just having the extra space has been so rewarding for me. I don’t have to take my therapy calls in the car, I don’t have to fold the laundry while my almost 2 year old unfolds it, I don’t have to be on top of my family members at all times. I can “escape” upstairs and get a few minutes to myself.
Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about the root causes of my anxiety. Although some obvious – hello childhood trauma – some causes are not so obvious. I realized at about the time my anxiety boiled over and became too much, I wasn’t able to get a minute to breathe and calm my mind. Having 3 kids has been the joy of my life but man, it can get chaotic quick. Even having a bigger garage has been helpful during workouts because the kids can come in with me and do their own thing without being in the way of swinging dumb bells!
The media seems to be, in my opinion, getting out of control. It seems it’s only purpose is to push agendas and fear in those who watch it. From politics to health to food – it’s just wild. It’s too much to absorb in a healthy way. It’s so important to focus on yourself and your family and to stay on top of the things you do have control over in this world. Raising a happy and healthy family the best you can with the (ever growing) knowledge you have. Pick your sources wisely. Putting effort into those you love is the most important thing you can do in this world.
I’ve been writing in a journal a lot lately and I never thought I would be consistent with it. It’s not everyday but it’s multiple times a week. I really really recommend doing it. You can go back and reference your thoughts. You can analyze past thoughts and feelings. And honestly, it just feels good to get things off your chest that you might not be comfortable saying out loud. Gratitude is another journaling topic I’ve been focusing on and it is so refreshing to write out a gratitude list.
Get yourself a sheet of paper, a pen, and sit down and think about all the things you’re grateful for. You’ll be surprised at all the things you have in your daily life that you may overlook due to the hustle and bustle of it all! Some things I’m grateful for on the daily include:
My family
Coffee
The sun
The mountain view
Nourishing food
Sparkling water
Books
Music
My health
Supportive friends
The list honestly goes on and on – but those are just a few! There is so much to be grateful for if you’re looking. If you’re looking for problems, problems you shall find.
“You do not need to waste your time doing those things that are unnecessary and trifling. You do not have to be rich. You do not need to seek fame or power. What you need is freedom, solidity, peace and joy. You need the time and energy to be able to share these things with others.” -Thich Nhat Hanh
Keep reading…
-A
Loved this post 💖
Beautiful thoughts, Ally!! Keep up the reading…& the writing…& being in nature…oh, & the gratitude journal—I find all those things super helpful too☺️