Speaking of contentment and happiness...

If you've ever been to Disneyland or even ever heard of it, you've probably heard that it's known as the "happiest place on earth". Well, have you ever wondered where the happiest people really live? Have you ever wondered what truly makes people happy? Well, I read this article featured today on the front of my Yahoo! and I think you may enjoy reading it as well.
The article is called the World's Happiest Places and "the report looked at subjective well-being, defined as life satisfaction. Did people feel like their lives were dominated by positive experiences and feelings, or negative ones?"
Also taken from the article:
"Some sample questions: Did you enjoy something you did yesterday? Were you proud of something you did yesterday? Did you learn something yesterday? Were you treated with respect yesterday? In each country, a representative sample of no more than 1,000 people, age 15 or older, were surveyed."
Well, I will let you read the article for yourself, but have you asked yourself these questions lately? Have you EVER asked yourself these questions? Are you happy?
Just something to think about. I know it has me thinking. Take care and be happy!

Reflecting on the journey...

My good friend Lee has posted a Wellness Wednesday post over at her blog Lemons2Lemonade. She starts out talking about a book she is currently reading. It's called The Divided Heart...Art and Motherhood. One of the quotes on the back of the book says: "the fear that to succeed at one means to fail at the other". She asks some questions that caused me to stop and reflect.
You can read the whole post here, but these are the questions she asks:

So this Wellness Wednesday is about coming to terms with your greatest personal struggle and putting a plan together to make it "work" in your life. What is your greatest struggle? What do you do to manage it? What do you avoid doing?

I think my greatest personal struggle has always been a fear of not succeeding. A fear of a less than perfect outcome in things which I am not fully confident. I don't want to, but I often find myself second guessing my work.
There are areas in my life where I am perceived to be very confident such as public speaking, singing, sports, entertaining - but it's because I know that I can do well at those areas. It's black and white. You practice, you prepare, you plan - I can do that.
It doesn't hurt that I seem to have a 'some what' natural ability in those areas either. However, if it's something that I'm not comfortable with, I tend to avoid it altogether. I like to stay on the safe side. Don't take a risk! Heaven's no.
I do want to manage this. My previous post entitled "Artist or Crafty" had me questioning my creativity. For a while now, I have been feeling like I am about to burst at the seems. I feel like something is just brewing under the surface. Does that make sense? I think it's because I've been more exposed to so many talented and brilliant women through the world of blogs and such.
I have 4 children ranging from ages 13 down to almost 2. I don't think that being a mother has anything to do with my personal struggle. My family has always been very supportive of what I do and my husband and teenager are always more than willing to hold down the fort to let me escape to my space to create. I think besides being my own worst enemy, my dilemma is that my head is just so cluttered up with every day life. I feel like I need a retreat (not a scrapbooking retreat =]) just to clear my head. I know that I take on too much. I have to learn to say no and learn to cut back the amount of responsibility I take on.
The thing I've been avoiding, I think, is just letting myself BE. I am always busy, always on the go, always hitting the pillow exhausted.
I think I am running from allowing myself time to find that creative and spiritual part of me. Yes, I said spiritual. They go hand-in-hand in my opinion. Regardless of your beliefs, there is a spirituality involved in knowing who you are. For me, it is a belief that God has created me to be creative. He has given me this desire and He wants me to be my best. Ecclesiastes 9:10a~"Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might;..."
I struggle with knowing that He also does not want me to have the spirit of fear (2 Timothy 1:7~"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."), but that's what it is. The fear that I won't be accepted, won't be good enough, ....
I know that I won't be able to "fix" myself in one post. I am learning that this is a journey. I am ready. I want this. I want to be able to create, to feel, to worship, to be me - without worrying what anyone else thinks of it.
My plan to make this work in my life is that I will continue to read - I can't get enough - blogs and books and articles that will encourage me to get to my destination. I also know that on this journey I will have to pause from the reading and stop and DO. I'd like to take time to take some of the online classes that I've read about. There is so much out there. I will also continue to FOCUS and purge and de-clutter areas of my life until I feel that I have that space that is so important in order to flourish.
I am thankful for friends that make me THINK, push me to better myself, encourage me to be honest with myself, bring out the best in me. Thank you ladies! If I've ever left you a comment on your blog - I am talking about you!
1 Thessalonians 5:11~"Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do."

Friday Fill Ins... and a praise!

Aren't these lovely? I bought these at Trader Joe's and they were all closed - I love watching them bloom "before our eyes".

Getting back in the swing of things here. Here are my Friday Fil Ins. My words in bold.

1. Apparently there's some sort of promotion at Chick Fil A this week. They are giving away free breakfast EVERY day. No purchase necessary - one per person. The school kids are loving it!

2. I love a sunny day, but really love it if it's not super hot.

3. I've been trying to focus more in 2009 and so far, I have been able to do so. I've blogged about it a few times, but I am FOCUSING more on my spiritual, physical, and mental self. I am FOCUSING more on being organized, because that always leads me to being more creative...it's a good thing!

4. What was the name of that lady? Oh, yes. Susan Boyle - that was it. She reminded me how much I love the music from Les Miserables.

5. For too long, I've been worried about what others think and it's high time that I do and be what I know to be right for me. I believe that if I feel that God would accept me the way I am, why should I care about anyone else?

6. I am not obsessed with Facebook or Blogging; I am not! =]

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to getting together with some great friends, tomorrow my plans include spending the day with my family and Sunday, I want to pray and worship with my awesome church family!

I also have a praise that I wanted to share with all of my bloggy friends.
Many of you have been sending up good thoughts and praying for my former student, Michael Chandler. After being in the hospital with heart failure and later pneumonia for almost two months, he is HOME! We are talking about someone who the doctors thought would not be alive today!! Yesterday, he stopped by the school where I teach to thank the students and staff who have been praying for him.
He is still a bit weak and shaky, his voice sounds horrible because of the ventilator and tuves that have been down his throat and he's lost a lot of weight. However, his spirits were up and he is alive! Praise God.
He is having trouble absorbing potassium, which apparently, is very important for his heart. Here is the picture of his visit yesterday:

Trying to stay FOCUSed!

Before I can stay FOCUSed, I need to GET FOCUSed - right? I have been making lots of decisions this week. Decisions that will help me FOCUS on the things that are most important to me. I never made any kind of list for this and that shocks me, because you know how I love a list! I think I've been hiding from the list because I know I'd have to start working on it. Well, hide no more. Here are the things that I feel are out of FOCUS in my life:

1. My thoughts - they are just scattered and jumbled and in a big mess. I am organizing them by making lists, throwing out the negative or worrisome thoughts, etc.

2. My family life - We have been rushing around - here, there and everywhere and forgetting to spend true quality time with each other. I am going to focus better on these things by switching up our schedule, schedule some fun, but inexpensive outings, and getting more relaxation time together.

3. My health - Let's face it. I have been wanting to get myself together since my last one was born and he is 18 months old now! It's time for me to get a REGULAR work out schedule and watch my diet. I can do this, I know. I always feel better inside and out when I do, so I don't know what I've been waiting for.

4. My marriage - Here's another area that is okay, but could always be better. It's something that can always be worked on. After all, he is my best friend, right? I think sometimes, it's easier to take for granted the things that we love the most, because we feel like it'll be there forever. Well, I don't doubt that it'll be there forever, but I don't want it to just "be there" - I want it (US) to thrive.

5. Spirituality - Same as my marriage. There's always room to grow. I crave this and I am going to schedule in more time to grow in this area.

6. Simplify my home and surroundings - This is an ongoing quest in my life. I am a collector, yet I hate clutter. When I start seeing piles or space is disappearing, I almost get in a panic and then I want everything to stop and everyone is in trouble and rushing around until it's all picked up. I need to purge and re-organize. I am always looking for a better way to organize - especially in my scrap space and garage.

7. My creativity - Here's another thing I've been craving. To really CREATE something in my studio. Lately, I've been doing a lot of "crafts", but I am talking about ART. Even if I am the only one that understands...it's something I must do.

This also includes my writing. I write here, I journal in books, I write lessons for teaching...I need to FOCUS on somethings I've been really wanting to write and those are children's stories that have been bouncing around in my head.

8. My reading list - Anyone who really knows me, knows that I love a book. All kinds of books. My favorites are historical fiction and anything I can learn from. Lately, I've been reading a few novels here and there to stay up with "conversation". I still need to take my "must read" stack and make a list and just plow through.s

9. My relationships - I have friendships near and far. I have family near and far. There are some of you out there that I feel like I know, but have never met in real life. You all are important to me. Once you make friends with me, you can pretty much count on me for life. I am usually easy going and very forgiving. I want to nurture these relationships even more.

10. Myself - These have not been in any particular order (my little guy is running around and playing at my feet - so it's whatever I can FOCUS on at the moment. =] ), but I did save myself for last. I feel that as I work on these other things in my life - it will help me to FOCUS more on myself. I get so much anxiety over things I know I can't change, but these things, I can. I found myself - several times - having to take a deep breath. I sometimes feel like my chest is pressing in and I can't catch my breath.

I have a gift card that is two years old for a massage at a local day spa. Why? Why haven't I gone? I am going to go. I will schedule it this week. There are little things that I need that are important, yet simple things? Why haven't I gotten them? Because there's always something more important out there? That's how we moms are. Well, I will take care of those things, but it feels good just to write it down.

Well, there it is. That's a good start, don't you think?

One Word...

From Ali Edward's Blog:
Can you identify a single word that sums up what you want for yourself in 2009?

It can be something tangible or intangible. It could be a thought or a feeling or an emotion. It can be singular or plural. The key is to find something that has personal meaning for you. This is not your mother's word or your spouse's word or your child's word - this is YOUR word.

One little word can have big meaning in your life if you allow yourself to be open to the possibilities. And here's one thing that is totally interesting: sometimes a word will pop into your brain and it will not make any sense to you right now. Give it some time. Let it percolate a bit. I have often found that our hearts speak to us in very unique ways. Maybe this is a word you need to hear but just aren't ready for it yet. Again, be open to the possibilities.

I can't wait to see all the words for 2009.

So, I thought long and hard when I saw this. I love a challenge and I thought this would be a great way for me to go through my new year. Many words came to mind. I thought of words like: Trust, Accomplish, Believe... all great words, right? They just didn't seem to cover what I was hoping for 2009. Oh, how about HOPE? That's a good one....nah....it's gotta be better than that. Marco even has a word (theme) for church and that is FLOURISH.... I need a word.
Got it. Got my word.
FOCUS
fo·cus [ fṓkəss ]
noun
Definition:
1. main emphasis: concentrated effort or attention on a particular thing
The committee's focus must be on finding solutions to the problem.
2. (plural fo·cus·es) area of concern: an area of concern, responsibility, or investigation
an inquiry with a narrow focus
3. concentrated quality: a concentrated and unified quality
to bring focus to the problem
4. sharpness of image: the quality that makes an image sharply defined with clear edges and contrast
5. sharpness of vision: the condition of seeing images sharply and clearly
You know, like many of you, I have the best intentions. I want to do so many things and do them right. I want to be organized, honest, loving, efficient...the list goes on. However, I end up losing my focus. I get easily distracted by the smallest things.

I want to FOCUS on:

1. My faith - I want to know my Savior more than ever. I want to trust and believe. I want to praise and worship. I want to be a living testimony.

2. My family - I want to be a better wife and mother. I want to be more patient and loving. I want to be a better example to my children.

3. Myself - I want to take better care of myself. I want to make time for myself, so that I can give to others more.

4. My church - I want to be more thankful for the church family. I want to minister more to them. I want to be creative for them.

5. My responsibilities - I want to be more organized. I want to be a better teacher to my children. I want to be better with money and business.

I like the idea of having a word to FOCUS on for the new year. A theme is a great idea. What will your word be?