Stop and smell the roses

Some days we just have to take a deep breath and relax to help ourselves get back on track.

I’ve had a few of those days recently. Stuff in general has been causing me stress in every area of my life. Of course I know that isn’t a good thing. The only thing I wonder about is what people did before they knew about stress and how it can harm you.

When you stop to think about it you never read about the pioneers being ‘stressed’. In those times people probably had to work too hard to get stressed.

Oh well, here we go to another week. I have learned to manage in all of the corners of my world the best way that I can. The key to management in my case is to take care of myself.

I have a person in my life that continues to tell me that I have to take care of myself first because if I don’t I won’t be any good to anybody else. Good point.

I had lunch with one of my favorite young friends a few weeks ago and she told me something very similar. She said she had been praying and praying for everyone around her but finally realized she wasn’t praying for herself. “I learned I would be better off if I prayed for myself too,” she said.

She’s right. We need to pay attention to our own needs, health and well being. We need to put ourselves at the top of our prayer list if we are going to be healthy, happy individuals.

There are a lot of self-help gurus out there who would tell you ‘take control’ of your life. That may work to some extent, but I have learned that we need to ask for help and guidance.

But this past week, I also learned that I need to practice what I preach. I’m the first person to advise two things. Give it to God and don’t take it back, and ask God for advice, but don’t forget to ‘listen’.

Last week I had a situation where I ‘gave it to God’, but as my daughter pointed out when I talked with her on the phone, I didn’t follow my own advice. She reminded me that I always say give it God and don’t take it back, but that I had taken it back about six times during our conversation.

We all have lessons to learn. Today is a new day; I hope I learn my lessons well.

Just a thought….

Kathy Craigo can be contacted at kcraigo66@hotmail.com