Category Archives: Mindset

Aging, Ambition, gardening, Home, Lifestyle, Mindset, Self Improvement

Piecemealing: Inside and Outside

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For all intents and purposes, winter here in Minnesconsin is winding down (not like it ever wound up, and yes I’m probably inadverdently manifesting blizzard conditions before this month is out), and spring is knocking at the door.

During this transitional period, I’ve been working on the inside. Preparing for working outside.

In addition to working on specific areas to improve my internal life, Mr. NOA and I are working together and individually on the inside of our home. Organizing, cleaning, and slightly re-decorating this joint. All so we are ready, once the temps allow, to work (and play) outside. We have grand plans for our gardens. The hope is that we can improve on our lackluster gardening situation in 2023.

I think what’s so cool about this house (house number 8, if you care to read) is that it has so much potential. I imagine us living here for another 15 years, give or take. If it’s forever I’m good with that too. As we age, however, it’s likely that we’ll want to live in a home without stairs. I am an optimist, but also a realist.

There’s a multitude of home improvements we’d like to do, big and small. With the intention of staying here for a good long time, we have the luxury of doing it all piecemeal. It doesn’t all have to be done by a certain date or even a certain year. It’s as time/money/energy allows.

Of course, life is gonna life, right? Any number of things could happen that would derail our plans. That’s why I think it’s good to continue working internally, on myself. To increase my mental and emotional resilience, to become a better communicater, and a more self-aware person.

I think both inside and outside, I’ve got my work cut out for me.

Now for the song that came to mind as I finished writing this piece. This is such a lovely cover of the classic song from the Byrds and I think you’ll enjoy it too 🙂

Ambition, Blogging, Life, Mindset, Personal Growth, Self Improvement, Word of the Year

2024 WOTY

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For a hot minute, I was going to jump feet first into the WordPress “Bloganuary” challenge. It’d be fun, I thought. A good challenge to start the new year. Then, once I took a moment to consider the pressure I’d put myself under to write and publish a blog post every single day for a month, I decided against it. No sense in biting off more than I can reasonably chew.

Know thyself.

Then, after seeing other bloggers announcing their “Word of the Year”, I decided that is something I wanted to embrace. Especially if I chose the right word for me.

How about you all? Is there one word, or perhaps a phrase, that you have chosen as your guiding light for 2024?

My word of the year is “Growth”.

It’s really simple: what I want for myself in 2024 (and truly, beyond) is to grow. To improve. To be better and do better. This is all so that I can be a better human. A better friend. A better employee. A better steward of time and money. A better steward of my mind and body. A better mom and grandma. A better spouse. A better writer.

What I will need to remind myself on the regular as I move forward this year is that growth does not happen without some pain. I’m going to be taking more risks, and with risks there will be failures.

Plenty of people would be uncomfortable doing what I do, blogging. I’m still not completely comfortable with it myself, in spite of doing it more or less consistently since 2017. So, maybe I have a leg up in a sense, as I push through the discomfort post by post.

I’m not going to go into specifics here and now, but general areas of personal growth in 2024 for me include, but are not limited to: blogging/writing, personal finances, relationships, work, and creative expression beyond writing.

The specifics will be written in the brand spanking new journal I recently brought. The idea is that at the beginning of each month, I will write down the objectives for that month and how I’m going to achieve them. I’ve started with small ones in January, with the intention of building good habits that I can carry into the next month so I have momentum for the objectives I establish for personal growth in February. And so on for each month of the year.

May my enthusiasm for growth not wane as I move forward in this new year.

Change, Faith, Gratitude, Mindset, Personal Growth

Subject to Change

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This post was created to jump-start a conversation about our thoughts and feelings about all of life being “subject to change”. I look forward to reading, and replying to, your comments, friends.

So I am by no means an expert in psychology or philosophy, but I am a thinker. A student of the world who is on a quest to better herself. A person of faith looking for ways to use the wisdom gained thus far in her life for the greater good.

Here we go.

When you read or hear the phrase, “subject to change”, how does it make you feel? What thoughts come to mind? How do you interpret it?

Does it make you feel anxious? Frustrated? Angry, perhaps?

I have some thoughts about this phrase. I’ve used it in various blog posts over the years and in conversations with others. As I’ve likely mentioned before in this space, “Subject to Change” was the original title of this blog.

It didn’t end up as the title because I was concerned that it sounded flaky. As if I’m easily persuaded, with my opinions, aspirations, and beliefs changing willy-nilly. Yet, I remain drawn to this phrase.

My opinion is that we all would benefit from embracing this phrase. Make friends with it. Refuse to let it freak us all the way out.

Because everything, like, every. single. thing. is subject to change.

The weather. Our moods. Our preferences. Our relationships. Our thoughts. Our statuses in life. Our life circumstances. Our bodies. Our health. Our opinions.

We don’t have the control we think we have. Outside forces rattle our cages and distract us. Winds change direction. Other people’s choices cause ripple effects that permeate our lives. We lose money. We gain money. People we love die.

We plan and the Universe laughs.

We gain knowledge that enlightens us, leading us to alter our opinions. To change our perspectives. Think differently. It may throw us for a loop. Surprise us and leave us feeling confused.

Surrendering to the “subject to change” mindset is scary. It’s uncomfortable. It’s a process; something we may need to train our brains to do every single day, even beyond the day that we think we have finally “got” it.

A few ways that I believe we can become friendly, hence expanding our capacity for personal growth, with everything being “subject to change” are thus:

  • Keep our heads in the present. The past is gone and the future is not promised.
  • Be grateful for what is. Grateful for what we are doing well in our lives. Grateful for the love we have and the love we give.
  • Use our great, big imaginations to determine potential alternate plans, in case Plan “A” fails to pan out. The funny thing is, sometimes it turns out that Plan “B” (or even Plan “C”) winds up creating better results.

A little more food for thought for you, courtesy of https://thesaurus.plus/synonyms/subject_to_change#google_vignette