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Keeping It Real

August 6, 2011

I've really been thinking about what I want my blog to be, and who I want it to inspire.  For the most part I try my best to keep the content upbeat and inspirational, but sometimes I just need to keep it real, which brings me to today. 

For the past couple of weeks I have been struggling with motivation, specifically lack there of!  I don't have motivation to blog, very little to sew, not wanting to take the time to sit down and work through additional pattern ideas, and the list goes on.  I find myself glued to my computer (reading other people's blogs!), as well as the Food Network (I don't cook, but love watching others create yummy dishes!), instead of doing anything constructive.  I anticipate that this funk (totally borrowed the word from my sweet friend Amanda!) is just a phase, as life within the past year has been nothing I've wanted for myself.  I'm coming up on the last final transition, which technically sets me free, yet gives me great concern for the future.  I'm also coming up on a birthday, which adds stress to my life situation, and all I want at this time in my life is to be wanted, both in my personal life as well as my professional life.

Deep down inside I know that God has a great plan for my life.  Yet sometimes I question it, as I don't think I'm strong enough to deal with everything that has been thrown my way, and that makes me sad.  He knows what He's doing, thus who am I to question his timing and his ways? 

Looks as though I kind of got off on a tangent, but if you have any motivation tricks/ideas/ways, I'd love for you to share them in the comment section, as frankly I'm desperate!

One lat thing before I sign off...I want to share my new ringtone.  Not like my phone rings frequently, but when it does, I enjoy hearing that "this has gotta be the good life".  It always reminds me that I have to take initiative to make this the "good life".

9 comments:

  1. Can you imagine if we had the urge to create and produce all the time? How exhausting! I think it's nice when we have some down time.

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  2. Oh my goodness, I was just complaining to Julie and Stephanie that I have lost my mojo.... I have barely started my Glamp, have 2 more deadlines coming up and have zero motivation... great post... thank you!

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  3. Oh my. I certainly hate hearing about wonderful people having personal crises. Been there. Done that. And if you're coming up on the birthday that I think you are, I remember it being particularly difficult for me as well. It was the one that said I'm no longer a kid. The one that told me if I didn't have it together by now I never will. 20 years later I realize "that" birthday was worth celebrating in a big way. 20 years later I still have some of the same struggles. So if I may offer a few little helpers ... First I think it's a good thing that you selected a positive ringtone. It starts with hearing and leads to believing and results in doing. I'm also a huge fan of the Serenity prayer. It has truly helped when I wasn't sure which direction to go. May I also suggest a great book? "The Noticer" by Andy Andrews is a lovely story that, when you take time to reflect on each chapter, helps you put things into perspective. It's not a miracle, do all, be all book. But it does give insight into helping you focus on what's important. I've never bought into motivational or inspirational book, but there's something about this one that did make a difference to me. When a little prayer or a reminder of perspective doesn't help, I look over at a quote by Agatha Christie that I keep posted by my desk. It's usually enough to give my a kick in the rear that I need. "The secret of getting ahead is getting started." Good luck and Godspeed on your quest.

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  4. Glad to know I'm not the only one! In a real rut here too, but waiting patiently for the mojo to return. Yours will too, I'm sure :)
    Michelle

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  5. Love the ring tone. I am feeling somewhat in a rut as well. I do love quilting, but the weather has been atrocious, and that has to have something to do with it. I just keep plugging along a little at a time. Perhaps if you take a break, and just browse, something will come to mind. I think your thins are delightfully creative and just allout wonderful!! Being a beginner myself, I really appreciate your tutorials. Browse.. something will spark your interest :)

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  6. friend, you know I can relate to this! Maybe the same wave of motivation will hit both of us! Love you

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  7. Candice,
    I think you are doing amazingly well with all you have gone through this year. I can see how you have grown in lots of areas and I love how you have clung to God and how it has kept you so balanced throughout it all. You have been an inspiration to me. It has been awesome to see all the doors that God has opened up to you and Im excited to see what else he has in store for you. Prov. 3:5,6 is very encouraging. Also, The Bible says He will not give you more than you can handle so you don't have to worry about that happening. You are strong Candice, you can do it!! Its only going to get better.

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  8. There are times in one's life that we are overcome with being comfortable.

    I am here to tell you we need to be out of our comfort zone to grow and excel. Staying Status Quo only leads to disappointment, boredom and little to no personal growth.

    Okay we have covered what we should be doing, now lets talk concerning how to do it.

    Goals, personal goals you set and keep yourself accountable. That means you must have a plan. "Plan your work and work your plan". Without a plan there is no direction. You may have arrived, but you will never know it.

    Have a plan!!!!

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  9. I'd like to think of this time as one of those opportunities you get in life where you get a chance to stop and think, and make changes if necessary - another chance to try a different fork in the road and perhaps come upon something really spectacular that you wouldn't have otherwise seen had the fork not been present.

    In the meantime, one thing I've done to keep my sanity and to keep me motivated (and if not motivated for something in particular, then just motivated for life I suppose) is create a bucket list, although my current one is the "35 Things To Do By The Time I'm 35" after which it will be "40 Things To Do By The Time I'm 40". They're not necessarily epic items, just things that I keep saying "I want to do this...", etc. My list ranges from building a sandcastle (yes, never done that) to going to the Hollywood Bowl and the Disney Concert Hall, learning to play the guitar, learning how to drive a manual car (!), a cross-country road trip, getting a photo with a celebrity (Pioneer Woman totally counts), etc. Some practical (like learning Spanish), some educational (reading 35 "classic" books), but most are for fun.

    No matter what, keep on smiling and keep on exploring... after all, think of all the movies with the "what if I had done this instead" plots - now's the opportunity! :)

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I LOVE your comments, and read them all! Thank you! :)