FED UP

How many times have you thought to yourself that you are over, fed up, done with this year, this situation, your children's attitudes?

If you need a good laugh- google, "definitions of Fed Up" and read the Urban Dictionary's interpretation- I promise, it's worth it! I have been preaching this whole year to stay positive, to look at the good things in life- but friends, there comes a time when you just want to say, "Screw it! I can't take it anymore." You're fed up with the stress of COVID, the challenges life has thrown at you, maybe your job isn't going well, maybe there's major illness in your family, financial stress, marriage issues- the list goes on and becomes more overwhelming each week. The bricks keep stacking and your knees are starting to buckle. Now it's the month that each day you see something on social media about what others are thankful for, and you cringe and say, "ba humbug."

Gratitude turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity...it makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow." Melody Beattie

As I type this, I'm even needing to tell myself to freaking get over it and let it go. I've reread my previous posts to try to get myself centered again and its not helping. I've started a gratitude list and my heart isn't in it. I get it friends. I SO get it. But right now, is when I need to practice positive thinking, gratitude and self care the most. Days like this, where you are just so FED UP, that you need to be more FED up with the negative attitude than the circumstances. Be angry, frustrated, upset- but then remind yourself that sometimes, it's just not in your control.

If you are having a day like me- do the following, no matter how badly you don't want to and no matter how ridiculous you feel:

1. Take out a piece of paper and make 3 columns, label the first column FED UP, middle column, DRIVER'S SEAT, and the other side I WIN.

2. On the FED UP side, you'll write down whatever is upsetting you.

3. Middle column, you're going to indicate if that item is something that you can "steer" or control, or if its "steering" or controlling you. Are you able to control that situation, that person or that challenge, or are you allowing it to control your emotions?

4. The last column, you're going to write what you can learn from that situation, what YOU can control, and how you can better deal with whatever is going on.

5. Flip over that paper and list why you are grateful for those challenges. No matter how hard it is to find that gratitude, write it. There is always something to be grateful for or something positive to get out of it.

After all friends, 'tis the season to be grateful and I can't tell you enough, how grateful I am for you.