Back in the groove

Tonight’s post might be short and sweet, but I want to get back into this!  I’ve been very poor at blogging since I started (as you know!) and as a new resoultion maybe would like to try and blog at least once a week.  I don’t think this is too much to ask of myself since I have 5 nights a week to choose from.  So for now, I’ll tell a story.  The other night I was at work and there was a basketball team staying with us.  One of the players was up late on the phone with his girlfriend, and when he got off couldn’t sleep since they had a fight.  He hung out in the lobby for a while and we ended up talking for over an hour through the course of the night.  He was 20 years old and lost.  It’s so sad for me to see this.  He was a really nice guy, but like so many, graduated, moved out of the house and found himself falling under peer pressure harder than ever.  He was having a hard time because he felt like he had truly lost sight of himself and what was most important.  He found himself conforming and at the end of the day didn’t like what he saw.  It’s a sad reality and one that I personally can relate to.  I feel like when I got married and had kids, I let that so encompass me that I lost sight of who I truly was.  My attitude has struggled, my faith has failed and my family has suffered.  I have come to the realization that no matter how busy in life you are, you MUST take time to be you.  Whatever that is for you, it’s important.  Read a book, go for a late night walk, find a hobby, make some crafts, go have coffee with a friend, go to the movies, pray.  Whatever it is that defines you and helps you keep your sanity…..do it!  Because in the end you are left with your soul and if that person inside you isn’t strong, then the outer person won’t truly be strong either.  I watched a youtube video today and in it the guy says that so often we mask the outer person to look perfect while the inside is withering away.  He uses the analogy of a mummy.  How they used to wrap the outside to preserve and look good, all the while the inside was rotting and wasting away.  Don’t let that be you.  Build your strength from the inside out because at the end of the day, that inner strength and inner beauty will shine out so brightly that it’s glory will radiate to all those around you.  So my prayer for you today would be to find what makes you happy, what defines you, what strengthens you and run with it!  Because if you don’t know who you are you need to find yourself.  You are worth the effort!

P.S.- Two things.  The first is that I’ve decided I want this blog to be more of an encouragement, self revelation and hopefully uplifting to others.  That being said, I’m going to try and stay off the negative personal soap boxes.  If you can’t find a previous post, that’s why 😉  Second- if you want to watch the video, go to http://youtu.be/1IAhDGYlpqY  I think he definately has some good points when talking about “organized religion” but there are definately some statements I disagree with.  Makes you think though!