Welcome to the year 2011

Can you imagine living a week with really crappy internet?  Welcome to my week.

We are having trouble with our internet this week and they are saying it'll be Monday before it's fixed.  I'm literally using my cell phone as my modem to write this.  I'm grateful for that, but for some reason, I'm finding myself still struggling with the quality it's putting out this week.

It's reminded me of the good ole days of dial up internet.  I'm laughing as I say that!  It should have been a statement of how we used to only be able to communicate via faxes or written mail - and here I am whining about dial up vs high speed internet.  How spoiled we have become.  Welcome to the year 2011.

We walk around with our cell phones in our hands constantly checking email, text messages and online updates of the weather, flights, and even our children's progress at school.  Oh - did I turn on/off the porch light at home?  That can be done now too.  The cable company even has it so you can watch tv and program your dvr these days too!  And when the internet is down?  Withdrawal city!!!!  TOTAL MISERY!!!

So today is Sunday and internet came back up last night.  I can see clearly again!  Woot!  Pathetic huh?  I could use the excuse that now I can get back to my job hunt (laughs) but truth be told - I just need to contact with people that I have become so used to!  Even though I have had internet on my cell phone and tablet, it's just not the same!

But ya - I do need to get job hunting too.... any ideas?
Have a great week everyone!  Happy Interneting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Are you Discontent? or Do you suffer from Discontentment?

dis·con·tent

   [dis-kuhn-tent]

adjective

1.

not content; dissatisfied; discontented.

noun

2.

Also, dis·con·tent·ment. lack of content; dissatisfaction.

3.

a restless desire or craving for something one does not have.

4.

a malcontent.

For a few weeks now, this word has weighed heavily on my mind.  How many of us are discontent in our lives?  Do we even realize it?  Do we wake up happy to be alive?  Thank God for the day? Or do we moan and groan and stomp off to the shower dreading the day before it has even started?  

Someone brought this word to my attention and I guess I had never really thought about the true meaning of the word before.  As you see above, it can be used as an adjective as well as a noun.  

I tend to think of this word as DISCONTENTMENT... the noun.  A physical word - an object.  I tend to have a restless desire or craving for something I do not have - hence - discontentment.  

What about you?  Do you have everything in work you desire? How about your personal relationships?  What about your friendships?  How about your relationship with yourself or with God?  Do you desire things in these relationships that you don't have?  We often don't look at our relationships carefully enough.  We accept them for what they are and move on. I'm not sure whether this is good or bad.  I think it can be good to just accept people for what they are when you love them.  I think this is the most used method in life.  Probably the most Christian like.  When do we stop, though, and really evaluate our own life and say "it's just not enough".  I'm not talking about just personal stuff.  Maybe it's your job.  Maybe it's your friends who are emotional vampires - the people in our lives that suck the life out of us.  

I started seeing what was sucking the life out of me recently, but in addition to that, realized that perhaps I was sucking the life out of some of my friends as well.  I realized that discontentment had become a habit.  Happy to whine to people about my misery instead of taking the perpetual "bull by its horns" and do something about my situation!  So I chose to start doing something about my "discontentment" and start making strides in doing things in life that make me happy.  I choose to wake each day and thank God for the new day instead of dreading what is to come before it comes.

Don't let habits rule your life.  Look at your life and realize that habits can be broken and make adjustments.  Realizing them is eye awakening.  Make notes to yourself to think differently if you find yourself discontent about things.  Discontent with your job? Work hard to get a promotion to get away from that boss you hate so much then!  Find a new job!  Work for yourself!  Do it positively though!  You CAN change things in your life.  Don't settle.  Life is not written in stone.  It changes daily.  You can make it change.

Once, Twice, Thrice? Nope just ONCE

Have you seen the movie Once?  If not, it certainly is worth the watch. I fell in love with the music from this movie before I saw the movie.  A friend encouraged me to watch the movie, and then encouraged me to watch it a few more times, insisting that I would see things the second and third time that I did not see the previous watches.  He was right.

It's  a love story.  But it reminded me of having dreams and wants in life and having the courage to reach for them and go after them, despite what has happened in your past, and what might happen in your future.  This is a huge thought, really.  How many of us are so paralyzed by something that has happened in our past that we can't seem to move forward?  How many of us have a fear of failure and refuse to reach out and grab their star?


I think we often feel that joy is there only for a chosen few.  When in fact, we all deserve to be happy.  Life is extremely short.  Yes, it's often eighty plus years but considering how old the world is, that's nothing.  Don't be afraid that there isn't enough hope in the world, or that there is none in your world... it's there.  You just have to be courageous enough to believe in it.

It's hard to be courageous.  Trust me - I am VERY aware of that.  So this week - I encourage each of you that reads my blog to make it your word for the week... COURAGE.  Write it down on something.  Look at it often.  Then find a way to be courageous this week.  It might be something small.  It might be a huge task.  But whatever that is for you, just be it.  COURAGEOUS.  Grab your star!!!

Then I even double dog dare you to share your COURAGE in the comment section as it happens!

Peace ~ Love ~ Happiness