suddenlysinglewomen

Becoming the best version of yourself

Apr 12

Surround Yourself With The Best!

by suddenlysinglewomen

Probably you’re thinking that I mean products, things, or places – but I don’t.  Today I share from “The Rhythm of Life” and Matthew Kelly:

“The people we surround ourselves with either raise or lower our standards.  They either help us to become the-best-version-of-ourselves or encourage us to become lesser versions of ourselves.  We become like our friends.”

I’ve been very introspective on friendships lately.  Could be because I’m getting older?  Could be because those I thought were friends I could depend on, disappointed me?  Could be because my circle of friends has become smaller yet tighter?

Maybe I’m making smarter, healthier choices because I really do want to become the-best-version-of-myself!

Wha’dya think?

 

 

 

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Apr 3

Sports As It Relates To Life?

by suddenlysinglewomen

Happy Monday everyone!!  Hope your weekend was restful and restorative!

I’ve “cut and paste” from a friend’s blog something that I really enjoyed reading.  And even though this is written in relation to “sports”, and the dedication to getting “better”, I found it great to think about in terms of everyday life dealing with work, family, friends, just about all areas of your daily life.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!  This is written by the author of “Moments”, a book listed on my blog as a “GoodRead”!

Consider the following questions and how they might apply to your life:

Do you give up too early when things get hard? – When things become difficult in a relationship or on a project at work, do you check out, give up, and walk out? Or do you show resilience and grit to persevere through the difficult moments?
Do you want the ball in your hands when the game is on the line? – As a parent, are you investing in the lives of your children and preparing them for the next stage of life? As a leader, are you using your platform and sphere of influence to mentor others? As an athlete, are you embracing pressure and focusing on the opportunity to perform at your best?
Do you give up on your teammates? – Do you write off people when they let you down, or do you extend grace and mercy knowing that you are not perfect either? Do you look for opportunities to make people better?
Do you go the extra mile to become the very best? – Are you doing everything you can to become the best you can become?
Do you have a commitment to lifelong learning and growth? – No matter how talented or successful you are, are you constantly striving to grow, learn, and get better even when you feel you have “mastered” your craft?
Do you focus on the little things? – Are there times in your life when you go through the motions, or do you place a priority on doing the little things that matter on a consistent basis?

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Mar 20

OOPS!!

by suddenlysinglewomen

Sorry all – I tested and retested that link before I sent it out earlier today and it worked.  Not sure why (if some of you are getting the error message) it didn’t work once I hit “publish”.  I’ll try to figure it out.

Was a fun recording of memories from the 50’s and 60’s!!  SIGH!!  Happy Monday anyway.

 

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Mar 20

Walk Down Memory Lane . . .

by suddenlysinglewomen

A friend forwarded this to me and I just had to chuckle.  Most of the things I do remember altho’ I was very young, being born in the middle “fifties”.   It brought a smile to my face and I wanted to share with you for “old times sake”!!

Enjoy the memories!

https://safeshare.tv/x/FEDEWZHZu

 

 

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Mar 13

The Art of the Thank You . . .

by suddenlysinglewomen

Thank you notes, a dying art form?

Not the way I was brought up.

You always said thank you.   You followed that up with a hand written thank you.

Even in these days of fast paced hectic lives, you should still take time to write a thank you.  (JMHO)  Even though it’s nice to receive something in the mail that isn’t a bill – – – I’ll allow that a text, email or phone call can suffice if you really don’t think you can sit down for twenty  seconds and write a thank you.

But can’t you?  You know how special it makes you feel when you receive one, don’t you think it makes the other person feel just as special when they receive one from you?

Yes, I admit it – it’s a soapbox for me.  And since the world seems to be moving away from any form of written communication, cyber space may soon become all we have to express our gratitude.  Makes me sad.

I have a friend who when I get off onto one of my bad behavior/good behavior soapboxes sarcastically says to me, “Thanks Mom”!  She thinks she’s insulting me, or telling me to back off.  She’s doing just the opposite, because I strive to be like my Mom, who at 98 still writes a handwritten thank you.  My Mom taught me the art of the thank you, and I’m grateful.

Think I’ll go write her one . . . (as soon as I climb down from my soapbox!)

 

 

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Mar 6

Same Song – Second Verse!

by suddenlysinglewomen

I’ve shared these thoughts before, and if you’re like me, after reading them you realize there are some people in your life, past or current, who fit the description.  We all have them.

The good news is, if you’re aware of it, you can change it – or at the very least, not let it alter your life in a negative way.  I’ve become very aware of how some personality types can try to manipulate you – my strength in resisting this has grown.  I feel sorry for them.

The better news is learning there are wonderful people in your life who do not feel that need to manipulate you, control you or drag you down.

The best news is going forward through what time on this earth I have remaining, and choosing to surround myself with happy, healthy and wholesome people who lift me up!  Today you too can choose to be one of those happy, healthy and wholesome people . . . and lift someone up.

We can make 2017 freakin’ awesome!  Who’s with me?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/9-signs-youre-dealing-with-an-emotional-manipulator_us_58a732fae4b026a89a7a2a2b?ncid=engmodushpmg00000006

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Feb 20

Cranky? Who . . . Me??

by suddenlysinglewomen

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My parents were a bit older when they married.  I believe WWII and Korea did that to many couples.  They rushed to get married, or put it off.  Mine met between the two, but Korea definitely pushed it up when my Dad’s regiment got called up.

The reason I mention having “older parents” is that while growing up, I was always around “older people”.  I can remember especially how cranky most of the “older women” seemed.  I wondered why, were they just mean?  Were they disappointed in life?  Were all their friends and family mean to them?

I promised myself I would never be cranky when I became one of those older women.  Now mind you, at that young age, most of these “older women” were probably in the late 40’s, early 50’s.  I’ve blown way past that age and I don’t feel “old”.  But sometimes I do feel cranky.

I don’t consider myself mean, I’ve had some challenges in life but I’m not disappointed in life, and most of my friends and family are not mean.  So why am I cranky?

When I saw the quote above, I had to laugh because it does describe me at my crankiest.   I’ve lost patience as I’ve aged.  When, in my opinion, things are not being done the way I would do them, I get irritated.  I have to stop and remind myself that often there are many ways to do the same thing, and my way may not be the only way or the right way or the fastest way . . . it’s just “my” way.

I shall try to be less controlling, as mentioned above.  I shall try to be less cranky as admitted to.  But if you happen to ask for my opinion . . . well . . .

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Feb 14

Happy Five Years!

by suddenlysinglewomen

Nahhhh . . . can’t be??  Five years since I started this blog!?

Valentine’s has always been a bitter sweet “day” for me.  The best of it was when I named my sweet Cocker Spaniel puppy “Valentine”, the day I got her as a gift from the “then” fiancé.  It was about six months after he had proposed, . . . on Valentine’s Day, and she was perfect.  The fiancé???   Not so much.

Then there was a “first date” on Valentine’s Day, I married him but that didn’t turn out so well either.  Was I deterred in giving up on this day?  Nahhh . . . so today, the fifth anniversary of my blog I knew it was going to be a good day.

It may be Valentine’s Day, the day of “Love” but for me . . . as a single?  It was a day to celebrate all the things that I love!  Slept in, woke up to quite the storm and tornado warnings but I was not deterred!   Once the skies cleared, I took my two favorite canines – GSD Blanco and GSD Sascha for THEIR favorite thing – a walk!  They’re getting older and slower now but the joy and love for me is in their eyes!

Then I did another favorite thing, I needlepointed a bit on my new grandson’s Christmas stocking.  After all, he is one of my most favorite things that I love, and I have to get a head start because my eyes aren’t what they used to be and it takes me longer to get them finished!  Trust me, stitching a stocking that size is all about love.

This afternoon, a favorite thing – movie and popcorn.  Yes I went by myself, why not?  I even splurged and had a Diet Coke.  Gave them up in 2009 but sometimes you deserve a treat.  My dilemma was making the choice between Fifty Shades Darker, or A Dog’s Purpose.  Nah, no big choice, it was all about “Bailey Bailey Bailey”!  I’ll leave it to you to figure out which one I ended up seeing.  And yes, I ate the WHOLE bag of popcorn.

Now I’m back home with the two critters, who love me and give back unconditional love.  My valentine’s meal “for one” might have something to do with Talenti Gelatto.  If you haven’t tried it – – – well, it’s a game changer.  Personal fav?  Chocolate Peanut Butter!  Not a healthy day for the diet, but I did walk my 10,000 steps today around the track so the guilt is a tiny bit assuaged.

. . .  and best of all?

I did the things I love.  On this day of “Love”, make it more than a Hallmark card, make it about you and the things you love.

Thanks for the five years, it’s been the best.

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Feb 2

Month “2” Of 2017!

by suddenlysinglewomen

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Frustration!  That’s what a faulty smoke detector set off by a humidifier (who knew?) gives you at 1:00 a.m., 3:00 a.m. and lastly 7:00 a.m. on your mountain vacay.  (I should have taken a photo with the firemen, wouldn’t THAT be good for Facebook?)

Disbelief!  That’s what happens when later that morning your neighbor from home let’s you know that you have a leak in the water line at your home and you get to deal with the water department and public works department from 1200 miles away.

Aggravation!  That’s what happens when you make it home from your vacay to find that your house phone line is out.

Do you ever have days like that??  I was laughingly saying to some friends the other day that I would love to have just one day where absolutely everything works.  Is that too much to wish for?

I don’t know . . . I’ll let you know tomorrow.

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Jan 20

Resolutely Giving Up Resolutions!

by suddenlysinglewomen

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It’s not even a month yet and already most people have probably given up on some, if not all of their New Year’s Resolutions!  For me, if I’d lost those 10 pounds each year I’ve resolutely resolved to lose those 10 pounds??   I would’ve disappeared by now.  POOF!

This year I plan to not set myself up for failure!  I learned alot in 2016.  I learned that people I thought I could trust – don’t have my back.  That doesn’t make me “less” trustful, just makes me realize that all those years that you heard the saying, “You can count on one hand the true friends you have”; it’s probably true.

I used to count the number of good friends I had by the number of Christmas cards I mailed out.  Let’s just say that both numbers have been pared down over the past year.  That’s not really a bad thing, gives me more time to concentrate on the right people for the right reasons!

You don’t choose the bad things that happen to you, but you do choose how you handle them.  So in 2017 – as Charlie Brown says above, I choose to be happy.

Life will never be perfect, but this year I vow to make the most of it, and to be resolutely resolved to put happiness in my heart and a smile on my face.

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