Making It Personal

I was going to whine and complain about other things, but first I am going to whine and complain about the fact that I really need to learn how to fix the color in a scan or learn photo shop (even better) because I see this journal page I did looks not that great as a scan when it looks much better in person (honest).  (If you click on it, you can see it close up and it looks better).

This morning I was going to post early, only I was feeling really whiney about my life and something told me to wait and I am glad I did.

My main complaint (or at least, on the surface) was that I was going to whine and complain about feeling fat today even though my hubby and I spent yesterday evening pigging out.

"Why me?" I would cry today.

Hmph.

As they say, "why not you?"

But this morning I was feeling the world was out to get me.

Then I saw Obama's speech to the students.

Contrary to some public opinion, it was not about indoctrinating the kids into socialism.  

I am not knocking people's opinions on that, I am merely stating that I heard the speech and I can assure you it was not about socialism.

Anyway, the main thing that was said was that, no matter what you are going through in life, your life is your responsibility.

Yes, you can have problems, even very unfair things happening in your life, and things might be harder for you than for others, but, in the end, making your life work is still your responsibility.

That's the message in a nutshell.  It is more detailed and specifically focused on students succeeding in school.  As a former teacher, I was saying "YES!" because, even though there are many things to fix in the school system, teachers and everyone else could be working really hard to make sure students learn, but if students are not going to bother to do their part, they are not going to learn.

Anyway, putting aside politics and my views on the educational situation, I heard the speech and realized that the message was also relevant to everyone's personal life.  At least, it was very relevant to my personal life, especially to what I had been feeling this morning.  

The fact is, no one puts that extra food in my mouth except me.

No one puts the majority of those negative thoughts in my head but me.

And if someone does, no one keeps them in my head but me.

If I want to succeed in whatever area in my life I want to succeed, whether it is my health, love, family, self acceptance, and even art, no one is responsible for doing that but me.  It could be really hard but that doesn't mean I can't do it.

Now, after this very nice revelation, I might be back to complaining tomorrow, but from now on I want to make it a point to stop taking the easy way out, complaining without taking responsibility.  

Yes, sometimes life is hard and we have the right to take some time to heal our hearts, but I am speaking specifically to myself when I say that enough is enough, I have complained too long, and I need to take responsibility and make my life happen the way I want it to happen because we really do have what it takes to make our life be what we want it to be.   

So today I'll try to eat healthier, and do some more art and see what else I can do today to make my life better tomorrow.

One day at a time.

'Til later,

Carol B.