Don't Try!

AI tells me the word "try" primarily means to make an effort or attempt to do something.

A few years ago, as a New Year's Resolution, I decided to remove from my everyday conversations the word "try." When it came right down to it, It seemed to be a rather weak and meaningless word. It didn't have much strength or impact. It lets people off the hook. I think we all know deep inside when we tell someone that we'll "try", but not make a firm commitment, it may never happen.

A good example is when someone says "I'll try to call you tomorrow," and when tomorrow comes, there's no phone call. It feels like the relationship doesn't mean much to them. Or, for example, I used to say, "let's try to get together soon." Instead, now I say, "let's choose a date right now and put it on our calendars". Being specific is so much more positive and concrete. It's respectful of others' and your own time. And it works. 

As I've grown older, I realise how short life can be and how quickly things can change. I may not have the chance to try later, because things change. Often my friends and relatives moved away or passed away before my effort to "try" really happened. It was a sad lesson that I was taught many times, and failed to learn. But I've worked on it and have finally put into practice not to put things off because "someday" may never come and trying is not an option.

So, I won't suggest that you try this. I suggest you do it. It's actually mentally and emotionally freeing. When a date is set on your calendar, it doesn't constantly pop into your thoughts urging you to try to remember it, and it doesn't weigh heavily on your emotions, making you feel like a bit of a failure when you haven't carried through on your commitment. 

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. You can click on any of the photos to enlarge them if you want a closer look. 👁👁 As always, your questions and comments are welcome here on my blog or on my Facebook post. Kindly add your name, initials or something that will identify you to me when you post comments on my blog. Blogger doesn't always recognize my friends and calls everyone "anonymous"! I love to read your comments and after I've read and approved them, they'll appear on my blog.

It is my sincere wish that you and those you love are happy and healthy. And until we meet again, may the Lord hold you in the hollow of His hand.

Emmy

Stop. Right Here. Think.

Stop.  Right here. Think. What am I doing? I'm Reading. Yes, I'm reading; but, is that all I'm doing? Am I also feeling a nagging discomfort in my shoulders, my back, my hips? Am I pushing away thoughts that are creeping into my mind to remind me about all the things I need to do today or that I should  be doing? Am I really reading, or am I also subconsciously planning my next distraction ... be it a hobby, the garden, the laundry, the phone calls I need to return, the errands I need to run, the online orders I need to place ... and the list goes on and on. Am I reading?

I choose to read in the early morning ...  before distractions creep up on me. It's very quiet in my little village at this early hour, and as long as I give myself the gift of aloneness in the absolute quiet of my living room, I can sit still and read. I do notice sounds, though, as they creep into my solitude. There's the hum of a motor running from across the street when my neighbor warms up his pickup truck. He leaves for work while it's still dark. I can hear the neighboring farms' huge noisy tractors with massive implements in tow pass by on their way to the fields; and right before dawn, I hear birds singing. Daylight approaches and the silence is broken. I begin to notice the clock marking the quarter hours with its chimes. Am I still reading? Not really. So, I stop. I go to the kitchen for another cup of coffee. I start doing routine morning tasks and the rhythm of my day begins. I try to stay calm, think about whatever it was I read this morning ... before my thoughts evaporate and are replaced by the here and now of activity and plans.

When I'm not able to have my morning solitude, the day doesn't feel right. It doesn't flow in a comfortable way. But ... that's how life is ... at least that's how it is for me. As I've grown older, I've come to understand that making time for what comforts me and refuels me is important. Whether it's early morning solitude, a mid-morning break with an audiobook in my ears and a quilting project on my lap,  grabbing some fresh air and sunshine in my backyard, or a change of pace by going to the local library in the afternoon, it's all important. It's called 'self care' ... one of today's important buzz-word terms.

Keeping up with social ties is equally important for me. Call me old-fashioned, but I still love to talk on the phone. I even like Zoom calls and conference calls. Email seems cumbersome to me, especially when the thread gets long and convoluted. And then there's texting, which leaves much to be desired in terms of real conversation. In-person contact is the best for me; but the extrovert in me requires that I intentionally spend time alone to avoid burnout and process my thoughts and simply enjoy the quietude that I've come to realize I need.

So, there it is. Finally ... a post that I'll actually publish ... instead of writing it and burying it ... thinking I'll spruce it up another day because its just not quite right. That's a behavior I'm working on. Perfection is crippling. It actually stifles my creativity. Things ....all kinds of things ... get shelved or packed away because they aren't quite perfect. When my mother was my age, she used to say, "I have more days behind me than I have ahead of me". Now I get it. It's reality. The promise of tomorrow can and will be broken and my imperfect projects will never see the light of day. Perfection. That's a topic for another day. For now, I'll take a chance, as uncomfortable as it may be, and publish this imperfect post.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. You can click on any of the photos to enlarge them if you want a closer look. 👁👁 As always, your questions and comments are welcome here on my blog or on my Facebook post. Kindly add your name, initials or something that will identify you to me when you post comments on my blog. Blogger doesn't always recognize my friends and calls everyone "anonymous"! I love to read your comments and after I've read and approved them, they'll appear on my blog.

It is my sincere wish that you and those you love are happy and healthy. And until we meet again, may the Lord hold you in the hollow of His hand.

Emmy