Just Walk Away

As I am now older and wiser I have found great benefit in just "walking away." There are those rare times when I get frustrated with my children, husband or work and I have come to find I can calm myself fairly quickly if I just walk away for a few minutes. I don't walk away in a huff or with an attitude. I simply say " I need to walk away for a moment, but I will be back." I find a place where I can be alone for a few minutes or five minutes if I really need it. I breathe, I talk to myself and I see the situation resolving in a way that is positive for all involved. When I return to my son, husband or work, I find I am in a calm state of mind which is conducive to a positive resolution. Physically walking away from the tense or frustrating situation releases stress for me. Removing myself changes my energy just long enough that I can clear my head. I always go back and my family knows I will come back to talk through a situation or event that was frustrating for all involved. I don't walk away and leave something or someone hanging. My family knows that when mom walks away, they better do some thinking themselves because mom will be coming back and will want some intelligent discussion. I prefer not to react to a situation because I am caught up in the heat of the moment. Walking away has proved to be a stress reducer and creates an opportunity for good communication since everyone has had a few minutes to calm down and think clearly.

Ok ladies, this may not seem very "motherhoody" but really, anything that affects our families concerns us moms. So here are my thoughts on the current leader of our country. I speak my mind about this because, like you, we all want to preserve our American freedoms and want them to be there for our children.

Many people have the idea that Obama just needs time or that he really doesn't know what he's doing. Well of course he needs time (but be wary of what he intends to do with that time) and I think he knows exactly what he's doing. The question is do most Americans know what he's doing? Do they understand what he's actually trying to accomplish with his time? That's the scary part.

It appears as though he is aggressively laying the ground work and taking action that all smell very much like Socialism. Simple as that. So the "let's just give him time" mentality is a dangerous state of mind. Go with your instincts people. That feeling of uncertainty and apprehension about the choices our new leader is making are warning signs. Don't ignore them.

No country has ever risen to the greatness that The United States has, and that didn't happen by allowing the government to dictate how much or little income we make, what kind of health care we want, running the banking systems, penalizing us to death for creating our own success and on and on. We have the freedom here to fail or succeed of our own volition. That's the beauty of America.

The more we follow Obama down HIS chosen path for us, the fewer freedoms we will have to live our lives the way we choose - for those choices will be diminished from infinite to very finite.
I'm sure Obama is a wonderful human being. Not so sure that he's the right person to make America a greater version of itself.

There is a shift occurring - we must pay close attention.

Thanks,
Loree

Laugh Until You Cry

When is the last time you laughed so hard you cried? I just had one of those gut busting laughs a few days ago. It is amazing how good you feel when you just laugh! I have two or three of these "almost pee my pants" laughs every year. It is such a release that all I can do is just sit for a moment before I can even stand up again. I think we all need to laugh more, especially now, to just release the tension. I have a few emails I have kept for a long time that I look at every once in a while because they make me laugh. I have bought a couple of movies that I watch every few months because I know they are going to make me laugh. Just talking about things that have made you laugh in the past, can make you laugh again. I suggest you take some time every weekend to find or do things that make you laugh. I love to make my son laugh because when he laughs hard it makes me laugh, which makes him laugh, which makes me laugh and, you get the idea. As we all know, laughter is contagious so start laughing more - it is free and that is something we can all use right now!

Just Trying to Make a Phone Call

Making a phone call these days to a company to change information or simply ask a question has turned into a 20 minute ordeal. I just cringe every time I have to call a credit card company, insurance company or financial institution. I am sure they have a reason for using all the automated voice commands but it is extremely annoying. First, they keep talking when you just want to give your information, then they don't understand you, then you have to give your information again when you finally do get a live person - what is the point of giving it all in the beginning if you have to repeat your info again? I don't know about you but I am always pleasantly surprised when a real person is my first point of contact. My time is valuable and spending it talking to an automated person is not how I like to spend it. How about when you call and you spend 10 -15 minutes waiting and then you get disconnected? That can send you right into a tail spin! Then the poor person who ends up finally picking up the phone now is the recipient of both your initial problem and your phone call ordeal! Wouldn't it be nice if we could just go back to talking to a live person right off the bat? It would be much more pleasant and I wouldn't feel so much like just a number.