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Do What You Can…Today
I’ve talked a lot about finding happiness within ourselves and with our careers, and to this day, it remains one of the topics I am emailed about the most. I really didn’t realize just how many people struggled with these things until I talked about my own experiences. Opening up to others was one of the reasons that I was able to work through many issues in my life. Who knows where I would be right now, had I not let myself feel vulnerable.
It is isolating when you are going through a tough time on your own. I always felt like there was something wrong with me for feeling unhappy with myself and circumstances and I was ashamed to even talk about it with my friends and family for fear that they would think I was a failure. I remember sitting in one of my very first graduate classes, thinking ‘What am I doing here?’
I bottled everything up inside and I put on a happy face, but little did I know this was the worst thing I could have done. For many years, I convinced myself that I was not worthy of happiness because my problems were my own ‘fault’.
But today, I’m so over the whole perfectionism thing. Really…I’m over it.
We all struggle. Many of us struggle with accepting ourselves, finding a happy weight, deciding what to take in school, paying the bills, relationships, health problems, when to start a family, career satisfaction, and balancing everything in between. No one walked away from me when I finally confessed that I struggled with an eating disorder (they knew all along, anyways) or when I quit my job and I hit an all-time low in my life. If anyone did, they probably weren’t worth it in the first place.
How did I cope during tough moments?
The most important factor for me was talking about it…not only to friends and family, but to a counselor. I also used to display my favourite inspiring quotes in my offices. I would tape them on my computer screen or tack them to the wall. I was known as the quote girl by my friends. ;)
For the two years I was a grad student, I had this quote taped to my office wall:
Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. ~Theodore Roosevelt
As someone who struggles with anxiety, I tend to worry about the future too much. This quote helps me to live in the moment as much as I can. It also teaches me that every day may not present the ‘perfect’ circumstances or opportunities, but we can still work with what we’ve got each day and make the best of it.
I CAN’T…
1) Predict the future
2) Control other people’s actions, thoughts, or feelings
3) Determine the outcome of my choices
However, I CAN…
1) Learn from yesterday
2) Take action today (no matter how small)
3) Plan for the future (even if the plans ultimately do not work out!)
4) Challenge myself, but never expect perfection.
5) Ask for help.
6) Eat chocolate.
Plans are great, but the greatest teacher is experience. Don’t beat yourself up for decisions that you make that may not work out because with everything you try out, you are that much closer to finding something that works for you.
Have you ever done something you thought was a huge ‘mistake’ and it turned out to be a valuable lesson in your life… or even life-changing?
What positive action can you make today to help an area of struggle in your life?
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{ 92 comments… read them below or add one }
i have first comment!
this is EXACTLY what i needed to read today. thank you angela.
I think this is my favorite post of yours…ever! It’s so true: we’re SO hard on ourselves all the time and struggle to be perfectionists. I admire your take on worrying and thinking about the future. I’m not there with you yet — I beat myself up more than I probably should — but I’m happy you wrote about this and already look forward to re-reading the post. Thanks for sharing!
I’m definitely with you on the anxiety thing!
This was a great post!!!!!
Some days I felt that my parents’ taking us to live in the Middle East was a big mistake, but I’m so grateful for it now – it’s totally shaped my outlook on life and on the world in general. I think it’s so important to acknowledge that there are so many things we can’t control, but we CAN control the way we see the world, and our thoughts. I try to start my days as positive as possible, because I think doing so certainly has an impact on how the day turns out. Great post once again Ange. I love the Daily Glow!
I used to live my life thinking about the next step. What life was going to be like when _____ happened. (Fill in the blank…) Now I have learned to enjoy life as I am living it and appreciate where I am at right now. When I thought (or worried) too much about the future, I wasn’t really living in my today.
Great post Angela! :) You are so inspiring, as always.
I appreciate your honesty with what you write. Sometimes, i get frustrated at the rosey world that most bloggers seem to live in. life is hard, for everyone, and sometimes I get discouraged in the blog world when it seems like peoples biggest problems are book deals and finding time to train for races. i am sure everyone has difficult points and things going on, they just choose not to share. So, I appreciate the real-ness you bring to the blog community.
I’ve learned that everything always works out. Always. That definitely brings me peace. :)
Thank you for sharing so openly and freely, Angela! I think many of us are caught up in perfectionism, anxiety, worry and just an over-achiever mentality. I know I am guilty of this. not as much now as I was before becoming a mother (that is the great equalizer, so to speak…it has helped me LET GO of so much of that) but it’s all a work in progress.
So glad you have all these wonderful insights and that you have shared them. A thing for me that was a huge mistake but soooo valuable was buying a house in Phoenix b/c I could afford one there (cannot in San Diego). I wanted to own a home at all costs so left my friends and beloved San Diego for Phx, just to own. And realized I hated it. Wanted to move back like 2 weeks after we closed on it. And after 9 mos, we did move back. Took a huge!!! beating financially but it showed me that I’d rather rent in a place I love than own in a place I don’t.
Wonderful post, Angela!
:)
I absolutely love this and really needed it today. Thanks Ange!
I would have to go down a pretty long list of friends to find one that is actually in a career that required the degree they received from college. Most have all switched gears after college or not that long after. Before I became a stay at home Mom, I was in a position of hiring people. What their degree was in was not as important to me, just that they had a degree. I felt that the discipline, use of time management, being able to complete papers and tasks on time were all important things that college teaches us.
I always try to remember that each small decision and action adds up to my overall life. I have to put my energy into things that I want to help bring to me the life I desire. But at the same time remember I don’t control it all either.
So poignant and true….
I fear I may have some big changes coming my way and I need to just embrace them because they may put me on track for more happiness than I ever could imagine!
Love this post. It’s nice to know we all struggle with the similar issues, the challenges of being a human being on this earth. I love the quote above. It’s always good to remember what you can’t control. All you can do is your very best and then let go.
This is exactly what I needed to read today. I too struggle with anxiety- and it’s been terrible lately because when I get stressed, I get horrible cases of insomnia. So much in my life right now seems to be out of control– and I too have spent too many years thinking I didn’t deserve any happiness because I always felt scared to share my own fears and problems. And the hardest part is that we can’t predict the future! And I hate it. I can’t control if people get upset with me. So thank you for sharing your own fears, problems– and thank you for the inspiration to help us also share. I’m ready to just be happy for a change– I had a horrible year of career changes and scares last year– and now I’m finally in a place where it may just be coming together. Thanks:)
I’ve learned from experience that plans don’t always workout, and change will happen, so I have to go with the change. It may not make me happy that moment, but I can adjust, and sometimes, new opportunities come out of those changes or plans that don’t work. Right now, I’m trying to figure out the last year of classes I need, and what I want to do after I graduate.
I totally agree with you – vulnerability is a huge step to healing and getting to know yourself. I too struggled with the same challenges, it wasn’t until I allowed people in [as scary as that is…ah!] that I really allowed myself to heal. It’s hard to look for others for support.
Struggle for me is always brought on by my anxiety. When I feel my anxiety is getting the best of me I step back for a moment and check myself before I wreck myself. If that doesn’t work, I keep my iPod on hand with Snatam Kaur music. Not for everyone, but really gets me to calm down.
I’m just loving your Daily Glows Angela!
I loved this. Right on. That too is one of my favorite quotes.
I did the same thing.. I got married and divorce.. during the beginning of the divorce I thought I made the biggest mistake.. Looking back. It was the best thing that ever happened to me. Today I am the person I want to be, doing the things I want to do…
I’m so content in life it’s sickening. One of my favorite things to tell me is.. ‘ you can’t control others, only your reaction.’ when you finally realize that… the world becomes such a beautiful place.
Every monday (sometimes Tuesday) I post Weekly Words To Inspire.. Check em out… It’s like my virtural office wall!
Great post!
Great post Angela! I think it’s so scary to face change sometimes that we’d rather just sulk in our own misery because we feel “we did it to ourselves” or “we asked for it” or “isn’t this what I always wanted?”. I used to ask myself this all the time but now I try to make changes. Instead of putting a negative spin on things I use the power of positivity to move forward. you know what, I’m not working at the job I thought I would as a kid but then again, I’m not an astronaut either! I can’t beat myself up for things that I’ve done, like you said experience is the best teacher.
When the Husband and I took a hiatus when we were dating (for about a year and a half), everyone told me it was horrible, that we shouldn’t have done that. However, I learned so much about myself during that 1.5 years and really found myself. I knew that if we were ment to be together, we would be – and look at us now! We’re married!
Eric and I also took a break when we were dating. In 2003, we split up for about 4 months and we both grew a lot during that time. If it’s meant to be it will be!
You do not know how much I needed this today.
You don’t even know.
I almost quit. Almost.
I can’t promise I won’t tomorrow or 2 days from now. I don’t know where I’ll end up or how I can do it. I don’t know.
I know that I have no choice right now.
So I’ll just do what I can one day at a time.
And pray.
Thank you beyond what you can even possibly imagine.
Oh and also – beside the obvious #6, I really like the one “no matter how small” – that’s something I really need to focus on .
And not beating yourself up….that’s what kills me. Regrets and second-guessing are terrible. Mostly because of what I think and what others will say or think about it.
But thinking about that gets you nowhere!
God has a way of giving me what I need and today I needed to read this post. Thank you Angela for the gentle nudge.
This was beautiful. I also struggled through disappointment with my career. I was a lawyer, which I had always thought would be a golden ticket to happiness and success, but I utterly hated it and immensely regretted my decision to go to law school. I spent six years in the profession only to pay off my student loans and I felt like my soul was being sucked away. I have a wonderfully supportive and loving husband who helped me through those difficult times, and I was fortunate enough to quit my job about six months ago. I have no clue what the future holds for me, but I’ve never felt more free and happy in my life. Like you, I found my glow, I do what I can every day, and I am forever grateful for new beginnings.
What a great post Angela! I also experience anxiety and worry about what might happen….& usually the things I worry about the most end up turning out just fine! My husband is much better about living in the moment—I am trying to learn from him and appreciate each day as it is handed to me. It’s nice to know we all have our struggles but there is a place (your blog!) where we can share and inspire one another. Thanks for sharing your wisdom.
this is such a beautiful post! i couldn’t agree with you more on everything!!!
just – thank you, angela. this post today means so much.
it really speaks to my heart, and i just thank you.
(hug!)
I still periodically (well, frequently) get down on myself. One thing I realized is that I very quickly forget about the good (in whatever state that may be), and focus on the incomplete. That’s me — and that’s OK because I love always focusing on the next great thing — it really motivates me and makes me happy. But it can also drag me down. Way down.
One area that I’ve struggled with, has be achieving my private pilot’s license. Never mind that I doubled my salary in the last 2 years. Never mind I’m pregnant, bought a house, rented the condo, helped my mother-in-law with breast cancer, started a business on the side. . . etc., etc. I didn’t nail one thing I was really passionate about. And it sucks. And I’m embarrassed. I hate announcing to the world that I’m off to do something, and then not achieve it.
BUT, this week I changed my mind. I LOVE aviation. Why should I hang my head in shame that I didn’t get something done — I bought a plane and started a rental business (both incredibly difficult things to do with a highly federally-regulated capital asset). That’s pretty amazing. So, I opened up my flight training blog, and changed the focus — I determined I would simply write posts about what I *was* doing. I even uploaded posts which I didn’t feel were quite “complete”. So what? They are up. I feel great. And, not surprisingly, I feel that much more motivation to continue my flight lessons.
“Our achievements speak for themselves. What we have to keep track of are our failures, discouragements, and doubts. We tend to forget the past difficulties, the many false starts, and the painful groping. We see our past achievements as the end result of a clean forward thrust, and our present difficulties as signs of decline and decay.”
~ Eric Hoffer
Hi Angela, I think you would enjoy Martha Beck’s recent article in ‘O Magazine’, 20 Most Important Questions to ask yourself every day. She touches on those things that in our busy lives we quickly forget to ask ourselves when ‘life’ takes over. Hope you enjoy!- Alli
Thanks for the tip :) My grammie actually got me an Oprah mag subscription for Xmas so I will look forward to the article.
Sometimes I feel like finding your blog was one of those ‘meant to be’ moments in my life. I have found inspiration from you I have never found anywhere else, because you force me to look at myself first, when it has always been my last priority to even consider giving myself credit.
Thank you,
Heather Griffith
Thanks Heather :)
I used to always tell myself to just “do the best I can!” But as a perfectionist, that’s a tough motto to live by! One day my mom said, “how about you just aim to do the best you can…given the circumstances?” Suddenly that just made so much sense to me. I always think of that whenever I start to beat myself up about something that I could have done better on. Yeah, I could have done better on that assignment if I wasn’t working two jobs, or if I didn’t just have my heartbroken, or whatever else, but I did the best I could with what I had :)
I love that…it really clicks with me to!
Great post. The answer to your question: absolutely!!! But I would never change a thing and sometimes things that I thought were mistakes, were actually the best thing that ever happened to me.
I sometimes take too much personal responsibility for my life……it’s good to remember that I can’t control everything.
I also struggle a lot with anxiety. Lately the main sources have been 1) unfufilling career, which I am heavily invested in and 2) the pressure to start a family.
It’s so helpful just to hear that other people struggle with the same things!
This is such a wonderful post. Thank you…
I love reading these sort of posts you write! Ever since I discovered the blog about a week ago, I have tried to become more positive and hopeful about my situation. I try to tell myself not to look at someone who graduated with me and is successful at our mutual degree and be jealous. I tell myself(and try to believe) that those are the cards dealt to her and she is one of the lucky ones, but it has nothing to do with my life and should not affect how I shape my life, my life is blessed in many other ways, and I should not over look them.
I am afraid I may get laid off from my job soon and I am just wondering when. A part of me thinks it will be a great open door that I should run through, while the other part of me wonders how I will manage without money and if I will return back to that state of sadness I felt after graduation? It frightens me. I have admitted to myself recently that this job is a crutch only holding me up and I seriously need to take the leap of faith and let go. I just doubt myself too much.
But I hope that continuing to read these posts and trying to keep my head high and thinking positive, I can get where I truly want to go.
I am just glad that it is so easy to share here. I don’t feel like my friends want to hear me vent or cry about how I feel. And I really don’t like that feeling…. But this blog has really made me think about what I deserve and how to move forward from here.
This is such a wonderful post Angela – you really do have such a lovely way with words :)
Great post! So many of your posts are great reminders to me of why I chose to make the career change that I did. I should really try to develop some of these self-reflection skills! Glad to know that your journey has taken you to a place where you are happy; its encouraging to those of us still in the middle of ours!
Such a great post! I think no matter where you are in your life (happy or not), you can still relate to this post. Really enjoyed it!
Angela, your posts always make my day a better place.
I’m currently struggling through a Masters program right now, I’ve moved away from home to live with my partner, my parents have moved to the states and all my friends are off in different places. It’s been a tough time. I’ve been following your blog for the past few months and reading about your challenges and how you have overcome them certainly gives me strength during these days when I find myself reading endless amounts of theory that I really could care less about. Your Daily Glow posts are also awesome at helping me find a ray of sunshine in what so often appears to be a cloudy sky, and your delicious recipes make me feel great as I struggle to learn how to be a healthy vegetarian/wannabe vegan.
Thank you for sharing your struggles, it is indeed important to just talk.
All the best,
Tegan
Do you plan to continue with your program Tegan – are you happy with it?
That’s what I wonder sometimes…how do you know if you just need to push through or realize it’s not right?
I asked myself that a year into my program and was told just to push through.
That was a huge mistake.
One of my greatest learning experiences was not being offered a full time position after a summer internship. I was devastated and in tears for days. But really, it was a blessing in disguise. I hated the internship, but felt like I had to love it. I would have taken the job because it was the appropriate thing to do, not because it was what was best for me. I only hated being told no, and now I’ve realized I need to take the time to evaluate what I truly want!
Thank you Angela, Thank you! I appreciate your honesty and I recognize it so much. The smile on my face, everything is always “perfect” and not wanting to share my struggles. I’m getting better each day, one of the most important things recovery has taught me. I’m thankful for this post, because it reminds me of this important subject. Some other things:
1. I loved point 6, chocolate makes everything better;)
2. if you visit Europe again, please let me know!
3. You rock and you can be so proud of yourself! You really inspire so many people…
I love being over perfectionism! I feel like in school, there are concrete things to strive for in order to be perfect. Grades, sports, etc. For me, in real life, the definition of perfection is really hazy, so I tossed it out the window. Now I do what makes me happy. The people in my life love me for who I am, and those are the people that I choose to surround myself with. Like you said, those are the people that don’t walk away when you let your flaws show.
I am now in a field that has nothing to do with what I studied in school or what I thought I would be when I grow up, and I’ve come to terms with it. I’m helping people, I’m good at it, and I’m happy. I wish the same for everyone!
Today I am going to try and change my outlook and not demand perfection from myself. I tend to get upset at myself for even the slightest misstep and I think it’s crucial to remember that I’m just human, I’m not perfect, and yet I’m still OK.
Thank you for such an honest and open post. It can be difficult to be so personal but I know all your readers and myself included appreciate it.
I love this! Thank you Ang, this is exactly what I needed today! Lately, life has not been as easy as I would like, but this is what I have to keep reminding myself, and that I come first in my life.
Haha, eat chocolate made me laugh out loud.
Love this post!
Your words gave me chills. I am seeking change but finding peace with letting go of TRYING to change everything. Instead, I’m working on the things that I can change, and I’m so much happier because of it (even though I’m still not exactly enjoying career satisfaction YET).
You are so inspirational! Thank you!
such a good post. you are 100% correct, We must talk and get it out. You are so beautiful in and out for sharing and being real and helping so many…..and
6.) chocolate—– thanks heavens!
What a great post — To be honest, I feel like “I don’t belong” or “this was a huge mistake” in any job I have ever had. But you know what? I never would have met my husband if I had not made the decisions I did — there is no way! Starting with my college major choice and ending with a few odd jobs/volunteer opportunities — all of those lead me to him and to where we are today.
It felt like my life sucked at the time, and I kept thinking I ma making horrible decisions and I was miserable. But I stuck it out and worked with what I had and I made it work. I’m glad I did.
Thanks I needed this….perfect timing :)
I love that quote! I can work on being more patient.
ALL the time. Some many thing in my life haven’t gone as planned, but whoa – I wouldn’t trade where I am not for anything.
Can you imagine if you were still with the person you said you’d love forever in your 8th grade diary?! LOL! :)
I have a lot of those experiences, and they’ve all shaped me for the better. It’s so refreshing to feel that way now, especially when I struggled through them. One of the big ones was a relationship I was in. I stumbled upon a quote that seriously hit it on the mark:
“a true soul mate is probably the most important person you’ll ever meet, because they tear down your walls and smack you awake. but to live with a soul mate forever? nah. too painful. soul mates, they come into your life just to reveal another layer of yourself to you, and then leave. a soul mate’s purpose is to shake you up, tear apart your ego a little bit, show you your obstacles and addictions, break your heart open so new light can get in, and make you so desperate and out of control that you have to transform your life.”
— elizabeth gilbert
Another absolutely beautiful post. I was just reminscing on how I was working on a group project earlier this term and absolutely struggling working with my partner–he disregarded any of my input, ignored my answers to problems he didn’t understand and so on. We ended up getting an okay grade, but I felt so disregarded especially when I understood the class and the concepts much better than he did.
I was thinking of applying this to another group project I’m working on. A different partner and I were talking about strategies for graphs, but I guess I didn’t allow her to talk enough because when the TA called on her to share her thoughts they were great! I need to apply my own experiences to now.
Hi Angela,
thank you so much for this lovely post! There’s so much wisdom in it! And I can relate so well to many things you’ve written about! (I’ve read some of your backgrounds on your blog, so I know about your struggles with switching frm research to your own bakery business, and your eating disorder.)
I tend to be an anxiety person myself. I call it “mind monster growing”, and I always have to be careful that those mind monster don’t get too big. I have struggled and still am struggling with food, but it’s going upwards thanks to speaking about it with close friends and getting therapy. So I absolutely agree that withdrawing into isolation tends to make everything worse, and although I’m a very introvert person, I feel that exchanging about these things helps a lot.
A thing I use to say to myself is that everything is okay and I’ll be fine, and that there’s nothing to be afraid about because things turn out somehow anyway, and I’ll be able to handle it and be happy someway. My past experiences have shown me that, regardless what happened and how difficult it was by then, I was able to get through it and become stronger afterwards. That’s very encouraging.
I love what you say to yourself when feeling anxious…good tips! :)
How uplifting :)
I am struggling with an eating disorder,and although every day is a struggle, I am learning, challenging myself, and growing into a better person.
I couldn’t agree more. Life is about today, don’t get caught up in yesterday its just not worth it!
Great advice! I believe that everything happens for a reason. I’m not sure whether there is some cosmic force controlling the universe and making sure things turn out for the best, but I believe everything can be for the best if you decide to make it that way. Even the worst experiences have an upside, and if you take the time to look for them you can find them. I’ve learned all of my valuable lessons from mistakes!
This post couldn’t be more timely! Love that quote – it has a way of setting my head right when it tries to get to far ahead and I can’t see the things to be grateful for right in front of myself. Thank you for posting! :)
Thank you for the inspiring post. I definitely needed it today. Winter is always a hard time for me, and today was one of the tough ones. Thanks for the reminder that I can’t control everything and that sometimes I need to just do what I can right now instead of waiting for it to be the perfect moment. It’ll never be that perfect moment if I just sit on my butt and wait for it to show up.
Amen. I’ve made so many mistakes in my life and the funny thing is they keep popping up because we’re only human and like you said, hindsight and learning the hard way is the best teacher.
Thank you so much for this post. I about about to embark on a very exciting but scary journey: I am moving to New Zealand to study for 5 months. I am BIG on planning, but not knowing what it is going to be like once I am living there, this has been hard to do! Wondering what bank to use, what to do about a cell phone, who I’m going to meet, even where I’m going to buy groceries keeps me up at night! But this post has reminded me that no matter how much I worry, I can’t predict or control what will happen. I just need to go with it. I’m SUPER excited!
This post felt calming to read. Thank you. I am currently in an intense doctoral program AND a long distance relationship with someone I love very much. Stress comes from many directions, but in a strange way it helps. Recognizing the challenges and having negative experiences only teaches us to understand and appreciate the things that do make us happy even more.
Your blog is a great place. This is my first comment to you, but I am newly vegan and have tried a few of your recipes…all wonderful. I’m grateful for blogs like yours!
Oh my goodness! I just want to add to the chorus above — I really needed this right now! With so many of us saying this, it really must be that lots of us feel this way a lot of the time.
I thought it was going to be a huge mistake when I left a PhD program early, but now that I’m studying what I want to study (and I know what I want to be “when I grow up” finally!) I know it was the best choice.
Thanks again for being inspiring and awesome Angela!
Lauren
I have just been suffering from a severe bout of depression, and had the last few weeks of my last job on sick leave.
This week, I have started in a new, more senior position, and started a PhD (that I planned when well).
At times, I have been almost crushed with self-doubt, and felt that I should be doing ‘better”, whatever that is.
Your post has helped me (as has the chat with the psychologist). I will post your Roosevelt saying over my desk.
Also, I hope you do not mind, but I have copied some stuff off this post to my blog, with full credit and a link to you. Mainly to remind myself :)
np!~ :)
Another beautiful post!
Again, thank you.
i haven’t experience anything yet, but i do have to make a pretty big decision in the next year or so that im TERRIFIEd for and it will be hard at the time, but in the long run i think it should be better- i hope. so i needed this!
I really like these Daily Glow posts a lot. My “biggest mistake” was not going to college right out of high school. I was clinically depressed in high school, and when I finished I felt totally burnt out, plus I had NO IDEA what I wanted to do with my life. Everyone around me flipped out when I said I was taking time off; they were sure I’d never go back. Instead, I moved from Iowa to New York (where I have extended family), worked for a few years, and it was here that I met and spoke with native Spanish speakers. I really liked speaking Spanish, and started considering majoring in that. Then my brother, who translates for a living, sold me on the idea of translation as a career. I’m now about halfway finished with college, and I’m really excited about my career path. Waiting was seriously the best decision I ever made. Plus, I got all of my partying out when I was younger, so by the time I started school, I had calmed down a lot and can really focus and learn. I’m glad I followed my gut!
I have been following the inner channel into myself, through yoga books and following other peoples journeys like yourself that have been working hard to get there. A book that started to change things for me was “the four agreements” you have captured some of the essence of this book with your thoughts in this post (on being present and not changing or controling others).
kate – love the 4 agreements! i have read, and re-read, that book so many times!
This is such an amazing post, Angela- and such an important topic! Living in the moment and not in the future is something I struggle with every day. I need to constantly bring me back to reality and focus on what I can do NOW, not what I’m going to do in two days, two weeks or two years. I think by consciously bringing myself myself back to that point of focusing on NOW, I am giving myself a gift.
There have been many times in my life I’ve done something I thought wasn’t going to work out, and I am very happy that it did- we shouldn’t doubt our choices. You can’t change the past, and you’ll never know what will come in the future!
xo
Great post, Angela! I have made many mistakes so far in life but every mistake is just an opportunity to learn.
This post has made me cry. I’m going through a tough time at the moment and just feel so tired. It’s been good to read this as it has made me put things into perspective. I also suffer from anxiety and at times, depression so sometimes find it hard to see the wood from the trees. I’m going to do one thing a day (not matter how small) to get myself back. Thank you.
It’s hard for me to stop thinking all the “what ifs” and negative thoughts that lead to anxiety. I need to practice positivity more and meditation.
What a beautiful & inspiring post! Love starting the day with a positive message!
I completely understand what you went through. My fiancee recently has been having a tough time at work, feeling unfulfilled. And who doesn’t feel that way some of the time? But we talked it through and he felt unfulfilled because he didn’t feel like he was helping anyone. So now he volunteers with homeless children and spends time with them, playing and doing homework with them. Even though it’s 2 hours a week, it makes him feel grateful for all that he has.
I needed this today as well. I will be 29 in one week and have decided to leave behind my job, Bachelors and Masters to pursue an entirely different career. I have a very stable job now, with great benefits and a nice, big, salary. My husband is self employed so doing this means a lot of sacrifice from both of us. He is being totally supportive and we are saving over the next year while I take prerequisite course so I can apply to nursing school. I can’t sit behind a desk for another 10 years, 20 years. It’s not me! Everyone I told was like it’s about time, we knew this was coming. But I still can’t shake the feeling, what if I put our financial security at risk???? Am I selfish, stupid, ungrateful for the job and stability I have when othrs have nothing????
My husband says together we can do anything (swoon) but I still feel guilty for taking this long to figure it all out. Somedays I am riddled with guilt, others I think of course I can do this.
One day at a time is all I can give. I too suffer from a lot of anxiety and if I start thinking about next year, I will be stuck here forever. I saw a quote from a woman who has stage 4 ovarian cancer (her blog: http://182days.com/about/) and it put it all in perspective today. She said “Don’t let routine lock you into a situation that consistently interferes with your joy” I texted that to my husband and said I can do it. He wrote back “Damn straight you can.”
Thanks for this post today! There seems to be a running theme lately…. :)
Wow – that takes such strength and courage! I admire you for your amazing decision. Do what’s right for you!
It may be scary – but you have the support of your husband and if you can go back to school and have a sliver of opportunity – jump on it! I’m not in a position financially to make that move – but one day maybe…(like 20 years from now ;) ).
I don’t waste time regretting any of my former decisions. While not the best choice in the long run, at the time they were the best decision. Even my worst decisions have taught me things about myself, about life and about how to continue trudging forward under situations which are not the best. I love the quote you posted today and plan to feature it prominently in my office. We are all capable of having a positive influence in the world, even if it is not of the magnitude we would like.
Anxiety is something I’m currently working on in my life. It is a difficult process but I’m making progress. Great post!
Thank you SO much for this post. One of my greatest weaknesses is fear. I often let the desire for perfection and fear of failure prevent me from doing anything at all.
While I hate the fact that fear is such an issue for me, I’m coming to realize that this powerful challenge provides me with an equally powerful opportunity to develop faith — faith that I have talents, faith that my contributions are valuable and faith that it’s OK to fail.
I was eating chocolate as a read this- a perfect companion ;) I believe taking the time to truly mull over what you want out of life is time well spent. I know so many of us like to rush from one thing to the next that we forget reflection and thought can be just as valuable- if not more- than running that insignificant errand.
I can eat chocolate today TOO! oh wait.. I already did hehe
Playing catchup with your blogs and low and behold I find this just in time. I needed this blog, I read it, I soaked it in and I’m going to write down these things you just listed because they are exactly how I feel at the moment. I really need to see a counselor to figure out why I feel the way I do about certain things.
Thanks Angela!
Goes along with what I just read in “The Power of Now.”