Adapt.

"Adaptation, my friend. When you never leave an environment, you never change. If you're not changing, you're not growing."- a Facebook friend of mine

I read the quote above and just stopped what I was doing because it was so profound. Go ahead. Read it again. Soak it in. It is so true. I've reflected on that a lot recently. Jackson makes fun of me because I have these great dreams of "reinventing myself" but that's OK. I tend to think that I have to move to a far away land to be who I really want to be. I don't.

Right here, right now, right where I am I can be who I want to be.

I can stop eating processed foods because I think they're killing us.

I can stop talking to people who don't understand personal growth.

I can read books about things I never thought I would and enjoy them. I can have "book clubs" with folks I'd never dreamed I'd still be speaking to and enjoy them more than I do other people in my life.

I can opt to see the bright-side of any situation.

I can shun debt and all of the chains that go along with it.

I can decide not to try to "climb the corporate ladder" even though a part of me wants to. A larger part of me sees that personal life success is more important.

The other day I had some free time (OK, I was waiting on hold with the IRS which means I couldn't really focus on another task with great efficiency) so I scrolled through my own Facebook "wall"/ profile. Do you know what I discovered? That I like myself. Before you scan over that statement as either dumb or cocky, think about it. How many people do you know that will say this? I don't know if it isn't common because of social norms or because of insecurity, but it is not common to profess self-love. I'm going against that norm to announce that I like the woman I've grown up to be. Do I love getting older? No. Do I think that maybe getting older is the only way to start really accepting yourself for who you are? Yes, I do. Do I think that just because I like who I am that I can stop growing, adapting, learning new things and embracing new points of view? Absolutely not. In fact, I think my favorite thing about my more mature (fine, OLDER) self is my willing to do just that: adapt. I can listen now without being offended when someone doesn't agree with me. I can hear someone speak on a subject that I had a strong opinion about and, upon hearing another side of the story, be willing to admit that I may have formed an opinion without being completely informed. I'm actually working on being willing to admit when I'm wrong. (That seems funny, but it isn't. It is a big step for me. Huge. Ask Jackson- ha!)  

I think the thing I like to most about myself right now is my general compassion for others. I care, you guys. It may not seem like it, but I have a heart the size of Texas. I care so much about the hurtful things in the world that I cannot watch the news. It overwhelms me. I cannot deal with hearing so much bad news. I instead try to read good news (no, I don't live under a rock and pretend that the world is a great place. I just know that me knowing every bad things doesn't help anyone so I allocate my time in other ways).

My general compassion for others has had such a profound influence on my self-value that I propose that we all take steps in being more compassionate. Before you know it we will all be non-drugged out hippies doing yoga, Pilates, eating real food, happily preparing tax returns and loving each other as Christ first loved us. Imagine that for a moment! OK, I won't ask you all to pick up a love of all things taxation. ;)

OK, here are a few ideas on how to love each other better:

-Give money to someone on the street who asks for me WITHOUT WONDERING HOW THEY WILL SPEND IT. Note: I believe that all money is the Lord's and we just get to direct it. Even if that is true (and I think it is), the Lord doesn't force us to spend our funds any certain way. Do I think He is happier with some spending than others? Yes. Obviously. He still lets me have my red convertible. He still lets Donald Trump have golden faucets. He still lets people buy drugs and guns. He still lets people buy overpriced, but super tasty venti beverages. He lets us select how to budge our funds. I believe in applying that same idea when giving of our own funds. A gift does not have strings attached. Remember that.

-Hold the door for someone. Maybe their hands are full or maybe their mind is full and you just cannot see it. In the end, we all have a lot going on. Let's try to ease each other's burdens as much as possible.

-Allow people to commit traffic sins (cutting in at the last second aka acting as a "cheetah" as Jackson calls it) because we've all been there intentionally and unintentionally. What is your hurry? Show some love and let the person in. Note: I'm working on applying this little deed in my own life. It is a work in progress. I wouldn't call it a strong point yet.

-Hold your tongue and ask if your comment is helpful or hurtful. I know, that sounds a little silly, but it works. I believe that you let yourself become snippy and nasty if you voice every negative, sarcastic thought that runs through your mind. I'm running an experiment with myself to see if I stop voicing negative thoughts if they'll stop coming to me so quickly. So far I'd say that the approach is working. I have had entire hours where I interact with people and don't call a single one of them an idiot either verbally or internally. That's progress. Really, sadly, it is.

-Smile at people. It is free and it matters.

-PUT DOWN YOUR PHONE AND BE PRESENT. Make people feel important. Maybe they're strangers and maybe they're your family but people matter and people want to feel valuable. No one feels valuable when you're playing on your phone and ignoring the "real world."

-Say thank you. When you appreciate someone for their actions, how they make you feel or maybe something they did for others TELL THEM. THANK THEM. You can send a thank you note (a lost art that I swear by) or you can just say it. Be brave. It will be OK.

This post has gotten random but I had a lot on my heart and mind. Stick with me friends, I'll get back to cute photos of MacKenzie soon!