Happiness Part I

Have YOU made any New Years resolutions? 

I've come to find that I'm not really into making New Years resolutions. 

I don't think anyone is wrong for making them, New Years resolutions are positive little beauties...
they just aren't for me.
Why? Well, here's why...

To me, resolutions are just goals with a fancy name...goals that seem to dissipate within the first few months of the year. They are goals I have or should be accomplishing throughout the whole year.

I don't always achieve the steps with perfection that lead to accomplishing those goals everyday, but I try.

Making healthy changes, bettering ourselves is ALWAYS something we should strive to do....everyday of the year. And the best part is, if I have a bad day - the slate is wiped clean the next morning and I can start again.

While we all have a long list of varied goals we want to pursue, I have found that there is usually an underlying theme to all those pursuits: 

To find more joy, more happiness and therefore...a better life.

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There are a million things we can do to find more DAILY happiness, but I'm going to share a few with you this week that have been on my mind.

I think the first step to finding true happiness involves taking a good look at ourselves and the lives we are living right now.

Asking specific questions, like some of the examples I have below, will help us all asses some of the factors that might be contributing to our overall happiness or unhappiness:
(grab a piece of paper and write down your initial thoughts to each of these questions)

1. Does your current lifestyle make you TRULY happy?

2. Is your overall daily attitude one that promotes happiness?
3. Do your thoughts make you happy?
4. Do you speak (whether aloud or silently) positive thoughts or negative thoughts?

5. Have you brought others into your life that build you up or tear you down?
6. What have you have left undone out of fear or it's level of difficulty?
7. Are YOU striving to build up ALL others you come in contact with?

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I know that if we face some of the answers to these questions head on we can find some REAL solutions to making our lives the BEST they can be.

Tomorrow I am going to start sharing some of the specific things I will be doing DAILY to invite more happiness and enjoy the journey to creating a better life and a better me.

I hope you join me.

I made it + surgical "little things"

Yesterday morning I found myself, a nervous wreck, in a hospital gown and blue bonnet waiting for the anesthesiologist to put my 'no worries' medicine into my IV. 

I don't remember anything after the nurses began pushing my bed around the corner. 

After that, it was all over...I was out! 

I awoke to an upset stomach and a very large and swollen knee wrapped in bandages. The pain was intense so we worked on managing that and then I got to go home. 

The next few days will be tough, but I've got my pain pills with me at all times.

I'll be working on a few project while my movement is minimal and will be sharing them with you soon!

I hope you are having a really GREAT weekend....

I want to leave you with a couple 'little things' I have been cherishing the last 48 hours.

- the hot pink zinnias Mr.Wilson and my handsome green boy picked for me from my garden to enjoy at my bedside.

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- fresh peaches and vanilla bean ice cream from my Popsicle

- yummy dinner from a sister

- thoughtful phone calls and emails

- kisses from my blue boy and green boy

 - waking up from anesthesia to Mr.Wilson's blue eyes

- helpful hands

- My Momsi's good care for me and my handsome little men

- a really great doctor I can trust

Finish up your weekend by searching and treasuring the moments of sunshine in your life.

See you on Monday!!!

updates ...

 I've had some questions lately about stories I've started here and then proceeded to leave unresolved.
Why?
Not because I've forgotten about you, or I enjoy unfinished things.
It's because they are still unresolved.

My knee
You know we all have a part of our bodies that we don't really love...and often try to hide.
I know I'm not the only one!
I'm going to let you in on a little secret ...
I really don't like my knees.
I try to hide them every possible chance I get.
I know that might sound silly, but I'm NOT lying.
Let me tell you ... I'm not loving them, but I'm actually learning to appreciate them (even in their nonfunctional state) now more than EVER!

Unfortunately, even after multiple trips to the doctor, an MRI, and physical therapy, I STILL don't know exactly why my knee can't function and hurts so bad sometimes I feel like I'm going to lose my lunch.
I've heard a few different possibilities

Which, to me, means that...
No one has any idea!

I've gathered that it could be one or more of these options:
Torn meniscus
Chondromalacia of the Patella
My femur grinding against my Patella
A beat up Patella that needs to be surgically smoothed out again
Some kind of cartilage damage

So...none of those sound good to me, but for now, I'm just going to go to physical therapy, take my pills, and unfortunately do what the doctor says: The least amount of weight bearing activity as possible.

You'd think I would be pretty accepting of this considering I've racked up months and months, in my life, lying on my back unable to move at all!

Well...I'm a mover, pushing my body to actively perform and constantly move are things that make me feel alive, but I've obviously pushed my body right into an injury.

So right now, I'm waiting, hoping someday soon I'll be able to move fast enough to catch my little blue boy, and trying to heal.

My service project proposal
I've finally heard back from Good Samaritan Hospital and my project is still being reviewed by the directors, so it hasn't been rejected ... just moving slowly.

I have to go through a volunteer background check and training so while I'm waiting to hear from the peeps in charge I'm going to get that going.

Those of you who are waiting to serve alongside me ... please don't stop waiting.
This thing WILL happen!!!
I'm going to MAKE IT HAPPEN!

So those are my additions to the still unfinished stories.
Stay tuned for more ...

Don't forget to enter the GIVEAWAY !
Tomorrow, we have a "little things" list from a pretty talented lady - your going to want to meet her!
So, I guess I'll see you with the sun rise!

What?!?!

The last couple days have been interesting...
The Orthopedic Surgeon told me I have a torn meniscus.
Not good...the only solution is surgery.

But the good part is...it definitely explains the:

(as I sit here with a bag of frozen cauliflower on my knee and pain meds at my side.)

It's pretty crazy to go from spinning 26 miles an hour, running sprints, squatting...etc. everyday
to not even being able to get out of bed or play 'tigers' on the floor with my boys.

I'm feeling pretty pathetic.
I'm a go-er and a do-er.
I don't like to sit around - and I don't like my body to be incapable of ANYTHING!

But the good news is: though the pain is bad, I've had pain much worse...
so I know I can get through it.

Now this week will be on to an MRI and a return to the Surgeon for a consultation about surgery.

My "little things" today: 

 the sound of the birds singing through my open windows
my little boy's rosie cheeks after playing outside
helping hands
kind words from a friend
a tall glass of ice cold water

the smell of freshly bathed skin

These things...and many more will keep a smile on my face while I wait for my knee to be repaired.

Okay...let's be completely honest - at times that smile might not be on my face, but I will at least keep it hiding in my back pocket!

What are YOUR "little things" today?
squeezingitallin@gmail.com

Boo...

Guess who is hobbling around with a bum knee?

Yep, that would be me.
Boo.

I can barely walk...how on Earth did I get through that Rear Assets class last night?

This knee has been a stumbling block as of late...messing with my running schedule and workouts 
Now...well, it's doing more than messing...it's RULING.

So I'm off to see an Orthopedic Surgeon tomorrow morning.
Wish me luck and cross your fingers...