Traveling Companions #2

The second Traveling Companion is....

Patience: with your own trials and temptations, and with others.

Yup... Patience. Something I completely lack. This companion is one of the hardest ones to get along with (in my opinion). Sometimes it seems like everyone and everything is conspiring against me and my poor nerves. Stopping to take a deep breath once in a while only helps a little. 

When my oldest starts to see that I am loosing it, he looks at me and with the straightest of faces calmly says, "ribbit". Usually it's enough to remind me to stop...breath... and start over. 

I think everyone needs to find a 'ribbit'. It goes a long way when you are stressed out and helps you regain a smidgeon of Patience that has wandered away. It's not easy to have Patience. Especially in today's society where everything is instant gratification. 

So how do we re-learn something that may have never been taught to us? I'm still trying to figure that one out on a large scale. But I have started with an easy task of saving money for something I was REALLY bad. (A new corset, go figure). I keep a few dollars here and there...sometimes I spend what I've saved and have to start all over again. But that is life. To relate to the first lesson, I am confident that one day I will master Patience as well. 

Now, how does Patience affect our journey? Simple. We can not achieve something grandiose overnight (unless we are SUPER lucky). Every mountain climber starts with a single step. If he keeps Patience with him, he won't give up and will eventually find himself on the other side of that mountain! 

Patience with others is a whole different story. I am VERY lacking in this, but I am trying. Everyone's story is different, their trials are their own and I could never understand how or where they became who they are. I try to accept that I will never be able to change stupid. 

When it comes to being a pagan or a witch, Patience is a MUST. Especially around the major holy holidays, it's just easier if you grin and bear it. I have had many many discussions with Christians, providing facts and sources. Yet, they still can not see past their bible pages and litanies of interpretation (that are usually completely wrong). Just smile and accept their greetings as a show of good will and WALK AWAY. It's not worth the energy to explain something to someone who refuses to listen. I won't lie though... it is fun to stun them into silence when I know their bible/history better than they do :)

Well, where do we start? At the beginning of course. Every journey starts with a single step in the right direction. Even if you are going the wrong way, eventually you will find your way. Start with something small and treat Patience just like you would an exercise program, after all it's a mental muscle that needs to worked out just like your body and spirit.

Until next time...
Brightest Blessings! 

Traveling Companions

With the huge adjustment of homeschooling taking place in a day, I want to be sure that I have enough time for both blogging and every other aspect of my life. The next 10 posts that I am going to post are from another blog that I write. They are invaluable to me and I think that a lot can be learned from them. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed writing them. 

Ten Important Traveling Companions to Take with You on the Journey to Your Dreams

This set of lessons are going to focus on the 10 things you should always take with you when you are journeying towards your heart's desires and dreams for your future. This is something that every person should know and share with their children, regardless of religion.

The first companion is...

Confidence: for when things get tough, when you are overwhelmed, when you think of giving up.

(should be common sense ^_^ )

So many people in this time period have had their confidence beaten out of them. A few lose it in childhood when a parent tells them their dream is too far fetched. NOTHING is too far fetched when you are a child and as parents we should instill and nurture that aspect of our kids. We, as parents, should learn to share in the childhood innocence of our kids. 

Granted, yes, it is hard to tell your child that they can be a one-legged, one-eyed space pirate that drives an El Camino (yes... that was via my oldest). Instead of shooting that down and telling him no. I stopped and thought... why not? Perhaps one day in his time El Caminos will become spaceships! So for a while we played El Camino Space Pirates. 

Confidence grows from encouragement. Sometimes that encouragement needs to come from within. It's hard to do for ourselves because of the way we were raised (for most of us, not everyone). 

What can we do, then? Firstly, surround ourselves with positivity. People who uplift us and not drag us down. Chose the people who help grow your dream, and make you a better person. That goes for friends, relationships, and family. I won't lie, it's hard to let go of some people. There will be others that hang on like toddlers being dragged across the kitchen floor on mom's leg. 

Where negativity remains, negative thoughts and feelings will grow. Thereby slowly choking out the confidence you have built up. One thousand positive comments will be crushed by one negative comment.

Secondly, we really need to look inside of ourselves and see ourselves for who we really are. If you find that you, yourself, are one of the negative people (I'm guilty of this) begin to change it. Affirmations, as silly as it sounds, can work wonders. Every day I try to find something positive about me, my life, my attitude, and what I'm going to do better. I write them down on my white board and erase it every night and start all over again the next day. It really does start to change your outlook. But you can't stop there. You HAVE to live what you wrote!

Lastly, and this should be first but so many find it hard to do it that the other two have to happen first. BE YOURSELF. Accept who you are. OWN IT. Personally, I'm still working on the acceptance part. But I am who I am. I am a mother, a wife, a friend, a witch, and a priestess. Those are great titles but I am so much more. Find the positive and exploit the shit out of it! What you don't like.... change. Plain and simple, in words, in deed its harder but NOT impossible.

Start right now. Find 5 positive things you LOVE about yourself. And live it. Tomorrow...start the day confident and see where it takes you.

Brightest Blessings!!