Wednesday, March 4, 2009

A Time of No

It has been an interesting period of my life these past 1-2 months. I find myself saying "no" a lot. The "no" has come in many forms:

1. I have said no to 3 jobs because they could not pay enough for me to make the mortgage.

2. I am saying no to friendships that are quasi friendships--you know the ones where you give more than they do. I need to be around others that give me energy and I am fortunate to have many friends that do just that.

3. I am filtering out distractions--making choices to avoid circumstances or situations that remind me of the past.

4. I am saying no to sugar and processed sugar foods-- did you know that Raisin Bran has 21 grams of sugar? My son Quinn pointed that one out as we were comparing cereals in the grocery isle(unfortunately, Captain Crunch has less- hmmm).

5. I am saying no to advances from the opposite sex, even though in some cases, they are
persistent-- I may blog more on this.

6. I have been saying no to the kid's constant requests for this and that. They don't quite understand how this whole layoff thing works- they just know that somehow mom makes it all work. I am sure we will be better/stronger for the little sacrifices we are making.

Even though this has been a time of no, it has also been a great time of welcome. I have two lunch dates with friends this week, enjoyed company with my Aunt Ginger last night, planning a get together with my APO buddies and engaged with a church after a long hiatus. I am quilting, learning to play the guitar, cleaning up the house-removing clutter and getting really clear about my budget. The really good thing is that my credit is rather good and I intend to keep it that way if I have the power to do so. In so many ways, it has been a time of "yes" too.

At the root of things, I have been asking, "Erin, what is it that you want?" I am capable of dealing with loads of negative stuff, but why do it if you don't have too? Why not choose the very best, most fun, most rewarding path?

1 comment:

Tiffany said...

Amen to all of this!! Feeling a little bit of "no" fever myself lately. Time to get back to basics and pare down in life, if that makes sense?