Breaking Bad...

                                                                                                            

                                                                                                            ( photo courtesy of kurieuze.com)

Everyone has a story. Some good, some bad.
Some are sad or mad or glad.

Sometimes stories, or just conversations with people linger in your mind for a while.
There are two people I've recently met that I can't get out of my head.
Billy.
And Mayo.

I met Billy last month at my daughter's school.
He wanted to talk about Unicorns for half an hour.
Hands down, the most fun conversation I've had in a long time!
I'd talk about Unicorns all day long if they'd let me.

I'm not sure who "they" are, I'm just saying.
I drive down the road weaving Unicorn stories in my head and have to remember to reign in my creative side in favor of reality.
I am reminded to focus.....Focus.

My mind drifts a lot.
It's one of the bad habits I'm trying to break.
And breaking bad is never fun.
Especially for the people who live with me.

I had been anxiously waiting for Joyce Meyer's new book, "Making Good Habits, Breaking Bad Habits," and continuing my lame excuses for not just doing what I know I need to do.

Birthday Shout Out by the way to this amazing woman who has helped me so much in my walk with God.
Last year I dreamt we went and had Chinese food together.
She had the Sesame Chicken.

Life is but a dream.
That hasn't actually happened yet, nor has my mission trip with Justin Bieber or my dinner party schmoozing with Oprah..., but thankfully, Joyce answered many of the questions I would have asked if we were eating at PF Chang's.

I won't plagiarize. Just buy it. It's worth every penny of the $15.57.
If I could just implement some of the principles, I'd have it going on.

I've been trying to break the bad habit of hitting the snooze button.
Wisdom says to start my day early. Every day.

I listened to Michael Hyatt's podcast about becoming a morning person and became very intentional about waking up at 5 am after hearing it.
This time, I'd planned to succeed!

What I did not plan, was that I would wake up at 5 am, in a puddle of pee, because my dog decided to have some sort of urination situation.

So, yes, yes I did wake up at 5 am....cussing.

Not the intended path.
Mornings at my house are not always filled with chirping birds and whimsical wonderland anticipation of what the day may bring.
Especially when I'm trying to break bad habits.
At times, I am downright caustic.

Now I know why. I've been doing it all wrong.
Shocker.
Apparently, you're not supposed to try and break every bad habit at once.
Start small, she says.
Break just one.
That success will catapult you to the next.
And then the next, and then the next.
Pick an easier one first.

I'm not sure which one that would be.
Currently, I'm trying to get organized, stop freaking out, leave the house with plenty of time to spare in order to be on time, quit nagging my daughter relentlessly for no reason, stop cheating on smoking, relieve stress through exercise, drink more water, eat healthier, get up earlier, use my time wisely, stop misplacing things, be more productive and yada yada yada.

Number one on my list of necessities is mental stability.
Obsess less.
Mess less.
Bless more. OMB.
That's my version of OMG!!

Becoming a better person is hard work.
But I am convinced it is worth it.
I believe all the way down in my soul that God has a good plan for me and it helps when I follow his instructions.

I'm amazed by people like Mayo.
Mayo is a new resident in my neighborhood that I had the great pleasure of sharing a deep and meaningful conversation with.

He introduced himself by saying, "I'm older than dirt."
"You look pretty good too me," I replied back.
It was legit.
He's a very handsome man.
"I'm 87 years old!"
Shocked by the sheer numbers I said, "WOW! You ARE older than dirt!"
And we laughed.

Then he told me that his wife passed away 12 years ago.
And that years ago, his daughter had been diagnosed with a rare bone cancer at the age of 13.
And how he laid his hand on the holy bible and swore to never drink or smoke again if God would heal her.

And how she died anyway.
And yet still to this day, he's never touched a drink or cigarette in over 40 years.

And all I could say was, "Wow."
How do you get that kind of commitment?

"Don't get me wrong," he said. "I still chase women."
And then we laughed.

I love the good and the bad.
I love the happy and the sad.
This is my life, and I'm working on who I want to be every day.

This is Your Life
Who do you want to be?
God will help.