love·ly (l
v
l
)adj. love·li·er, love·li·est 1. Full of love; loving.
2. Inspiring love or affection.
3. Having beauty that appeals to the emotions as well as to the eye. See Synonyms at beautiful.
4. Enjoyable; delightfulShe's just really... nice, engaging, thoughtful, encouraging, witty, smart, gentle, delicate, bold, soft, kind, interesting, interested, genuine, she follows through, she remembers details, she stays in really good shape, she dresses nicely, she smiles, she makes eye contact, she has lovely friends, an important job, a handsome husband, an amazing little girl... I could go on and on but at risk of drifting dangerously close to creeper ...
But like how does she do it?
No, for real, how?
I am not trying to trick people into complementing me...we all have good stuff and bad stuff and we're part of the body and there is grace.. but we still want to be the best, most refined, like Jesus, dead to self person we can be, right? I mean.. right? That's what we want?
To my knowledge this person does not know Jesus.
Why does she seem more like him then me?
At the end of the day we do what are true intention is; it seems to me anyway.
I say, "I intend to lose weight."
What I do is sit with a friend and enjoy fresh pasta with a dollop of pesto and a few glasses of wine. I laugh, I listen to music, put my feet up and I feel relaxed.
I did not drink water with salad and a chicken breast, run 2 miles, do squat thrusts, push ups and sit ups.
My true intention was to relax. Bummer.
But I'm sure Emily wants to relax and put her feet up with her friends etc... it just all seems to be about balance and/or self discipline or somethin.
Stupid balance. Stupid self discipline...or somethin...
I bang on like such a martyr, "where's the bleeping time?!" I am at my job for over ten hours a day... I gotta wash dishes, clean my underpants, use the toilet (NOT GLAMOROUS THINGS)...
But, you know what, self? So does everybody else. Even Emily... so it seems she'd managed to develop a natural lifestyle of self awareness, self discipline and self control..I don't know how it works.
????
But I just wanna understand how to develop and have that thing.
How to naturally make the decision to sometimes have a run and sometimes have a sit down.
For my day to automatically contain things like exercise, wise eating, grooming rituals (from plucking eyebrows, shaving the bikini line, washing my hair, painting my toe nails...flossing...) so I am at least mildly attractive or at the very least not resembling Chewbacca. To care about other people even if my boss made me cry, to have patience that doesn't run out for the people I love the most and even ones I don't, to take time to seek first the kingdom of heaven, to not have the mindset I am entitled to double chocolate fudge fudge fudge ice cream after a 10 hour day, cuz you know what? I feel like I am....
Why do little wise decisions that seem to be instinctive for people like Emily seem such an utter chore to me... an endless edition to an endless list that endlessly goes on till the day I finally die...
I don't mean to sound so dramatic it's just I feel so dramatically about it and I don't know how to begin having the conviction to sort it with out doing so with the push of the dramatics....
I feel like if Emily would read this (besides being creeped out) she might just look at me and blink and say, "but just calm down, just work out a little, just stop eating more calories then you burn, just stop getting cross so easily, just shape your eyebrows a bit... just calm down...."
what?!
yeah, I think you've got all the answers. It's just about getting to the point where you really want to DO it. I remember feeling so busy and overwhelmed when I was in college. And then when I was married. And then I had kids. And now I have a husband and kids and a job and my dog is about to have puppies... And I've learned that I make it work when I want to make it work. And, truth be told, Emily is nasty and smelly and weird sometimes.
ReplyDeleteI am learning that there are many aspects to being like Jesus... and all of us have personality traits that are reflections of him. You may not be organized or patience driven... but you are one of the most servant-hearted people I've ever met. You also have the ability to make people laugh and bring joy to lives like few people I have met. I know that I am good at organizing things, and being efficient, but sometimes I look at Brian and wish that I could just be nice to everyone like he is. It is difficult for me to take the time to talk to people that I don't like very much, and my patience level for various personality types is very low. I'm realizing that's the way it is supposed to be... I help him organize and keep life going and he helps me learn to slow down sometimes and get to know people.
ReplyDeleteI admire you for your ability to do what needs done, even if the job itself is not especially pleasant. Whenever I mention you people smile... and in the long run that probably matters more than firm thighs. just sayin'...
But why does it seem like people like Emily can really do all those things? Being nice to people, hot and organized....how are all her eggs in all her baskets so full and awesome....grrr
ReplyDeleteThanks for "listening" to me rant, guys..
nobody can do all of those things... even if it appears like she is. I am sure that if you got to know her more you would see her faults, too. Nobody has learned that as much as I have this year. I have many people I love in my life that I've often thought were close to perfect... but realizing more and more that they aren't. Doesn't mean I love them less, just means I realize that we're all in this life together for a reason... we pick up where others fail.
ReplyDelete