The Sun Will Set To Rise

It has been eight months since I moved to the beach. It was around ten years ago that I said I wanted to write and start my own blog website. Here I am eight years later and I am sitting here 15ft from the water, watching the tide roll in and the waves kissing the shoreline. It is an overcast day, barely touching 72° and I do not think I have been this relaxed since I walked the snowy streets of Amsterdam with the tunes of Coldplay carrying me through the beautiful city.

We only have two months left in 2021 and I cannot believe how fast it has gone by. There have been so many life changes that have only grown me and made me a better human being. I still have so much to work on, improve and do better at. Each day I wake up and decide right away that I need to live my day knowing I have elevated myself to a higher level than when I woke up.

How do we do that? How do we keep pushing ourselves on a daily basis? For some it is a the utilization of a vision board. Maybe you have a visual goal chart posted somewhere at home or work. I have motivational cards, wellness cards and I also use my biblical devotions. Using these resources are great to but what about when we need to give ourselves a pep talk? I joke with those who know me and tell them I talk to myself every day, all day. It is also very true and real for me! I have to constantly tell myself things such as ‘Get moving. It won’t take you but a quick few minutes’ or ‘Go ahead and make your lunch for tomorrow. It will save you time in the morning’ and my favorite one that I tell myself is, ‘Girl. You better not forget to write it down’. I live by my planner. If it is not on my planner, I will forget it.

I believe that when we are seeking change (or going through transitions), we must stop and pause for at least a couple of days. For some, it may take weeks but whatever your time frame is, do not waste it. Use that time to carefully consider how you can elevate yourself to a higher level. It is like making another notch in your belt. You know your end goal but you keep tightening the belt in small increments until you get to where you need to be. Eventually you will need a new belt – a new, improved belt. You can finally throw the older one away and know that you have gained a great success.

Life is like a belt in some ways. We won’t need a new life, but we do need a new, improved path because we have been working on our goals. For me, I have been learning a lot about being alone after living with children for twenty plus years. As independent as I am, there is still a void that I have had to learn to fill. Thankfully, I have found that coming to the beach and sitting by the shore is very calming and relaxing. I love taking walks on the pier and talking with the older gentleman who are trying to catch their fish for the day. I have learned quite a bit about fishing from them, lol. I am no where near ready to go out to the Bearing Sea and catch with the big boys but I am certainly confident in picking up a rod and going for it!

Something else that I have added to my routine for over a couple of years now is making my bed every morning. I use to leave it the same way I got out of it but I am telling you, there is nothing better than after a long day, coming home to a nicely made bed. It is like finishing the day with a smooth landing surface. You simply cannot beat it. Make your bed. You will thank me later.

As I have been learning my way in this new phase of my life, I have also found ways to set new boundaries for myself. Nothing too crazy but it is more simple things such as learning to leave my job on time. I am that person. I throw myself into my work but that has not changed since I got my first job at the age of fourteen. I do not know what it is to be lazy. You can never pin that title on me. If anything, I am often told to go home, lol. I enjoy my work but I do have to find the work-life balance. My days off have become so incredibly important to my mental health and my physical health as well. Even as I sit here in my beach chair, listening to the waves in one ear, music in the other, there is laundry at home waiting for me and a few other household chores. The chores can wait. The world will not end if I do not do them. I am right where I need to be. Are you right where you need to be? If not, please make that time for yourself. As my colleague says, “It is THAT important”.

For two days I have been enjoying the ocean, the pier, the way it looks when its an overcast day or when there is a storm off of the coast. All of the tourist have traveled home and there is the occasional vacationer down for a few days or the weekend. I love seeing the beach look less crowded. It has provided some much needed extra love to my soul. It is so beautiful to look out at the ocean and know that there is life surviving under the water and that God created all of it for us to enjoy, respect and use. My head is a little more clearer and I am working on re-centering my focus on moving forward and what that looks like. I do not have it all planned out but I am working on it.

As we roll into the holiday season, I know that the weight of missing family will be heavy. I am not sure how I am going to process those feelings but I am pretty sure that I can get through it by staying positive and remembering that had I not of taken this step in my career, made the move away from home, then I would not be able to provide for my family the way that I am. It is a miracle what God has given me during this time. It has not come without learning something new about myself and how I manage life, but I am so incredibly blessed to have two homes, and a loving and supportive family.

As I looked out on the ocean from the view of the pier, I seen a small vessel out on the water. Alone. It was surrounded by darker clouds and a small hint of sunshine peeked through the clouds above. It was such a mesmerizing scene because the water seemed so smooth. The vessel was calm. The breeze lightly helped to sway the small vessel back and forth.

Don’t you think life can be like that? We are the vessel, trying to make our voyage in our personal journey. There may be dark clouds around us, a small hint of sunshine and a breeze could be keeping us swaying back and forth. Staying anchored in the smoother waters is where we would love to be but it does not always work out that way. Sometimes those waters are rough and they come over our vessel, knocking us off our feet. Keep your eyes on that hint of sunshine. Wherever God is, there is light. He will carry you through to smooth waters and sunshine.

Wherever you are while you are reading this and whatever you are going through, know that you are loved and you can rise above all that has happened. Keep your head up, stay focused and find ways to re-center yourself.

Peace, Love & Happiness

Christian ♥