“At times, our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.” Albert Schweitzer

I am sharing more information on self-care and taking charge of your day. If you do not learn to love and care for yourself, you can not take of others. I honestly had not given this any thought in the past. I never thought about myself that way. I knew what I wanted to accomplish in life but did not feel I had what it took to reach those high ideal goals. I had nothing to compare with my knowledge or skills.

Nine out of ten of the dreams I wanted to achieve, I finally did. I either taught myself by reading books or knew someone who could teach me, so I would ask them to teach me.

But here is the crazy thing, I took a break after my son’s death and raised my grandson. After my grandson graduated high school, I was at a loss of what direction to take my life.

I thought of all the things I had accomplished, but I recognized I was no longer interested in repeating those activities. I wanted new adventures. However, I had no idea what new experiences.

I drifted from one thing to another. Most sounded good and made sense at the moment but could not sustain my interest. It began to take a toll on my self-esteem and confidence.

How crazy of me to feel this way! Sometimes that feeling of worthlessness tries to come back. When this happens, I tell myself, “I am proud of myself, and whatever I need will come to me at the right time.”

The other day, I felt tired and overwhelmed with the tasks I needed to perform that day. Instead of complaining, I prepared myself some hot sudsy water, sat down, and soaked my feet until the water became uncomfortably chilly. My feet felt good, and my spirits lifted.

It might be a small thing, but it warded off the beginnings of a stressful day. When you feel a negative situation about to grab you, choose something that will help relieve the tension. Take control of your day.

It is great to have someone help rekindle the flame, but sometimes, there is no one around, and you must do it yourself. I am blessed to have had people in my life that saw something in me that I failed to see. It was the small flame that helped light the way to so many of my dreams coming true.

Now, I am on a different journey. I admit it is a little scary, but I am fortunate to a couple of friends who support me and lift me when I am about to fall. Choose your friends wisely and take charge of your life. Until next time, stay safe, and keep the faith. 

La Wanna