Tag: Giving

How to Love Your Life

- Alexis Leave a comment

I typed this list into my phone early one morning while I was laying in bed and had a moment of clarity. It was 7:14 AM on Monday, January 16, 2017, Martin Luther King Day, before I was a mother and almost exactly a week after I started this blog. I don’t recall exactly, but I think I was writing this list as a guide for myself, based on lessons I’d learned but of which I sometimes needed reminding. It wasn’t well thought-out and I haven’t edited it, but I think it contains some gems of wisdom that are worth sharing, even if I don’t always follow all of these suggestions myself. You’ll probably notice themes that have appeared in other posts I’ve written.

How to Love your Life:

Be grateful for what you have

Get comfortable in your own skin; appreciate what your body does for you and realize that there’s no such thing as perfect 

Forgive yourself for your past decisions and actions; understand that things you did and said in your youth were influenced by childhood experiences

Remember that this is the only life you get and it can end at any moment

Go to therapy. If you aren’t already living a life you love, you can probably benefit from talking to a therapist. There are likely things holding you back that you don’t realize. A therapist can help you see them and work through them. 

Do something to benefit others

Make time for your hobbies. If you don’t currently have a hobby, think about what you loved doing when you were younger, or try something new.

Try something new. Variety, adventure.

Realize that your reactions to other people often say more about you than about them. When someone frustrates you, angers you, or annoys you, ask yourself why. Are your reactions valid? Are they based on objective truths? Does your response benefit anyone, or will it only make you and others feel worse?

To this I would add: If you aren’t living a life you love right now, make a change. It could be a big, scary change that will really shake things up, but even a small change will do. Just don’t allow yourself to stay stuck for too long. Your time here is limited, and really, what’s the worst that could happen if pursue the most amazing life you can imagine for yourself?

“There is freedom waiting for you,
On the breezes of the sky,
And you ask “What if I fall?”
Oh but my darling,
What if you fly?”

― Erin Hanson

Thanks, as always, for reading. If you enjoyed this post, please share.

Ask Alexis, Ads, Art and More

- Alexis Leave a comment

Two adirondack chairs in a cottage garden

Hello!  I’m foregoing my usual weekend post to address a few administrative matters:

  1. Ask Alexis.  I’d love to start an advice column of sorts on this site: a weekly or monthly post in which I answer reader questions.  To do that, though, I need to hear from you!  Please send me your questions through the comment form in the menu bar.  Sign them with whatever name or alias you’d like me to use when I respond in a post — it does not have to be your real name if you’d like to remain anonymous.  Questions can relate to interpersonal struggles, creative pursuits, dating, time management, balance, or other life issues.  Remember, I can’t give you legal advice, though I may be able to answer very general questions about the law or legal procedures.  And of course I’m not a licensed counselor, financial advisor, or anything else.  I’ll just be offering my thoughts based on my own life experience.  With that in mind, ask away!
  2. Ad blockers.  I know many of you have ad blockers installed on your browsers or devices, and I completely understand why.  Ads are annoying, particularly when a site is covered with them.  But I’d like to make a small request:  if you use an ad blocker, would you consider whitelisting this website?  You should only see a maximum of three ads on any of my pages, and you will not be subjected to pop-ups or auto-play video ads, so any interruption should be minimal.  (If you do see an obnoxious ad, let me know and I’ll see what I can do about it.)  I do not make any money from this site, but ad revenue helps to offset the cost of hosting and other administrative costs.  Unlike many blogs, I’ve chosen not to do a bunch of sponsored posts and affiliate-linked product promotions because I don’t want this site to be yet another blog that’s trying to sell you stuff.  In the rare instance that I reference a specific product, it’s because I actually use and love that product.  If you want to keep it that way, please ensure that you can see the ads on the site so that I can get credit for them.  Thanks so much for your help with this!
  3. Artwork.  Most of the paintings and drawings on this site are for sale.  If you’d like to purchase something, contact me and I’ll tell you the dimensions, medium, frame details, price, and shipping options.  Pieces are one-of-a-kind, so if you see something you want, don’t wait!  If you’d like me to donate a piece to a charity art auction, please send me a request and I’ll be happy to consider it.
  4. The Groller Family.  Tim Groller is a police officer and father of three from my hometown who was recently diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer.  He is only 34 years old, and his youngest child was born just a couple of weeks before he received his diagnosis.  I don’t know Tim personally, but I went to middle school and high school with his wife Gabrielle.  You can learn more about Tim and his family here.  If you’d like to help this family with their expenses and relieve their burden as they bravely face this illness, you can donate to their GoFundMe campaign.

Have a lovely weekend!