{30 day #blessed challenge}

Lately I’ve been a bit stressed- to the point that I am losing hair like it is my second job; thank God I have a lot of it! I have been running ramped trying to get things done. Making “to-do” lists that end with ‘on to next list’ or that physically never seem to end- I have post-its everywhere with things to remember.

My life has become a “to-do” list with me making small check boxes to cross off.

I get up in the morning, check

Pack lunch, check

Go to work, check

Make my to do list, check 

Check my email (~800 times/day), check

Remember to smile, check.

check, check, check…

A couple months ago my ‘little sisters’ began making their own checklists on post-its just as their mom and I do. Their lists sounded much like what my life has become: wake up, get dressed, eat breakfast, comb hair, brush teeth, shoes and backpacks, bus, etc. It motivated them to get ready for a while and we found it cute how much they felt the need to stick to their “list”, checking off as they went through their routine. But the problem is, if we live our lives as a list to be checked off, are we actually living it?       

More often than not, I’m simply checking off my list, going through my motions, getting from point A to point B. I’m living off of a post-it/notebook/planner, constantly check boxes. I’ve been bombarded by ‘lists’ and not truly living between the tasks.

With my stress level skyrocketing, and learning to juggle all of my new responsibilities I’ve decided I’m going to make a different kind of “to-do” list. The idea has been lingering for a while now. However, the other day I realized how much I need this new ‘checklist’. It was a usual crazy day and I was running into the breakroom to grab my lunch and inhale it in 10 minutes while doing at least 2 other things, of course, when one of the maintenance staff asked how my day was. I responded with ‘it’s been good, crazy though’. It was a short conversation; lasting roughly the 2.5 minutes while heating my lean cuisine I had packed for lunch that day- I was even too busy to cut up ingredients for a salad that morning. But what struck me as I left for my office was what she said to me as I walked out of the room- “I’ll keep you in my thoughts and prayer, miss. It’ll all work out”. I didn’t divulge my frustrations, anxiety or worry on her. I simply said it was a crazy day.  But she told me exactly what I needed to hear in that moment. I walked away thinking “blessed”.

It has become the thing to do now, add hashtags (pound signs, number signs, whatever you’d prefer to classify them as) to just about everything. And I know there is some #100happydays or #100joyfulday challenge. But I’ve decided upon my own challenge. It is not going to be about happy days. It is going to be about finding the blessings in life. Because I believe that even in my chaos my day should begin and end with the hashtag ‘blessed’. It is about the coworker who gets you out of your office after 11.5 hours at work, the card in the mail from your best friend, or the FaceTime date with your family.

Too often I have tunnel vision on the one task at hand and I miss out on my life literally going on without me. But it is not always missing the big picture either. There are times when I am overwhelmed by the daunting dark cloud of everything on my “list” that I fail to see the little glimpse of light that breaks through. Blessings do not always come as big packages wrapped in flashy colored paper with bows and ribbon. Sometimes they are moments, a blink in time, an ordinary thing we take for granted.

So, I am starting a new mini series on my challenge to find the #blessed moments in my days. I gave it a 30-day period because small steps turn into large steps and hopefully become a constant. I honestly cannot guarantee a frequency of how often I will post due to time limits, but part of this challenge is for me to make the time and see the blessings in my days.

I challenge you to join me over the next 30 days to find your #blessed moments, people, things, adventures, reminders and so on.

May you always be #blessed, check.