What to do When Life Gets in the Way

There's always so much cool stuff we want to do, trips we want to take, friends we want to visit, experiences we want to have,  but life always seems to get in the way... but is it really "in the way"? What if, "life" is the big thing we are always looking forward to. What if the seemingly insignificant things we do on a daily basis are the cool things? 

The trips to the library to drop off books, the trips to the store to grab bread and milk (and of course, bird seed, can't forget the birds), the endless loads of laundry you do on a daily basis or the countless number of meals you prepare in a week... what if all of those things are the "thing" you keep chasing?

Instead of always chasing down the next big "thing" (while life gets in the way), why not make the little things the big thing? Make the trip to the library an adventure, not just a chore.

On the way to the grocery store, take a second to talk to your kids.  Ask them how their day is going. Tell them an embarrassing story about yourself as a child. Kids love to know you were once "human" too.  It is possible to be a parent and a friend. Like everything in life, it's all about balance. 

Get the kids involved in the mundane crap you have to do every day. Learning how to do a load of laundry or cook a simple grilled cheese sandwich is an invaluable lesson for them to learn. Remember, Dr. Phil says... "You're not raising children, you're raising adults." ... or at least, I think that was Dr. Phil... whatever, I digress.

Stop looking for happiness everywhere else and just make it yourself. Yep, kinda like magic. It is all around you, you just have to look for it. Once your expectations change, your outlook will follow.

Nowadays we are so bombarded by images on social media showing us what all the "cool kids" are doing. What we should be eating or drinking or wearing, that we have really lost sight of what is really important... how we treat each other, how much time we spend with our loved ones, and of course, how much fun we have. 

Stop judging yourself against others and just do you! Do what makes your heart happy and give the other crap a huge "one finger salute". Stop chasing that vacation in the mountains (or don't, you still need goals) and enjoy your life in the burbs; set up the pool noodle sprinkler in the back yard and throw on an old Tshirt and just go for it.

Make all the memories, laugh all the laughs, splash all the puddles and just enjoy your life.  We can't all be Kardashians, there have to be a few Dan and Roseannes in the group for it to work.