NO ANXIETY! NO ARGUING! NO BABY MELTDOWNS!! The first day of our road trip was a success! It was a great family experience for the three of us!
Today we reach Our Destination in Colorado, so we are ready for another day of adventure! Everything is packed and ready bright and early! We have a pit stop about half way through at my husband’s aunt’s ranch where my daughter will have a chance to run around and explore!
Prayers for safe travels and family bonding! I will keep you updated!
You can beat it
The pain will NOT win
You will overcome
No matter your past
Your future is new
You can beat it
My baby girl had her follow up eye exam and all is good! Actually, all is great! Her eyes are fully developed and looking fantastic! The doctor even commented on how mature she is, developmentally, for her age! Yay! That lifted a HUGE weight off of my shoulders.
Tomorrow we will be taking her to her four month developmental check up to make sure she is progressing the way she should. Over the last few months, as we have taken her into her pediatrician, there has been no red flags, so we hope tomorrow will go smoothly.
I do have some pretty high anxiety about the visit, because I’m not sure what to expect. I feel in my heart she is progressing, but I have never had an extensive amount of time with babies, so I only know what I experience with my daughter.
I am trying to combat the anxiousness with positive self talk and prayer. This morning I woke up with an 8 out of 10, but since then, it has gone down to about a 2. I may have a spike again before the exam tomorrow, but I am doing my best to stay positive and fight against it.
I will update you all on her progress tomorrow!! Have a great night and DON’T let anxiety win!
Over the past few days, I have felt very off kilter. My anxiety has been very high, and my motivation low. I am also finding it very difficult to just relax, because each time I try, I feel guilty. I feel I should be working on something for my classroom or checking assignments. When the guilt begins to intensify, I start to work on grading papers or writing IEPs. However, once I start in on those tasks, I normally do not finish until a few hours later, which continues to cause my anxiety to increase. I feel as if I am caught in an endless cycle this week, and am unable to get out of it.
I know I will eventually be able to break the cycle, and rediscover my joy and contentment. However, right now I am feeling defeated. I feel incredibly defeated by my continual battle with anxiety, and sometimes, I just wish I didn’t have it. I wish feeling at peace wasn’t difficult.
I know God will continue to be by my side as I continue to fight this war, so I am placing my trust in His hands. I will do my part, and not allow negative thoughts to overshadow my positive ones, and I will practice positive self-talk. I will not allow anxiety to control my life and direction in which it is heading. I am in control, and I choose the course!
Thank you for listening to my vent tonight. I know that there are others of you out there who have experienced the same struggles and can relate to my off week. Thank you for continually supporting me as I continually learn how to fight the battle against anxiety.
Is my life perfect? Not by any stretch of the imagination. I have scrapes, scars and baggage that often slows me down. However, I have discovered that love covers all imperfections. God has given me and incredible family and they have been there during my darkest, and most anxious, days. They have watched me fight the battles of my mental disorders, and have never once left my side. I am loved because of my imperfection. Because I am not defined by the blemishes in my life, but by my heart. Anxiety has not defeated me because my heart is full of joy and peace in the face of my trials.
Purhaps we need to redefine what perfection is? God, and those who truly love us, don’t love us conditionally. They make a decision everyday to continue showering us with love no matter what we do. That sounds pretty perfect to me!
Just a few hours ago, my mother-in-law called me and let me know that her sister passed away. It was very sudden and took us a little off guard. She has been battling sickness for a long time, but had been better. However, as heart-breaking as this is, I know that she is happy and in a wonderful place now.
Death has a tendency to quickly put our lives into perspective. It reminds us that life is not endless and we never know when something will happen that will turn our lives upside down. Since I heard the news, I have been thinking about how much I love my family and friends. I have had a beautiful life full of love and hope. Even with all the pain of my struggles with my anxiety disorder, I would never change anything about my life. I want to remember to take time each day to thank God for the life He has blessed me with.
Just because you feel as if your life has been holding you back, that doesn’t mean your future isn’t full of possibility. The difficulties from our past strengthen us for huge possibilities! 
Hold on tight
to the words I speak to you now
Do not give up hope
In life we will experience difficulties and hardships. It will not be easy, by any stretch of the imagination. As many of you know, I have wrestled with an anxiety disorder my entire life and have had my fair share of ups and downs as a result. I use to pray everyday, multiple times a day, for God to take it from me. To give me any other affliction except anxiety. However, He saw a bigger plan. I now see that my anxiety allows me to help others who are experiencing the same pains as I do. I can relate and help them feel less alone. Less afraid.
I came across a beautiful quote that compared life to an arrow. It talked about how an arrow can only shoot if it is pulled back. And in the process of being pulled back it prepares to be launched forward. This is a perfect example of our lives. We have to remember that “being pulled back” or the downs in our life, doesn’t mean that our life it is over. It only means that we are about to be launched into an amazing future!
Look Forward.
Never Back.
You cannot change the past.
But the Future is yours!
You are NOT your past.
Change is yours.
Take it and make it our own.
Your life is worth something.
Something Beautiful.
You are beautiful.
Never Look back.
Only look forward.
The Persistent Platypus 