Wednesday, July 18, 2012

The Hell With It, Let's Go!

I just came across a venn diagram that I love:

And it made me think.  Well, really, I'm always thinking.  Too much, as it were.  Constantly asking myself questions like:


What if... (it doesn't work out, someone gets hurt, something goes wrong, someone says no, no one agrees with me/likes it /understands ...)?
How will this affect my... (kids, relationships, career, family, life, future...) ?
What will my... (family/friends/kids...) think?

I have an alter ego in my head, and she is continually screaming at/to me.

She is alternately my voice of reason and my reason for drinking.

I simply must shut her up.


But I digress.  That venn diagram represents the two parts of me that, more often than not, are at war.

My Heart vs. My Mind

Why, oh why, are they never in sync? And why do I have such trouble saying, "Let's Go!"?
(author's note: this is not about right vs. wrong - big difference!)


If my twenties were all about trying to grow up (accomplished, thank you), and my thirties were all about trying to figure out who I am (again, good to go), then my forties, God willing, will be about becoming comfortable with all I've learned in the past, and just... LIVING.

A week or so ago, my very wise writer friend, Lynn, wrote these words to me:

Does it really matter if you get hurt? or disappointed? or angry? or whatever? Isn't that what life is - that we learn from those things and just make the best of it?




Then I ran into my good friend, Mary Lou, this past weekend and was lamenting another birthday, especially one that starts with a "4," when she said to me...


"Well, Beth, it's better than the alternative."

Wiser words, I tell ya.

So, on this, the eve of my fortieth birthday, I've decided to go ahead and let that loud-mouth, opinionated, do-gooder in my head rule for One. More. Day.  And that's it.   I'm done with her.  This decade I'm going to say, "Let's Go!"

6 comments:

  1. Beth--I lovelovelove the Venn diagram. Too many "right" opportunities pass us by without us deciding, "Let's go."

    And those words of Lynn's should be embroidered onto a pillow or wallhanging.

    I'm sure your 40's will be wonderful...

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  2. Life is all about the journey. I'm reading a wonderful book right now (Falling Upward by Richard Rohr). In it the author talks about the first half of life being rule oriented and people pleasing. He says we have to go through that so that we can enter the second half of life which is really about living to the fullest. We have to experience all the laughter, sorrow, mistakes, joys in order to really live. I am trying to get there....sounds like you are too:)

    Side note: I remember a night 40 years ago...10:58pm...and...it's a girl:) Oh how happy I was and oh how happy you make me every single day.

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    1. The laughter, sorrow, mistakes & joys IS living ; ). But please, don't think I'm ready to admit I've entered "the second half"!

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  3. Happy birthday. Ahhh your wonderful forties, not always MAGIC, but sure one heck of a ride, and you are the driver.

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  4. Lovelovelove Lynn's words. And don't think of it as a new decade. It's just another chance to celebrate life!

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  5. ACK, I better watch what I say as it might get posted somewhere!!! Beth, happy 40th! And there's nothing wrong with questioning so long as it doesn't freeze us into fear of doing nothing...

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