My two thoughts on life.

I feel like I have to come to a point in my life where evaluation is key.  At most times you know what your life holds in the next few months and you focus on the daily tasks at hand.  Now that I am graduated with a career, I know what a few days of the week will be filled with for the rest of my life but I have really been thinking about how I want to fill in the days I am home.  How I want the direction of my life to go. What I want to be doing, making, serving.  Want I want to accomplish in the times I can simply do what I want.  Even though I am only the ripe age of twenty four, I feel like it is so important for me at this time to really stick with my goals, aspirations, so that when I am at the the not-so-ripe age of 80, regrets are not in store.

Here are some things I have learned, appreciate in others, or want to be like.  Luckily, I have friends and family that have taught me these things through example, and most definitely are optimal examples.

1.  I so appreciate people who are not caught up in non-important things.  I have this friend who is one of the most amazing people I know.  I love being around her because she is so in tune with her little family and her family only.  She never knows what is "going on around town", which I think is totally awesome.  I love how simple she is and how simple things make her so dang happy.

2.  I am learning that there is so much comfort in familiarity.  I used to think I wanted to go out on the next greatest adventure at the very second it presents itself.  Luckily I was able to when I was younger and still do to some degree.  But I am learning that there is so much comfort to be felt in familiar things. For example, where I live, who I live by, being able to stop by friends houses at ten on a Sunday night, driving past my favorite field, Grandpa's backyard, and a million more things.  These things are nostalgic and really make my heart happy.

3.  One of the most admirable qualities I find in people are those who are not constantly "plugged in" to the world.  Whether through computers or smart phones.  As I recently got a smart phone, I am learning that this is going to be a good personal test for self control and limitations.  I always used to say that it bothered me when people were constantly on their phones, and I am realizing how quickly this can happen.  I love people who don't know everything about the latest everything, it is refreshing and rare.

4.  My sister is such a great example of filling her life with meaningful things.  She always has a great perspective on EVERYTHING, I don't know how she does it.  I love that everything in her house, on her walls, she says, or does has meaning.  She doesn't hang something up on her wall because it's cute, well it is most likely cute, but it also has to have meaning.  That is what is so neat about her, she really cherishes the things and people in her life and makes them feel they have meaning, too.

5.  The last thing I have thought about is how I want to be productive.  I remember as a little girl, my mom was constantly doing something for someone. Whether it be taking someone apple pies (we used to make millions of these I swear), offering to watch children, working in Grandpa's woodshop, taking us skiing, cleaning people's homes because of their disabilities, or whatever, she was so productive with her time.  My sister Carrie is the same way.  If she has five minutes, she'll make drapes.  If she has ten minutes, she'll make a dress.  If she has fifteen minutes, she'll can foods from her garden or writing a sweet note to a friend.  I think the ability to make yourself be continuously productive is so neat.

I have so so far to go but  I really need to be in tune with when my life needs a little evaluation of where it has gone, where it is going, and where I want it to progress to.  I feel like I have been incredibly blessed in my life, and I want my actions to reflect my appreciation to my God, my family, my friends, and to myself.