“No matter how good or bad things are, they are never permanent. Nothing stays the same, no matter how much you want it to.” That is why it is so important to live in the present, not grieving for the past, or overly anticipating the future. This truism is not intended to be morbid, just reality. We should give thanks for our blessings, and learn from our problems.

“If we have a big enough ‘Why,’ and the ‘What’ and ‘How,’ we can manage most any challenge. “This might be hard to wrap our heads around without a concrete example. My “Why” for eliminating alcohol from my life in 2019 was to lose weight. I did that, and as that change became a part of me, I not only lost weight (50 pounds,) I felt better. My “What” for that change became more than weight loss; it became to be healthier overall. My “How” was to eliminate all alcohol from my life. That decision was the absolute right one for me in 2019, and it remains so six and a half years later. While at times it has not been an easy change, since alcohol use is very prevalent in our society, my ‘Why,’ ‘What,’ and ‘How’ have remained clear.

“One Decision Can Change Your Life.” If there is anything holding us back from living our best life, we need to have the courage to make a change. This change may ultimately be a positive one, although it may not feel that way initially. It is sometimes so much easier to keep on keeping on, even when doing so is wearing us out. The example of this that comes to mind for me is my husband and my decision to sell our home and downsize in early 2023. We were not clear about our next steps, but we know it was time to take that initial first step. The house and property was too large for us to keep up. We were (and now, are even more so!) aging, and needed to simplify our lives. While we are still not clear on our next steps, we know that first step was the right one. Our lives are simpler, with less house stress. We moved into a much smaller home in a 55 and older neighborhood. While there are some things about our current home and neighborhood that I do not like, I do like the ease and simplicity of it.

“Nothing stays the same, no matter how much we want it to.” “If we have a big enough ‘Why,’ and the ‘What’ and ‘How,’ we can manage most any challenge.” “One decision can change our lives.” Think on these truisms. Think on them as they apply to you and your life, and have the courage to move in the direction they lead you. Don’t try to figure it all out before you move forward. Just take the next first step.

Enjoy this upcoming last week before the Thanksgiving rush, and protect your energy level. Remember, it isn’t as much about the food that is on the table as it is about those loved ones with whom we gather.