How Do You Be You?

If you've visited my site, www.free2b.net, you will know I am passionate about this saying. Why?  I am not entirely sure I've figured it out until recently.  I had a haircut scheduled a while ago.  My hair was a little above my shoulders {maybe? } when I went in for my new do. I've been eyeing short hair for a while, but have been nervous to do it.  Like really do it.  So, I had her cut off what I thought was a lot.  However, now that a few weeks have passed, I realize not.  I want it shorter!  Subconsciously, I have been thinking about this and what is behind it.  I think the truth is that so many people I know have long hair and I want to "fit in," "be like them," and not be the odd one out.  It sounds dumb, even as I type this.  I've spent so much of my life trying to fit in, blend in and not stand out that I have likely deprived myself and this world of being my true self.

As I look back, I can pinpoint several reasons why this is the case.  {I'm not going to go into them here, however.}  Let's just say there were times when I was being "me," and felt squashed, embarrassed, etc.  I suppose my coping mechanism was to try to be like everyone else.  I remember being at summer camp, looking around at all the kids there, l was trying to figure out how I could be more like them and less like me.  {Does that say shame all over it or what?  Eek!}

I suppose I have carried that around for most of my life, until just recently.  I started a program called the 21 Day Fix  which was focused on clean eating, portion control, exercise, etc.  Long story short, I looked into the company that created the program and did some research on it.  I loved what I saw!  I became familiar with Chalene Johnson, whom I adore! As I was thinking about her and what I liked about her, it was that she wasn't afraid to be herself.  She was confident in who she was, what she was doing and what she was about. And, she was doing something that was new to me....something I have never seen or heard before in all the personal development things I have done.  That is powerful!  {I've done a lot of personal development!}  And, it made me think.....she was not afraid to do something new, something out of the box AND, you know what?  It helped me!  What if my something new, out of the box self was able to help others just by being me?  Duh.

So, I am now committed to the being the REAL MELISSA ROHLFS.  Will the REAL Melissa Rohlfs please stand up?  Why yes, yes, she is standing strong in who her Creator made her to be.

Active vs. Passive Waiting

I will be the first to admit it, I AM IMPATIENT.  But, I am getting better!  I have discovered something about waiting ~ it seems to me as though there are two types of waiting.  There is active waiting, in which you are actively working towards the goal as you wait.  I would classify a wedding as a good example.  You get engaged, you set a wedding date and you start planning, right?  You know the date of the wedding, your deadline and you work doing what you need to do during that time frame for the upcoming date.  That is active waiting, you are working towards the deadline/goal while you wait for it to approach.  THIS is the kind of waiting I prefer, thank you.

Then, there is passive waiting.  Just typing that makes me want to scream, yell, stop & make the gag motion by sticking my finger down my throat.  For a goal-oriented, action-oriented, performing person, this kind of waiting downright STINKS!  {Want to know how I really feel?}  IT is the HARDEST type for me.  The kind of waiting, where you know something is coming, but you don't know when, you don't know why, you don't know how and worst of all, you don't know what you are supposed to do while you are in this big bubble of unknown.  I would list selling a house as this type of waiting.  You know you want to sell your house, so you list it {hopefully you have a great agent who will give you suggestions of things to do before it goes "live" on the market. You know, touch ups, cleaning, organizing, staging, etc.}  So, you do those things, the sign goes in the yard......then......YOU WAIT.  You wait for the phone to ring for your first showing.  Hooray!  They called, you have a showing.  You get the house in pristine shape, evacuate the troops {if necessary} and find somewhere to go {or drive around the neighborhood, stalking...nah!}, and WAIT.  You then WAIT for feedback.  WAIT to see if this party wants to see it again.  If they do, you try your best to not really live in the house until the next showing {which with children is virtually impossible, just sayin'}.  You have said showing, then you WAIT.  WAIT to hear if they want to see it again, if they want to make an offer, or if they crossed your home off their list.  You WAIT and you can do NOTHING towards the desired goal/outcome as you do it.  Partially because you don't know when the said goal/deadline is happening.  It is yet another UNKNOWN.  Lovely, eh?  

All this to say I prefer to keep busy, distracted and in motion as I wait.  Thus, active waiting is preferred to me.  Does this mean I'm a control freak?  Probably.  This isn't news to me, but I do know I've gotten better in this area.  Progress not perfection, right?  So, now it's your turn to talk to me about YOUR waiting style.....GO!  {And, you better not make me wait, LOL!}

How To Eat Clean While Traveling

We had the opportunity to go to Omaha last weekend over Labor Day, which was awesome!  However, I discovered how tricky it can be to eat clean while you're traveling without a plan.  Thankfully, I was prepared and had some healthy options on hand so did ok, all in all, but here are some tips for eating clean while traveling.  I suggest packing the following:

* Larabars.  These are great, a very clean food with dates, nuts and fruits, depending on the flavor you choose.
* Fruit - apples, bananas, pears, plums, and peaches are easy to travel with.
* Almond butter - it comes in these little packets like in the picture above, so getting healthy fats is simple while traveling!
* Shakeology - we don't have the individual packets of Shakeology that they make, so we take a scoop & put it in a ziploc baggie.  {It is ok on an airplane too!}
* Travel blender.  Yes, we take this when we travel.  We prefer our shakes when they are blended, so this comes with us.  {It also is ok on an airplane!}
* Water bottle - it's important to keep hydrated while traveling, so this ensures I keep hydrated while on the road.

What about when you're eating out?  Here are my tips for that:

* Order water and drink it before your meal.  It will help fill you up before your food comes.

* If ordering a salad, order dressing on the side.

* Choose fresh vegetables as a side if you can.
* Nix appetizers.  They often are extra calories and not great for you anyway :)
* Nix desserts too.  {Unless it's fruit!}

I also try to plan out my meals for while we are gone.  I will plan a cheat meal or two over the course of our time away {of course it depends on how long we are gone}.

These are just some simple tips on eating clean while traveling.   If you have specific questions or issues you'd like to share, I'm happy to help if I can.  Just let me know :)  Thanks!

Healthy Salted Caramel Shake? YES, please!

Enjoy this healthy salted caramel shake recipe!

Feeling Misunderstood....

What do you do when you feel misunderstood by those around you?  Like they don't understand what your current situation is? When you're in a place that already feels lonely and the last thing you need is to feel misunderstood?  What do you do with those feelings?  

It's a tough place to be.  I don't know what to do with those feelings, or how to handle them. All I know is that there is One who is faithful who will never leave us or forsake us.  That is what I have to cling to.  I have to fix my eyes to the hills, because that is where my help comes from.  Not from those around me {they offer support, encouragement, care and love, yes}, BUT they are not the source.  



Just some random musings on this day.....

Fall Into Fitness!

I am super excited that the program I lost 14 pounds with, the 21 Day Fix, is on SALE this month!  I'm looking for 8 more people to work with to reach their goals.  If you give me 3 weeks, you will see results!  This program was life changing for me!  To read more about my journey, please visit www.free2b.net.   I would be so honored to be on this journey with you as well!

Pedicures and Perspectives

Oh blogging, how I have missed you!  There has been a lot going on in my life, on my mind and in my heart, so the time away has been needed.  But, I'm back!  And, happy to be here with lots of new topics of things going on.

It's Labor Day today, so we took the kids to the park.  It was a beautiful day for it!  While we were there, something caught my eye, then went into my heart.  Thus, today's topic.  I had a pedicure last week. {LOVE!  I'm so thankful to get pedicures, they are a gift for sure!}  I walked in, picked my color and off I went to relaxation station.  The color is beautiful, a deep pink with iridescent sparkles in it.  {Love me some sparkles!}  After my pedicure, I went on my merry way and have been enjoying my gorgeous toes ever since.

However, today, at the park, I noticed something.  Chad and I were sitting on a bench in the sun.  It was glorious!  I looked down at my toes and they were SHINY. SPARKLY.  BRIGHT. BOLD.  They looked awesome!  I loved them so much that I took a picture of them!

As our time at the park continued, we went into a shaded area.  In the shaded area, I looked down at my toes again.  {Notice a theme here?}  Again, they were gorgeous and beautiful, BUT they were not as shiny. {Again, I took a picture for proof!}  Which made me realize something - perspective is much like my toes in the sun and the shade.  Some people see things one way, while others may see them another way.  It is the same thing, but seen in a different light or with a different perspective, it looks totally different.  Two different people with two different perspectives looking at the SAME thing may have two totally different views or opinions on it.  The same thing isn't always seen the same way to everyone.  Interesting, isn't it?

Speaking personally, from my life, this is spot on.  There is a situation we are currently in that may look one way to people on the outside of our situation, who don't have our life experiences or our feelings or thoughts on the matter.  They are in a different place than we are.  {Using the metaphor above, let's say they are in the sun.  So, to them, the situation {toes} look shiny.}  However, to us, coming from a different place with different life experiences, feelings, thoughts, living the thing day in and day out, we see it differently.  So, to us, let's say we are in the shade here, the situation {toes} don't look as shiny.  Make sense?

So, what's the application here?  Maybe it would be helpful to look at the situations in both lights to see all sides of it?  When we only see things our way, based on ourselves, we get blinders on.  We often don't/can't see past those blinders and aren't open/available/able to see things from another perspective.

The other application that hit me here as I type....HELLO.  This is easy and should be plain as day.  When we are in the light, we are able to shine.  However, in the dark, we aren't able to shine.  Spiritually speaking, when we are plugged in and connected to Jesus, He makes us shine.  However, when we rely on ourselves, our wisdom, etc., we might shine for a bit, but eventually, we dull out.  Then we become non-shiny.  I don't know about y'all, but I prefer shiny.  Thank you!