Stress Kills...

...then why am I still alive?

I've been under A LOT of stress lately.  That's not to say my life is more stressful than yours, or yours mine.  I've just been dealing with a lot of "stuff."  Its work stuff.  It's hormonal teen stuff.  Its parent stuff.  There's my own hormonal "stuff".  There's house stuff...Enough with the stuff, right?

I haven't been dealing with it in the most productive way:  https://bfthsboringblog.blogspot.com/2019/05/stress-eater.html.  And even when I've vowed to do better I haven't.  Or should I say, I haven't yet...

Each new day brings new stress and challenges.  While it may knock me for a loop (and believe me it has!), it hasn't knocked me DOWN.  Because I am just like a Weeble.  

You have to be of a certain age to get that.  Weebles were egg-shaped toys from PlaySkool.  They were not unlike the Fisher-Price's little people.  But the cool thing about Weebles, is they wobbled, but they didn't fall down.  (Please tell me someone out there remembers this.)  Apparently they still do exist, but here is a photo of the "original"  

You can push me, but I'm going to come back up.  (Maybe it's because I'm a shaped a little bit like the Weeble.)  It's not easy.  I may sway from side to side, but I do come back up.

Why?

Because I'm strong. I'm stronger than I give myself credit for.  So, are most women!  (No offense guys!)  We deal with stress and strife.  The world knocks us down and we come back up again.  Maybe we wobble a little bit first, but we do come back up.

I may use some crutches some times.  Not the kind of crutches that you use when you break an ankle.  I'm talking about the stress eating.  The stress drinking.  (Yes, I've been imbibing more wine and margaritas than I should.)  Though I may use them from time to time, they do NOT define me.

I am stronger than a pitcher of margaritas.

I am stronger than a pound bag of M & Ms.

I am stronger than a bottle of wine.

I am stronger than a bag of salty snacks.

I am stronger than a teen who is snarky or a husband who can be snappy.

I am stronger than my workload.

I am stronger than I can even imagine.

I recognize the stressors in my life.  Sometime they push me and I wobble. Sometime, I LET them push me.   But I will NOT fall down.

I am strong.  Being strong, I recognize that what I've done in the past (even if it is the immediate past) is not what I have to or need to do in the future.  I can look back and say, "that wasn't the smartest thing to do; now I'm going to work to change that.”

I am strong.  I AM working to change bad habits that I've let infiltrate my life when the stress pours in.    I am strong and these things DO NOT and WILL NOT define me.

I am strong.  Because I am strong, I recognize that I need to take better care of myself.  I recognize that I need to walk away some times.  (Literally, walk away!) I need to breathe.  I need to care for me.  I need to BE.

Because I am strong.

And so are you.  Don't let anyone tell you that you're not.

Life is full of stress.  The stress doesn't define you.  You define you.  And you ARE strong.