Journey Forward: Role Model

Today's Journey Forward assignment asks me to tell you about my role model. Answering this is simple. My role model was and is my paternal grandmother. Although she is no longer here, she influences my life on a daily basis. 

Stubborness

Even though being stubborn is supposedly an Irish trait, I'm pretty sure I inherited my stubborn streak from her instead of my mom's Irish Catholic side of the family. And, ask anyone close to me, I have a mean stubborn streak! 

Integrity

She taught me about integrity. Character is the most important thing a person has. It matters what you do, even if no one else is looking. 

Toughness

She taught me how to be tough - I think I learned how to put on a facade from her. Obviously, this can be taken too far, but in general, there's no need to air dirty laundry in public. If you are living your life correctly, that's what matters. You don't need public vindication. 

Dilligence

She taught me how to work hard and finish projects. I can't tell you how many projects we did over the years. Whether it was tilling the garden or putting up fencing to keep the deer out or making dinner for Pop-pop, we were always doing something. 

Porch Sitting

Most importantly, she taught me the value of porch sitting. Every evening, we'd run across the field to her house and she'd give us pop-ices. We'd sit on the glider and rock and chat and stay out until the fireflies started dancing through the yard. I learned about her and her life. She always took the time to listen to me and what I thought was important. 

Taking time each day to slow down and really listen to people, to enjoy this wonderful world we live in, that's what you learn to do when you porch sit. 

Try it out. Let me know how it goes for you. 

It's hard in today's world to really truly unplug, and slow down. There are always a million things to do, but honestly, if you aren't taking the time to enjoy or participate in your relationships, what's the real value of getting those other things done?

You can check out the other Journey Forward posts here:


Also, don't forget to send me your submissions for the new Tell Me About It series! I've received an overwhelmingly positive response and can't wait to start sharing the stories! I love hearing about other peoples' life experiences, and especially what they find romantic!

What Are You Wearing?

Source: parisapartment.wordpress.com via Ashley@ on Pinterest

Confession: I am a sucker for marketing. If someone packaged it prettily, or put nice words onto it, I likely have it or want it. Retail therapy too easily becomes my "go-to" when I'm feeling particularly crummy. Not to mention, it feels fabulous to wear a great outfit. If enough of your wardrobe is relatively new, you're never bored with it. 

I've tried going cold turkey, and it does not work. I won't get anything for a couple months and then I'll go on a shopping spree. As such, I'm going to work on a new approach: moderation. We'll see how it goes. Coupled with this new approach, I'm going to focus on improving my character. 

It is so easy to fall into the trap of believing that my external appearance is the only thing that determines my beauty.

Yes, having a put together appearance can be very valuable and I would never discourage anyone from developing their own personal style. 

The tricky part becomes keeping sight of what is important.

Your image becomes worthless when people discover ugliness within you. 

I often find that when people ask me whether my friends are good looking, I have trouble answering them. When you get to know someone, and love who they are, it's hard to tell if they are physically attractive or not. They become beautiful to you because of who they are, not how they look. 

I hope to refocus my efforts as the new year approaches. I want to get back on track and focus on behavior that is compassionate, kind, humble, gentle and patient. 

What are the qualities that you find most beautiful?

Do you get caught up with your physical appearance?

 If you don't, what distracts you from the things that are important in life? 

Money? Popularity? Strength? Intelligence?