• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Julie A. Wallace

Author

  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Shop
  • Quotes
  • Contact
You are here: Home / 2018 / Archives for October 2018

Archives for October 2018

The Shiny Squirrels of Autumn

I really don’t know where to begin, so I will start writing and see where it leads. Starting is easy; staying on any track long enough to finish the job is a challenge as shiny squirrels are so enticing.

Shiny Squirrels?

Ahh, your local squirrels aren’t shiny? Mine either. In Brevard, North Carolina, there are white squirrels. But I’ve never seen a real shiny squirrel – other than as a Christmas ornament. On the other hand, I have definitely seen beautiful, sparkly objects and activities and possibilities that attract my attention. Yes indeed I have.

I’ll bet you’ve seen a squirrel scurrying around your yard, too. They appear to zoom from one thing to another with no rhyme or reason.

I watch them dig under fallen leaves, then zoom over there for something.

They cross the power lines way above the ground here, scoot down the tree there, and then deftly navigate the narrow top of the fence to another secret cache of nothing at all under the leaves.

Shiny squirrels are distractions.

Shiny squirrels are master magicians tricking you into paying attention over here while something else is happening over there – where you *should* be paying attention.

You’re busy paying attention to:

  • that damned iPhone,
  • the latest news about–
  • rumors,
  • gossip,
  • TV shows,
  • talk radio,
  • news,
  • celebrities,
  • politics,
  • the entire internet–
  • scrolling, scrolling, scrolling, scrolling on that damned phone, and
  • everybody but you.

We’re scrolling and scrolling as if the next scroll will save our souls or answer the one big question, or fix the issue of the moment, and then everything will be OK.

What Really Matters

These past months I thought I was going in one direction. But then the movie PGS: Intuition failed to sell enough tickets to be shown in Mount Pleasant, and I stopped.

I’d say that was the turning point for me, but that would be a lie. Two trips to the local emergency room on two consecutive days is a more accurate assessment of when that bottom hit this time.

[Total non-sequitur: I’m fine, in a future post I’ll write more about exactly what happened – then break down how I reacted. So no need to call or write or wonder why I have only told a couple people. Stop worrying!! If I’ve had dinner with you recently or talked with you recently, and didn’t mention it, there’s a reason: I’m fine. The details about this are on the way, provided no more shiny squirrels show up…

Oh wait.

What was I writing about?]

Shiny Squirrels Do Not Matter

Shiny squirrels are in cahoots with your ego mind, that part of you that wants to be in control of everything all the time.

The ego mind corrects you, criticizes you, and always has an answer to everything – except when it really counts.

My mind was attuned to negativity, I was overwhelmed with taking in too much information, I was on the computer 15 hours a day, I was reading big books, and was feeling way out of sorts. To top it off, I wasn’t eating well. I wasn’t caring for myself.

That is, I was showering and doing *that* kind of self care to maintain, but not celebrate. I wasn’t doing things that matter to me:

  • Spending time with friends and family
  • Loving on my furry friends – Ivan and Nebula
  • Walking in nature (I barely worked in my garden at all this summer)
  • Doing things that are fun
  • Laughing out loud
  • Listening to music that I love
  • The list goes on…and on…

So Just Stop Already

Whatever you’re doing right now, just stop it.

Take a deep breath in and look around you. Give thanks.

Pause just a bit longer, and take a darned good look inside yourself.

Have you forgotten to do something that feeds your soul?

Has a shiny squirrel distracted you? Have you wavered in your deep love for yourself, others, and this magical world of ours?

Breathe.

If you can change course right now, do it.

If you can’t, pull out your calendar and make plan an escape plan. My coach talks about finding joy in micro vacations – little escapes through the day.

Can you find five minutes?

Life is not about shiny squirrels. They’re cute little devils, and devils is the optimum word here.

Beware those cuties!

Beware the shiny thing that just caught your attention!

And breathe.

You can do this Monday, this week, this life just fine.

Primary Sidebar

Follow by Email
Facebook
Facebook
fb-share-icon
Twitter
Visit Us
Follow Me
Tweet
Instagram
Pinterest
Pinterest
Pin Share
LinkedIn
Share
RSS

Join My Mailing List

I'd love to send you a little something.

Please wait...

You're awesome! Thank you for joining the Julie A. Wallace Life Coach mailing list. 

Archives

  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • March 2021
  • March 2020
  • June 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017

Categories

  • Chronicles
  • Life Coach
  • Meditation
  • MidLife
  • Poetry
  • Tools For The Road
  • Writing

Tags

Accountability Advice Aging Book Reviews Books Cats Challenges Christmas Consciousness Conspiracy Theories Desires Distraction Dreams Encouragement Genealogy Humor Intuition Life Coach Listening Meditation MidLife midlife crisis Mindfulness Mission 2022 Movies Obstacles One Patterns Peru Poetry Processing Psychology Qanon Reading Retirement Sacred Valley Spirit Squirrels Star Trek Tools For The Road Travel Voracious Waterfall Words Writing
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions

Copyright © 2022 — Julie A. Wallace • All rights reserved.

Privacy Policy • Disclaimer • Terms and Conditions

Genesis Framework • WordPress • Log in

 

Loading Comments...