Are you guilty of the putting off doing something you've always wanted to do, until "this" happens....or until "that" happens?

Maybe your excuse is you will do it after you retire, have a certain amount of money saved, your baby turns two, your children graduate from high school, you get that next promotion, or you lose ten pounds?

How often do we stop ourselves from doing the things that really matter to us and delay experiencing joy for some time in the uncertain future? I bet we can all admit to regretting not having done something when we had the chance.

The reality of our procrastination of joy is that we could get time off from work to travel now, or pay for a vacation next month with credit, or take out a loan to buy a cottage while our kids are still young enough to want to go there with us (if we really wanted to). Think of it another way, would we figure out a way to make something happen if we knew our time was limited and we'd never get another chance? 

What holds us back from living life to the fullest when we can? Are we simply being financially responsible? Are we afraid that if we allow ourselves joy right now, we won't have anything to look forward to later? Do we fool ourselves into thinking that our workplaces or our families cannot function without us for a week or two? Or are we just better at dreaming, than actually doing?

We can use lack of time, shortage of money, responsibility to our jobs, or being over committed as our excuse for why we don't do things... but aren't we really our own roadblocks?

I was guilty of putting things off for years, and I convinced myself that when "this" happens.. then "this" can finally happen. Big things, and little ones. I even put off much needed relaxing time because the house wasn't clean or the laundry wasn't done (yet). Now I want all that time back because I have learned those things are never actually done.

The truth is we cannot control what happens in the future, nor do we know how we will feel when we get to that point in the future. Maybe what we once thought would be important to us "then" isn't even relevant anymore.

I'll bet you can think of some examples from your own life where you put something off...until. Or when someone you know worked hard to put away money to use for fun after they retired only to pass away unexpectedly.  Or maybe you heard about a couple who waited to travel the world (as they'd always wanted) only to have one of them become ill and no longer able to travel together at all?

The moral of the story: don't deny yourself the joy of now.

I once grumbled about spending $150 to fix a water stain in our first house's ceiling-- a necessary thing to get done before we attempted to sell that house --only to be completely amazed at how much better the place looked after we did it. Why hadn't we just done that while we lived there so we could enjoy the view?

So stop putting off the things that matter most. Take that vacation. Start that new hobby. Get that boat, or fix that ceiling. Feed your soul with the big and little things you want to do right now. We can't always be worried about the what if's and prepare for the what then's, or we will miss all the joy of the right now.

We have the power to alter, redirect and begin to enjoy our lives at any moment. So, what are you still putting off for someday?

When life throws you a curve ball what is your natural reaction?

Do you:

• freeze?
• get into a frenzy of "doing"?
• start and internal "woe is me" dialogue?
• panic?
• share with everyone?
• feel anxious, get a stomach ache?

While there is no right or wrong answer, as we all deal with things differently...there is something you should do.

stop. breathe. feel. acknowledge.

Think about what is in your control. Then do something about it. Even if it is only changing your attitude. Let the rest go and trust it is happening as it is supposed to.

I'm learning that trust for me isn't always my first reaction. But slowly it is becoming apparent it is the path to living life with ease.

When I feel off -- I focus inward --rather than outward as I once did --- to see if there is anything I can control.

• my thoughts
• my attitude
• my positivity
• my focus
• my acceptance
• my response

Notice they all start with "my". In this case how I respond to a curve ball is really all about me. I have all the choice in how I handle my response. The power has been in me all along. Now I'm learning to use it.

Question of the Week #31: How Centered Are You?

Here's an example from my own life that might resonate with many of you. I'm on vacation this week. It has rained 5 of 6 days at the time of my writing this. In the past, this would have ruined it for me. Even a few days of clouds have dampened my previous vacations. this time I'm chuckling --- apparently I needed these days of clouds for a different purpose. So far I've worked on copy for my website to get it off go. I've written several notepads full of beginnings for my own book. I've read. I've listened to the contagious sound of my boys laughing at a t.v. show and laughed along with them.

I played cards -- something I've missed. I took walks and noticed how beautiful the world around my cottage is. Both times two deer  --the same ones I am sure--- watched me from the edge of the woods. A dragonfly landed on my toe. One flew by me as I stood on the dock. My husband told me one landed on his golf ball and stayed there until he putted it into the hole. I've had time to discuss really interesting things with my oldest son, he even let me do the passion test on him.

Had the hot, glorious sun so often craved by me been out all week, I would have likely have missed out on all this. So, I'm okay with clouds, rain, cold --someone much wiser than I had other plans for me. Maybe this was the lesson I needed.

See what is right in front of you and appreciate it. Bet this vacation will be remembered far longer than a hot, sunny, water sport filled one would have been.