Did you ever need a reset?
I do. I’m in a slump as of late, and need to reset, regroup, and refocus.
I have come to a place in my life, where I’m seeing things more clearly, experiencing God’s presence and hearing Him speak to my heart in ways I have only dreamed of; and at the same time, I feel an anxiety in my spirit…a simmering frustration that occasionally bubbles up and spills out of my mouth in biting words I don’t really mean to say, and hot tears that defy my own ideas of stoic self-discipline.
I know that a large part of my problem is my own “all or nothing” attitude. I find something that I love to do, and all sense of balance goes out the window…I throw myself 100% into the new thing that I love, and forget to maintain the essential disciplines that keep my little world turning here. Facebook, which was intended to be a TOOL to keep me in contact with my children, has turned into a vice for me. I lose all track of time, and find it difficult to walk away…as a result, my relationships and responsibilities have suffered. I think this is at least partiality the culprit in my bubbling anger…I’m irritated at myself, and feeling lazy and unmotivated to change, so I surf around on Facebook…escaping what I know I need to do, for the sake of one more article, one more comment, one more share…until I’ve wasted another afternoon instead of doing what I know I need to do.
Anyway, until I can find some semblance of self control again, I’m disabling my Facebook, and re-vamping my schedule to reflect a more balanced list of priorities. I hope to be reading more and journaling again, which hopefully will lead to some new blog posts here. My posts here will no longer show on Facebook, as my personal page there will be no more. Please bookmark NewThings if you wish to follow. I don’t know how long I’ll be MIA on FB, but would appreciate your prayers in the meantime.
Blessings.
New Things 
I so understand.Computers are wonderful but can also be a time waster in a huge way.
I am now following your blog so I get your updates in my email.
<<3 I know you know 🙂 Thank you, Kat.
I was having the same problem. A way to deal with depression, just sit on facebook and pretend all the stuff that needs doing doesn’t exist. Because really, it’s just overwhelming if I do look at it all. But, I’ve stepped back and started working on things and that not only lifts my mood, it makes me productive, which lifts my mood even more. Win, win, win, and I am not constantly safety-wired in the pissed-off position because of all the political ugliness. 🙂
I sometimes wonder if depression is a culprit here too. I agree with the just doing it helping with the mood…there is wisdom in just doing the next thing.
Blessings! So glad to “see” you here.
Oh, my dear long-time WP-bloggin’ friend. How I hear your words and can so relate! For all your reasons above, I have closed all of my social media (Facebook and Twitter, and all the ancient ones prior to those), because of how I felt like I was wasting precious time. But even if it was just 15-30 minutes that I had spent perusing through either of those social media venues, I still felt like I had absolutely wasted my time on them. Therefore, no matter how much new friends along the way ask me to come back to FB again to keep in touch, I just let ’em know my email. They can just contact me if they ever need to.
Besides social media though, for the same reasons above, I had been (continuously!) closing my WP blogs as well. If I had to put a number on it, I would have probably opened and closed a blog at least 20 times by now. Because for me, it was similarly like your “all or nothing” attitude, I’m thinkin’. When a friend of mine had told me about how she had opened up a blog some years ago, but had left it un-posted for about a year now, I was shocked. I wish I could be “comfortable” to just leave a blog unattended. But it would just really irk me to come across blogs among the Internet which haven’t been posted upon for many, many months or years. I wonder why they don’t just close them.
But that’s not for me to be concerned about, I had made myself understand. And more importantly, that having a blog is not a priority, but a leisurely thing. One that shouldn’t take over my life, in which I have to feel like I’m obligated to post something. Therefore, with the blog that I now have, I just stick up tunes which I like to listen to, now and then. This way, I don’t have to search for or bookmark them on my computer anymore.
Wonderful post which can relate to many again, dear. Thank you and have a lovely reset, regroup, and refocus day!
p.s. Love the new header pic. Those are freesia flowers, no? I had bought a pot of ’em once while I lived in LA. Although they had died on me, I had loved their beauty and scent for the time that they had beautified the front of my apartment door then.
Thanks for the encouragement and validation! I’ll probably be back on Facebook eventually, I miss it already as I have long distance kids and grandkids that I love to keep up with there. I just need some time to recharge, and re-evaluate my priorities…would love to find the balance I need to do a little of everything that I love, lol.
The flowers are crocus…one of my favorite new things of a new season…springing forth 🙂 My pie in the sky dream is to have a huge yard with crocus planted in it, so that when spring is here, I have a crocus carpet, I saw it in a magazine once and haven’t forgotten it…it really was lovely.
I need to look for freesia flowers…I don’t think I’ve seen them before.
I went on FB one time and had so many people wanting to be my friend in just a few minutes, I thought, “This is too many friends for anybody!” I shut it down and never went back. Blogging is all I do and will ever do. I do that with balance.
God always wants balance Lyn. When He is not first in our life, then our life is out of balance. (This is always my first clue.)
Second: God did not make able bodied people for sitting. So when you feel the urge to do so tell yourself, “I am so thankful God gave me two legs that work, and I am not in a wheelchair all day everyday.” God created us to deny ourselves and be here for others. That may include cleaning our houses, laundry, yard work, etc… Taking care of our family and homes is much of a ministry as anything else is. God entrusted these things to us. For us not to do so, is like a Priest not showing up for Mass because he is on FB.
Third: My kids always want me on FB etc… I tell them, “You want me to have a picture send it to me.” “You want to talk to me, call.” I refuse to relate to my kids through a computer. Never have, never will.
Fourth: On holidays and family gathering time, I made it a rule ALL tablets, cell phones, computers etc… go up. We eat our meals, talk, take the kids outside, and for a few short hours are a family of conversation and love. Computers do not give a family these things. They are totally banned in my home during meal time, and catching up time. After all is said and done, kids in beds, baths taken, then if they want all that mess have at it.
These are some of the restrictions I have placed on myself and others who could not do one thing, but sit and text all day. Hope it helps. Love you, SR
I think the difference is, SR, I LOVE Facebook…I love how easy it is to send and receive a bunch of pictures instantaneously…from Idaho to Texas…I love all the little memes and e-encouragements…the fb birthday parties, and the easy access to people I love that live in places I used to be. I just do not love my lack of self control and discipline.
I am praying about whether or not to go back…and if so, when…and what will that look like? For now, I’m sensing that I am right where I need to be today. That’s good enough for me, but I’m thinking if/when I do return, it will be for the sake of my kids, and not for the sake of 300+ “friends”. That is unbalanced, for sure.
I love your electronics free family time! I may institute that here!!!
You will not regret having the “free” family time. It was hard on “them” at first, but they survived the withdrawal. 🙂 They enjoy it now. Always praying for you. Love and God Bless, SR