Today in Wollongong.
I went to morning Mass at the Cathedral. For St Francis de Sales, of whom my missal writes - His ardent love of God and souls, his great kindliness, rare wisdom and sure teaching made St Francis exceptionally influential in bringing about comversions and in guiding souls in the spiritual life.
Spent some time at Nth Beach, the waves were fantastic.The salt water made me feel energized! Consequently, I went for a fast beach walk. Soft sand.
Today we visited Kiama. Travelled to the Illawarra Treetop Walk, a walk on a steel pathway and towers between and above trees in the rainforest. Will post pics later.
Interesting experience. Loved the views. Loved the rocking of the pathway up high. Loved the educational side of things.- yes, the teacher in me emerged, reading the guide and observing and talking!
My reading on the way home to Sydney? Am blogging on my mobile phone...Should be reading work stuff but am playing hookey and reading EATING LESS - SAY GOODBYE TO OVEREATING by Gillian Riley. She talks about food addiction. Am I an addict? Don't know but some of her criteria apply to me.
Particularly this one. From time to time you feel compelled to binge on unhealthy food you don't usually eat, only to feel regretful and upset about it later.
One thing has occurred to me while reading. Namely that some of my stress and thus my stress binge eating is related to pressure. Feeling like I need to be better. Reading about St Frances de Sales and about food addiction gave me a thought.
Why stress? Work, yes. Pray, yes. But think good enough.
It is okay to be good enough. A good enough body. Even if not thin or attractive. A good enough Kumon Supervisor. A good enough wife and mother.
Not settling for mediocrity of course but not putting myself under so much pressure.
Sometimes one needs a little break away to get that epiphany. Thanks to Wollongong, family, friends, St Francis de Sales for the insight....Something I will continue to think about... I could be wrong with this good enough thing, you know.
You may be right! I may be crazy... Billy Joel
5 comments:
" But it just might be a lunatic...you're looking for.....I may be wrong...but for all I know...I MAY BE RIGHT!
You've got something there, Leonie (not the lunatic bit...hehe)...the trip away helped me measure things up as well...you know how I've mentioned that things 'have been really hard' over the last couple of years...but...it's been harder yet by my high markers...there's an unspoken 'perfection' mark that I think weighs heavy on all of us and it manifests in stress!
I stopped to think...really think...about God's love for us regardless of everything...warts and all..failures (He knows exactly how many times we're going to do that!), hiccups...you name it and He still loves us! He loves and appreciates the very efforts that we make...yet we can overlook them so many times and hate that we didn't get to the "ideal"!
Doing our best is a goal that we should not forsake...but...acknowledging and recognizing our faults and weaknesses, owning them... is also part of the deal...to then turn and work on them is another goal entirely and will keep us pretty busy....Is it part of learning to love ourselves in a godly way? Making peace with who we are and refocusing on taking those strengths and weaknesses and reinvesting them in love, serving, growth and dealing with them? Without executioning our very beings????
These are just the thoughts that have been whirling round in my own head...you seem to be on the same wavelength...if you know what I mean!
What is it about getting away that makes one think? You seem to know Bill Joel, too :-)...Maybe we can chat about this when we see each other Wed?
For sure!
I was actually just thinking about that...is it that...because we temporarily remove ourselves from the framework...we can look more objectively at the picture? The onlooker...Jesus regularly took time out with God...He certainly set a great example!
Billy Joel...ahhh yes...the 80's had so many heart felt lyrics once you really look into them (grin)...
I always loved:
Through the valley of fear
to a river so deep.
I've been searching for something
taken out of my soul
Something I would never lose
something somebody stole....
Ah, another 80s freak....
what does Chesterton say? If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing badly? That's the same kind of thought, isn't it?
Getting away from the pressure does help us think, doesn't it? Or finding some other way to get out of the continuous loop of internal pressure or thoughts.
Pam
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