"Do it yourself!"

Posted by Melissa Baumgart
Here is what DIY looked like this past weekend:

Kid 1:  "Mama!  I need a glass of water!"

Me:  "Do it yourself!"

Kid 2:  "Mom!  Get my pajamas for me!"

Me:  "Do it yourself!"

Kid 3:  "Mama!  Will you find my baseball hat for me?"

Me:  "Do it yourself!"

It's everywhere!

I thought this weekend was going to be filled with sawing and stapling and other crafty DIY kind of stuff.  Instead it was filled with sunshine and family, processing raw life emotions and baking Easter bread. Like I often say here on GLWT, you gotta roll with the punches.  I just drove by that strip mall that Amy and I went to last year when we were learning tai chi.  It brought me back to that experience and reminded me how much I love that this blog has taken me to so many places, to meet so many people and totally takes me out of my comfort zone.

It takes guts, for sure.  And sometimes, I end up never wanting to do something again.  But the experience enriches my life nonetheless.  I was just talking to my Dad the other day about my financial struggles with school, and he reminded me that life experience isn't something you can fake. The fact that struggle presented itself and I found a way to persevere, has brought an experience to my life that no classroom could ever offer.

So, even within our times of fear or struggle, there is always a place within each of us called courage.  You can't find your courage until your trembling, and shaky and wondering if you might just fall off the side of a mountain.  Or maybe you're about to step onto a trapeze platform and fly for the first time.  Or maybe it looks like changing a habit that's no longer serving your body, mind and spirit.  Whatever that is for you, I challenge you to go there and find your courage.

This week, I will not only continue on my journey to reaching my goal weight, but I will also be stepping way out of my non-handy-person world and finishing a DIY project.  I am officially making that commitment. *yikes*  Let's just hope whatever I make will actually be usable!
-Melissa