Fresh on the heels of my post preaching the importance of staring the week with a positive attitude, I’m finding myself in a bit of a funk today. My stomach is in knots and I’m feeling a little off. Normally, I would just recognize it and quietly wait for it to pass but this morning I read a post from Skinny Runner about how we present our life and want to look like the best version of ourselves to others.
I try to keep Peanut Butter Runner a super positive place. I know that everyone is dealing with all of their own day-to-day drama and the last thing you want to do is hear me whine about my day. But let me be honest, I definitely experience ups and downs, good and bad days…and sometimes for no apparent reason. Today is one of those down days.
I share a lot of my life with you all and I love that. Most of the time I share more of the “shiny fun things” with you than the “sweep it under the rug and forget about it” stuff. I’m going to take a quick moment to get real with you. I’m going to address that down stuff and then finish with a reminder of things that are lifting me up and making me happy right now.
- A close family member is being scheduled for a heart surgery that I will share more about later. It’s just come as a surprise and is understandably upsetting.
- I’m in a little bit of a limbo right now to keep my life feeling balanced. While I am so happy with the direction that things are going in right now, it’s not leaving a ton of free time. I’m struggling to find time to fit in some social engagements, projects and everyday errands. I have a list about a mile long about topics I want to blog about but I can never carve out time to get them done! I get a little stressed when things start to feel out of balance and disorganized. The issue with this is that I don’t really want to give anything up…so what’s a girl to do? I just keep pushing on.
- I miss my friends. I haven’t spent time with or even had phone dates with my best friends who live out of town in far too long. I am definitely going to remedy that this week. (Consider yourselves warned!)
- I haven’t been able to work out for the past two days due to teaching commitments…some unforeseen and I haven’t run since last Thursday. Usually this wouldn’t be such a big deal but exercise is one of the best ways for me to deal with stress and I am in serious need of a good solitary run.
Why was that incredibly hard to write? I know it doesn’t seem earth shattering but I almost deleted it at least three times. Gah.
Now that’s out of the way I want to finish this with some positives.
- Despite my packed schedule, I love teaching and every time I am with a class I feel joy and gratitude to be leading them. I am blessed by all of the opportunities that have come my way in the last few months. I am so lucky to be able to do something that I love so much.
- My husband is amazing. Seriously. He went to the grocery last night to get staples for the week and dinner stuff while I was teaching. We tag teamed dinner last night and ate outside on the patio. It was glorious. I love him and I am so thankful for our relationship.
- I love Charlotte and I am so happy that we live here. Recently, I have been feeling so connected to the city and like I have a real, settled life here. I love running into people around town, knowing half the people in every yoga class I attend and having family here.
- Writing this blog is so rewarding. Even though I haven’t been able to post as much as I’d like to or about as many topics as I’d like to, I love this blog. I so enjoy hearing from and interacting with you guys. I feel inspired DAILY by you.
- I just got to go to Jamaica for seven days on vacation. Trust me, I’m trying to ride that high for as long as I can.
See, it’s not all that bad. Yes, I am having an off day but I have so much good to focus on. How is your day going?
Hang in there! I struggle with some of the same things!
I love blogging every night but it started to take up so much time…time I wanted/should be spending with my husband, friends, our puppy, praying, running longer distances, etc. I found that writing a “weekend recap” on Sunday afternoon to sum up Friday/Saturday/Sunday has helped free up time spent on the computer…just a thought you may want to try 🙂
Thanks Brooke! I do usually take a night off of blogging on the weekends. The blog is actually one of the things that I enjoy most in my packed schedule! I would love to figure out a way to get my posts done at a different time of day though rather than always doing them after dinner instead of hanging with Brandon and Sullie!
Let me know if you figure it out 🙂 I would love to be able to blog AND make money – wouldn’t that be perfect! You are awesome – keep up all the hard work!
I’m glad you decided to published this Jen! It feels good sometimes to share things that are more “real” because everyone DOES have off days.. just life, I guess 🙂 I hope your family member is okay <3
Thank you Jackie! 🙂
Sending big hugs your way! We definitely can’t have perfect days everyday, just keep finding that positive to make it better:-)
My day is wonderful, met with Flex and Fit, and got to see the kitchen where I will be teaching, yay!
Hugs,
Terra
Terra – thank you for your comment. I appreciate the kind words.
Doesn’t the facility look great? I’m excited about teaching there too!
I am right there with you…sometimes I try SO HARD to only see the happy things that the “not-so-fun” things just swell up inside me and just make me feel funky! fortunately, sometimes the best remedy is to just talk about it! I am glad you shared, even though it was hard. By the looks of it, the good things definitely outweigh the “bad.” Everyone is a work in progress and everyone has room to make themselves and their lives better, so while it may not be perfect right now, you can always work towards that and be happy about knowing that you are doing your best!
hope you have a wonderful day!
becca – thank you for this comment. it really helped yesterday. i loved your reminder that everyone is a work in progress.
Thanks for sharing Jen. It’s not all rainbows and butterflies sometimes…and that is OK.
My dad had to undergo heart surgery last Fall (unexpectedly). It was awful and terrifying but he is doing amazing now. Hang in there, it will all work out for the best.
kristy – thank you so much for the comment and telling me about your father. it really helps.
Aww Jen, hang in there! We all have good and bad days. I am so, so sorry to hear about your family member though! I really hope things start to turn around for you. And I hope writing about it was somewhat of a relief. Know that we do not mind, at all 🙂
thanks jen. all things considered, i feel really lucky for all of the good things in my life right now. i am just worried and anxious about this surgery.
thanks for the shoutout and keeping it real!
you are so welcome – thank YOU for your post that reminded me it’s okay to put myself out there a little bit.
It really is nice to see you that you are human. I know it’s probably easy to gloss over things on a blog and come off as having it all together, but it’s also relatable when we don’t always have a good day! Hope tomorrow is better for you! 🙂
thank you whitney. i assure you that i am 100% human and it really is easy to gloss over the bad on my blog but i think there is a lot of growth to be had by breaking the shell a bit and sharing some of that.
I see that picture at the top of Grassy Top…what you need is a weekend in the mountains!! 🙂 Know that you and Brandon have a place to stay *anytime* up here in the land of the sky. We can chill and hike and relax and swim in waterfalls and wash away your stress. 😉 You can sit in the woods and read or we can go have a beer at a brewery. No stress, no expectations. Thanks for keeping it real, we all have those days and it’s nice to hear this from each other. 🙂
kat – best comment ever. i seriously needed to read this yesterday afternoon. it made me smile.
i would LOVE (x1,000) to come spend a weekend up there very, very soon!
glad i got a smile out of ya ~ y’all just let us know when you want to head this way ~ we’ll be here.
you’re an inspiration to me, and help me keep going with my busy schedule when i see yours. but i’ve had a good wake up call this year, and i’m learning to say ‘no’ to things when my schedule is busy, even if it’s something i really like, which is anything active. learning how to rest physically and mentally is really hard for me, but i’m slowly learning to take it down a notch and do things slowly to appreciate them more, friends, sports things, relationships (which i suck at). we all have bad days, and taking some days off is ok, and you don’t have to feel guilty about it. i am praying for your family and hope all goes smoothly.
margaret – thank you for your comment. i definitely recognize that i could benefit from saying no a little more often. i’m so “go, go, go” that i have a really hard time slowing down.
i really appreciate the reminder.
Thinking about you and loving your ability and courage to be real and honest!! It’s more than OK to have off days, and it looks like you have a lot on your plate — which makes it even more understandable!!! Praying for your family member facing heart surgery and give Brandon a hug for me!
Hope these quotes will help you as much as they have helped me in the past 🙂
“Strength is:
-the ability to ask for and accept help from those around you
-the ability to acknowledge that sometimes you can’t do it all by yourself, and that’s OK
-the ability to talk about your feelings, and feel them too. Sorrow, pain, anguish, joy, love, happiness
-to be able to get through adversities, and come out the other side
– to have the courage to be yourself, in a world that seems to be trying it’s best to make you into everybody else”
“Never apologize for showing feeling. When you do so, you apologize for the truth.” ~Benjamin Disraeli
“Sometimes in order to not fall apart, you have to let go of what keeps you together.”
AND “There is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”
You’re awesome, and I hope you realize just how much you inspire people daily 🙂
mc – thank you so very much for your comment and the quotes. they helped so much yesterday and i may use one of them in my yoga class tonight.
i hope things are going well for you and i appreciate the prayers.
Hang in there sweet friend! We all have our down days, weeks and even sometimes, months. Things will get better – you’ve just got to take a step back and see what you can focus a little less on to make more time for the things you really and truly enjoy 110%. You are not a robot or a machine! One should NEVER feel guilty for having emotions OR for saying “no”. I will keep you and your family in my prayers! Hugs!
really needed this comment ashley and i SO wish we still lived in the same city so we could grab a glass of wine and talk.
I’m so glad you posted this! Doesn’t writing it down make you feel just a little bit better? That’s what blogging does for me. I have days like this all the time because I get easily overwhelmed. I hope you are able to find the balance that you need. You’re an awesome person and you deserve to be incredibly happy. 🙂
thank you kelly! i feel lucky to have my blog as a place to share. i immediately wanted to start writing when i was feeling really down yesterday…i just didn’t know if i would actually post it! i’m glad i did.
Aww, you’ll know what to cut out of your busy schedule. Take care of yourself! You are just so good at everything you are being asked to do it all! It’s okay to post things like this, it’s so easy to relate to stress! <3
thank you holly. i just have a hard time saying no when new opportunities come my way! i appreciate all of the support and being able to share here.
I wrote a similar post to this a few weeks ago- the whole work-social life-working out balance can be so difficult so I definitely relate to this. And its also exactly how I’m feeling lately!!! But keep your chin up,I’m sure it will get easier for you soon : )
thank you lizzy. i really try to just go with it and usually things work out but recently things have been over the top crazy. i appreciate your comment!
I have my ups and downs, as well. More than I would like to. It looks like you have so many wonderful positives though.
Today I had a couple of great conversations with David (one at 1:30 in the morning that lasted 30 minutes). Whether it was on the phone or through Yahoo chat, we were able to connect quite a bit today. And I loved hearing his voice and making him laugh. That gets me through the day. 🙂
alaina – i do try to focus on the positives but sometimes you just need to get the bad stuff out there!
i am so happy to hear that you were able to speak with david so much. i can only imagine how great that must feel! 🙂
Thanks for posting this! Hope your day got a little bit better. Everyone has them every once in awhile, and that is OK. Makes you really appreciate the good times. I’ll be thinking of you – take care of yourself! And, LOVE the quote. Thanks!
thanks elena! i love the quote too. it’s one of my favorites!
Hang in there, Jen! You’re honesty about your feelings is really refreshing and shows yet another side of you. Never be afraid to show it! 🙂
thank you pam!
Life definitely isn’t always all rainbows and butterflies. And while I appreciate when bloggers try to keep things positive (and I try to do the same) I also think it’s god to be real. Those posts can be the hardest to write, but there the ones that other people can connect to the most…because we all go through it. I hope things start turning around for you soon. And I hope everything goes well with the family member’s surgery!
thank you lauren! it’s much harder to write these types of posts but i think there’s a lot of growth to be had from them.
Aw! If you need any advice/guidence about your family memeber, I am a CTICU RN and working with heart patients is my specialty! Just shoot me an email!
thank you so much megan. i find out more today and i will definitely reach out to you with questions.
I know exactly how you feel! When I’m feeling a little off, it becomes so difficult to give my blog readers and others in my life the positive energy they deserve. So, sometimes you have to get real. Your readers will appreciate your honesty (I do!). You are human just like the rest of us and it’s perfectly okay to have down days. Thank you for your honesty, today you’ve helped me conquer my own funk 🙂
kayli – thank you for your comment. the last thing i want to do is come off as not being genuine. i appreciate you guys letting me talk about the down stuff.
i’m glad to know that i helped with your funk! 🙂
And this is why I love your blog. I am amazed and inspired by your dedication. If we only read about your successes though, it becomes too easy to put you on a pedestal. Instead, you show us that you are a real person with real struggles and you’re constantly figuring out how to achieve the balance you want. That is real life, for you and for all of us. And that’s why I read your blog daily–to be inspired to push myself and to be reminded that I’m not doing anything wrong if it doesn’t always come easy. Thank you for your honesty!
erin – i so appreciate your comment. reading it was a great way to start my day. finding balance isn’t always easy and it’s definitely something that shifts day-to-day for me. i just keep continue working towards staying happy and healthy.
have a great day!
gosh girl, I feel ya! life is so up in the air. But it will all come down. Just have to breathe Through it, right?
I loved SR’s post the other day as well. Being real is healthy!
I can totally relate with the balanced life thing…I have so many things I love and hate saying no to…I am blessed to have such an abundantly full life…but sometimes it’s just too much and I have to figure out how to do all the things I love while still maintaining balance, which is necessary for my sanity! 🙂
Thank you for sharing! As bloggers, we want to welcome our readers to a positive place, but I appreciate a blogger that keeps it real. It’s also great to remember that this community is really supportive of one another. Sometimes putting your thoughts and struggles out there can give you strength and others help you find the positivity that you are missing in the moment.
Life can be difficult at times and it is really hard to balance everything. You are a vibrant, talented, and smart lady. With time, I’m sure things will fall into place.
Thank you for being honest and real; it makes you and your blog that much more inspiring. My prayers are with you and your family member — prayers for strength and healing.
thank you so much ginger. i really appreciate your comment.
I drink mostly water. It’s so good for you!