August 31st - finding peace

relaxing view from a cabin - a place to get away

So August hasn't exactly gone as planned...

but...it has been challenging, exhausting, exciting, enlightening, pressing, rejuvenating, and fun. I can't believe it all happened in 31 days.

I started out this month optimistic and ready to take August Break by storm, and soak up the rest of summer, but The Universe had other plans.

Warning: This is going to be a long and likely rambling post as I find my blog-legs again.

Shortly after the beginning of the month I went through a very trying experience at work. I can't go into specifics of the event, but I will say that I am very thankful everything is turning out well in the end. While the first few days of the month were more stressful than normal, one particular day sent everyone at our office into a high-speed tailspin. We were in shock. We were unsure where to place our next step. We were broken. But it is absolutely amazing to think back to what happened next. Everyone pulled together, covered the bases, asked for help, and pushed toward becoming a healthier company. Each person determined their role and ran with it. We became a stronger team than we could have ever hoped to be.

It has taken a while to get back into the groove of things. My routines were off from working late nights. A few more curve balls were thrown our way. But all in all the world is setting itself right again. I'm finally at a point where I felt I could come and put a few things out into the blogosphere.

I've learned a lot about myself in the past 31 days. For one, I always knew that I was relatively calm in a crisis, which came in handy on that infamous day, but I also know that I am not calm when the crisis is ME. When a lot of tasks or demands are put on my plate and I can't process them as fast as I want I simply freak out. (College buds...you've seen this first hand.) However, when the crisis is outside of ME and my little brain bubble I can hold it together better than I ought. It's amazing to know how different kinds of pressure affect me. I think I've secretly known this for a while, but never could really categorize it in this way. Internal Crisis = Freak Out, but External Crisis = Cool as a Cucumber.

Side note: Speaking of Cucumbers! The garden continues to amaze me. We are harvesting left and right and gearing up for an end of summer feast. Nature is amazing!

So...mixing together doctor visits & healing from a fender bender back in June, working overtime and learning more than I would ever like to know about workplace safety (Ignorance is bliss, right? Well I suppose it is until something happens), and a house in disarray it has been quite the trying month. But, on the bright side, I also got to experience a wine country ladies road trip, a relaxing overnight at a cozy cabin on the river, a lot of meditation time in the garden, and finally some quality time with close friends, in the end it has turned into a balanced (albeit roller coaster) month.

Now...it's time to turn my sights toward September, my birthday month. (The joyfullifeshop's birthday on etsy as well! Keep your eye out for new items and an anniversary sale!) It's time to start anew with another year under my belt. Let's hope the ride continues to improve. I am pushing myself to stay positive and keep moving forward. It will get better. I will find my groove again. Besides, it's time to celebrate!

Are you going through anything trying lately? Feel free to add a comment or email me if you would like to simply share an experience or put out positive vibes into The Universe. My ears and little corner of the blogosphere are always open.