Let It Go!!!

Well, it's the last week in September! Can you believe it?! Where did the time go?! I'm still excited about this new season. I refuse to be discouraged by circumstances, people, even sometimes, by my own missed expectations (I can be pretty hard on myself). Today, I choose to look up. I choose and purpose to keep my mind, heart, and focus on the good things that are ahead, and so should you. Life is too short to dwell on yesterday. "If it's NOT taking you toward your goal or purpose....whatever is it, was, or might become...LET IT GO and MOVE FORWARD!"

My husband worked in corporate america for twenty four years. All my children and I had known was been blue suits, whites shirts, and red ties, so to speak. Four years ago all that changed. IBM, turned AT &T, let go of about 1500 people, many of which had spent their careers in IBM. My husband was one of those people. It was a difficult time for he and I and our family. We had one college student, 3 high-schoolers, and two home-schooled boys. It was a serious adjustment, to say the least. The mental adjustment was sometimes harder than the financial adjustment. We did all the things that we could to survive and keep our family afloat, hoping that this would be temporary and my husband would soon be back in corporate america doing what he does. Well, one month passes, three months passes, one year passes.....nothing. It seemed that life as we knew it was never to be again.

At first, I had a hissy-fit over the situation. I literally went through the five stages of grief....just like Monk (LOL!!!!) ~ Monk's 5 Stages. I'm laughing now, but there were many tears then. It was rough. I wanted things to be back to normal. I wanted MY life back. I wanted to be comfortable. I didn't want to adjust. I didn't want things to change. I didn't want to shift. I didn't want to MOVE FORWARD. I was stuck....stuck in what was, stuck in the pass. I couldn't see beyond it. I couldn't see any GOOD....at that time. I think I went through the grieving process at least three times before I got to the point of acceptance (lol). My life as I knew it HAD changed forever, never to be again. And you know, that was the BEST place that I could have ever been.

No, things were not great. We were struggling financially and we're still working hard to recover from that season. Our family went through some even deeper valleys after that time. We were hit pretty hard. Our finances and job situations was not looking any better, but what had changed was my attitude. I made a decision to LET IT GO!!! I made a decision to STOP trying to relive what was. I made a decision to ACCEPT where I was....this was my NEW NORMAL. I made a decision to LOOK to my future, which was an open range when I looked through my spiritual eyes (the better ones). I made a decision to MOVE FORWARD. You see, we have to be careful that we don't allow circumstances, people, and even our missed expectations, change US. No matter what happens around us we can still fulfill our purpose in life, we can still reach our goals. But we have to LET GO of what was so that we can EMBRACE what is to be. 

It was at that time that I decided that I would take on more dance students. It was at that time that I decided to get up off my bed of "yesterday" and moving toward my purpose (which had never changed). It was at that time that I decided that I would try this thing called, Zumba. And Oh, how my life has changed forever (Big Smiles!!!!) I never knew I could love fitness this much! After all, I'm a dancer.....fitness was not on my menu (lol!!!!) But God!!! The power of letting go is immeasurable. 

I want to encourage each of you! Whatever you facing today...don't get STUCK! Let it GO!!! We all make mistakes, get off track, and sometimes suffer things that often times is not even our fault (divorce, financial struggles, sickness, etc), but it's up to US what we do with it. I want encourage you to refocus yourself....go through the grief process, if you need to, then GET UP and REFOCUS. It's time to be about your PURPOSE. It's time to press toward those GOALS!!! It's time to let the past be the past and you to press into YOUR NEW NORMAL!!! Be encouraged, my sisters!!! 

Listen, when you LET IT GO, it only gets better....trust me on that!!! I let go of a lots things a few years back, good and bad. However, I am so GLAD that I chose to LET GO, because I would not have had the pleasure of meeting so many of you who have become so deer to my heart. I would not have the pleasure of meeting so many NFL & WNBA players, who I have come to love. I would not have had the pleasure of crossing the seas to the Philippines (such loving people). I would not have had the pleasure of sharing how good My God is with YOU (priceless). So glad that I LET GO....in May of 2012, I will have three (3) college grads, two (2) in college, and one (1) high-school senior, in SPITE of what my circumstances screamed at me four years ago. God is GOOD!!!

Thank YOU for being a part of my NEW NORMAL!! I don't know how to be shallow, my love runs deep....I wouldn't go back to my before for nothing :-). Please join me this week for a Zumba class, or two.....Ditch the Workout, Join the Party!!!! Keep rolling those HIPS!!!

Dorothy C.

My Love Song to HIM!