It Might Not Be Pretty, But I’m Doing It!
And so are you!
I received an email from a good friend yesterday. She thanked me for my birthday wishes, and then she said, “You continue to inspire me. You are doing it!”
And she is right.
I’ve managed to implement my plan of moving to France. I’ve navigated so many hurdles. I found a second apartment after there was a horrible smell of sewer gas in the first one I’d rented over the internet. I managed to set up a bank account. I moved to a smaller village in year two. I am learning and understanding a new language, and I am accepting a different culture that, at times, is too slow-paced for me, an impatient American. And, I continue to navigate obstacles. Recently, I finished putting everything in place to buy a car (as I write this, I sit in the lobby of a bank waiting for the salesperson to resend a contract with the correct company to make out the certified check.)
Sometimes I feel like things block me at every turn here. And it seems to take ten times longer to transact business than it would take at home; this makes me forget what I have accomplished, and what I continue to achieve. It can have me focusing on all that is NOT working.
I suppose it is reasonable to be frustrated when I don’t feel productive, even when I’ve done all the right things. This can be maddening and I forget all I’ve planned for, implemented, and worked through to get to here, living in a beautiful village in the South of France.
Forgetting what I have accomplished and focusing on what isn’t working is normal. We all do it. Becoming accustomed to what is no longer new, different, or difficult is a human trait.
I’ve settled in and can forget what I did to accomplish this, even though I’ve been here less than two years. Now I tend to focus on how clumsily I speak or on the frustrations I still face when dealing with administrative stuff. Kim’s message reminds me of all that I have accomplished and gives me the strength to deal with the final pieces of buying a car in France.
I’m doing it, and sometimes it’s not pretty. The problem arises when I forget that I am doing it and all that remains are the frustrations and ineloquent way I come off.
But Kim’s reminder is a new affirmation for me. “I am doing it!” And this can be positive reinforcement for you, too.
In times of difficulty, remember that you are doing it (even if it ain’t pretty). Remind yourself of all you’ve done to get to this point and use those accomplishments to give you strength to keep on doing it!
