Musings - Epic. Fail.

Epic failures, you know, those moments in life that we let define ourselves and keep us from reaching towards the potential that we know God put within us. I have had, um, let's just say a few of those moments in my life, including but not limited to:

• Trying to remember my part without looking at the paper in the 6th grade Eco-meet at Foscue Park. Epic. Fail.
• Trying to get into MBA school the first time with a less-than-stellar GMAT score which resulted from an exam that I was over-confident about taking. Epic. Fail.
• Birth control after my 6th child. Epic. Fail.
• Two batches yesterday of Sparkling Holiday Jam (as I was trying to teach jam making to some sisters in my ward, no less) and one batch today of apple jelly (my first attempt at making jelly, no pectin added) - apple taffy anyone? And so all of you readers now know what you are getting for Christmas. Surely apple taffy will last 8 more weeks until Christmas if stored properly in an airtight container, right? But, I digress....oh, yeah. Epic. Fail.
• Tracking my Weight Watcher's points for the last three weeks. Epic. Fail.
• LSU's attempt to defeat Alabama on Saturday. Epic. Fail. (A girl's gotta believe, right?)

I think you catch my drift.

Of course, I have had many failures in my life. And yes, they do define me, and have definitely helped mold me into the person that I am today, good or bad I suppose. The problem comes when I only choose to define myself by the bad. And I do it a lot.

Today is the first day of November.... a month where we tend to reflect on all of the things in our lives for which we are grateful. And so I'd like to begin the month by being grateful for those people in my life who set the examples for how to take my mistakes and learn from them.

Those who count their blessings and include me in their list.

Those who never have a half empty glass.

Those who, when life is playing baseball and throwing you a bunch of lemons, walk up to you, put their arm around you and give you a $1 off coupon for that big 'ole bag of Domino's sugar that you know you are gonna need to make that gallon jug of lemonade. Heck, most of the time, these friends just skip the coupon and simply show up carrying their own sweet supply because they know that there are just moments in our lives that we don't even have enough gas to get to the store!

So, I am trying. I am trying to lead a life filled with more gratitude and less attitude. And in my first attempt, I'd like to take all of those aforementioned failures of epic proportions and try to put a more grateful spin on things. Here goes nothing:

• That meet at Foscue Park? It totally led me to realize at an early age that I was not cut out for public speaking. I am grateful that this should let Katie Couric rest easier at night.
• That low GMAT score and thanks but no thanks response? They showed me that I have determination. Not only did I rock the GMAT the next time I took it and got admitted to grad school right away, but I was also able to make it in time to be in my future SIL's wedding the same afternoon of the test.
• The failed birth control? It allowed me to have a beautiful daughter. One who came complete with a wonderful story to tell people about how we finally had a girl after 5 boys in a row. And how she was born 10 years to the day apart from her older sister. And it has also showed me that I need to trust in the Lord and lean not to my own understanding. In all my ways, I am trying to acknowledge him, and I know that he will direct my (our) paths for good.
• The Sparkling Holiday Jam? Well, it has now been repackaged and has been repositioned in the marketplace. I only thought that giving homemade bread and jam as teacher gifts this year was a wonderful idea. Now I know that a package of waffle bowls, a jar of sprinkles, and some awesome strawberry-cranberry ice cream syrup is what all of the really cool moms are giving this year. Apple Jelly, well, let's not go there. Hey, Rome wasn't built in a day....neither is my self-esteem.
• Weight Watchers points? A scale does not define me as a person. Being healthy is the ultimate goal and although I didn't track points, I have learned to make healthier substitutions and set an example for my family. Also, I learned that food that is not tracked has no calories........
• And that ballgame, well let's just say that in my mind.......FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION. Roll Tide Roll!

P.S. For those of you who were disappointed because there was not even one little picture of the kids (in a blog entitled Musings and Mayhem there has to be some musings every once in a while), stay tuned for the next blog installment where you can enjoy a frighteningly good time perusing pictures of the Boo Crew as they participated in all of our Halloween adventures.