Acceptance – Page 2 – Melissa Schlies

For The Parts of Your Life on “Pause”

Have you ever been watching a show or a movie, and had to stop it before it was finished? Maybe your popcorn was done in the microwave, your friend or partner had to grab a drink, or at the worst time possible, you had to go to the bathroom. You, or the person holding the remote, hit “pause.” Now, most times, it’s not a big deal. In five or ten minutes, you’re back on your couch, holding your popcorn, and watching your show. But every now and then, something happens and you can’t get back. The phone rings and it’s [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2021-02-13T20:44:19+00:00February 15th, 2021|Categories: Acceptance, Change, Hope, Waiting|Comments Off

A Single Person’s Bucket List (repost)

With it being Valentine's Day on Sunday, I thought I'd re-share one of my most popular posts from 2020 all on singleness. Though the pandemic has changed the way one may go about writing/fulfilling their bucket list, I would say it is more important now more than ever. When I was in college, a relationship expert came to speak at our Chapel* one day. As the historical joke/motto for our school was to expect a “ring by spring” if you were dating someone, it seemed fitting. Though I went to college for my education (and maybe, to meet a boyfriend), many [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2021-02-09T15:54:44+00:00February 11th, 2021|Categories: Acceptance, Adulting, Courage, Faith, Habit Making, Hope, Lead, Learn, Love, Love Learn Lead, Waiting|Tags: Singleness|Comments Off

The Secret to Keeping Your New Year’s Goals

Every year, the United Nations publishes a World Happiness Report. For many years now, Denmark has been at the top of that list. And I remember, a number of years ago, an article came out saying that Denmark is the happiest place to live, because Danes have lower expectations for their lives. This claim that expecting less so you’re pleasantly surprised with what you get, has since been refuted. It is now said, Danes expect free healthcare, free education, longer maternity/paternity leave, and in general have a better work life balance. Which lately has me wondering—is it possible that they [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2021-02-01T00:00:51+00:00February 1st, 2021|Categories: Acceptance, Balance, Change, comparison, Depression, Failure, Habit Making, Practice, Routines, Self Care, Success|Comments Off

“This Isn’t The Story I Wanted”

“I didn’t want to go online to meet someone.” A friend said to me once. I could see hurt and sadness in her eyes. When everyone else seems to naturally “bump into” their soulmate, it feels awful to have to work at it. It’s like you’re that one sock that comes out of the drier without a match. “This wasn’t the plan.” A former student said to me, when the job she’d counted on, fell through. We often don’t know how much we’ve invested of ourselves into our plans, until they fall a part. Especially when those plans have to [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2021-01-08T21:58:16+00:00January 11th, 2021|Categories: Acceptance, Balance, Change, grief, Health, perseverance|Comments Off

Looking Back: What I Learned in 2020

For all of us, 2020 will go down as the year of COVID. Memories of people stocking up on toilet paper, empty shelves at the grocery store, and masks becoming a regular necessity, are now forever a part of our story. The pandemic has been the overarching atmosphere in which we’ve seen people band together and fall a part over issues such as racism, health care, politics, conspiracy theories, and even restrictions over COVID itself. The pandemic has been the overarching atmosphere in which we’ve seen people band together and fall a part... Yet in the midst of all the [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2020-12-23T18:18:18+00:00December 28th, 2020|Categories: Acceptance, Change, Character, gratitude, Learn, perseverance, Social Distancing|Comments Off

When Christmas Carols Sound Sad (& What to do With All Our Feelings this Week)

One night recently, Tony and I were on our way home from doing—what else—holiday errands. The sky outside was dark. A Christmas carol that is one of our favorites was playing on the radio. And about halfway through the song, Tony said, “For some reason, this song sounds sad this year.” It’s amazing how much of our own experiences we bring to music, or any type of art for that matter. But when Tony said these words I had to agree. In years past, this particular song has sounded as triumphant to me as Easter morning. As hopeful as kids [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2020-12-18T19:37:23+00:00December 21st, 2020|Categories: Acceptance, Change, Christmas, Depression, Faith, grief, Holidays, Hope, Loneliness, Social Distancing|Comments Off

Three of My Favorite Reads From 2020 & Why Not to Be Hard on Yourself

Ever feel like you’re not reading enough? Or, if it’s not reading, perhaps you feel like you’re not listening to educational podcasts, exercising, or cleaning your kitchen floor. For some reason, there are random things in my life I always feel I should be doing more often. And I have a feeling I’m not alone. We all have things we feel guilty about not doing. Or at least, we feel guilty for not doing them enough. Only, not reading more is not usually a problem for me. I am the type of person who could be accidentally locked in a [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2020-12-17T02:08:05+00:00December 17th, 2020|Categories: Acceptance, Balance, comparison, Good Books, Habit Making, Lead, Learn, Love, Love Learn Lead, Routines|Comments Off

For the Person Asking “Why Even Bother Celebrating Christmas?”

For many of us, when things don’t go the way we want, our first response is, “What’s the point?” Why should we continue with our plans if they can’t happen the way we want them to? Why should we even bother? Since buying our house earlier this year, in the middle of COVID, I’ve been tempted to think this way many times. Only for all of us, this defeatist attitude stems not from our plans being changed. Rather it is our desires that drove us to make our plans in the first place. My struggle to keep from throwing in [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2020-12-15T15:27:06+00:00December 14th, 2020|Categories: Acceptance, Christmas, Faith, grief, Habit Making, Holidays, Hope, perseverance, Practice, Preparation, Waiting|Comments Off

Practicing Gratitude In The Midst Of What Can’t Be

There are times in life when we get to be deliriously happy. As a kid, for me, this looked like our Grampa spontaneously taking us out for ice cream. Waking up to our mom baking blueberry muffins. And running down the beach with our cousins. For some reason, it doesn’t take much to experience complete joy as a kid. It doesn’t take much to experience complete joy as a kid. Though as adults, we too, have our own spectacular moments. For me, this happiness has looked like riding a train through the country side of India. The night Tony told [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2020-11-20T20:02:40+00:00November 23rd, 2020|Categories: Acceptance, Balance, Conflict, Faith, gratitude, grief, Holidays, Hope, Social Distancing|Comments Off

This Isn’t the Season

Last week, on a cool fall morning, Tony and I walked down the streets of our new city. Though we’ve been here about a hundred times over the past fifteen years, I still say, “New” because we live here now. We’re no longer visiting. That day, we were heading to do our annual screening for our health insurance. When we arrived, we checked in with the receptionist. Then one at a time, we went into a small room where the technician drew the curtain. She measured our height, waist, and—the part I was dreading—our weight. But as she said my [...]

By Melissa Schlies|2020-10-22T00:39:09+00:00October 22nd, 2020|Categories: Acceptance, Balance, Body Image, Change, discipline, Failure, Health, Lead, Learn, Love, Love Learn Lead, perseverance, Practice, Self Care|Comments Off

For The Parts of Your Life on “Pause”

A Single Person’s Bucket List (repost)

The Secret to Keeping Your New Year’s Goals

“This Isn’t The Story I Wanted”

Three of My Favorite Reads From 2020 & Why Not to Be Hard on Yourself

For the Person Asking “Why Even Bother Celebrating Christmas?”

This Isn’t the Season

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