No Longer Serves

What word do you yell when jumping into a swimming pool holding both of your knees to your chest?

Cannonball! 

Right?

Image courtesy of Cannonball Wine Company :)

Well, I had a dream last night that Randy wanted to change the word "cannonball" to "Cuban Missile Crisis" because he didn't think kids these days would know what a cannonball was. (As if they would know what the Cuban Missile Crisis was?!) And if they didn't know what a cannonball was, the word no longer served its purpose. 

In my dream his logic made perfect sense. And I woke up thinking: 

How many words/things/relationships do I have in my life that no longer serve me?

Words:

Words are very powerful, in both positive and negative ways. If I repeatedly call myself lazy, I am going to respond by being lazy. If I repeatedly say that I am sick, I'm not going to start feeling better. If I say that I worry too much or won't get the job, I am not serving myself well. And the opposite is also true. If I say that I am blessed or getting better or can't wait to learn something new, I will be more positive and open to whatever comes my way.

Things:

Lately I've been surrounded by people who are sorting through their "stuff". I did so while in Ohio earlier this month, making piles to give away, piles to throw away, piles to bring home to California, and piles to store. My grandma is in this same process as she prepares to move from Arkansas to Ohio. And this week Randy went through the same process as he prepares to have a garage sale next weekend.

Relationships:

And as far as relationships go, we all know that not all relationships are meant to last forever. These relationships could involve work or friends or family or romantic interests. Many are seasonal, many we outgrow. Some serve us well for a time being and others never served us at all. Some grow out of casual acquaintances into meaningful relationships over time. And others have to end because we are growing in different directions.

In all these ways, this question feels like an important one for me to carry this year: 

What in my life no longer serves?