Most of us just want to be happy. The problem is that most of the things we seek after for our happiness are consumeristic or selfish. For years I went about looking for someone or something to make me "happy." It might have been a shopping trip that would make me feel good. Some days it was a pint of ice cream or a gooey chocolate brownie. Other times I thought being fit would make me happy and so I tossed aside the high fat, sugar loaded goodies for long runs, yoga, or biking. And sadly, too often I placed my husband and children as the sole providers of my happiness... I don't recommend this. Did any of this bring lasting fulfillment? Did anything bring the happiness that I was searching for? You guessed it. (Ummm, no.)
Maybe you find yourself doing the same thing. Moms, there's much to be said for taking time for yourself and indulging in the things you love (with moderation). We can't run on adrenaline forever and we need to find joy and satisfaction in living! But I've discovered that all of this longing after things, spending precious time and energy just searching for my next fix of happy left me as empty as ever. And do you know why I think this is?
Because it's all self-centered. It's all about ME. And do you know what? That's a recipe for UN-happiness. American eyes have turned to true trouble and suffering these last couple of weeks. And it should be a reality check. Are we thankful for our home... food in our pantry... our precious family? These are the things that I am most likely to take for granted because frankly, these can be the things that make me unhappy.
I think things like, "I wish I just had one more room so I could..." or "I am so tired of having to go grocery shopping every week!" or "If he does that one more time I'm going to..." Sounds pretty miserable.
And all my inward focus has kept me from finding joy in my little patch of the world. As a Christian woman, I can turn to the Lord for help in finding the happiness lurking in my everyday life. And even if you aren't sure about that yourself, I promise you that enjoying all of the little blessings in your life - just stepping back, taking a breath and seeing how good you really have it - will give you some happiness.
Then go have a brownie... you deserve it!
Monday, January 25, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Sleep, Snacks and Sacrifice
Being a mom means making sacrifices. If you were blessed to have a mother while you were growing up, you probably know what I mean. She sacrificed having nice clothes so that you could have Nike sneakers. She sacrificed vacations so that you could play soccer. She sacrificed sleep so that you could have a social life.
If you are a mom now, you have realized how much your own mother sacrificed for you because you are now making sacrifices for your own children. Hopefully you’ve thanked your mother. Maybe today is the day to write her a thank you (I mean with real paper and pen… a text won’t cut it).
My latest sacrifice for my children can best be summed up by my lack of blogging over the past two months. And in some ways it seems wrong to even call it a sacrifice. When the calendar fills up and something has to be deleted from my schedule, my goal is that my family rises to the top of my priority list and other less important items hit the cutting room floor. Hence, no productive writing.
These first few weeks of the new year have been spent vacillating about whether or not I should even bother with my own creative outlets any more. Maybe it really isn’t a good use of time. Maybe I really don’t have anything profound to say. Although that second statement may well be true I’ve decided that even though I’ll always be making sacrifices, I can still find time for me.
Moms, this is the balance we will be struggling for our entire lives. How do we find time to love our husbands and children while balancing the checkbook, packing snacks, running to piano lessons, and walking the dog? How do we take care of our own soul when we’re tending to broken hearts and boo-boos? Most days I wish there was an answer written across the sky. I wish my PDA could look into my heart and automatically prioritize my schedule.
One thing I have come to find is that when I put God first in my day (literally first… as in before sunrise…not just in my mind) other things seem to find their place more easily. Another thing I have found to be true is that I absolutely have to have a plan. For me, this has become a Sunday night week-planning session.
I look at my schedule, I get my husband’s schedule, and I see where I have windows of time. Generally speaking, I know when I’ll be grocery shopping, working out, cleaning the house, and carpooling each week. Then I work in appointments and odd meetings around my set schedule. Do you want to know something? I even write down date nights with my husband and special play time with the kids now. Sadly, if I don’t do this one week turns into six and I suddenly can’t remember the last time we had quality time.
The message I want written across my little patch of sky isn’t “super mom” or “perfect wife” or even “PTO president.” I’d prefer something like, “Loving well.” A big part of loving well is knowing what we are capable of and what can be sacrificed. And moms… know you are loved.
If you are a mom now, you have realized how much your own mother sacrificed for you because you are now making sacrifices for your own children. Hopefully you’ve thanked your mother. Maybe today is the day to write her a thank you (I mean with real paper and pen… a text won’t cut it).
My latest sacrifice for my children can best be summed up by my lack of blogging over the past two months. And in some ways it seems wrong to even call it a sacrifice. When the calendar fills up and something has to be deleted from my schedule, my goal is that my family rises to the top of my priority list and other less important items hit the cutting room floor. Hence, no productive writing.
These first few weeks of the new year have been spent vacillating about whether or not I should even bother with my own creative outlets any more. Maybe it really isn’t a good use of time. Maybe I really don’t have anything profound to say. Although that second statement may well be true I’ve decided that even though I’ll always be making sacrifices, I can still find time for me.
Moms, this is the balance we will be struggling for our entire lives. How do we find time to love our husbands and children while balancing the checkbook, packing snacks, running to piano lessons, and walking the dog? How do we take care of our own soul when we’re tending to broken hearts and boo-boos? Most days I wish there was an answer written across the sky. I wish my PDA could look into my heart and automatically prioritize my schedule.
One thing I have come to find is that when I put God first in my day (literally first… as in before sunrise…not just in my mind) other things seem to find their place more easily. Another thing I have found to be true is that I absolutely have to have a plan. For me, this has become a Sunday night week-planning session.
I look at my schedule, I get my husband’s schedule, and I see where I have windows of time. Generally speaking, I know when I’ll be grocery shopping, working out, cleaning the house, and carpooling each week. Then I work in appointments and odd meetings around my set schedule. Do you want to know something? I even write down date nights with my husband and special play time with the kids now. Sadly, if I don’t do this one week turns into six and I suddenly can’t remember the last time we had quality time.
The message I want written across my little patch of sky isn’t “super mom” or “perfect wife” or even “PTO president.” I’d prefer something like, “Loving well.” A big part of loving well is knowing what we are capable of and what can be sacrificed. And moms… know you are loved.
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