Sometimes I forget.
In my endeavours and my striving, I forget; I lose my way and I get off course.
In the middle of our COVID -19 world, I've been graced with a lot more time. Yet, I find myself tired. Weary.
Even in quarantine, the world is still a buzz. Jet planes may be grounded across the globe, highways are quiet, but the internet is surging with energy and I’ve become caught up in consuming It.
I’ve lost my focus and I’m in need of a pause. I shut off my phone. I turn down the channels of noise and I get curious. I listen in, deeply.
It feels as though I’ve missed a turn.
What brought me here in the first place? What is my message? Stepping back, I revisit my "why".
Recalibrate.
It started with whole health & wellbeing. I remember how engrossed I was reading and researching health and wellbeing. There were clinical trials on lifestyles that led to illness vs. practices that led to wellness. Like a sponge, I couldn't absorb the information fast enough. The study was fascinating!
So my “why”, here it is:
I care. I care to see people thrive and flourish in the God-given identities that they were born with.
I hate to see people suffer. I hate to watch people struggle, spinning their wheels, burning up precious energy going and getting nowhere.
I want to contribute. I don’t want just to survive motherhood, I want to give my children my best and contribute towards their wholeness. But that doesn't happen unless I’m tending to myself.
I believe that stewarding ourselves over our lifetime is a continuous process of engagement. We are equipped with a physical body that, over time, breaks down, a mind that is prone to wander, and a spirit that can connect us to meaning or despair. Nurturing our mind, body and spirit is what helps us get the best out of what we’ve been entrusted with.
As a mom, I’m mandated with nurturing and raising my family. I start this process with the counterintuitive action of tending and nurturing myself.
And my best? It’s in taking action, daily. It dawned on me when I hit my mid 30’s I needed to take new levels of ownership over my life and the responsibility I had for my family.
It looks like a bit of a dance.
A dance between,
Striving yet stepping back.
Leaning in and letting go
Speaking up and staying silent.
I’ve learned that to care well for myself and my family I need to pay attention and to notice with curiosity. These things are hard to do when I’ve got too much flooding my mind.
In fact, when my mind is flooded it hurts me and my family. It works against me.
In some ways, COVID -19 is a gift. It has forced me to slow down and pay attention; to recalibrate and become clear on what my priorities are. The next step is to stay on my path, manage my focus.
Feeling adrift lately? Would you like to develop your family rhythm? Check out these 8 Steps to Less Stress A practical guide that gets you in your zone and helps you stay on track.
