One Day at a Time..
One day at a time. We all hear it, especially in this crazy busy world we live in. We are constantly reminded to be mindful, try meditation, be present, stay in the now. But that’s just not as easy as it sounds,( I’m sure all of you mothers out there can relate). We are bombarded with lists, tasks, errands, chores, requests, and more! Whether you’re a mother or not, I’m sure you can relate to this constant hamster wheel I’m referring to. I know each day can be challenging but as we all know time flies, especially with your children, so even when your day is beyond crazy try to appreciate something it offers and slow down enough to enjoy it. If it’s your kids causing you the most stress, try to remember that the sweet stages of childhood are over all too quickly. I know this because my first child is already 24 and the years passed by so fast! Recollecting back to that time, it was certainly easier raising one child and having a traditional job, versus my current status of 3 children (7 and under) and owning my own business. Life wasn’t nearly as hectic but it didn’t matter because I was much younger and lacked life experience. I was really ill equipped to cope with stress AT ALL and didn’t have any gratitude. When I reflect on my 20’s I’m honestly in awe that I somehow managed through that daily anxiety I felt, always worrying about the future and never living in the now.
These days, I really do my best to take it one day at a time because it’s too overwhelming if I let my mind get too far ahead of me. I've learned that I have absolutely no control over the future anyway, so it's a waste of time to try to script things according to my own master plan. I simply have to accept things as they are each and every day. This isn’t easy but it is a choice and I choose to accept my circumstances instead of fighting them. I’ve learned through some dark times and a lot of pain that I am not in control of anything, except how I choose to respond to things. Now, don’t get me wrong, I want to control everything and everybody, but I discovered long ago that I can’t and trust me I tried for a couple of decades! Through a lot of hard work, self discovery and a willingness to take direction from others, Iv’e learned how to behave. Today I can usually catch myself when I’m headed in the wrong direction. Self-awareness is by far one of the biggest gifts I have received and it keeps me from getting into too much angst or worse yet, regret.
Most of my life I had no self-awareness whatsoever, so I was constantly trying to run the show and was oblivious to the tornado I was causing in my life. I have learned the hard way that my way is not the only way, nor is it the best way. It’s been the hardest lesson for me to learn to rely on and trust others (this is humility) and I truly appreciate the people in my immediate circle that I collaborate with, trust and listen to. I've learned to respect the power in numbers. We have to utilize those people to help us make the best decisions possible and to be accountable to.
Gratitude, Acceptance, Self-awareness, Humility, Service.....these are all tools I have learned to use from the wise people around me. Ultimately my goal each day is to be a little bit better than the day before and to handle challenges with grace and humor. As it's been said before, life is too short. So if you have a bad day, shake it off and try a little better the following day. No need to dwell on it because you can't go back in time. "It is what it is". I love the simplicity of that statement. I rely on things like this, short phrases and simple concepts that help me stay on track and I feel it’s my duty to pass them along. We can't mentally or spiritually evolve if we aren't constantly learning and then trying to pass it along to others. I would hope that is the goal for many of us; to be of service to those around us. The absolute fastest way to get over things that are bothering you (get out of self) is to help someone else!
So if I can help any of you reading this, then it’s a success in my mind. We can do this together, One Day at a Time. The journey towards serenity awaits (my husband told me to be sure to let him know when I find it). I'll be sure to let you all know too! Until then, let’s keep trudging the road to a happy destiny together.