Loving yourself through the journey!
Have you ever thought "when soccer season is over, we will have so much more freedom" or "when I get married I will finally be happy" or "when my kids get older it will be so much easier”? I know I have!!! I use to have a "grass is greener on the other side" mentality and constantly found myself daydreaming of the life I would have when things changed. That was…..until I learned about the practice of gratitude and how it can help you break from emotional connections of overwhelm and anxiety.
I vividly remember our three year journey through infertility and how I longed to be a mother. I had dreamed of the days of blissfully rocking a baby to sleep and pushing the stroller while taking walks in the park. So when I was blessed with twins, I thought I would magically connect with being a mom. What I didn’t realize was how challenging motherhood would be and how important it was to stay connected to your own personal growth.
As I was in "raising kids" mode, I found myself feeling like a race horse that had blinders on, only focused on the finish line and not seeing anything else around me! Just about everything went on the back burner, except for raising those two babies. Do I regret that time? Absolutely not!!! I am incredibly grateful that I was able to give them my time and love, but what came next was equally as important. I started to recognize that I allowed ALL of my focus to be on my family and little to no focus to be on me. I didn't want to appear selfish, but on the flip side I was lost in selflessness.
After seeking out support, I started digging myself out of the land of selflessness and started to create moments that made me focus on me. I got back into working out regularly, I started teaching group fitness classes and reconnected with friends. I was finally starting to feel like something other than a person that just keeps the little people fed and alive.
Even though I was making strides toward improving myself, it wasn't until I began to dig a little deeper into personal development that I identified just how far into the world of selflessness I had slipped. I recognized that I had been hiding from myself. I had allowed my role as “mom” to keep me from working on becoming the best version of ME.
I started by digging a little deeper into the desires of my heart through guided workshops, books and meditation. I learned how to slow down my inner dialogue and find gratitude even during the challenging times. This practice allowed me to be "in the moment" and enjoy our families experiences so much more. Of course, there are still moments when the piles of laundry seem like an abundant waterfall and the fingerprints on my windows and doors make me do a double take, but that is when my inner voice reminds me that "those clothes are worn by the children that you prayed for" and "those fingerprints represent all of the people that have been welcomed into your home".
The challenge for me was to be aware of the feelings of overwhelm and anxiety and to remind myself to find gratitude instead. Can it be challenging? Absolutely!!! This did not change overnight. It took months of practice to be able to recognize the areas that I wanted to change and to implement strategies to create the results I dreamed of. I can confidently say that I still loose my cool, but the shame and guilt that followed no longer exists. I am able to give myself grace for the moments that my imperfections show and allow those moments to remind me of areas that I still need to work on.
My hope in sharing this with you, is that you can see that it is possible to love yourself THROUGH the journey and not waiting until you have “arrived at your destination”. Can you connect with the emotions that you want to feel now? Can you practice feeling confident in your body while you are working on improving your health? Can you find peace, even when your schedule is hectic? Can you find love for someone, even while you are learning how to build the relationship?
I want to inspire you to take some time to reflect while you are "running your race". Life can be so busy that we forget to enjoy the little things. When I find myself slipping into that old way of thinking I remind myself to express gratitude in the moment and show appreciation for the progress that I am making. Knowing that the magic is in the mind I often remind myself that it's about "progress, not perfection". What areas of your life have you made strides in? What areas are you still wanting to improve? What can you do today to show yourself love through your journey?
If you would like to dig a little deeper into this content, I would love to offer you a free consultation call! On this call we can work together to identify ways that you can love yourself through your journey and establish some steps to take to help you live the life you are dreaming of!
Leaving you with love,
Kristie