Have you ever reached a point in your life where you simply think you might be going insane.. You have five thousand things on your plate plus a few you wish where on you plate (ie... scrapbooking, crafting, decorating ) and you don't know where to begin..add in a demanding, opinionated, head strong, delightful and funny two year old, and I simply have felt insane, inadequate and just plain tired.
I've decided this year is the year to come out of my slump. For a long time, I have blamed not having the laundry done or not being able to get to a project on the fact I had a baby or I have a toddler, but seriously.. who am I kidding...just get it done right?
I have also decided to stop feeling inadequate. I love President Uchtdorf's talk Happiness, Your Heritage. I've read it a hundred times and have decided to actually listen, think and do what he is saying. My favorite part is...
You may think you don’t have talents, but that is a false assumption, for we all have talents and gifts, every one of us.The bounds of creativity extend far beyond the limits of a canvas or a sheet of paper and do not require a brush, a pen, or the keys of a piano. Creation means bringing into existence something that did not exist before—colorful gardens, harmonious homes, family memories, flowing laughter.
What you create doesn’t have to be perfect. So what if the eggs are greasy or the toast is burned? Don’t let fear of failure discourage you. Don’t let the voice of critics paralyze you—whether that voice comes from the outside or the inside.
If you still feel incapable of creating, start small. Try to see how many smiles you can create, write a letter of appreciation, learn a new skill, identify a space and beautify it.
Nearly a century and a half ago, President Brigham Young spoke to the Saints of his day. “There is a great work for the Saints to do,” he said. “Progress, and improve upon and make beautiful everything around you. Cultivate the earth, and cultivate your minds. Build cities, adorn your habitations, make gardens, orchards, and vineyards, and render the earth so pleasant that when you look upon your labors you may do so with pleasure, and that angels may delight to come and visit your beautiful locations. In the mean time continually seek to adorn your minds with all the graces of the Spirit of Christ.”
The more you trust and rely upon the Spirit, the greater your capacity to create. That is your opportunity in this life and your destiny in the life to come. Sisters, trust and rely on the Spirit. As you take the normal opportunities of your daily life and create something of beauty and helpfulness, you improve not only the world around you but also the world within you.
And if the laundry isn't done when you come, there are dishes in the skink, my floors aren't mopped, or my hair isn't done.. it's because I've decided to take more time to get on the floor and play with Savannah, to teach her things of this world and of the gospel...
"If you are still in the process of raising children, be aware that the tiny fingerprints that show up on almost every newly cleaned surface, the toys scattered about the house, the piles and piles of laundry to be tackled will disappear all too soon and that you will – to your surprise – miss them profoundly. Stresses in our lives come regardless of our circumstances. We must deal with them the best we can. But we should not let them get in the way of what is most important – and what is most important almost always involves the people around us." - Pres. Thomas S. Monson
So for the new year, my goals:
1-spend more time being with those who are important to me.
2-take time for me, be creative. (actually finish some of those projects laying around in binders, folders, closets and in my head)
3-slow down
4-take 20 minutes every day to clean up, so i don't feel overwhelmed.
5- work harder at being a better teacher, both to my fourth graders and my Savannah.
6-FHE with Savannah..(any ideas on fun ways to have FHE with a two year old...)
For this journey is not meant to be endured, but enjoyed.
3 comments:
So wise! Jess! You are amazing! Sometimes we just need to take it one day at a time and refocus on what's really important...not the fact that I've fed my husband frozen pizza for lunch 3 out of the 5 days last week. No more guilt...only enjoying today!
I totally hear ya! I was just thinking the other day how I never imagined that I could be this tired! I seriously could spend all of my time just cleaning. But that's no fun and I sacrifice time with the kids. So, you probably won't find the laundry or the dishes done at our house on a regular basis. When you figure out how to get balance, let me know. =)
Oh - and for FHE, we almost always just choose a picture from the gospel art kit. I think they are like $30 at the distribution center. Each picture has a little something written on the back. We love it because it's so simple - no planning required, and it's short for our kids with limited attention spans. If we have time or energy, we add an activity. Hope that helps!
p.s. I love that talk too. Have you seen the youtube video? It's awesome! It's called "Create"
Jess! You've got to try the FlyLady cleaning program! It will make your life so much easier! Go to Flylady.net and sign up for her e-mails. She has a short daily routine and then she e-mails you each morning and tells you something extra to do. Simple (never more than 15 minutes!)
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