I recently was listening to a podcast that said, “The person we talk to the most is ourselves.” Then the question that the speaker posed was: “What type of conversations are you having with yourself?”
The first thought that came to my mind was: “Thank goodness I’m not the only one talking to myself!”—am I right?
My second thought was: “Thank goodness nobody can HEAR THE THINGS I’m thinking!”
Then I started to really think about what kind of “conversations” I’m having with myself throughout the day. Don’t worry, I’m not about to dive into a “power of positive thinking” rant, but I am going to share with you a few things that I tell myself.
5 Things I Tell Myself to Get Through the Day
#1: GOD, GIVE ME STRENTH: No kidding. I don’t mean this jokingly or cheesy. The second I open my eyes and my body can’t accept that it’s already time to do it all over again, I ask God to give me strength. Like, LITERAL physical strength. Between a 4 ½ year old boy that has more energy than Tigger, and a sassy 11 month old little girl, it takes every ounce of physical energy I have to get through the day. And then I drag myself to the kitchen and thank God for coffee, too.
#2: MY CHILDREN ARE A GIFT: It’s so easy to focus on the more “undesirable” behaviors of our children throughout the day. The tantrums, the disobedience, the NOISE can be more than frustrating. But then I hear those giggles, I see that toothless smile, a small step towards independence, and I’m overwhelmed that I get to raise these little humans. In reality, it’s all I ever wanted; it’s my dream come true. I think about friends who have lost babies or friends who would literally give their left arm to get pregnant, and I remind myself that these little darlings are indeed a gift from the Lord. And one that I’m not sure I even deserved.
#3: MY HUSBAND IS A GIFT: This is another area I can get myself into some trouble. The conversation with myself often sounds like this in regards to my husband: “How hard is it to HANG UP YOUR PANTS? Can you not CLOSE A DRAWER?! I just counted FIVE pairs of shoes in the living room. How could you have forgotten I had a thing tonight? And WHEN are you going to be home?!” Yikes. I certainly don’t sound like the charming blushing bride I was 10 years ago. So I like to remind myself that my husband is a GIFT from the Lord. He leaves the house with a smile on his face every day. He comes home with that same smile, dives in to play with our son, asks about our day, and doesn’t stop till the last bedtime story is finished. He works hard, he is trustworthy, and he loves his family more than anything. What more could I ask for?
#4: MOTHERHOOD IS NOT A CONTEST: This could be an entire blog post itself. I’m embarrassed to admit how much time I’ve wasted comparing myself to other moms. My thoughts include (but not limited to): “She is so much more accomplished than me. How does she find the TIME to do it all?! She clearly works with her kids more than I do. Her kids are much more well-behaved than mine. She is way more fun than me. GAH, how does her body look that that ALREADY?” But I must remember that I was created with a specific set of skills to accomplish the “workmanship” that God gave me to do. EVERY Mom is really good at something, NOT EVERYTHING. But we see the “BEST OF” scrolling through our social media reel and our minds mesh all of it together to create this one imaginary, ideal person that we compare ourselves to. IT’S LUDICROUS. When I feel myself getting sucked in to the comparison game, I like to take one from Elsa’s book and LET IT GO.
#5: THIS IS A SEASON: Yes, we have arrived at my perhaps my biggest challenge. Regardless of WHAT season you’re in, you’re jealous of another season. I have LITTLE littles…preschoolers, so I find that I’m envious of pretty much EVERY OTHER SEASON. The school-aged moms, the empty nesters…heck, anybody that can peacefully eat a meal with two hands that doesn’t involve crayons, chicken nuggets, or “a prize.” My most recent thoughts about this topic sounded like this: “GAH, it’ll be so great when vacation means hubby and me sitting by the pool, just waving at the kids as they go down the water slide (on their own) over and over again!” And I answered myself: “SISTER, YOU GOT A LONG WAY TO GO.” But I remind myself (seriously, daily), that we are in a very special and cherished season. The formative years. The years where my kids love me, where I am their best friend. The days that are marked by pancakes in our pajamas on any given week day and last-minute picnics at the playground. THESE ARE THE DAYS, they say, and the closer my son inches to kindergarten, I BELIEVE IT.
I hope some of these reminders will help you in the daily “conversations” with yourself. I have found that not putting so much pressure on myself and focusing on gratitude has truly helped my attitude! I’d LOVE to hear what thoughts and inspiration get YOU through the day.
