Happy Thursday Girls!
Thank GOD!!!
If you were to ask my husband what the #1 thing was that I needed to change about myself, he would definitely say I need not stress so much about all the small stuff, and the things I have no control over. I am a "worrier", and I always have been...I worry about ridiculous things, things I have no control over and then that worry just stresses me out! I do feel "stressed" out a lot..my husband kindly keeps telling me there is probably a pill I could take that could help with that! Ha!!!
so true...it really is just small stuff!!!
My life is always going to have some type of stress in it, I mean I have 5 kids!!!! Like any other parent I worry about my kids all the time. I worry that my kids are having a good day at school, that the other kids are being nice to them, I worry about my older kids driving and being in the car with their friends..non stop worrying as a mom for sure! I worry if I am being the best wife and mother I can be, I worry if I am giving the kids and my husband all the attention they need from me. There are days when I will sometimes just go up in my room and just cry because my stress level is through the roof...does this happen to anyone else????
I watch the news, and it is one sad story after another...how can I not worry about my kids at school during the day when we are constantly hearing about crazy people walking into schools with guns and just killing people! I wish I could keep my kiddos in a bubble and just keep them close to me and safe all the time...but that is just not a reality.
I realize that I have absolutely no control over certain things, and that it is absolutely impossible for me to be able to "protect" my kids from everything. I have no control over the person who gets behind the wheel after they have been drinking, I have no control if some crazy psycho walks into my kids school with a gun and goes on a shooting spree...I always worry about these things in the back of my head, however I cannot let it consume me anymore. I really think it sucks that we live in a world where so much of this stuff happens, but we can't all stay locked up in our houses being scared to live.
In addition to this "big world" worries, I have lots of smaller things in my home life that at times really stress me out. Again, these little things can consume me, and I fret and stress..but I am really trying hard to let it go. If my kids don't want to eat what I cook for dinner is it really that big of a deal if they eat cereal or a PB&J sandwich..NO it isn't. When it is 30 degrees outside and my boys insist on wearing shorts, I just let them..if they want to freeze that is their choice! When Olivia wants to dress herself and walk out the door in mismatched clothing, is it the end of the world...NO...soon enough she will learn how to match! I have learned over the years to pick and choose my battles, and some things are just not worth getting myself all worked up!
I am really trying hard to "not sweat the small stuff" this year, for me this will NOT be easy, but for the sake of my sanity I am sure going to try! My life is very full of a lot of positives, and stressing about all the negatives, and about things that could happen, but may never, is just not good for me, my husband or my kids.
Would love to hear if you struggle with any of these things, and what you do to let it all go and not sweat the small stuff.
Be sure to check back tomorrow as I will be sharing my Friday Favorites with you!!!
I am also a big ball of worry and stress. I have had to learn to just let a lot of things go, like you said. :) I also turn to my faith in Jesus as a source of strength and encouragement - there are days I would never get through without Him!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for reading! My faith helps me get through slot. Have a great day
DeleteI appreciate your post and would love an opportunity to share a different perspective. Instead of stressing about the "what if's?" Why not instead be grateful for "What is." Focus on what is good, focus on the calm, focus on the happy. I had about a decade where I was always "so busy" -- and I was. But I was "so busy" that I was also always "so stressed." I was always worried and stressed. However, in hindsight, life was really good, normal, and going really good. I didn't realize how stress-free things REALLY were because I was creating the stress. However, then life turned on my fast -- my MIL was diagnosed with cancer and was gone 5 months later, then my mom was diagnosed with cancer and was gone a month later, then my husband was diagnosed with cancer and life became about doctor appointments, surgery, radiation, chemo, surviving. Then our house flooded. Then our house was broken into and robbed. Then I was hit by a drunk driver and severely injured. I now live with chronic pain. Looking back at that decade of "normal" where I created the stress...I think about that time longingly. I miss the days of things just being good. I realize it was artificial stress and artificial worry I was creating. So I challenge you -- enjoy this time. Enjoy when it's good. Try not to waste this time with artificial worry when it's pretty much guaranteed that in life we're all hit by something horrid that we have to experience as our testimony. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for taking the time to read and share your insight. I really enjoyed reading it and you are right, I need to really try and focus on all the good! Thank you so much...I needed to read this! Have a wonderful weekend!!!!
DeleteThanks Kimm -- I've read through some of your older posts and you've definitely been through hard "stuff" :-) -- could of used another word here but didn't. You've obviously had REALLY hard times. So relish in the good. Hopefully the hard times are behind you! As someone who is going through the hard "stuff" right now, I look forward to the day when it's not so hard. I'd be committed if I went down the rabbit hole of "what-if's?" And my sanity is kept by prayer and being grateful for the "what is." I'm glad my note helped you. Have a wonderful weekend, too!
ReplyDeleteLife is never easy and all I have been through has made me who I am today, and I am stronger because of it. I'm hoping your hard times fade soon! Xoxo
Delete