Lie 2: You are not enough
A friend sent me a quote recently which begged the following question:
Do you find yourself spending more time
Listening to yourself
Or
Talking to yourself?
Now talking to yourself can be linked to a form of madness. But I think it’s strongly linked to sanity!
Being a mother is a really big role to play.
When our eldest was 10 weeks old I went back to work because I had to. I remember feeling guilty because work was so, so, so, so, so much easier than looking after a baby.
In time I was able to give up and I have absolutely loved being a mum and I’d do it all over again. But I soon realised that there are no:
End of year targets
Pats on the back
Bonuses
Appraisals
But there are loads of other mothers to compare ourselves with. Mothers who are:
More fun
More laid back
Slimmer and fitter
Who have babies that eat
Babies that sleep
Children that listen
Full fridges
Tidy houses
And lots of friends to hang out with.
And it’s not long before we can be wondering whether we’re enough.
I wonder if you, like me, have ever had days when you wonder that.
What are the tapes in your mind? What are you listening to?
Let’s turn that around….
What should you be telling yourself?
What are YOUR strengths
YOUR values
YOUR goals
What did you do well today?
What do you know is great about you?
We all have strengths. On our worst days we will have done something right, something well, something wholehearted, even if it wasn’t perfect.
What sort of messages do you want your children to hear on days when they don’t feel enough? What sort of messages should you be hearing? You’ll be the best person to speak to your soul when It needs a little pep talk. But can I add some things?
You are precious
You are unique
You mean the world to your little ones, even on a rubbish day!
Your smile is an uplifter
Your words are valuable
You are enough.
Tell yourself!
