Every so often I fully embrace a mantra that becomes the focus of my life.
In graduate school, I was depressed. So depressed. I worked really hard to pull myself out of that depression and one of the things that helped was the mantra “It’s all about me.” I know, it sounds self-centered, but I had spend so much time focusing on others that I didn’t focus on myself at all. So, I embraced that mantra and told myself that I deserved more. I deserved to find the joy in my life and to focus on my needs again. Hey, I was a childless, single woman back then, I could be selfish. At the end of that year, I was more self-confident and I truly believe that time of growth prepared me to meet my husband and start building a life with him.
Photo Credit Kalim @ Dollar Photo Club
Since then, I’ve had a few more mantras like “Choose Happiness” and “It’s All Going To Be Alright”.
Over this past year, my mantra was “I am Not Small”. I wrote about why I that means so much to me on this post about loneliness. But, it also pushed me outside of my comfort zone with this blog and has opened so many new doors and introduced me to some wonderful people that I never would have known if I didn’t embrace those three words.
Lately, another mantra has been planted in my soul. Every once in a while it creeps up and gives me comfort right when I need it. It’s a simple word, but holds so much power.
Enough
I am enough.
Photo Credit WavebreakMediaMicro @ Dollar Photo Club
Some days I don’t feel like enough. I feel like I can’t be the Mom I want to be because I have another passion that’s calling my name. My blog. But then, I feel like I can’t be a good enough blogger because my first job is taking care of my family.
It feels like I can’t do enough for my kids. I can’t do enough for my relationship with my husband. I can’t do enough for my blog readers.
Then I have to remind myself that I am enough.
And when I embrace that enoughness, I find that really….it’s more than plenty.
My kids are thriving, my marriage is awesome, this blog is growing, and I am happy. I can do enough.
I am enough!
This video is a great reminder to me that I am enough…even on the days I don’t feel like I am.
So tell me, do you have a mantra or statement that you’ve embraced?
This is great, Amanda! I’ve been dealing with struggles lately of being pulled in too many directions- the blog, the business, mom, wife- and feeling like it isn’t enough for anybody. So this is really reassuring. I have yet to find just the “right” mantra for me but I love the idea and am sure one will creep up that keeps me on the right track. Thanks!
Thank you Amy. I find that the mantras I embrace either creep up like this one did, or they slap me in the face like the “I am not small” one. It’s hard to manage it all, but being able to tell myself a few kind words helps tremendously.
Thank you for this. Right now I personally struggle with finding a good balance between blogging, taking care of my son, and also making time to take care of myself. I try to remind myself that “good enough is good enough.” I always loved the idea of a “good enough parent” from D.W. Winnicott. Those are my two mantras. I left my career behind as a nurse to stay at home full time because my husband is gone a lot for work. It just makes things easier to have one constant at home. You know? So I started diving into writing because it makes me feel purpose driven. But it’s hard to feel like I’m doing a good job in all aspects of my life. Crazy, but true.
If You haven’t watched “mom’s night out” it is a really great movie and it helps with a lot of the things that you talk about. I don’t want to give away too much but there is a part in the movie where the main character a mom is crying and she said “I’m not enough.” The guy Says “not enough for who?”….. What he says next is very inspiring. I really enjoy reading your blog has helped me as a mom.
Thanks, I too find my mantra changes throughout my life. At the moment mine is ‘they’re only little one’. I sometimes find myself wishing my childrens life away as it seems like things will be easier as they grow up, mainly because I’m hoping I get more sleep, but they will be big before I know it.
I found this just the other day; it was posted over @ http://affimity.com/#/sharedPost/2/8292, and it really touched my heart where it lives. I just love it. Sometimes, I am so overwhelmed with my roles: wife, mother, employee, student, writer, cook, maid, etc, etc. I almost never – when was the last time? – stop to think about taking care of myself, and that typically affects my mood and triggers my depression most days. I feel so overwhelmed that I constantly tell myself that there’s no way I can do all this today, no way that I can be enough. But I am enough. Thank you for the kind reminder!