“If you have time to whine and complain about something then you have the time to do something about it.” — Anthony J. D’Angelo
Our body sends us constant signals about what’s not working in our lives. Often, we ignore that information. We smother it with our little addictions to make ourselves feel better (comfort food, facebooking, shopping, lattes.) But that’s like having a blinking light on the dashboard of your car and responding by pulling the wires
out so the light stops blinking. It isn’t exactly sustainable. Your car will eventually break down.
You can’t be emotionally generous toward your child when your energy is being sapped by things that make you anxious or weigh you down. That stone in your shoe may seem small, but it’s wearing you down, hobbling your full aliveness — and your relationship with your child.
What if you just paid attention to those little annoyances, and addressed them? Even if each one takes a week or a month to clear up, think how much better your life will be in a few months.
How do you know what you need to clear up? If it makes you feel bad inside, or “act bad” outside, it’s draining you. For instance, if you frequently find yourself in a bad mood at the same time of day, find a way to change what happens. Listen to the message your gut is sending you. Can you respond by caring for yourself, while being respectful of others? This might mean you:
- Start the bedtime routine half an hour earlier so you can stay more patient.
- Have your partner or friend take the kids all Saturday afternoon so you can finally tackle a project that you’ve been putting off, like making your
way through that pile of bills and paperwork. (Be sure to approach the pile with gratitude so you can zoom through it.) - Change your mornings so everyone leaves the house in a good mood. (Wondering how? Here are some ideas.)
- Change your routine so you aren’t keeping playground company with a parent whose approach bothers you.
- Stop fighting with your child about a particular issue and work out a win/win solution that meets your needs — and his.
If you’re like most parents, you have a long list of things that are sapping your energy. Why not pick one, and make a plan to make it better? Just take it one step at a time, and cheer yourself on.
Every time you resolve a long-standing problem, throw something away, cross something off your list, or remove a negative influence, you’re casting off a burden. That gives you more energy to do what’s really important, whether that’s staying patient with your child or nurturing yourself. You won’t have as many breakdowns in your life. And you’ll probably find you feel a whole lot more alive.
Source: Aha! Parenting Blog
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