Your Activities Reflect What Is Important to You

What did you do today? What have you done this week? I want you to stop for a minute and think about your priorities. Now take a look at how your average week is planned out. Do those activities show the outside world what you hold as your highest priorities?

I'll confess that I have often said that my family is very important to me and yet I don't spend enough time with them or I am short-tempered. I have to consciously put aside the smartphone or stop working (I work from home) and make eye-contact in order to pay attention to what they are trying to tell me. Sadly though, there are times when I don't put away the devices or turn away from the computer. What does this mean?

I understand that people have to work to earn a living to support their children. All of the stories and play time isn't worth much if the kids are starving or you are about to lose your home. I get that. But of the time that is not spent working or if you are a stay-at-home mom there are times when you aren't cooking or cleaning (yes I know that it seems like there is always something to clean); how much of your "free" time is spent in front of the television or on Facebook or even on Candy Crush?

I'm not asking you to feel guilty about some "me" time stolen throughout the day. I'm asking you to stop and look at where your time is spent. You'll be surprised at where some of that 24 hours disappears to. And to the outside person looking in on your life? They would probably label your priorities differently than you would.

Instead of whining about how your children behave or about your dysfunctional relationships with your family, consider what activities you have done lately to fix/mend the problem. To quote a favorite line from the movie We are the Titans " The team's attitude reflects leadership." Your family is your team. They follow YOUR lead. Are you leading? Or are you simply letting things fall where they may?

Is the Idea of Contentment Killing Your Happiness?

If you've heard it once then you've heard it a million-gazillion times (yes gazillion is a number); you should be CONTENT with what you have because there are people in the world (or in your city/town, your neighborhood, heck-even your very own family) who have a worse life than you do. Yes, apparently we should all be CONTENT with our lives because someone else got a bum rap or because someone else made sucky choices. I've got a question for you. WHY? Why do you have to have a life that doesn't make you happy because SOMEONE ELSE isn't happy? 

If you are unhappy or simply "content" to stay where you are then that makes their life better? Should you decide not to have children because someone you know is having a hard time getting pregnant? Should you not go for that promotion because it means more money than anyone in your family has ever earned in their life?

Do you see where I'm going with this? Okay maybe you don't see being content as settling. Maybe you see it as being happy with what you have. That's a great sentiment. IF you are truly happy. And before you start yelling at me, I realize that we should be grateful for what we have and who we have in our lives. After all, not everyone has a roof over their head, a job and people that love them. I get that. This isn't about being ungrateful. 

What I want to know is are you so obsessed with being thankful for the life you have that you haven't stopped to think about what would truly make you happy in life? Would you be happier as a stay-at-home mom? Would you be happier to travel the world? Would you be happier alone? Okay maybe the last one is iffy. This is the MOMMY makeover challenge so being alone isn't really an option. But maybe you want different relationships with your husband/significant other or even different relationships with your kid(s). 

While what you're going through may not be something easy to fix (infants require dirty diaper changes at least once a day cause things can get seriously messy otherwise and toddlers can't be left to make their own dinner) but there is a difference between accepting the season that you are in and sacrificing happiness. You don't have to be the raving lunatic of a mother. You don't have to be the fat mom or the yoga pants mom. You don't have to STAY the working or stay-at-home mom. 

Start thinking about what would make you truly happy. Are there steps you can take to wind your way to that path? Now like I said over here you can't just run away. But do you know the greatest gift you can give your kids is a happy mom? 

Having contentment with your life is often a way to bring peace to yourself. I believe (from personal experience) that you can be thankful for the amazing blessings and gifts that are in your life while still being uncomfortable enough to make the changes necessary. That's what the Mommy Makeover Challenge is all about. Love the life you have and the people that are in it, but get out there and change all of the crappy stuff that makes you miserable. Are you ready to kick contentment across the curb and out of the neighborhood? Stop choking your potential for happiness and get ready for exciting changes.