This past week was one of those weeks that they invented that really irksome proverb “Man plans; God laughs.” I’m a planner because it gives me joy, direction, and security. And this week was no different. I had planned out a whole list of things that would have been awesome. I planned so much that I had created a whole vision of how my week was going to work. But….
But at the first of the week, my partner went out of town at the exact same time my two-year-old came down with the dreaded hand, foot, and mouth. At first, I was spinning trying to stick to my vision while comforting a screaming toddler 24/7. But then I relented. I had to call an audible. As much as I really really wanted to, I wasn’t going to make my vision happen, and butting my head against that reality was just going to cause stress which was going to harm my health and keep me from being the mom my kids need. Dealing with a sick kid is already stressful enough without creating stress to add to the pile.
Don’t be fooled, this skill of identifying and addressing when I have created stress did not come naturally for me. It was only when I started really dealing with stress as part of my healing journey did I realize how much of my stress was self-imposed. In the past, I would have held tight to my vision despite reality glaring me in the face and I would have suffered for it. And we do suffer through stress when we try to defy reality and hold on to our vision even when there is no chance in hell it’s going to happen. So as you are settling into this holiday season remember this: While it’s good to have a plan, it’s more important to know when to be flexible and call your own audible. I hope you have a happy healthy holiday season!
For another take on embracing the imperfect this holiday season, check out this post from one of my favorite bloggers.
Helping you get past all the stuff that is holding you back! 