By: Brooke Takhar
We’re talking all things new for 2014, but not about resolutions exactly. More like getting down with finding ways to be a happier and healthier mama in the Year of the Horse. Check out the latest installment in the series, 2014: A New Year, A Happier, Healthier You.
No New Year’s Resolution Here
In the spirit of being, well, more spiritual…
the Internet tells me I should have a New Year’s Theme instead of a lowly Resolution. Ok, I’m totally down with that.
Considering I started exercising and eating better in September, and didn’t down every chunk of chocolate within mouth-shot in December, I started 2014 feeling pretty damn good about myself. There is however one particular dark and burbling part of myself, buried deep down under all my good intentions, that does need to be trotted out and worked on.
Patience is What This Mama Needs
Patience. This is my theme for 2014. (There’s even an awesome Guns N’ Roses song to accompany me.) I have isolated three areas in my life where patience is desperately needed. See if any of these ring true for you.
Patience with my Child
When you’re raising a child, every day you have to remind yourself that it’s okay to feel like you’re doing the worst parenting job of all time. Ensuring another human being is fed, educated, dry, happy, well-rested, confident, busy and stimulated is kind of a big deal. I need to be patient when my own expectations fall short.
I need to be patient when she is upset about nothing or taking 75 years to settle down at night or suddenly is making up stories about fist-fighting her grandmother. She is at a crazy age where life is one giant juicy skittle and she is eating it as fast as she can but there’s always a crash. I need to be there with bigger arms and more empathy for different behaviors. This girl of mine needs to push back in all ways and I need to respect that more and not get so impatient that I accidentally squash her bright light.
Patience with My Body
Since completely overhauling my daily food intake and starting to exercise in September, I have lost some weight, rediscovered cheekbones in the mirror and have discovered I don’t need sugar to be happy. These are heady times, feeling stronger and more energized, but I’m also still incredibly hard on myself.
I need to be grateful that my body, long dormant, has responded so beautifully to the new challenges I’ve pushed it through. When I tire more easily, or don’t feel like running in the rain or stare with terrible dark eyes at the soft sway of my upper arms, I have to chant: patience, patience, patience. I have the rest of my life to continue this journey of loving kale and wind in my face. The changes I desire, both inside and out, will come.
Patience with My Words
Having freelance work on top of a day job, daughter and just life in general can successfully steal all my free time and inspiration. The words that I tap out on my keyboard scratch an itch every day and I need to better balance out my time and work smarter.
This is going to take a lot of patience as I try new ways of ensuring my creativity and clients are both satisfied. After paddling in circles to just keep my head above water, in 2014 I give myself permission to stop, turn back around and even if it takes much longer than I like, try something new. The wish is that this will slow the loudly ticking clock in my head that beats out an impatient tune every minute of the day.
Patience
Really, I could use a solid extra jolt of it in all areas of my life but these three delicate and ever so important realms seem like the best places to start.
Do you have a theme for yourself in 2014?
If it’s patience, I’d love to know some of your strategies. Please give me some wise words in the Comments below.
Brooke Takhar is a mama of one monkey, based out of Vancouver, BC. She blogs about the trials and triumphs of parenting at missteenussr.com. When she’s not obsessing about her lack of DIY skills and exotic face creams, she shares her life and loves via Facebook, Twitter & Instagram (@missteenussr)