In my frantic rushes to accomplish this and that, go here and there, buy this great new helpful thing or that great new helpful thing, the thought has occurred to me (many times) that I am not satisfied. And how can that be when I've been blessed with spiritual knowledge, a beautiful family, opportunities to use my talents, and friends and family who care about me? It all depends on my focus... when I am focused on the things I do not need, then I am not satisfied. Because you can never get enough of what you don't need... it will never fill the void. The ability to balance wants and needs is tricky to come by.
For example, I am currently on Weight Watchers (I have 12 post pregnancy pounds to lose). On the days that I am vigilant about eating well and exercising, I feel a constant need for chocolate, or some equally evil pleasure (that I don't need). And then on the day I allow myself to indulge, I do not feel satisfied.
Are you following? Sigh. Grab yourself a snack, this may take a while. And PLEASE forgive the semi lucid mommy blogger who was up all night with a teething baby and still has deep thoughts to unload. :)
Instant gratification. That's what it's all about. Because we're in survival mode a lot of the time. Or I'm in survival mode a lot of the time. I probably am not a high enough priority in my own life... or at least, not in the ways that would truly satisfy me. I feel like we kind of touched on this subject a little in our last Woman to Woman. We wrote about the things we do well. Which is an important thing for us to recognize in such an ungrateful world. But I also came away from that topic realizing where my focus ought to be.
My husband and I have recognized in ourselves lately a lack of discipline in two areas that really aid in parental sanity: body and spirit. An oxymoron of a pair in today's world (there is so much focus, to the point of vanity, on the former, when really there needs to be a perfect balance)!
Parallel that with the constant feeling of defeat and inner conflict: "I'm not doing enough for my kids... I am not doing enough for my job... " and on and on. It's that want of measuring up that crowds out our need to just focus on us - the one thing you can control. I have told my younger brothers this before, but still it is a struggle, to pay no mind to the "world". Anyway, "a little less conversation, a little more action", eh?
Mondays are cooking days at la casa de fun. I will be sharing recipes throughout the summer on Mondays - some of them child friendly and some of them just family favorites! I am also going to be hosting some give aways beginning next week (oooooh, ahhhhh)!
See ya then!
10 comments:
I read a study recently about fulfillment, comparing people's feelings of fulfillment in work vs. leisure and vacation. The conclusion of the article found that people are much more fulfilled by their work (whether for pay, or projects at home)than they are by vacations and play.
It's not a stretch to postulate the our culture's obsession with saving time and doing things efficiently so we can have more leisure isn't exactly satisfying us! We've sortof got it backwards about what will really make us happy.
2000 years ago a wise man said "whoso ever shall lose his life shall find it." Yet we continue to pursue things that cannot satisfy us in the long run.
What a lovely reminder of where our focus should be, and where fulfillment really comes from.
I love this post! I have experienced dissatisfaction many, many times, yet I have a hard time discovering what exactly I need to change.
Lately, I find that if I keep my mind busy, whether it be with a project or really focusing on my children, I feel much better about myself, that I've accomplished something with my day.
Good luck with this journey of finding balance. It's not easy!
Finding balance in all areas of our lives is critical. Yet, because we are creatures of habit, we find it hard to extend ourselves and make that change!
I'm understand completely about trying to lose weight, eating well, and still wanting that chocolate! I still have about 10 pounds of post baby weight to lose and can't seem to get over the hump that will get me there. Maybe it's because I don't give up chocolate. :D
Can't wait to see some of the fun recipes and summer activity ideas you'll be sharing. And giveaways. . .yahoo!!
It's hard these days to separate out what we really need and what everyone else thinks we need to have to be "cool". When I was young, it was called "keeping up with the Joneses." I think I've moved past that in my middle years and I find that there is less and less that I need now to feel satisfied.
Good food for thought, Lei.
Often work is what pulls us out of a slump. With 4 children it gets overwhelming, too much work! The key is balance. I haven't found it yet!
I have the same issues, and I find that different strategies work for me at different points in my life.
What's working now? The one treat a day strategy. Every evening, after dinner, I get "one treat". I look forward to it all day. I try to eat healthy all day so I can "earn it". After I have it, I brush my teeth and try not to eat anything else all day.
Because I get a treat every day, I don't feel deprived. And because I'm practiced self-control and waited till the end of the day, I feel good about myself.
I hate the feeling of always being rushed, so lately I have been trying to be more like the Savior and not feel rushed. I am trying to enjoy the moments and focus on what it important. I am trying to feel the now instead of being in the now and still worrying and planning whatever is coming next on the agenda. Being organized is a good thing, but it is all about balance.
Intuitive Eating has been a good book for me to read, although I am not done with it yet.
Have a happy Monday :)!!
Doing the weight watchers thing over here too. Very frustrating. Balance is such a hard thing to get. I hope you feel better soon!
Just today, I was reading (on the toilet, no less :-) an article entitled "Elusive Happiness. How we may have life and liberty but the pursuit of happiness isn't going so well. How as a country we are richer than ever. Yet surveys show that Americans are no happier than they were 30 years ago.
I think you hit it right on the mark!
So many thoughts, but luckily, almost everyone has already expressed it. I feel almost a constant frustration for not being better at what I'm "supposed" to be doing, and guilty for any happiness when I lack in so many areas.
I do think I need to work harder, though. I think my own natural tendency is to be a "lady that lunches" when my best days tend to be when I totally knock something off my to-do list.
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