\u201cSharpening the Saw\u201d is Stephen Covey\u2019s 7th Habit. You can see ALL of his Habits of Highly Effective People HERE<\/a>.<\/h3>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
So here\u2019s the hard question: How do I go from feeling low low down (as in: last night I hit a wall) to feeling like Yes<\/em>! I got this?!<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/minnesota-mom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Art-Show-4.jpg?resize=2957%2C2343\" "\\"Seven")
<\/a><\/p>\nIn a word, my weekly holy hour.<\/p>\n
(Okay so math is NOT my strong suit.)<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Take a moment, please, to look\u2013REALLY look\u2013at the illustration above.\u00a0<\/strong>Isn\u2019t it lovely? My 8th grade daughter drew that! (And for reasons completely unbeknownst to this mama, she told me she does not like it.) I was moved when I saw this picture for the first time yesterday, moved for a myriad of reasons like:<\/p>\n\n- I feel like that woman in the tower, waiting for my ship to come in.<\/li>\n
- Except\u2026are those ships going out to sea?<\/em> In which case, have I missed my chance?!<\/li>\n
- My daughter drew that!<\/li>\n
- I need to be doing more art lessons with my boys.<\/li>\n
- I need to be making more art myself.<\/li>\n
- Slowing down feels really good. I need to make some time for that.<\/li>\n
- My daughter drew that!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Me thinks the mama pride runs strong in us all.<\/p>\n
* * *<\/p>\n
So about my feeling low low down last night?<\/strong> As in, eating off-plan pieces of frozen pizza (I did<\/em> cook it first, at the very least) and wasting most of the night on idle activities?<\/strong><\/p>\nWell, I might blame the stress of our family calendar, as shown in this picture I posted on Social Media:<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/minnesota-mom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Screen-Shot-of-Our-Crazy-Calendar.jpg?resize=862%2C1054\" "\\"Seven")
<\/a><\/p>\n\u2026or I might just blame my giving into self-doubt and letting those bad habits take the wheel.<\/p>\n
I looked like this:<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/minnesota-mom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Bad-Habits-Take-the-Wheel.jpg?resize=3436%2C2330\" "\\"Seven")
<\/a><\/p>\n\u2026minus the super cute little smile.<\/p>\n
In a word, I was MISERABLE.<\/p>\n
* * *<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
My holy hour turned me around, thank goodness, and as a result, I highly recommend you find time to make one.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Especially if you \u201cdon\u2019t have the time for prayer\u201d, because ha! See my calendar? Do you think *I* do?! ; )<\/p>\nBut mostly because God gives me back my peace in a way I can\u2019t possibly explain away. It\u2019s Him, not me. It\u2019s His divine light.<\/p>\n
* * *<\/p>\n
Also though, I\u2019ve made some resolutions,<\/strong> and they include not eating frozen food that comes in a box. I\u2019m not ready to talk about the plan that I\u2019m following, mostly because I\u2019ve been so SO inconsistent, but I will say that I\u2019m leaning toward Trim Healthy Mama and\/or Keto.<\/p>\nI know that high blood sugar makes me poofy and poofy is not a productive state.<\/p>\n
I know the WOE (Way of Eating) that gives me life\u2026<\/em><\/p>\nI just I just I just need to do it.<\/p>\n
Finally, friend, let\u2019s talk alcohol. I\u2019m gonna just throw this out there in case (you?) need help, but some of us dance around those glasses of wine and they don\u2019t really do our mind\/heart\/and\/soul any favors. Again, I hesitate to bring this up again (because I\u2019ve talked about it before<\/strong><\/a> and obviously I\u2019m very inconsistent when it comes to staying the course), but I WILL say this: I would like to be a person who did not drink period\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0because that would vastly lighten my decision-making load.\u00a0 Gretchen Rubin talks about the freedom that comes from being a total abstainer<\/strong><\/a> and I think my personality lends itself quite well to abstinence. I have noticed that even after a glass and a half of wine, I wake up with a racing heart. I wake up feeling\u2026I don\u2019t know. Like I would have rather had water and gone for a walk.<\/p>\nPlus I have friends who have family members that have hit rock bottom.<\/p>\n
My heart breaks to see these chains that bind.<\/p>\n
* * *<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Which brings me back to that ol\u2019 rusty saw! What can we do to best fuel our mood and feed our spirit?<\/strong> Take some time today to think about it and then, make a plan!<\/p>\nFor me, I\u2019m going back to my daughters\u2019 school<\/strong><\/a> to see the student art show:<\/p>\n
In a word, my weekly holy hour.<\/p>\n (Okay so math is NOT my strong suit.)<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Take a moment, please, to look\u2013REALLY look\u2013at the illustration above.\u00a0<\/strong>Isn\u2019t it lovely? My 8th grade daughter drew that! (And for reasons completely unbeknownst to this mama, she told me she does not like it.) I was moved when I saw this picture for the first time yesterday, moved for a myriad of reasons like:<\/p>\n Me thinks the mama pride runs strong in us all.<\/p>\n * * *<\/p>\n So about my feeling low low down last night?<\/strong> As in, eating off-plan pieces of frozen pizza (I did<\/em> cook it first, at the very least) and wasting most of the night on idle activities?<\/strong><\/p>\n Well, I might blame the stress of our family calendar, as shown in this picture I posted on Social Media:<\/p>\n \u2026or I might just blame my giving into self-doubt and letting those bad habits take the wheel.<\/p>\n I looked like this:<\/p>\n \u2026minus the super cute little smile.<\/p>\n In a word, I was MISERABLE.<\/p>\n * * *<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n My holy hour turned me around, thank goodness, and as a result, I highly recommend you find time to make one.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Especially if you \u201cdon\u2019t have the time for prayer\u201d, because ha! See my calendar? Do you think *I* do?! ; )<\/p>\n But mostly because God gives me back my peace in a way I can\u2019t possibly explain away. It\u2019s Him, not me. It\u2019s His divine light.<\/p>\n * * *<\/p>\n Also though, I\u2019ve made some resolutions,<\/strong> and they include not eating frozen food that comes in a box. I\u2019m not ready to talk about the plan that I\u2019m following, mostly because I\u2019ve been so SO inconsistent, but I will say that I\u2019m leaning toward Trim Healthy Mama and\/or Keto.<\/p>\n I know that high blood sugar makes me poofy and poofy is not a productive state.<\/p>\n I know the WOE (Way of Eating) that gives me life\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n I just I just I just need to do it.<\/p>\n Finally, friend, let\u2019s talk alcohol. I\u2019m gonna just throw this out there in case (you?) need help, but some of us dance around those glasses of wine and they don\u2019t really do our mind\/heart\/and\/soul any favors. Again, I hesitate to bring this up again (because I\u2019ve talked about it before<\/strong><\/a> and obviously I\u2019m very inconsistent when it comes to staying the course), but I WILL say this: I would like to be a person who did not drink period\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0because that would vastly lighten my decision-making load.\u00a0 Gretchen Rubin talks about the freedom that comes from being a total abstainer<\/strong><\/a> and I think my personality lends itself quite well to abstinence. I have noticed that even after a glass and a half of wine, I wake up with a racing heart. I wake up feeling\u2026I don\u2019t know. Like I would have rather had water and gone for a walk.<\/p>\n Plus I have friends who have family members that have hit rock bottom.<\/p>\n My heart breaks to see these chains that bind.<\/p>\n * * *<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Which brings me back to that ol\u2019 rusty saw! What can we do to best fuel our mood and feed our spirit?<\/strong> Take some time today to think about it and then, make a plan!<\/p>\n For me, I\u2019m going back to my daughters\u2019 school<\/strong><\/a> to see the student art show:<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n\n
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