Do you ever feel like life is like a tightrope, and while you are slowly making your way from one side to the other your balancing who you are and what you are on your shoulders, on the one side is who you are as a person who you have always been, on the other is all the things you are in life. You know being a daughter, sister, friend, wife, mother and so-on... but sometimes those things you are out weigh the who you are... don't get me wrong I am all of these things and I love being each and everyone of them. However there are sometimes that being all of that takes away from being me....
I find as I take on more and more in life I feel like I am losing my balance between me and my roles in life. I don't feel like me. It may sound silly but I know exactly who I am and what I am as a person and every now and then I stop and take stock of me... and I feel like parts are missing or slipping.
So after a lengthy introduction my confession is that I need more time for me... and while that maybe strange as a confession, for me its a big one... I am definitely a people pleaser, as much as I don't take crap or put up with silliness (unless its from a certain adorable 3 year old) I want people to like me and I want to make them happy (it gives me a little boost when I do.. its a sickness I swear). It makes me feel guilty even wanting to spend time doing only things for me, it makes me cringe thinking about taking time away from my family to do something by myself.
There does however come a time, I think, that being all of those things you are in life is just not enough. I think that it takes parts of you and if you ignore the fact that you have lost that part for long enough it changes you, and you can't get it back.
So I am trying to make it a point to do things that are just for me, even if its just one hour once a week that I am not taking care of the kids, or my husband. One hour when I am not being a sister or daughter, a friend or even a blogger.
Turns out though that this is hard.... not only the guilt of taking time for me and only me, but what the hell am I going to do with this hour or two?
Do you take a few minutes or hours for yourself each week? I'd love to know what you do with your time maybe I can steal an idea or two...
Unless you take time to be yourself then you can't be all those wonderful things you are to the fullest. You work hard and do an amazing job raising your children, being a great friend, daughter and sister. But eventually you will resent those roles because in your head you'll be thinking "Well, why SHOULD I do x for you when I can't even have time for ME?". It is SO SO SO important to take you time and get in touch with who you are so you can continue to be an amazing mommy/friend/daughter/sister... after all, you were you before you were any of those other things.
ReplyDeleteThis post SPOKE to me - I recently had this very same conversation with my dear hubby. I am a fortunate lady as he stresses that yes I do need to take time now and then to put myself first. Whether its going for a walk, a hot bath or just sitting with my knitting... At this time in my life, my youngest two still nap and my older two girls are in school - so those two hours get spent on ME.. sometimes I cheat a bit and put away dishes or do some Girl Guide prep work, but most afternoons you can find me with my nose in a book or at my sewing machine. Don't feel guilty, reconnecting with yourself will only make you better at being YOU and all the things that YOU entail..wife, mother, sister, daughter.. child of God. xo
ReplyDeletePS..new follower from the Sundae hop. :) Have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteDitto on those comments! I don't have any suggestions because I am guilty of this myself, lol! I'd like to start taking some scheduled time out for myself every week though. I do cherish my bath time. I take baths quite a bit for therapy. :)
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