This morning, one of my beautiful friends shared a post on Facebook that caught my eye. You can read the whole post here, but, in essence, it encourages us all to acknowledge the fact that sometimes, we are trying to do too much. And we do not give ourselves and others credit for just… surviving.
The small hours found me awake this morning because my Labrador had insisted on going outside. Coming back to bed my brain was responsible for not being able to go back to sleep. I thought about all the little things that are currently challenging me. And one of these are that I feel that I am not doing enough. So my question is: why do we always want to do more? Is it comparison? The whole social media dilemma where we compare our own situations with the little glimpses we see of other’s lives.
I have come to the realisation recently that different people are driven by different things. Some by wealth. Some by personal goals. I think drive, in essence, should be based upon that which defines you. Your values, your morals, your beliefs.
Now, how do you figure that out?
Jak de Priester wrote a beautiful column discussing how important it is to know who you are. He came to the realisation that in a world where everything is happening at once, and we are all trying to do our bit, how important it is to go back to that definition whenever you feel lost or overwhelmed. How this knowledge can help you find your spot in the puzzle.
So this is perhaps an exercise that I should give some attention to. Asking the right questions like what is important to me. What motivates me? What helps me keep the momentum to reach my goals? What makes me happy?
A silly little example of this: our family dinnertime. Yes, I am obsessed with eating, but it has always been important to me that we do this together as a family. The Lilliputians are now 3, so this is usually a bit of a circus, but we do manage to sit down at the table every night. With this simple gesture I am trying to raise little people with table manners, that know why we say grace. I try to encourage an environment where we have conversations. They are also becoming adventurous eaters, which is a bonus.
This is also where we make plans. Weekend plans, holiday plans, future menu plans – a place where we dream up little adventures and remind one another about things to look forward to. Granted, many nights it is a fight about not eating with your hands and not feeding the dogs, but… at least we are trying. And maybe, just maybe, for now… that is enough.
We need to give ourselves credit for the little things as well. We need to acknowledge that every little bit contributes to a bigger picture and that some days, all you can do, is survive.