Life Overwhelming

Is it just me or can life sometimes get a little overwhelming. It seems just when you get one thing accomplished the universe reminds you that you should be doing more, having less, organizing better, you get the picture. I have this running list in the back of mind constantly reminding me of all the things I want to get done, eventually. This list I think for the most part is a good thing for a person to have, it keeps you on track. But at the same time this list can begin to stalk me. As if it isn't hard enough being a wife, a mom, a daughter, sister, friend, homemaker, etc., then you have this nagging in the back of your mind that somehow all that is not good enough. I begin to set these unrealistic expectations. I make comments to myself and others that I am not doing this well enough or I want to get better at this, or clean this more and so on.

I was thinking about all this today simultaneously reading to my son (miss multi tasker). I was reading a book of nursery rhymes when I happened on one called "A Wise Old Owl". I read the words, "A wise old owl lived in an oak, the more he saw the less he spoke; The less he spoke the more he heard. Why aren't we all like that wise old bird?" Instantly it resonated with me. I realized that this list in the back of my head is nothing more than overwhelming chatter, by me to me.

I stopped instantly and said a prayer to God to help me silence these demands I put on myself and I thanked him for all that I am blessed with. Because truly all I have is all I need. Yes the daily chores of life will always be there and honestly for the most part I take joy in doing them and feel pride when I've accomplished my daily To Do list. But it is important for me to silence that self chatter about all the future things needing tended to. They will get done. All I am doing in the present by constantly reminding myself is speaking more and hearing less.

So I am making it a priority to breath deeper, and stop trying to do so much so that the things I am doing mean more.

Thank you, you wise old bird.