let’s do more than Just survive
You were meant for more than just survival. Yes, you mama. This weight that you’re carrying isn’t yours to carry alone. The moment you became a mom society starts talking it’s B.S. Sister, you are ENOUGH without trying to keep up with what the world is telling you need to accomplish. You don’t need to level yourself up to society’s standards. They’re trash.
We live in a society that tells women who they need to be, what trends to follow, how you should carry yourself, what your bodies should look like, how you should birth, where you should birth, that you should be a working mom, or you need to be stay at home mom, where to buy the food, medicine being thrown at you when in reality they were never tested on us to begin with, what your kids should be involved in. Ugh…it’s confusing and it has seeped into your brains deep enough that you (most of us) lost sight of what you actually want. So you throw yourself into survival in order to keep up. But why? Who are you keeping up with, when survival of the fittest leaves you feeling depleted, angry, and simply confused on how to actually slow down so that you can thrive.
Survival leaves zero space for growth and transformations. It leaves no space for your mental, spiritual, or physical needs. Let’s stop packing your schedule with things that don’t go along with the path you’re taking. Give yourself space to breathe, slow down, put your toes in the grass, eat a meal without hustling to your next thing. Give each moment you’re in it’s own moment. There is always going to be more to tackle and sacrificing your needs or your family’s needs will never be worth it.
Oh! But how does one thrive? Thriving comes with work as well as pruning. It takes time and it’s definitely worth the work. Let’s imagine that you stop looking to society for the answers as you turn into yourself. Start planting the seeds to finding some type of balance in your life. Which thriving vs surviving looks different for every single person and what you want out of life as well as what you can handle.
Here are couple simple ways you can begin to THRIVE in your life:
Ask for help-go ask that neighbor, friend, family member, partner, hire a support person.
Say no to things that don’t align with you and your dreams
Make time to reflect, journal, or just be
Go outside to take a walk or play with your kids
Go to bed early a couple times a week
Eat nourishing meals that fuels your body
Sometimes in order to protect what I desire out of this life I feel like I’m Mel Gibson in Braveheart barreling across the field screaming, “They can’t take our FREEDOM!” I want to keep fighting for a life that thrives. Why? Because thriving means I’m pausing and assessing what’s working and what’s not.
If you feel yourself falling into survival mode I encourage you to pause, talk it out with a spouse, a trusted person in your circle, therapist, practitioner, etc. Survival mode throws your body into fight or flight which begins domino effect of mood swings, gut dysregulation, blood sugar imbalances, fatigue, muscle weakness, burn out, and so much more.
You deserve to flourish. To thrive.
