Living in the Now: Mom's Heart, Part 3

Celebrating motherhood, I'm excited to share some perspective from my own mom.  She is a super hero rock star in her own right, and gave me the best mother's day gift this year by compiling a few stories and advice. Read more about her background here. Part 3 is my favorite, uniting our sisterhood of women. Her real life experience blesses me, and I hope encourages you.  I'll let her tell you the story herself:

As I age, I realize how important it is to be in community with other women, walk alongside each other, bear each other’s burdens, share the joys in the ebb and flow of life. I have had the amazing opportunity to have friends that are willing to be transparent with  me, to allow who I am to be accepted, and to walk together still. We are refined and strengthened by our struggles, and our trials. Our laughter and joys are multiplied when we share them (women can have so much fun together!).

I encourage women to be real with each other, to get together and work together, to love each other’s children, to serve each other, talk about what we are learning, to encourage each other in the challenges, help to provide needs. There is a richness in working together. We need to encourage each other not to be tempted to pretend we are someone we aren’t.  

Changes that Heal: Henry Townsend

 

Shared from Henry Cloud's latest FB status update.  It it weren't so long, I need it embroidered on my pillow for daily reading. #1 is really applicable in my life right now. How about you?

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In my book "Changes That Heal," I talked about a developmental path that we all travel to get to maturity. It involves four steps:

1) The ability to get connected 2) The ability to have boundaries 3) The ability to put "good and bad" together 4) The ability to be an adult.

TIme for a little check up for you. Ask yourself the following questions in the four areas today:
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1. How connected do I feel to some significant people in my life? If not, what can I do to increase my connection? Reach out? Join? Get more proactive? Or is it more overcoming internal fear or resistance? What is my next growth step?

2. How in control of my own life do I feel? Who does it feel is controlling me? Why am I not saying no? Where is my next growth step in creating a healthy limit with someone?

3. What idealized image am I suffering under, unable to accept the good and the bad? Is it with myself or with others? Or both? Where am I attacking myself for not being "good enough" and feel as if I am "all bad" for my mistakes or imperfections? Where am I doing that to someone else? What steps do I need to take towards acceptance of both the good and the bad and dealing with both?

4. How much of an equal adult do I feel like I am with others? Do I feel "one down" some or the time? Why? What do I need to do to express my adulthood? Or, am I assuming the parent role with some other adult and not requiring adulthood from them as well as trying to dominate them? Where do I need to let them be an equal?

Good questions to ask.....for more about this see "Changes That Heal."

Cheers,

Henry