I can get so caught up looking at what everyone else is doing and fall into that comparison trap--the trap that everyone else has it more put together than I do. Their children are better behaved, their homes are filled with beautiful things, their clothes are always perfectly put together, their lives are just simply more organized. And with all of that comparison I find myself needing more--I need to update my furniture, I need a bigger vehicle, I need new clothes, I need, I need, I need. If one of my children spoke like this I would quickly tell them to stop, look at what they have, and to be grateful.
So today, as I write this, I'm telling myself the same. Stop. Look at my many blessings. Be grateful.
A grateful person is always a happy and I want to be that happy person. I want to recognize and appreciate the gifts God has so generously given to me.
So I'm going to take a journey. I'm going on a 30 day journey to get back my happy. I'm going to spend 30 days intentionally doing things that will make me a happier momma, a happier wife, a happier me.
How will I do this?
1. I will spend time talking to God every day. Yes, I do this as much as possible now, but for the next 30 days this devotion time will be focused on joy. His joy will be the root of my happiness. Without the joy of the Lord my happiness will be temporary and fleeting. I want this happiness to grow deep roots and this will begin with His joy.
2. I will spend the next 30 days eating better and exercising. Before my last pregnancy, I loved to work out and eat food that was good for me. I have strayed far from that and I need to get back into that routine. When I'm healthy, I'm happy.
3. I will be taking a 30 day break from social media. As my husband and I enjoyed a kid free breakfast today, our conversation turned into this happiness topic and I realized my comparison trap that I fall into often is centered around social media. No, Facebook isn't bad and Instagram is fun, but constantly having access to everyone else's world can make my world not seem quite adequate. I need a break for awhile to only see my friends on the outside world, and not on the social media world. I need a break to see that my life is exactly what it needs to be and not feel like I need to be living it like someone else. I can still keep my photography business and blog page current through my Pages app without having to get onto Facebook so as hard as it may seem, I believe I can do this.
4. The final thing is to do something every day that brings me my happy. Sure, I find happiness everyday now, but for the next 30 days I will intentionally do something that makes me happy. This might mean game nights, family walks, playground trips, coffee shop dates, reading time, I don't know, the possibilities are endless. I can do all of this without worrying about who is doing it better, or if my pictures are Instagram worthy. I can do this and be present in my life, something that often find myself missing.
I believe that in 30 days I will have rediscovered that person who found the happiness in the little things again. I believe I can begin to be the example of gratitude that I so often expect from my children. I believe I can be a happier momma, a happier wife, a happier me.
Will you join me on this journey? I'm officially kicking it off on Wednesday, May 24 because that random day just seems perfect. I plan on sharing my intentional happy plans with you on The Motherhood Ministry's Facebook page to give you ideas and for you to share yours as well! You don't have to do it exactly like me. You may not have a comparison issue with social media, so you don't take that break. Maybe you already eat really well and you already exercise, so you don't need that daily change. Just evaluate your life and find a few things that you can focus on for 30 days and make that your goal. Taking this journey doesn't mean you are unhappy, it just means we can all find ways to be a little happier.
Together we can become happier mommas, happier wives, and happier women.
