Keep showing up

I am enough when I show up for others and authentically connect however I can

My eldest daughter and I have a lot of similarities emotionally.  We both have feelings that run strong, deep, and often under the surface.  I think that is sometimes why we run into difficulties.

Tonight I had some things I wanted to get done and I had asked her and her sisters for some help with cleaning up their toys and getting ready for bed.  After the 4th or 5th reminder my patience had run dry and I decided that everyone was going to bed.  From that point I started to get increasingly frustrated as they dragged their feet and began to growl and grumble.  I raised my voice and I hate doing that.  It didn't help the situation and I decided I needed a time-out before things got worse.

I shut myself in my bedroom and laid down.  I could feel the swirl of emotions right in the center of my chest.  It feels hot and my chest tightens and makes it hard for me to breathe evenly.  It was the shame of feeling like I am a failure as a parent.  The irrational self-talk started and I thought how awful it was that I lost my patience and yelled at them.  In the background of that talk was the thought that I don't have what it takes and nobody else struggles like this.  I was overwhelmed with the feeling that I have no control.  That lack of control terrifies me at times.  I love my girls and hate 
the thought of feeling like I can't protect them or keep them from feeling pain.  As much as I recognize the need to make mistakes, learn from pain, and make choices that give me experience I want to shelter them from it.

I appealed to my Higher Power for some strength and to know how to approach my daughter.  I surrendered some of my need to control her and asked to understand how I could connect.  I felt gratitude as the feelings of shame lessened and after a few moments of collecting myself I went back and tried again.  I was not sure exactly what to say but I apologized for raising my voice and asked how I could be better at understanding her.  She was open about what was frustrating her (I had forgotten a promise that we would talk about fun things to do on Monday because there is no school) and after talking for a few minutes I felt noticeably more relaxed and grateful we had a chance to understand each other.  She sat with me and I sang her favorite bedtime song and the rest of our evening routine went smoothly.

Just as I was leaving the room to get back to what I planned for the evening she asked if I would stay and lay down by her for awhile.  I was resistant because I knew if I did her youngest sister would get up and chances were good I would spend the next hour or more trying to get her to stay in bed and fall asleep.  I dodged the question by saying I needed to start the dishwasher first and "I'll think about it," which is often my way of saying no in a way that softens the blow for myself by not having to say it directly.

I started the dishwasher and then felt a little of the shame returning.  She had asked for something from me and although I would usually categorize it as a stalling tactic to keep from going to sleep right away I began to feel shame about it.  I realized that after being able to calm down and talk with her more calmly I might still in the end just be trying to control the situation well enough to get them all in bed so I could go back to my plans.  I decided to go back in and let her know in this small way that I would show up for her when she needs me to.

After laying next to her for a few minutes she asked me in a whisper if I knew how to get someone to stop being a bully.  She has said a few things in the past about having trouble with a couple of her classmates but over the next 30 minutes we had a conversation that was much more detailed in what was happening and how that was affecting her at school.  I was deeply grateful for that moment.  I was also surprised that I was able to respond in a way that was primarily supportive and understanding instead of just wanting to fix it for her and keep it from every happening again.  We discussed what to do next and I felt so proud of who she is and deep gratitude for my stewardship as her father.  I really hope I don't screw it up....

Mere minutes after that deeply connecting experience with her I was thinking about how close I came to missing that opportunity to be there for her and wondering how many previous chances I have missed over the years.  Instead of focusing on what had happened and the connection we made I was creating a story of all the things I have not done.  If I stay focused on that story instead of feeling like I am enough by showing up for her and loving her as best I can, then I am going to get stuck in shame that is focused on me instead of how I can connect with her and be what she needs me to be on her own journey.  I think if I keep showing up for her and focus on how I am taking opportunities to connect with her it is enough.  The shame of always focusing on what I lack or have not done won't help me be sensitive and present for those moments because I will be too distracted by the fear of failure.  Today I will recognize I am enough and stay focused on seizing opportunities to show up for others and authentically connect with them.  

As always I am grateful to you for reading, for sharing, and for supporting. 

One step at a time

All of my energy is focused in the now

Life is complex. There are no easy fixes in my relationships, in the personal problems I face, and even things I take for granted can trip me up if I move too quickly.

My children's knees are rarely without scrapes or bruises. I sometimes wonder how it is that they seem to be constantly falling down? Walking and running is actually an intricately complex process. From the balance mechanism in the inner ear, to a multitude of muscle groups in the body working together, each step is essentially the process of falling forward and then catching and regaining balance. My children know how to walk, but it is when they lose focus that they fall. Usually it involves getting somewhere too quickly, not noticing what is around them, or watching where they have been instead of where they are going.  I have also had plenty of personal experiences of not paying attention to what I am doing.  I have frequently tripped trying to walk up stairs or I run into things as I walk by.  

I can not reach my goals or get where I want to go in one step, by looking behind me, losing focus, or gazing too far ahead. I take each step grounded in the moment.

List is not a 4 letter word

I follow through with what I plan

 

 

I think everyone has certain gifts, planning is not one of mine.  I think what makes me anxious about making lists is that it feels like I am setting myself up for failure.  I do not get a sense of relief when I cross something off the list, usually I am just focused on what is still left to do. 

 

I decided yesterday that because I had experienced a couple of rough Mondays in a row,(http://canffirmations.blogspot.com/2013/02/case-of-mondays.html) I was going to do something different.  I took drastic measures and made a plan.  Not a plan to reach all my wildest dreams or to take over the world, but to have what I considered a successful day. 

 

I reflected on what would make a good day for me based on my current needs and then tried to figure out how to accomplish it.  The plan was essentially to connect with myself, my Higher Power, and others.  I did that through scheduling time for meditation, prayer, lunch with a friend, challenging myself, exercising, and expressing gratitude. 

 

I am still stalling a little bit on the exercise portion, but following through with the plans I make for myself gives me focus and a sense of accomplishment.  Staying focused on becoming my best possible self takes attention and planning.  With that I am off to the gym.

 

What plans do you need for tomorrow to make it the kind of day you want it to be?  



Healing resentment

I am letting go of resentment and embracing compassion

I have noticed that as I focus on the process of walking my path I frequently experience more vivid dreams.  I had another dream last night and I woke up feeling a swirling mix of negative feelings.  Emotionally I was exhausted and dreading what the rest of the day would hold.  I did not feel like anything good could happen today based on how I was feeling after that dream. As it is with most of my dreams there was a lot of disjointed things happening that are hard to explain or make sense of but what is always very clear are the emotions I am experiencing during it.  Even when I wake up knowing it was a dream the feelings stay with me.

I have learned that when I feel such powerful emotions it is a mistake for me to ignore or repress them.  I decided to look for help in dealing with them.  Instead of keeping them hidden I shared them with someone else and with my my Higher Power.  I certainly wanted to be rid of what I was feeling, but I knew that I would have to understand them and experience it before that could happen.

One of the strongest feelings I was experiencing was anger and resentment towards someone who had hurt me and that I had also hurt in return.  Even though I think neither of us purposefully intended the pain caused, we had both been selfish in our treatment of the other. I think it is sometimes hardest to recognize hurt we cause others when it isn't overt or malicious in intent.

As I willingly and openly shared my emotions with someone else and my Higher Power I recognized a shift in how I was feeling.  I was suddenly able to recognize that the hurt done to me was coming from a place of pain in the other person.  My resentment began to transform into compassion and I felt the swirl of discomfort and pain inside me begin to dissipate.  Although that compassion does not heal the relationship or the dysfunction; by letting myself openly share it, experience it, and letting go of it let me begin to heal my own pain.

That compassion has since expanded and helped me see how much each of us suffer from the wounds inflicted upon us by others.  Left untreated those wounds often spread to others close to us.  Today I want to let go of resentment so that instead of spreading my own pain to others I can heal myself and others through compassion.