Aug 272012
Having the parental version of the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day?
My life will never be under control.
vs.
It won’t always feel like this.
Did you mess up with your kiddos and have to apologize?
I’m such a terrible mother.
vs.
Good moms mess up, say they’re sorry and work on it for next time.
Butting heads with your spouse?
We can never agree on anything.
vs.
We’re on the same team; let’s figure this out together.
Exhausted?
There’s nothing I can do to fix this.
vs.
Maybe I need to develop a theology of busyness.
What we say to ourselves, the stuff no one hears, makes all the difference in the world.
What have you been saying to yourself lately?
Absolutely. We moms can tend to be overly extreme in our self-talk. It’s important to remember the big picture too. One bad day, doesn’t mean our children have a horrible future in their life. Equally, one really, really good day doesn’t mean our children are over the issue of sin, either.
Yes, the big picture (especially when it comes to our kids) is so important.
I recently read a book (of course I now can’t remember the title!!) that said the way we talk to ourselves and about our partners is so telling of how we perceive ourselves. If we blame it on circumstances, such as, “I failed that test because I didn’t study hard enough” versus blaming it on our inherent selves, e.g. “I failed that test because I’m not smart” is a much better way to go. That way we don’t internalize the causes of terrible things on ourselves and instead find ways to improve them through our actions.
I’ve heard that test example before and I think it’s a good one. Let me know if you remember the name of the book.
This is true. Our thoughts are very powerful. Positive thinking can make a huge difference. I’ve been reading up on this quite a bit and have been practicing a more positive attitude and the results are amazing. It isn’t always easy but definitely worth the effort.
“It isn’t always easy but definitely worth the effort.” I think it’s kind of ironic that it can be so hard to think positively. But you’re right, definitely worth the effort.
Needed to hear this today. My thoughts today were mostly negative- and its usually not like me at all! Tomorrow I will make a different choice!
It’s such a good thing to remember that our thoughts are a choice. Glad this post was helpful for you today.