Know your limits

I wish I was a super hero..... young and with unlimited time and energy.  I have such big dreams for what I want to accomplish each week, but I fall short of those goals every time. This last week I've been especially mindful of my new personal limits.  From Sunday through Wednesday, I had pretty rough headaches which were (I think) still part of my recovery from having this cute little baby . Then Tuesday, I invited a friend over to bake cookies and bread with us. I was such a mess with a bad headache, trying to care for the baby, help the crying toddler, bake/decorate cookies, bake bread, and entertain my guest. It all turned out fine and everyone had fun, but I was exhausted! At the end of the day, I told my husband "I'm realizing my limits are lower than they used to be."

In order to say "yes" to the best things, you have to say "no" to other things. And because I've said 'yes' to three beautiful children, I have to say 'no' to other good things.  I don't have the mental capacity or time to do it all. With each little one I have, and family activity we commit to, my limits for other activities decrease. 

We each have limits that fluctuate through the seasons and years.  Sickness, moves, having a baby, being exhausted from toddlers, caring for aging family members, time sensitive projects, emotionally rough seasons.....all of this affects our limits on what we can say 'yes' to. 

This doesn't make me a bad mom. Though I often feel like it because I can't keep up with all the books to read, learning activities I should be doing, etc.  (If I can just keep up with the dishes, I'll be happy!) I recently compared myself with someone else who started a project similar to mine, and felt like a loser because of her success rate.  Until I realized that it wasn't our ability, but rather what we had chosen to say 'yes' to. My strongest 'yes's' will always be to my family and keeping my littles at home.  Because of this, I can't say 'yes' to as much, nor be able to give as much time to my personal projects. This makes me a better mom, better friend, better person to know my limits and not allow myself to needlessly run to the point of exhaustion (though there will still be moments).

This Christmas, and really....all year round, instead of comparing our holiday or our regular days with some invented standard and feeling frustrated with not measuring up. Let's rejoice in our 'yes's', and do our best to fulfill them.  

For some who have recently lost someone, that may mean taking a break from holiday festivities this year. For me, it means less cards sent, less baking, less pretty packages (that will get ripped open by toddlers if left unsupervised), and more time spent creating memories. 

Let's choose the best yes's, know our limits, and be ok with the no's.  Let's do our best at what is most important, and let the rest go.

Merry Christmas!  May your weekend be peaceful and full of the wonder of His birth and time with dear ones.