Connecting or the Drain-Train: What will you choose?
LIFE QUESTION TUESDAY:
How is the pace of daily life affecting your emotional intensity with the kids?
When was the last time you were talking with someone and got lost in the conversation? When was the last time 30 minutes or an hour flew by becasue you were having fun? When was the last time you really felt like yourself? Think about…I’ll wait a moment…it was that long ago, huh? I know, it sucks doesn’t it!
The truth is life is about the connections we make. The connections we make to one another. The connections we make to ourselves. And the connections we make to our kids. The sad thing is our kids are counting on us to connect with them. They need to feel connected in order to floursh and grow. We need that too, only we think because we live in the big bad fast paced world with all our technology that we don’t need true authentic connections, but we do.
Facebook, Twitter and Google + are fine, and they have their place, but social media doesn’t look you in the eye. Social media doesn’t have an energy that radiates back and forth between people. When human beings feel isolated they lash out. They become intense and begin loosing a part of themselves, bit by bit. Don’t let that happen. Don’t let that happen between you and your kids.
Now, let me ask you again, and this time be honest with yourself, “How is the pace of daily life affecting your emotional intensity with the kids?”
I hear people say this all the time, “There’s nothing I can do about my workload? The pace of my life is too intense! I’m only one person, I can’t do it all!” I hear you. And you may or may not be able to make any changes, I don’t know you, so I beleive you. BUT…what about connections. Connections feed the fire, fuel the heart, and energize the body, mind and spirit. You need to feel connected to others in order to live at the pace you’re living at.
So let me challenge you. If you are tired, overworked, rushed, cranky, feeling shortchanged, resentful, not feeling like yourself, what will you do to change it?
You have the power to change! You do.
Begin with small steps. Reach out and connect with a friend or co-worker. Have breakfast for dinner and snuggles for desert, so you and the kids can connect instead of fighting about the veggies. Call a freind instead of texting. Have coffee instead of connecting on social media. Really feel what it feels like to truly connect again. Once you’ve expereinced that invigorating and nourishing feeling, go connect with your kids. As you connect with the kids I think you’ll feel the emotional intensity you’ve been feeling for a while now, you know the drain-train that has been causing you to react and yell, begin to soften.
Let me know what you’re going to do to connect. Yes, I want you to connect by writing a comment. Let