We as moms, whether we work in the home or out, always feel like we have to do everything perfect all the time. I find that I fall into the abyss as I try to do too much and end up getting nothing done. I feel as if everyone else’s house looks like Better Homes and Gardens, no one else has dirty dishes in the sink and laundry piling up. Everyone else is showered and fully made up in stylish casual clothes as they go about their perfectly organized day staying home with the kids. I know that I am WRONG, but how do you let go of those feeling??
Well that is my THROW AWAY for this week. I am THROWING AWAY the unreachable expectation that I can do everything all the time, perfectly!
We talked about that before, but I continue to drown. They say “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff”, but we too often drown in the small stuff. My mom sent me this story by email this week and it seemed oddly appropriate.
The Mayonnaise Jar
When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar…
A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.
He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.
He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.
He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous “yes.”
The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.
“Now,” said the professor, as the laughter subsided, ” I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things- your God, family, your children, your health, your friends, and your favorite passions-things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.
The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car.
The sand is everything else-the small stuff. “If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued, “there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.
The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Spend time with God. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal.
“Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. “I’m glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.”
These are my golf balls!!If some days there are not a lot of posts, or you come by my house and it is a mess, I am out playing “golf”.
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Next week’s challenge: Throw Away all the crap cluttering HOME CENTRAL. We all have it. I already talked about coupon organization, and this sunday in my simplemom Sunday post we will talk about organizing schedules. So I thought it appropriate to challenge the desk/home office/home central area in preparation for saving more time and being more efficient.
This is my before photo. Next Thursday I will tell you what I tossed and how I organized. JOIN IN and take a BEFORE photo and share them with us when you finish. I would also love to hear your tips along the way.
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