Epiphany: To experience a sudden and striking realization.
Has that ever happened to you? Have you ever been going about your daily routine and something just hits you and you see things so clearly that you question what took you so long to see it before? As the years are passing and I begin to face new territory with maturing daughters, I’ve learned to LET GO. As a mom, you want the best for your children at all times. You want to both shelter them from harm and allow them to experience the world at the same time. Which, as I write this, I realize even more so than I had before, is a pretty impossible feat. I have spent countless sleepless nights worrying about how I can do something for them that will help them through their day or trying to brainstorm ideas to better encourage them when they are struggling with something, but in all honesty, I’ve learned more in my own life from my mistakes than I have from any lesson that someone tried to teach or talk to me about.
The other night it hit me. They will make mistakes. They will struggle in school. They will fight with their friends. They will fail a test or two. They will cry over a boy one day. But none of that will ever break them. Did it break me? No way! I have to let go. I have to let go and let them live. In order to grow, they need to live. They need to make mistakes and they need to learn from them. Sure I can teach them right from wrong and of course I will be there every day when they need me, but I need to let go of the things that are out of my control.
As moms, we work so hard trying to be perfect. But letting go…..that’s where it’s at! We put so much pressure on ourselves to be perfect and we forget that what we do, day in and day out, IS PERFECT. It’s perfect for them. They see what we do for them and they grow from that. They grow and they learn exactly the exactly the same way that you did. But being completely OCD about life, I really have to program my mind to remember that letting go is ok! I created a few tips/tricks to make letting go easier for myself.
- Create a completely new thought pattern – The second you start overthinking a situation, tell yourself to create a new thought pattern so that you can pull yourself away from the original problem. Think about something positive that brings you happiness and run with it!
- Practice visualization – If you are completely stressed about something, allow yourself to visualize a specific memory in your life that made you happy. Remember every detail about the memory and celebrate it. Let your mind completely relive the happy moment and forget about anything negative around you.
- Be less self-conscious – Instead of worrying and questioning what you’re doing, take a second to look back and reflect on a past achievement. Your life is full of them and most of the time, you just forget they even existed. Allow yourself to really reflect and celebrate a past achievement and all the amazing things that it has done for your life. Whether it was today or a year ago, celebrate your achievement and all of its positivity!
Sure, there are going to be time where you try everything but a situation is so serious to you, that you really struggle with being able to let go. But always try to be cognitive of the situation itself and recognize what the REAL problem is. Most of the time, we overthink a situation so much that we create a much bigger problem that really exists. Give yourself a break and allow yourself to LET GO!