three ways to find happiness in motherhood

I have this picture in my kitchen.

I bought it on clearance at Target. Of course. Remember my house is like the advertorial for Target’s last year trends thanks to the 50-70% off end caps. At first it was just a picture, something to fill space where for years a Monet reprint hung.

But now, now, now it’s becoming a posture of my day – so much so that it serves as daily reminder – three simple things I want you to remember as well.

And here’s why I love those words.

Live Simply

Life and motherhood can easily become about more – more things to do, to buy, to expect of ourselves. And that more can leave you and me in sty Starbucks line in the morning asking for an extra shot and wondering how in the world we’re going to get it all done. But there is something beautiful about deciding to live simply – maybe it means getting paper plates when it’s a busy week or letting the laundry go or simply deicing to sit out on the front porch and be. Maybe it’s saying no or yes but in it all not forgetting ourselves and our need for space in the day.

So to challenge you today, what is one thing that you can do that will make your life just a bit easier? And there is no guilt in simplifying your life – it is all good. Can you let go of one thing off of the agenda? Can you let yourself get an extra ten minutes of sleep? Watch a show? Get rid of some stuff?

Simplify

Smile Often

This, as you all can tell, has been the year of the quest for happy. It’s been this up and down journey – this place of being hard on myself because I can’t seem to snap out of it (<- read that) or in listing things that Happy Moms Don’t Do (<- and that). But I realized the other day how few and far in-between the smiles had become in my life.

Sure I had those times where I would be happy – but the posture of feeling happy? That wasn’t there that much. I was really really good at existing. And when one simply exists there isn’t the need for the smiles. So now everyday I’ve been making my self smile. When I sit at the computer and write. When I wake up the kids. When I do the dishes. I’m smiling because I’m trying to be grateful for the little things – the live simply moments in life.

And it’s changing me. Slowly, but for sure.

Love Much

I’m not even sure I need to write about the power of this one, but let me tell you this – it extends beyond just our love for our families. It extends to you – loving you. You know I believe in this so strongly. This love and grace for ourselves. There is something about us remembering I am worth it as we go through our days. There is beauty in loving much.

It’s a risk. It’s so much easier, in some ways, to live numb and without that smile. But there is so much in life that can be good and will be good and is beautiful. We just have to choose to look at the cynical nature of culture and this world and to choose to be someone who decides to love. Instead of comparing, worrying and living with that constant need to race ahead to a hypothetical finish line of supermomhood.

Our families don’t care about that. They just love us.  So dare with me. Love much.

Here is my challenge for you today. We can call it part of the Happy Mom Project if you’d like, but really, really I want you to do this.

1. Find one thing to simplify in your life.

2. Smile while you’re doing some chore – something boring – but let it remind you to be grateful.

3. Tell your family you love them.

That’s it.

My three happy rules.

~Rachel

#findingjoy

Make sure to read this if you’re struggling with simply being happy -> I Forgot How to Be the Happy Mom