[amazon_image id=”1400206464″ link=”true” target=”_blank” size=”medium” ]Say Goodbye to Survival Mode: 9 Simple Strategies to Stress Less, Sleep More, and Restore Your Passion for Life[/amazon_image]

Read about the first chapter here.

Her second chapter is called;

Say Yes to the Best

This chapter is about prioritizing and turning that into a way of life by using a routine.  There are so many noble and amazing things to do, but just because they’re great and we may appear to have the “time,” it doesn’t mean we have the emotional energy for it.  As she mentioned in the first chapter, you also need to take into consideration what every “yes” is going to cost.  Does saying yes to this school committee mean that I won’t be able to tuck my children into bed or that I’ll have to stay up longer to accomplish my responsibilities?  Weighing the consequences of each yes is imperative!

However, first you need to start with a list.  My priorities right now, in this phase of life are:

• making sure my children feel loved (this is a passion of mine, read more about it here, here, and here) (One of the best compliments I’ve ever gotten from my mom was when she said “Your children know without a shadow of a doubt that their momma loves them!”)
• savoring as many moments with my baby as possible
• Bible study/reading time
• 8 hours of sleep
• feeding my family real food as often as possible

I know it may not seem like a lot, but it’s important to me, and I find that the older I get the more emotional stress gets to me.  Yes, I usually say yes to more than these things, however, if a yes is going to impede on any of the above list, then I really think it through before committing.

One thing that I had an epiphany about when I was pregnant is that if something is important enough to you, you will find a way to accomplish it, no matter the cost.  So if I’m not willing to put forth effort, then it really isn’t important enough.  For instance, my family and I have much smoother days if I get up before everyone else, do my Bible study, workout, shower and have breakfast almost ready as every else is getting up.  Towards the end of my pregnancy, I used my pregnancy, being uncomfortable, feeling huge, being tired, etc as excuses for not doing this.  Using the bathroom (imagine I actually got to go alone!) one day, I had the epiphany.  I decided to do my best to accomplish this, and sure enough, I made it happen!  However, right now, with a nursing baby, I have chosen to forgo this for the time being.  My baby is not consistently sleeping through the night, and sleep is a priority as well as nursing, so in this season of life, it’s not going to happen.  I don’t feel guilty or beat myself up about it, because I know this is what God has placed on my heart right now and I also know and all too soon, he will be sleeping through the night, the nursing will taper off, and I will be able to resume my preferred morning routine.  Right now, I’m relishing having a baby; I’m grateful, and I’m not stressing about it.  It’s amazing the sense of peace you get when you know that you are doing what God has called you to do and knowing that it won’t be like this for long!  (see videos below)

Quotes

Some of my favorite quotes from this chapter are:

“Living with purpose means wisely choosing and committing to a few of the best things for the season of life you’re in.”

“When I started examining my skill sets and core competencies, I realized that the problem wasn’t that I didn’t have skills and gifts.  The problem was that I was trying to be someone I wasn’t created to be.”

“Routines allow you to get your life in order so you can say goodbye to survival mode and start living your days with purpose.”

“In truth, people can generally make time for what they choose to do; it is not really the time but the will that is lacking.” -Sir John Lubbock (emphasis added)

“So many of us try to find fulfillment and self-worth in piling our plates too high.  The busier we are, the more important we feel.”  (amazing, and spot on!)

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