I ran out the door after my son, I had to catch up with him in more than one way… A light snowfall was upon us. 🙂 I watched as the boy got busy rolling down the front yard and pilling batches of snow… “Not enough snow,” I told myself while feeling amused. It took me a second to get it… It wasn’t about the amount of snow or the size of the snowman. My son just wanted to play: “Come on, Mom!” His smile so bright. And so I followed. I let him ruin my makeup with a snowball that went straight to my face, my hair got wet and my pants sticky. I didn’t care, and just went along.
A mere thirty minutes later I was exhausted and he was gone to a birthday party with his Dad but I stood there thinking: “How FUN was that?” I couldn’t stop smiling for the rest of the day… Those are the times when he reminds me to slow down, be more present and capture the moment to allow myself to be a little girl again, if only for a minute.
Have you ever been in that situation, when your children want you to join in their games but you find yourself immersed, and distracted with your own train of thoughts? In my book, Anxious Mom, Anxious Child: A Mother’s Journey from Anxiety to Serenity I talk about the challenges that we face as parents when we are too busy to be fully present with our children. It takes practice to master the ability to be still, to catch yourself when you are moving too fast, when you aren’t making yourself available to “play.”
You don’t have fun and you are not much fun to be around, either. You are too stressed-out and it shows. Your relationships at home or at work might be cold as the snow outside. Is it hard to understand why?
Let’s face it: we are so busy judging everything and everyone around us that we can miss the moments that can bring the most fun in our lives. When is the last time that you slowed down to BE with your child? When is the last time that you tuned out the voices in your head to BE fully present to enjoy the nature outside, to see the smile in your children’s face or recognize the memory of who you were 15 or 20 years ago when it was easier to be more childlike. The Bible says: “Let the children come to me… because the kingdom of heaven is for those who allow themselves to be like them.” Mathew 19:14.
BUT REALLY I’M NOT HERE TO PREACH
What I’m here for is for your transformation. Ask yourself when is the last time that you enjoyed yourself truly, to the point when you didn’t really care about what anyone else thought. In my program, Get in the Flow and Create the Life You Want I help clients arrive to that very place, not once, not twice, not on your birthday or on New Year’s Eve, but every day. From that place, you can create the life that you really want.
The truth is, reaching and finding the child in us is easier than we think. But you must be willing to “go there,” ask questions, take time for yourself, and make it a priority to BE fully aligned with that part of you that is wholesome and grand, regardless of life’s circumstances.
Adacelis (Ada) Pérez is an Author, Mindset Mentor and the Founder of Get in the Flow and Create the Life You Want.