It took us seven years to have our son, and before we could blink an eye there was Megan.
Having two toddlers’ one year apart allowed us to experience meltdowns in a way once unimaginable to our just-the-two-of-us minds. My lofty sideways glances to young moms who could not control their wayward flock, were replaced overnight with heartfelt fist pumps of pure knowing.
The thing is we expect the toddler tantrum as a right of parental passage. I’ve even rated our all time EPIC meltdowns in a WIlliams’ Family Top Five. They exist as initiation into all the new experiences that await those who are brave enough to identify as parents.
But what about YOU?
When was the last time YOU had a meltdown moment?
I am willing to bet my spa day, that it was at a time you were completely OVERwhelmed, OVERcooked, OVERdone … basically OVER IT!
How do I know this? Only because I’ve been there more than the fingers on both my hands. My most memorable meltdown moments always come after a season of cheerfully taking on project after project, coupled with a major increase in my workload, unrelenting family pressures, and of course … lack of proper sleep. The so-called “perfect storm”.
I’m usually caught juggling so many different balls in the air, that one simple remark from an innocent bystander will trigger the onset of my all-telling “quiver lip”. This in turn ushers in the monsoon of tears, followed by incoherent rants about not being able to do this anymore, and perhaps a well placed panic attack as icing on the cake. The results always leave me mortified, with the witnessing human totally confused. All the balls I’ve worked so hard to keep in rotation, come crashing to the ground.
Take heart, there is a solution within our grasp. It’s so simple, yet so life changing you may not even believe me. The remedy to our “Over-itis Syndrome” is in two words … BE STILL.
Our minds and bodies were not meant to function in periods of high intensity emotion and physical stress indefinitely. Scheduling in mandatory time to BE STILL is vital in order to process through our thoughts, activities and relationships. We need time to figure out what is working in our lives, what needs to be changed and what needs to be taken to the curb. If we are to operate at our highest capacity we must rest.
My life began to change when I started to schedule a consistent time daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly as a designated space to REFLECT. RESET. And RENEW. This meant taking a moment to look back and evaluate my time through reflection. Followed by deciding what needs to be tweaked and changed and resetting my goals. I then begin to take action by renewing my mind through prayer and thoughtful meditation. Most importantly, seeking counsel where needed and yielding to the Lord areas where I am weak is a game changer and keeps me grounded.
I use this schedule to reduce the stress and waylay my meltdown moments:
I started being purposeful with my “Be Still” time, two years ago. To be honest I’ve had a few
meltdowns since that time, but they only take place when I’ve allowed myself to get off track.
The truth remains, if we want to grow, if we dream of living out our full God-given calling in life we must balance the equation between DOING and BEING. Only by practicing both with purpose and intention will we ever be able to lead a life worthy of our calling. Go, BE STILL and let me know what amazing benefits it brings to your life.
