LET THEM HOLD THE CAMERA

Happy Monday, everyone! Three things to get you going this morning…

1. Did you get your taxes done?? I did yesterday… without breaking out the bourbon… WIN! When I was done, I took Girlie and Luna Babe out to Poplar Grove Plantation for a long trail walk. She asked to hold the camera during the walk so of course she took exactly 427 pictures. Every leaf. Every bend in the trail. Every “SUPER AWESOME HOLE IN THE GROUND, MOMMY!” It was adorable and she laughed and sang about being brave the entire way. {she took the picture of Luna Babe and my feet up there!} She told me it was the best afternoon ever… and that was my goal. So parents, let your babes hold the camera/wheel/map/whatever. Go on an adventure and let them steer the ship – STOP being a helicopter parent. And for that matter, stop being a helicopter human in general. If you’re wondering why the people you lead aren’t flourishing, it is usually because they are being held too tightly. If there is one thing I have learned in my many years of leadership and management, it is that people do their best when they are empowered to be themselves. They do NOT flourish when they are required to be a copy of YOU. So let’s stop that right now, okay? 

2. I probably say the words “I love you” about a million times every day. I tell my kids over and over. I tell the boyfriend so many times a day I start to wonder if I end up sounding like the teacher from Peanuts. (whaaaa whaaaa whaaaaaaaa….) I’ve even slipped up and said it at the end of phone conversations with people that I should never say that to. Dumb. So dumb. Or you may be the kind of person that can’t even make yourself say those 3 words out loud… they feel strange on your tongue and maybe they won’t say it back… Well today let’s change things up. Let’s DO something that shows love today instead of just saying it/being afraid of saying it. Hey ladies, fix your man’s favorite meal tonight even though it’s Monday and you are all in your feelings about it being Monday already. Hey men, plan a surprise date night. Make arrangements for the babies all on your own. When you walk in the door after work, take her in your arms first thing and show her you love her. Spend some extra time with your kids during bedtime tonight instead of quickly kissing their foreheads and running downstairs to sort the mail. They will notice…

3.  If you’re like me, you woke up this morning with some trepidation about all the things. I live with this constant low-level, across the board fear. And you may think that because it’s low-level then it isn’t so terrible, right? WRONG. It’s like a constant nagging. Like that tiny tear at the corner of your finger nail that you can’t stop touching. It’s like when your sock slides off your foot inside your boot and there is not an acceptable time/place to fix it for the entire day. It’s the annoying kind of irrational fear – the fear you don’t talk about because it’s not the kind that puts you in bed for a month or takes you to the edge of not wanting to live. But it IS the kind of fear that will keep you from ever realizing your dreams… from ever starting… from ever taking the risk. It’s the kind of fear that keeps you on a leash for YOUR ENTIRE LIFE. {oh man, I think I may talk about this again in another post… I’m preaching to myself right here} Well I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of being leashed by irrational fear. I’m tired of telling myself that tomorrow I won’t be as scared and then I’ll write the book. I’m tired of feeling so fearful that I have considered living the rest of my life for a paycheck instead of pursuing joy. So let’s make a pact, loves.

Let’s take steps while we are full of fear.

Let’s allow ourselves to feel afraid and yet still say yes to those things we can’t stop thinking about. I’ve got a few of them… and I’m ready to take them on. Let’s take a first step today… talk to me about it… tell me what you’re dreaming about but don’t DO because of fear. You can leave an anonymous comment if that’s easier for you! I’ll go first… I’ve been dreaming of writing a book for years. But I’m afraid of how much it will cost/people not loving it/people thinking I’m crazy or indulging in romantic ideas+impractical uses of my time. So here I am writing anyway. Now YOU go… there is a not-scary-at-all comment block right under this post. Use it.

MAN, that’s a lot! But I hope you are inspired to change things up today… let’s kick Monday right in the ass, loves!

I sure do love you all! (especially YOU!)

-Abs