Choose less to discover more
My journey here: Grateful and Present
I was losing my mind trying to keep up with the demands of home and work. And, to be honest, a lot of those demands were self-imposed. To-do lists, career goals, side hustles – I was running on fumes, and my relationships were suffering for it. Add postpartum depression to the mix, and I was slowly drowning.
I would never categorize myself as an unhappy person. I typically have a positive attitude through even the toughest times, and pursuing my passion for travel always kept things in perspective for me. (Check out recent posts for some of those highlights!) But, the year after my daughter was born were some of my darkest days. It breaks my heart to even admit that. Don’t get me wrong, my daughter brought so much joy and light to my life. I could not stand being away from her. The struggle for me happened when I had to return to work after just seven weeks of leave. I hated every moment. I was bitter that I couldn’t afford to stay home. I asked myself so many times: why did I have to be at work while someone else got to enjoy spending time with my daughter? I was angry. I consider parental leave in the United States to be a joke. Women are expected to have a baby - an extension of themselves - and then get back to “normal” less than 12 weeks later? Seriously? We’re not super heroes - even though we try.
My lack of control over the situation had me hyper-focused on controlling the things I could - the “proper” way to wash bottles and pump parts, the bedtime routine, what she ate and when she ate, breastfeeding versus bottle feeding, how to properly store breast milk, and the exact products to use when washing her clothes and giving her a bath. Like I said, hyper-focused. And in that focus, I lost sight of the things that matter most to me: my husband, time with friends, being outdoors, and simply just being. All of this pressure - external and internal - spiraled me into postpartum depression. We try to do it all: work, home and play. But, we can’t. At least not well.
With time and effort, the cloud that once hung over me disappeared, and I adapted to more realistic thoughts and expectations. My world does not center around work, and I try to make every moment count when I’m with my family. I now have a healthy dose of "me time" balanced with my devotion to my daughter.
I am enough. You are enough. We are already the perfect version of ourselves. We just have to slow down to see it.
Slow Down. See More. // Own Less. Do More. // Be Present. Be Grateful
I hope Grateful and Present inspires others to live life intentionally. Simplifying, decluttering, being grateful for all that we already have - it’s a process that is never complete. We have to work at it each and every day because in an increasingly chaotic world, we have to choose less to discover more. There will be side steps and missteps, but when we start to simplify our lives, the life we’ve always wanted comes into focus.
So, where do you start?
Make time for what matters most
I was spending time on things that I thought were valuable, but I was still falling short somehow. While I’ve always seized an opportunity to travel and enjoy adventures with my family, I would often find myself saying “hold on one moment, I need to [blank]" or “sure, I’ll be right there but I need to do [blank] first" to my husband and daughter. They were not getting my complete attention. I was distracted by my own idea of success, and apparently I thought that meant being “busy.”
Cut out the clutter
The “nice to haves,” the “just in case,” - more stuff is just that. MORE STUFF. When we’re physically surrounded by clutter, our minds are cluttered as well. We tend to focus on things that don’t actually make us happy. Cut the clutter and find out what truly matters to you.
Be grateful and in turn more present
There’s no better way to live in the moment than to be grateful for all that you already have. You already have everything you need. When you realize that, you’ll slow down, embrace life and find peace within.
And so Grateful and Present is born. You can find lifestyle and travel inspiration here at gratefulandpresent.com, join the Grateful and Present community on Facebook, and follow @grateful_and_present on Instagram.
