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wat r u sacrificing?

7 yrs
by JAK's guest mom blogger from Caledonia, Beth Gilmore

Everything that happens, or DOESN’T happen, in our lives is a function of our priorities.  As mothers, our arms reach far and wide to embrace and direct our families.  We are constantly juggling our careers, errands, cooking, cleaning, home management, miscellaneous activities, religion, financial management and, eventually, “me” time, exercise and personal growth.  It is no wonder that so many of us get lost in the chaos of it all and get sucked down the river of life in a canoe with no paddles.  Sometimes we get bashed against the rocks as the current drags on and on as we try and keep the whole vessel in balance.  And still other times, we are in command of the paddles and are directing the current to take us where we want to go… then we see it: a waterfall in the distance… and it becomes time to stop.  We drag the canoe onto the shore and we stop to survey the options.

That’s what happened to me, a waterfall by the name of Anna Danielle.  My 10 year old daughter with ADHD was pleading for help.  Read more...
Her pleas came by the way of poor grades, sudden attacks of stomach and chest pains and an overall disinterest in being on task and independent at school.  She was my waterfall.  So when I pulled the canoe to shore and took note, I didn’t like what I saw.  I was a mom who worked too many early mornings and late evenings.  Sure, I had a thriving productivity coaching business and extra money in the bank, but my baby was lost with no one to lead her home… and, frankly, my priorities were skewed.

It’s tough for us mothers.  It is a constant tug-of-war between when to give of ourselves and when to take for ourselves.  Often times, our priorities get turned upside down.  We need to consider our spouses, our children and our financial flexibility—we need to measure our priorities, as we weigh the options for our own careers and dreams.  In taking this all in, what I saw in front of me was that I only had 7 YEARS left.

SEVEN YEARS left until my youngest is “out of the house.”  Seven years left (probably less) of reading, hugging, snuggling and being able to make an immediate difference in the direction of her life.  I have just seven years to help guide her; to make an impact.  Seven years of art projects, school recitals and boy troubles.  And, at the rate it was going, I would miss most of them.  What I decided is that trading that seven years for personal success was NOT a trade worth making.  My priorities were upside down.  I needed to make changes to my business that would allow me to put my children first… and it wasn’t an easy decision to make.

So often as mothers, our priorities become skewed.  We become women that we never planned on being because we go down a track that is lit by something other than what is most important in life.  Today is an opportunity for you to clarify your priorities.  What can you take on in your life today that is important to your family?  Where can you be the mother, wife or role model for your children?  What is it that you could put first that has been coming in last?

Today is your opportunity to be courageous and choose the priorities that are most important to you in life.

Find out next week in JAK Chat what Beth did, and what her result has been thus far.

Read more of Beth's blogs at http://www.produceamazingresults.com/coaching-blog/

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