consistency

When kids are little, we love (over)sharing stories and pictures of our pride and joy. It’s easy to share the cute and good stuff.

Have you noticed when kids start to grow up, we share less and less? Part of that is because of their privacy and they have a say about what they want others to know about them and we respect their wishes. Part of it is because it’s not as easy any more. Some stuff is embarrassing and challenging for us and for them. We don’t want people to know we are struggling and are vulnerable. And our kids don’t want others to know either.

But we do struggle and we are vulnerable and that’s ok and totally normal too. Our kids are still cute and our pride and joy, we just have to be a little quieter for awhile. Know what I mean?

Here’s what we’re focusing on at our house this week:

The top three words – consistency, discipline and do-the-work are important reminders for all of us, and especially for me and my parenting and weight management skills. Thank you to my tribe of sisters for their reminders and encouragement. You are loved!

The bottom word, togetherness, is my word of the year. So far, so good.

Love this life. Trials and all.

Namaste and goodnight.

What do you consistently do with consistency?

I have been thinking about that lately and wondered how consistent we are and how consistency helps to establish habits, rituals, structure and managed expectations.

In some areas of my life I am consistent and in others I am not.

For example, I have been consistently writing this blog for 695 days. Blogging every night has become a welcome habit and ritual that I enjoy. Sometimes it is challenging as I don’t know what to share, and sometimes I feel like I have too much to say. Some nights I am so tired and fall asleep while I’m writing and am afraid of what I publish! But at least I’m consistently writing – sometimes good, sometimes so-so, but I’m consistent! 😉

I drink coffee with consistency and love this ritual too. I especially love it when my husband wakes up before me and has the coffee ready before I get out of bed. I love the smell, the sound of the beep telling us the pot is ready, and taking that first sip.

I consistently work out and love that exercise is part of my daily routine. I have a weekly plan that provides structure for my days and gives me things to look forward to doing each week.

I am consistently trying to lose weight, but my practice is inconsistent. I love to eat and want to lose 10 pounds and these goals are inconsistent. Therefore, I struggle.

Sometimes when we’re inconsistent, we struggle until we figure out what we really want and value and then do the work to support those goals. Story of life, right?

I was talking to my 70 year old dental hygienist who lost her husband 6 years ago suddenly when he died at the age of 67 while out for a jog. She said that after you go through something like that, your perspective on life changes and you live more for the moment. That is, until you forget and get busy again. I loved her analogy and that she had the wisdom to know to live in the moment as much as possible and to take days off from work to play and travel and be with her kids and grandkids. I loved that she knew the importance of life, yet she got stuck too; that life sometimes just happens and you forget until you remember again and start living. Great sage advice. We’re all perfectly imperfect. And we should try to be consistent with what we love, but gentle on ourselves when we’re not.

I like that.