Sometimes you pick up a book that resonates so much with your present life stuff that it almost seems as if a higher power led your hand there on purpose. My daughter Morgane hit the “terrible threes” hard this summer, and I’ll admit to it bringing me to my knees a few times. Particularly since we’ve been in the no-man’s land of summer break from school and not a lot of babysitters in town, we’ve been navigating some rough waters. So I managed to somehow pick up a book again one evening (vs. just crumpling into bed in an exhausted heap) and once I started reading Mommy Mantras – Affirmations & Insights to Keep You from Losing Your Mind, I couldn’t stop turning the pages. Sure, all the yogic insights on their own are helpful and inspiring, but when they are put into the context of challenges you can totally identify with – such as, a 3 year old bringing you to your knees – it’s enough to bring tears of relief to your eyes. Here’s a great Mommy Mantra:
I’m not Buddha
Of course there are many days when eight o’clock can’t come soon enough. Having young children is physically demanding work and we’re only human. Sometimes, even though we know that fully embracing the present moment will offer us relief, we cannot surrender. The mind is often a powerful adversary to our emotional well-being. It traps us into holding on to old familiar patterns and ways of tackling problems even when they are proven to be ineffective.
When you find yourself unable or unwilling to be totally in the present, when you are counting the seconds to bedtime, when a paralyzed look of dread and angst takes over your face for the last two hours of the day, remind yourself you’re not Buddha (although you do have Buddha nature within you). There are days when getting through is good enough. In fact, it’s better than good enough. It’s incredible.
Ooooo boy, can I ever relate to that. This book has great insights and will make you laugh too. Check it out on amazon.