I can relate . . . all to well. There have been many times when I have read someone else blog & had those same thoughts go through my head. Here is where my love - hate relationships with blogs comes in. Most days I love reading other peoples blogs. It is my little escape & relaxing "me" moments. I love the new insight I gain from seeing something from someone else's perspective. I love being reminded of little things or being inspired to create something for the first time after seeing it on someone's blog. I love the daily little inspirations on motherhood, life or inspiring my creativity that other people are willing to share. Then there are other days:
Days that are pretty good & then I read something and the thought "AAAAAAAAhhhhhhhh. One more thing the I SHOULD be doing that I am not." Chalk that up on the board for one more against me. It's these days the devil uses what normally inspires me to sneak thoughts in my head as if I am not good enough. Because in my mind I think: "Well gracious, how in the world does she do it all? They have 7 kids ( I only have 3), she looks perfectly in shape ( I need to lose some). I only imagine their home spotless, everything dusted, polished & floors so clean you could eat off of, and all their children fluent in several foreign languages & she has time to not only create a pattern or 2, but publish them in a book? What is my problem? " Slight exaggeration but you get the idea. And now I am down on myself. I find that if this starts to happen consistently, I have to make myself take a break. Take time away from the computer & more specifically blogs, until I can come back (sometimes a week or longer) and realize that they are okay & I am too.
I have to remind myself that most people only show the things they are doing "good". Because somehow sharing a picture of your mountain of laundry calling out to be washed doesn't seem quite so . . . wonderful. I failed to mention to my friend that as I was sitting writing in my office about yesterday's blog post about how wonderful our family reading time was, I was sitting in a messy, knee - deep office that needed cleaning. Okay maybe not knee deep, but it was pretty darn bad. Some days that is what I tell myself, "yeah sure she can put out a book, but did she spend an hour yesterday building pickups & hunting trailers out of Legoes with her boys?" It may sound awful, but it reminds me that I may not be doing everything "RIGHT" (& who determines right?) but there are things I am doing right & that is good enough, so I will just keep trying . . . one quote I love is by Mary-Anne Radmacher-Hershey. that says:
"Courage doesn't always roar, sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying I will try again tomorrow."
"Courage doesn't always roar, sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying I will try again tomorrow."
And so goes my love - hate relationships with blogs. Some days I love, love, love reading them, & other days I hate they way I let myself feel when I compare someones best in writing to my worst.
And those are they days I just have to breathe deep and say, It's okay .. . I can try again tomorrow.
And those are they days I just have to breathe deep and say, It's okay .. . I can try again tomorrow.
My sister doesn't read blogs for this exact reason. You are so right that we need to remember people aren't going to broadcast all of their "dirty laundry" on their blog. They are living just like us, with sadness, sorrow and stress. Great post.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the 'Shout Out'! I loved this post! And yes, I did feel that I should be doing more, but more than anything, yesterday, what I took from your post was that I could be doing better. And really, if I would take the Cyber Sabbatical with the Mrs., I would get more done. I really should join her...not sure if I have that kind of control though. I don't read many blogs, but I love the few that I do read. Thanks for this post! And even if you conquer that mountain of laundry today, there will be another hill tomorrow! ;)
ReplyDeleteThis is exactly why I try to post some of my less than shining moments of motherhood on my blog. I think all women can relate. Love your blog. You are better than you think you are.
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