Habit 1: Be Proactive

Now that Londyn is getting bigger, we have started having Family Home Evening. I have already noticed a difference in our home, even in just the past two weeks of holding FHE. Since Londyn's attention span is that of a 14 month old, we start out with a prayer, read a few scripture verses, show a picture of Jesus, sing lots of songs and then close with a prayer.

When I was lying in bed on Monday night, staring at the ceiling... I started to replay the events of that evening. I realized that all of those times as a young woman, thinking and imagining what it would be like to be a wife and a mother was a reality. My childhood dreams are coming true. Don't get me wrong, not every day is rainbows and smiley faces. But, every once and a while we get those moments. Those moments where everything is right in the world, and you wouldn't trade who you are or the ones you're with, for anything. I had one of those sweet moments that night.

I have recently started reading, "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families" by Stephen R. Covey which was so lovingly gifted to us from my fabulous ma & pa-in-law. When reading through Habit #1 "Be Proactive", I came across an extremely empowering thought. The thought was based on the following three sentences:

"Between stimulus and response, there is a space.

In that space lies our freedom and power to choose our response.

In our response lies our growth and our happiness."

As I sat and thought about this idea, I realized how empowering these sentences truly are. When any situation or circumstance comes along, there is a point where I have the ability to choose my response. When I have a toddler pulling all of the folded laundry out their baskets and throwing it every which way, a pot of water boiling over on the stove in an attempt to prepare dinner, the phone ringing, a scolded toddler flailing on the ground and throwing a tantrum and the dog barking at an imaginary cat outside... I still have the freedom to choose what will happen next. I as "the mom" have the ability to set the tone in my home. In moments like those, I am guilty of responding often in a manner that is everything but in control.

I have a weakness in being too passionate about being "right". There. I said it. I like to win, okay? Unfortunately, I am finding out that being a partner in a marriage and a mother isn't always about right and wrong. But, it is about how we get there. In reading through this book, I am learning more about myself and how I can be better. Isn't that why we're here? To learn and be better?