September 27th - Follow Your Heart

I've mentioned the mommy wars before, 

and how women lately have been 

extremely judgemental of each other.

 

These women actually believe that 

their way of living is the only right way, 

and if you're not living according to their beliefs

then you're doing it wrong

and you're an awful human being.

These women have some serious issues. 

But so do the women that judge themselves

and think they're failing when

they don't live up to others expectations.

Start Quote 

When Anna Quindlen, 

the Pulitizer Prize-winning columnist 

for the New York Times, 

stepped off journalism's fast track to devote her 

time, emotion, and creative energy to 

writing novels and raising her three children full time,

her peers were aghast, 

and her women readers were astonished.

Half her readers

- women who had decided to put family before career -

applauded her choice.

The other half 

- women who were trying desperately 

to raise happy kids and work full time - 

felt betrayed.

Anny Quindlen was not just Supermom, 

but the archetype for women who wanted to have it all.

Her personal decision resurrected the old debate between 

mothers with careers versus mothers who work at home.  



 If she couldn't take the juggling any longer, 
what hope was there for the rest of us?

But Anna Quindlen's creative choice 
wasn't about career versus family.

It was about worldly success versus authentic success.
She dreamed of writing novels instead of newspaper columns.
 She wanted to be there when her children came home from school. 
She wanted to live by her own lights.
She wanted to listen to her heart. 
And she had the financial means to do so.


Only the heart knows what's working in our lives.
The heart is our authentic compass.

If we consult her, the heart can tell us 
if we're headed in the right direction.

But the heart also tells us when we've 
made a wrong turn or when it's time for a U-turn.  

For a lot of us, this is information we don't want to know. 

Knowing might mean choice, 
and choice often means change.


I don't doubt that there are ten million women 
who would love to make the choice that Anna Quindlen did,
but they're not in the financial position to do so.

But just because you can't do it 
today or tomorrow
doesn't mean you can't ever do it.

Dreams deferred come true every day.
Delay doesn't mean denial.

The heart does not charge for consultations,
conversations, creative brainstorming sessions,
or carrying a dream from conception to delivery,
no matter how long it takes.

"Dreams pass into the reality of action,"
Anais Nin reassures us.
"From the action stems the dream again;
and this interdependence produces 
the highest form of living."
End Quote
 



Live and let live. 

Follow your heart,
and let others do the same. 

Keep chasing your dreams.




***
Gratitude Journal
***

1) Halloween costumes this year are going to be epic! Well, they've always been epic. The first year with Jacob Robbie and I were scare crows and Jacob was a jack-o-lantern. The second year I was in the hospital with the twins so Jacob had halloween with his cousins.  The third year we were Dr Seuss's Cat in the Hat, Jacob was the cat, the twins were thing one and thing two, and Robbie and I were the boy and the girl. Last year we were the minions from the Minion Movie, Jacob was Kevin, Riley and Chase switched between Stewart and Bob, and Robbie was Herb and I was Scarlett Overkill. Any guesses as to what we're going to be this year? Here's your first clue.

2) I got the laundry done. It was monsterous.

3) My night off! I started Jacob's costume. I'm so excited!

4) Did I mention I got most of the laundry done? And not just done, put away! All that's left is some stuff that needs to be stain treated, and the ironing. And then to do it all over again.

5) Exercising.