Getting to "calm" - Practically...

{part 1 - practically}

lots of conversations have been happening within these walls (between Josh and me) on getting to "calm".  It's been neat, really neat watching and listening to ourselves process this together.

As a Home Manager and Mother to 3 children, my goal each day is to be "calm" in my heart and leadership.

As a School Leader, Josh's goal each day is to be "calm" in his heart and leadership.

But... you can't just wake up one day (at least I can't) and say, "I want to be calm.  Ok, done!"

For me, calm has been a journey - a daily decision - one moment at a time.

We've been discussing the process - what does it look like for us to wake up each day and commit to remaining calm - in the midst of moments of chaos, problems and hard work?

How can we individually surrender control (negative, emotional control) in order to build up strong, respectful children and lead our home with intention and calmness?

Here are a few of the practical tips that work for me:

• My day begins with a surrender, and it sounds a little something like this:  Dear God, I surrender everything to you.  I give you this day.  Please come into the center of my life and take over.  Fill me with Your love and patience and grace.  Guide me and mold me.  Make me the wife, mother and friend You want me to me.  Amen. 

Honestly, a prayer like this happens many times throughout the day.

• My day begins with a plan.  This is another post that's very dear to my heart, but I feel that a flexible plan for the day is so important and necessary in order to remain the calm, intentional mother I want to be.  After the surrender, I review the calendar for the day, things to remember, complete my chore for the day (another post to come) - simply getting my mind and house ready for another day to begin mothering with calmness and joy.

• My day begins with me being ready before the kids wake up.  This may sound silly to you, but if I'm ready to go before the 3 little ones rise, I'm ready to tackle the day!  I'm ready to go - bring it on!  Waking before my children transformed my mothering and attitude.  I'm able to respond to them with more calmness and joy because I'm not trying to dig myself out of a hole from the moment they each wake up.  In addition, if they want to do something spontaneous later on in the day, I'm ready to be spontaneous!

I'll stop at 3.  More to come...

part 2 - emotionally.