A Mindful Mother

I am jodysatva, the mindful mother. I spend my day with a preschooler while my husband works downstairs. I do best when I do major running around in the morning, lunch, meditation, and then off to the gym with the family. While my house is not squeaky clean, I have never been happier or more able to deal with the trials of the day. Frankly, I take 100% responsibility for the fact that my daughter does not have allergies. She has never been subjected to an antibacterial world.

Often, we have to make adjustments, but this basic schedule really helps me. I thrive on loose structure, form with flexibility. Luckily, my kid seems to be the same. I also like that there is a lot of room for play with the kiddo and an occasional chat on the phone.

My goal is to enjoy every moment of the day. My intention is that serenity is my first priority. My biggest challenges are my decisions. When I decide exactly how the day should unfold, I am a mess because there are too many variables while mothering. My other wrong decision is making other folk's opinions of me or my family more important than taking care of myself and my family. Making choices based on how we or I will look is a class-A serenity buster. Game over.

When I attend to myself first and then to my family, I do enjoy every moment. The unexpected becomes fun. I like my life. I am happy.

When I think, my butt is too big; my yard is too messy; my kid has jelly on her face and her clothes don't match... I only want to move, run, explode. Keeping the focus on what God's will is for me and minding my own business is the key.

At any given time, I have a decision to make: where am I going to put my focus? If I do not feel peaceful, I need to make a different choice. Take a breath. Ask God for help. Do something else.

Being a preschooler at this way of living, I keep things simple. I get thrown off a lot, but instead of months of chaos, I have 10 minutes or less. The rest of my time has become fascinating. I am so curious about my little world. I am rediscovering my passions in life, like writing or Dancing with the Stars which is really heating up now.