should’ing all over myself

The giveaway winner for the Erin Baker’s granola sampler is Diana @Veggie Next Door.  I also wanted to select a runner-up to receive a gift of my choosing – that winner is Kristina.  Girls, please sent me your addresses and I’ll get your winnings mailed ASAP!

Sometimes I think that we can be our own worst critics.  Nix that….I am definitely my own worst critic!  As much as I battle it, I have an inner voice that makes me feel less than perfect.  I’m constantly trying to be BETTER.  I think that this is something all people battle, but women more than men.  And to make matters worse, not only do we battle ourselves, but we often COMPARE what we’re doing with others.

WHY do we do this?!  I’m perfect just the way God made me.

Whether I believe that or not, is up to ME!  I often feel like I SHOULD be doing something to make life/myself/my family/my home BETTER.  I realized….I’ve been SHOULD’ing all over myself.

I SHOULD have gone to bed last night RIGHT when we got home from practice, instead of staying up, watching Eric Clapton’s “Crossroads Guitar Festival” and eating ice cream.

– Eric Clapton makes me swoon.  Ice cream makes me weak in the knees.  And sleep is overrated.  Wait, that last statement couldn’t be farther from the truth.  Sleep makes my world go round. 

I SHOULD have prepared my family a decent meal this week, instead of relying on smoothies from the gym or quickly grabbing trail mix and Clif Z Bars.

– It’s ok to have a week of lazy meals.  It doesn’t mean we’re all going to die or that our health is deteriorating.  Just that Henry and Clara might be scarred for life.

I SHOULD have let a professional cut Clara’s hair, instead of just taking my fingers, grabbing a handful of hair and cutting it as straight as I could.

– I really have no defense for my actions.  Poor kid.

Wonder where she gets it from?

I SHOULD have taken the time to write a thoughtful and coherent post, instead of waiting until Friday morning and typing whatever came out of my fingertips .  I’ll probably lose reader’s due to poor content.

– My reader’s aren’t that shallow.  And, let’s face it, most of us just jump to whatever’s highlighted, bolded or near a picture.  Your eye was drawn to that bolded bolded word, wasn’t it?!

I SHOULD have strength trained this week, instead of doing all cardio-based classes and runs outside.

– My muscles aren’t going anywhere.  And it’s WAY TOO nice not to be running outside.  My hair is again, WAY TOO crazy.

I SHOULD have told Henry NO when he wanted to watch Star Wars for the THIRD time yesterday.  We SHOULD have stopped, sat down and done some schooling.

– Star Wars is a valuable series that teaches life lessons and promotes good overcoming evil.  Plus, every time he watched it, I made him count the number of times Luke whines.  That’s about 3,209.  Math = check.

I SHOULD have listened to Travis’ reply when I asked him if I could name this post, “Shoulding all over myself” and he said, “Umm.  No.”

– I’m an independent woman who snickered a little when she thought it up.  In my defense, I DID listen to his NO answer when I asked if I was allowed to write, “Ice cream gives me a hard on” earlier.

Lessons learned:  YOU are in control of those voices, both positive and negative.  YOU make decisions everyday that will either a) make life better or b) make it harder.  YOU can control the SHOULD’s.

And the last one:  Always listen to your husband.  But also, yourself.  Life if too short to worry about who you might offend.

Happy, happy FRIDAY!!   And tell me – what are some of your SHOULD’s?  How do you overcome them??

splendid…lindsay