Feelings Friday #2: I hold my heart higher than my head.
Getting to the heart of the matter
The other morning I was rushing.
It was already 6:35 AM and normally I would be getting the kids breakfast by now, but after looking at my busy workday ahead, I decided it was now or never if I wanted to get a shower in. So there I was, showering, and a good 15 minutes behind my normal routine when my 8-year-old opened the bathroom door, still in her PJ's.
Feeling rushed is one of my biggest triggers, and so even before my daughter opened the door, I could feel in my body that all of my senses were on high alert.
I was feeling stressed.
My daughter simply opened the bathroom door and I wanted to react.
Before she'd even had a moment to get a word in, I wanted to say:
"Why aren't you dressed for school yet?!"
"Why are you standing there and letting all of the hot air out of the bathroom?!"
"Why can't you find Dad / let me shower in peace for 5 minutes?!"
But I didn't.
I didn't say anything.
Instead, I took a deep breath.
And in that tiny moment between my perceived reality and irritation with life (my reaction)...and what is (reality) I heard a sweet, sad and cracked voice say, "Mom, I can't find my little purse. It has all my money in it. I wanted to buy a book at the book fair, but I can't find my money and today is the last day."...and I moved back into my heart where I was able to respond instead of reacting.
That one little breath allowed me to stay curious with my child instead of biting her head off (which is what I wanted to do...). We never did find the purse, and there were tears, but we were on the same team through it all.
Every Friday, we'll be hopping onto Facebook Live around 9 AM CST to talk about a new facet of "feelings" as a group, and this week we’re about this very thing.
Our mantra of the week?
I hold my HEART higher than my head.
Listen in as we talk about what this means, what it doesn't mean and how we can apply this practically and playfully to life in this week's 10-minute Feelings Friday video.
So excited to be in this conversation with you every Friday morning, 9 AM CST. Please comment below with the colors you are feeling when you sit with that one hard thing in your life...before and after the exercise we go through. What are your thoughts on this mantra? I'd love to hear them below!
Founder, Generation Mindful
_____________
Generation Mindful creates tools, toys, and programs that nurture emotional intelligence through play and positive discipline. Join us and receive joy in your inbox each week.
