Internet, Smiles and Work

July 15, 2010

Internet

UGH!!!! I have been disconnected from the world. Our internet service has been down pretty much since Friday. We have had glimpses of the service periodically but not long enough to do more than check our email. It has been frustrating. You don’t realize how dependant you are on the internet until it is gone. Hopefully, I am back without any trouble.

Smiles

I have called our internet provider daily to see when it will be up and running. I imagine, the receptionist has been bombarded with calls of disgruntled customers. The receptionist’s attitude is always the same…not very friendly and very much on the rude side. So my advice to this very don’t-want-to-be-here receptionist..

Before you answer the phone, put on a smile. It is amazing mood lifter. The key is to keep the smile on while talking on the phone. Smile all the way to the “good-bye.” It is so hard to be unpleasant with a smile. Beware though you can sound a hint of sarcasm if you are not careful. Oh, and remember, those who you are talking to are paying your salary..so you are really talking to your bosses.

Work

I thought I would give you a little update on my work goals for my balance quest. Well, I wish I could say that I have made leaps and bounds in the area of work. But, I can’t. I am having absolutely no success in my 1500 words a day goal. (I’m working on a couple of books so I gave myself a goal of writing 1500 words a day.) I have been running out of time each day. Perhaps, I need to lower my goal to 500-1000 words a day. 1500 words is about an hour and half of writing.

I have been able to do the one project a week. I have finished some projects that I have started. But what thrills me most of all are those projects I have been putting off because seem too overwhelming to tackle. The overwhelming feeling was just a figment of my imagination. In reality it just took a little bit of time and concentration to get the job done.

This morning on the Today Show there was a segment on how parenthood has gotten mothers down. There has been a study done and an article written that shows that mothers are not happy. First of all, happiness is a feeling that is overly stressed and in reality it is fleeting. Think of being happy as a moment in time instead of a baseline for living.

Being a mother has changed my life. It has brought joy and hard work. Am I happy that I became a mother? You bet. Do I enjoy the hard work that goes into parenting? Not always. Can I say that I hate my life because of my children? Absolutely not!! If I just concentrate on the negative get-me-downs, I won’t be happy. But if I look at the blessings that my children have given me each day, each moment, even though it is tough on some days more than others, my heart warms and I feel so blessed to have them in my life.

I love my kids and the love, devotion, and joy they bring to me is immeasurable. I wouldn’t be the woman I am today without having my kids. My life is so much more with them. How on earth can I even think that I would hate my life as a mother. I wonder if those unhappy-with-my-life mothers are not looking at the big picture and being a little on the selfish side. To be a mother means to be selfless. It is no longer all about you. If you put aside the disappointed attitude of “I thought kids would make me happy” and look at the bigger picture, your attitude just might change.

I think my soap box needs to be put away today. I hope you have a wonderful fulfilling day!

God bless…
Regina