Mom: Another Shade of Woman

Doing some maintenance here! Working on something new and improved for you, Momma. Revisit some of my previous podcasts for some positive love. I will be back on July 15th with amazing stuff!! It's a date then. Please continue to be gentle with yourselves and know that you are not alone. Thank you!

Count your blessings if you are still in a position to celebrate your father, grandfather or the fathers in your life. Do not let skepticism or pettiness rob you the time you have to celebrate. Celebrate what you have while you can.

Momma, one thing a birthday guarantees each year is expectation and anticipation. Whether we approach our birthday with excitement, fear, or anxiety, we do expect something. And oh my goodness, when we pass 45 it can become more an anxious trip towards each new year. Momma, are you sliding or are you crashing into your next birthday?

Checking with yourself is often times filled with reflection and the beckoning of new steps. Where are you, Momma? Who are you, Momma?

You are worthy! You are a gift! If you feel like you are drowning and hopeless, please reach out! Mental checkups are just as vital as phisical checkups. Check in with each other! Momma, let's lookout for each othet. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Hours: Available 24 hours. Languages: English, Spanish. Learn more 800-273-8255 (USA)

When our children are younger, we are deeply involved in every aspect of their lives and journeys. However, the nature of our relationships change as our children become teenagers and emerging adults. Our role changes as we navigate this new independence. Some of us find ourselves at a crossroad, wondering what do to do next. How do we revisit the woman that we are? How do we transition?

Many times we pray for a break, but when our children are away from us for extended periods, we spend the entire break pining for them. Embrace and appreciate the gift of time.

Communication is a necessary toll for all humans. Communication is our responsibility. We are our children's first teachers of communication, how they see themselves and how they present themselves.

We all carry some baggage with us, some more than others. Check those bags, Momma. Some bags are filled with anger, some are filled pain. Holding on to anger eats us up. Holding on to pain blisters our soul. Let go, Momma!

There is a difference between being nosey (wanting to feed the curiosity) and actually being present to be helpful; that parachute.

In the moment of frustration how much time do we waste feeding the frustration? How much energy do we burn belaboring the problem? How does living in the problem delay a solution?

How do we find energy to do our "thing", "goals" or "projects"? What are energy leaches? People, comfortability, sedentary state. How do we extricate those energy leaches?

Embrace your worth, Momma. Listen to the purest words coming from your children.

You cannot control everything. Knowing when to step back and away is key to a healthy space. You cannot control what others say about you. You can only control how you manage you.

Say something positive to yourself. Feed yours soul with healthy thoughts. Take care of yourself.

Every just felt like giving up? Every just said the words "I give up"? What does that mean?

Ever felt like you were playing a game of 'pretend' so as to fit into a friendship or situation? Do you listen to your inner voice? How organic are your relationships/friendships?

How we talk and express ourselves is very important and powerful. Being in control of our expressions and being accountable for our delivery are strengths. Do not let someone else define you.

We are some of the best cheerleaders and support for others. How do you feel? Do you feel that you have support?

Sometimes even the simplest or smallest thing can add some flavor to our lives, Momma.

How do we define success, Momma? How do we view our own successes or lack thereof?

Chasing perfection is like chasing an improbable ideal. Everything these days is exquisitely branded and packaged for our consumption. What does this say about our expectation about self and other things? How does our expectations set us up for a let down?

There are times when you need to advocate for yourself, Momma!

Are you a natural giver, Momma? There are gives and takers. Takers can drain a Momma who is a giver.  Do you ever feel like an afterthought when your genuine caring nature is taken  for granted by friends or family?  

Children grow and they leave. Where do you see yourself after?

How much weight does the term "I love you" carry?

Ever find yourself caught in the crosshairs of feeling like appreciation is viewed as love? Can you appreciate an act, but dislike an item? Does your partner measure your love for them based on their expectations of how you much you show appreciation?

Take a few deep breaths, Momma. Take a few minutes to breathe, slow down and regroup. Here's to a wonderful week.

On this motherhood journey, we have so many thoughts, choices and decisions swirling in our minds.  How do you push through, Momma?  How do you drive on?  As long as it's not harmful to self or others, you seem to make it. Give yourself credit for finding your way through the noise and the clutter. 

Communication! Words are our language that becomes our behavior. How are we communicating?

No papered credentials? Not an expert? What does it truly take?

Looking at some old pictures and thought about how the lenses through which we see ourselves are curved. Is beauty transitional or constant?

How often do you feel guilty for doing something for yourself, Momma? The lipstick or the box of Yu-Gi-Oh cards? Setting healthy boundaries is not a bad thing.

Our experiences help define some of the decisions we make. Our past experiences impact our future steps and inevitably our choices to embrace change. How do our experiences impact our parenting or our own decisions for ourselves?

On this episode, let's think about how we talk to ourselves. Are we positive or are we negative? How does self talk impact us. The answers are threaded through how we talk to and encourage our children. We got this, Momma.

Motherhood and our identity can often fuse into one. Sometimes we lose a sense of the layers, the shades, of what makes us complete. Mothers, we are not monolithic. We are an array of experiences, hopes and ideas that are uniquely ours. Sometimes we struggle with a sense of loss of self and we feel alone in our journey. You are not alone, Momma.