Being a mom

More often than not I find myself and other moms repeating mantras like these:

“I feel weighed down.”

“I feel like a cow when I pump.”

“I feel like all I’m here for is to carry everyone’s stuff around.”

“I’m nothing more than a taxi driver/cleaner/cook/maid.”

“I feel invisible.”

We can tell ourselves these stories. We can continue to tell a shitty story to ourselves that that is all we are. We can choose to believe the lies we tell ourselves and then we naturally will only become that lie. The lie becomes our truth.

There is a simple way to stop the lie in its tracks. By getting new perspective. When I was walking in this photo I won’t lie, I felt like I carried everything and everyone and everyone’s stuff. It was all on me to get everything done, the weight and responsibility was all on me. I felt heavy. I felt burdened.

By grace, Toby caught me in a moment just as I was beginning to tell myself that same shitty story. He captured this moment from HIS PERSPECTIVE AND SHARED it with me.

Stunned, shocked and speechless. “Wow…I can’t believe that’s me…”

”Yes, mom, you are so strong…”

This is how our kids see us. This is how we are really seen. We are NOT the lies we tell ourselves.

In this photo with new perspective I look strong, I look tall, I look fearless, I look like Mother. I now FEEL those things about myself and can now tell myself a new story. A new ending. I am no longer weighed down. I am strong. I am no longer a taxi driver, I am a guide. I am no longer a llama, my body is more than capable of carrying my children with ease and pleasure.

We are what we tell ourselves we are. Want to tell yourself a new story - start with a new perspective and allow yourself to be seen as you truly are. Beautiful, strong, elegant, fearless.

I challenge you to seek our new perspective today. I also challenge you to SHARE your perspective with someone. Tell them what you see, their strength, their beauty, their curiosity, their brave. If it wasn’t for Toby SHARING his perspective I would have never had the chance to rewrite my story.

When we see and acknowledge the beauty in others, we see it on ourselves.

(Photo by Toby M.S. Baby Carrier Ergobaby)