Another Q & A

I shared in a previous post that one of the questions I'm most frequently asked is how I keep a positive attitude.

I thought I'd fill you in on the second most common question that I get asked.

Q:  "Lana, how on earth do you do it all?"

A:  "I don't."

If I get myself too over-committed, not only do I drive myself crazy, but I bring my family along with me for the ride.

I say ugly things to the people I love the most.

I resent the fact that they want to eat supper.  Or any food at all, for that matter.

Or that they need clean underwear.

And when I finally do have a free minute to myself, the last thing I want to do is talk to my kids.  I just want to be left alone.

They don't seem to understand that I'm running the school carnival for them.  Can't they get that?

Then one day, I realized that my kids could care less if I'm running their school carnival, serving as soccer team mom, and organizing their entire classes' dance recital costumes.

They just want me.  My attention.  My time.  

All the things I can't give them when I'm too busy being the "how does she do it all" super woman.

So I quit.

I quit trying to do it all.

I looked at everything I was doing and asked myself this question:

"Out of all the things I am currently taking part in, even those things that are wonderful service opportunities, what are the things that only I can do?"

I am the only person that can be a wife to my husband.  A mom to my children.

And if I can't take care of my family because of all my outside activities, then I need to give up some of those outside activities.

Or maybe I can do it all, but I'm a total shrew to my husband and kiddos.  I need to know my limits and make some changes.

I want my home to be a happy place.  A place my kids like to be.  A place that offers respite for my husband.

No, I don't do it all.

I only do what only I can do.