A Secret to Success as a Working Mom: Turn Burn Out Into Bliss and Embrace Joy

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Last weekend my youngest was committed to going to the "Water Steps" a man-made water fall in Pittsburgh by the rivers. (Fun Fact: Three rivers converge in Pittsburgh--The Ohio River, The Monongahela River, and the Allegheny River.)  He kept asking. I knew he was serious when he said, "If you won't take me, I'll ask  daddy!" Given that it was highly unlikely that would happen on an unscheduled day, I relented. So, we went. It wasn’t planned in the way most things in my life are. No calendar block. No checklist. No “productive” purpose attached. And, so in some respects it was uncomfortable. And yet, it seemed necessary. It was the idea of my 8-year-old—offered with the kind of urgency only children possess when something is profoundly important to them.
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What hope is made of…

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Hope is the continuous belief that you can handle whatever happens to you.

Too frequently when I make mistakes, or bad things happen, I focus on them. After I have completely distracted myself, I obsess about whether I will make another mistake or when another bad thing will happen. I recently realized that I have lost too much time questioning my decisions and analyzing lost history.

Today I got the most amazing news. My friend who had a miscarriage last year is adopting a baby. Based on the photos, he’s the most precious baby ever! (I’m a huge baby fan, so I say that a lot. He is really cute though!) She (and her husband) never would have gotten that blessing had she focused on her loss instead of focusing on her future.

The news about the baby was followed by a meeting with a friend. My friend reminded me that we shouldn’t take life so seriously. Good things happen, bad things happen, but it is how you handle the bad things determines your success and ultimately your happiness.

The baby and the conversation reminded me what hope is made of. Without hope life can seem like a series of unfortunate events merely interrupted by a few bursts of happiness. The truth is my life has largely been filled with happiness. It has been blessed. I have gotten most of the things that I have really wanted, even when I haven’t necessarily needed them.

Of course I have experienced problems, everyone has. Like most women, I have been lied to by men, been disappointed, and had my heart broken. However, I have also been loved in an amazing way. And, I have had the good fortune of being treated well more than I have been treated badly. However, despite the reality of my life I have been paranoid that the bad will outweigh the good. It is that fear, rather than my experiences, that have caused me a great deal of heartache.

The bible says that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Certain events--miracles, love and friends--sometimes strengthen your faith and restore your soul. It is so nice to be hopeful again.
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