Think Happy Thoughts

I have become a Today show junky.  Not really, but I have a morning ritual.  Get the boys off to school.  Come home, enjoy some caffeinated beverage, be it cold or hot, matters not to me.  Check job postings, check email, read up on my favorite blogs, check the headline news, all the while with Today playing on the chatter box.

By the time the 10 o'clock hour comes around I am just getting through with above said ritual.  Enter Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee.  I have to say, I am not really that into their portion of the programming, but I can't help myself and I get sucked into the train wreck that follows.  They are always drinking happy hour beverages and gabbing, yes that early in the morning. To be honest, usually they just annoy the living daylights out of me, but I never seem to change the channel.  Often I am glad I don't because I come away with some tip or tidbit, but they wear me out.

Having said that, this morning I was very interested in one of their topics.  There were some folks on talking about our collective happiness.  A study shows that women, over the last 35 years have become increasingly more UNHAPPY.  There was a lot of talk about work life balance, career versus family, too much to do, and so much to balance.  It is no surprise in the age of a never sleeping world, where almost everything is 24x7 that we are having trouble finding time for everything.  Information is available on everything and anything, ANY TIME you want it.

I think the problem is we have put such an enormous amount of pressure on ourselves to have it all and do it all.  You know what?  I do not have to do it all.  I am o.k. with that.  I want other women to feel the relief of letting that go.  If the house isn't perfect....o.k.  If my kids aren't taking fifteen classes a week for extra curricular activities....o.k.(Honestly what's wrong with them having some down time to relax and I don't know be a kid?)  If I decide to stay at home and be the proverbial stay-at-home-mom, what's wrong with that?  Does it mean that I am not o.k.?  HELL NO!  It's called a choice people, we make them all day everyday.

It's about what makes YOU happy.  The jury is in folks, trying to do it all, be it all, have it all and look good doing it, isn't making us happy.  Figure out what it most important to you, and do that, be that all the way.  If being a career woman is what fulfills you, then do that and do it well.  Trying to split your efforts between home and work, kids and husband, church and charity work, pets and volunteering, and the gym and current events is too much for ANY person.  In the end, everyone suffers because stress sucks what little bit of umph! you had left.

When we bring the stress of juggling all those hats home we share it with our families.  Our kids suffer, our mates suffer, our pets suffer and worse for wear, we suffer.  So find your balance and make yourself happy!  It's kinda like the old adage "you have to love yourself before anyone else can love you."