A clean house. Laundry done. Dishes cleaned and put away. Fridge and pantry stocked. Baby asleep. Nutrient rich breakfast, hot cup of tea. Emails. Work. Childcare. Stay at home mom. A job that pays you enough money to survive. A job that pays you enough money to l i v e. A roof over your head. A stick with two pink lines. Time to travel. Time to read. Time to shower. Time to date your husband. A park the perfect distance from your house. A clean car with gas. A beautifully round belly. A new pair of jeans that make you feel like a million bucks. A good song to dance to. A partner that tells you you’re beautiful. A heart that knows you’re beautiful.

Some days I actually do feel like I have it all.

Today isn’t one of them.

And I don’t have any wildly incredible advice. It’s not easy – finding that balance. It’s something I talk endlessly about here.

I guess the thing I keep coming back to is “what does it all mean exactly”. Priorities shift at different points in your lives. What once was the most important could quite possibly be the least important today.

Make a list.

Things that are important to you.

Things that are important to your partner / family.

Things that are important to your life and existence. What you need to survive or to live.

Instead of thinking about what you’re giving up when you prioritize – think about what you’re making room for. It’s rare that we ever really feel ready for what’s in front of us. It’s even rare that we actually feel ready for the things we DREAM about. Because when that dream actually comes into reality, there are usually a whole bunch of other things that crop of – a whole new list of to do’s that somehow diminish this goodness that you’ve asked for. Instead of finding reasons to convince yourself why maybe the dream was just a dream. Find a way to make it a reality. Put yourself out there and actually do the things you need to do. Unless you actually live through them, you won’t know what could be. And for all we know – it could be that experience, that day, that moment that we’ve been craving all along.

I know there are a lot of things coming my way that I’m scared for. It’s natural. But I would rather know that I’m being truthful to myself by trying my hardest to do as much as I can to help myself face them head on as opposed to shrinking and letting the fear take over.

Maybe that’s what having it all means. Having a heart wild enough to listen to my ever changing mind.

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“I pulled back on the reins and brought my horse to a dead stop. She was exactly right. I was holding myself back, afraid of jumping out of my comfort zone when I’m usually so brave. If I was going to do this, it was going to require the same type of courage it took for me to leave the field of genetics to pursue a different path…to walk a ledge on a mountain despite my fear of heights: the only way to the summit. And then I realized what Chris and my friend could see: I was my own obstacle. I was thinking about what might go wrong in pregnancy and motherhood, or what I might have to give up, but I was forgetting to look towards the depths that a new baby…might bring to my life. New Experiences. Perspective. Opportunities for growth I didn’t know existed. In that moment, doing an activity that made me feel fully alive, I decided that now was the time to try and get pregnant.”

[An excerpt from the dreamy book by Carrie Visintainer Wild Mama ]

To finish off the #lfjmonthoflove I have teamed up with Carrie and her team to give away 3 copies of the book. I am so excited! To enter, leave a comment below about what being a wild mama means to you.

* GIVEAWAY CLOSED – WINNERS WILL BE PERSONALLY EMAILED*