A Mantra to Live By

As I was leaving work on Thursday afternoon, my coworker Sherri said, "I sure hope you don't get sick!"

"No worries," I said. "I rarely get sick!" 

Sherri ran a temperature all week, bringing her cough and tylenol and kleenex to work with her each day. She is so conscientious, spraying everything with 409 that she touches and diligently keeping her distance when I am in the office. And so, I figured I would be just fine.

But as I pulled into my driveway Thursday evening, home at last, it slammed into me like a wall of bricks: I'm sick. And then as I walked up the stairs to the mancave, I couldn't lie down fast enough.

Sure enough: I had the flu.

And then Saturday morning as I lay on the couch with a 102 degree fever, Jace came in and said, "Mom, I'm exhausted. All I want to do is sleep."

Jace's verdict? A 103 degree fever.

And so over the past three days, I have had a lot of time to lay on the couch and watch tv some and read some and knit some...though I couldn't manage to sit up too long...and sleep a whole lot of somes. Jace pulled the blowup mattress in and lay beside me in his sleeping bag while the two of us called orders to Roy: I'm thirsty! Where's the tylenol? Could I have some grape juice? Dad, I really want some Cheez-its. Would you go to the store?

We kept him hopping and he never complained. Not once. He makes the best nurse in the world--I've always said that. When I am not feeling well? He is thoughtful and attentive and goes out of his way to pamper me. Do you need a pillow? Would you like for me to get you something? Want me to rub your feet?

Sometimes, frankly, I just want to say I'm sick so that I can enjoy all of the special treatment.

But anyway, somewhere in the midst of laying on the couch and reading a host of emails and blogs and vlogs and Facebook posts that people "shared", I came across something regarding Mantras--and how we all have them. In other words, we all have these statements that play through our heads that dictate how we feel about others, how we feel about life, how we feel about ourselves. These mantras affect everything.

I never have enough money.

I am never good enough.

I am always a victim.

I am not pretty enough.

I am not "cool".

People always hate me...

...to name a few.  And these mantras? They are powerful. They are everything. They are the lens through which we see the world. Some of them are passed on to us by our parents; some we learn through life experiences. But regardless of how we adopt these mantras, they are the undercurrents through which we live. And so, it is important to be sure that we are living by healthy mantras, positive mantras.

I have everything I need.

I am good enough.

I am powerful.

I am beautiful.

I am cool.

People love me.

And when we catch ourselves throwing our hands up in despair, angry, littering our mental world with all colors of harsh, that is when we need to stop; take a deep breath, and give ourselves a different message, a better one:

...a message that brings kindness and love in its wake.