Take control--take the steps!

Whenever, it seems, that I mention I have four children, I get the question of how do I do it.

"How do you get done so much?" is probably the question.

The simple answer is "I am not alone."  I have God's help, my husband's support, and friends and family. Well, that is my answer on a good day.  

As a woman, especially on long, tiring days, I deal with my internal voice which asks the question: "Why can't you get things done?  You fail to execute on those plans you write down on your to-do list!"

One key factor is for getting things done is to:

the emotions!

By controlling my emotions, like the one of despair or frustration, I regain control over my thinking which helps me get things done rather than stewing over how I feel.  

It is a relaxed control rather than frenetic activity.  Simply put, it is the ability to look at the situation, think and reflect on options, and act appropriately.

That is, not just going on knee-jerk reactions, explosive reactions, impulses, and fears.

My husband can be quite good with relaxed control, thinking things out and planning.  Seeing him to it, I've learned how to do it, to some extent!  In fact, this year, I planned the family vacation!

He and I had wanted to go see the U.S.S. Lexington for quite some time in Corpus Christi!  We anticipated seeing aircraft carrier built for the Navy in WWII  was commissioned in 1943, saw action in the Pacific, got remodernized in the 1950s, served as a training carrier for 30 years, and was decommissioned in 1991.  It was an amazing adventure for my three sons who are WWII buffs.

I have been using this technique of controlling my emotion of anger when I hear some snippy remark from my teenage daughter.  She doesn't mind pushing buttons...

 and so I push back by taking control and addressing the deeper issues.  I ask what she is going through.  (Plus, she is REALLY good at apologizing on her own!  I make that easier by not pushing back and staying open to her.)

In the process, I am taking control.

I know appreciate that God is ALWAYS open for us!  He is also the One in control of everything... like helping my friends I visited in Corpus Christi this last July to move back to the Dallas area this March!  He takes control and asks us to move in His Plans... living our vocation brings great joy and growth for ourselves and others (though it isn't as easy as pushing a button!).