DON'T MISS WHAT'S IN FRONT OF YOU
Recently we watched the film called “The greatest Showman” – what a wonderful movie...it’s family friendly too! It is loosely based on the true story of Burnam (of Burnam and Barley’s circus, which ran nonstop for 147 years and only recently closed down). In the movie, Barnum (as a boy) has dreams of what he wants to become one day, and the movie is about his journey to get there. He sings this song with the following lyrics:
It's everything you ever want
It's everything you ever need
And it's here right in front of you
This is where you want to be
For a long time he was always aiming higher, wanting more and thinking that the place where he will be happy is somewhere else, with more things or more money. In the end he realizes that his own family life is ‘the thing right in front of him’, and that is what he always wanted and needed, so that is ‘the place he wants to be.’
I don’t
know about you, but I think everybody struggles with feelings of unworthiness at one stage or another, questioning your own value and whether there is any point in what you are doing. Some may struggle with this more than others and depression is a very real problem (even called disease) in our society today. I am not an expert on the medical situation, but I want to share the revelation that this movie helped me to understand, in terms of my own situation.
The root of depressing emotions, are always negative thoughts. Many of you may be familiar with the book, Battlefield of the mind, where the author highlights a critical principle: what you think determines what you feel and how you act.
This is all easy to read and even understand but the reality of feeling down and out and struggling with negative thoughts (even when you know they are negative) is not that easy. A turning point came when I made a decision to at
least look out for clues and little things to be thankful for. It started off slowly, and sometimes I thought it’s always the same things to be thankful for, but progress was made and it became easier to spot those ‘things to be thankful for’.
During this time, I was constantly wanting to do other things outside of home, because you think that is where you will be better recognized, and using your ‘talents’, qualification or knowledge more effectively. This may be true in a sense, but the real question is about timing: Is that really what you must do now? or just later?
The season of motherhood is only a season – your children will leave home one day. I often see moms, especially ones with little children, who take on too much too soon. There is a time for everything; sometimes the timing is just not right now.
I remember struggling with these same identity issues when I decided to quit my career to become a
full-time, stay-at-home mom. The struggle was real, and now 20 years later, it seems to be some of the same questions that I must work through. Often we tend to think we are alone in dealing with this – the good news is you are not. Many homeschool moms find themselves questioning their worth and place and value....and many struggle daily with depressing feelings.
So what did this movie do? Well, as we were watching the movie as a family, snuggled up close together with popcorn – when the song was sung, and I heard the words, I suddenly ‘saw my children’ again, and just like the main character, I realized ...THIS IS THE PLACE I WANT TO BE RIGHT NOW! Then a peace came over me as I then knew that I do not need to struggle further with finding value elsewhere. Because for now, home is where me and my children belong!
Until next time, Willemien
Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates vision for tomorrow.
(Melody Beattie)
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