Peace doesn’t come after you’ve done enough.

Peace doesn’t come after you’ve done enough.

Peace comes from knowing you are enough.

I used to spend my entire day making sure my house was in order, the kids were cared for, and everyone one else was provided for, all the while hoping it would be enough to fall asleep feeling good about myself.

It was never enough.

I would go to bed exhausted and dreading the idea of having to do it all again the next day, while clinging to the hope that I could feel good enough. This was my life…

Until it wasn’t.

I became aware of this devastating cycle when I saw it reflected back to me by my children. They were afraid to be themselves because they never knew when I’d explode over another thing left in the sink or water on the bathroom floor. I was heart broken when my son said to me the words I had been feeling so deeply, “I should just run away. No one loves me.”

It was that very moment, I decided to change.

I couldn’t allow my children to grow up in that kind of environment a second longer. So I prayed for help. And was provided the idea of a gratitude journal. And my daily practice was first thing in the morning before my kids were awake, I would list three things I was grateful for.

At the beginning it didn’t feel like I was “doing” anything. But I stuck with it and over time, my thoughts about myself changed, the foods I ate changed, I made my workouts a priority, I became a better mom, and I gave myself grace and compassion knowing I was enough.

I stopped fussing about the little things about the house and focused on being present.

Practicing daily gratitude led to peace and knowing I was enough regardless of what I did or didn’t do each day.