Survive or Thrive?

This Sunny Mummy just moved...AGAIN.

Those who know me personally, know I have moved ALOT. No... ALOT doesnt seem to accurately describe moving house 25 times in 31 yrs.

Yes, you read correctly, 25 times in 31 yrs, ok close your mouth now :)

I wish I could say my Dad was in the Army or something respectful like that to justify all the moves in my childhood but unfortunately our moves were a result of trying to get away from my physically and mentally abusive father who was both alcohol and drug dependent.

The moves made during my twenties were simply me trying to get away from facing my um, well issues that I never knew I had from experiencing such a childhood...however someone once said "Wherever you go, there you are". How true indeed and eventually I had to stop running and start facing what was going on for me.

My recent move has been my best move yet and for all the right reasons. I have dealt with the issues, which I wont go into here because A) it would take too long and B) I feel it deserves a seperate post because there any many mummies (and others of course) running from themselves and I want to encourage you to stop by sharing my story.

Anyway, back to what this post was supposed to be about... life is not about merely surviving each stage. Sure, sometimes in certain situations SURVIVING is really all you can do at the time. What happens though, if you are going through life merely surviving each day or stage?

There are many many buzz words and phrases now about life being a journey or a climb or whatever. All of them are true and depending on our mood at the time, it can motivate us or go in one ear and out the other.

However, even when it does motivate us into action, the action is usually short lived as we kick back into survival mode and dealing with the next incident, crisis or issue.

Do you know some people just go on complaining for days and days which turn into weeks then months then years and before they know it they SURVIVED their life!

Do you REALLY want to get to the end of your life and feel as though you survived it?

Margaret Lee Runbeck (writer) once said "Happiness in not a station you arrive at, but a manner of traveling".

If you think of life as a journey and your on a train heading to a destination but with lots of STOPS (stages) along the way, right now your at Motherhood station.

You may have just arrived and can't find the rest rooms because you are still foggy and in shock at how utterly exhausting this stage seems or you may have been here for a while already and know where the rest rooms are but have never really taken the time to have a look around and see what this station has to offer because you are too busy complaining about having to stop here or all the WORK you have to do!

(What is all this WORK we do anyway? There is paid work, housework, kidwork, homework and for many mums 'manwork' (yes we have all been there, where our husbands or partners become just another thing on our 'TO DO' list ;)etc etc

Why are we always so hard at WORK?

Isn't it time we asked ourselves in which manner are we traveling? Surving or thriving in each stage?

I know I can say I SURVIVED childhood station. I have the choice to look at back at that 'stop' and be sad or bitter about what I 'experienced' or 'missed' out on OR I can choose to use my time as a survivor at that station to remind me to THRIVE at each and every station from now on....

Mummycentral is a BIG conflicting station....crowded, busy, often dirty (and smelly) and certainly hard to get around. However it has lots of places to see and things to do. Best of all, there are so many choices for which 'direction' you will take from here, it really is the best station to be at!

In which manner are you traveling? Which train will you hop on from here?

We all go off the rails every now and again.. thats completely normal and totally OK.

If we all climb aboard THRIVE, we will always be on the right track! Whats more... it's leaving NOW and there is room for us all...do hop on, the ride is sooooo much more enjoyable TOGETHER!