I hated the movie Boyhood, not because the movie was bad, but because it was depressing.

Women Have So Much Too Do

Women today wear too many hats.  Daughter, Sister, Mom, Wife, Caretaker, Nurturer, Housecleaner, Taxi Driver, Project Manager…and the list goes on.  Balance these days seems like a cruel joke with a bad punchline.  Something has to give.

Time Has Taught Me Some Valuable Lessons

Many of my lessons, came after costly mistakes and failures, but as long as I can use and share the lessons they are worth it.

• Despite my best efforts, I am no Super Woman.
• I can’t do everything and that is okay.
• I’ve learned to love the word “no” and I have learned to take some time to think, before I say yes.
• I’ve stopped apologizing for not being involved in every darn thing and not going everywhere.
• With 24 hours in a day, I am a limited resource, so how I choose to spend my time matters.
• Trying to do it all is a losing battle and I am not interested in losing.

Life Is Always Changing

I have to change with it.  The lessons I learned work now, but they may not work later. Time goes on, things change.  I have also learned the value of learning from the experiences of others.  When people talk, I am listening.  I want to know what I can gleam from their stories and how I can do things better, that is one of the reasons why I love great books.

Unfinished Business by Anne-Marie Slaughter is one of those invaluable resources.  It is the book I wish I read when I was 20, and it is the book that I am going to have my daughter read.

The Conversation We Need TO Have NOW

Life is about choices, it is especially about choices for women.  Children are a wonderful gift, but getting married, having children and balancing, life, career and self is an act that requires intention not reaction.    Women have different roles and responsibilities than their male counterparts.  You can fight that stigma, all you want, but that doesn’t change it.

The Cost of Our Choices

Life is the sum total of our choices and our responses to them.  Having some forethought about what decisions to make often requires the ability to think about the costs both now and later.  Of course, you can’t predict anything but there are some things that you can think through that will help you make more sound decisions and consider the pros and cons.

 

In Unfinished Business, Anne-Marie poses some really important questions.  She shares her experiences and that of others like her who have been there and done that.

 

My goal in life is not to measure up to someone else’s idea of what my life should be.  I want to look back on my life without regrets.  I want to know that I followed God and that I can live at peace with my choices.  I also want to know everything I can about what the choices could mean before I make them.  Having the privilege of learning from others has been incredibly helpful.  It has allowed me to avoid some of life’s pitfalls, and it has also given me the ability to make sense of some of my own choices and understand where I can do better in the future.