Learning to Embrace the Present

I took notice of a lot of changes within myself in 2021, including higher levels of demotivation, fear, and irritability. But things shifted for the better when I changed my perspective.

By: Kristina Dapaah‍

Originally published here: Mommy Monitor’s Blog

Mom, maybe you’ve changed a little… and that is ok. Perhaps you’re here as a new mom, or maybe you’ve been a mom for many years. Either way the last 2 years of a lot of our lives have become unrecognizable and just plain hard!

But mothers know a thing or two about change! Having a child is one of the biggest lifestyle changes we’ve ever had to undergo. In fact, a group of scientists from the Netherlands have determined that during pregnancy, cells from the fetus enter the mothers’ body in a process called microchimerism. This, my friends, would be evidence that after becoming a mom you aren’t even the same person genetically! With that said, noticing unfavorable changes within yourself is deserving of great grace. Let me say that again in another way: You can benefit from being gentle with any adverse changes you see in yourself. …. But we can’t always figure out what that looks like.

I took notice of a lot of changes within myself in 2021. Demotivation, fear, and irritability would hover over me while my frustration skyrocketed. I wasn’t able to participate in my interests; I was home for long periods of time with small children, and struggled with my postpartum health. Each week, the things we could and couldn’t do as a society were being revised. I was worried and began to distance myself from people that I loved. I had changed and lacked self-control in many areas. This was not good for me and I wished to no longer be a stranger to myself.

Things began to shift for me when I allowed the gap between my expectations and my reality to just be. There would be no striving on my end to change things back to how they used to be. Instead, I gave myself permission to be in the present. The perspective that I gained in meeting myself where I was instead of where I wanted to be, was exactly what I needed to get better. Instead of fixing it, I rested and waited. Resting and waiting will look different for everyone, but the idea is to work towards embracing the times that have caused your changes.‍

If you identify with any of this, I hope you can find encouragement in recognizing that human life is in harmony with the world we live in. Just as the seasons change, so do we. A winter season in your life will certainly turn into spring with time and stillness.

Kristina Dapaah

Blogger | Freelance Writer | Social Media Marketer