Thought for the Week from Karla’s Korner: The Hunt

Thought for the Week

I am proud to introduce a new column to Madame Deals! I think we all need a touch point a place we can go to be inspired. Karla is my children’s teacher, a good friend, and a person with a heart of gold. I hope that her words will inspire you to do more. We are only as good as the people we surround ourselves with. It is important to listen with your heart and proceed with your eyes open. Enjoy!

The Hunt…..

Having just celebrated Easter this weekend my mind brings me back to the many egg hunts we’ve had over the years with our children. When my son was little I would hide a large bucket of eggs for him to hunt and after he had found all of them he would shout “do it again!”. I would do it again and again and again; he seemed to never be tired of hunting those eggs. There was nothing special about those empty eggs but something made that little boy want to hunt them over and over. It seemed as if we hid Easter eggs for months before he would finally agree to put them away until the next Easter.

As I sit in my chair staring out the window watching my now big boy wash his daddy’s truck my heart aches a little for that time long ago when our home was filled with little kids, baskets of Easter eggs, jelly beans and silly little games. But time marches on and my little kids are now big kids on their way to their own futures. Maybe one day down the road I will be blessed with grandkids to hide eggs in the back yard for but until then I will enjoy my big kids and sharing life in a big kid way.

Thinking about hunting eggs, I can’t help but think about how often life is like an Easter egg hunt. From the time our children are born we are constantly forming them, preparing them if you will, to “hunt”. By the time they enter middle school parents and teachers begin to insist that they start thinking (hunting) about their future and what they want to do. High school years begin and before long the hunt for colleges and soon after jobs; and let’s not forget the hunt for the perfect life partner. All we do is hunt! It seems as if we are conditioned early in life to constantly be hunting for what’s next. But what would happen if we stopped hunting and focused on what we already caught in the hunt? Is it necessary to constantly be looking for more? Do we really need to upgrade, improve and enlarge everything we do? Constantly hunting for “stuff” doesn’t allow us to enjoy what we already have; so we keep hunting.

I am tired of hunting. For most of my life I have hunted for acceptance from those around me. Always striving to be the perfect wife, mother, friend, daughter, teacher, etc. has stopped me from really enjoying being the person I am. As a result of the constant hunt I became nervous, worrisome, paranoid and obsessive. It wasn’t until after I stopped hunting for perfection that I was able to really enjoy what I already had. Now, my life is a bit less chaotic and a lot more rewarding. I enjoy my husband and children way more than ever before and have allowed myself to let go of the obsessiveness and realize that undone chores will still be waiting for me at another time. I’ll get it all done eventually; maintaining balance in all that I do must come first.

Taking time to enjoy the results of our “hunt” is equally important as finding what we want and need during the hunt. For example, I bought a new car in 2010. I hunted for that car for several years, making sure I selected the perfect one to fit my needs. Now, two years later I see the newer models and catch myself wanting one. Realistically, there is nothing wrong with the one I have and there is no need for me to purchase a new one; so I stop hunting (wishing) and zip along in the one I have.

As you go along this week think about the things you “hunt” for in life and determine if it’s worth the hunt or not. Creating balance will allow you to stay focused on the blessings you have now knowing that excess is not necessary. For me, I will remember the many egg hunts I have shared with my children and look forward to watching them as they hunt for the meaningful things in their big kid lives. Keeping myself focused on the here and now will allow me to be more objective as I move toward my “older” years allowing me to enjoy the life I am supposed to live. Whatever it is that you hunt for I hope you find it, cherish it and allow yourself to move on only when the time is right.

Peace,
Karla

Check out all of Karla’s Korner articles for more thought for the week here. Also, please visit Karla’s Lifetime Moms page and read her articles.

Topic: Thought for the Week