“Are you living in such a way that your own favorite qualities have a chance to shine? If not, what sort of adjustment would make room for them again? Is there anything you might need to give up in exchange for that?” – Shauna Niequist, Savor: Living Abundantly Where You Are, As You Are
What are your best qualities? Or forget best—what are your favorite qualities?
Are you super organized? Are you funny and always making others laugh? Do you shine in the kitchen when you’re baking complex desserts?
For me, my best and favorite qualities are my ability to plan and my love of motherhood. Nothing makes me happier than devising a strategy, whether it’s to organize my closet or to plan a homeschool lesson.
And when it comes to my children, I love being with them. I love their imaginations, reading to them, building towers with them, and joining in on sing-alongs.
But I’m so busy most of the time that I rarely do those things. I think about them, I squeeze them in here and there in between the “important” things. But I don’t do them nearly enough.
There are never enough hours in the day, and the hardest expectations to meet are my own. I am so driven to get things done that I put aside anything that isn’t “necessary.”
Sound familiar?
What do you need to give up to be your best self?
We are all, but especially mothers, prone to taking on too much and setting aside fun in favor of what must be done. The cleaning, our work, the commitments we made, the goals we set for ourselves… the list goes on.
This quote from Shauna Niequist’s devotional hit me hard. Give something up? Unbury my favorite qualities that are covered by mounds and mounds of “must-do” stuff?
Can you do that?
Turns out, you can. And you should. I should. Those qualities that we love, that make us unique and wonderful and the favorite person of our favorite people, shouldn’t be smothered and hidden.
We don’t need to sacrifice our best selves for the sake of whatever stuff we think is important today. Chances are that next month, or next year, we won’t even remember that stuff.
But we’ll remember the real stuff. The stuff that’s under it. The stuff that makes us who we were made to be.
Put aside some of the things that are stifling your best and favorite qualities. Imagine how that would feel and how you would live. Does it look better than how you’re living now? Then give it up.
Life should be lived wholeheartedly. Expectations and to-do lists will not make us happy. But living the life God created for us in all its beauty, creativity, and fun will.
What do you need to let go of to let your favorite qualities shine? How does your life look without that other stuff holding you back?
Looking for more encouragement and inspiration? Check out these posts:
Choosing One Word This Year: Depth over Breadth
[Disclaimer: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. This post contains affiliate links. So, if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a commission, at no additional cost to you. All opinions are my own and I never recommend anything I haven’t used myself and loved.]
Leave a Reply