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Good is Good Enough

by Sarah Juliusson

‘I should’ ... these two words get us into a lot of trouble. We each have an image of what we should be able to do as parents. Yet, what we perceive we ‘Should’ be able to do and what we actually ‘Are’ able to do in our lives is often quite different. This is where four more words come in handy: Good is Good Enough.

Recognizing our limits

Raising emotionally healthy children takes a tremendous amount of energy on all levels – physical, mental, emotional and spiritual – particularly when our children are very young. This can leave us with a limited amount of time, energy and resources to devote to other areas of our lives.

Letting go

As a busy parent, a ‘good is good enough’ approach is often just the mantra you need to maintain your sanity and sense of well-being. If your relationships need extra nurturing or you have a sick child, you may need to live with a messy house, decline work assignments, or eat scrambled eggs for dinner. This surrender to what ‘is’ rather than what ‘should’ be can be a profound challenge. Even as we let go of perfection, we often find ourselves longing for what we wish our life looked like in that moment.

It’s up to you

The next time you begin something new or feel like you’re in the centre ring juggling more balls than you can handle, pause. It’s completely up to you as to HOW you approach your task or commitment. What would it look like if you brought the ‘good is good enough’ mantra into an area of your life where you are feeling out of balance? As you shift your attention from the piles of laundry and focus your energies on where you are needed most, you may just find a new sense of contentment with your life just exactly as it is, without needing to change a thing! You are good - more than good enough.

Sarah Juliusson is the mother of two young boys, and co-founder of Mama Renew together with Jennifer-Lee Koble, offering self-renewal groups for seasoned mothers, and Mothers Unfolding for new mothers and babies. As a working mother, she is forever seeking new ways to expand her circle of support and find balance so that she can give more fully to herself, her family, and the community. To learn more about Mama Renew, visit www.mamarenew.ca. Mama Renew offers groups throughout the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island.

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