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Maggie Whitley

joy in motherhood, homemaking, faith & simple living

You are here: Home / inspiration / “I can do hard things.”

“I can do hard things.”

September 11, 2015 · 9 Comments
Filed Under: inspiration, mamahood

eucalyptus maggie whitley

I’ve found myself in a little groove lately. Not necessarily one I want to be in, but one that’s easy to settle into, especially when things get a little crazy and I need to “get the job done.” It started before Zack went to New York for nine days (again), and then of course became more present once he was away for work and it was just me with the kids. Don’t get me wrong, I was thrilled he had the opportunity to travel. But it came at an odd time for our family.

Yesterday morning I realized this groove was more of a funk, and was still lingering, and the best way to get out of it was to do something totally different. You could also call this groove “maintenance mode”: we do whatever we need to do to get through [x].

So to get out of my funk yesterday the kids and I went to a toddler play date in Santa Monica. There was dancing and book reading and alligator climbing. There were fruit squeeze packs and tutus and lots of mamas and toddlers. It was a hot day, but we had so much fun. And, it was exactly what I needed. And probably exactly what Max & Natalie needed from me.

After their naps, we drove to the grocery store. While picking up some fresh fruit I noticed a bunch of eucalyptus branches were just $1.99, so I picked up two. I love the smell of eucalyptus, but I’ve never bought them for myself. (Why did I wait this long?)

Turns out having something beautiful in your home, something that inspires you and relaxes you and makes you breathe in deep as you pass it by, is pretty important. I found myself feeling less blah. The funk I was feeling was lifting. I felt inspired and motivated to do hard things: simple tasks like calling Quickbooks to troubleshoot an issue, changing the bed sheets, laundry, and sweeping/mopping.

“I can do hard things.”

That is such a powerful sentence.

No, sweeping isn’t the same as overcoming a health issue. That doesn’t mean the two hours that make up nap time aren’t precious, and making a 45 minute phone call isn’t something I wanted to do. But, I needed to do it.

eucalyptus maggie whitley

Once the groceries were put away I put one eucalyptus bunch in the kitchen, and one in our bedroom. Oh, what a treat that was! In our small space, our bedroom is divided so the kids beds are separated from ours by a floor-to-ceiling curtain. It feels even more fancy with a branch of eucalyptus leaves in there :)

I can try something new with the kids.

“I can do hard things.”

I can treat myself to a $4 bunch of leaves ;)

I can say yes to small “work” tasks, reminding myself I’ll be able to more greatly enjoy the tasks that come afterward — the ones I really want to do but are hard to enjoy knowing there’s work waiting for me.

I can change our schedule or routine in hopes of trying something new/enjoyable.

I can break down a project into 5, 10 or 15 steps — whatever it takes to get it done!

I can do hard things, and afterward I’ll probably see them in a different light knowing my mood will be lifted once I simply start.

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9 Comments
Filed Under: inspiration, mamahood

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Comments

  1. Danyelle Churchill says

    September 11, 2015 at 8:11 am

    Maggie, you totally speak to my heart on many of your posts. I’m so happy to know another Mama struggles and feels the way I often do, and that it doesn’t make us any less wonderful. I can absolutely relate to getting into funks. My baby will be a year old in a couple weeks, and being fit/healthy has been my struggle. After stumbling across you, I made my health a priority and started back at crossfit. Man, what an improvement! Making “me” time does not make me selfish, rather it makes me a happier, more fun, and more confident wife and Mama! Thank you for your posts and sharing your life

    Reply
    • Maggie Whitley says

      September 13, 2015 at 8:22 pm

      This is all kinds of glory — I’m so thankful for your comment and affirmation. I had a moment where I worried publishing this post would have more of a negative overlay to it. But I’m glad I click “publish”. Life is HARD sometimes, but an encouraging word can go a long way :) keep up your workouts! You are amazing! :)

      Reply
  2. tonya says

    September 11, 2015 at 7:49 pm

    Starting is always the hardest part. You can’t be great if you don’t start!

    Reply
  3. Shelly Wildman says

    September 12, 2015 at 6:38 am

    Oh my goodness! Your last line! God gave me this verse this week and it keeps popping up ALL OVER THE PLACE. Maybe it will mean something to you too, sweet friend.

    “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin.” Zechariah 4:10

    Reply
    • Maggie Whitley says

      September 13, 2015 at 8:23 pm

      OH, THAT VERSE! soooo good! I’m going to write that down ♥

      Reply
  4. Elise Gahan says

    September 14, 2015 at 8:33 am

    As a student I feel this way so much. I allow myself to feel so overwhelmed and then don’t even know where to start but when I write a more detailed break down of the project and I can get the satisfaction of crossing even smaller steps off.

    Reply
  5. Kara says

    September 14, 2015 at 10:34 am

    Yep, yep, yep! I’ve been in a funk (slightly due to morning sickness, most likely due to mundane ugh-ness). Last night I made a list of 5 things I needed to do today. It was exactly the fire I needed to jumpstart me out of my funk of feeling overwhelmed. I still need to walk to the mailbox but all the other stuff is done. :)

    Reply
    • Maggie Whitley says

      September 14, 2015 at 1:08 pm

      Do you listen to podcasts? This one in particular has been amazing for me, I just listened to it over the weekend: http://hwcdn.libsyn.com/p/d/0/d/d0d85966c9316e32/caroline.m4a?c_id=9638657&expiration=1442264435&hwt=04f92d3e090186ee642e2dd310ef73e8 — the title is “building back a routine” ;D

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. A really great process to “get it done”. says:
    October 21, 2016 at 6:39 am

    […] Instead of feeling defeated my plans have to change, I take it as an opportunity to remind myself, I am a flexible person, and I can do hard things! […]

    Reply

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ABOUT MAGGIE WHITLEY DESIGNS:
Maggie Whitley weaves her writings around joy in motherhood, homemaking, faith, and simple living. She homeschools her children, enjoys a quiet room while reading, and roars with laughter over the challenges & delights of motherhood. Maggie and her husband, along with their four young children, live in metro-Detroit. She has been writing online since 2008.
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I fought every internal comment I could think of a I fought every internal comment I could think of and took my kiddos for a looooong walk today before dinner. ❄️✨ There’s just so much work required to raise children! I’m feeling like a tired lady. But sunshine & fresh air are good companions to keep around. 

We came home and I made “the best dinner ever”. Max specifically announced, “it’s so great you’re launching new meals to the world”. LOL— kids! 🤣👏🏻💓
How about a little Wednesday night introduction? 😘Social media sure has changed over the years and we don’t always SEE who we’re following or remember WHY we’re following certain accounts. 

So, hello! As you can gather, my name is Maggie ;) 

I started writing online (almost 13 years ago) to share the handmade products I was sewing. My shop was called Gussy Sews. ✂️👛I love the community that has grown from sewing & sharing online.

Let’s FFW to today: Zack and I live in Michigan and have four young children (2 boys & 2 girls). I slowly left the handmade industry and walked right into homemaking, homeschooling, and encouraging women through writing. 💕📝

Motherhood has been very hard on me. (And not just because of how close in age our four children are.) It’s been hard for me because I fought for years to accept that *it’s supposed to be hard*. 

I mean, how do you effectively teach another person to know and love the Lord? Bc that’s how I think of motherhood: a calling to nurture others by studying the One who nurtures me. So I gotta make the first move: study the Bible and seek Him first. As my friend Autumn reminded me, vulnerability births transformation. 

(I’ve had to be really vulnerable!)

So, yes motherhood has fully transformed me. But even more so, Christ has fully transformed me. My list of “all that He’s done for me” is off to a beautifully long start.

Something else I want you to know about me: I stalled for years before acknowledging I have anxiety and depression. It’s hard to talk about this because of course this isn’t forever “my hardship”, but rather because acknowledging this means to heal I have to work through some really difficult things. ✨

But my friend Jesus walks alongside me. He’s already done a mighty work in my heart, including helping me process my anger in healthier ways. I’ve also adopted a heart for sisterhood, mothering, and Titus 2 mentorship.

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What are you reading this year? Currently?

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