3 Steps to take back control in a crazy world

"Pay no attention to the little man behind the curtain." wizard of Oz

I recently read an article that referred to that line and it starting me thinking....Who is behind your curtain?who's in control of your time, health and life? It made me stop to reflect and think.  As a mom, with so many balls juggled everyday, most of us are too overwhelmed to see who's in control. We put on our masks and we let overbooked schedules, day-to-day activities and energy drainers dictate when and where we should be ( let alone how we should think, act and respond to life's challenges and circumstance). When is it time to just say "ENOUGH",  I am in control.
    It is very much like the line from Pretty woman when she refers to her prostitution, "I Say who, I say when, I say how much!".. It makes you think we, in a (demented) sense, are doing the very same thing.  We are losing ourselves because we are letting everything and everyone dictate to us who we are. So, the question here is: what can we do to get control back and step out from behind the curtain and show our true self?
  1) Take care of  YOU! Step off the mouse wheel and look around and just breathe.. So simple....Breathe! feel it from your head to your toes and let every part of your being just "be". No expectations, no guilt, no overwhelm, just "be". Then make a pact with yourself to do small things in order to get strong and healthy.  There is no gift bigger you can give yourself than your health and some "me" time.
If you are waiting for someone to step up and say "Omg, you have too much on your plate, let me take over and give you some time for yourself"..( LOL, don't you just wish this would happen?) Reality check: It won't! as much as we wish it--you and only you, have to take care of you. So, do yourself the favor before you go down that slippery slope.
  2) Learn to say "NO".  It is Ok to say no, as you learn to make a prioritized list of things you can cut back on to simplify your life(right now). Obviously, as your needs change so does your priorities.   Establishing boundaries lets you take the reign back thus, leading to more control in your life  Do you need to overbook your kids? which activities can I hold back on? What day/time can I dedicate to myself, others, tasks/errands, work, family etc.  Make this list as clear and focused as possible as this will be your basic guideline.  Of course, some flexibility is always needed but, as long as you have this guideline and believe in it, it will be easier to say no when the time comes. "Sorry, I can't, that's the time I do___."
3) Be true to yourself. Don't lose who you are to meet some unrealistic expectations of what you should and shouldn't be. When you start losing your identity trying to be everything you end up being in values conflict with who you are.  This leads to a vicious cycle of pity/depression and when you get sick of feeling that way, you go into anger mode and stay there for a while until you get sick and tired of that and go back into self-pity. It's a vicious cycle that no one wins and only makes you miserable, tired and drained.  Stick to your true values and only do things that resonate with you.  Refer back to 1 and 2 if you have to but being "authentic" and working towards goals that fulfill you only make you in control and a "certain" person that image reflects onto your children.  This, as their role model, is the image you want them to see-- not one who is overwhelmed, crazed, depressed or irritable.  Think about that.
  So, what can you do today to step out from behind that curtain and start living the life you were meant to live? By taking care of yourself and being gentler to your soul, allowing some "me" time, and learning to politely say "no" as you build your boundaries and priority list. Lastly, by staying true to who you are will allow you to slowly take back the reigns and steer you on the path you were meant to follow. Believe in yourself and trust the journey because..."You" truly deserve it.