Personal Pursuits in mothering moments

By Laura Breksa, Personal Pursuits CouncilMom

NOTE: This is the first in a series of related blog posts -- as we post them, we will link them together. 

​Here at Momivate, we know that motherhood is neither an obstacle nor an interruption to our personal growth -- in fact, it's a fast-paced fertilizer for growth!
Here are some simple but solid ideas for experiencing spiritual growth even amidst the busy-ness of motherhood.

SPIRITUAL

• Sing the spiritual songs of your faith, and remember, "If only those birds who sang best sang, the woods would be quiet still." Belt it out, sister!

• Create something, and involve your children. The act of creation is what's spiritual, not the result (that's Pinterest).
• Pay attention to your senses at least one time a day. Think of one thing you can feel, touch, smell, taste, see -- and then, express gratitude for that experience. Studies prove that there are, "positive relationships between gratitude and wellbeing, and spirituality,” The Relationship between Gratitude, Wellbeing, Spirituality, and Experiencing Meaningful Work. (2021, Loi, N. and Ng, D., Psych 2021, 3(2), 85-95)
• When on walks, look around and discover something pretty. Pause... and reflect on either the source of the beauty or the beauty alone.​​
  

• Memorize a scripture or thought that brings you joy and repeat it often, out loud. If you're not a great memorizer, write it out and put it in places in your house where you will see it. Put it on your phone as a reminder. In his 2001 Repetition is the First Principle of All Learning, Robert F. Bruner (researchgate.net) concludes, "Repetition is an important element of learning. Even in the midst of binding time constraints, look for opportunities to revisit, review, and restate."  

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

• Practice the prayers/mantras that bring you peace, and change it up. Sometimes prayers get so repetitious we stop feeling before we realize it.

• Express love to your family, write thank you notes (even thank you texts, something spiritual happens when you express gratitude)

Spirituality is the first 'S' in our S.P.I.C.E.S. acronym -- and we'll follow up this blog post with suggestions for each of the other letters, so you can have a flavorful personal life!
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