Building my own pedestal

I'm inspired to write this post after Alissa's empowering comment to my Impressing the world entry.

It's actually quite late, but I just came home from a meeting for the school where I work during the year... yes, in the middle of the summer. Not going to go into that right now. I'm inspired once again about how important it will be this year for me to set some very stern boundaries. Saying NO to myself and to others will be important.

Yes, I have a professional responsibility to the children who will be in my care this year. But I will have an even greater responsibility to my child and, yes, even to myself. I am the only one who can give THAT particular care to both of us.

So since the aforementioned entry, I have been trying to find a voice to talk back to the voices in my head telling me that so-and-so would do things differently. This is a constant dialogue in my head about how so-and-so would have a cleaner kitchen, wouldn't rest right now etc. I am answering back more and more in different ways.

One is that I tell myself my responsibility to my child and myself. (For example, to rest.)

Another is that I say I don't really know what other people do.

Another still is that we are all people, all essentailly equally, and all totally quirky compared to one another so that there is no way in which I CAN compare. (Like comparing different fruits, or fruits to veggies, or apples to hot dogs or whatever.)

The most personal tool I've been using is to ask a character (whose name I'll keep to myself) who I have invented and who represents my own internal knowledge, "What does SHE say right now?" I like that one the best. I need to keep it up.

All of these have helped me today to have a really good day.

Oh, and yes, I'm still a little sick, but it's not bad at all. Pretty much just a sore throat. Thanks to the above tools I rested quite efficiently yesterday and today was able to function almost up to pregnant-lady par. If I'm going to keep it that way, I need to go to bed now.