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Or just as likely, we’ve got questions and you’ve got answers.

Challenge: Taking Care of YOU

How to feel full of life and not over it

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Don't waste your breath, mama.

Don't you dare waste any of the blessing that is your one trip around this Earth, your voice, your serenity, and your happiness, explaining or defending your life, marriage, and parenting choices TO ANYONE.

Don't waste your breath clarifying why it is you waited so long to have kids or why you had kids so young.

Don't waste your breath defending your birth plan.

Don't waste your breath apologizing for formula-feeding.

Don't waste your breath sticking up for your decision to breastfeed long-term.

Don't waste your breath on negative self-talk about your post-baby body.

Don't waste your breath on nonsensical, purely-due-to-exhaustion fights with your spouse.

Don't waste your breath canceling plans with your girlfriends that you should be keeping.

Don't waste your breath counting your calories.

Don't waste your breath with worrying over ever little thing.

Don't waste your breath making excuses for your messy home and top knot.

Don't waste your breath complaining about the giant pile of laundry that forever covers your dining room table.

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Don't waste your breath telling me that you can't find time for yourself.

Don't waste your breath making excuses for the judgmental doodyheads in this world.

Don't waste your breath internally contemplating a damn thing they say about you.

Don't waste your breath upholding your decision to stay at home with your kids.

Don't waste your breath rationalizing your decision to keep working after having kids.

Don't waste your breath trying to convince your toddler to wear something other than her ballet tutu everywhere she goes.

Don't waste your breath trying to reassure the general public that two months straight of her wearing the same pink leotard and tutu doesn't make you a pushover.

Don't waste your breath inquiring as to where the Joneses are and what they are up to.

Don't waste your breath asking the social media gods why your last selfie or kid-pic only got two "likes."

Don't waste your breath on a single thing that isn't important, and I promise you, friend, NONE of that is.

And, please listen when say that if you must waste your breath, do so breathing life into your children.

If you must waste your breath, do so in prayer.

If you must waste your breath, lift others up with it, at any opportunity.

If you must waste your breath, use it all up showering your family with declarations of "I love you."

If you must waste your breath, expend it reinforcing to yourself what a bada** mother, wife, and woman you are.

If you must waste your breath, do so while exclaiming your hope and dreams.

If you must waste your breath, do so giving non-judgemental, genuine advice to a fellow mom.

If you must waste your breath, use it to make weekly or monthly date night reservations because you prioritize your marriage and your partner.

Or, how about if you must waste your breath, you waste it however the heck you want so long as it leaves you feeling full of life, and not over it.

You see,

when you own your breath,

and when you save it for and expend it on what and who truly matters,

you preserve your peace.

And, peace, well, it's most definitely one thing us mamas could use more of.

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