Slow Down & Sip a Cup of Tea {Your Marriage Will Thank You}

By Fawn Weaver on Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Slow Down and Sip a Cup of Tea

This past Monday didn’t just represent the start of a new week for me but rather the beginning of a new life.  When I wrote Monday’s post about the need for women to give ourselves permission to have ‘Me’ time, I didn’t realize just how much it would impact the days that followed.

Over the weekend, I noticed during a dinner with friends on Saturday and lunch with family on Sunday that my husband and I spoke an awful lot about how busy this season of our life has been.  The hectic, breakneck pace of our lives have been overwhelming, we told them.  We never seem to have enough time in the day, we bemoaned.  

There is no doubt this has been a rough few months.  And it’s undoubtedly been one of the busiest seasons of our lives.  But -and it’s a huge but- I realized this weekend that we are a part of the problem.  

Our words breathe life.  God made it that way and no matter how hard we attempt to change that, it is what it is.  Life and death are in the power of the tongue.  And we were speaking fatigue into our lives.

What if our crazy, wacky, make-you-want-to-bury-your-head-in-the-sand kind of busyness was a result of us talking about how busy we are all the time?  And what if verbalizing this single phrase, “There’s not enough time in the day,” was the very reason our days were falling short of the necessary waking hours.

Is it possible the reason there never seemed to be enough minutes in the day to complete our tasks was because we were making that so?  There are 1,440 minutes in a day and I hadn’t been able to carve out 20 minutes a day to check in on friends and family (a goal I set a month ago).  Really?  What’s wrong with that picture?  Everything.

So on Monday I proposed something to Keith, “Let’s not mention one time for the next two weeks how busy we are.  Let’s only say, ‘I have enough time in my day to complete the tasks that are important for that day.’”  Keith is one of the people who taught me about the power of words so the moment I mentioned this, he realized the importance of us making this change…immediately.

Life changing.  Schedule altering.  This week, I’ve taken time to sip tea each morning and read a little of Rick Warren’s, “What on Earth Am I Here For?”  I’m feeling whole again.  Keith and I aren’t spending our mornings talking about our hectic schedules.  Instead we’re spending them looking at the boats that sail past our window and speaking words of affirmation into each other’s lives.  We’re enjoying more time together and learning how to be okay with the undone.

 And I must tell you, it’s been a wonderful week.

Question: What is a great lesson you’ve learned recently that is helping you better prioritize your life?

Until tomorrow…make it a great day!

Email Signature transparent

JOIN US: If you haven’t already done it, what are you waiting for?  Join the club!  It takes only a few seconds and, of course, is free.

Fawn Weaver is the USA Today® and New York Times® bestselling author of Happy Wives Club: One Woman's Worldwide Search for the Secrets of a Great Marriage, adopting the same name as the Club she founded in 2010. The Happy Wives Club community has grown to include more than 900,000 women in over 110 countries around the world. When she’s not blogging or working on her next project, she's happily doting over her husband of nearly eleven years, Keith.

 

Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are snarky, offensive, or off-topic. If in doubt, read My Comment Policy
  • http://intentionaltoday.com/ Ngina Otiende

    I like what you’ve shared about taking time to “sip tea each morning and read a little of Rick Warren’s, “What on Earth Am I Here For?”” It’s so funny cos that’s what am doing now – not reading Rick warren’s book :) but digging through the bible and re-discovering purpose, even as I slow down. Remembering who I belong to and why He made me is often the clarification I need. It brings everything back to perspective. Awesome awesome thoughts! (I had a problem accessing comments, so i hope this posts!) Blessings!

    • http://twitter.com/happywivesclub Happy Wives Clubâ„¢

      It definitely posted, Ngina. What was the problem you had accessing the comments as we are working on this as we speak (and the share buttons). And thank you so much for your comment!

      • http://intentionaltoday.com/ Ngina Otiende

        Glad it did! :) it might be on my end, not sure. I couldn’t access Comments with firefox, but looks like it worked with Chrome :) , although I couldn’t tell right away (Disqus always posts the comment immediately, in my case, I didn’t see it).

        I clicked the url from my inbox so i was trying to access the comments from the actual post, not home page.

        Don’t know if that helps… All the best, i know working out the little kinks can be a pain sometimes :) . Blessings!

        • http://twitter.com/happywivesclub Happy Wives Clubâ„¢

          Yes, it definitely helped. Thanks!

  • http://www.toodarnhappy.com/ Kim Hall

    You have hit a really important point here, Fawn: the incredible power of our words and how we speak to ourselves. Just changing the direction of our words to more positive has a surprising impact on our perspective. Glad to hear it’s been a wonderful week!

    My lesson for the week comes from my post this week. (Honestly-sometimes I think I am being guided in my writing strictly for my own growth and as a reminder of better choices I need to make. :-) ): to dream big, and remember that I am not alone in my efforts.

    • http://twitter.com/happywivesclub Happy Wives Clubâ„¢

      You and I are so similar in this regard. Most of the time when I’m writing, the lesson is for me and I just get the chance to share it with everyone :) .

  • J

    Lead out of rest. Schedule your rest points first then your events.

    • http://twitter.com/happywivesclub Happy Wives Clubâ„¢

      Such a great suggestion! Simple yet so on point. Thanks, J!