Motivational Mondays: Wise Words from Clarence in It’s a Wonderful Life

I am not going to lie, I need these Motivational Mondays, especially this one.

On Saturday night, I posted this on Instagram that boasted the fact that Harrington and I completed approximately three-quarters of our holiday shopping.

Nothing like rewarding yourself for a job well done t
han with a beer and greasy bar food.

We dropped the kids off with my parents, and eleven hours later we finished.  I was overcome with the kind of euphoria that comes from an adrenaline rush combined with caffeine.

But the next day, I felt like I was hit by a mac truck.  I tried to power through it, but by the time we were getting ready to leave for our town’s Christmas parade, I had enough.

My relationship with Christmas is complicated.  I love to pour myself into all the fun things: Shopping! Decorating! Parades! Baking! Party planning!

But then real life is waiting there in the form of mountains of laundry and grocery shopping.  It also reveals itself as the same emotional issues we were when school started.

 I try to resist an invitation to my very own pity party in which I celebrate the overwhelming feelings of the holidays.

I don’t think there is a season in which I feel the heaviness of my duties as a mom yet feel so invisible as I take on the merry work of a Christmas elf.  It is totally reminds me of what George Banks feels like in It’s a Wonderful Life.  He forgets how important he is as he becomes overwhelmed with responsibilities of his life.

When I need to regain my focus, I remember this quote from Clarence in It’s a Wonderful Life:

George realizes just how valuable he is.  The magic of Christmas and his faith in his own life is restored.

This quote is so powerful to me that I have it written on little bits of paper throughout the house.

I will be reading it as many times as necessary to remember that I what I am doing is important work.  Raising good people and creating memories that will stay with them forever is immensely valuable.  And if that means taking short cuts in my everyday responsibilities to make that happen, then that is what I will do.

Sanity and happiness are gifts that are priceless during this season.

Do you have a favorite quote that gets you through stressful times?  Be sure to share it in the comments.