One day last summer when my sister, my son, and I were shopping, we saw a display of wooden signs. The one that caught my son’s eye was: “If stupid could fly, this place would be an airport.” I’m pretty sure he gets his love of sarcasm from me. 🙂

The one my sister and I thought was hilarious? This one: “You people must be exhausted from watching me do everything.”

Since then, on days when I’m working really hard, usually at some thankless household chore, that thought has occasionally popped into my head: You people must be exhausted from watching me do everything.

As soon as I think that thought, I know I’m in resentment.

And I don’t wanna be resentful. Not for a day—not for five minutes—so when I think that thought, You people must be exhausted from watching me do everything, I know it’s time to pull back.

Because, in reality, I’m doing what I want to do. No one is “making” me do anything.  Most of what I do is by my own choice. 

A couple of weeks ago, I found myself thinking that thought while I was doing my seventh load of laundry. But I didn’t have to do 7 loads in one day. I chose to ignore the laundry all week and I chose to do the whole family’s laundry when they could, and would (eventually!) do it themselves, and I chose to do it all in 1 day.

My thought, You people must be exhausted from watching me do everything, is a sign that I need to pause and reflect. 

This kind of thought usually happens late in the day. In the morning, I’m revved, excited to get this task (whatever it may be) done. By evening, I’m out of juice and I start to think thoughts that tell me I don’t have a choice and I get resentful. 

But I do have a choice. So those thoughts let me know I need to pull back and reassess. 

I might decide not to put the 8th load of laundry in the washing machine. It’ll keep until tomorrow. 

Or I might decide to muscle through because I know I’ll feel better if it’s all done before the work week.

It’s my choice. 

Once I’m consciously aware that I’m “at choice,” my feelings of resentment disappear. 

Do the laundry. Don’t do the laundry. My choice. 

Feels good. 

Are there any thoughts you think over and over that let you know how you are feeling? 

If so, take a moment to label that feeling. 

Is it a sign you need to pay a little more attention to your thoughts and feelings?