HELP!!! I CAN’T FIND MYSELF! WHERE DID I GO????

Have you every found yourself asking, “Where did I go?” One day you wake up and don’t know how you got where you are? Well, welcome to
Mommyland!!!! 

Now, don’t get me wrong. I love being a mommy! I would not change one decision I made related to having children. I just know that in the beginning of motherhood it is so exciting. There is a flurry of attention when that first little bambina/o is in your belly. Everyone is asking YOU how you feel. Everyone around YOU is smiling. Everyone around YOU is giving YOU little gifts for the baby. Attention, attention, attention. 

Finally, after all the baby showers are over and the furniture is all set up and the pretty painted dressers are done, etc…..the day comes! Even in the hospital it is a flurry of activity. All of your friends are waiting for the arrival. Your mom, your dad, grandma, grandpa, yada, yada. Then the pain begins, but you can handle it. After all, everyone is counting on you. Your husband is waiting patiently, anxiously, he loves you soooooooooo much. 

Here come’s baby. REALITY!!!!!!!!!!! 

Now, this part of the story changes a little. Suddenly, you are no long YOU, now you are MOMMY. Guess what? You are no longer the center of the universe. Baby is. This is where I allowed Kerri to slip away, and
Mommy to creep in and take over. Kerri, the musician, teacher, writer, etc, etc, etc, was gone.
Mommy needed to take care of baby.
Mommy needed to shop for baby.
Mommy needed to entertain baby.
Mommy needed to not focus on herself, she needed to take care of baby. 

Do you understand where I am going with this????? 

So, fast forward seven years later 9or however many years it is for you) and
Mommy is still taking care of baby, but now it’s three babies. And these babies are growing. These babies are riding school buses. These babies are watching Nickelodeon and arguing. These babies no longer need
Mommy to wipe their heiny’s.

 

Here we are. Here I am asking myself, “How did I get here? Where is Kerri?”That is the million question. But, what is the answer? How do I find myself? 

In my book, What a Difference a Day Makes: A Survival Guide for Women, I will teach you how to rediscover yourself! 

There is a lot of guilt associated with reconnecting with yourself and splitting up the
Mommy persona. It’s okay to be
Mommy. In fact, it’s wonderful. But, it is not okay to not be YOU. It is not okay to live and die by others needs. Guess what happens? One day, you look in the mirror, if you can find one that just doesn’t show your face, and you say, “Holy !@#$%!!!” 

When you can accept that there is something different about yourself and become willing to make the change, then you are ready to read my book. You are ready to rediscover your power. 

The first step to rediscovering yourself is to get reacquainted with the women you were prior to
Mommydom. 

Here are some tips to find yourself:

 

1. Take out some old photo albums.

2. Look through the pictures.

3. Recognize how you are feeling or how you felt about yourself then.

4. Read some old journals you wrote way back when.

5. Think about what you did then to be good to yourself and make a list.

6. Where were you working then? Were you a professional? Figure out how you can reincorporate this into your life.

7. Did you have a passion or dream that you wanted to fulfill besides Motherhood.

8. If motherhood was your dream, what can you do to create that picture of what you thought your life would be today.

9. Make a commitment to yourself to re-connect with YOU.

10. Buy my book and start reading!

Let me know what you think! 

If you are already in this place of balance and positive thought, how did you do it? 

Share with us. 

Remember that you alone will create your life to be what you would like it to be. else is responsible for where you are today. 

Together, we can rediscover the woman inside of us and bring her to the surface. Who you used to be will be twice as good today if you can merge the two identities. 

Imagine how wonderful it would be for your children to meet the person your husband fell in love with. 

And always remember, WE ARE IN THIS TOGETHER. 

Kerri

Tell your little devil to get lost!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey Everyone.  I am sitting here thinking about priorities.  Now I know I wrote about this a couple of weeks ago.  But what I noticed was that the issue keeps coming up.

I have been feverishly working on promoting my book.  It’s a lot of work but I love it.  What I did notice was that when things become difficult and all the RAH RAH for Kerri dies down.  My little devil (chapter in book) starts talking to me.

It’s starts saying;

“You’re wasting your time.” “No one want to read your book.”
“Just go back to your old ways and stop trying to be successful.”

Normally in the past, I would have said, “You know, you’re right.”  I mean really, why would a poor kids from the Bronx think that she could be successful at something like this?  Why should I be different from anyone else?  Why try so hard?  Life ultimately sucks anyway, Right?

Wrong!!!!  But since, I’ve written the book, What a Difference a Day Makes:  A Survival Guide for Women. I know where these thoughts are coming from.  I say to my little devil, “you are wrong and I am not quitting!!!!”  No matter how much my old tapes play and my little devil talks to me I will persevere and continue on the path to empowerment.  I am empowered.  I am empowered every time I tell that voice to go away.  Every time I replace that thought with the words, “I am unstoppable!!!!!!!”

Because you know what folks, I am.  And so are you.  We all are.  We just have to make that decision.

How are you feeling today?
Is your little devil talking to you?
Are you trying to achieve something, but keep hitting that wall of doubt?
How can you change that?
What can you do to know that you are unstoppable?

Let me know what you think me your questions and comments.  Let’s start a dialogue!

My intention for you today is to know that no matter what is going on in your mind, and how many self defeating comments come in, you can forge through and refocus.

And as always, we are in this together.

Are you part of the solution????

Do you express your individuality and uniqueness or do you follow along with the herd trying to look, act, and be part of the group. If there’s one main issue that will inhibit you finding your power within, it is not being yourself.

When I moved to Newtown, CT from the Bronx, NY five years ago, I found myself smack dab in this situation. In the Bronx, there were so many different types of people that I fit right in. Feeling that you fit in is important to people. I never thought of myself as different from everyone else. When we moved up to CT, I found myself engulfed in self doubt. I was unsure of myself and wanted to be like everybody else. I could clearly see how I was different than everybody else.

I started to behave differently with my children. I would peek out the window and if the kids were out with their bikes, I would gather up my children, make sure they were properly dressed and run outside and try to fit in.

WHAT HAPPENED TO ME?????

What I realized, and it took a while, was that I am me. I’ll say it again. I am me. I am different from many people, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse. But, I’ve learned to embrace myself for who and what I am and love me. I no longer peek out the window. I know longer feel self conscious when my kids are playing outside making “too much noise.” I am what my God created and I am okay.

How many of you can identify with these feelings?
How many of you find yourself tirelessly trying to fit in with the “group?”
Do you constantly second guess yourself?
Do you find that you are never quite happy with you?
How do you handle situations such as these? Now be honest!</blockquote>
I want to hear from you. I want to know what other women (and men) are doing to find their Power Within.

I finally found the secret to being empowered. All these principles are listed in my book, <a href=”http://www.amazon.com/What-Difference-Day-Makes-Survival/dp/1424145562/ref=sr_11_1/102-3571036-8787342?ie=UTF8″>What a Difference a Day Makes: A Survival Guide for Women</a>. Get the book. Start following the principles. Rediscover you and begin to learn how to love yourself. It worked for me and it will work for you if you can remain honest.

My intention for you today is to be yourself. And like it! If you are not there yet, then try to like it! Recognize the beauty that is you and write down how it makes you feel. Journal, journal, journal.

And always remember…We are in this together!!!

Calling all Bloggers!!!!!!

I NEED YOUR HELP!!!!!

I am scheduling a Virtual Book Tour for my very first, newly published book;
What a Difference a Day Makes: A Survival Guide for Women.

I need bloggers who would you be interested in interviewing me for my book tour.

The format is:

I send you the book (electronically)
You read the book.
You review the book on your blog prior to the interview.
You write up about 10 questions related the book.
You send me the questions via email.
We then decide on a date for the interview.
You post the tour itinerary on your blog site.
You post the interview on your blog site.

In turn, I post everything on my blog also.
Anyone else who interviews me for their blog does the same thing. And so on, and so on…………

FREE ADVERTISING PEOPLE!!!!!

How does that sound?
I appreciate your reading this announcement and look forward to hearing from you.

Email me with your response or comment. I’d love to know what my fellow bloggers think of this idea.

How will you get through this day? 9/11

Good Morning!  Well, today’s a very sad day for the people of the United States of America.  We reflect on the attacks of September 11th 2001.  My heart and thoughts go out to all of you who may have lost loved ones on that day.

Many of us mourn for those who were lost because we all lost something on that day.  Whether it be our feeling of security and safety within this country or children that have since then gone of to war to fight for that slice of freedom that slipped away on that day.  If we think of the sixth degree of separation, we would recognize that in some way, we all knew someone who knew someone and so on.  We were all affected.   Some worse than others.

I know for me, many young men from my old neighborhood in the Bronx lost their lives on that day.  When I grew up in the Bronx, for many of the young people, you either became a cop or a fireman.  So, I need not go on.  Many yound men were lost.

I am further saddened personally today because it is my little neice’s third birthday.  As some of you may know, I lost my brother Billy last month in a car accident.  His daughter’s birthday was a big event for him.  She was his proudest achievement.  I send all of my love and thoughts to her and my sister-in-law today.

So, how do we tap into our “Power” today with all of this saddness surrounding us?
Do we hide out in our houses in fear?
Do we get angry and hurt others, continuing the chain of destruction?
Do we blame God and insist that we are in fact alone on this earth?

<strong>How will you get through this day?</strong>

In my case, I will feel.  Whatever it is, I will feel.  I won’t hide out!  I will try not to be angry!  I absolutely never blame my God for anything that happens on this earth.

Today, I will go the my church, light a candle for my brother and all of those lost on this day five years ago.  I will say a prayer for all of the families that are struggling today and every day since 9/11.  And, I will say an extra special prayer for my sister-in-law who will struggle today with her daughter because she can no longer celebrate her daughter’s birth with her husband.

Today is indeed a very sad day.  Feel it.  Mourn.  Be grateful that we were all given the gift of freedom, love and life.  After all, we continue to live.

<strong>How will you live today?</strong>

I will get through my day being grateful for this great country I live in.  I will be grateful for my husband and my loving family.  And I will thank my God for all of his gifts that I very often overlook.

My intention for you today is to live in gratitude and feel your emotions.  It is okay to feel sadness.  Try not to “not feel” today.  If you find yourself saying, “I am trying not to feel bad” then realize that your are not feeling.  Feel the emotion, let the feelings out and understand that you are human.  Humans are emotional creatures.  We continue living and feeling whether we like it or not.  Give yourselves that gift.  Better yet, help someone else get through this day and know that we need each other.

And always remember, we are in this together.

Kerri