School fetes and my fateful decision

Last week was our school fete, and somehow I found myself on the organising committee…

I went along a few months ago to  a meeting, thinking that I'd find out what they had planned and maybe meet some of other parents.

When they asked for who could help out with a tiny bit of marketing for the fete… it was crickets.

I can't just sit there knowing I've done this for 15 years, so I said, "if it's just some posts to social media, I can do that."

I must have missed the look of glee on the organisers face. "You'll be great, it's not much at all" I was reassured.

Well, didn't I get taken for a ride!

Do you know what I've done over the last few months since that fateful (haha, pun intended) day when I put my hand up? 

• Got 5 corporate sponsors to sign up
• Made over 25 social media posts including designing all kinds of imagery
• Designed a 7 page booklet for parents to know what's going at the fete
• Designed and organised printing for a flyer on the day with a map and all the goings on
• Organised 2 x letterbox drops of my and surrounding neighbouring suburbs
• Drafted and sent over 25 emails to parents at the school

I'm not sharing this to toot my own horn, although I am pretty proud of what I've done!

I'm sharing this because all too often, those of us who are the ones who get sh*t done, end up being ask to do lots of sh*t!

How does this happen?

I was speaking to one of the other mums at school who also put their hand up to help, thinking it was a small commitment, and yet she also ended up spending loads of her precious time helping out the school.

She was really bitter that it was way more work than she thought. She was resentful of those who didn't hold up their end of the bargain. She found that she didn't enjoy the time that she was helping out because she was full of so much anger. She even considered skipping the fete because she'd gotten so worked up about everything.

You what she said to me recently?

"Jo, why aren't you angry? You did so much, picked up the load of others, and yet you're still smiling?"

It gave me pause.

I thought back to how I felt each time I got asked to do just a little 'something extra.'

Was I cheesed off? Sometimes, if I'm honest.

But did I get resentful? No.

Did I get bitter? No.

Did I decide to just get on and do it, knowing it was serving a good cause? Yes.

Did I really enjoy the celebratory glass of wine at the end of the fete? Hells yes!!

Despite it sometimes feeling otherwise, we really are the masters of our thoughts, and two people can go through the exact same situation feeling completely differently.

I was grateful I had the skills to be able to help the school.

I was grateful I'm reliable and true to my word.

I was grateful that I was determined to find joy even if I was doing a task that I didn't want to be doing at that exact time.

Our thoughts are a choice. They really do shape our reality and can either be the thieves or benefactors of joy.

So what choice do YOU make?

Do you find yourself stuck in situations at home or work, where things get the better of you? Do you quietly (or not so quietly!) seethe and find yourself making a big deal of something relatively trivial? Do you find the same thought going around and around your head and not matter what you do you can't seem to stop it?

Well you're not alone. Many women, particularly those who are living a highly stressed life, find this is the case.

But it doesn't have to be that way. There are strategies you can learn that help you ditch the anger and resentment and find gratitude and joy in the most unlikely of situations.

This is not the first time this has happened in my life, and I know it won't be the last. But knowing how to control my thoughts and find joy makes for more a much better day, even if I'm wondering the neighbourhood in search of that next letterbox.

Book a call with me today, to find out how you too can better control your thoughts so you can find more joy in life. Tomorrow could be your last day on this earth - why waste it being bitter, resentful and angry?

And the other key lesson in all this? Be careful what you sign up for - those fete organisers are downright sneaky!