This post has been in my heart and on my mind for over a year now. I’ve talked about it. I’ve prayed about it. I’ve taught about it. I was waiting for the right time to post about it and now feels like that time. It’s a post about a tiny little moment that completely changed the way I see myself and others. As I think about it and act on what I learned, I find that I am changed in significant ways every single day.
It was a sunny school morning and I was walking Magoo to the bus stop. I don’t often walk him to the school bus. He’s in second grade and pretty independent and I’m usually busy getting myself and his sisters ready. I’m semi-nocturnal and I sleep later than I should most mornings.
When it’s time for school, he says goodbye and heads up the hill to the bus.
As we got half way to the bus, Magoo reached out and grabbed my hand in an uninhibited way that I knew wouldn’t happen many more times. He’s seven now but growing and how many 12-year-old boys do you see still swinging hands happily with their mommies?
I squeezed his hand, felt the rare Seattle sun on my face, and told him I loved him. I was nearly perfectly happy.
Nearly.
Just at that moment, the thought came into my mind, That’s awesome that you’re walking him to the bus stop and putting on this “mother of the year” act today. What about yesterday and the day before that? You hardly ever walk him to the bus. He’s probably holding your hand because he’s so desperate for the love and attention you haven’t been showing him.
My bubble had burst. I am a crap mom, I thought, as I looked down into his smiling face.
Then another thought came. Kathryn. What is wrong with you? You are being an awesome mom in this moment. Your child is happy. You are loving him and caring for him. He’s well fed and dressed. You’re walking to the bus stop in the early morning and you’re already wearing a bra for heck’s sake. Do not rob yourself of this moment’s joy because of what you failed to do yesterday or what you fear you might not do tomorrow.
This started me thinking of all the times I do something good while beating myself up for all the times I haven’t been perfect.
You’re worshiping in the temple? Woopty freakin do! How long has it been since you came here last? When are you likely to come again? You’re not good at this. This is a fluke.
Wow. So you cleaned the kitchen today. Want a cookie? That dirty rag has been on the counter for a week and those dishes you so righteously cleaned are from breakfast three days ago. You are embarrassing.
That was really nice of you to offer to watch your friend’s kids while she had surgery. Remember last week when you knew your neighbor was suffering from depression and you drove right by with a wave because you did not want to get sucked into the drama? You don’t really care about people. Not all the time.
How destructive are these kinds of thoughts?
As I said goodbye to Magoo and started to walk back home, my mind started to shift.
Drops of Awesome! I thought. Every time you do something good, something kind, something productive, it’s a drop in your Bucket of Awesome. You don’t lose drops for every misstep. You can only build. You can only fill.
I walked Magoo to the bus. Drop of Awesome!
I fed him fruit with breakfast. Drop of Awesome!
I told him I loved him. Drop of Awesome!
I wore a bra and brushed my teeth before schlepping it up that hill. Two Fat Drops of Awesome!
All day long I chanted these words in my head. I picked up that tootsie roll wrapper off the front porch instead of stepping over it for the eleventy hundredth time. Drop of Awesome! I unloaded one dish from the dishwasher when I walked through the kitchen on my way to the bathroom. Drop of Awesome! I texted my sad neighbor to say I was thinking about her. Drop of Awesome! I had a critical thought about one of my kids and I brushed it away and replaced it with love. Drop of Awesome!
When I started thinking about my life in terms of adding these little Drops of Awesome for every tiny act of good, I found that I was doing more and more of them because it’s a lot more fun to do good when you’re rewarded with joy, rather than being guilted about every failure in your past.
By the end of the day, I had realized something important. If I was spending time with my kids, really listening to them with attention in the moment, then I was a good listener, regardless of the 50 other times I’d brushed them off or multi-tasked while they were talking over the past week. If I was engaged in sincere prayer with my Heavenly Father, really communing with him and seeking his will, then I was a person who engages in sincere prayer, regardless of how my prayers were (or weren’t) yesterday and the day before that and the day before that.
As I added up these Drops of Awesome, I found that in those moments I actually became the person I had always wanted to be.
Have you ever said any of these things: “Well, I guess I don’t work out anymore,” because you missed one workout? Or, “I always fight with my brother. Our relationship is broken.” What about, “I’m kind of a nag to my spouse.” Or “I gossip and I always end up hurting people I love.” “I can’t stop spending money. We will never get out of debt.” “My house is always a disaster.”
These things are lies, depending on the next decision you make, the next Drop of Awesome you put in your bucket. You may have done these things or have a hard time with them but they don’t define you and you can change this very instant. You may not think you can change permanently but you can change the next choice you make. And as you change that one next tiny choice, you may think, I got this one Drop of Awesome but I may never be able to get another one again.
And that’s okay.
You made the right choice once. And in that moment you were the person you want to be and that is a triumph. For one night, you were a person who went to bed early. One morning you woke up and the first words out of your mouth were positive so you were a morning person in that moment. Bam! Drop of Awesome.
You do not need to wait three months to be who you want to be. Pick up ten things right now and say, “Drops of Awesome! I am someone who takes care of my house. That is who I am. I have proof.”
In the end, it’s really about allowing yourself to feel joy and allowing yourself to be proud of the small victories of life. This builds momentum and you want more drops in your bucket and when you don’t get as many, you pick yourself up and say, “What can I do next?”
Now, there are a whole lot of religious implications to this because, as a Christian, I believe that you are not the only one adding these Drops of Awesome to your bucket. Christ commanded us to be perfect, but through His atonement, He is with us every step of the way.
As an object lesson when I was teaching this to the teenage girls at church, I gave them each a small dropper and I put a 2-quart bowl on the table. I told them that throughout the lesson they would get the chance to put drops in the bucket for every Drop of Awesome they could think of that they’d done. I promised them that we would fill the bowl to overflowing by the end of the lesson.
With about 5 minutes to go, we had barely begun to fill the bowl and the girls were looking around at each other nervously. The promised overflow did not look likely. Were they not awesome enough?
At that point, I pulled out a large pitcher labeled ATONEMENT and poured water into the glass bowl until it was spilling out all over the table and the towel the bowl was resting on. The class went silent.
When we are in a relationship with Christ, striving as God’s sons and daughters to do His will, He pours more into our buckets than we can ever hope to imagine. He can fill us to overflowing with peace, with joy, with perfection, with Awesome. And then what do we do if our bucket is overflowing like that? Where does the Awesome go then?
I pulled out an identical bowl, twice the size of the original. Our capacity for joy and light increases. And we just keep working, one tiny drop at a time. And we don’t compare today’s drops to yesterday’s or tomorrow’s. And we live and we love and we repent when we do wrong and we allow ourselves to be glorious, beautiful, and dare I say perfect in Christ, children of God.
I believe in a God who loves us and roots for us and cheers for every Drop of Awesome we can manage. Our victories are His victories and He wants us to feel joy. Not later, when we no longer make mistakes, but right now.
I’m gonna close this uber long post out with a scripture from the Book of Mormon. I know many of you do not share my faith but I think you’ll find truth in these words:
“Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.” (Alma 37:6)
Small and simple. Tiny drops. Go forth. Be Awesome.
The Drops of Awesome: You’re-More-Awesome-Than-You-Think Journal is now available from Amazon. Collect your drops!
Also help yourself remember to recognize your small victories with a Drops of Awesome wristband.
Thanks for sharing this Kat. I needed to hear it today.
Oh my. This post is full, FULL, of drops of awesome. What a great image. What a great lesson. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks Allysha!
I love this perspective and I’m so glad you shared it. Thank you for spreading drops of awesome…we should all feel blessed and happy for all that we DO accomplish. Happy holidays to you and your family!
Happy Holidays to you too!
i have tears in my eyes. all those things said i want to tell everyone everyday!…thanks for sharing and i am going to share little drops of awesome with everyone!
Thanks for this response Val. You are such a boost and an inspiration to me.
This was amazing. Thank you so much!
I’m so glad it spoke to you too!
Beautiful post. We all need to remember this. I think it is especially true this time of year. Focusing on the positive isn’t always easy. It’s the negative things we cling to, unfortunately. But your “Drop of Awesome” puts it into such a manageable framework. Even I can do this!
And I do love the quote from the Book of Mormom: “by small and simple things are great things brought to pass”. Definitely something to think about.
You are awesome Sabrina. Thank you!
Wonderfully said. Thanks for sharing your inspiration.
I’m so glad it wasn’t just for me!
Beautiful. I especially loved the object lesson you shared with the girls with the droppers and the pitcher of Atonement. We should do that one in Relief Society more often. How about every Sunday. Oh, or they should do it before they pass the sacrament each Sunday. Maybe I’m getting a little irreverent here, but I really think that concept is one we miss a LOT when it comes to the atonement.
We think “by grace we are saved, after all we can do” means we have to fill up the bowl at least to the brim before the pitcher comes in. But the beautiful part of the atonement is that we can put two or three measly drops in the bottom of the bowl, and the atonement can still fill us to overflowing.
I love these thoughts. Thank you for sharing with me. Yeah. I think the “after” part of that trips a lot of people up. I always tell my girls that it really means “with” because He’s with us all along.
SO grateful to have seen this today. So grateful you are my friend! I was just talking to a friend today about only doing the necessities during difficult times but hadn’t thought that I was adding to my bucket of awesomeness. Glad to know I was! Thanks for the change of perspective.
You are my blessing today. Total Drop of Awesome.
Thank you for letting me know.
Kathryn, this is an inspired post. I know you already know that. Thank you for sharing this with the world.
I need to share this with my wife, awesome insights!
Please do!
I can really relate to that negative self-talk and constant worry that I’m not good enough – so I’m so inspired by your post and looking forward to noticing my drops of awesome tomorrow!
I know they’re there!
You are awesome… And not just a drop, either!
Thanks Dad!
Amazing. You need to write a book. This has great power.
🙂
Cannot tell you how much I need this… Today and every day. Single mommy of 4 who feels like she drops the ball every. single. day. Thank you for the beautiful reminder that when I am willing, when I try, I am enough (as long as I remember to include my Savior!) May you be blessed for rising up and shining forth! 🙂
I am so glad this resonated with you. Thank you so much for letting me know.
I just asked my daughter if she remembered this lesson and in her teenage language she replied, “Yes, that was like the best lesson ev-er!” Thanks for teaching us ladies and our daughters too 🙂
She is so great. Love her.
Whoa. It’s like I’m in “Being John Malkovitch” but instead it’s you wandering into my head! I know those nasty thoughts far too well. I love the “Drops of Awesome.” I’ll have to try that. 🙂
In a way, I’m relieved to hear I’m not the only one with these thoughts. At the same time, we all sure need to stop it. Try saying it in your head. Literally. DROP OF AWESOME. Every time you do something good. It is such a perspective changer.
I should just read your posts instead of seeing my counselor. Thank you so much for this post and your one on light. And thank you for the big, fatty drop of awesome you helped me put in my bowl, just for reading. You are incredible with your insights. Thank you.
Love you Fawn!
Drops of Awesome sauce! Thank you for the imagery! It’s hard to remember that you are doing your share, and He fills you up the rest of the way with His love through the Atonement!
I tried to “reply” on my husband Geoffrey’s comment, so you would know that he really did share this with me. 😉
I cannot describe the depth and breadth of the chord that this struck with me! I needed this SO bad in my life right now! I wake up in the morning already discouraged about what I didn’t get done the day before and what I’m sure I won’t get done today. How sad is that?! I am in Young Women and as soon as you described the way you used this in a lesson, I knew I needed to do it, too! I have shared this with my sisters and sisters-in-law and my Moms and I’ll tell you what I told them… If I could inject this idea into the psyche of every discouraged woman, what a wonderful world this would be!!
Thank you for taking the time to write this so beautifully. I really, really needed to hear it. And I’m pretty sure (as I sit here all teary) that this will be the thing that works for me. If I can only remind myself even when it’s really hard or the drops are really tiny. Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!!
Love,
Diana
A Mom to 5 crazy kids, one with her arms full of disabilities <3
This is an awesome perspective. I think that my YW will really relate to this and understand it. Definitely going to share. Thank you for your insight!!!
Thank you for sharing!
Yes. An idea I’ve lived on for quite a while–but you put it in such a memorable way. Esp. as my kids’ favorite self-descriptor is “awesome.” Drops of Awesome.
Very cool.
The fact that I’m crying means I really needed to read this, right? Love this perspective. Love, love, love.
Kimberly! I’ve missed you. I’m so glad I’m not the only one who needs this.
Thank you. Thank you for waiting to publish this post until I really, really needed it. I can relate to this all to well.
Thank you for making my holiday season a little brighter and for filling it with some drops of awesome! 2013 (and the rest of 2012) is going to be better!
Merry Christmas!
It’s been too long. Thank you for checking in and sharing that. Have a wonderful Christmas, one drop at a time!
I came here on reference of one of your other readers, and you know? I needed this. I had one of those days today, and I needed to be reminded of this.
Thanks.
Loved this post, and I’m using that drops of awesome idea with my young women!! Thank you, it is perfect. I hope I get to meet you at a multi-stake activity some time, hooray for Seattle.
It *has* been way too long, but I do enjoy reading your blog and checking in … we need another blogging get together 🙂 !!
Thanks again for this masterpiece!
P.S. I tried to reply to your reply, but I kept getting an error message.
Drops of Awesome = oil in your lamp!! 🙂
And never forget… not only are you filling your lamp, you are keeping your refill bottle filled up as well, ready and waiting.
Thank you!
Thank you for this. I really needed this tonite. I loved the Atonement application!
I want to quickly tell you my story: 2 years ago, I got a chronic illness. It has been hard to live in pain every.single.day. I’m not the same wife and mother I used to be. My house is always a mess. I’m cranky often, and it takes all my will power just to “function.” Literally, my life has been changed. Sometimes I find myself lying in bed, comparing my life now to how it used to be, and the guilt literally eats me alive. I tend to focus on the things I don’t do anymore… But gosh! darn it! I’m an amazing woman! I got up today. I went to 2 class parties and had fun! I taught my Cub Scout group today. I put each of my kids into bed individually tonite. I waited up for my husband to return from work so we could talk (that’s why I’m up so late). And I fnished the rest of my Christmas preparations! Those are all drops of AWESOMENESS!! The stuff that didn’t get done, like the laundry, dishes, and vacuuming, don’t matter.
Thank you! Thank you! I’m going to remember this and focus on it HARD the next little while! I’m going to focus on all the GOOD I’m doing and stop comparing myself to who I used to be. ‘Cause I deserve it!!
This post hit me right in the heart tonight. I am more than a little surprised to see the way I think and twist good things to a negative thing written out by someone else. It makes me feel less crazy, more willing to try, and like I’m not the only one who thinks in these kinds of patterns. Thank you for this.
This is one of the most profound things I have read in a long time. Thank you.
Kathryn – that was beautifully written and touched me, so very real. I will be sharing these amazing words of wisdom. Thank you.
Love you. Thanks. Awsome. As usual. 🙂
Wow. Just wow! When I started reading, I felt like I was reading about my own life. My son has got up, got himself ready, got breakfast and got to the bus stop for quite some time now. And I always tell myself the most horrid things. Things I would NEVER dream of saying to another person, but have no hesitation saying to myself. I appreciate this perspective that our decisions in the moment showcase who we are. Just as God sees us, we need to see ourselves. TRYING! ATTEMPTING! STRIVING! I want to print this off and read it EVERY DAY! =)
Oh, this is so wonderful. Absolutely wonderful, and beautifully thought out as well. Kathryn, I don’t know if you’ve ever read our books or our blog, but you might consider sharing some of your words by submitting a personal essay over at Segullah. I think you might be a good fit for us, and I know that we need some of your kind of awesome! 🙂 Hope it’s a wonderful day-Heather B
I am so grateful to have stumbled across this today. I suffer from fibromyalgia, a chronic illness, and thinking of my “drops of awesome” for each day really helps me feel better about the days where I can’t do much. I just spoke on Sunday about the Atonement and I really loved your analogy. You can read my talk here:
http://thewifelylife.blogspot.com/2012/12/my-wonderful-younger-brother-kyle-is.html
Thanks for making my day better 🙂
I couldn’t be any happier to be doing the ‘ugly cry’ right now…thank you for these words. I believe they will change my life.
PS-And I’m wearing a bra under the pajamas I wore to take my boys to school, Drop of Awesome! 😉
Thank you so much for sharing! This is an inspiring post. Every mom needs to hear this. I need to print out a Drops of Awesome picture and hang it on my mirror to remind me everyday!
thanks for this 🙂 it not only uplifted me and pushed me forward, but it made me feel not so alone. you put into words what i experience every day… the constant nagging of satan telling me i am not awesome. now i am off to fill my bucket 🙂
xo
In a lesson I got to give a while ago I ran across the phrase, “Charity is Eternal.” Now, I know they say that families can be eternal and the attonement is eternal and there is eternal life, but just how is charity eternal? Then, it occured to me. Anyting stupid, rude, or just not quite up to par we do in this life is covered by the attonement. At some point the consequences for that moment will cease, there is an end. But, in those moments I choose charity as my response, there is not need for an attonement for that act. Those consequences continue, the ripples expand. The fruit of that labor is your to keep, to reflect upon, to share, to cherish for eternity. That’s what eternity is made of, eternal charity. Keep on dropping Awesomeness!
This is something I have been thinking about lately–very well-said. I think Satan is the one who doesn’t want us to feel awesome when we do something right–don’t let him win 😉
I love these thoughts you shared, Thank You! As women, the world tells us that we are never enough. It’s time that we quit listening to the world and listen instead to our God who loves us infinitely and stands ready to pour out that atonement pitcher. For that I am so grateful. Thanks for your insightful words!..I have a new mantra now…Awesome drops 🙂
Darling Kathryn. You have shared this insight with me before and yet I still cried when I read it. This is truly inspired and uplifting. I love you for sharing something that is a light in the world. You are a gift in my life.
I can’t tell you how many nights I go to bed crying because of how much (i feel like) I stink as a mom/wife/friend etc. Thank you so much for this post. I hope next time I feel like a crummy mom for missing scripture study, or going to bed with a dirty kitchen that this post will come to mind. So glad a friend shared this on Facebook.
This made me tear up. You are most definitely not alone and you are enough.
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts . There are so many times when I have felt like this. It’s nice to know I am not alone, and maybe be able to give myself a break once in awhile.
oh wow. my mother-in-law sent this to me. i’ve got 4 little kids and it seems i never have enough time to get it all done. i hadn’t even realized that this is what i’ve been doing! you totally hit the nail on the head. you put into words the things the Holy Ghost has been trying to tell me for years. printing this off to put where i can see it daily. can’t thank you enough!
You are so welcome. Thank you for sharing a little of your story with me!
Love this– thank you!!
Kathryn, when I started blogging in 2008, I started following yours, and I think maybe I made my first comment ever after a post you wrote about cutting your bangs at church. Anyway, this is the most powerful post you’ve ever written, and it totally resonates with the thoughts and feelings that I’ve been taught as I’ve really tried to study motherhood in depth. Thank you for putting beautiful words on a message that is so important for us to remember and understand.
Thanks Steph. I gravitate more towards the haircut in church types of posts but this one really felt like it needed to be written. Thank you so much for telling me it meant something to you.
Kathryn, you may have written that with women in mind, but truth is not gender specific. Thank you.
Of course, as a woman, I wrote this from a woman’s perspective but I had really hoped that men would identify with it too. Thank you for validating that.
Wow. Just WOW! So beautiful & inspiring. I’d JUST cried with frustration each day for a few days about what I WASN’T good at, couldn’t do, etc. This is going to be my mantra & I’m going to BE those things one drop at a time!!
Thank you for this. Sometimes we are so concerned with what we aren’t doing that we fail to see what we ARE doing. I would go a step farther and say we need to instill this in our children. Let them know the drops of awesome they are adding to their bucket. We take the time to tell them what they are doing wrong. We should spend MORE time telling them what they are doing right.
Beautiful! I can’t wait to apply this in my life and share with those I love. Thanks!
Well said! I also love that verse in Alma. You’ve captured the essence of a similar sentiment found in Doctrine and Covenants 64:33- “Be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great.” I’m sure you’re already familiar with this scripture, but from now on, I’m going to remember that I’m laying that foundation, One Drop of Awesome at a time. 🙂 Thanks!
As others said, it is neither gender or age specific. Each of us has our own struggle with, “Am I enough?”. Taking out the negative and the ‘robing yourself of joy’ is the key. Joy is a gift, devaluing it, even in a moment is a reflection on the giver of all things. Thank you. Beautifully shared, eloquently candid.
This is written and felt beautifully. What a great truth you have shared. I have learned that when we have negative voices in our heads telling us “we are crap” that is that rascal Satan. The Holy Ghost will NEVER whisper negative things to us especially pretending to be us. Satan’s messages are always given in first person, like we are speaking and the The Holy Ghost represents Christ or our Father who speaks to us personally. I have dealt with depression for many years and when I discovered this truth it has made all the difference. If it’s negative or “puffing me up” and it feels like I am speaking: it is from Satan. If it is counsel or praise but not in my voice, it is from The Holy Ghost. Not sure if this makes sense to be read but it is very powerful put into practice.
Thank you for this wonderful article, I have been coming to this conclusion myself recently, I have been told to give myself credit, but have been very critical on myself, now I am turning it around to be more positive and give myself credit for what I am able to do and letting go of what I cannot do, I ask the Lord to help me accomplish this and sometimes I am not able to, he says no not now, rest and be at peace, it is not necessary to do everything, there is time, do not run faster than you can. The important this like a hug will be remembered, we take our love with us not a dirty dish. I feel the love of the Lord and the Love of my deceased husband because I feel them near me.
Love your blog. I plan to glean the phrase “drops of awesome” in our home. It is so positive. Thank you!
This is a great “sermon” that could be used in any situation. In a Keynote Address for a motivation speech, a church group etc. it can also be used by many in everyday life, or for a psychology class etc. simply well, AWESOME!
Ohhhh, I needed that. Thank you. 🙂
It’s taken me a lifetime to begin to learn this oh-so-very-important truth.
Miss you, as ever!
Betsy
Thank you for sharing, I needed to hear this.
Thank you for this well-thought and Christlike message and testimony. I needed to read this, I want to internalize this, and I will share this simple and true message. Thank you, add another drop in your bucket because your post stopped my tears and started a smile.
Thank you so much for this perspective. I can’t tell you how much I needed to read this article this week. I’ve been feeling so subpar and that I may never measure up to the kind of person I wish I was and the kind of mom I want to be for my kids. I so appreciate this uplifting way to think about things and to celebrate the small victories. Thanks for sharing!
WOW! Thank you for sharing this! Completely beautiful! I will use this for my sisters, for my YW (I’m a YW pres.)and for myself! Yes, trying to feel the joy now, as the last almost 4 years we’ve been trying to adopt and have lost one son to an unexpected surgery that he didn’t survive. We have found an amazing birth mom, and feel so blessed with joy and excitement as we anticipate a baby in our home soon. Life happens and we can feel joy NOW! You are awesome!
Thank you for this amazing post. I needed to hear this truth and to cheer myself on for each drop of awesome. I appreciate your insight and know I will spend my days chanting “Drop of Awesome!” in my head now.
Katie! It’s Julie from the library! What a wonderful post — thanks for the great thought about drops of awesome! I am going to share it. Still miss our days in the good ol Media department at OPL! Happy Christmas!
Thank you for this uplifting post. There are lots of negative and sad events in our world, but with minglinging in positive thoughts and actions we can make it better for someone. As I am getting older I find people being more helpful and thoughtful. It helps so much. Your beautiful thoughts will help me to be more thankful and aware of what I can do for others.
I HAVE to tell you: I came across this when my sister shared it with me, and I needed it it so desperately. I have had other people tell me similar things, but the way you framed this wonderful sentiment makes it so relatable (my spellcheck doesn’t believe me that this is a real word), memorable, and *awesome*. I am a wife of a disabled vet and a mother of 4, and there are days where I want to give myself a high-five for taking a shower, loading the dishwasher, putting on a bra, etc. and then I have that nagging “so what, want a medal?” voice in the back of my mind… This is the voice I want in my head instead- thank you for giving me something to chant. I’m looking forward to reading through the rest of your awesomeness!
It wouldn’t let me reply to Emily up above, but I think her comment is AWESOME with the scripture reference!
Wauw this is a very touching and pure post. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, you inspire me to look for and embrace all the goodness that is already inside me instead of putting myself down all the time. Though I am not a mother (yet) or a Christian, I think we can all use a little more positivity in our lives. Thank you for reminding me that its okay to admit to our faults as long as we celebrate our gains (and that even the tiniest victory counts!).
I loved this! As a homeschooling mom who struggles with chronic fatigue, I can definitely beat myself up for not measuring up. On my best days I remember to count up the “drops of awesome”, although I get overwhelmed and forget, so thanks for the reminder. Yesterday I had some energy and made a great brunch and dinner, and I did ALL the dishes. For me, that’s a lot of “drops” in my bucket! 🙂
Just wanted to let you know that I LOVED this post and used it as the basis of my RS lesson today! It brought many sisters to tears! Straight to the core! Wonderful post!
So well said. Thank you!
So completely awesome and so what I needed. Today, for the first day in my life, I blew off my clients, turned off my phone and crawled back into bed because I simply could not face another day of mediocrity and failure. Someone on FB posted the link to this blog post, and thanks to technology, it reached me in my little, protective, snuggly bed. I only clicked the link because I figured it would be some sappy post that someone who knew nothing about a long, hard life had posted and I could justify that it was blah and pull my blankets closer. And then I read the post and found out it was awesome, made me feel awesome, and helped me see that I was awesome. Loved it. Needed it. Grateful for it!
Thank you for describing my life exactly at the beginning. I really needed this boost right now being 8 months pregnant with 5 kids and a messy house…don’t even look in the kitchen! It’s so easy to forget that the atonement is for every day, not just for when we mess up, it can make us better!
Thank you for sharing this!!! I hope you won’t mind that I use this to teach my RS lesson with. I am not a mother but I can certainly understand the feeling shared in your post. I think we all do and I agree that this crosses the gender lines.
THAT. IS. TOTALLY. TOTALLY. AWESOME!!
So glad for your inspiration AND for sharing it!
I am giving a talk in church tomorrow… well, technically today, since it’s past midnight and I just finished my Sharing Time lesson (Drops of AWESOME!! lol), and since it’s the Sunday before New Year’s and the whole resolution time, I think I will use some of your inspired words if that’s okay. I will give you credit!
Thank you for sharing. I so need to internalize this concept as I, too, am a thirty-something mother of three young children who I feel like I fail all the time. *sigh* Changing my perspective…
Kathryn. I have been so out of the loop reading blogs, but this. THIS. Is a masterpiece. So raw and beautiful. Thank you for making yourself vulnerable to write this
Wow! I needed this! This is so inspiring. Thank you! Sometimes we need a different perspective for the way we look at ourself to help us move on and understand that our Father in Heaven loves us. I would like to try this with my son.
I really needed to be reminded of this. Those nasty little voices in our heads that tell us we are no good, have to be quieted. Thank you for the beautifully written reminder.
Thank you! I’m going to quote you in Gospel Principles class today. 🙂
Thank you for your inspired words. I am in the business of quotes, so naturally your words reminded me of this one:
“Act well at the moment, and you have performed a good action to all eternity.” –Johann Kaspar Lavater
This is beautiful!!! And will be used daily!!! I am usually doing the negative thinking and this is just a wonderful way to look at situations!!! Thank you!!!
This is a 1,000 drops of awesome post! Thanks 🙂
Thank you! So needed to read this.
This is pure inspiration. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us–they resonate with so many!
Well I’m just so glad I read it.. It is funny that I had just woke up open up my Facebook and it was the first thing that caught my attention! Thank you so much for this inspirational words.. I’m ready to fill my bucket of awesome on this new year!
Tears. Beautiful, thank you!
So grateful that I was sent this link by my friend! Thank you so much for sharing this amazing perspective! Tender Mercy no doubt!
Just what I needed to hear….
Thank you so much for writing this. It really touched my heart. And I”m already quietly shouting, “That’s Awesomeness there!”
Thanks.
Wow. This is something I really needed to read today, because I’m a champion beat-myself-over-the-head-because-I’m-not-perfect-right-this-second girl. I’m SO good at finding reasons that I fail, when I should be looking for reasons that I succeed. I REALLY needed this. I’m going to change my attitude and become a ‘Drops of Awesome’ person. I’m also going to share this with my Young Women. They need to hear it too. I LOVE your object lesson. With your permission, I would love to use it in a Sunday lesson.
Thank you for sharing this. This is my first visit to your blog, but I will most definitely be back.
Sorry to be so slow getting back to you. You’re welcome to use any of this in any lesson you give.
You are awesome and I luv this! Thanks for sharing your wisdom and making it look, feel, and be easier to love myself! Bam! I’m awesome!! ❤
Drops of Awesome. Sounds like the perfect book title to me!
Thank you a million times over. That is one of my favorite scriptures, by the way; thank you for adding a whole new dimension to it. There are so many days I feel like the biggest failure on earth. Thank you for giving me something to remember when those days come. I am also a leader of Young Women, and I appreciate such a powerful object lesson to keep in my “pocket”, so to speak. Thank you again!!
Heather you are Awesome! Your bucket was filled the day you were born! I love you!
I appreciate your thoughts on the self-loathing that we, especially as women, carry with us so often. I agree too that it is only through our faith in Christ that we can have our focus shifted. But I would take your thought even further. Instead of shifting the focus from all the bad we do to the occasional good that we do, how about shifting away from ourselves completely? How about shifting our focus to the fact that Christ has done ALL that is required for us and freeing ourselves from the thoughts of ourselves at all?
I think our problem comes from the command by Jesus to be perfect. And not only perfect in deed, but also in our thoughts. This causes us great angst because if we are honest we realize that we aren’t. We don’t love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. We don’t love our neighbors as ourselves. No matter how good we try to be, we will never meet God’s standard of perfection. The Bible says that all of our righteous deeds are like a “polluted garment” (Isaiah 64:6). Our own righteousness is simply not good enough and never will be, no matter how hard we try.
That’s why Jesus lived a perfect life in full obedience to the law of God in thought, word and deed. Jesus’ mission wasn’t simply to die on the cross for our sins, but also to live a life of perfect righteousness. Everything He did was perfect. His death pays our sin debt before God, but it is His perfect life that really saves us and gives us the perfection God requires.
Through our faith in Christ, the righteousness of God is given to us. When we place our faith in Christ, God ascribes the perfect righteousness of Christ to our account so that we become perfect in His sight. “For our sake he made him [Jesus] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Now THAT’S something to focus on!
Thanks for these thoughts Cindy! What a gift.
I discovered your blog, because one of my Facebook friends liked this post. It really struck me with such force, because I do this to myself all the time. Thank you for putting into words, the desire of my heart; a means to be able to overcome that negative voice in my head, and have a word picture to keep applying the atonement in my life. I will be coming back often to learn other things; because I have confidence that you will teach me more. Thanks.
WOW! Thank you for such a wonderful reminder! The ATONEMENT makes each tiny act, each DROP, a cupfull! I was just thinking this New Year’s morning, as I spent my first minutes reading scriptures, writing in my journal and communing with my Father, how much I have always wanted to be an instrument in HIS hands. And the thought came to me that I have not done a very good job of being that instrument. I then thought of some of the things I HAD done. Some of the people I may have touched and was reminded that so often the little things we do that DO help people… we are seldom truly aware of the good we do.
I needed to hear this today! Thank you so much for articulating it all so well!
Hugs to you!
How awesome! Thank you for this beautiful post. This helps me realize the foolishness of the old cliche of ‘I’ll be happy when…’ is just Satan’s way of getting into our heads that we will never, ever be enough for anyone, including Heavenly Father. But we can be enough even if it’s just one drop at a time, precept on precept, one breath to another, especially through the Atonement of Jesus Christ that is continuous and as long as we want to keep striving.
Thank you for sharing your amazing insight! I was strolling through Pinterest looking for lesson ideas for my YW girls and came upon this pin. I love the idea and also the lesson taught. I think this will impact me more than my girls. Thank you, thank you I really needed this! You are a million drops of awesome for sharing and your YW girls are lucky to have you!
I like to dwell my mind on the scripture that says that “if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness…my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me and have faith in me then will I make weak things become strong unto them.”
One of my all-time favorites. Thank you Dora!
I love this post. Thanks for explaining it so well!
What you are talking about is actually a legitimate cognitive behavioral therapy technique psychiatrists use to help people who are suffering from depression. The essence of it is to give one’s self approval for every single good thing that we do, no matter how small. We really do need approval from ourselves.
“Drops of awesome” is a fantastic thing to call it.
This comment reminds me of What About Bob’s baby steps. It is possible that it had its roots in therapy I’ve been through. Thanks for your insight!
Thanks so much! I found this through my sister on Facebook. What a great post to read on New Year’s Day – the day of resolutions! May I add one “Drop of Awesome” to my bowl each & everyday (hopefully many drops most days!!) – as I strive to be the person Heavenly Father knows I can be. He has confidence in me – so why don’t I? I CAN DO IT!!
Beautiful object lesson. Very powerful. Very thot provoking. Very insightful. And you have a delightful way of expressing yourself and describing things. THANK YOU.
I wish I coul dhave realized these things when I was a young mother. Now I am a Grandmother and I know that these things are a deeply truthful principle. Grace is a deeply healing and motivating truth. Thank you for sharing this!
I’m so glad I took the time to read this blog post – what a lift up it was! As moms, whether young or old, we quite often dwell in ‘what if’s’ & ‘if only’s’ – I LOVE this outlook & the liberating feeling of simply appreciating the awesome things we do accomplish!
I love this post and it is so on target!! May I copy and share this with someone who has NO access to a computer but really needs the message? Thanks again!
Go for it Pam. I’m glad you liked it!
Kathryn,
Thank you for your message of truth and beauty. I needed it. I’m sure this message of self-acceptance and joy in the moment would be the words that Christ would tell us. Drops of awesome! He never belittles our small attempts. Those deflating, dark and doubting thoughts are exactly the opposite of what Christ tells us, and His opposite is their source.
Mahalo and Happy New Year!
What a wise young woman you are….I believe if we can approach each new day loving this life, with “drops of awesome”, those around us will learn to do the same, and this can be a glorious place to live.
Thanks so much for your encouraging words. I really needed to read this message tonight as moments before I read this I examined my life with a magnifying glass and all I saw was a drought of awesome. I’m a mom to four littles and I run a business–there’s always something that’s being forgotten or neglected. But I will focus more on what/who I remembered and what/who I took the time to pay attention to. : )
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts. I really needed to read your words today. You deserve a whole bucket of awesome!
This post changed my life today and was exactly what I needed. Thank you so much.
Great article!! I will have to remember my drops when I feel critical of myself as we all have at least one drop of awesome a day ! Blessings to you 🙂
I will have to remember this when I’ve been to critical of myself as we all have at least one drop of awesome every day ! Thank you for your great article
Wonderfully uplifting message to all Mothers, Sisters, Wives, Daughters! Thank you for your insight and message. I will be blessed for it as I consider my “drops” each day!
Love it. Needed this today. Thank You.
Thank you – exactly what I needed to read today, and again tomorrow, and the next….
thanks for that! Such great advice!
I can’t begin to tell you how much I needed this. You will probably never know how much this has saved me. Thank you so very much. Bless you.
Drops of Awesome … the Lord’s Tender Mercies … choosing to be happy — Each day, each moment is unique and important and the sum-total of each day is spectacular <3 thank you, thank you for an added dimension to my days.
Thank you for sharing something so deeply personal. The truth of your thoughts rings strong in my heart. You have touched my spirit.
Thank you Karla and everyone else for being so kind and generous. We really are all in this together.
Wow! I was so touched by your words I started crying. Thank you! I am going to share this with as many people as I can!
Thanks for being so REAL, it’s refreshing.
This is so wonderful and clear. I happened upon this while strolling through Pinterest under the “everything” tab. The insight and spirit in which this is shared comes through. thank you.
What an awesome post! I really appreciate your perspective as I personally have each and every one of those flaws you mentioned. Thank you for reminding me that even when I’m not adding to it, I still have my bowl of awesome sitting there waiting for more drops!
Love the thought of the bowl just sitting there waiting for you to be awesome.
Thank you
This is a really great post, so glad I found it and that you gave voice to something that has been rattling around in my head as well. I think you’d really enjoy the short book containing the letters of a 17th century monk named Father Lawerence. You only need to google the title of the collection of letters – called “Practicing the Presence of God”. He spends some time developing a similar approach to his weaknesses and the way that he addresses them with God. He suggests that the repentance process is most successful when we don’t beat ourselves up about our weaknesses. You will love it, and could probably read it in a night or two.
Thanks again for the post and your perspective.
Thank you so much. I just downloaded it as an ebook from my library and look forward to reading it.
This was so totally what I needed in this moment. Last year I went through a massive suicidal depression and I am still rebuilding my inner self and this is a great thought to add to my arsenal of weapons to continue the battle. Once I am back to my “real” self, I am hoping to use my experience to reach out to others considering suicide. I am getting closer, but every once in a while, Satan convinces me AGAIN with his lies. Now I can tell go back to hell, because I am gathering drops of awesome… Thank you…
I am so glad it spoke to you Barbara. You’re definitely not alone in your struggles. Keep focusing on the light.
Wow, I almost cried my eyes out reading this – you are describing exactly the kinds of thoughts and beating up of myself I do every day. I ignore anything I have ever done well in exchange for negativity that doesn’t help me feel better. I really appreciate this perspective and reading this post came at a time I have really been needing it. Thanks so much for sharing this!
Thank you for sharing! This is so encouraging!!
I just want to say thank you so much for this wonderful and inspiring post!!!
I couldn’t help but think of you as an. older woman the whole time I read your words, because they seemed too wise for someone who is young.
How exciting for you to realize this at such a n ideal time so that your children can benefit so much.
Well, I’m not as young as I once was… You should never pick a blog title that keeps you a fixed age. I don’t know. Maybe it will keep me young when I’m a 40 or 50-year-old Daring Young Mom. 🙂
Thank you so much for that beautiful post!!! Right now I am really being pulled down by Satan’s hands. Of course he uses family to do the work for him. Today I have felt lower than a snake’s belly. But after reading this I am renewed! Again thank you
Good luck Joyce. I’m so glad this helped a bit.
Thank you, thank you, thank you…I really needed to read this today.
Thank you so much. This is a wonderful perspective to start out a new year! I sincerely appreciate it.
Oh this was just all kinds of awesome and I may want to use this as part of my YW lesson on Sunday. I think it will work in well with studying this month’s topic for the new curriculum. Drops of Awesome, line upon line, here a little and there a little. Love it. Need it. Live it.
Thank you for this wonderful insight and post.
Wow!!!
Your message was a reminder of a little voice I heard inside my head about spending more quality time with my oldest son who is 8. I and my husband are full time students in the middle of our bachelors programs and consumed with trying to stay afloat, raise our 3 boys, do our very best in school, and always thinking ahead to the next semester. What are we going to do about this… what about that… etc. But not always thinking about right now and how we are spending each moment with our children. Do they see themselves as not important enough at times? I pray they don’t! But your message brought me to tears and helped me remember what is most important. Family! I want to thank you for your inspiring message . Thank you from the bottom of my heart. 🙂
I think you just added lots of drops of awesome to your bucket! Thanks for the fantastic inspiration. My kids are still little, but I think I’ll be sharing this at Family Night anyway.
That was so powerful! Thank you for the light that was brought into my soul by your words. I will be forever thankful for this new insight brought about by a drop of awesome!
I feel an awesome early morning seminary object lesson coming next week when we study the atonement! Perhaps the most touching part of your post for me personally was in your object lesson when you pulled out a bigger bowl. “My cup runneth over.”
Thank you for this gift. I so needed to hear these words and have faith that I am not a bad mom/wife/friend/coworker/human being for all of the things I don’t do. Many blessings to you and yours –
Thank you so much for your post! I love your analogy of “Drops of awesome”. I’m absolutely passing this on because I know a lot of people (including myself) can relate to your experiences. You are Awesome!
Thank you!
Thank you for your post!… awesome words to live by…. we are harder on ourselves than any one else would be…. we need to step back and find that awesomeness in ourselves… and keep finding it on a daily basis!
L.o.v.e. You!!!
Mary Ann Johnson (majcoach@gmail.com) is someone you would enjoy. She helps homeschool Moms mentor their children. She also helps people with positive thought. She loves the Lord and knows He guides her work. We both share your knowledge of the divinity of Christ.
Thank you for your words and your work. You are awesome!!!
Warmly,
Betty
What a wonderful post! Thank you for sharing this. It also reminded me of the scripture in Helaman where the Lord told Nephi “Blessed are thou for the things thou hast DONE” as opposed to pointing out the mistakes he’s made or things he hadn’t done.
I love how the Spirit can take such a small thought and lead us to such great, powerful, and amazingly simple truths. In the five minutes or so it took me to read this, my perspective has been realigned and my life changed a bit for the better. Thank you so much for sharing this.
I love, love, love this post. What a great way to think about building up instead of tearing down. The atonement is real. This post earned you a great big drop of awesome for inspiring so many other women!
Wow! I really needed this today. Thank you so much- from a mom who struggles with being awesome too.
I woke up this morning to this post in my inbox from my sister. What a great way to get me up and moving. This is exactly what I needed today. Thank you. Beautiful words.
You are AWESOME!!
Thank you for this wonderful post. My husband is the president of a YSA branch and I am always needing new talk/lesson idea. This was a thought provoking post and one I needed to hear!
I just stumbled onto your blog from some links on Facebook. This made me cry! I’m LDS too and I totally want to use that lesson in Primary! This is exactly what I needed to hear as I start out my year writing resolutions that I fear I’m just going to fail. I just need to better myself one drop of awesome at a time! 🙂 Thank you!!
I LOVE this post. I know, it’s been said before … but this was just what I need to hear today and during this time of resolutions. I’ve always loved that scripture … but have never seen it this way before … THANKS A MILLION. Is it ok, if I repost this on my blog for my friends to be inspired too?
This post is fantastic. Thank you for writing something that I can use in my life to be more positive. Since I never, ever feel like I am ‘enough’, this concept very well may have a profound impact on my perspective. It may allow me to remove that which prohibited me to just.be.happy. Thank you so much.
jmonson73@gmail.comanalogies! This was an amazing and insightful one that needs !to be heard by EVERYONE! I hope u don’t mind my borrowing it for a lesson some day 🙂
You can’t even imagine how this post reflects me to a T! What an amazing reminder and inspiration. I will take my drops of Awesome!! Do your best and forget the rest!! Thank you this post. It brought tears to my eyes and I could instantly feel the Spirit as it told me what I was reading is true. I will do my best every day and learn from the last. What a wonderful thing. Thanks!
Thank you. What an inspiring post!
Loved this message! Would it be alright with you if I shared some (ok, most) of it for my next RS lesson?
This is exactly what I needed to hear, and also what I will be thrilled to share. Too often I’ve heard my friends and relatives say, “I’m not a good enough ________”. My husband just the other night voiced his concern to me that he wasn’t a good enough father. He wasn’t sure the kids knew that he loved them, and he wondered how to change that. I told him it was as simple as giving them hugs, saying “I love you”, and spending some time with them doing something fun.
And now I know what else to call those things: Drops of Awesome.
Thank you!
That was a beautiful post and great reminder that as Christians we are filled to overflowing with God’s grace and mercy and we should extend that to our children and to start collecting the drops of awesome! Thank you very much for sharing!
Thanks so much for sharing this!!! This is something I so desperately need right now. I’ve been so good at beating myself up lately that I haven’t seen the little drops of awesome I’ve been doing nod I’ve forgotten the atonement works for everything, including my shortcomings. Thank you!!! I’m so excited to notice my drops of awesome every day!
What a beautiful post. It brought tears to my eyes as I read it and feel the truth of it. I love your perspective and hope to incorporate more positive thoughts and JOY into my own life, as well as my family. Thank you so much for sharing your insight.
Now I’m off to be awesome!
Thank you. I have never met you but my life has been touched by you. I will go forth and be awesome!
A friend posted a link to this on Facebook. I don’t usually click on links on FB, but I am so glad that I did this time! I love this! Thank you so much for sharing! It was exactly what I needed today.
Thank you so much!!! When I was reading this, I couldn’t help but tear up…I struggle daily with criticizing myself for everything I DON’T do as a mom. Thank you for making me look at being a mom differently!! I love how Heavenly Father had you wait to share this…You are “awesome” and thanks again for sharing this 🙂
Bless your sweet heart, I needed these words today.
I love this post. I always relate it to a cell phone. If you drop your phone do you grab it and smash it to smithereens? No, you pick it back up and dust it off and keep using it, maybe being a little more mindful of it. The same goes for anything you set out to do. Just because you have one day where you didn’t eat healthy means that you throw your diet out the window and eat a whole pizza by yourself. You pick up where you left off and try to be more careful. Or, if you have a goal to read your scriptures every day and you miss a day doesn’t mean that you just say, “oh, well, maybe next year I’ll try again.” You just pick up where you left off, and keep at it.
I love your lesson idea. The atonement does so much more than allow us to be forgiven of our sins, but it can be a strength and bolster to us when we need it to.
thanks
thank-you
May I use this for a Relief Society Lesson?
Lovely!! Many Thanks!! ;->
Beautiful, inspired and just what I needed – what my dear brother needs right now and what we all need – every single day of our lives. The adversary is so quick to encourage us to put ourselves down. We are literal daughters and sons of God – which in and of itselfs makes us awesome!!!! I totally love this and think you have just put more of those drops of awesomeness in your bucket for being in tune with the spirit and for sharing it with all of us who so need this reminder. Thank you!!!!! a million times over! You don’t know what you have done for all of us reading this.
thank you thank you thank you! for this article. I was very touched. I forward it on to some special people who needed this message as well. I loved the object lesson idea. I will be using it for Family Home Evening. This negative thought cycle ends with me. My daughters will learn to look at themselves positively! You are an amazing person!
Thank you for sharing this! I’ve been receiving treatment for post traumatic stress disorder from having cancer of the lymph nodes when I was pregnant with my second child. It seemed no matter what I did, I was afraid. The best thing my counselor taught me was to be ‘in the now’ and this post of yours took it a step further, so thank you. My fiend shared your post on Facebook. I’m excited to keep reading your blog posts. I’m a return missionary, I married my sweetheart in the temple, I survived cancer, and I want to keep celebrating all the blessings the gospel brings to me. Thanks again!
thank you
I needed this. It made my joy overflow!! Thanks
This made me cry. Thanks for lifting me up. I’m going to share this with all the women in my life who I love.
I am a grandmother 15 times over and old enough to be most of your mothers. I thought it might benefit some of you to know that even at my age, I still struggle with self worth and that I loved the positive effects of your “drops of awsome” idea.
I have 4 grown and married children who have children of their own, hence the 15 wonderful grand children My husband and I have been raising my 17 year old neice for the last 10 years. She is now my daughter, through adoption. We love her more than she can understand, but every day is a battle. Each day I feel a little more beaten down, because of what I say to myself. My wonderful daughter in law forwarded this to me. I plan to share it with my teenager. I hope it will help us to begin to see our selves as we should. Thank you for sharing this wonderful idea.
I find this post through Facebook today! Just what I needed! As a mother, it has been nearly impossible not to beat myself up daily for what I “don’t” do. I am going to start chanting “Drop of Awesome!” all day long! Also, thank you for representing the faith of the Mormon church so beautifully!
Thank you for sharing. I would also like to ask if I may use this in a Relief Society lesson?
Wow! loved your post, (my daughter shared it on FB, and I’m going to too). You were inspired to share this – for so many of us who really needed to read this today!
Thank you for this post and the time you spent sharing with me. I have struggled all of my life with depression and low self esteem. I know that the atonement is there for me and I have learned and heard at church (LDS) so many thoughts on this topic but this touch me in a way that nothing ever has. I have cried and cried as the spirit has told me that this is true and applies to me. I am going to print this and put it on the wall of my home office to remind me daily to use my droppers. I have a beautiful son who has blessed me with three wonderful children and I still never feel good enough in anything I do. As I have read, memories flooded back of things that I could use to fill my bowl and I am going to start writing these down in a journal so that when I have a down time, I can read my journal and lift myself up because God knew that I was good enough. Thank you more than I can say. You will never know how many lifes you have touch for good from this one post. May the Lord bless you continually.
Thanks, this was beautiful and brought tears to my eyes.
BEST BLOG POST I’ve read iN SUCH A LONG TIME!! This was exactly what I needed to hear today. It left me crying because it hit home that much. It’s exactly what I needed. I have been feeling so overwhelmed and buried with so many responsibilities and burdens lately. I am so grateful my aunt emailed this to me to read. What an awesome message!
Thank you so very much for sharing these uplifting words!!! I believe that the spirit teaches and touches others in many different ways. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to see this post because it will certainly be something I carry with me for the rest of my life!
Thank you for a great and timely article. For years I felt inadequate–until I finally let it go. But, if I may, I want to share this with family and friends who need it in their lives. Thank you.
Thank you.
Just wanted to say thank you. This post, in and of itself, is a whole dropper-full of awesome. Thank you for sharing. I loved it. (And I loved your object lesson idea. So beautiful.)
I really needed this today. Thank you thank you thank you. So inspired and so beautiful.
I was already shedding tears about what a crap mom I’ve been when I got on Facebook and had this link from my mom. Exactly what I needed to hear! Thank you so much for sharing!
Thank You!!! I have been needing to hear this for a long time :’)
Thank you. Thank you so much for this. I have been worrying and fretting and struggling (with a good bout of post-partum thrown in) to find my way back to the person who was kinder to myself, and who trusted the Lord more. This was what I needed to hear to see that person in the mirror today. I have never read your blog before and never comment on blogs, but this was too perfect for me to ignore.
Thank you so very much for sharing this with any and all of us. I know I really need to internalize that lesson. Thanks.
This blog post deserves 1,000,000 drops of Awesome! Thank you for writing it.
WOW! I really needed to read this today. Lately, I have really been hard on myself and everything that you said is what goes through my head every single day. I frequently “single-mom” it while my husband works 80+ hours a week as a resident family doctor. I am a mother of three beautiful, mischevious, time demanding children. My oldest is 7 years old and he is my only son, so I can totally relate to you in the mornings trying to get him to school on time, and me presentable, while I take care of my 3 year old and 1 year old daughters. Life is hectic in the mornings. Thank you for helping me realize that I am an Awesome Mother, and more importantly that the small things I do will in the end be big deals to those around me. You deserve a drop of Awesomeness for writing this! 🙂
This is a beautiful thought, and also beautifully written….I would give you many drops, for having taken the time to share it with us. It IS hard and demanding to raise children with non-stop jobs and chores….did I say non-stop? It can be overwhelming, and I would say fairly thankless, the picking up and cleaning etc. So it does take a rather monumental right attitude to do it….with love and joy. I believe that you have hit on it. And take it from me, a mother whose children are big now; there comes a day when the relentless work subsides, and ironically you will miss having these amazing little people to share such a big life with. So if you CAN find the way to truly enjoy the ride….you are finding the secret of life. With much love, Tina PS Moms that are having fun….are such a delight to be around for everybody. 🙂
I don’t know you…but what a lovely post. So uplifting and just what I needed to hear. Thank you for writing it! I think you get about a million drops of awesome for it :)!
I’m pretty sure you wrote this post to help the Lord answer my prayers. Wow did I need this! I mean, really really needed this! Thank you so much for your perspective!! (I came here from facebook) Thank you for being an instrument in the Lord’s hands. Can I add a big fat drop of awesome to your bucket? 😉
You have made my day and changed my life in one post. I love you for this 🙂
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. My sister encouraged me last night to read this. What a wonderful way to start my early morning. Thank you. I know I will read this post again and again and again. “Drops of Awesome” it is – for the rest of my life.
I have come to realize in the past few weeks that today is the only thing we can change…..not tomorrow, and certainly not yesterday. But if we celebrate our victories, no matter how small they may seem, soon enough we will have 365 today’s that are worth celebrating. Thank you for sharing your insight…..drop by drop.
I had a YW leader tell me once, that in the moments you feel less than, remember one thing:
You are a daughter of a kind, loving and all knowing God…..that is so big, that really, NOTHING ELSE MATTERS.
Thank you for taking the time to write this beautiful post. I am way too hard on myself and often have unrealistic expectations and often get overwhelmed because i fall short. This is exactly what I needed to hear. Thank you.
He is 12 and in grade 2? Not awesome.
Thank you. I agree that this was inspired, and I thank you for sharing it. It contains truth and it gives hope. I was recently listening to a talk by Sister Julie Beck where she explained that each week as we take the sacrament, we can take off the old me and put on a brand new me. This reminded me of that.
For myself, I am going to refer to these as drops of divinity rather than drops of awesome. It will help me to remember who I am, a daughter of God. We truly are divine and when we do the right thing, make good choices, we are being who we really are and becoming who we are meant to be. Thank you again for a wonderful post.
Thank you.
Thank you for a very inspired and inspiring post. May I have permission to present this in Relief Society? I am RS President and our sisters need to hear this. It is awesome.
Please use it any way you can. Sometime soon I’ll post a follow up with more of the scriptures and general authority quotes I used in the actual lesson. 🙂
Thank you. Satan is always trying to make us too hard on ourselves and miss out on joy from the simple moments. I might have to read this every day 🙂
This is amazing! And drops of awesome will be my new years resolution.
You truly were inspired to write this. We tend to tear ourselves down because of outside influences and the pressures of trying to be the best at everything. Fit and healthy mum, scholarly mum, spiritual mum, interior decorator mum and so on. I loved the part where your class seemed concerned about the bowl being filled to the brim with “drops of awesome” and their answer came with the larger ‘atonement’ bowl. It brought tears to my eyes. Thank you for writing these thoughts down and sharing it.
Thank you for your wonderful example, Kathryn! I hope that it helps others who need it.
I had some troubles of my own to overcome. I used to have a lot of trouble with obsessive negative thinking. I’d obsessively dwell on all of my weaknesses and failures and negative possibilities and such, whether real or suspected or imagined, and refuse to think about my strengths and successes and positive possibilities and such. Such bad mental habits helped me to nurture severe crippling self-doubts, as well as overwhelming fears, brought me great anxiety and depression, rendered me overly deferential with not-necessarily-justified feelings of inferiority and inadequacy and such, generally encouraged a severely-warped negative perception of myself (and others), and badly influenced so many aspects of my life, whether spiritually or socially or academically or financially or whatnot. I finally recognized with sufficient clarity about a decade ago both what I was doing and how it was affecting me, and then began to work diligently daily to overcome it, as well as to develop a more balanced realistic perspective in its place, both of myself and of others. With effort, I quit dwelling upon all that was wrong with myself far beyond what was helpful, I more readily acknowledged what was right with me, and I became more willing to see that others had faults, as well. And, as I did so, I felt greater peace, and slowly began to be more successful in various aspects of my life in which I’d struggled terribly for years. It helped me to recognize that I’d never dare treat others as badly as I had been treating myself, and to strive to treat myself as well as I normally tended to treat others, instead, being more forgiving and encouraging rather than terribly harsh and demanding. I think that this is part of learning to love/serve our neighbors as ourselves.
Good for you Dave! As I’m sure you’ve read in the comments here and on my blog, you are certainly not alone with the depression and other feelings you’ve had. The struggles are worth it in the end but we just need to be as kind to ourselves as we are to others. I think you’re very wise.
I love this post and will share it. If we can always remember this concept, we’ll be more able to add those “drops of awesome” that we all want to add. I don’t know you, but I know you’re awesome. 🙂
Well said…and what more people need to hear…EVERYDAY…to remind us that there is always a reason to keep going. Thank you for your amazing insight!!
Thanks so much for taking the time to write this down! I’m a new mom with a 2 1/2 month old and I often find myself feeling like I should be doing more or being overwhelmed at how much more I could have done in a day. I will definitely try to change my thinking 🙂 Thanks a million!!
I needed this! Beautifully written! thank you for your inspiration and “drops of awesome”!
Bravo!!! Thank you!
THANKS! I hope you don’t mind that we will be sharing this with our Relief Society soon? It’s just too AWESOME, not to. 😉
Feel free to share away. I’m so glad so many people can relate to this.
Wow. You have no idea how badly I needed to read this. Thank you.
thank you.
LOVE! Love this post so much. And it was so timely, too – having a bit of a rough morning, and not sure what to do about it. 🙂 I loved the lesson you shared with the YW. I loved visualizing it. I love the atonement. It’s amazing! And I love the courage it gives me to keep striving and not to be brought down by what I currently am not.
Such a great and timely message. I know so many people, including myself, who can totally relate to these feelings of self-deprication even though sometimes you’re just doing what you can to keep up with life and it’s demands and trying your best. I love how you validate us here 😉 thanks for sharing your persective!
This was just what I have been needing to hear! I am a single mother of a 5 year old daughter and I am often beating myself up because of things I am not able to do. I was literally just thinking about how I have not been able to be home to put my daughter to bed and how I work to much and am not able to spend a lot of time with her. And I went on facebook and saw my sister status and it said to read this. After doing so I see that I am a great mom! I have tears in my eyes as I write this because I know tonight my daughter will have a warm bed to sleep in, clothes on her back and will be full. Thank you so so so much for this!
Thank you!
This has been in my feed on fb for a few days and just got a chance to read it! Thank you, thank you!! I needed this today.
Thanks
Krista
Your drops of awesome are filling your lamp….you will be ready for the bridegroom!!!!
I actually brought a lamp the day of the lesson to build on the analogy but never got a chance to use it. Great imagery!
I have been struggling with my health for a while now and I am barely able to even get my kids off to school in the morning. Everything that I have not been able to do is starting to feel very overwhelming and it can get very discouraging. What a blessing to now be able to recognize each small accomplishment and focus on the good. THANK YOU!
Ia friend sent me a link to this post. I’m sorry to day that I’ve never read your blog before. I have to say that I really loved your post. It would be easy to just click out and say I’m going to remember this. But I want to stop and tell you thank you for your perspective. I NEED to remember this. And share it. As a seminary teacher I may just borrow your idea with my class on our next lesson on the Atonement. Thanks so much for posting this.
Borrow away!
Being happy with ourselves and finding the good in all is definitely one of the keys to happiness. Life is so much better when WE choose to see the good. And there is so much good. And to Natalie and others who posted about being new moms and feeling like they aren’t doing enough….I have a friend that recently became a father. He came home one day and is wife was feeling down and said she felt like she did nothing. He replied to her concern, “Is the baby alive? Then you have done something.” I loved this. It is so true. Giving life, and nurturing our children is by far the most important thing we can do. To all the parents in the world who never feel enough… God has blessed you with the most sacred of gifts…His children. You are enough. Turn to Him. He can help you know you are enough. I’m grateful for all the parents in the world who, in their own way, do their best to love their children. That makes this world a better place. You are ALL awesome.
Lisa, her child is in second grade, not twelve years old. She is speaking of how few more times her growing boy would reach out and grab her hand. We don’t see 12-year-old boys doing that. One day it ends. All the more reason to feel joy in the present moment and cherish these wonderful memories.
Love This!!!!!! I can be a better person one drop at a time!
Oh WOW! You were truly was inspired. I have also been thinking very negative thoughts about how far I fall short in so many things. I cried reading this. I love the part about the object lesson with the pitcher (atonement) so generously making up for the rest of the needed drops. Thank you, thank you, oh thank you. Hope it’s okay if I share.
Thank you! This was exactly what I needed to hear today. Like you, I often beat myself up for what I didn’t get done during the day, ignoring what tasks I did accomplish. “Drops of Awesome” will stick with me for the rest of my life. And what a fantastic object lesson for your young women! They are truly blessed to have a teacher who cares.
Thank you for giving me a better out look on life it it couldn’t have come at a better time.
And when you catch yourself adding a drop of awesome you can tell yourself, “I’m being positive! Drop of awesome!” exponentially awesome 🙂
And say a little prayer of gratitude to thank Heavenly Father for helping you to be awesome in that moment and ask for help to continue in awesomeness.
Thanks so much for sharing this. I used to be very good at this, but it has been much harder for me as a mother. It is so true that there is so much power in thought, drop by drop.
Thank you Thank you. I really needed this today! I am a homeschool mom of 6 and I do a lot of great things. But, I often only see what I didn’t do. This is just what I need today and now I am going to do something awesome.
Wow, just wow. Tears, do they count as drops of awesome?
BTW my 13year old son still hold my hand. (makes me feel weird sometimes, but HE wants to be my little boy still)
This cheers me. And yes, if they’re the good kind of tears. Acutally, I think all tears count because it means you care and you’re feeling and with that will come the motivation to do good.
Thank you! I’m really good at beating myself up about my almost always cluttered house, whenever I loose it and yell at my kids (and discount the times where we have fun, and laugh) and a million other things. So.. I needed this. Thanks for sharing.
I’ve sent this to my teenage girls and summarized it with my 15 year old son. We’ve been saying “DROP OF AWESOME!” to each other all day. In fact, we are going to abbreviate it to DOA to make it easier for texting.
I REALLY needed to hear this message today. I have read it 3 times now, and each time it just touches my heart. When I read the part about the object lesson and the atonement, it literally took my breath away and I was in tears. You were very inspired to write this. God bless you for touching and helping so many!
This made me cry. In a good way. Thank you.
Thank you so much for sharing this amazing perspective. I needed to read this today.
thank you for sharing
Thank you so much. There’s a reason why women need this so much right now. It’s a time of great improvement and women power, but that’s when Satan strikes hardest. This is inspired. Let’s put on our superwoman suits and beat him down, alright?
I’m so with you on that!
Thank you for posting this! I really needed to hear what you had to say and now drops of awesomeness will be something I think about daily. Such a blessing to not feel alone in the daily challenges of trying to live and be better and still love ourselves!
My mom let me read this article. I think you did a great job hope you’re well. ~ Ruth age 7 🙂
Lovely to meet you Ruth. You are an awesome reader!
Thank you, thank you for this beautiful post. I needed it, and will be sharing it with others who I think may need it, too. 🙂
wonderful lesson, thanks so much
I’ve seen this post 3 or 4 times in the past few days on Facebook, with friends proclaiming how wonderful it is. I opted not to read it as I wasn’t in a feel-good kind of mood. Then today, something happened that made me feel about as low and awful and wretched as I could feel. I hopped on Facebook, and there it was AGAIN, posted by my sister this time. I decided to read it, and am consequently crying like I haven’t cried in a loooong time. This is EXACTLY what my spirit needed today!! It didn’t need it so much yesterday, or the day before that, but it did today! My soul could use a little bit of awesome. Thank you SO MUCH for sharing this beautiful advice!!
Hooray for good timing!
Wow, this is a load of drops of awesome. I am happy I stopped by and I enjoyed reading your thoughts.
Blessings!
Living Waters by LeAnn
http://lgwilliams.blogspot.com
Oh my serious! I have been thinking the same things lately. I’ve had the worst self esteem for my entire life and I realized I would look for faults in other women to make myself feel better about myself. The funny thing is it never made me feel better about myself. Maybe even just the last few months I started really trying to focus on the good in other people. I thought that this would make me more depressed about who I am because I thought I would be comparing myself to all these amazing woman. I was wrong. In fact, only acknowledging the good in other people helped me to see the good I was doing too, and that good really can be joyful if you let it. In fact, I think my ability to love others, as well as my self, in a truly Christ-like way has increased. This is exactly how I feel, drops of awesome. The bad stuff doesn’t have to take away from the good. Let’s just celebrate the good and thank our Savior everyday for making up the difference. Seriously love this!! Thank you for posting.
Thank you for this comment. We are so all in this together. The comparisons will eat us alive. The last chapter of the book gets into how we need to allow those around us to be awesome too, to give them credit for every drop and overlook their shortcomings.
Wow. Beautifully written, and so insightful. Thank you for sharing this. It is something I needed to hear.
I needed to read this post. Thank you for takin the time to write it!
Thank you for sharing your inspiration! I have been pondering a RS lesson that I am giving tomorrow & felt that I could not finish it until I had lunch with some friends today. They shared with me your idea & I’m going to use it tomorrow. It fits perfectly with my lesson of Do Better. I have been using your idea of drops of awesome for a few months now, I just didn’t know that’s what I should call it. Thanks so much!
That is so great. At some point I’ll post the additional scriptural and doctrinal resources I used in the actual lesson. This version is streamlined to make it more mainstream.
Thank you for this post! I found this out because one of my friends liked this and posted it to her wall. Thank you so much for putting a positive outlook on life. This is what I needed in this very moment in time. Thank you so much for expressing your feelings into words. I really appreciate it. It’s so true that the ATONEMENT helps us see who we really are. Thank you!
This is amazing! Small things bring to pass great results, and I, for one, need to remember that! Thank you!
The reflection from your “Drops of Awsome” reaches us when we read these words. You added a very fat drop into your bowl and I added one to mine when I treated myself by learning from you. Kat you are a “Drop of Awsome”.
Thank you Rand!
Thank you for your hjoughtful blog. It helps me on so many levels. So grateful for your courage to set it to “paper” and allow the rest of us a chance to grow and share a perfect truth.
Love this! You have a gift with sharing the gospel and your testimony. Thanks for sharing. I think people can visualize and acknowledge their small successes everyday a little bit better now.
Just what I needed to hear today. I loved your object lesson with the atonement!
What a beautiful and well expressed lesson. Thank you so much for sharing that moment of inspiration by the Spirit and the ensuing expansion of the thought into something true and beautiful and inspiring–and HOW WONDERFUL that you were not only able to let it change your outlook, but that you were able to share it with your young women’s class. These are the kinds of lessons that will stay with them throughout their lives and will truly make a difference in the strength and depth of their testimonies. If I’m not being too bold, I had an equivalent lightning bolt of inspiration several years ago when all five of my children were young and my husband was in the stake presidency. I was feeling overwhelmed at my life and tremendously underwhelmed at my performance as a wife, mother, member of the Church and person in general. As you stated early on in your article, as you pondered and prayed about it, you felt the Spirit guiding you to record this experience and share it with others. As with you, the Spirit bore witness to me that this was not just MY experience, but was EVERYONE’S experience and it was my obligation to have a record of it available to share with anyone when the Spirit prompted. Again, as with you, as I began to record the experience, I felt the Spirit guid every single word I typed. Sometimes I would even have to take a break when I felt “a stupor of thought” as to how to accurately and effectively describe the experience as it truly happened. But without fail, each time the Spirit would work on me and the words would start flowing again. I have shared the “article”, if you will, many times in my formal teaching and also with people one-0n-0ne; and as I have felt my children were mature to appreciate its message–usually when they were preparing to serve their missions–I have shared it with them as well. It has never failed to have the same response because, as with your article, it is the Spirit speaking truth through you and when the reader also has the Spirit, the message sink into the reader’s soul and changes their very being. I entitled my article “Lehi’s fruit”, although my children and those close to me call it “grinding your oatmeal”, in reference to the object lesson the Lord used with me to make His point and let me know He had heard and was answering my pleas on a undeniably personal level. I would love to share my experience with you if you are interested. If so, you may write me at my email: ephraimette@gmail.com and I will be happy to send you a copy. Again, please forgive me if this has been too bold or out of place, but I just felt compelled to write you and express these thoughts.
Beautiful! Thank you! I can’t wait to do the same object lesson with my Laurels. =)
Thank you, Kathryn. Thank you, thank you, thank you.The reverberations of joy from your sharing this inspiration will echo for years. You’ll never know how many thousands of drops of Awesome you’ve just added to countless buckets…
My friend reposted this on her blog, which is where I read it. This is exactly what I needed to read! I have been feeling so down on myself lately. Thank you for sharing your insights.
How very much I needed this thought today! Thank you for being there for me and helping me to see the bigger picture. Your YW are lucky to have you!
Thank you – My mother just passed away and I was thinking of all the hurts that caused me to pull away, and what an ungrateful daughter I could be, how I wasn’t there for her in the end. As I read your words I started to think of all the times I talked with her on skype, all the good times shared with me helping in the garden side by side, cooking in the kitchen together, the time we deboned a turkey together that took us all day to do and it ended up looking like a roasted pig in the end – the laughter as we made one mistake after another. I will try to see it that way, the many drops of positive, the drops of awesome that are there as well.
Well said! Thank you for sharing your “drops of awesome”. 🙂
Kathryn, you moved into our ward just as we were moving out so I’m not sure you remember us. But I’ve been reading your blog ever since. Your way with words is always so insightful. This post was a huge drop of awesome. So many of my friends from all over the world has been posting it because so many of us Moms feel the same way. Thank you for sharing. It’s a great perspective on life and very inspiring to see someone feel the same way and help us look at our own drops of awesomeness and not beat ourselves up so much.
We talked about feeling guilty today in Relief Society and how crippling it is, not just to us but to our capacity to feel our Savior’s love and his plan for us. You said it so perfectly. I’m sharing this with everyone! 🙂 Keep being awesome.
Thank-you, I was feeling discouraged and this post helped 🙂
As I read your beautiful post, I couldn’t help but to think about myself.
I’m a single mom. The stress of having to do the work of two is overwhelming most of the time… Specially when I have to leave home before 6am with my 21 month old boy in my arms. That’ when I most think I’m doing everything wrong and that he shouldn’t be going through this.
Thanks for sharing this, made me realize that despite my wrong choices in the past, The Lord has done for me what I can’t do for myself. He has blessed me with such a special son. 🙂 He’s given me the Gospel. And that helps me find a lot of my drops of awesome.
Thanks again for sharing!
“..there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus..” Romans 8:1 (NIV). None–nada–not one iota of condemnation! We are free now, not later–NOW! Every time I screw up I try to remember: that is why I needed a Savor not just a good set of rules. And I got one. Thank you Jesus!
What a beautiful way to look at it! I’ve had those same critical thoughts against myself — I can come up with so many more drops of critical than drops of awesome — and those critical drops are poisonous. I love the drops of awesome! Thanks for sharing!
What a wonderful post! Thanks for sharing your insight with us, and beautifully written as well! I am going to do my best to think of all the drops of awesome this week and fill my well, and not take away from the goodness!
Thanks!
Thanks for sharing this! I love how it takes away the guilt and replaces it with hope. Thanks!
I am a Stake Relief Society president, and we have been preparing for our Ward Conferences and our Birthday Celebration, and our Women’s Conference. Your Blog was an answer to our prayers. We will be sharing your awesome lesson with the sister’s of our Stake and we thank you for allowing the spirit to touch your heart so that you can touch thousands of other hearts! Please contact me at bubbarogers1@comcast.net, we would love for you to share your testimony at either our Birthday Celebration or even better we would love for you to be one of our featured speakers at our Women’s Conference on May 18th! I look forward to hearing from you!!!!!!
I think we are twins separated in the pre-existence! You perfectly described me and how I feel (and I would venture to say many others)… Thank you for sharing your inspired insight…it is not a lesson I will soon forget! Keep being awesome!
My mother let me read your post and I loved it. For a while now I haven’t been feeling very confident in myself and that really helped me in school or at church. Thank you 🙂
Can I just tell you that I love you for posting this!! My friend emailed me the link to your website and this post, she didn’t know I needed it today (a day when I am filled with feelings of inadequacy) but I did! One drop of Awesome for her!!!
Thank you for this post! It was the culmination of a series of “happenings” that answered my prayers. Ever since I read it I have been going through my days noticing the good things I do and saying “drop of awesome!” I feel happy each time.
I really want to beg you to publish this. I want to own a hard copy so I can read it, and underline it, write notes in the margins, and put it in my journal, but most of all so I don’t have to worry that someday you may decide to stop blogging and it won’t be available anymore.
Thanks so much,
Eirinn
Since I’m a facebook nerd (meaning, I don’t do facebook as opposed to being BFF’s with facebook), I didn’t know about your post. Sorry. Apparently it’s quite a hit there (as it should be!). But someone commented on my blog today about it and so I googled and it’s wonderful. Really, superbly wonderful. I loved every word of it. I think you summed up so many feelings we all have as moms and seriously, I’m going to be repeating “yep, that’s a drop of awesome!” all day tomorrow and the next and the next. Thank you for putting this into words and posting it. You are an awesome mom and I’m so glad your drops of awesomeness can rub off on me!
hmmm… I smell a family home evening lesson. Thank you!
Thank you, truly I have read your blog for years and am always happier for it. Love you daring one!
Thank you so much for being daring enough to share your thoughts and testimony to the world. You are touching many lives of people you don’t even know, which means your little drops of awesomeness are causing a huge ripple effect. It also shows how one person can make a difference. With your post so many more of us will triumph in the little things we do each day. Truly a beautiful thing and deeply appreciated. Have you seen the Heart of Christmas Movie? Your blog post reminds me of the spear of influence we don’t realize that we have. Your spear of influence has greatly increased. Again Thank you so much and have an Awesome day.
Loved this. It made me think of The Screwtape Lettes by CS Lewis. Satan is so committed to us negating ourselves… If he can’t puff is up with pride, it’s the next weapon in his arsenal… Great read. XO
Thank you!!!!
I needed this. I am completely down. I have been sick. Really sick. Almost bedridden for the past two years. Today was an extremely rough day as I was seeing all the things I cannot do, all the ways I need others and see all the ways I am falling short. With tears in my eyes, thank you.
I felt the Spirit guide me to your blog post.
You have no idea how much my tender heart needed this today. Perfect timing. The Lords timing.
Thank you!
Jerlyn
Murphy-madhouse.blogspot.com
Jntmurphyathotmaildotcom
What a beautiful message! Thank you!
I cried and cried when I read this. How many times do we as women struggle with the shame of not being enough. I needed to hear these words so much. Thanks
My dear, this is an amazing post that you’ve shared with all of us! All I can say is a huge THANK YOU for such hopeful, joyous, and encouraging words! This was definitely something I needed to read and “hear” today . . . more than I can express. I’m looking forward to looking more around your blog. 🙂
Kathryn, you are a VERY talented writer! I saw this link bouncing around on Facebook, and I’m so glad I read it. Now I’m going to have to check out your other posts. Thank you for the beautiful message of this post.
Thank you soo much for this article! “Drops of awesome” is the perfect way to describe life as a mom and such an uplifting reminder. It truly touched my heart and has helped changed my perspective of myself as a mother.
Kathryn, someone reposted this on facebook and even though I haven’t followed your blog for a long time, I had to read it because I know you! (BYU library. Do you remember me?) And I even thought of you today because I got a puppy and we were trying to come up with a name and I thought of “Ruby” and I thought of you. Anyway, I think your bucket is pretty much overflowing with awesome. Thanks for being so honest and uplifting. I’m so glad our lives paths crossed–I am a better person for it.
I share your same faith, and this is great lesson for all of us moms to remember. There is a book at Costco, which is you same principle, about “buckets filled with love”.
Life changing post! Thank you for sharing! LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!
Wow. Thanks for this post. Tomorrow I’m going to start counting drops of awesome.
I am amazed by the talent of putting thoughts and feelings into words. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for your courage to post this. We all have at some time thought of perfection as inobtainable. You have proved it here an obtainable goal. God said “man is that he might have joy”. He meant not only joy in Christ, but in ourselves, our posterity, our friends, our pets (Ilost one just days ago.), and in all that is part of this life.
Thank you for restoring my joy, as it had left me for a time. God Bless You.
Thank you for the gentle reminder, this motherhood thing is a total process some days are a breeze while other days I feel like I am drowning. Your love was so genuine for your children and for your Savior. God Bless you!
this is not for publication, but would just like to suggest that you submit this to the Ensign for the magazine. Shared with my yoga group and they all loved it as much as I did. Made a hard copy to keep in my scriptures as a reminder. Can’t wait to see it in print.
Kathryn, I’m a book publisher who focuses on content that can help families be happy. Discovered your blog and wonder if you’d be interested in sharing short articles about motherhood on Familius.com and possible discussing a book idea focused around your blog idea. Please let me know. I look forward to hearing from you.
This is awesome! You write wonderfully and I loved it! I will be sharing this with my 2 daughters one who teaches the Laurels in her ward and the other that is Activity Leader for the 8-9 year old girls in hers! Thank you so much for posting!
This post just changed my whole perspective on things right now…I am 15 and I am LDS like you. I do the same thing…I tried to imagine being one of the girls in your class as you poured that pitcher of water into the bowl. I was overcome by the Spirit and even though I never cry. I cried. Thank you so very much for posting this. I really needed this today.
Thank you for putting into words what I feel all the time. I found that positive thinking instead of the constant self doubt, changed me from a homebound, sick and tired individual, to a contributing member of my family and society. Add an attitude of gratitude to the drops of awesome and you’ve got a winning combination.
This concept of counting drops of awesome is very similar to what Hilary Weeks talks about with her clicker (see the story at billionclicks.org). I’m going to incorporate the two and count my drops of awesome on my clicker.
Thank you! This made me just a little ready-eyed this morning.
the more we see positive in ourselves, the more positive we become. And there is scientific evidence as published by Caroline Leaf in Who Switched off my Brain. So trust me. YOU can also change who You are in Christ by using this example. Great post. You should send it in.
Thank you. As I held my daughter last night as she sobbed to me about how hard her life is. I thought to myself this is your fault you have not done enough as her mother. I have not been able to shake this cloud that has hung over me the last 24 hours. I have felt worthless and hopeless as a parent. Thank you for reminding me who I am and that I am not alone and for reminding me of all I have done and been to her. Thank you for being brave enough to put this out there.
Absolutely LOVE your insights! If it is alright I would like to use your words of wisdom on my blog (linking back to you, of course). I want to remember and refer to your thoughts often!
Hi Kathryn,
I don’t even know you and just got a link for this post from my awesome sister-in-law. This is just what I needed to hear today. Thank you for writing this post. I have been pondering how to help my son feel good about himself and this is just perfect. I will teach it in our FHE today. Hugs.
Masha
Thank you so so so much for this today. I think this post of yours is probably an answer to many prayers and salve for the heartache that so many of us experience. Encouragement, motivation, divine inspiration.
Thank you for posting this. Was a huge answer to prayer today.
Thank you for sharing these wonderful thoughts and insights. It is something I needed to hear and to keep being reminded of. It seems easier to focus on the negative and to take more effort to look at the positive things. I think I’m going to make a visual reminder of your message so that I will always remember how awesome we each are!!
YOU are awesome! What a wonderful post, and what a great, encouraging way to look at our everyday lives. I intentionally did not make any New Year’s resolutions this year, because I always “fail” by day 5 or 6 and feel like “well, this year’s another bust.” So this year I told myself that my only goal was to keep trying. If I can do that, even a little bit, every day, then I will slowly and gradually become a better person and accompish more of what’s important. This post just absolutely confirmed for me that I am on the right path with that way of thinking. I want to share this with everyone I know! Thank you so much for all your thoughts – and for the object lesson idea! I definitely see this being a family home evening in our near future. 😉
Thanks for for sharing your thoughts, feelings, and talents with so many! We have so much to grateful for because of our Savior! So many people especially women and mothers feel the same way that you described. I am excited to see your new book! AWESOME! Congrats!
This reminds me of a book, Putting on the Armor of God: Winning Your Battles with Satan by Steven Cramer. The adversary is whispering these lies in our ears, but we can choose to reject them, like you say in your post. It is good to see blogs that are uplifting. Thanks for sharing!
awesome! this helped me so much today!
I found your post through a link on Facebook, and though I don’t normally comment on complete strangers’ blogs, I just had to say thank you. I have been struggling with depression for a while, and every time I make an effort to change my thoughts, I’m overcome by my inadequacy. This post is truly an answer to prayer. Thank you for giving me a new way to think. I’m going to start my awesome drops right now!
I needed this so much today! I’ve been so down on myself lately…my ten year old is having some problems that I keep blaming myself for, (even though I know it’s not my fault), my house is always a mess…I’m always comparing myself to these ‘supermoms’ and feeling like I will never live up to the person I want to be. There’s always something more to be done and I’ve just been so overwhelmed. I’m so thankful for a loving Heavenly Father who inspired me to click the link to this post, even though I normally skip over things like this when I see them on Facebook. And thank you for your thoughts. You will never know how much they were needed today.
Thanks for sharing the object lesson. I bet those girls will remember it for a long time!
I just wanted to say thank you. This was something that I needed to hear, and I didn’t even realize it. I am not a crier, but I cried, and I cried hard. I feel so incredibly moved and hopeful. It’s so easy to ignore the great things you’ve done because of the mistakes that you’ve made. Thank you so much for sharing.
I’m a new convert to the LDS church and this is SUCH an awesome blog and really inspirational. Coming from a non-church background, I feel like all the other women in the church have so much more to give than I do, but I really recognize that I can make my own “drops of awesome” as long as I am striving to do better each and every day, and even when I make mistakes the atonement is there to lean on!
I ran across this link on another blog and clicked over. So glad I did, it’s exactly what I needed to hear. Thank you.
Beautiful post. I might just have to use this for my next RS lesson. Thank you.
I love the object lesson! So cool! I’m going to remember that one!
Great post.
Thanks for this post, my daughter shared it on facebook. Love it.
Beautiful reminder. I have struggled a lot with being “enough”. I don’t have kids yet. My husband constantly reminds me that he loves me, that I’m beautiful, that I’m x, y, and z. But I still beat down on myself because of my imperfections. I had to remind myself that the fact that I’m wanting to be better, is proof enough of my qualities-the fact that I care is admirable. The truth is (and I want a wall plaque): You are enough. I am enough. We are all enough-enough for our Savior’s love. Enough to be happy.
You’re on to something!! Inspired.
Thank you so much 🙂 I have been struggling with this alot lately. I hadn’t thought about it in this way but it puts life into perspective.
Great post. When I reposted on my FB, here’s what I wrote: First, I like anyone who says “for heck’s sake” in today’s world… Second she uses one of my favorite scriptures at the end. Third, the entire post is spot-on real, inspirational an excellent review of one of the grandest truths in the cosmos. Read this entire thing!
Also, anyone battling the ugly voices can benefit from subscribing to http://www.flylady.com. She will flywash your brain and you will love it! 🙂
Thank you!
Now I just have to figure out a way share this with our YW.
that is beautiful! Just think of how many prayers you have answered! Often our prayers are answered by other people in our lives, or reading a well-thought out and realistic blog. Thank you so much!
I really enjoyed this post and what it truly means for each and every human being. Thank you for you insight and thoughts. It really made my day.
I love this and needed to hear it right at this moment. THANK YOU.
Loved this !!!!!
Wish I could imbed the whole article in my mind for future comments with others in need of hearing.
This was just a beautiful post..and I am shlepping YOU on my blog roll…I want people to read you. God bless.
Thank you so much for the reminder that a good act today is not diminished by something we forgot to do or avoided yesterday. “Today I was a good mom” gives me more power to progress tomorrow than “boy I blew it last week!” Brilliant!
Thanx this was very uplifting. I hope it will be okay to share it with others if it be on a personal level or in a group. If not will you please let me know. Thanx again for these wonderful words.
My tears just flowed out while reading your blog. I am not alone, indeed! You have wrote down the feelings and experieces that I have and been struggling with.
I read the comments of others. Same with them, it is a great comfort and answer to prayer. I have seen this post before but I did not open it till today. A good timing.
I am grateful for the lesson and ecncouragement that you shared.
I would like to share this lesson with my girls in our activity days.
Thanks much and more power!!! YOU are AWESOME!!
Mary June
I have been thinking in these same terms as you lately!! I recently had another baby and felt like the worst mom for, what I feel, neglecting my other little ones. I have generally been an all or nothing person and have suffered from great depression because of it. Lately, and I have no idea why it took me this long to come to the realization, I looked at one of my little guys who didn’t realize I’d been feeling like a failure by not giving him enough of my attention as I feel he deserves, and he smiled up at me and nuzzled me and put his little arms around me and told me he loves me. I realized I could be a great mother to him in the moment and maybe it would be a moment he would remember and cherish…because I do feel that way about him even if I can’t always demonstrate it as effectively as I’d like to. Since then I have been noticing that I could talk positively to myself of all the good things I do and forgive teh slipups. I can start each day fresh with the goal to be the person I want but KNOW I will fall short in some way but to let it go, be the best me I can be in any moment, and just enjoy the journey as it happens and hopefully teach my boys to do the same! Well, what I guess I am trying to say here is thank you for this post!! I too am LDS and it is really what I needed to hear from another right now. Thank you for sharing and for the described activity, it brought it home to me!! <3
much needed. i really loved this. thank you.
Get out your pitcher because you just earned a drop of awesome for every word you wrote. My perspective is completely changed. Deep heartfelt thanks to you.
I just thought I’d let you know we talked about this at FHE last night, and we’ve created a Bucket of Awesome for our family goal this year. We will write on pieces of paper when WE do something awesome or when we see someone else in our family doing something awesome. Then we’ll read them out loud at FHE every week. Seems like a perfect way to look for the good in others AND in ourselves. Thanks for the great idea!
WOW! I am that person!! As I began to read this I was like, wow better check that I didn’t write this last night in my journal!! THIS is EXACTLY how I treat myself!! I am a single mother of 5 AMAZING, did I say, AMAZING children!! They are AWESOME!! I am that mom who thinks, I got my bra on WOOHOOT…and rushes late out the door everywhere wondering if it was on inside out…who cares, it’s doing the job…:) But that negative inner voice loves to hate my goodness and I feel so down most of the time! I critisize myself all day long and wonder why my kids love ME! I cannot tell you how GRATEFUL I am to have stumbled upon this post!! I have read that scripture many times and from time to time can see the implications..never has it really occued to me in this light!! And that is what this post is for me, LIGHT…Thank you for your honesty! I know I shouldn’t be grateful for someone suggesting they are part nocturnal and sleep later than they should but..I AM! It changes the tone of my whole day and is usually where my inner war begins!! So THANK YOU is not enough but it’s one drop of awesomeness I freely offer! I stopped long enough to READ this and I know it is going to be a source of strength in the life ahead of me!! God does love me..Now I can love myself one tiny drop of awesomeness as a time!! Loved your analogy of the ATONEMENT here as well!! Truly a great FHE lesson idea!! Off I go to grab that granola bar wrapper just peeking out from under the couch…for I honeslty don’t know how long 😉 Thanks again! Sincerely, READY TO RECOGNIZE MY AWESOMENESS!
Sharon
What a beautiful and insightful article, and much needed my me and my family right now. I’m re-posting it, printing it, and using it starting today. I also love the idea that Karen gave and we may be doing this too!!
Thank you.
A friend of mine shared this on facebook, and boy did i need it today! My house is a disaster and my kids are fighting and my day was going downhill FAST (and it’s not even 8 am!)
Those discouraging remarks are things i hear every single day from my own inner voice. Every time i do something good, it’s washed away by despair over the things i DIDN’T do. It’s a hard habit to overcome. But like everything else, i think it’s just one of those things you have to practice. “I did something good and let myself feel good about it. Drop of awesome.” 🙂 Anyway, thank you so much for your inspiring post. I’ll be sharing it on Facebook too.
Great post. There are so many times that I am overcome with my inadequacies that it would seem that the only solution is to sink deeper into despair and quit trying. Great object lesson and great imagery of what truly matters in life.
Thank you for pouring your heart out here. It is beautiful to read. A wonderful reminder to step back and see the good we really do. YOU are AWESOME! Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!! 🙂
Wow! I just taught the YW in our stake something very similar. I talked about some days we’re grumpy. Some days we mess up, but some days we push back and move forward….some days we are awesome! I gave them bracelets that said “TBA Today Be Awesome” Because in my own life, that mantra help me dust myself off and push forward with joy.
This is beautiful! Thanks for sharing
Thank you for sharing this. It made me not feel so guilty about letting my kids eat pumpkin pie for breakfast this morning after 2 weeks of the nastiest flu bug/sinus headache/cough ever. Think of all that vitamin A awesomeness I let them have for breakfast. And, I love the object lesson. Purely awesome!!!
Thank you, this really hit home for me.
With treats streaming down my face I say, “thank you” for giving me permission to feel awesome, for allowing the spirit to testify of this truth we so often allow the adversary to cloud. Very well said.
Thanks I needed this today!
I think that this is great. I think that most of us moms (or even women without kids) get sucked into the whole mindset that we are never good enough. At least I know I do. But then I started to think (the epiphany was just this week) that instead of feeling overwhelmed because I am far from being a super mom or wife of the year because I don’t have a spotless house or pay every second of the day to my child, to just focus on small things and do even one small thing a day. I have only started doing this, but I really feel like I accomplished something big–even if it’s a mundane thing like organizing the spice drawer. It may seem like peanuts to others, but it is a big accomplishment for me. From now on, I will need to think of these things as small drops in the bucket of my awesomeness. Thanks. 🙂
This is amazing! Really loved this. Thank you for helping me to change my perspective. As moms we are really critical of ourselves and we DO do so many great things at any given moment but we fail to recognize those ‘drops of awesome’ because we let the not so great moments cloud our visions of who we are and who the Lord knows us to be.
I love how you said here “who the Lord KNOWS us to be”. That’s exactly it. He knows who we are. I don’t think we always do.
You were definitely inspired by the Holy Ghost! I for one needed to read this, along with the others. I never forgot the article I read in July 1997 Ensign on Adversity. I was in a state of depression, and it was why me? Why is this happening to me? Until, I read that article that changed the way I look at adversities. Now, it’s OMGosh! We’ve got a really big blessing coming, cause this is a big bad adversity we’re going through right now! So, the bigger the adversity, the bigger the blessing. Now, this give’s me a new way of looking at myself and others. It’s like, thinking you gotta get a 2 yr supply of food storage together. It overwhems you! But, if you buy it a little at a time, you can get that 2 yr supply together. So, by working on your drops of awesome for the day, and each day. The changes will happen, and mold you into a better person! I’m gonna print and post on my frig as a daily reminder, not just for me. For others in the household as well. I never thought, I would be able to spiritually grow out here in Siberia! In the middle of no where! hahhaa! The lord reaches out to all, somehow, someway! Thank You so much!
Thank you so much for this! Really, it’s changed the way I’m thinking already – a little drop of awesome. 🙂
Our relief society Pres. read your very special ‘drops of awesome ‘ in meeting yesterday. It filled my eyes with tears and all there felt the spirit. It is my prayer that every daughter of God will realize the blessings we have and look at the positive things in our lives and all that we can do. We are not all alike–but all of us can be more positive with ourselves and look for the good in ourselves as we do in others. This is very important–to see the good in the world and to help each other to see the good in ourselves. Thank you for a meaningful and productive lesson!
I seriously needed this. I have two step kids and one of my own, and my husband and I are having another baby on the 8th of February, so I have very limited mobility, not to mention I’ve been sick with the flu and am also on bed rest, so I can’t accomplish a whole lot, and I beat myself up about not having the energy to do 5 people’s laundry, or unload and load the dishwasher, or make an extravagant meal for dinner. Yesterday I got excited that I was able to organize dirty dishes in the sink and spread peanut butter on a slice of bread without passing out. And sitting in church for 3 hours is absolutely out of the question. I can barely sit for more than 10 minutes. My husband gently prompts me not to get so down on myself because I can’t physically do more.
You touched my heart and made me really think about who I am….and my relationship with the Lord.
As I was reading, I totally relate. Mother of 4, messy house most of the time, heck, it’s almost noon and I haven’t even gotten dressed yet! Half way down the post I was thinking: that one thing this morning- I was someone who keeps their word! and Then I did that other thing- I was someone who follows through and gets thing done! Oh Yeah! I wanted to get a jar and start filling it with drops!
Then, I got to your thoughts on our relationship with the Savior. How humbling. I am crying as I type. Thank you. I cannot tell you how needed that was or how deeply it touched me. (Ugh. I sound like my Mom, but it is true.) Obviously, by your post you are LDS. I can honestly say in this writing you fulfilled that line, “The errand of angels is given to women.”
THANK YOU for being inspired to write this post! It came at a much needed time. (not by accident I’m sure). I plan on using this both in FHE and in a RS lesson. Not to mention just remembering your words in my everyday life. THank you for making me feel AWESOME! We are moms, and we do the best we can!
I appreciate the post, and the comments.
Thank you
I have never thought of all these tings in this manner. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! I am very appreciative for this post to come into my life today. I believe the words that you have so elequently put together are exactly what this woman needed.
I have lost my sense of worth and have felt quite lonely and sad but…I now have an exciting adventure to follow. I am forever grateful to you for your perspective on life and giving to me the tools or the DROPS of AWESOME to find along my own journey. again I thank you my friend:)
Thank you! I need to remind myself of this often!
We did this for FHE last night, and it will by my Visiting Teaching message today. Thank you so much for your insight. You are AWESOME!
I cut the words, “Drops of Awesome” out of vinyl and put it on our fridge to remind the family of the Awesome lesson we had in FHE last night. Thank You!
You wrote this as an answer to my prayer today. Just wanted you to know that:)
I cannot begin to understand how hard it is to be a mother in this world. But! I do know its difficult to be a father. Reading Alma chapter 7 today was the first drop of scripture reading awesome that has really hit me in a long time. Thanks for the great post, and thanks to my wife for leaving it open for me to read. She is a tanker truck full of AWESOME!!!!
Great post and insight- this post reminds me of the book I am reading: “Falling to Heaven” by James Ferrell. Every page is full of new insights and helps you to recognizes truths you may have never considered before. You would all love it. Read it!!
This was so beautiful! It espouses so much of what I believe, and a wisdom I have been trying to impart with other. Thank you for posting this. I will be sharing this on my One Day of Peace FB page, and link it on my blog for others to read, I love it that much!
This post was so great! thank you for writing this! I think this also applies to how we treat others especially our children and spouse. I want to read this to my family and then teach this to them by the way I treat them.
Thank you
This was fantastic. I have been filled with the spirit by reading this. Thank you so much!
This was just what I was praying for, I have read this many times. Thank you!
As a mom who’s scared and nervous because she’s starting homeschooling and found out she’s pregnant, I needed this. I feel inadequate. Thank you for reminding me that through the Savior’s love and atonement that’s OK.
I don’t have to be perfect every day, all day. I just have to do the best I can and the Savior makes up the rest.
Drops of awesome is right! What an amazingly encouraging post.
Wow. Thank you. I needed that so much!
THANK YOU for a new perspective today! I appreciate your thoughts.
A friend of mine linked this on facebook. Thank you. Sent your link to my mom and sister. Wonderful, wonderful post. As LDS women, it is so, so easy to get caught up in what we’re NOT doing. Thank you for the reminder.
wow! really touched my heart today.
… Katie… thankyou for these very heartfelt and inspiring words… even an old lady need to be reminded of these very things… i popped on to your blog from a friends f.b. post and saw your smile and recognized you right away …you have grown into a beautiful woman… got a fun card from your mom and dad for Christmas … all the best Laurel ..
simply beautiful, thanks for sharing, I am teaching about the atonement in seminary tomorrow, this couldn’t be more perfect for my class.
(I haven’t read all 435 comments, so perhaps someone has already said this.)
There is an even more expansive way to look at this — one which I think is very important. It’s great that you walked your son to the bus stop. It really truly is. But it’s also great that you usually let him go by himself. Giving your children the room to exercise independence is a marvelous thing.
So you just waved at your neighbor instead of stopping. You waved! Every positive human contact is a gift for someone who’s depressed.
So you don’t always get a bra on before your son goes to school. Terrific! You’re teaching him that appearance matters a whole lot less than breakfast, getting to school on time, and any number of other things. I mean, gosh, look at what you’d be teaching him if you got up super early to put on a bra and makeup so he didn’t ever see you looking like a normal human being?
So you had a critical thought about your kid. That’s important. It tells me you probably aren’t praising him for every little thing he’s doing. Kids need to know when they’ve messed up. And they need to know that you love them no matter what mistake they’ve made.
Sounds like you’re doing a heck of a job.
I have read through the 450 comments and -Nope! No one has said that. Thanks for the great insight and for helping me look at things in a different light.
I am soo glad that I followed the link from Just Sew Sassy. This was very uplifting at a time I really needed it. I’ve been beating myself up a lot over my failures, not seeing the drops of awesome. You showed me how to think in order to think more positively about myself. I printed up all of these great Bible quotes from online with awesome pictures attached that I planned to put up randomly to constantly be a reminder. They are in a pile. Maybe I’ll just do a couple a day, maybe I won’t be consistent. Maybe that’s ok. There’s always different stuff going on each day. Thank you!
Janet
Oh, the mommy guilt can be so destructive. Whenever I get bogged down with that weight, I remember that Christ died for us while we were still sinners. He came to redeem us, and even works through our failures to accomplish the purposes He has set for us. As an insightful pastor once said at a Bible study I attended, it is not our faith that saves us, but WHO our faith is in that holds us strong. My weaknesses drive me back to the Word and His truth:
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. -2 Corinthians 5:21
For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us wither like a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. -Isaiah 64:6
But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. -Romans 3:21 – 22
But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. -Ephesians 2:4-9
I adore this post and the great reminder and visual it has been for me! I am in the ward that your cousin, Elder Steele is serving in in Texas and awesomeness runs in your family! He is a wonderful missionary that has been an awesome example to my 3 little boys. We adore him! I LOVE your blog!
I LOVED this post!! Thank you so much for sharing! I really needed this, and I’ve made it my New Year’s Resolution to give myself drops of awesome. 🙂 Thank you thank you! 🙂
Thanks for this wonderful reminder to squash those negative voices and celebrate the tiny successes that work toward bringing us closer to the Divine! And I love that object lesson :>)
Thank you for this beautiful and inspired post. Just what I needed.
Very well put. Thank you, Sister.
A resounding “Amen”. Very well and might I add, awesomely said.
Thank you so much! This is exactly what I needed to hear!
Thanks so much this is what I needed, yes I do have a tendency to ditz on myself, we all do, but in my old age I find those small drops of awesome is really what makes the world go around: may I say BEAUTIFULLY SAID!!!!!!
wow. i came across a link to this post. i really needed this today. i have been very sick for about 6 weeks now. this is my 5th pregnancy so i know the drill. this will last a very very very long time for me. and the guilt has set in. as if i didn’t already feel like a failure in my life, but then it was even more evident during this pregnancy that i am a bad mom. i cannot even feed my kids or get them ready for school because i have been so so sick. you have inspired me to do something VISUAL for the rest of my pregnancy–so i can get through this feeling more POSITIVE about what I CAN do and not what I am failing at. and the visual in my mind of you overflowing the bowl? tears streaming down my face. sometimes i forget that the atonement is not just for sin, it is for how i am feeling right now. and only HE knows. and only HE can compensate for my failures. THANK YOU.
My sister sent me the link to this post earlier today because she felt prompted to. It was everything I needed right now and brought me to tears. Thank you so much for sharing this!
This should be submitted to the Ensign. Super awesome. You may have just changed my life. Now I just have to start counting my drops!
Thank you so much! I am in tears as I write this. Thank you for listening to the spirit and sharing your thoughts and beliefs with others so that we can all learn and grow. I just happened to click on this link and I feel so blessed for doing so. Thank you again and God bless you and your family :).
Well Said! I can definitely relate!
Thank you for sharing. This is a constant battle for me. It was very good to hear your perspective.
Thank you for this. I feel awesome now.so able to feel part of a community where we all feel the same way but do t have the words like you do to eloquently express it. It is also amazing that there are so many of us who say these things in our heads. Again, makes me feel like I am not so alone. Sending you drops of awesome!
Your words were a blessing to me this morning. Thank you!
Thank you for this, Kat! I found you (& this post, in particular) via Momastery… and what a good find, to be sure! Thanks for sharing your awesomeness with us. <3
this was an amazing post! thank you so much, i needed to hear this. we will have this on our family rules wall (up lifting sayings). thank you thank you thank you!
you have no idea of the gift you have given me with this piece…
thank you so much!!
I came across this shared post on my news feed on facebook. I just want to say that you are not alone in this journey. I often do the very same thing. This has completely touched me. Thank you for this . <3
I needed this today…everyday.
Thanks!
So many of us can relate… off to spread my own drops of awesome around. Thank you!
Wow, thanks. And I agree, every woman should print, share, re-read and internalize this message. I know I will.
Thank you sooo much. I’m printing this off to store it and read it again and again so that this message can really sink in (I know it hasn’t yet, since as I read it I found myself thinking “yeah, well, she probably really IS a good mom/wife/person, while I really AM a bum”). I love the atonement tie-in at the end. Perfect analogy!
This is just. . . perfect. And exactly what I needed to read this morning. I also need to remember that awesome comes in all different shapes and sizes and colors. And sometimes I choose one kind of awesome (rushing my kids out the door to get to work on time and be a good professional) and sometimes I choose a different kind of awesome (taking a few extra minutes to snuggle or play trains and stride into work 15 minutes late). Just because earning that drop of awesome meant giving a little somewhere else doesn’t mean it makes you any less awesome! Love love love this!
Wow! Those are my daily constant negative thoughts exactly, almost word for word. I didnt realize how much I actually do this, till I read this article. Thank you so much for the wonderful inspiration. This is exactly what I needed right now in my life.
thank you so, so much…for reminding us of who we are. grateful for your voice.
Thank you SO much for these wonderful spirit filled inspired words! I needed to read this and am SO thankful to my Father in Heaven for giving us the gosple and sisters to strengthen and share and support each other. This is beautiful and inspired.
As a grandmother and a mother of 4, I can tell you this is an amazing post. We all need to stop focusing on what we didn’t do and rejoice in those amazing moments with our kids where we just love them and know that it is the love, not the missing elements, that reflect true parenting and create long lasting relationships with our kids! I loved this post! Thanks for posting this message as a great reminder to enjoy the wonderful moments we have with our children – and that our children have with us.
I needed this post today, Kathryn–especially the parts about (failing in my) faith. I haven’t visited your blog in a long time–mainly because I stopped blogging. Can’t believe Magoo is in 2nd grade. I’m so glad to see you’re still blogging, and I hope you are doing well. Happy 2013!
Darcie (surcie.typepad.com)
I needed this today. Thank you!
There aren’t sufficient words to tell you what this meant to me. It was happenstance finding this…i take that back, I found this because of how desperately I needed to hear it. Thank you.
A huge thank you from Sweden!
This is just what I needed today 🙂
thank you i needed that alot!
Thank you for this. I read this yesterday after someone shared in on the Momastery wall and found your words playing in my head today just when I needed to hear them. I hope I can keep it up because it’s so powerful/ empowering. I’m glad to see that Glennon has now shared it – I know it will help so many others too.
THANK YOU again 🙂
This made my day…week…year…life! Thank you for a wonderful perspective.
YESSSSSS!!!!! I do not share your faith, but I do share your point of view on Drops of Awesome, and God most certainly used you to speak to me today. Thank you for your courage and your Light!
That was awesome and I needed it today!
YOU are awesome. Everything you said rang true to me. You seem so down to earth and so uplifting at the same time. Thank you.
Thank you for sharing this. I feel this way a lot of the time & your wisdom helped me realize it’s ok & how to move forward. Your object lesson near the end brought me to tears. I am grateful for a friend that shared this link on Facebook & I have shared it on mine as well. Thank you again 🙂
I needed this SO much. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! I have a chronic illness and always feel like I’m letting someone down, my husband, my kids, myself… This is awesome and I’ll keep a copy close so I can be reminded of this as often as I need to be!
Very well said…
Thank you for taking the time to post this!
We all need to remember those amazing drops of Awesome!
Happy parenting :O)
I was very ill when my kids were little. It was so hard to even get them dressed sometimes. You never know what life will throw at you. I had the best of intentions and wanted to do so much more than what I was physically able to. I discovered I was perfect for my kids all they really wanted was my love and attention. They didn’t see all that I wasn’t able to do. I brought them in bed with me and colored, read books, did crafts etc on days I wasn’t well. I learned to stop focusing on what I hadn’t gotten done and celebrate what I had even if it was simple. Years later I am much better and look back at those times fondly because they were filled with lots of love and snuggling time.
It doesn’t look like you need another comment on this post but I just want you to know that I’ve been inspired. These words are eternal truth and words that all moms need to read. I am so glad a friend shared this on her facebook today. I am following your blog because I love real and I know you will inspire me again. And also because I am so glad to know that I am not the only nocturnal-creatured mother out there. 🙂
Thank you, with a full heart . . . things I know, but needed to hear.
Wow. That is SO insightful. And JUST what I needed to read. It is so true that if we just let ourselves have our drops of awesome (instead of being all “so you’re reading him a book. how much TV has he watched today?”) it would begit more and more because we could let ourselves feel good about it. And it would be such a great thing for our kids and everyone around us and of course ourselves. Heck, this post was a whole ocean of awesome flooding lots of people all from the little drops of awesome you let yourself have!
I love this object lesson. So beautiful! Thanks for sharing and inspiring. You should turn it into the Ensign.
You have impacted my life today! Put another drop of awesome in your bucket! Thanks!!!
Your Drops of Awesome are oil in your lamp! Thanks for the tears.
Wow, Thank you.
I love this! I so needed to hear it. I have been struggling for weeks with this. To know that I am not the only woman who struggles like this is some what of a relief. I am printing so I can reread when ever I need to!! And I will be sharing! Thank you again
Thank you for this awesome post. I have to be honest, I almost stopped reading part way through because for some very silly reason I have always thought about doing what is right in a more “black or white” outlook. In my head I was telling myself that your post was just justifying not being the best you can be ALL the time. But, I kept reading and I am so glad I did. When I got tho the part about the object lesson you did for your Young Women, tears started to stream down my cheeks. The visual of the pitcher of water with the word “Atonement” on it was so wonderful. Not only does this apply to me (and thank heaven that it does), but it also applies to others around me. Namely, that humble guy I call husband. If I am allowed to count my drops one drip at a time and then have my bowl filled with the savior’s love, then so is he and, so is everyone else that I feel so inclined to judge along the way. I am sorry that I judged your words too quickly. Your words really have given me a sense of peace and hope.
I came across this on my Facebook home page today, read it, and gasped!
The last few days I’ve been “on top of things”, so to speak. And you wouldn’t believe how many times I’ve told myself “This won’t last”, “Remember the last time you felt this way. You will mess up again”, etc.. And then a similar thought to yours popped in my head, and I fought back with “But you are doing it now. And “now” is what matters.” I had never thought that way before.
And then, today came along. It was like I’ve been led to your post, because today I did fail. All didn’t go to plan. Today I failed yet again. And then I felt that bucket pour on me as I read about it, and was touched. Thank you for helping me hold on, stay positive, and focus on my “drops of awesome”. You were truly inspired! 🙂
Thank you! This is so true and exactly what every woman needs to hear:) Thanks for sharing.
This is just AWESOME! More drops of awesome for you for posting this! :)))))
Thank you! I stumbled across this on facebook today. One of my friends posted it, and put in CAPS “ALL MOMS NEED TO READ THIS!” Reading this today has been an answer to prayer. This is exactly what I needed to hear. Keep being awesome! 🙂
When I go on Facebook and see my friends, who have no personal connection to you, sharing a link to an amazing blog and I can say, “Yeah. She’s my cousin.” That is pretty awesome. Thank you for sharing your amazing thoughts and talents. This was an inspired post.
I can’t even explain to you how much I needed to hear this today, and for a long time. Thank you so very much for this truly inspired post! I’m sure this post has touched many, but I can assure you that I was one of the reasons you were meant to post this. In fact, I may just print it out and put it by my bed so I can read it often, just to remind myself that I am a great mother/wife/daughter/friend/etc., even if I’m not 100% perfect all the time. All the time doesn’t matter. This time does.
I too came across this on Facebook, and love the scripture you quoted. I am a wood Carver and that exact scripture came to mind as one small chip at a time, my block of wood, would change and become a Master piece. Funny thing is that when my carving is almost done the chips are barely enough to call a chip. Thanks for inspiring me to do more and live in my ” awesomeness”. What I needed today, thanks for sharing.
My sister emailed this blog post today. It made her cry. This reminded me of one of my all time favorite poems/
Little drops of water
Little drops of water,
little grains of sand,
make the mighty ocean
and the beauteous land.
And the little moments,
humble though they may be,
make the mighty ages
of eternity.
Little deeds of kindness,
little words of love,
make our earth an Eden,
like the heaven above.
So our little errors
lead the soul away,
from the paths of virtue
into sin to stray.
Little seeds of mercy
sown by youthful hands,
grow to bless the nations
far in heathen lands.
Glory then for ever
be to God on high,
beautiful and loving,
to eternity.
Julia Carney, 1845
I’m not a mom, but I needed this also. You captured in a beautiful way how the Atonement can and does fill our lives. Oh, if I/we can just remember this!
This is great! I can relate to this and I am not a mom. I am also very excited to share this with my mommy friends!
This was exactly what I needed to hear when a friend forwarded it to me! I had been feeling inadequate but really, I do have MOMENTS where I have drops of awesome, and I’ve found that as I recognize them, they increase – yea! Then there’s the atonement, and that just takes care of the rest – how wonderful! Thank you for pointing this all out so beautifully, and for the lovely “Drops of Awesome” catchphrase!
Totally needed this today. Thank you for putting this out there to lift others up. Perfect!
Thank you. I needed this today.
I am sobbing. My heart is so full of hurt and disappointment. Thank you
Wow. Just, wow. You just lifted my day out of “horrible day full of self-loathing” status into “I’m kind of awesome” status. This post is a huge splash of awesome! Thank you.
I work as a Marriage and Family Therapist. One of my main goals in working with my clients is to help them understand that just because they are not a perfect person they can still have moments of happiness and contentment in their lives. I try and teach them to look for these moments and that every day is a new day. I think from now on I’ll use your description of “Drops of Awesome” to help my clients understand that just a bit better. Thanks for the great post!
I really needed this! You have added a BIG DROP OF AWESOME by sharing this with all of us 🙂
Wow. Your post so resonated with me. I love how you brought the Atonement front and center. As a mom, I feel inadequate so often and I forget (or get distracted or tired) to let Him fill my bucket. Thank you for your sincerity and for your testimony. I needed it today.
My sister posted this on facebook and it is so perfect. As woman we are always beating ourselves up. This was so nice to hear. I think Satan does a good job of cutting us down until we can’t give at the level we were meant to give. I love your lesson with the YW about adding the water, the Atonement. Amazing! Thank you for sharing. This is just what women all over need to hear, especially me. I related so much to so many things you said, like stepping over the wrapper. Thank you!
Thank you so much for this Drop of Awesomeness! Thank you, thank you, thank you! As women it’s so easy to get down on ourselves, which is not what Heavenly Father wants. Thank you for reminding me that it’s okay to not have all the answers at once; it’s okay to take things one step at a time. I really needed this. Thank.You.
Truly awesome!!!!. Thanks a lot. You made my day…
Im so glad i saw my friends post. Truly inspiring. I talk about life in general on my blog along with special moments with my family. I felt like this post reinspired me. Thank you i look forward to following your blog.
Wonderful! Great post. I have had it recommended by several people and just read it. Thanks so much. I am awesome. 🙂
Wow, thank you so much for this wonderful insight. If being self depreciating was an olympic sport I would be a gold medalist. Thank you for helping me realize this is no way to live and I really can change such damning and hurtful behavior. What an inspiration! thank you for sharing this.
Thank you so much! I really needed to hear every word of that!
A friend emailed this to me yesterday but it didn’t say what blog it came from. Then tonight another friend posted the link to your blog attached to it to Facebook. I am so glad to have the opportunity to tell you how amazing this is. I forwarded this on to my grown daughters and daughter in law. All women need to read and re-read this. I printed it off so that I can. Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom with us all.
This is WONDERFUL and very similar to something my mom and sisters and I started doing. We realized that we always have lists of things we need to get done and at the end of the day instead of giving ourselves credit for what we accomplished, all we can see is our never-ending list of what still needs to be done. I, personally, was having trouble feeling happy and fulfilled as a mom. So we each bought a cute journal and every day we write down what we did do!–whatever was an accomplishment for me for that day. Some days I write down lots of things like folding laundry, making phone calls, bringing dinner to a neighbor etc. But some days, and I think these are the days i need it most, the most I can manage are things like–I got out of bed. I fed my kids. I made it through another day without selling my kids to the gypsies! I give myself credit if I resist negative thoughts about myself and I keep a tally next to that for every single time I resist that negative thought through out the day. I have truly come to believe that this is the way the Lord sees us. At the end of the day, he is not thinking, “I’m really disappointed you didn’t get your dishes washed.” No. He is looking at all the things we DID do! It truly has been a life changing experiment for me because it has helped me see myself the way the Lord sees me. It has helped me see my role as a mother as something important when I write down, “took care of my children by feeding them.” “Made my daughter laugh.” “took advantage of a small teaching moment” or “created a little corner of cleanliness in my bedroom.” Thank you for your post it has been a great reminder to me about why doing this is so important!
Wow. I was resonating with this post all the way through (and actually paused to go pick up that blue crayon that’s been living under my couch. Awesome!!) And then I got to the imagery of pouring the Atonement pitcher. I had a chill run up my body, and a feeling whisper to my heart: this is true.
Thank you for sharing this wisdom. You have blessed my life. Now I must go ponder….
I found this on facebook too like some of the other people above. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!! It has been very inspiring!!
What a great post! My husband is a mission president in Argentina and I am excited to share this with the missionaries at zone conference. Thank you. Something fun for me is that your husband went to school with my daughter! Small world!
Starting now this guilt-ridden, struggling mother of 4 young boys, who thinks she’s the crappest mum on earth is going to start counting her drops of awesome.
Thanks.
Thank you, thank you. I so needed to hear this. My good mommy moments are often ruined by my thoughts of why I’m not always that good. I will now strive to find joy in those moments instead of having my good choices end in guilt over not being better.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU for sharing this. I’m so grateful for your insight and your willingness to share your thoughts. I started reading this and started crying because it’s like you’re in my head. I am going do this and teach my girls to start telling themselves they are awesome and not to get down on themselves.
THANK YOU for sharing your beautiful thoughts! Your obvious caring, kind, and loving nature in posting this is a WHOLE BOWL of AWESOME! You have cheered me up (not that I was even down!), you have inspired me, and, in turn, I will share your post with my staff, my clients (young adults with mental health issues),and my friends in the hopes of inspiring THEM. If you haven’t heard about it, check out The Nurtured Heart Approach…..you my find it inspiring as well! God bless you for sharing your Awesome with the rest of us! =)
Wow! This is just what I needed today! It’s like a lightbulb just turned on in my mind and now I really understand! Thank you so much for sharing this.
Drops of AWESOME: truly a blessing to hear such great wisdom. I had just finished praying; asking for some help with a couple things that were giving me a good struggle. I never look at my phone at night and check messages, especially after praying, but this particular time I did for some reason. As soon as I began reading this email, I felt a great outpouring of love from my Heavenly Father 🙂 What a blessing to be reminded that despite my struggles, I’m still awesome in the sight of the 🙂 I will improve my vision to see the drops of awesomeness that happen in my life 🙂 Thank you for listening to the inspiration you received and sharing this message with all of us! Much appreciated 🙂
Sobbing…..thank you, thank you, thank you!!! I’m so grateful to you for having no fear in sharing the truth that our Heavenly Father gave you in that moment! I will look at my life in such a different way now! We all have experiences in our lives that give us more truth and knowledge about who we were created to be, and sharing those helps others to find it within themselves. Thank you again for sharing that amazing and much needed light with the world!
Kathryn,
Thank you for reminding me of what I learned 22 years ago. . . I, too, spent a year letting the truthfulness of this sink into my heart…I just couldn’t believe it….how could I be “awesome” if all that I didn’t do was still NOT DONE??!! But it finally went from my head, to my heart and I felt the Lord’s love change me, change my thoughts, and I began to change my actions and began to love myself and The Lord even more. But old habits die hard, and I returned to my former “emotionally nag and beat myself into submission” behaviors, as if I were some deeply evil person who had no ability to do anything “good” unless whipped into it. I mean, “Come 0n, if I don’t whip myself I might start wearing black leather mini skirts to Church!”…..That perfectionism thing is brutal, and stan (Satan, if you type really fast emailing your children, …and he doesn’t deserve to have his name capitalized anyway….) is the author of those “Perfection or Nothing” types of thoughts. Believing those negative things is the how we drive a wedge between ourselves and the truth about who and whose we are. I am so very grateful you wrote and posted this, and so grateful my 29 year old eldest daughter, mother of my two grandgirls, and an Editor, so I realize I have MANY run on sentences in here, sent me the link, pretty much saying “Mom, I told you, you were an awesome Mom…”. My five children have told me this, over and over, and yet I have continued to brow beat myself, even though I learned this 22 years ago myself. This is what I have realized…
Alma 32:38 But if ye neglect the tree, and take no thought for its nourishment, behold it will not get any root; and when the heat of the sun cometh and scorcheth it, because it hath no root it withers away, and ye pluck it up and cast it out.
39 Now, this is not because the seed was not good, neither is it because the fruit thereof would not be desirable; but it is because your aground is barren, and ye will not nourish the tree, therefore ye cannot have the fruit thereof.
This scripture applies to so many things and in this particular “thing”
loving yourself is the tree, repeatedly telling yourself the truth is the nourishment, and by refusing to tell ourselves the truth everyday and not praying because “We are not good enough”, we are pretty much saying “NO, I am not a good enough tree, I am not tall enough, or have enough leaves, or green enough, I do not deserve water, don’t water me until I am good enough…..!!!” We keep ourselves from the “nourishment” we need to grow and become. We scorch and wither ourselves because we deny the truth and make ourselves barren by refusing to nourish ourselves, or believe the truth. And stan wants us to believe this, why? Because when we do believe, we have POWER to overcome him and his minnions….
Thank you so much, for this reminder….at 52, today, I begin again to believe the truth.
Betsy
fyi, My middle name is Kathryn, (“spelt with a K”…!) and I live in the southeastern corner of Washington State.
Ditto to all the above!! I just wanted to share my thanks for following your feelings and posting such an inspiring story and insights. What a perfect perspective to have going into a new year with new resolutions…to be more aware of all the little awesome/joyful moments in our daily lives:)
THANK YOU!!! This post is exactly what I needed today.
This is just what I needed… Thank you! You have brought me to my knees. (in a good way). Your message has caused deep thought and personal reflection. It has opened my heart allowing me to feel my Heavenly Father’s love!
On a lighter note… It makes me think of the Special K commercial that only says positive words of encouragement 🙂
http://spwchannel.shootonline.com/2012/01/26/special-ks-scales/
Wow!!! Two friends told me about this – they knew I needed your message! Thank you so much for posting this!
I think you deserve a Drop of Awesome for every person you inspired with this post! What a wonderful read! Thanks for sharing.
You do not know me and I came across this post today on FB. It was exactly what I needed to hear today and it honestly touched me in a way you could not imagine. I am an LDS mom to 4 young children with a husband working full time and doing his MBA at night. Most days I feel like I am failing all over the place and berate myself constantly for those short-comings. THANK YOU for this post and for the message it contains. I am going to print that scripture and keep it where I can see it to remind myself of the DROPS OF AWESOME!
Bless you for posting this. You were truly inspired and have shared profound and essential truth that I often catch glimpses of and then forget. This was a perfect and timely reminder of how the Lord sees and credits our efforts and that joy is possible in the little things, in spite of our imperfections. Thank you for taking the time to follow your inspiration to share this now. It has obviously been and will continue to be a great blessing to many.
Thank you so much for this post. I came across this on Facebook just now and I really needed it 🙂 Thank you
I needed this today! Thank you!
Wow! I have been doing the exact same
thing to myself for a while. I do one little thing only to put myself down for not doing more or doing it better. THANK YOU!! I have lots of drops of awesome that I really need to start recognizing! I really needed that!
That post felt like a great big hug!
This is amazing, thank you! Have you thought about submitting your story to the Ensign or New Era? It would be perfect!
Thank you!
May I use this in a lesson? And, I agree with Stephanie (above). This should definitely be in the Ensign.
This is betcher-bottom-dollar good. Good thinking, good writing, good gospel. Thank you.
Hi Kathryn,
I am teaching an RS Activity Night and I would LOVE to share your post. It falls in line with our new theme for the year. Please let me know if this is alright with you.
Thanks!
Thank you for this wonderful post, I’ve been struggling a lot lately, and have had my eyes opened in ways I didn’t expect. I have had to slow down and remember who is in charge and to put my trust in Him! I’ve also learned how important it is to take care of myself, because if I am out of sorts how can I do what heavenly Father needs me to do. Your post is totally awesome, I so needed to read it and it did lift my spirits and make me smile, Thank You!!!!!! I feel a little more awesome!
Thank you so much, I cannot tell you how much I needed that!
Well said!
This does need to be in the Ensign!! I needed this so badly right now – as I’m sure many other do as well. What a beautiful message! May I share with my daughters?
This is a really beautiful post. I have a son with special needs and I could really practice enjoying my Drops of Awesome. 🙂 It is a great way to look at the world.
Thank you! Amazing and uplifting! What else can I say except Thank you?!
Wow!! That was amazing! I think so many if us need this message. Thank you for sharing it!
I know you’ve had a ton of comments on this, but I have to thank you, too! You made me cry! You described what I do to myself, and the object lesson on the Atonement . . . wow. I second (or probably more likely five-hundred-and-second) the suggestions that you submit this to the Ensign. It is AWESOME!
Beautifully written and so inspiring. Thank you.
Thank you. This message was exactly what I needed to hear right now. Drop of awesome (maybe 20 drops of awesome) to you for sharing your testimony.
I LOVE this. What an inspiring post. It Is so full of truth. Thank you so much for sharing this. Please add 1 more drop of awesome to your bucket!
I think this speaks to the heart of every mother! I know you touched on this but I think it is so true that Satan, that angel who fell because of his pride an wanting God’s glory for himself, is the father of all lies and harbors a special hatred for God’s beloved children. He knows where we are most vulnerable and speaks into those places in our hearts trying to convince we are are (and never will be) good enough. Well, the joke is one him because we never will be good enough and that’s the whole reason God himself became human and died on the cross for us, isn’t it? Jesus took our shame and weakness upon himself and set us free. We are free to serve God and others and know that it is for His glory and His glory alone. God covers us in grace. Why do we forget that and continue to heap guilt upon ourselves for feeling like bad mothers and wives for all those countless reasons you talked about? (and we all do it…No mother is alone in that, even though we feel like at times.) We’ve been given grace freely an we should extend that same grace to others and to ourselves and know that God lets go of our mistakes and so should we. We should, as you so beautifully describe, focus on the positive and allow it to inspire us to more and, ultimately to a whole change in our thinking and how we see ourselves as mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters of the Creator of the Universe. Thank you so much for sharing this post!
This was an answer to my prayers. Just another drop of awesome – Heavenly Father does hear and answer our prayers! Thank you so much for sharing, and, yes, this needs to be shared in the Ensign so more of Heavenly Father’s children can start feeling awesome! You were truly inspired.
Loved you post which I will share with my daughters. Thank you. Just wondering, is your son in second grade or seventh grade? I am thinking he is not a 12 yr old second grader?
Thank you for this I read this and was trying to build my Drops of Awesome. I have strong trials a lot, so when I started. Something really bad happened in my life to get me from thinking of my Drops of Awesome and feel I couldn’t do this. I finished reading this post and prayed and asked my Heavenly Father to help me with my Drops of Awesomeness I got a feeling of peace that my drops weren’t drying up that he was helping me and I could get threw this bad time in my life and go on.
Thank you.
Tammy
Just wanted to let you know that this was shared on my Facebook wall and I read it and loved it. My thoughts have really started to turn around and be much more positive. I can already tell a difference in my attitude and happiness level. After several days, I decided that I should come back here and say thank you. 10 drops of awesome for you!
Love the analogy. And love your thoughts. An amazing reminder to us of not only the power of the atonement, but the need to cherish each day’s victory’s and accomplishments, not our weaknesses.
Thanks!
Love this…thanks for taking the time to share. Those struggles sound oh so familiar and you made me look at it all differently. Thank you!
This touched my heart! I really needed to hear your message. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks so much for stopping by, and thank you even more for your post. You obviously know how much it meant to me. I truly needed what you had to say. I will continue to ‘try to be a little better’ while happily collecting my drops of awesome along the way.
This post came to via Arizona via NY from my BFF, Em. What a delight to read it. I felt happy little butterflies dancing in my tum as I felt the beauty, truth and power (Article of Faith #13, Baby!) in your post. Keep being awesome, drop by drop. I’ll do the same. Thanks for this gift. :o)
A truly inspired post. I needed this today of all days. Every day really. I will try to remember this for a long time to come.
Thank you! This is exactly what I needed. Focus on the positive rather than the negative. And forgiving things from the past which can’t be changed. You are a blessing for writing this!
Tears of awesomeness fill my heart for your wonderful words. Thank you for helping me feel needed for all the little things that no one notices and for the big things that are
noticed.
I’m in tears. I needed this so badly today, thank you.
Your Drops of Awesome was the ending to an Old Testament class that I attend with about 12 to 15 women. It was the perfect ending! I so enjoy reading and re-reading this post! Thanks for your Drops of Awesome-ness!
Thank you again for your post. This has been huge for me and I have shared it with so many. I taught my 18 month old to say drop of awesome lol. I love how much this has influenced my life, those I have shared it with(with your name attached of course), and brought me closer to God. Thank you for sharing!!
TU eres una madre muy especial, que el senor te bendiga siempre;GRACIAS por compartirlo.
Thank YOU Kathryn. I love this. Every woman needs to read this!
Loved this post! A friend sent it to me and it is just what I needed. I hope you do not mind, but I put up a small part of this in vinyl on my wall so I would remember. Is it ok with you if I share that with my readers (who are few)?
Hello my friend! I LOVED this post. I have been seeing it everywhere….from friends all across the country sharing it. You’ve made an impact on so many people simply by sharing something you believe in and it has helped so many of us switch gears on our way of thinking. Thank you. I feel privileged to actually KNOW you, to have known you when we totally WERE awesome, in the truest sense of the word…lol!! Love ya!
What a blessing you are to my daughters and sons, myself and all those who read this. This spoke to my heart. I think this needs to be read often. Too many times we find ourselves doing all we can, headed in the right direction only to get buried with life. Reminders like your blog can help us stay mindful of just how fabulous each of us really are. Thank you, Thank you!! I have been struggling with just feeling like there is TOO much I’m doing wrong, so why try. This was exactly what I needed. I hope you’ll take everyone’s advise and submit this to one of the church magazines.
Thank you ever so much for this.
This was so wonderful! Changed my outlook!
Thank you for your human-ness and generosity in sharing your thoughts and experience with us all. These are thoughts that have really lifted me today. Thank you again.
Such a beautiful message. Thank you!!
We used this in a FHE and everyone LOVED it!! Thanks for sharing your inspiration so that it can go on to inspire so many others.
Thanks for letting me know Tracy!
Inspired and Profound. Thank – you. Several have mentioned this us Ensign worthy. I would suggest that it is the outline for a beautiful book – something along the lines of the “fill your Bucket” movement, but richer. Please consider it, it is a timely and important message and you have found a way to deliver it that has captured hearts and imaginations and has boosted our spirits. Well done.
Thanks so much Catherine! I am working on the book right now. Well, right now I’m sending you an email. But I’m going full steam to get the complete book out. I cannot believe the reaction this has stirred and I think I need to follow the inspiration through.
Thank you. This was a very timely reminder of exactly what i needed to hear. Thank you.
I saw that someone suggested the Ensign and also a book! I was hoping that this could be made into one of those Mormon Messages Videos. How cool would that be!! I guarantee that ALL women in the church feel this way at some time or another! That is why so many of us have found this message so timely and uplifting. The adversary is working overtime to bring us down and get us to focus on the negative! I have spread this all over FB as well as with my family and I am hoping to adapt it into a YW lesson soon! Thank you for being such an inspiration!
Thanks for sharing! That was very inspiring!
This is amazing and yet simple. It is inspired and you must push this idea forward: Ensugn article, Book, Mormon message, Etc… I hope it’s ok if I share part of this in my talk in church tomorrow..? I will reference you and your blog. Thank you Thank you….
I’ve read several comments that say something about speaking to the hearts of mothers. I’m not a mother. I’m not even married. lol. But this speaks to everyone. I have shared this with many friends who are lonely, sad, struggling, and down on themselves….men and women, single and married. Thank you for the well thought out and carefully constructed post. An amazing job.
Thank you for sharing these thoughts. I was led here by someone who posted this post to facebook. I’m going to be thinking about and processing your message (it’s actually the Lord’s message) for some time. Where did we learn to so effectively criticize and beat ourselves up? Why do we do it so much? If we celebrate our good choices as drops of awesomeness, what becomes of our not-so-good choices? (answer: the “bitter cup” that Christ drank the dregs of, see 3 Nephi 11:11). I think it is my pride that wants to suffer myself rather than let Christ take the burden, even though He already has. It’s like suffering silently to ourselves, wanting to ask for help but not doing so because we want to feel “tough” or noble.
There’s lots more treasure left to mine here…
I have been giving myself a “drop of awesome” every day now. As a woman it is so “easy” to be critical on myself, but I have come to realize, it’s easier to be kind to myself;) Thank you for this post.
Thank you! A friend of mine posted this on Facebook and as I read it I got a little choked up! You are me! I am way too critical of myself! I don’t give myself a break….this posted opened my eyes and just how much negative personal conversation I actually do have! From this day on I am going to keep track of my drops of awesome and be great full that our savior is there to over fill my cup when I fall short!
simply awesome
Wow….I am sitting here in tears! I have felt that way so many times. Never taking the time to truly enjoy the big things because I am always beating myself up over the little things. You have given me much to think about. Thank you for posting such a beautiful inspiring message!!
Thank you for this. I was directed to it through Facebook, and it really impacted my family in a difficult time. It’s something we all need to remember.
http://adventuresofanaddmom.wordpress.com/2013/01/14/when-you-need-a-lift/
This helped me remember the following in the Apr ’08 talk from Elder Ballard (a modern-day Apostle, for those who are not familiar with the LDS faith (= ):
“Daughters of God”
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2008/04/daughters-of-god?lang=eng
“What can you do, as a young mother, to reduce the pressure and enjoy your family more?
“First, recognize that the joy of motherhood comes in moments. There will be hard times and frustrating times. But amid the challenges, there are shining moments of joy and satisfaction.”
Thanks so much for sharing! Here’s hoping I’ll go from “I’m a crap mom” to “Wow! The Savior’s Atonement is AMAZING and accessible right now! And I can keep getting refills from Him to share forever… wow. !” Thanks again. 🙂
I just wanted to say thank you for sharing this wonderful story. I was so touched by it that I printed it out and handed it to all the girls I work with and made them read it. I truly felt that it was something they all needed to hear. Well in doing so there has been a tremendous ripple effect, far greater than I ever imagined and I am sure you have felt the same ripple effect since sharing your story.
I am not yet a full memeber of the LDS church but I am getting very close, just have to be drowned and reborn, aka baptized. The week before having read your story our lesson with the missionaries was on the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Even after the lesson I found myself not quite grasping it’s full concept and accepting that I might never full grasp it. Drops of Awesome made it so clear and so easy to grasp, maybe not the full extent but I now have a greater understanding of the atonement than I did before. I have shared it with our missionaries and hope that it might help them along the way.
One of the gals I work with is the Stake Center Releif Society Secratary in the ward she lives in. She shared your story during there most recent meeting and are going to be using your story as a learning tool to teach the new leaders. I am not certain who these new leaders are or how else it will effect things but I am still hearing that this story is being shared.
Too often we discount the little things we do, I do it far too often. I needed this story every bit as much as all who have read it have needed it and I feel there is a world of others who need it. Please finish the book you started, it will be an amazing book I know.
I hope to share this story with many others and am grateful that my mother in law shared it with me. I sometimes think she needs to carry a pocket version of it with her always. We all do. I shall read this over and over until it is so engraved within my heart that I might not ever forget its wisdom.
Bless you for having the courage to share this. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. This is truly an amazing story with wisdom and heart and love to no end.
Thank you,
Sister Lefler
Katy, Thank you so much for this post!! It was JUST what I needed to hear! As a multitasking mom, I often put “drops of crap” into my bucket as I frequently fail to do everything I need to – well I ALWAYS fail to do EVERYTHING I need to. A mom’s work is NEVER done, but that doesn’t mean we’re not awesome. A friend once told me that if I didn’t stop being so awesome at everything, I’d be much more successful at being perfect. It was the perfect contradiction to show me it’s impossible to do everything perfectly and that in the process, the reason I can’t be perfect, is because I’m working so hard at doing everything I’m supposed to – leaving the less important things undone. This was such a great reminder!! Thanks for that!! I love you and miss you!!
Beautiful post! It has truly helped to change my perspective! Thank you so much for sharing it with us!
wonderful post. i think i needed to hear that all the little drops do add up and the little things i do for husband and family do matter in the long run. thank yhou for sharing such and uplifting post.
Dear Katy,
The link to your blog was on facebook. As I clicked on the link I thought oh there are so many good things on the internet but sometimes I get scooped into surfing and reading so many good things that I don’t get out and do as many good things as I should. But your blog was rewarding and worth the read.
I just wanted to say your analogy is simple and beautiful. I am very careful about object lessons because too often I remember the object lesson but not the lesson but this one hits the mark. It makes the atonement so clear and beautiful. I hope you don’t mind if I use it in a future lesson.
Thank you again,
Lena
Thanks for sharing.
LOVE this post!!!
Wow! This was a truly amazing and transformative post! YOU are awesome! Thanks for sharing this.
“Liking” seems so inadequate to express my heartfelt thanks to you for taking the time to share such a wonderful parable as your “Drops of Awesome.” Your insight reaches young mothers and young women and us older women, too, who have tendencies to give up on ourselves. I’m sure you may be buried under many tender comments (so rightly deserved) for a piece so needed and so well expressed. Please accept one more from me; I will try to not only share this with those I love but live these precepts better every day.
For every comment here, I bet there are 50-100 others who have read this amazing entry of yours and not commented. I read this a week ago, and am still trying to soak up your drops of awesomeness. Your words are changing lives. I’m seeing a snowballing effect, watching more and more friends recommend “Drops of Awesome” to others. Thank you for making a difference!
I just want to remind everyone of the comment policy here.
Please be kind and respectful. Any comment that attacks my sacred beliefs will be deleted.
A friend posted your article to Facebook. YOU are truly inspiring! I have been beating myself up over some issues this past week, and wondered how I could ever get over them. I think your post hit the nail on the head as I sit here bawling. THANK you… over and over again. I hope you’re okay with me using your analogy in YW as well. I LOVED it and I think the more we spread it, the better off EVERYONE will be. You truly are making this world a better place. When you do write your book, I’ll be one of the first to sign up for it! I appreciate your willingness to share your thoughts with us. You are AWESOME, and I will probably be checking back here to keep the fresh outlook of “Drops of Awesomeness.” Thanks again!
Small and simple. Tiny drops. Go forth. Be Awesome.
Love it! And yes you better belive I’m going to share this. Hope it’s OK!
As a Priesthood holder my stride was to cross vast areas of water. In my hasend attempts to move quickly I realized that I was passing too many drops of awesome. Be gentle with your journey to see each drop of awesome.
I just sat down to quickly see who had posted what. I didn’t intend to spend time reading the posts but a friend shared your post and I am so glad that she did. I needed to read it this morning. I love the idea of drops of awesome. I will share this with my family and friends. This is very well written.
Thanks so much! I feel like am always nagging my kids on doing better and hurry hurry hurry. This morning was different. I was patient! One drop of awsome for me.
Wonderful words to help in all aspects of our lives. Worth sharing at any opportunity and living every hour looking for ‘ awesome drops’. Thank you!!
Thank you for this!
This is wonderful! I didn’t read through all the comments, but if you ever have a hard day or moment, you should just look at this and see how many people you have given drops of awesome to by sharing thank you!!!
You’ve touched so many lives with your post and I just need to say “thank you.” We’re using your wisdom as a visiting teaching conference theme. (Not that the Savior is going to do the visiting teaching for you, but that EVERY thing you do is a drop of awesome in the life of the sister you serve. Those drops are not changed by what you don’t do. They remain awesome.) I’m so excited to have your positive outlook be a driving force in our ward. Again, many thanks. You’re awesome.
Brilliant! Thank you for posting this.
Wow. Just wow. I am also a blogger and a reader had commented on a blog that I recently posted called “Best Possible You” and she suggested I read your blog. Thank you. This was exactly the point that I wanted to/tried to get across in mine. I am so glad that there is some else out there who is embracing the power of SELF and how much we can do for ourselves if we just be our own number one fans. I am also a Christian woman and its refreshing to see that you find your strength in Christ. You’ve gained yourself a new follower 🙂 Thank you so much for this!! <3
I loved this! Thank you so much. My companion even felt impressed to share it as our visiting teaching message. 🙂 It reminded me of the these verses, and the dichotomy between the adversary and the Savior: Revelation 12:10, and John 8:10-11. Whose voice are we listening to?
Thank you again so much!
thank you for posting this, this made me cry too. I am always too critical of the way I parent. I always feel like I don’t have a clue. I really needed this, thanks again.
God bless,
Jess
Your post has truly touched my heart and even more than that, my mind. My heart understands that The Lord has perfect patience with me and wants me to enjoy every “drop of awesome”. However, my mind so brutally sabotages those moments and the guilt quickly ensues. Thank you so much for following your impression to publicly share your impressions. I hope every person eventually has the chance to read this. May you continue to go forth and share your awesome! Your posts are far reaching in such a wonderful way!
I have shared and shared your link to this post!!!!
Thank you just doesn’t seem adequate enough.
Jami
I am totally going to use this lesson in March when the lesson is about “Atonement”!! Thanks for the great lesson you gave me tonight!!
Thank you for sharing! I actually read this post twice, once to myself and then my husband. The second time around brought me to tears. I know tomorrow I will be looking for my drops of awesome and not my failures. I’m truly grateful for the insights my sisters in the gospel have. Most of all for my Savior and his many drops of awesome.
Thank you
Janet
Thanks for sharing. My back went out of alignment a month ago and is just now starting to get back to normal after a month of having pain with every movement. I’m a stay-at-home mom of 3 kids. I’m homeschooling. And I’ve been feeling like a neglectful mother of three very bored children that have a very bad case of cabin fever! There have definitely been drops of awesome as I look back, but that is not what I was seeing until I read this post 🙂
Loved your perspective and will adapt a bit to fit family history work for our staff meeting next month, because we all really need to look at life the way you have. Your article was perfect. Thanks for sharing. Bunch of drops of awesomeness for you – one for each of the people that will benefit from your post.
WOW. Thank you so much! Exactly what I needed! So happy I found your blog! xoxo
My friend sent me a link to this today. I really needed to hear it because what you described is exactly what I do–tell myself I’m a failure even if I was successful for a moment. I think all my failures cancel out the good things I try to do. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
This post is a big bucket of awesome:)
I LOVE this post!!
So are you going to come and give our lesson on this for our RS Birthday?
Fabulous DROP OF AWESOME!!
YOU are a drop of AWESOME. A friend directed me to your post today. Both you and my friend were truly inspired. I am teaching a New Beginning this coming Sunday. I can’t wait for these girls to know they are awesome now. It’s a lesson we could all use each and every day.
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for that post. Today I have been feeling like I am the worst mother and wife on the face of the planet and that things will never get better. My sweet and patient husband forwarded the link to me with your post. He sees my “drops of awesome” and he wanted me to know that. I am starting my “jar” today. Thank you again for this post! 🙂
Thank you. I can’t explain how much I needed this.
Thanks! This was as inspiring as any ensign story I’ve read! You are amazing to share this!
I just wanted to stop by to say thank you for this post. Like so many others, I came across your post shared on facebook. I needed a reminder to focus on the good in myself. I was inspired to use your post in a talk this Sunday. Everyone loved it and I, of course, sent them back to your blog. Keep up the awesome!
Thank you for this perspective on the atonement. Your talent is in writing your feelings. As you share this with others, we are all blessed. Take a spoonful of awesome. Wanda
Thank You for sharing this inspired message. As a homemaker so many times I catch myself forgetting to count my own drops of awesome…your experience will always be a reminder to me of my little contribution to my own bucket, but also a reminder of the huge contribution that my Savior offers, “still”, to my own bucket.
Beautiful post and exactly what every woman needs to hear! Satan will always make our mistakes and shortcomings so obvious to us that sometimes it’s difficult to see past them and remember all the good that we can do. Its this tactic that he uses to make us doubt ourselves, and forget about the awesome power of the Atonement: One drop at a time to perfection. Thank you for this!
My amazing sister shared this with my amazing mom who shared it with me over the phone yesterday. I wept as she read it. I had stayed home from church and had failed to get a sub for our very busy nursery. I was moping around the house all day feeling guilty that I was a failure at my calling. After hearing this post, I realized that I had missed putting drops in my bucket of “awesome” for staying home and snuggling with my sweet 3-year-old who is sick. Silly. Why do we do this to ourselves? WE ARE AWESOME!!!!
It also made me realize that sometimes I look at other people’s buckets and think, “Wow. That bucket is pretty dry…”. I don’t see every drop of awesome that others put in their buckets. I need to focus on the good! I need to worry more about filling my own bucket! 🙂
I enjoyed reading this… I tend to feel guilty much of the time about my shortcomings. All 4 of my children are raised. After reading this, I’m feeling guilty because I don’t remember a single time I walked any of my kids to the bus stop. I should have done it when I had the chance. : ( I probably thought I was “too busy”.
Beautiful! This made my day. 🙂
What an awesome visual lesson to your young women! I hope you don’t mind if I use it someday in a calling that I have.
I love this! I was feeling all alone today, but had two calls from friends who put a drop in my bucket, and still kept on doing good things, instead of moping….so I put some more drops in my life bucket. I especially love your Atonement example. I am definitely going to share that! And to the mom in an earlier post who stayed home with her little one, instead of doing her Nursery calling; there are lots of ladies who are glad to help out; we understand more than you know! I’m so glad you stayed home with your sick child….being the Nursery leader, I love it when mom’s love their little one’s first! You are ALL a-okay, just for being mom’s!!!!
This resonated so deeply with me. I got Bell’s Palsy 5 months ago and it paralyzed half my face. I have been hounded by numerous negative voices so my motivation mantra has been “small victories!” Not only did this article come as a connecting piece to all of my thoughts but you included the phrase “small victories.” Thank you for following the Spirit and posting this honest article. I have passed it along. God bless you!
How did you know? Amazing! Thank you for showing me that even though I fall so short, I can be amazing, awesome, perfect in that single moment & feel @ peace & have joy.
But really, how did you know so specifically my inner monologue… “what [I] failed to do yesterday or what [I] fear [I] might not do tomorrow”. I thought that was just me. Everyone else seems to have it together. I thought there must be something wrong with me. Why don’t we as women talk about these things? Why do we put on the ““mother of the year” act”? Why do we so often feel we will be criticized, judged, or shunned by our own friends if we appear less than? So thank you for sharing something so personal. I know it has helped me, I hope to share your words & help others. THANK YOU!
Thank you very much for sharing this drop of perfect awesomeness. This is a precious example of how we should all approach our religions in order to have more loving kindness and compassion for ourselves and others. I will be passing this on many times. Thank you for sharing your Drops of Awesome with the world.
Many Blessings and Prayers,
Jimpa Lama
Thank you.
Thank you for your post! This is what I needed to hear today:)
Thank you so much for sharing this. You have lifted so many with this inspired message, including myself. I plan on sharing this at our next Relief Society meeting and wanted to see if that was okay and ask if you have a printable copy of this that I could give out.
Loved this and definitely needed to hear it. I am excited to share this with my young women who need to learn right now that they are awesome so they don’t grow up counting their failures instead of their triumphs.
I’m the mom who every night kneels down to pray feeling like I failed again to overcome my weaknesses and be a better mom. I do a lot of things right but the things I continually struggle with haunt me and I feel like I’ll never overcome them. I just need to take it a moment at a time. Not even a day at a time – a moment. Then maybe I will see progress instead of just grouping the whole day together as a failure. I’m sure I’ll need to read this again and again to remind me to count the awesome. Thanks for sharing!!
This was completely awesome! Thank you so much for sharing your stories and thoughts! 🙂
I love it!!!
AMAZING object lesson! I absolutely LOVE it!
My sister just shared this with me today….. I must give my gratitude to you. Thank you for acting on your thoughts and sharing them for me to grow from!!!! You were truly inspired by our Father in Heaven and our Savior Jesus Christ. Thank you for the reminder of how awesome we all are. My inner dialogue is like 80% negative and reading this post completely lifted my spirit, thank you again 🙂
Wonderful. Thank you so, so much.
What a lift to my soul! Now I want to share this with everyone! Thank you!
So thankful for this post:) Thank you!!
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. =) This post was inspired.
I loved this. I just wanted you to know that I am putting a link to this post on my blog. Thanks!
This was very touching! I suppose we all think of ourselves as failures. Thank you for pointing out the things that we do each day to fill our buckets! We do more than we think we do. It’s amazing to think that the Savior is there for us to help us when we come up short! If we could see how much He loves us and if we loved ourselves even the tiniest bit we would be better people! Let’s seize the day and do good as often as possible, and on the days we don’t do as well then remember we are human and that we have the next moment, the next hour, the next day….to be awesome!!
This is beautiful. I can see why it is already being passed around on the internet. I broke down in tears at the part where you filled the girl’s bowl of water with water from the atonement. How true this is and how all too often do we forget how that great gift really works in our lives. I will be sharing your post with many friends. Thank you for sharing it with us.
Thank you for this. I really needed this today. I’ve felt like a complete failure as a wife and a mother lately and have been really down. My kids have been sick and I don’t think I had changed out of my pjs for three days. My back hurts and I haven’t been able to do the chores like I normally do. Thus, my house is a disaster. I’ve been up with a sick baby the past 3 nights and I’m so sleep deprived. Then to top it all off, my husband came home from work yesterday and said he had been laid off. Just when I thought I couldn’t sink any lower… I really tried to be positive with him and encourage him and give him faith. But, I wasn’t fooling anyone. I was just even deeper in my discouragement. I was feeling so sorry for myself and feeling like a complete failure when I read your post. Thank you thank you thank you for posting this! I feel like I can now face the day! Now I’m going to go pick up 10 things and add 10 drops of awesomeness! And I’m going to be nice and not a crouch to my poor sick kids. And I’m going to be bright and cheerful and positive for my husband, because he deserves that at this hard time! Thanks again!
This is simply beautiful. Thank you for sharing your testimony. You have helped me today.
This is so well written, candid and inspirational! Thank you for sharing it with “US”. We are so hard on ourselves when we are really doing awesome things everyday! I have shared with others and all have been touched!
Wishing you lakes and flowing rivers of drops of awesome!
CJ
Should be submitted to LDS magazines if you haven’t already!
this resonated so much in my heart today, just last night my sister and I were talking about how we felt so much failure and disappointment with ourselves. Suffering with depression and anxiety suck so much life and hope from you and you feel so hopeless and useless a lot of the time. So many days I feel like you mentioned in the post. I just had to post and say thank you for sharing this, for giving me a tiny bit of hope that I am not worthless. You have given a gift to any that read this and with tears in my eyes I shared it on my facebook, and specifically shared with my sister. Thank you for listening to the prompting of the spirit to share this and for brightening my day!
Thank you so much for this beautiful entry. My older sister sent it to me and it made my day or week! I am better than I ever dare to think I am. Your words are powerful and the Atonement is easier to understand now.
Wonderful post. Thanks for the beautiful words of encouragement.
I don’t usually comment on strangers’ blogs, but a friend of mine mentioned this post, and I’m so glad I read it! This is such an amazing and true thought, and I cried when I read the part about Christ filling our bowl the rest of the way and more. I hope I can share this with my young women sometime–thank you for sharing such an inspiring message.
Thank you so much for posting this. I have been beating myself up over not going to church all the time, forgetting my prayers, not reading my scriptures that often, not keeping up with the house… The list goes on.
I can’t even find the words to use that would properly express my gratitude. Thank you. You have answered many of my prayers with this post.
My sister sent me this. I think it’s fantastic! In fact, I copied and pasted the whole thing, with proper documentation, of course, in my journal. I want to be able to always remember your message. You have a fun way with words. I’m sure your YW adore you!
Thank you!! You are truly inspired to share your thoughts on this subject. Sometimes I feel like I am the only mother that feels like this. It is so comforting to know that there are many out there that share the same feelings I do. I constantly feel like I am not a good enough mother, wife, or homemaker. I rarely allow myself to see the small simple things I might do well. I love the idea of drops of awesome. I don’t have to be good at everything all of the time, to still consider myself good at my job. I only have to be trying. Thank you so much for you testimony of the Saviors atonement. It was beautiful to read. I will continue to try to add drops to my bucket everyday, and focus on those drops!!
Amen! Thank you for the blessing of this beautiful lesson!
This is so awesome! Thank you so much for sharing. I need to read this every day.
Thank you so much for sharing this. Recently I have discovered how I had begun believing the lie, so much so, that it was my reality. Thank you. I posted a link to this post, on my blog and shared it on facebook. Gotta get the word out there. There’s also a link to another blog with a short video that I think really adds to your message here.
Now off to add to my awesomeness and neglect the negative inner diatribe. Thanks again. Oh and as a Primary Pres., thank you for loving those little sunbeams. Children learn how to love and trust our Savior, Jesus Christ, by the love and example you and your husband give. You are one of his most visible examples in their young lives. Love conquers all. Thanks again, L……
I blogged a poem and linked it to this post of yours. I think from somewhere within me it was inspired by this post, so I thought I would share it with you. It’s weird, but it’s what came out of me anyway. Thanks for being an inspiration.
Oh, oops. Here’s the link to my blog, http://livelovelearnandrepeat.blogspot.com/2013/01/good-intentions.html
I just read this post again. I’ve been back here a time or two and shared it again and again. Can’t get enough. Love it. I needed this today.
Thank you so much! I think we all hold ourselves to such a high standard that we constantly berate ourselves for the things we are not doing. I know that I consistently go to bed each night promising myself that I will “do better tomorrow”. I hope you are ok if I do a lesson for my activity day girls. Some have self-esteem issues and I want them to find their “awesomeness” everyday. Thanks again for the reminder that we are only perfect through Christ’s atonement.
I love this, but before I repost it, I keep wondering:
Why is your 12 year old in second grade?
Wondering which half of the facts is the typo.
Just keep swimming….. just keep swimming….:)
My step-mom just sent me this article and it was wonderful! This article for me reaffirmed all I’ve realized and learned in the past couple years. There is great peace when this lesson of the attonement is learned whether it has to do with our imperfections as mothers or as every day human beings. I have moments of “not awesome” when I fall back into old habits, but when I stop…breathe…and remind myself of all the truths I’ve realized and internalized I am amazed at how quickly that peace comes back and perspective and priorities fall right back into alignment. It’s definitely a journey and though it can be a narrow path, it’s straight in front of us if we just keep putting one foot in front of the other 😉 Thank you for sharing your wonderful lesson!
oooooooOOOOOOOooooooooo, ok. I see you altered it a bit. I get it now. Sorry, I’m a doof, I wasn’t getting it before. 🙂 Great post! Life altering!
Thank you!! A member of our Stake Presidency shared this at Stake Conference, thank you for writing it so that our’s can NOW have “Drops of Awesome” in our life’s too.
I found the link to your blog on my cousin’s facebook page and I am so glad I clicked on it. Thank you so much for sharing these wonderful profound thoughts! I find that I often tell myself those little lies, and this is a great reminder that they truly are lies. Life is so much better when we dwell on the good things. How wonderful it is that we have a Savior who can fill up our buckets! I love this and I hope you don’t mind if I re-post this on facebook for all my friends and family to read. Thanks again!
Fantastic post. I’m going to have all my depressed moms read this as part of their treatment.
Awesome! Wish I had had this when I taught my lesson yesterday!
This post is a whole lot of AWESOME!!!! A friend of mine had shared it on facebook and said, “Please read, it’s worth it!!!!”. She was right. I’m so glad I took the time to read this…what a great way to start my day. Thank you so much for sharing, I needed it! Hope you have lots of drops of awesome in your day!
THANK YOU. What a beautiful lesson you just taught me. I’m grateful for people like YOU who take the time to share your personal story.
Thank you. I hope you don’t mind that I printed this off and put it in my journal.
This has changed me.
This is an awesome post! We would love to post it on our website to encourage mothers. Please let us know if we can re-post and how we should list the credit/source. Thanks!
I’m so glad it resonated with you! Thanks for letting me know. You are welcome to link back but please do not repost. Thanks!
Hello,
My friend just shared this with me and I want to say thank you! I struggle so much with beating myself up.. (as I think lots of women do). I am a convert to the church too so I always feel I am not like the other “Mormon” moms. This post really helped me to notice the good things I do.. Thanks so much! Lots of love.
Gina
Thank you sooo much. I wonder if you peeked into my heart and saw my exact thoughts. 🙂
I saw a share of your blog on a friend’s fb page this morning. I loved it. I wept for the bad lies we tell ourselves. I wept for the conquering thoughts you shared. I have experienced this very thing in the last year but I didn’t have a name for it, so I am adopting yours. I have posted a link to your blog on my fb page to share your amazing insights with my friends as well. God Bless you for taking the time to post this and share your experience and your insight. I love Drops of Awesomeness!!!
This really lifted me at a very trying time in my life. Thanks daughter for passing it on.
Thanks for posting this Mirrah, you created a beautiful start to my day. Love,Aunt Linda
That was truly inspired. Thank you for helping me see my truest potential. I needed that.
I share this with everybody I know! 🙂 It’s wonderful thank you so much. I remind myself of this every time I’m getting down on myself, and it really makes all the difference.
Thank you!!!
Thank you so much! This is a beautiful post and it had me in tears. Thanks for sharing such a spiritually eye opening experience!
Thank you so much! I had to stop to dry my tears as I was so overcome with the spirit while reading. Continue adding drops.
You truly are Awesome! Awesome for recognizing the stinkin’ thinkin’ and turning it around, awesome for allowing that experience to change you, awesome for teaching the young women you influence how to apply this lesson to their own lives, and awesome for being courageous enough to share this transformation with the rest of us out here in the digital world! I applaud and acknowledge your beauty, your honesty, your humility, and your graceful way with words. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart!
Ps. Good luck with that novel you are working on. I’ll look forward to reading it!
I have always believed that when we need uplifting and alone, Heavenly Father always knows who to send to help us. Thank you for sharing your personal feelings that have helped me and I am sure so many others.
Thank you so much for your perspective on living life in the moment and the power of the Atonement. Is it possible to copy Drops of Awesome? I wouldn’t want to without your permission.
You are welcome to copy it for your personal use or to hand out to friends. Just please add my name and the URL so you remember where you found it. Also, please do not copy the entire post onto another website. Thanks! I’m so glad it meant something to you.
I know everyone has said all the good stuff already about how amazing your insight is, and how much you rock, and how “Drop of Awesomeness” is a hair’s breadth short of modern day revelation. Nothing I say will be novel or soul changing. But if I didn’t tell you that I’ve reposted to my most favorite people on the planet and plan to print it for our YW leaders, then I would not be sharing the gratitude I feel for those words that needed to be written to encourage, to heal and to strengthen us–one drop at a time.
I have lost my soul mate and loving mother in the past 4 months. I feel lost and incompetent most days. This has helped me to be reminded of all the little things that I do to bring good into my world for myself and others. My all of nothing thought process has an opportunity to become more focused on drops of awesomeness.
Thank you
Thank you for sharing this. I really needed to hear those things. I think so many of us put ourselves down for not being the perfect “mormon mom, wife, sister, ect” We forget about the good things we have done. Even if it’s not as many good things as we would like them to be. I think that’s how so many mormon women become depressed. There is so much expectation that most of us can’t live up to. Thank you again, you have given me a better perspective. May God bless you and your family.
Give yourself 20 drops of awesome for writing this post. Well done! Well said! Makes me want to be a better person and to know that I CAN be a better person. Rock on
Wow. Just…wow. I am sharing this with everyone I know. Thank you.
Thanks for uplifting me today! I love the part about our capacity increasing as we keep striving–that is something I have been thinking about lately.
Thank you for this.
YOU are awesome.
And you know what? I’m awesome too!
Oh you are awesome! This post was a big splash of AWESOME
WOW. Came to this post from 71toes.com and I am beyond grateful I read this tonight. What amazing insights and inspiration you received. That is a very special gift. You wrote your thoughts so beautifully and I was so touched as I read them. Thank you so much for sharing it with the world. I will be sending many friends and family to your blog to read this amazing post. Thank you again. Happy Monday!
Thank you so much for this post! I read it a few weeks ago and it has helped me and my family so much in our lives! The change of attitude this has created in me inspired me to write my own blog post on self acceptance: http://mapletreesandhoneybees.blogspot.com/2013/02/self-acceptance.html
Thank you for listening to the spirit and being such an inspiration for all of us!
Sincerely,
Ellie Elise
Hi
Just visiting from over at 71toes. What a great post this is. A great way to turn around those “negative mom” voices we all hear in our heads. I’m not familiar with the book of Mormon but I love that scripture quote too. “By small and simple things are great things brought to pass”. Indeed.
xMx
Thank you, I needed to hear everything you wrote! f
Sorry about the letter f it didn’t mean anything bad it was an accident.
THIS IS AWESOME!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! Will be printing to keep above my computer!!!
This was a wonderful post. Thanks so much for your help in putting this concept into perspective for me. I, like you, tend to be a bit too harsh on myself. This is deffinetly the shot in the arm I needed today! You were truly inspired to have posted this!
Thank you so much. I am a mother of 5 with twins and 3 teenagers, and I am drowning. I needed this today more than you will ever know.
Thanks for the encouragement, the lift, the feelings and insight. We all forget who we are and what we can do. Never give up. Great article. Thanks………………………………..
Thank you. Just thank your for writing this.
This blog entry touched my heart. I read it late at night, and shared it on my Ward’s Facebook page. When I woke the next morning, I felt prompted to share your blog with the sisters in my word via a visual reminder. The visual reminder was a small bucket with a sticker that said “Drops of Awesome” along with the URL to this post. Sunday was fast Sunday, and I had these little buckets ready (all 50 of them!). I know that I was meant to do this because I had the same feeling as a lot of people get right before getting up to bear their testimonies. My heart was racing a mile a minute, but once I went to Young Women and gave each leader their bucket, my heart was at peace. There was someone at church on Sunday that was in need of reading your blog and hearing the story behind the bucket that they had been given.
Thank you for being strong enough to share such a personal experience. Know that you have helped to put many young minds at ease!
I’m 73 and have gone through my life focusing too much on my ‘bad’ moments. I have never been depressed by them but have always been too much of a perfectionist and spent too much time trying to meet my own goals. I will now always visualize that pitcher marked “Atonement”. Thank you for reminding me of my many moments of “Awesome”.
Thanks for saying what everyone thinks for about a split nano second and we quickly push it aside and listen to Satan instead. Because why would I ever be awesome or useful or needed or loved. You said it perfectly and had the courage to say it when many of us don’t so… kudos…drop of awesome to you !! I showed this to my husband he was asked to speak on loving your self and your family. He loved this and is going to use it and give everyone the link to your site. He thought it was AWESOME 😉 thanks again. AND because of reading this I’m going to start a blog I have thought about doing when my son went on his mission but always pushed it aside thinking no one would care… well no more thinking like that. I’m gonna add my drops of awesome to life 🙂
I read this as I was lying in bed, recovering from surgery and more surgery due to complications. Feeling wimpy and worthless, and crying in self pity. But i don’t have to…I can choose to count some drops of awesome and give myself permission to recover, and take the time to do it. Thank you for this. I am generally pretty upbeat and faithful, but was beating myself up for not healing the way I had expected. What a great reminder that we are okay the way we are, and that our savior loves us and makes up the difference when we are doing our best and it isn’t quite enough. Thank you!
Thank you so much for this inspiring article. It is important to cheer ourselves on! I’m thankful for sharing your insight. I’ve given a lot of thought to these same ideas lately, but you really succeeded with the unforgettable expression, “drops of awesome!” Thanks for praying and seeking direction on how to help the rest of us 🙂
Thank you so much for this inspiring article. It is important to cheer ourselves on! I’m thankful for sharing your insight. I’ve given a lot of thought to these same ideas lately, but you really succeeded with the unforgettable expression, “drops of awesome!” Thanks for praying and seeking direction on how to help the rest of us 🙂
Thank you SO much for sharing this. You were truly inspired to open your heart. Thanks for having the courage to let us know your thoughts – your words will change many lives for the better, mine included! Lots of love, Lisa.
I, too, am recovering from surgery and have been feeling like I’m not recovering fast enough and thinking, “Maybe it’s my fault?” I loved reading this blog and remembering that we can only put forth our best effort and then Christ makes up for the rest. And we all have “awesome” moments!
I read this days ago, but it keeps popping up in my mind. Reminding me to give myself a break. Thank you for writing this!!
The news has been talking about a study done about LDS women, and the problem of “toxic perfection”. The concept that we have to do everything right, all the time. Impossible! Your post says it all. Move one. Do better each time. And if you slide a bit, get up and keep going! Our Savior is always there to supply what we cannot, and our Heavenly Father loves us, NO MATTER WHAT!
Thanks, I needed to read this.
wow i felt really good when I read that.
Thanks. I followed a link from 71toes blog. I’m crying right now. My house is a mess, I have four kids five and under, I homeschool, I struggle so hard just to keep up, and I feel like a failure. I felt like a failure. But I have drops of awesome too. Thank you so much. I can’t tell you enough, and I don’t even know you!
Thank You.
Thank You for this special post! I needed to feel my Savior’s love….and know that I don’t have to be perfect to be loved by my Father in Heaven. I will carry these thoughts with me throughout a very challenging time in my life. God Bless! Liz
I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing this. It has been life changing. Why are we our worst bullies? This idea has given me permission to forgive myself of my daily imperfections and live in the moment. I celebrate those small little victories instead of punish myself for all that needs to be done that I am not doing. Thank you! I will read this often!
You’re Awesome!
Hugs,
leah
Its already been said; Thank You. Thank you for writing this. Thank you for the reminder that my Heavenly Father Loves me. As Is. And That My Savior will do the rest. Thank You for putting into words exactly what I needed to hear. Exactly when i needed it.
One word: AWESOME! Thank you for sharing this, I really needed something like this today.
May I use this for my R.S. lesson?
Beautiful! Thank you. You should be a speaker at BYU’s womens conference, so many women could benefit from your message! You deserve a big fat drop of awesome for posting this. I share this with all my mommy friends!
Heard this referred to in a talk on Sunday, told my daughter about it and she searched and found your blog. Just finished reading your whole post. Thank you for sharing 🙂
I work in an at risk youth facility for young girls. This is wonderfully written and so true. I will be using your words for a lesson with them as well sometime soon. Thank you so much for sharing this. (I think you should add a drop of awesome for all those that this message helps. So for this comment alone, myself, staff and girls you can add another 28 drops)
What a blessing this post is for all who read it. It certainly lifted my spirits and helped me to see the bigger picture. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.
Even Great-Great Grandmothers (like Me) an take this to heart. Sometimes when I notice just how long it takes to do simple things that only took a moment, not so long ago,
I have to stop and reflect . I have shared the Drops of Awesome from many overflowing bowls ,and added my drops to theirs. Have you seen the rainbows in single drops of dew?
I look for rainbows.
Thank you for sharing.
HSS
Thank you for this beautiful post. We all need to be reminded from time to time that the small things count. This will help not only me, but also my 12 year old daughter who sometimes forgets just how special she really, truly is. Thank you!
Here is my response to your “Drops of Awesome” blog post. I would love to hear your thoughts.
http://blog.evidenceministries.org/a-christian-response-to-drops-of-awesome/
Keith,
I read your post and I have to say, I am always encouraged when I meet other people of Faith, believing in Jesus Christ and giving their lives to following His word. Thank you for sharing such a thoughtful response to my post. I am Mormon and I am a blogger but don’t necessarily identify myself as a “Mormon Blogger” because my posts are so rarely aimed at specific doctrine. The goal of my blog is to find common ground in the basic experience of motherhood and life, to make people laugh and offer encouragement.
This post was a departure for me and I was shocked by how it resonated with people from all walks of life, but particularly LDS women. The majority of my blog audience has not been LDS up to this point. I think that may have shifted now, though. It’s gone LDS viral. The post is not doctrinally perfect, nor was it meant to be an intense doctrinal exploration. My lesson at church went into more depth about the repentance process, which I do believe in, although I don’t interpret it the same way you do. But that’s okay.
We’re both doing our best with the knowledge we have and I wish you the best in your efforts to seek truth and share it with others. I know you very much disagree with a lot of what I believe but I appreciate your respectful tone, despite our differences.
Thank you for making this post a friend shared it with me and it is making a huge difference in my life. I love pratical solutions that work and are easy to incorporate.
I’m in my 70’s with grown children and grandchildren. As I look back on my life, I realize how many awesome things I did. But, I didn’t acknowledge it at the time. I was too worried whether it was “good enough”. It’s such a shame to not see our daily efforts. We’re human! We have good and bad days. We have limitations (discouragement, sickness, a bad day, hurt feelings, disappointments or just tired!)…. In the pre-existance we accepted the limitations of mortality but most have forgotten. As I begin my day with prayer, I have learned to acknowledge my limitations, and I ask the Lord to gently guide me to achieve something. Little achievements added together make big achievements. For success begets success (those awesome drops of trying, really do count). The Lord acknowledges our every moment of “trying”…