You may have noticed that I include my mantra of ‘Just keep swimming’ in a lot of my posts here on Maturing Mama. I use it many times a day to try and keep myself going, and I want to share the story behind it with anyone who may need it.
It all started 5 years ago when I was a single mom just starting university. I was determined to become self-sufficient and not need to rely on the Government anymore. My youngest son was 6-months old and was new to the whole daycare routine. Thankfully, Eli was determined to chase after his older brother and just thrived when he got into the structured atmosphere of daycare.
I tried to get the best grades possible and keep to routine as best I could as a single parent. Things were not easy and I needed to come up with a way to force myself to keep focused on the end goal. That’s when, while watching Finding Nemo for the tenth time with the kids, I realized that Dory’s ‘Just Keep Swimming’ mantra just made sense.
Dory would repeat ‘Just Keep Swimming’ over and over when she was lost and was trying to find her way. She knew her end goal but sometimes she would forget how to get there or where she was. This was when I realized that anytime I felt like I was getting lost in the rough times, I could just repeat ‘Just Keep Swimming’ to keep myself looking towards my end goal.
There were many times throughout my university career that I wanted to just give up. By repeating ‘Just Keep Swimming’ I was able to push myself through. It even helped me to be able to handle planning a wedding, working, and dealing with temper tantrums all while finishing my degree. Even now, after I have finished university, I constantly use ‘Just Keep Swimming’ as I deal with not being successful in conceiving, not making it past my probation periods in jobs, and financial pressures.
So remember, as you are going through tough times, you are not alone. Keep focusing on your goal and repeat ‘Just Keep Swimming’ to yourself. You can do it mamas!
