Juggling Work and Home – How Do You Measure UP?

I used to work for Disney and I remember in 1995 when Toy Story first came out, all the parents at Christmas time were desperate to get their hands on a Buzz Lightyear toy. It was THE toy to have and the scenes in the stores were completely crazy! (You might have been one of those parents!)

I love the Toy Story films - there are so many awesome stories and messages in there that both adults and children can learn from. I’m so excited about Toy Story 3 coming next year – whoop!

As you know, the two main characters within the films are Woody and Buzz.

In the first film, we’re introduced to Woody, who is absolutely adored and loved by Andy. He's the top toy in the playroom. And then we have Buzz, who has the audacity to be a birthday present for Andy. Now poor old Buzz is a little deluded. He really believes he's a Space Ranger. He walks and talks exactly like a Space Ranger does – he has that mentality.

Initially, they don't like one another at all, and there is immense rivalry; Woody suddenly feels vulnerable and wonders whether Andy's going to still love him like he used to, now that Buzz has come along.

They then both get caught in a tricky situation, to say the least. The next door neighbor, nasty Sid, captures both Woody and Buzz. Buzz is strapped to a rocket, and first thing in the morning, Sid is going to light that rocket and shoot it into the sky and Buzz is going to be blown to smithereens. Oh!

Woody tries to encourage Buzz, to get him to psych himself up, so they can escape. But Buzz is having none of it. He’s finally realized that he’s not a real Space Ranger and he's just a toy. He simply can’t get up the strength to fight. Woody continues trying to encourage him: "Look at you. Look at all this amazing stuff that you've got! You've got wings. You can fly. You've got lasers. You've got this helmet that does a whoosh y thing." He goes through all Buzz’s talents and skills.

Then the crunch happens. He starts to consider himself and measures himself up against Buzz. “Why would Andy want to play with me when he's got you? You've got all these amazing things. Why would Andy choose somebody like me?"

At that point, Buzz realizes that although they’re very different, they both have unique gifts and talents and of course, Andy can love them both equally.

If you have more than one child, I'm sure that they're very, very different in terms of their personalities. And you love them. There are aspects of one that make you laugh. There are aspects of one that can drive you insane. But it's all part and parcel of their uniqueness. But we really focus on all the great stuff in our kids, and we build them up, just like Woody was doing for Buzz and Buzz ended up doing for Woody.

But the question I want to ask you is, who are you measuring yourself against? Are you a Woody that looks against other moms and other women and thinks, "Oh, I could never be like them. I could never be as great a mom as her. Look at what she does. Look at how she manages things. If my kids had a choice, they would prefer a mom like that than to me. What can I offer them?"

My answer to you is, just look at what happened in the end of "Toy Story." Yeah, it's a kids' film. But the message is still strong: Andy loved them both. They both have very, very different strengths, but Andy loved them for what and who they were.

And your kids adore you. Yeah, there's another mom down the road who's got it all going on and manages, seemingly, to juggle work and home. (Does she? Or is that simply what we’re seeing?) Yeah, you know another mom who never seems to have a hair out of place, who never seems to be having a meltdown about anything. She's always cool, calm and collected.

But you know what? They're not the moms of your kids, you are. And they love you. And they love you to be who you are. If they had a choice, they'd choose you again. So whether you're a Buzz or whether you're a Woody actually doesn't matter, because who you truly are is you.

So today, never mind measuring up against all the other women and all the other moms that you see out there. You've got one person to measure up against, and that's yourself.

Take a look in the mirror, put your shoulders back, deep breath, and say, "I am being the best I can be. I am doing the best that I can. I'm who I am because of all my unique gifts, and strengths, and talents and experiences, and I am a great mom."

Say it. Say it out loud. Don't just think it, because you've got to hear yourself saying it – speak it out to yourself. And believe it.

Moms, you are amazing.
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