March Lessons

Good morning beautiful readers. It is already another month come and gone. This was a productive month in the life lessons department. I am sure you already know most of this stuff, but I share these with you because maybe you are a little like me and you have to relearn these things from time to time – I blame it on the brain cells that I have lost due to motherhood – or maybe like me you are just finally slowing down enough to pay close attention to those things that REALLY matter and making an effort to use these things you notice, in your daily life.

A few of the life altering tid bits that I picked up in March are (some aren’t really life altering, but I thought they were important enough to write down):

1. Sometimes things are good enough the way they are.

Wanting to improve is a daily thing for me. But I am starting to realize that some things are good enough the way they are. For example, my family the way it is right now is good enough, better than good enough, it is just right. When I am talking about how my family is just right; I mean however many video games we did or didn’t play is just right. However many hours of TV we did or didn’t watch is just right. Whatever we accomplished today is just right. My parenting today is good enough just as it is. Sometimes things are okay just as they are and we need to appreciate them as is.

2. You have to actively practice gratitude and positivity.

This is a tough one for me because sometimes I hit a slump and it takes me a bit to figure out why I am just so darn sad. Usually it is the negativity that others bring to the party that knocks me down. I can’t watch the news anymore because it is just sensationalized awfulness.

Then I realize (or just remember again) it just takes time to focus on those things that are positive and that I am grateful for to become grounded again and find peace.

On my most difficult days I am writing down 3 things that I am grateful for that day. I am also trying to always see the lesson in negative moments and be grateful for the knowledge I gain even when something bad happens.

3. There is such a thing as too much coffee – I learned this through experience – OBVIOUSLY.

I had six cups of coffee the other day before 2:00. That was too much coffee…my hands started shaking and I was talking like a cheerleader. I DO NOT recommend this type of behavior. There is such a thing as too much coffee…I’m just saying it is possible.

4. Acknowledge what you are good at.

Jen Hatmaker over at www.JenHatmaker.com wrote a beautiful blog post this month about how to Run Your Race. She wrote about how you need to humbly acknowledge what you are good at and move forward down that path. I am always belittling my talents and gifts. Well that is something I am going to work on improving. I know I just got done saying somethings are good enough just the way they are…this is not one of those things people…this is an area I need to improve.

5. One day I may not have to relearn everything each month.

But while I have littles it is okay if I have to write it down repeatedly to remember it. Thank you for reading some of it over and over again.

6. I can keep a secret.

I surprised my husband with a trip to Monterey and a new watch.

BA-BAM!

I kept a secret for a whole month without him ever finding out. I did not know that was possible.

 7. No regrets.

I am finally comfortable – after 36 years – with everything that has happened in my life. I used to wonder what if I had done things differently. Now I know everything that has happened was supposed to happen exactly this way and I am on the path in life I am supposed to be on. I used to think I was born a year too late, but now I know everything is happening when it is supposed to happen and I need to just keep plugging along at my dreams.

8. Lightning can travel both cloud down and ground up.

I just learned this and thought I would pass this little factoid nugget on to you for your learning pleasure. You might need it for Trivial Pursuit or maybe just to impress your kids one day. You never know when mad facts like this one will come in handy.

9. I need to do a better job of combating society’s gender roles with my own kids.

I was talking the other day about how boys never stop moving and we watched a young boy run and hurdle over the red ball on the walkway outside of Target. Each of the boys in my car said they would totally do that. My daughter answered that there was no way she was doing that and my oldest son answered with, “No of course you wouldn’t. Girls are supposed to just sit around and look pretty.”

Okay, I was totally caught off guard because people I do not just sit around all day and look pretty! Where does this kid get that idea. Also, I have always talked about how personality and the way a person conducts themselves is where you see their beauty. Obviously I need to do some damage control on the ideas my oldest son has about women.

10. Comfy clothes rule.

Really, I don’t know why I thought I had to get up each day and look somewhat put together in regular clothes. I think jeans, a T-Shirt and converse are fine. Or Yoga pants. And yes yoga pants even when you don’t actually go to Yoga, that is completely acceptable regardless of what you might hear elsewhere. Especially if you are like me and running around with toddlers all day. We need workout gear on to keep up with them.

I am seriously rethinking my whole you have to get up and get ready idea. I don’t know what I was thinking. Maybe I actually got enough sleep the night before I wrote that.

By the way, I love comfy clothes even if your cleaning woman laughs and tells you your shirt is on inside out.

Here’s to another month of life learning and living out loud,

Me