3 Lessons from the Mothers in My Life

3 Lessons from the Mothers in My Life On this Mother’s Day, I’d like to pass on three lessons I’ve learned from the mothers in my life so that they may help you too. Never give up â€" just keep going My grandmother’s motto was “never give up â€" always look forward”. No matter how tough life became, she kept going. She was a relentless survivor to protect her family, and always strived to better their situation. For me, this translates into the ability to bounce back from disappointments and move forward in the face of misfortune. Like my grandmother, we can sail past the natural instinct to wallow in, “why me?” and look ahead at what we can do to improve the situation. How could you and I be more resilient and keep going when things get tough? Be optimistic When I think about what I admire most about my mother, optimism is at the top of the list. She always looks on the bright side. And she has a positive way to frame everything. If we were about to turn away an extra dinner guest because the table was too small, my mother would say, “of course we can fit them in!” And all of a sudden, everyone was moving seats around to make it work. Optimism is contagious. For me, optimism is about having a “can do” attitude. It’s the ability to frame any situation in a positive, constructive way. A way that allows people to find a path forward. This has made me a better leader both at work and at home. Who could you be that optimistic cheerleader for in your life? Don’t worry â€" you’ll find a way My grandmother was fond of saying, “the road may look like it would end in the distance, but when you walk along it, you’ll discover that it continues on and may become wide”. She believed that there would always be a way to get what you need. So, instead of worrying about what would happen, she used her resourcefulness to find a way forward. She always saw opportunities. Like looking at their typewriter and envisioning opening up a typing school. As a worrier, this is an important reminder that my time and energy is much better spent on taking action to explore and tapping into my resourcefulness. Both of these are easier to do when I’m not worrying. How could you let go of worry and allow your creative self to find a way forward? Happy Mother’s Day If not for this holiday, I wouldn’t have been prompted to think about the wisdom from the women in my family and to share them with you. So, Happy Mother’s Day to all the generations of mothers who have come before us. Without them, we wouldn’t be who we are today. Without the generations of mothers who have come before us, we wouldn’t be who we are today. And now, how about you? What have you learned from the mother figures in your life? Leave a comment and pass on the wisdom.