October has been an exciting month for our little family. My daughter, Belen, turned four this month; and we celebrated Halloween. It was a month full of planning a birthday party, picking out a costume and then celebrating with a party in the park. October also included trick-or-treating dressed as a unicorn and going to the first of many Broadway Shows together ~ a Broadway Musical called “ FROZEN”.
Still, the most impactful part of the month was just reflecting on the year Belen and I completed together and internalizing what I have learned from her. She has truly helped me be more aware of how we can create more happiness in our lives, and I want to share!
1. Staying Present:
Whatever Belen is doing, she is a pure master of being present. Whether that is practicing writing her name (this is her homework assignment), reading our bedtime story and cuddling, having a meal together or watching her “new” favorite show ~ “FROZEN, the animated version” ~ for the 15th time! What this produces is pure joy in whatever she is doing. This presence also produces high focus and efficiency in the process. I am constantly amazed at whether she is talking with me about what she did at school while eating dinner or her intensity as she is writing her letters ~ there is no wasted time.
2. There Are No Mistakes:
Belen learns everything from the beginning from writing the alphabet to swinging a golf club or trying to stack blocks to create a slide for her toy birds to slide down on. When it doesn’t work out the way she wanted, she simply says “Whoopsy...that didn’t work...let’s try that again.” I challenge myself continuously to have that attitude of learning and teachability. When I feel I have made a mistake, I just remind myself ~ “I am still learning . . . what I am attempting to do didn’t work . . . and I will try it again differently.”
3. Loving One’s Self:
The language and the way Belen talks to herself is absolutely beautiful! She talks to herself the way one would talk to their best friend. When she is putting golf balls in the hole, she will exclaim “I am doing very well.” She will look in the mirror and say ~ “I am very beautiful.” She will be reading her alphabet book and gets very excited when she can tell me all the sounds of the letters in Spanish and English. She will exclaim “Mommy, I am learning so much!” or “ I have learned them all.” Just a reminder to be your own cheerleader and celebrate the small feats every day.
4. Vulnerability:
When she knows she does something she wasn’t supposed to, Belen immediately says “I am sorry.” How can I make this better?” She is never defensive nor makes any excuses. She just says “sorry.” It is even endearing after she has a temper tantrum that she will ask me for a hug and say “I am still sad, but I am better.” I love how pure she is with her emotions and how she immediately takes ownership of the things that she knows she didn’t do well. I also love how she will cry when she needs to, laugh when she needs to and sing when she feels the mood strike. It is a reminder that when we are vulnerable and allow ourselves to sense our emotions and allow others to as well, it defuses tense or uncomfortable situations immediately.
5. Always Find the Good in Any Situation:
Early in September, I had lost my wallet with my keys, credit cards, phone and ID. As you can well imagine, I was really struggling to find the positive in the day and was extremely stressed about how we were going to get back into our apartment or buy food to eat for dinner. Belen asked what was wrong, and I told her. She then said ~ “It’s ok, Mommy, there is still a lot to be happy about . . ." You know, she was exactly right! There still was a lot to be happy about. I spent the next hour playing in the park with her, as I just let go of the stress of the situation. I couldn’t do anything about it at that moment after all. When we got back to our apartment after playing in the park, I was able to get back into my apartment with a little help from a neighbor who contacted another neighbor with my extra set of keys. When I opened my computer, there was a message on my business phone from John, the person who had found my wallet with everything inside and intact including my keys and phone. John informed me that I could pick it up from him, as he was about 10 minutes away from our apartment (I had lost it about 40 minutes away from my apartment) that night. A miracle did happen to us that day. Belen had been right. There is always something to be happy about!
Yes, my goal is to live more purely and simply just like my daughter. When I do, and I am conscious of implementing these 5 lessons into my daily life, I am much happier, productive and am in my flow. Try implementing one today, and let me know how it affects you for good!
On a Mission to Help You Do What You Love!
MerriLyn Gibbs (Owner) at Assistants 4 Hire
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