Lessons from my kids

All mothers believe their kids are special, and they are.
My kids are truly my reason for breathing. When I let myself BE in the moment and revel in them, they ground me and remind me of what is really important. Things often get worse before they get better, simply to test our resilience - those of us who have developed a soul with stamina will thrive, no matter what, and live to tell and share and teach - by example.
I will share here some of the comments my 8-year old has blown me away with and that I keep in my heart as teachings from an old soul.
"Mommy, why are you crying? It´s not like that´s going to make it start raining money!" (I laughed and hugged her).
"You need to go running - you always feel better after that". (Does she know me or what!)
"Mommy, it´s not like you have to do it all by yourself. Don´t you have a daughter with two hands who can help you out? Hello?" (This was late one night before having to lug up all my jewelry and groceries up three flights of stairs with my 5-year old asleep in the car. I was floored).
"I think you are beautiful just the way you are!"
My 5-year old tells me
"Mommy, I am in your heart and you are in mine"
The list goes on and on ....
Listen to your kids, but I mean really, LISTEN ... They are full of wisdom.

http://www.lorrainecladish.com/

Smile and the world will smile with you ...

If I had to name my favorite accesory, I would undoubtedly say it is my smile. I never leave the house without it. People mimic other´s expressions, and if you smile, the world will, in fact, smile with you.
A friend of mine who lives in Spain asked me recently how I was doing, and I told her I would rather not detail the challenges I had been going through because I did not want to feed that kind of energy. I needed to stay strong and positive. She mentioned that I must be a pretty good actress, because from my pictures on facebook I always looked extremely happy!
I do not advocate hiding one´s feelings or faking a mood all the time. But the more I practice the art of smiling, the easier it comes to me. I mostly wear a positive attitude no matter what is happening in my life. We are not our circumstances, keep that in mind, and we CAN train ourselves to act and react differently to how we are used to in the face of challenges.
When I came back from my recent trip to NYC I left my laptop on the plane. When I realized this, I ran back to the gate and was told the seats on my row were empty. My expensive macbook was gone with everything in it! After my initial shock, I was taken aback by my own reaction to the event. I did not crumble, I did not buckle under, I did not get angry. Furthermore, I was able to comfort a friend whose new camera was stolen a week later, because I knew what it felt like to lose your main work tool. I was able to move on and with the help of loved ones, get a new laptop and continue working ... and smiling.

http://www.lorrainecladish.com/