The right attitude to rain: making the most of the “not so ideal”
A few weeks ago, it all seemed set to be a perfect beach day. The sun was out (in too full a force actually), the lemonade was icy, the beach and bikini were getting whatever body I chose to give it , then voila, without warning, there came the rain. As my mood sank, I realized I was more saddened for my little miss because she was over the moon excited for her beach outing.
Think. Think. Think I chided myself and in a few minutes I had an aha moment. If you can’t go to the beach, take the beach to you. (not literally of course, especially since an entire beach once went missing right in Jamaica) 😀 But indeed I immediately started to think of creative ways to ensure the rain didn’t literally or figuratively rain on our parade. From what started off as an indoor activity for a child, emerged several important lessons about the right attitude to the literal and figurative rains in our lives. Here are a few:
Lesson 1: There is always an Opportunity: In my example, there was the option to call it a day and forget about going to the beach or use the opportunity to turn the disappointment into another fun activity. Equipped with an umbrella, beach mat and our lemonade, indoor beach time was magical and we didn’t even miss the sand.
Lesson 2: Don’t Waste time being Upset: Life is all about options and as parents, we can either choose to spend way too much time fuming or using the time to focus on a more positive alternative.
Lesson 3: Perspective is everything: As adults, sometimes we place so much pressure on ourselves to be perfect in every way and when things do not go our way, we often cannot move beyond that. I was noticeably upset, but my daughter wanted to have fun in the rain. Perspective is everything.
Lesson 4: Give Yourself a Break: This transcends my rainy day example and extends to the many rainy days we all will experience in our lifetimes. work issues? relationship problems? parenting woes? Often we are so focused on all the negatives that we forget to give our selves credit for the things that we have done right, excelled at or even just kept our heads above waters.
Lesson 5: See life from a Child’s view: This has been a personal favorite. Truly, sometimes the best approach is to stop for a minute and see the problem/situation/world from a Child’s point of view. I recall for example a hot summer’s day when my daughter wanted to play around in a water fountain. I told her yes and watched as her eyes opened in amusement each time the water flew forward. Minutes later, I looked around and she was drenched in the water’s droplets. My first response was to be upset but then I paused, shook my head and cheered her along with a reminder that sometimes we just need to live a little.
Bonus Lesson: Just Try: Of course, before you can take the credit, you need to put in the work. Parenting and life can often be overwhelming but for us to be the very best versions of ourselves, we have to Just Try.
P.S. Have you been seeing our #JUSTTRY Messages on our Instagram Page? Pop on by sometime
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Cheers to Motherhood!
Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.
Thomas Jefferson
