Today's post (which finally get's me all caught up!!!) is 15 tips to get through life. I know I have a handful of good tips...let's see what else I can think up 8)
1. ALWAYS tell the people that you love, that you love them. Don't ever assume that they know. Every time my husband or I leave the house, or we hang up the phone with each other, we tell each other "I love you". God forbid something was to ever happen, at least we would know that we love each other. When my Dad passed away in early 2009, I tore myself up for the longest time, because I couldn't remember if I had told him I loved him or not as I left the house that morning. It turns out I did, but that was one of the worst feelings ever. When my kids head to school in the morning, I tell them I love them too.
2. Live for today. Don't worry about your past, it's in your past. Don't worry about tomorrow, wait for it to come. We sometimes get too caught up in what happened before, or worrying about what's to come that we forget to appreciate what we have now.
3. Go with the flow. I know this one is hard for a lot of people. But you just need to let go. I am a firm believer in everything happens for a reason. Sometimes we'll know the reason, sometimes we'll figure it out down the road, and sometimes we'll never know. I think this one goes hand in hand with living for today. I know my brother always tries to analyze everything little thing and what it means. I'm always telling him to go with the flow, and I know it's hard for him to just let go like that.
4. Choose your battles. This is a BIG one, both in your marriage, and as a parent, but really in any relationship. Some things are just not worth the time and the energy. You can't win everything, even when dealing with your children. Should you give in every single time? No, but you need to find the right balance. Knowing when to stop, or when to say you're sorry is big.
5. K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple Stupid. Or, when I was in the Navy, Keep It Simple Sailor. No need to complicate things, try to keep it simple. You can apply this to anything, and everything.
6. Be the change you want to see. I know we've all seen this before, or heard it before, but it's true. If you want something to change, then DO IT! Don't just sit back and talk about it.
7. Spend time with your family/children. Before you know it, they will be grown and gone. Take the time to sit down and create memories with them. Don't be the person 20 years from now, looking back saying "I wish". Create memories and cherish them.
8. Jealousy is a wasted emotion. This is a BIG one. I used to be one of the most jealous people EVER. I mean, every little thing set me off (relationship wise, not day to day life). Let me tell you, green is my favorite color, but it did not look good on me! Looking back, I made a HUGE ass of myself...ALL the time too. I was such an idiot LOL. Learning to let go and not be jealous has been SO great for me. I think this can also go with my going with the flow. Learn to be secure in yourself, and everything else will fall into place.
9. Take time for yourself. As a mom, we get so caught up in taking care of everyone else, we forget about ourselves. I know I am guilty of this. During the year my older 2 kids both have band, baseball, softball, football, and cheerleading. Add in dr.'s appts, and school functions, plus the things I do with the younger 2 kids. Then add in day to day household chores, couponing and grocery shopping, and any other errands I may have to do. Where is the time for me? You have to make time for yourself, don't get so caught up with your family that you forget who YOU are and what you enjoy. Take that hour long bubble bath. Curl up in your room with a book you've been wanting to read. Go get yourself a mani/pedi. Have a girl's night out with your friends. Don't feel guilty about it either. You need time to yourself to be yourself and to re-charge so you can continue to take care of your family.
10. Have a date night with your Hubby! This is along the same lines as the take time for yourself. You and your husband need time alone, together, without your kids. Time to recharge, and to remember why you love each other. Maybe it's just dinner, or going to the movies, or even both. Maybe you get a sitter and spend the night at a hotel together. Spend the day together at an amusement park, just the 2 of you. Whatever it is, do it. It will help your relationship with your husband. Sometimes you get caught up in the day to day business of life, this is a chance to get away and help to keep you close to each other.
11. Be yourself. I can't stress this one enough. Don't worry about what other people think about you! We're suppose to be different, that's the beauty of individuality. There is nothing wrong with marching to the beat of a different drum. Life would be boring if we were all the same. Embrace your differences and enjoy being you! I love this quote "Life isn't about finding yourself, but about creating yourself" ~ Anonymous. While I'm at it, I should include one of my favorite quote's ever. "Be who you are, and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind" ~ Dr. Seuss. What a wise man Dr. Seuss was!
12. Laugh. Seriously, it makes you feel better and can help reduce stress. There is a quote, "Laughter is the medicine of life". I don't know where the quote originated from, but it's a great quote.
13. Treat others the way you want to be treated. This is called The Golden Rule for a reason. If you expect respect, you must give respect. If you are nice, people will be nice back. I know this can be hard at times, but it's something I always try to remember. When you call customer support to complain about a problem, remember the person on the other end of the phone is there to help you, they are not the ones who caused the problem. If you call them up, yelling and cursing, guess what? They won't want to help you! If you are nice to them, they will want to help you as much as they can.
14. Take time to read a book. I LOVE to read, and find it's a great way to relax. I love this quote about reading "The more that you read, the more things that you'll know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go" ~ Dr. Seuss.
15. Don't judge. This is a hard one, even for me when it comes to certain things, but I try. I hate when you see other mom's bashing each other over their decision to breastfeed or use formula, to cloth diaper or use disposables, to circumcise or not, to pierce their daughter's ears or not. We are all mom's, all doing what we feel is best for our family and our circumstances. We should be supporting each other, not tearing each other down. This goes for anything life related, but I figured that was a good example of how a lot of people judge and tear people apart. It's not our place to judge.
I am not perfect by any means, and sometimes I fall short on all of these things too. But, I feel these are all great life tips and they are all things that I try to do. Is there anything that you would add to the list?
