3 Lessons From My Mom… ??

I was recently asked to reflect on the influential women in my life and how their support and guidance shaped the woman I am today.

My thoughts went immediately to my mom. We lost her in December of 2022, and I suspect there won’t be a single day in my life that I don’t think of her.

I hit the jackpot when it came to the “Mom Lottery”! She was kind, thoughtful, wickedly funny, had an entrepreneur mindset, and believed I could do anything I set my mind to.

I learned so many lessons from here. Here three of my favorites that I hope will inspire you to live your biggest, boldest, happiest life!

1) You are never too old to start dreaming new dreams.

When my mom was 74 years old, she started a YouTube Channel AND started creating online cooking courses on Udemy.

I remember sitting at her kitchen table when she said to me, “You know those online courses you do? Do you think you could show me how to make one?” followed by “How about YouTube… can you show me that too?”

After just a few months that little spitfire was filming her own videos, adding captions and fly-ins, uploading the content (videos and recipes), and managing her online courses! My sister and I STILL get revenue from her 13 cooking courses… and she continues to kick my butt on YouTube! Her channel “The Sodium Attacker” currently has over 3K subscribers and over 140K views!

YOU are never too old to dream new dreams.?

2) Toss it over your shoulder, kid!

I’m a worrier. My mother was not.

When I would fret and worry, my mom would hold out her hand as if she had a cup of sand in it… throw the imaginary load over her shoulder and say, “Toss it over your shoulder, kid”! She never let what “might” happen steal joy from today. Especially when it came to other people’s opinions.

She stood up for what she believed in, applied for (and got) jobs that “women didn’t do” in the 70’s, blew the whistle on the laundry mat she managed at the Kodiak, Alaska Coast Guard Base when they were dumping chemicals in the ocean (not a small thing as the wife of an officer), and told people to mind their own business if they didn’t like the dreams my sister and were chasing.

The next time you start to worry about what someone will think of one of your posts, emails, or opinions… Take my mom’s advice (along with an imaginary cup of sand)… and toss that worry over your shoulder!?

3) It's your responsibility to find joy in every day.

Here’s another day I remember very clearly.

It was about a month after my dad died.

I walked into her house at about 6am to get set up for work (I worked most days from her house so she wouldn’t be alone). My mom was up wearing her soft blue robe, holding cup of coffee in her hands.

She looked at me and said, “What are we going to do that will be fun today?”.

It stopped me in my tracks.

My mom was deep in grief, battling lung cancer, had been on chemo for over a year at this point… and she wanted to know what we were going to do that would be… FUN?!?! I smiled and said, “I don’t know mom, what do you want to do?”.

Her reply? “I don’t know. But it is our responsibility to have fun. So, we are going to figure it out”.

It is our responsibility to have fun. Every. Single. Day.

THAT is POWERFUL!!!

The next time you catch yourself thinking “I’ll be happy when…” or struggling through a difficult season of life…

Do at least one thing that brings you joy every day.

And know this… My mom will be smiling down on you when you do!

I miss you mom. You were the very best. ??