I saw this quote and cracked up laughing because it was SO true!  There’s no greater feeling than being a parent, but those littles will school you when it comes to creating your own agenda.

 

I will say, however, that my kids teach me more than I realize.  My son Myles, turned eight years old on Sunday.  Although he’s your typical second grader, I must admit, he taught me a pretty good lesson about a couple weeks ago.  I was going through a funk in my business and really wanting to give up, then after talking with him I had a different perspective.

 

Myles has been working on his pass-off math since the school year started.  Normally, he catches on to concepts pretty quickly, but there was something about this pass-off math that was really tripping him up.

 

“Mommy, my teacher doesn’t know it, but every time I don’t pass, I cry.”  He told me one day after school.

 

Being his mom, my initial reaction was to console him and tell him that it’s going to be okay.  He bought it for a moment, but he really wasn’t convinced.  Then, he and I had a more in depth talk that really resonated with me in my own situation.  Here are the lessons I taught him, that really taught me.

 

Lesson 1: It’s not the end of the world if you don’t succeed.

 

Please excuse my parent-brag for a moment, but my son is a second grader reading on a fourth grade level, he’s an A-Honor Roll student (welp…just got his first B, but you get my drift), with an extraordinary imagination.  He even makes really high A’s in math, so this one challenge is not an indicator of his intelligence.  However, he was allowing it to make him feel bad about himself academically.

 

Look at the big picture.  One small area or moment of failure should not give you an overall impression of yourself.

 

I am a repeat offender of allowing myself to forget my success and dwell on my failures.  As you grow in your professional life, make sure you take a full picture of your overall achievements and failures.  I bet the achievements outweigh the later, so stop beating yourself up about not being perfect.  No one has it all together.

 

Lesson 2:  You’ve got to learn how to relax

Myles is a worry-wart.  (Ahem… I have NO IDEA where he got that from)  He’s my child that I’m constantly telling, “Stop worrying about that and let mommy and daddy handle it”.  So, it’s no surprise that a 1 minute timed test, stresses him completely out! I had to remind him that stressing and worry will not serve him well in his math challenge.  It reminds me of one of my favorite bible verses.

 

“Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?” Luke 12:25

 

Allowing yourself to stress over situations doesn’t solve the problem, it just adds problems on top of what you already have.  Sometimes, you’ve got to give yourself a break and cut yourself some slack.  If not, it really will make you want to give up because it’s too big of a burden.  You’ve got to learn how to prioritize what’s really important and worth your focus.  Sometimes focusing on outside distractions can hinder you from what really matters.  Learn to relax and know that it’s all going to work itself out.

 

Lesson 3: Praying about it doesn’t always mean you will get the result you want when you want it.

My son has a wonderful heart for the Lord.  He prays diligently about all things in his life.  Passing his math was no exception.  Naturally, he wanted to know why God hadn’t helped him to pass when he clearly stated he needed the help in his prayers.  What a teachable moment!  I reminded Myles of an important concept he’ll need to know for the rest of his life.

 

God isn’t a genie.  He doesn’t give you what you want.  He gives you what you need.

 

Sometimes, we need to fail.  It’s definitely NOT what most people want to hear, but it is always because we need it.  I reminded Myles that if he just breezed through the whole thing, he wouldn’t know what it takes to work for what he wants.  He wouldn’t know how to solve problems, and he wouldn’t get better at his math facts.  He needed to fail to be a better student!  There are SO many reasons why God says “no” in our lives.

 

Instead of questioning God’s “no”, try to figure out His “why”.  That’s when real growth occurs.  

 

Even as I review these lessons now, I’m learning how to better handle several situations in my life.  There are so many times when I have wanted to give up because things seemed out of my range or difficult.  However, there’s more at stake than just quitting, we often have to consider that our actions affect other people.  If I quit on my dreams, what message would I be sending to my kids?  It’s just not worth it!

 

The most amazing part about Myles is, after we talked, he listened and applied everything we talked about.  I’ve gotten so much incredible advice then let it slip out the other ear at the sign of difficulty.  He didn’t though, he took it to heart and went back to school and got back to working hard to pass his test.  Guess what?

 

 

That’s right!  He passed it twice in a row!  Ever since then, sometimes he passes, sometimes he doesn’t, but most importantly he doesn’t let failure stop him from trying. Now that’s a TRUE champion!

 

Today’s Think Tank:

What are you dealing with that makes you want to give up?  Tough boss?  Challenging task?  Entrepreneurship?  Let us hear from you so that we can pray on your behalf.  As always, I’ll be praying for your determination and ask that you pray for mine!  Until next time, BE BLESSED AND BE A BLESSING!

 

XOXO,

Kim