LESSONS FROM A LITTLE ONE

I have a two year old, and one of the best things about having a two year old is that I learn little truths from her every day. She keeps me grounded in what is most important in a crazy world, and helps me follow my dreams. I wanted to share some of the current lessons.

You Can Be Whoever You Want to Be - For Halloween this year we dressed up my daughter as Piglet, from Winnie the Pooh. For weeks, whenever she would see her costume she would declare, I can be Piglet. And on Halloween night she was Piglet. Sometimes I think we think about our goals and dreams and say to ourselves "I can't be a mathematician, I'm just not good at math, or who am I to want to be an entrepreneur?" We questions our ability to become what we want to be, but if there is something we want to do, why not just declare "I can be _____________." That declaration followed by some work, just might make it true.

Be Excited to Share Your Talents and Skills - Yesterday my husband took my daughter out to a nearby field to play some soccer. He was teaching her about different field positions and when she came home she ran through the door and said "Mama, I am a striker." She had learned this new skill, kicking a soccer ball, and instead of being nervous about how inexperienced she was, she just declared with excitement the new things she learn. That attitude will allow her get better at this soccer skill in the future.

When All Else Fails, Sing a Song - Sometimes when my husband and I are talking and our daughter wants our attention, or when we are trying to get our daughter to eat a vegetable she is not interested in, she just starts singing a song. It is so cute and often results in us stopping our conversation to listen or we momentarily stop prodding her to eat. When she needs something she can become upset, but that doesn't help anything much, or she can sing a song, and that seems to ease her struggles and allows us to help her more calmly. So when something is stressful, just sing a song, or listen to one.

In a crazy world, it is good to have a two year old around to teach me what matters most.