Speak to your Kids

I just go back from a stellar Unleash the Power Within Seminar hosted by Tony Robbins. What an Amazing Guy using the Amazing gifts God has given him. Before I left my son asked me why I was going and had to be gone for 4 days. I explained to him that I was leaving to come back a better mother, wife, daughter (relationships) and business person. He said ok, cried a little...I promised my little guy a gift if he would let mommy go and explore her potential. The first day I was gone he talked to me about 4 times, the second day 2, the 3rd day 1 of which he said " Can you talk to dad now" I know that he can survive without me, but I sure did miss him while I was away. Coming home with my new found attitude, after delving into my limiting beliefs and what over the years has cause me not only these false beliefs about myself but a lot of why I do what I do and how I can chose to change that. It was an amazing adventure and I am truly grateful that I had the opportunity to go. I can't even describe all the emotions and discoveries I made. Each individual who attends I am sure brings something back to their normal life that is individual to them. It is up to each individual to CHOOSE to incorporate it into their life. When I got back my son was already asleep. Upon waking, as he remembered mommy was bring a gift- he sprung into my bedroom and the first thing out of his mouth was not "mommy I missed you, mommy I am glad you are home" but like most little kids it was "where is my gift?" LOL! He definitely wasn't going to let that memory escape him. Since I had only seen the inside of an airport, cab, hotel and convention center, I settled for the toy southwest airplane at the airport gift shop, he was pleased! He said, "Oh thank you mommy." The first day back I had a fully loaded schedule and didn't get the amount of time with my son as I would have liked to upon coming back. He said "that is okay mommy, we can spend time together tomorrow." - after a little bit of whine. I was truly grateful for his little positive reinforcement. Then yesterday as we spent most of the day together, he continually asked for more and more things as we went different places. He asked for every toy, grocery, sweet, snack and thing you could possibly imagine. Mommy wasn't about to buy him everything he "needed" just because she was gone for 4 days. So repeatedly I told him NO, he didn't need a certain thing, NO he didn't need sweets today, NO he could wait until his birthday in September and I reminded him I brought him a gift. Throwing a little attitude in the car he shouted, "I thought you said you were coming back a better mommy?" Whoaa... that got me. I had to ask what his idea of a good mommy was? He thought for a moment and stumble with his words. I said, "do you think being a good mommy means I give you everything you want?" He replied "yes." In this come to Jesus moment I was having I had to think quick as to how to respond lovingly yet with a lesson about how life is not about getting everything you want. Sometimes it is about the stuff you don't get that allows to shape you into the person you are, the circumstances that happen to you that change your life, to become better at something, to change, to realize your gratitude for the things you do have. I stopped and asked him to tell me 3 things he was grateful for right now. (this is a practice we do every night before bed as a family but we only each say 1 thing for the day.) He says to me, "Mom, we say that at night, it isn't nighttime." I answered back and told him that he should be grateful for what he has throughout the whole day, if he is constantly thinking and appreciating throughout the day, his day would be more enriched with what is going on in his life. He said, " my animals, that I get to play, and spending time with me." That last one really made me, as a mom, feel better about the situation and his selfishness of this day. You see it isn't about what we get or what we have or how much money we make. Some people make all the money in the world and are still unhappy, miserable or not satisfied. It is about what we already have, the relationships we make and the story we build every day that we should be most happy about. When we die we cannot take our money or possessions with us. What would everyone say about you if you died tomorrow? What would your kids say? "Mommy bought me a lot of stuff? or my mommy taught me to be kind, patient, loving and grateful, just as she was." Be an example to your children, your family and friends, because when you die what you did and what you said and the memories you made is what they will remember. Chose to have them remember the good. One of my favorites: Psalms 118:24 This is the day which the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.