Life Advice: Parents Edition
My dad was all about teaching me about life. When I was younger, he would write things on post-it notes and stick them on the inside of one of the cabinets in our kitchen. As I got older, the inside of the cabinet became completely covered in sayings and quotes about life.
Now, years later, I wish I had a day to go back to 8-year-old me and listen to him just a little closer. Those things he taught me still apply to my life today, and will for years to come.
So, as the days grow longer and school gets more intense, here's the best life advice that my parents have given me since day one:
Take it one day at a time -Mom. (I know my mom didn't make this up … not sure who did, but they are smart). With school, internships, work, sports, it's so easy to get stressed out. I am that person who calls her mom when she's stressed. After talking about everything under the sun, she always, without fail, ends the conversation with "just take it one day at a time, one assignment, one practice. One at a time." Not letting yourself get stressed out about the future or the project you have due next week is good for your mental health and can help allow you to focus on the homework you have due tomorrow. When I chose to focus on the present and not let future responsibilities stress me out, I find myself being more productive and successful.
You can do anything you put your mind to -Dad. I know, so cliché, but so true. How awesome is it to have someone believe in you so much to tell you can do ANYTHING if you want it bad enough. That was my dad for ya; always reminding me I have the world at my fingertips and I could catch those dreams of mine. But, as we get older, that person is not always there to remind us, so we have to remind ourselves. Have faith in the abilities you have, and don't let failures detour you from thinking you are capable of the success you want.
Just because my dad is my best friend and one of the most influential people in my life, I thought I would end this post with something he taught me when I was younger. I never rode the bus, because my mom would drop me off at school; so every morning before school as we were pulling out of the driveway he asked me,
"Tell me five things about you."
And every morning, without fail, my response was, "I'm independent, there’s nothing I can't do, I never give up, I always tell the truth and I love mom, dad & God."
Silly, maybe. But man, those things stuck with me for years. I still remember them to this day.
Find the things that remind you who you are, the things that push you to get through each day, to finish that project, to get that job and never forget them. They help make you who you are.
