5 Motivational Quotes

Dear Classic Mom Diary:

In the non-parent life, I have filled much of my time with learning about how to become a happier, healthier, more resilient person. Many hours have been invested in sitting and lying down and turning myself inward for a type of experience, typically relaxation, motivation, healing, sometimes simply silencing all my thoughts, because that's what I need. I want to try and carry this over into my parent life, as I strongly feel it has encouraged me to lead a healthy, calm, and much more positive life than I previously have. 

So, I have concocted an awesome list of 5 motivational quotes to help get me started, on the days where I get consumed and feel like it's just not worth my time. Let's remember, meditation can be just 5 minutes of time, it can even be done while falling asleep. Anyone can work it into any day. And if it's not your thing, then maybe just seeing these quotes will give you a little boost inside. :)

Cheers!

Julie Maye

1. "In the end, only 3 things matter: how much you loved, how gently you lived, and how gracefully  you let go of things not meant for you." - Buddha

This quote inspires me in so many different ways. I have ultimately trained my mind to bring these words forward at each precious moment (even the passing ones, like waving goodbye to my boyfriend as I drop him off for work, because one day we'll be in much better living conditions, and he will drive himself, and I will stay home with our kids and get them prepared for school, and our special moment will be a round of hugs and kisses for everyone. And it will be just as special.) It is so important to be able to stop and really appreciate all these moments, so you don't get overwhelmed by the every day junk that sometimes clutters our minds and our ability to feel happy. 

2. "Freedom is not given to us by anyone; we have to cultivate it ourselves. It is a daily practice." - Thich Nhat Hanh

I have not used this quote a lot in my child-free life, but that does not mean it hasn't had meaning for me in reading it. Going forward, this quote really makes me think of how many Mothers complain that they do not get enough "self" time or "freedom" from the daily grind. I want to keep this quote near to remind me that I need to make my own freedom, and to help me come up with ways that I can have that in my new life. (Such as with meditation!)

 3. "A man asked lord Buddha 'I want happiness.' Lord Buddha said: 'first remove 'I', that's ego. Then remove 'want', that's desire. See, now you are left with only 'happiness'." -Unknown

Many Mom blogs I have read have write ups about how the 21st century Mom is held up to a ridiculous level of expectations, because we have social media helping us to 'compare and compete' with each other. First and foremost I want to vow to never feel in 'competition' with another parent, because their life with their child is wildly different than mine, and that is unfair to myself. Secondly, I want to remind myself that it is not important to do everything perfectly, we don't have to have the best clothes, the best house, the best car, always mow our lawn, always have a clean house, always have matching clothes on ourselves and our kids, etc. etc. What's more important is we're all thriving, and leading positive, loving, happy lives together as a family. Period.

4. "It's better to be a failure at something you love, than to be a success at something you hate." -George Burns

With my fears of following in my own Mom's angry footsteps, I want to use this quote to remind me to ALWAYS try to do better. ALWAYS try to defeat the anger with love, no matter how hard you try. I'd rather be a Mom who tries hard to be a positive influence in her child's life, than a Mom who masters "winning" because that's what's more important to her. It is never more important to win than it is to love.

5. "You never know how strong you are, until being strong is the only choice you have." -Unknown

This is just a good all-around life quote. I love the meaning it has, and how versatile it is to any situation.