The Most Powerful Lesson My Mother Taught Me

Mothers a very special group.  They come in all types and ways.  Being a mother, much like being a father, doesn't just mean giving birth to a child, but more importantly, it means loving, caring, and living for that child.  It means sacrifice and hard work.  It means showing up when you don't want to or are feeling your worst.  Mom's don't take sick days.  They are always there and always giving...and then giving more, because it is not about them; it is about the children and family they love and serve.

There are literally a million lessons I learned from my mother.  How to be giving, selfless, compassionate, caring, and take action are just a few.  As I sat down to write this post, I thought long and hard about the most powerful lesson l Iearned from my mom.  It was tough!  So many things ran through my head.  So many amazing lessons, habits, and thoughts on how to make the most out of life.

As I thought more and more, things began to become clear.  The most powerful lesson my mother taught me, was one that I never really thought about.  It was the one that she embodied every day and one that I naturally learned from being around her.

That lesson?  How to be courageous.  How to bust through fear and breakthrough your barriers.  There are so many times in my life I have seen my mother show courage.  From standing up for her children to standing for a cause or her country; I have watched her embody strength, courage, and the will to keep pushing and going my whole life.  And in many ways, I just took if for granted.

Courage is a funny thing;  It is the thing that many people need the most in their life to breakout and go after what they are truly meant to be and do with their lives, but it is the hardest for them to have.  Most people see this and they know it deep in the hearts, but get paralyzed by fear or the unknown.  It is easier to stay where things are comfortable than to forge ahead and create a new path.  A path that nobody but you know has traveled.  It takes action, fueled by courage to become who you you are truly meant to be.

Does this mean you don't have fear?  No.  There have been so many times that I have seen my mom scared or sensed she was, but watched her press on anyway.  She knew what had to be done and by shear force and conviction was going to do it.  

But, there is one thing that drives courage.  One MAJOR thing. This thing matters more than any other.  
It is a strong, unbreakable "why."  My mother knew her "why."  She knew what she had to do and what it would take to do it.  She was sometimes scared, overwhelmed, confused, and not sure how she would do it, but that didn't stop her because she knew why she had to do it.  She loved her kids and her family unconditionally and that drove her.  It propelled her courage.

Courage in life translates to action and actions are how we move forward.  We can think about things and have ideas all day, but without action, they don't mean anything.  Having the courage to start and the will to keep going is really what it takes to separate yourself and reach your version of greatness.  I might also add, to have that same courage and will when you fail the first through fifth times.  But that is where the why comes in.  If you have a strong enough why, you will always have the courage to move forward.

I cannot express the level of gratitude in words that I have for my mother embodying courage backed by a strong why and teaching me to understand what that truly means.  What I have done is strive to show her through my own actions and in my efforts as a father with my daughter.  I will never have the level of courage and will that she has, but if I have 1/100 of it, I know I will do just fine.

Find your why and find your courage....and give you mother a hug while you're at it.