Passing on the positive.

I have this beautiful quote, with a picture of a sunrise in the background, posted on my fridge. It's titled, Don't Quit, and I stop to read it at least a few times a week. I am going to share it with you. I know we have all had hard times, and it's such a good reminder to stay positive.

Don't Quit

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all up hill,
When the funds are low, and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As everyone of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don't give up though the pace seems slow,
You may succeed with another blow.

Success is failure turned inside out,
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far;
It's when things seem worse,
That you must not quit.

I think it is so important to keep this attitude and share it with our kids. Teaching them resilience could possibly be the most important thing you ever have to teach.

There is something I tell Bubu when he gets frustrated. When he is trying to do something new or hard and he can't figure it out. When he is whining and wants me to do it for him, I tell him, "try your hardest first, keep trying, and when you feel you have tried your hardest, then let me know and I will be happy to help you." So the other day he couldn't get the door open and I said this to him again, and he kept trying until he got it. Then he turned to me and said, "I tried my hardest and I did it!" He was so proud of himself, and I told him I was proud of him also. It's those little things that help teach resilience to our children.

Then yesterday I was talking out loud while trying to get the lid off a pickle jar, and I was complaining that his dad always tightens the lids so tight and I couldn't get it off. I was about to give up on the pickle idea. Bubu hears this and says to me "try your hardest mom." So noticing a learning moment, and feeling an immense need to set an example of trying your hardest, I stopped my complaining and put some muscles into it. Sure enough I got that lid off, although I think I broke a sweat, all for a pickle! What does my sweet little son tell me next? "I'm so proud of you mom." The point was not getting the lid off, but of trying your hardest before quiting, because you just never know, you might succeed!

Remembering to teach that failure is a learning opportunity, and to keep on going in these moments too, to not let yourself be set back by failure is also so vital. This is when it is the hardest and most important time to keep on going!

Let's keep passing on the positive!