![]() by Lyn Lomasi, Staff Writer Need some inspiration? Look no further than your own kids. If you're a parent, you most likely already know this. Kids can give us insight we can get nowhere else. Sometimes they do it in the funniest ways - ways you couldn't have imagined if you tried. Fear - Simple things frighten a child and they react in interesting ways. At times, fear can lead to children motivating or inspiring their parents. One such instance happened to me several months ago. My son has been afraid of swings ever since he was old enough to use them. The only exception to that was his baby swing. One afternoon at the park, he sits on the swing. I thought maybe this would be the day he'd let me push him. I'm a freelance writer, so naturally I had the laptop and a paper notebook in my tote bag. Just as I start to push him, he exclaims "Don't push me, Ma! You really need to write that article!" Since he was so persistent, I did just that. Nonchalant Attitude - Kids don't care if they get messy and they don't care who's watching when they do it. Of course, there are times when they'll need to be neat anyway. But us adults actually need to take lessons from them sometimes. The other day I was walking along a trail with my kids. It's one we frequent often. They wanted to run down the path that was muddy. Before they could hear me refuse, they took off full speed. Of course, one ended up down for the count. And yes, wouldn't you know it was the one with a new outfit on. I could have panicked, but her cheerful nature was inspiration to me instead. She was perfectly happy, despite being covered in mud. Taking her to a nearby store (we were not close to home) for a replacement outfit with her covered in mud was another lesson. That day she inspired me to keep my humble attitude and also remember that getting dirty was no big deal. In fact, it can be quite fun. Expectations - Instead of expecting things to go wrong, most kids expect good to come from life. Adults can often forget that all things are possible. When adults apply for a promotion or a position with a new company, they worry if they'll get accepted. When kids try something new, most of them will just give it their all. They expect it to go how it should. Take for instance, the other day with three of my kids. There is a long walking trail that we always would pass by and have never taken it. This is a separate one from the one mentioned above. Yesterday when we came across it, my oldest says "Let's just take the path, Mom." I almost said "No." I did not know where it led nor where it ended. I only knew that it looked very long and led away from our destination. Thoughts flashed through my head that it was a bad idea. But, instead of listening to those negative expectations, I took inspiration from my daughter. Yes, it did end up leading far from our destination. But the kids and I had an excellent day enjoying nature. The path was eight miles long, but ended up in an area I was very familiar with. The way back ended up being much shorter than the distance of the path. Sometimes the long path that may seem rough is the one you should expect the best from. *I originally published this via Yahoo Shine | |
0 Comments
Back in 2007, I was your average web user with a mom blog trying to find something I could do at home with my kids to make money. I went on a hunt for writing jobs but it mostly uncovered work at home scams - people trying to get me to pay them for work. Little did they know, I am not that gullible. I kept at the search, determined to find the right company. Writing jobs had to be out there, especially taking into consideration that writing is everywhere. One day I came upon a web site promising to pay writers both upfronts and page views. Having been through so many scams I honestly thought it might be one too. But something told me to join and try it out. Fast forward a few years and I was one of the most prolific there -- out of hundreds of thousands of users. But I didn't stop there. I was determined to help others achieve the same. Fast forward to 2009 and I became staff at that same site. I started as a Community Advocate, working my way up to Community Manager. At the same time, I was also building my own (very different) network of sites. While that Yahoo site I was Community Manager for no longer exists, I am still the owner and Community Manager of my own site, continuing to freelance on the side. It's all done on my own time, while I homeschool and adventure with my family. Determination can take you a long way. What are you determined to achieve? Keep at it. You never know where it will take you. *Last updated 3/12/2017 |
Momtrepreneur Moments;
|