When I was younger, I did not always agree with what my mom told me. I sometimes even found it making no sense and went into discussion with her. Now that I am all grown up, I can see that my mom was actually right about a lot of things. Let me dig into 7 pieces of advice for which I am so grateful to my mom.
Time can heal all wounds
Every time I got hurt, I did not knew exactly how to deal with the painful situation. I used to suffer in grief and pain for a very long time. The greatest advice my mom gave me in that respect is that the feeling I experience at that specific moment is temporarily. Irrespective how devastating a situation is, it will not be like that forever. Time alleviates the pain and heal the wound. Since then I trust the process of healing through time. Time brings about new love and life experiences which put a specific wound in perspective and minimise its impact until there is nothing left of it.
Do not hate people as you are the one to suffer
In life you meet different kinds of people. Some people love you and treat you right, while others do not care at all and even hurt you. Even if someone harms or treats you badly, the last thing you should do is to hate that person. This is because the only one who suffers from it is you. The anger consumes all of your energy and forms a burden on your soul, while the person you hate will be left unharmed. My mom always used to say that hating is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. I cannot agree more.
Forgiveness is a good virtue
Although forgiving feels so impossible sometimes, it is actually the best you can do to finally release yourself from all the pain and suffering. Things cannot be undone. So the best is to learn to accept the unchangeable truth and then let go, instead of letting it to consume and define you. I always felt that the people on hand are not worth my forgiveness but luckily my mom has made me to rethink it. By forgiving them I am actually doing myself a favour. This way, I free myself from anger and regain inner peace.
It is your inner beauty that counts
When I was younger I had doubts about the way I looked. My mom was the one who taught me to be confident about my appearance. She said that it all started from cultivating inner beauty and then this would radiates from the inside out. Focus on this and everything will fall into place. After all, it is inner beauty that lasts for a lifetime.
Do not hold onto something that wants to go away
It could be painful to let go, but it would be more painful to hold onto something if the original meaning, purpose or motivation is not there anymore. Do not force yourself to keep it by your side. In the long run, it is better to just let it go. Everything happens for a reason. So just let it follow its natural inclination. This holds for everything, whether it is a situation, a thing or a person. Nothing is more true and I am so grateful for my mom who has taught me this.
Hard work brings you far
Every dream and goal start with an intention to attain it. Intention and hard work form the two necessary items you always carry in your backpack during your journey called life. Although hard work does not always lead to direct result, it will never let you down. My mom told me to always trust the process. If hard work does not open a new door for me, it will lead me to an open window. It always brings me further in life, whether it is in the form of a life lesson, a side opportunity or the eventual goal.
Face any situation with an ordinary mind.
My mom has always emphasized the importance of maintaining inner peace so as to achieve happiness and overcome negativity & fear. She told me to welcome and handle any situation with an ordinary and calm mind. This means to look at any situation as what it is and make our best effort without any expectations on the outcome. This is related to the practice of trusting the process as mentioned above. Embracing this mindset enables me to completely focus on the matter at hand without being distracted by emotions of fear, doubt or surprise. The older I become, the more I see the power of cultivating this mindset.
I cannot but agree that mom really do knows best. What are the best pieces of advice your mom has given you? I’d love to know about them in the comments below.
Until next time!
Love always,
Mee-Ling
