Maintain Motivation: Celebrate Your Successes

Recognize Your Achievements

Last week was my oldest child’s 11th birthday, a true milestone for both of us. Taking a rare moment out of mothering and work, I had time to realize that it’s a real privilege to watch someone evolve from birth to puberty. Previously a helpless baby, he’s now reached the the cusp of independence and is becoming an adult.

What a journey my son’s been on for those 11 years and how much he’s learned ~ from the basics like how to breathe, eat, walk and talk, to more complex skills like reading, riding a bike, speaking Spanish and making friends all over the world. He’s also achieved excellent academic results in public schools in New Zealand, Costa Rica and now Australia.

Stop, Take Stock and Congratulate Yourself

Becoming a mother has been an amazing journey for me too, but sadly I’ve often been too busy cooking, cleaning, laundering, organizing, disciplining and helping my child to really appreciate how much we’ve both grown and changed over the years. Time has truly flown by. It’s incredible to think that  11 years have passed since I first held that newborn in my arms, and sad to think that so much of my time as a mother is taken up with the mundane chores of daily life.

So today I’ve realised the need to stop, take stock and congratulate myself on our progress and achievements to date. When it comes to parenting, I may not be Dr. Phil but I’m doing the best I can and that in itself is a huge achievement.

Basketball Cake: pinnacle of my culinary creativity

Basketball Cake: the Pinnacle of My Culinary Creativity

Celebrate Everything You’ve Succeeded At

It’s amazing to think back on everything you’ve been up to for the last 11 years, to consider have you changed and what you’ve learnt. Take a moment to recall your proudest moments and enjoy thinking about them. Now’s the time to eat cake, look at some old photos, remember where we came from and celebrate who we are now. To paraphrase Scarlett O’ Hara, tomorrow is just another day.

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7 Comments

  1. Teresa June 17, 2009 at 12:28 am - Reply

    Inspirational…loved the bday cake!

  2. Kim June 18, 2009 at 11:25 pm - Reply

    Feliz Cumpleanos!
    You really have me sobbing over this one. It is so wonderful to be a parent; and yes, our children are growing up so fast. Your children should be as proud of you as you are of them! What a cake!! you go Martha

  3. Lisa June 22, 2009 at 1:38 pm - Reply

    Love reading your beautifully-crafted words. It was such a pleasure to be part of your son’s birthday celebration. Time does seem to march on and suddenly we are confronted with questions such as “What’s puberty?,”as my 10.5 year old son asked me the other day. My response was, “Which part do you want to know about?”. You’ve got to laugh. So to all parents I raise my glass and let’s make this a day of celebration of the spirit. As George Bernard Shaw said, “Life is no brief candle to me. It is sort of a splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.” Let us all find the part that retains the childlike sense of curiosity, wonder, enthusiasm, and delight and enjoy the moment. After all, our children can teach us what we didn’t learn growing up.

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