Persistence and resourcefulness are two key traits that I owe to my mom. With Mother’s Day over the weekend, I am sharing four of her life lessons below so you can implement them as you tackle your own challenges.
Lesson 1: Persistence isn’t an option, it is a way of life that leads to resilience and resourcefulness
My mom and her family fled their country and immigrated to North America, starting over with nothing. As a child of 8 and the oldest girl, my mom didn’t have much of a childhood and grew up quickly taking care of her family. Hardship and challenges were commonplace throughout her life. However, my mom never lost her ability to persevere despite every reason to give up.
Throughout each challenge, I watched my mom repeatedly tackle every hurtle that was thrown her way, from working since age 12 in sweat shops to joining a company at 18 and rising through the ranks while garnering respect from people twice to three times her age. She went on to break barriers in every industry she took on, gaining attention from the top people in her fields from countless executives to even Oscar De la Renta himself.
Lesson 2: Look for the Solution
Time after time throughout my mom’s life, she has found solutions where people only saw obstacles. Her gift of seeing the big picture allows her to navigate seemingly impossible situations with ease and grace. If you are faced with an obstacle, instead of focusing on the problem, look for alternate solutions and get creative. Some solutions don’t look like you expect but they are often effective.
Lesson 3: Take a step back to gain perspective and find resources to reach a solution
My mom moved across North America 5 times and always took on every new problem as an adventure. Whenever she hit a wall, my mom would take a step back and leverage her persistence to make solutions possible. When you take the time to internalize that solutions are inevitable and recognize your circumstances aren’t unique, you are able to look around and find a way to dig yourself out of a difficult situation.
Lesson 4: Expect the unexpected
I learned early on that life was unpredictable and you have to look for a way to tackle whatever life throws your way. The phrase “the only constant in life is change” would be said in one form of another when I would hit an obstacle in my house. By learning from my mom’s example to expect the unexpected, I wasn’t surprised when life hit a speed bump. Recognizing that challenges aren’t road blocks but a reminder to pause and look for opportunity in the unexpected, helps you to identify solutions more readily.
It’s because of watching my mom’s persistence and resourcefulness that I am able to tackle the many challenges that life have come my way from deaths to illness to career challenges, the lessons I was taught growing up allow me to rise to any occasion and run through fire for people or causes I believe in.
My hope in sharing these lessons with you is that all readers inner strength to conquer your own challenges and find your own form of persistence and resourcefulness that can be put into action in your own life. I also wish you a community of people who lift you up every day to remind you of your ability to create solutions.