This week we will kick off a series about lessons I’ve learned being a parent.  This entry contains some deep wisdom from Alice (12) about having a day you can be proud of.

A couple of months ago I was getting ready to leave for the office and I told the kids, “Have a good day!”  Alice responded with, “Have a day you can be proud of.”  I paused for a minute and said, “That’s different. Never heard that one before.”  Alice then started dropping knowledge.  She explained that a lot of things could happen that might make the day good or bad, but I could choose how to handle those things and how I handled them could make me proud of myself.  Since then, “Have a day you can be proud of,” has become Alice’s parting phrase, and it’s stuck with me ever since.

What does this have to do with anything?  At its core, Alice’s insight is that we can CHOOSE how to respond to things and that makes all the difference.  The day might end up being good or the day might end up being bad.  However, you have the POWER to ensure it’s a day you feel proud of.  It might rain all day, and you can choose to dance in that rain instead of grumbling.  You might get blindsided by challenges, and you can choose to lean into the situation instead of running away.  You might get knocked down, and you can choose to get back up instead of surrendering.  There is so much power in how you choose to respond.

The challenge: What will you do to ensure you have a day you can be proud of?

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry