BE RICH IN SPIRIT AND AT HEART

I know it has been a very long while since I have shared my thoughts with you, but I promise you that what I share today is – or will be – well worth the wait.

I often think about where I am in my career and often wonder about society’s standards and people’s perception of me. Then, I stop and think to myself, “The only person who can truly define who I am is ME and the only judgment that matters is my own (and God’s, of course).”

We obsess so much in life about success and money and the American Dream. We strive so hard for perfection and the desperate need to overcome past mistakes and bad decisions. We get completely caught up in this web of proving ourselves to all those around us with an underlying fear of history repeating itself,  and in doing so, we lose touch with our faith, our spirit, and our heart…the three most vital components of happiness for the soul.

I am not saying that working hard to provide for our children and families isn’t a necessary evil, or that making better decisions and forgetting the past isn’t crucial in life moving forward, but I am suddenly cognizant of the time I devote to these obsessions. My son opened my eyes in a moment of spontaneity. We were walking to the field for a soccer game and he picked two flowers for me (as he usually does), but this time, they had no stems. I said, “Thank you, sweetie, but what happened to their stems?” And his reply has been embedded in my heart ever since….

“Mommy, it doesn’t matter that they don’t have stems. It doesn’t matter that they’re not perfect; what matters is that they were picked with love for you.” How incredibly true are these words that were spoken out of a seven-year-old boy’s mouth?

As grown-ups, we think we have everything under control. We think that life is all about how we handle the cards we are dealt, but more so about how we control ourselves in challenging situations – and unfortunately – each other. We focus on the power we have over our careers, our children, our partners, our families and friends, and life becomes a heartless cluster of competition and all things that won’t matter a month from now…or even tomorrow. We blindly obsess over all things – big and small – because we are determined to succeed, not fail, personally and professionally, but at what cost?

I learned from a little boy – wiser than me – that sometimes, even good situations are uncontrollable and far from perfect. More importantly, I learned that it’s okay.

Rich in Spirit. Rich at Heart. I stop today and thank God for all of my blessings…my family, my friends, my son, my love of my life, my career (as unpredictable and frustrating as it may be, at times) – and, above all else, my flowers without stems.

Be Rich in Spirit and at Heart. You don’t have to be perfect; just be perfectly YOU. Remember to have Faith, I promise, …. It will be well worth the wait.