My Three Mothers

Today is International Women's Day where we celebrate Amazing Women.

When I look at my Life, the Women who have had the longest and greatest Impact have been my Three Mothers.

Now, I know this might sound very strange, but this is how I refer to the Three Women who raised me - My Mother, my Grandmother, and my Aunt.

Each one of them is very Unique and has vastly different Approaches to Life.

I had the Honor of learning from those different Perspectives, and they have shaped me into the Man I am today.

See, when I was but a baby, far too young to remember, my biological father made a choice not to be a part of my Life.

That left my Mother with sole custody of me, and all of the Responsibility of raising a child.

Sadly, she is not the only one who faces this Challenge in today's world, and it is not easy - I surely know I was troublesome at times!

However, in many ways, we were lucky because we had a great support system with my Grandmother and Aunt.

All Three of these Women played Essential roles in my upbringing.

My Mother is the Hard Worker of the group.

If you have a Challenge, she pushes you to face it, headstrong.

She always knew that I could push harder and that with Dedication I could get the Results I was looking for.

She also has an understanding of Talent and the Psychological Challenges that come with pushing to become Great at things.

There were many times when I felt like Quitting, but often she would push me to think about it and reconsider.

Much of the Persistence that I have today is because of this.

If it wasn't for her, I would never have become a Black Belt in Martial Arts.

If it wasn't for that Persistence I learned, I wouldn't push against the Challenges of Writing and Publishing an Article EVERY single day.

If it wasn't for her, I likely would not have the Confidence in myself and the Courage to pursue the Goals that I have today.

One other thing that was very Powerful was that she wanted me to know that Good Men existed in the World.

It could have been very easy for her to teach me about all the Horrible things that many Men do in the World, but that wasn't her approach.

She knew that if I were to become a Good Man, I needed to know that they actually existed, otherwise I may grow up to hate myself.

This led her to seek out Good Men that I could look up to as Role Models and Mentors, to see what a Healthy Man should be.

She taught me that it was ok to be what I was, that there was nothing shameful in how I was born, and that I could be something Positive in the World.

Next, we have my Grandmother, who I would say is the Wise Sage of the group.

My Grandmother is the person that everyone goes to when they face Challenging times.

She is one of the Best Listeners I have ever met.

When you speak with her, you KNOW that you've been Heard.

She also has incredible Emotional Intelligence.

She can ride that fine line of telling you that you're wrong while making you feel Loved at the same time.

My Grandmother can understand what it is you are Feeling and Help you Positively move through those Emotions.

Emotions were never something to be Ashamed of, but rather they were trying to tell us something.

She understands that wordless language, and can help you Navigate it.

In many ways, it was through my experiences with her that I learned to Understand People.

When I was young, I quickly found that whenever my friends had Challenges and Problems in their Lives, they sought me out.

I took this power from my Grandmother into my Career as a Coach, to be able to help Leaders with the plethora of Challenges they face constantly.

I owe that all to my Grandmother.

This leaves us with my Aunt, who is the Wild Child of the group.

Was/Is she constantly in trouble?

Yes.

Luckily "that" isn't what I learned from her - My Mother's "Seargent" Attitude would NEVER have allowed that.

Rather, what I learned from my Aunt is that Life should be Fun.

Though there is much that is Bad in the World, that doesn't mean there isn't also Good in it.

One thing about my Aunt that I know is that no matter how much goes Wrong, she keeps going and gets back up.

Despite the Challenges of Life, she still finds ways to see the Good that exists.

No matter how much or how little she had at any time, she would figure out ways to make Life Enjoyable.

When things took a nosedive, she would show that you don't have to take things "so" Seriously.

I have taken these Lessons in many ways.

I can work with people and find ways to have Fun, even in the most grueling or challenging of subjects and times.

When Life beats me down, I know that I can still Laugh and stand back up.

When things aren't looking my way, I know that with a bit of time, it will turn in my Favor.

No matter how Difficult something is, I know that I can find Joy through it.

That Mindset has set me up in many different ways to overcome challenges with a Smile where most people find Fear.

With my Clients, I find the Humor in the worst Situations.

I show others that Life can and should still be Fun.

These Three Women have had such a tremendous Impact on my Life.

Each approach has been exceptionally Beneficial.

It has led to nearly every Good thing in my Life.

Earlier today, I found that one of my Articles received an Award, and because of it, I am now the #2 Creator in that Community with my sights on #1.

So, I'd like to Dedicate that Recognition to my Three Mothers.

The Three Women who showed me how to Live Life.

I Love you, Thank you.