PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH

I have recently come to the revelation that I am teaching my children skills that I myself don't have. I am teaching them how to handle unhappiness in everyday life. I'm teaching them to be able say "oh well" and then just move forward. This is something that I have difficulty doing. Logically, we understand that we can't be happy every minute of the day. People experience anger, sadness, boredom, frustration and failure. We will have small and large tragedies in our life. Not everyone will like us. Some people will treat us in unfair ways. This is just life. I teach my children to accept this and deal with these situations and then go on living. They are much more successful in doing this than I am. I'm working on it but have a ways to go.

I used to have a friend who lost both of her parents in horrible accidents. As a result she has always taught her children that if anything happens to her or their father, it is important to go on a lead a wonderful life. In the past I have never understood this. Aren't there just some things that you can never get over? I've since realized that if we tell ourselves that we could never go on if such and such happens, then we are setting ourselves up for failure. Its not that we have to dwell on all the horrible possibilities, but we do have to see ourselves as strong individuals who can deal with whatever life has to send our way. If we don't do this, there can be no hope.

I realize that the best time to acquire these skills is in childhood. No one taught them to me. Will I be successful in teaching my children? Will they see the hypocrisy in the way I deal with things? Will this hypocrisy affect their success?

As the saying goes, "life goes on".