Here is a list of some of the things I’ve learned along the way, and some of them the hard way:
1) Yelling at someone never accomplishes anything positive, but controlling my temper does.
2) Sometimes I do my best and it’s not good enough. Often God will make up the difference but sometimes people need to recognize it was my best and let it go.
3) Sometimes I’m the one who needs to recognize it was someone’s best effort and let it go.
4) Often I want life to be easier but anything worth having takes a lot of work, and that includes raising a family.
5) Don’t worry about the small things because they are small things.
6) Taking the long view always pays off.
7) When I’m feeling grumpy and snap at people it’s usually myself I’m upset with. Recognizing this allows me to take a step back and make adjustments.
8) When I’ve mastered bad habits it’s easy to slide back if I’m not vigilant.
9) People I love get to make their own choices and all I can do is love them, but it doesn’t mean I have to like their choices.
10) It’s better to listen to understand others instead of telling them how they should think/act/be.
11) Input from others is good but the bigger the group the harder it is to decide something.
12) Fair does not mean equal-each of my children get what they need and it’s not always the same or even the same amount as another one of my children.
13) It took me a long time to figure out but I have no control over anyone but myself and even that’s iffy sometimes.
Since I have learned these things and have applied them in my life I have been happier and life has gone better. But, and this is number fourteen-
14) Even if I am doing my best to live a good life, being kind to others and keeping the commandments I will still have challenges and problems. The only way to deal with life and be happy is through Jesus Christ and His grace.
Almost 23 years ago my husband came home from work and announced that he was giving up sugar. He said that eating sugar made him shaky. He ate a lot of sugary things because I like to cook and bake and almost always had some kind of treat around. For breakfast he would often eat two pieces of apple pie with cream poured over it. I suggested he just cut back on it, eat less sugary things but he’s an all or nothing kind of person so he didn’t think he could just eat less, so he wanted to give it up completely. For some reason this made me mad, so over the next few weeks I made his favorite desserts, breakfasts and treats but he didn’t budge. He stopped eating sugary things completely (he has more self-control than any one else I have ever met). I was still kind of mad but it was a in the back-of-my-mind mad. I gave up making desserts, cinnamon rolls for breakfast and other treats with him in mind and felt very sad about it. Then one day it occurred to me why I was sad and mad. I would make his favorite pie and anticipate him coming home delighted that I had made it and I enjoyed watching him eat it. He had taken away from me one of the ways I showed love for him. When I figured that out I decided I could find other ways to show that I loved him. Sometimes I still wish he ate sugar because I would like to make something sweet but he’s lost weight, his blood pressure went down and he’s overall much healthier. For me, it’s much better to have him happy and healthy.