Last
weekend I took my granddaughter to the Burlington
City Park for an Easter Egg
hunt. The best part was that the first hunt would be for children ages 2-5.
Maddie is 3. Perfect! Without all the older kids on the field vying for eggs,
she was sure to get a few to put into her basket.
When we
arrived, all the kids and parents were lined up in a HUGE circle with a TON of brilliantly colored eggs
gracing the field. We all stood at the ready, waiting for the sign when we
could converge upon the shiny orbs and make them
ours. Maddie and I were just 3 deep in line from the closest eggs.
I've
never seen anything like it, y'all. When it was time to 'hunt,' the sea
of humans overtook those eggs and in less than a minute, the game was
over.
And
Maddie's basket was.....empty.
Hers
wasn't the only one and there were parents commiserating the disappointment. Not wanting
Maddie to get caught up in it, I leaned down and said, "Hey, let's go for
a ride on the train!" "Yay!" she said and, in her excitement and
anticipation, she completely chose to focus on the fun ahead and not the
disappointment of an empty Easter basket.
Have
you ever focused on what you didn't have or what went wrong? I know I have. It'll ruin a good day.
Not only
did we ride the train, but she enjoyed rides on a boat, truck and
helicopter. (That was $5 worth
of tickets well spent!)
"Let's
go to the playground, Mimi!" and off she ran with me quickly following. I
realized that, while I used to walk fast to keep up, now I was having to run
too. (Getting in shape isn't
just an option anymore!) She
buried her feet in sand. And, as it was a little cool, Mimi (yeah, that's me) wouldn't let her go barefooted, so we
simply dumped the sand out of the shoes after. (Sorry, mom, if you're washing
sandy socks today.)
Finally,
I saw her eyeing the BIG SLIDE.
She took a few steps toward it. And looked to me. "Oh, no, chickadee,
that's for bigger kids."
"Mom
and Dad let me do it."
Now,
having been a kid myself, I know that sometimes, we use that line to get our
way whether it's completely true or not. After a minute of conversation, and ending with,
"Maybe mom will slide down with you later," the fun continued but on the smaller, safer
slides.
Soon mom
stopped by and informed Mimi that, yes, Maddie could slide down
the BIG SLIDE......all by herself! (Obviously,
this kid is growing up faster than I can keep up with!)
I had limited her in my own mind, even
questioned her integrity,
and yet she was completely capable and eager to tackle something BIG. And she'd spoken the truth. Have you ever been limited by another
person's beliefs in what you're capable of? Have you ever known in your heart
you could accomplish something, but limited yourself
because of what others thought? Has your integrity been questioned?
I learn a lot from other people. Who knew
I'd learn some life lessons from hanging out with a 3-year-old?
Where do you find teachable moments?
*Focus on the opportunity, not the disappointment.
*Believe in yourself, even when others don't.
*Have fun!
Join me
in looking for opportunities to learn and grow. Even if the
lessons are in unlikely places, like on a spring
day hanging out with a
3-year-old. And, if that's the case, you're guaranteed to have fun!
Kudos
to the young man at the park who tried to convince his son to share an Easter
egg with the little girl who didn't have any. Even though it didn't work out,
it was great to see a parent making an effort to teach his child about sharing. (Maddie's Mimi says, "You rock!")
Jean
Bailey Robor is that "No Buts About It" expert who simply wants you
to lead happier and more successful lives. Getting past what's holding you back
and changing your mindset can put you on that path to better living. Click here to book Jean for your next event!
UPDATE:
The next day, Maddie had an egg hunt at my house. Guaranteed to find a
basketful of eggs!
