What lessons did I learn from my Mom? (Z Minor)

My greatest lesson was and is “Positive Thinking” which is only two words, but they have carried me through many trials and tribulations in my life.

The earliest one I still use today. I couldn’t find something, don’t remember what was lost but couldn’t find it. The longer I looked the madder I got. Finally, my mom stopped me in my tracks and said, “tell yourself you can find it over and over as you look.”

I remember thinking “sure mom.” But being she was standing right next to me I started saying “I can find it, I can find it, I can find it.” Guess what? I found it within seconds after I started my mantra.

Still after all these years I still do as she told me. A few years back my husband and I were stuck in Albuquerque, New Mexico because of a snow storm. The roads were closed so after a couple of days trapped in a hotel room we took a walk in the deep snow and I lost my cell phone. After going back to our hotel, I announced I’m going back out to find my phone. We retraced our steps, even found a nice man who called my number, but we couldn’t hear the phone ringing, but we kept on walking. In my mind, I started saying “I can find it, I can find it, I can find it.”

Suddenly I look down and there sat my phone. When it fell out of my pocket, it made a hole in about twenty-four inches of snow.The snow cushioned its fall and it worked perfectly even after being in the cold and wet weather.

I have found some items – like a bolt that fell in the grass – saying “I can find it, I can find it.” I can’t tell you how many times that little phrase – “I can find” – has helped me.

When something doesn’t go the way I want it I  revert to - Positive Thinking – instead of Negative Thinking - and everything, works out for the best. I have to admit not always the way I want it to but when all is said and done, I am happy with the outcome.

One other piece of advice my mom gave to me. There is no harm in making a mistake as long as you learn from it and don’t repeat it.

Z. Minor

Author of Historical Romantic & Contemporary Suspense Novels.

What "lesson from mom or dad " do you still go by today? by J Vincent

The enduring lesson I learned from my parents was that working hard would enable me to achieve   Having thought about this topic the past several days I believe I learned this lesson more from example than from direct teaching.  In fact growing up on a farm had an indirect impact on the lesson which my father, at least was rather uncomfortable. This was that I believed that I could do almost anything a male could do and nearly always better (aren’t the young arrogant). 

anything I wanted.

Life on a farm in the 1950’s and 60’s was an equal opportunity situation unlike most of the world at that time.  What do I mean?  There was no division of male-female, only of size and ability.  If you were big enough and strong enough to do a task, you were given it.  It didn’t matter if you were a boy or a girl.  Part of the reason I had to have back surgery last month was that by the age of ten I was lifting and stacking (not very easily or elegantly and sometimes only with help) hay bales weighing up to 100 pounds. If you want an explanation of how hay baling was done in the olden days go to  Bedford Blogs from which I borrowed the photo.

 I drove the tractor to cultivate corn, rake hay, and move hay and straw bales.  One of my favorite summer jobs was baling wheat straw (used for bedding the cows during the winter).  We baled it after milking the cows.  Straw was much lighter and because it was light we could stack bales 5-6 high on the trailer versus 4  for alfalfa. The guys in the photo area baling prairie hay which is lighter than alfalfa. Those not driving would lay on the swaying top and watch the stars as we drove home around 10 pm..  Those nights we usually got a root beer or strawberry float. A reward for our hard work and reinforcement in the lesson I stated earlier.

My inhibiting asthma and back/leg problems notwithstanding, over the years I found hard work did result in success.  I knew no one who wrote, I knew little or nothing about writing but within two years of starting to write I sold my first book.  I did it through research, research, writing and rewriting ad nauseum. And I’ve always believed selling was part luck.  So it may take you longer than it did me but keep at it and you will sell that book.