I’ve been thinking about my mom lately as I run my business. You see, as a financial advisor, much of what I do involves solving problems. Sometimes it’s helping clients resolve a situation with their beneficiaries. Sometimes it’s helping people execute a rollover or some other type of complex transaction. Often, it is helping people figure out how to save or invest for the kind of lifestyle they want to live. You get the idea. To do this, I draw on my years of education, training, experience, and the help of my amazing team.
But most of all, I draw on the example set by my mom.
Whenever I’m confronted with a particularly difficult problem, I think of my mother. Why?
Because mothers are the world’s greatest problem solvers! Here are just some of the monumentally difficult problems mothers must find a solution for:
“How to breast-feed my baby when he won’t latch.”
“How to get my baby to go to sleep.”
“How to take care of my family while progressing in my career.”
“How to comfort my child when she is bullied in school.”
“How to raise several children at once, each with their own physical and emotional needs.”
“How to pay for my child’s education.”
“How to help my child make new friends.”
“How to keep my child safe while ensuring she has the freedom to explore the world.”
“How to know when to push my child to do better, and when to let him make mistakes.”
“How to talk to my child about sex.”
“How to get my teenager to talk to me at all.”
“How to be a teacher, doctor, therapist, coach, chef, chauffeur, and role model…all at once!”
“How to put my child first while still finding time for me.”
“How to cook food my children will actually eat that is not deep-fried.”
“How to balance his schedule, her schedule, and my schedule every day.”
“How to fix this faucet, balance that checkbook, and change that tire…all in the next two hours!”
“How to run a business and a household when I’m so tired.”
“How to spend thousands on my kids every year while saving thousands for retirement.”
“How to cope with the feeling that I can’t be everything for everyone.”
“How to help my child when she’s a parent, too…so she’ll do even better than I did.”
“How to be happy…while making sure my child is happier still.”
When I think about all the problems my mom had to find a solution for – and this list doesn’t even scratch the surface – it makes me realize three things:
- There’s no problem I personally can’t solve…because chances are, my mother solved an even more difficult one.
- Whenever I’m confronted with a problem, there’s probably no guide, course, or self-help book more valuable than my mom’s own
- How extremely, exceedingly, enormously, immensely, tremendously, massively, monumentally grateful I am for my mother.
Mothers truly are the world’s greatest problem solvers. They teach others how to be good problem-solvers, too! When faced with problems, moms teach us:
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- The importance of time management.
- How to take things one step at a
- To always ask for help when we need
- How to plan and prepare for every
- That patience pays off and practice makes
- To remember what’s truly important in
- And most of all, that our greatest resource, asset, gift, and power is love.
This Mother’s Day, I’m so grateful for my mom. I’m grateful for her problem-solving skills. Her talents. Her work ethic. Her love. So, to all moms out there, I wish a very happy Mother’s Day! Thanks for everything you are and everything you do.
I love you, mom!
Sincerely,
