Giving Your Children Everything
It is Thanksgiving weekend and the Christmas lists have begun. Actually, for Alex, our 4 year old, the Christmas list started the day after his birthday back in August and has been amended and re prioritized dozens of times.
Gary, my husband, and I were talking this weekend about the kids and what we wanted to do for them for Christmas. When I asked Gary what he wanted to do for each of the boys, he responded, “I just want to be able to give our kids everything.” Which sparked the conversation, ‘what is everything’? I think as parents we immediately default to material things. It’s easy, and certainly what society and the media support. But think back to your Christmas’ growing up. I came from a middle class family. We certainly had everything we needed and a lot of what we wanted too, but there certainly were limits. I always remember having wonderful Christmas and receiving lots of gifts growing up but really when I look back it isn’t so much the presents and the whole experience of Christmas. I remember being excited when the JC Penny wish book came and I would start making my list which was always no less than a dozen pages long. My parents would then ask me to prioritize the list to the things that I REALLY wanted. After several revisions I would finally get it down to what I felt was a reasonable 3 or 4 pages. But you know what? I can’t tell you in any given year what I actually got versus what was on the list. I just remember the tradition of making it. I also remember other traditions. We always got a calendar for our rooms, an orange in one of our stockings and a bar of marzipan covered in chocolate. Sure I can remember various presents if I think back, but the point is, I remember the whole feeling of Christmas versus the individual things.
So what is the point of this rambling? I really feel that as parents we need to give ourselves a break financially and emotionally. I think more than the presents, giving your child everything means giving them 100% of you when you are with them. That is what they remember and makes them happy. What made you the happiest about your Christmas or whatever holiday you celebrate growing up?
1 Comment
Leave a Comment
Signup to receive Nicole's blog posts via email weekly:
Other Posts
Beliefs = Actions = Results – It Matters Where You Start
August is an interesting month for me. I’m savoring the relaxed pace of summer, while also starting to think about Fall and shifting back into work mode. With a shift in focus I naturally start wondering what will happen. Will I be busy? Where will my clients come from? Will they be buyers or sellers?…
What Do You LOVE About Your Business?
I’m back!!! There’s been a lot going on lately, (more on that in a later post) and it’s been a few weeks since I’ve sent you a note. Needless to say, I’ve missed you! I’ve been moving through a lot of ‘life’ lately, and there’s been a common thread in my business that has surprised…
How Do You Want Summer To Feel?
Summer is often a season of expectations not meeting reality. I used to think my perfect summer meant iced tea on the patio while reading every day. For the record, that’s never happened. And for a while, I felt bad about it — like I was missing out, like I was doing summer wrong. Until…
You’re Not Behind, There Are Infinite Options
Your in box is about to fill up with emails about us being 1/2 through the year. You know – the ones that ask if you’re on track with your goals, and offer a solution to whip you into shape for the next 6 months. If you are having a great year – I celebrate…
Letting Go Of The Hustle Sounds Great, But You’ve Got a Business To Run
To be clear, I am 100% for less hustle, more flow, manifesting, receiving, regulating my nervous system, and letting things be easier. But somewhere between: “That sounds amazing” and “I’m a real estate agent – I need to generate clients and sell houses to earn an income” Things can get confusing. Because no matter how…
The Beauty of Not Doing It Alone
Thank you for being part of this community! I learned something beautiful and powerful last week. It was vulnerable to post about recalibrating, and being in the messy middle of grieving. Yet the conversations, emails, texts and notes have meant to much. To know that we are not alone is one of the greatest gifts…
Recalibrate In a Business That Runs 24/7
It happens to me every year about this time. The need to recalibrate. In a business that can run 24/7 – it’s easy to look up one day and realize, your batteries are drained and there’s no break in sight. Side note – It doesn’t have to be a 24/7 thing, but that’s a topic…
It’s Okay For Things To Be Different
I often find myself comparing things. I compare my business this year to years past.I compare my health and fitness to where I was 10 years ago.I compare how I show up and experience different life events. On the one hand – it makes perfect sense. Our brains crave predictability. It calms our nervous system.…
I Used To Be So Afraid Of This…
I used to dread client conversations. Especially pricing conversations with sellers in a softer market, like we are in right now. I was afraid of letting them down. It came up this week with a new listing. They bought at the height of the market in 2022. Today’s prices are lower than that. How do…
What If Your Income Didn’t Depend On The Market?
There are multiple markets occurring right now – in the same cities, on the same streets. Sellers are experiencing it one way. Buyers are experiencing it another. And agents? All over the board. Same market. Completely different results. So what’s the difference? What you believe. What you look for. And how you show up. Two…
Staying focused for me is about starting out my day right. A good start for me includes conditioning my mind and my body.
Every morning, the first thing I do is walk my dogs. While walking I say my gratitudes out loud. (Sometimes I think my neighbors must laugh…there goes the dog lady who talks to herself). My gratitudes may be lofty like “I’m grateful for my health, my family, my business, etc.” or they may be light like “I’m grateful for that really good salad dressing I just bought.” But doing this every day forces me to get my mind in the right place, and to be positive. This technique has often lifted me out of a funk or the beginning of a bad mood.
After my walk, it’s mommy mode for an hour, while I get my six year old daughter fed, bathed, dressed and ready for school. Once she is out the door, I exercise. My workout varies according to my work load, but I try to do something for my body each day.
I have found that conditioning my mind AND my body are key to my success.