30-Day Challenge — Day # 6
6 Ways Parenthood Changes Me
Parenthood is ‘tough’. It is ‘tough’ because we make it ‘tough’.
Everyday, we complain about our lives and how we wish we were somewhere else. Sometimes, someone else.
Today, I won’t try and change things. I want to keep in line with this tendency and nag about how great parenthood is! In the below list, I will give you the 6 ways, parenthood changed me… for the better.
#1 — It gives me better life optic
My mind was quite obsessed about getting things done. Believe it or not, this was how I roll. Every time I finished one notebook (of to-do’s), I’d feel like I had conquered Mt Everest.
This feeling was not real, though. This feeling was like multiple layers of concealer covering a horrendous pimple. That pimple is my need to be heard. As a child, I was taught to ‘always listen to the Adults because they have more life experience’ (it is customary in Asian tradition for children to listen to their elderlies).
I always feel the itch in my throat to talk back? Why it has to be this way? Why can’t you listen to what I had to say?
#2 — It guarantees smile as a by-product of mishaps
While I was keying my heart out, my boss said to me, ‘it’s okay, Sok. Smile.’ I didn’t really understand why he wants me to smile to the bloody computer while I was tackling a problematic task.
Since having my angel, I learned that the only thing you can control in life is your reaction to whatever life throws at you. I can’t control when my baby throws a night party, what kind of mess she will make, or when she gets sick. But, what I can control is my reaction to her. My mouth stretched to form a half-mooned shape because I couldn’t resist how cute she looks.
#3 — It forces me to address my weakness
Someone once told me, ‘when it comes to your skills, work on your strengths, but work on your weakness when it comes to your personality.’
This stuck with me ever since, but it was buried deep beneath my skin.
Like you, I feel comfortable with things as is. Changing things make my hair stands up. Life was easy and didn’t need to change. But once parenthood landed on my doorsteps, I realized I can longer keep the way things are.
One of the things that I cannot keep is the level of hygiene, orderly and neatness of my previous life. I simply don’t have enough time to spend cleaning, folding and washing because my body is aching to be next to my baby.
#4 — It gives me strength to wage internal wars
Life is like a war, to me. Winning the internal wars can be hard because of self-doubts and lack of confidence. You really need great strength to wage a war against yourself.
Like all parents, I want to be a role model for my daughter. My baby thus gives me a reason to win my battle. Being someone who she looks up to requires courage, confidence and wisdom.
#5 — It makes me want success even more
I believe in continuous improvement. I love to apply this concept in my life as well. I want to my daughter to be better than me, in every way. Thus, I figured that if I want to give her a better chance of being better than me, I need to make myself successful.
One compelling reason for me to start blogging was to help me reach this goal of mine. Read more here about my blog.
#6 — It teaches me what love really is
I always thought I know what love is. But, I was wrong.
Love is beyond what any words can describe. It is a shelter against the heavy storms and the burning sun from damaging you.
Each time I look into my baby’s eyes, I feel an urge to hug and kiss her. Whatever mess, or tantrum she gives me, I can’t never find any fault in her. My heart quickens as I sighted her cheeky, naughty and playful face.
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