6 Big Lessons My Mother Taught Me
My parents are one of the major reason my life hasn’t fallen apart yet. They’ve done a lot for me, but their biggest blessing was in the form of learnings, inculcated in me through upbringing. When I look back, I realize that my mother gave me some pretty good tips in self-management and personal effectiveness. Here are six big lessons that she taught me:
- If you don’t need it, don’t buy it
This goes a step beyond the ‘save first, spend later.’ Whether it is just a packet of biscuits, or a new phone, a purchase must not be made impulsively. This criterion for budget rationing has remained unchanged for 20 years. Necessity is more important than utility. This habit keeps your excess expenses in check and builds discipline for self-restraint.
2. Repeat messages in the exact words of the speaker
She once requested me to ask my aunt ‘What’s her plan for the day?’ Since I was uninitiated, I naively asked her ‘What are you doing today?’ Both questions have different responses. And I repeatedly saw time and again that misquoting statements based on your interpretation is the cause of wastage of time, energy and money; not to forget the tensions in relationships.
3. No means no
It is the small rules in life that form the foundation of a robust personality and happy living. Eating dinner after 10 pm? No. Borrowing money for purposes other than business? No. Reading less than 4 books in a month? No. You must set a threshold for yourself and refuse to cross the line under any circumstances. When the little things are sorted out, they never snowball into bigger problems.
4. Correct your mistakes before you move forward
Whether it was a mispronounced word from the school textbook or a harsh statement to a family member, I was never permitted to move forward without correcting my mistakes. It made sure that I was aware of where I went wrong, accepted it and took efforts to make things right. This approach makes repeating mistakes tough, too.
5. Schedule 30 minutes for breakfast
This is another repetitive advice which I’ve never taken seriously — until I started my own business. When you’re running around the entire day, thinking about completing a hundred things — this crucial 30 minutes ensure that you don’t skip the most important meal of the day. You have time to organize thoughts and plan your day, and most importantly learn to manage the busy morning hours which usually determine your daily productivity.
6. Breathe
Rarely have I left the house without hearing the instruction: ‘Breathe!’ The more I do it, the more it grows on me. Professionals may spare time for reading, but we rarely take out time to breathe. I didn’t need to be a yoga master to realize how much a deep breath helps me. A single deep breath gives you a break, rest, hope and more oxygen — all important irrespective of who or where we are.
There’s so much to earn from everyone around us. So much is being taught — we simply need to see the words and listen to the silence.
