Valuing Yourself and Your Needs (As a Parent): This is about taking care of your OWN needs as a parent because when you consistently put yourself last to be taken care of and habitually continue to sacrifice your basic necessities to make everyone else happy…Essentially, what you’re teaching your children is that they’re here to be of service to others, then themselves. In other words, you’re teaching them to take advantage of you and use you as they please, which in turn communicates to them that they’re most likely to be used. To prevent this from happening, you need to set consistent limits that protect you from demands that could be overbearing and unfair. That way, you’re communicating that your basic needs are just as important as theirs. It’s true…often times parents that are constantly sacrificing themselves are idealized and praised by other parents. You know… the ones that have no hobbies, no friends and no avenue of enjoyment. Is this really desirable? Parents constantly stressed about the needs of others in the family are usually irritable, and unmotivated to try anything new, fun or exciting. How can parents do this long term with no outlet? Instead, us parents need to enjoy ourselves and focus on being re-energized. When you take good care of yourself, you provide the means to take better care of your children. Going out to dinner or cocktails, trips to the gym 3 or 4 times a week, date night with your spouse or even some alone time reading or going for a walk allows you to be a more productive, interested and patient parent.”

“Epictetus, a Greek philosopher, once wrote, “Circumstances do not make the man. They merely reveal him to himself.”

“Think continually about what you want, not about the things you fear.”

“There is more to life than just increasing its speed.”

“Truthfulness is the main element of character.”

“Whatever you believe with feeling becomes your reality.”

“Committing your goals to paper increases the likelihood of your achieving them by one thousand percent.”

“One way to stop worrying and get the courage to begin is to plan and prepare thoroughly in advance. Set clear goals and objectives, then gather information. Read and research books and blogs in your chosen field. Write out detailed plans of action, and then take the first step towards relieving stress.”

“Communicating is like that, because the way we communicate with our children shows how we feel about ourselves.”

“The more you seek security, the less of it you have. But the more you seek  opportunity, the more likely it is that you will achieve the security that you  desire.”

“Before you begin scrambling up the ladder of success, make sure that it is leaning against the right building.”

“...you cannot eat every tadpole and frog in the pond, but you can eat the biggest and ugliest one, and that will be enough, at least for the time being. ”

“No person or situation can make you fed anything-it is only the way you think about a situation that makes you feel the way you do.”

Galileo once wrote, "You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him find it within himself.”

“Sometimes we need to let go of things in our lives to make room for better things. Stress less and live more. Don't waste your energy, when you have the choice to be happy.”