tampa, florida. | mother. wife. daughter. sister. aunt. friend. pharmaceuticals area business manager.
What is your best advice on how to live a graceful life?
I do my best to be impeccable with my word, love others abundantly, practice an attitude of gratitude, forgive and let go of the past … and then BAM! (It’s not always that easy, is it?) I come home from work only to learn my four-year-old daughter asked my sweet husband where babies come from … and HE TOLD HER! (Was that our game plan?) Or I am sitting on an airplane reading “The Happiness Project,” and I cannot help but to overhear a flight attendant yelling at an innocent elderly woman because she was mistakenly sitting in the exit row. Really?
Yes, these are the moments where a switch is flipped from a ‘Spiritual Loving Channel’ to an ‘Oh No She Didn’t Channel.’ When I stumble over these occasional bumps in the road, I pick myself up and strive to do better the next time. In the end, I have learned that for me living a graceful life is a journey not a destination. In order to get closer to grace, we need to write it on our heart and go confidently in that direction every day.
What gets you through a rough day?
Evidence supports that Laughter is a powerful antidote to stress, pain, and conflict. When I have a rough day, I find that humor puts life back into perspective. Being a working mom, I try to find levity where I can. When I am driving to work, I tune into Pandora’s Comedy Channel. I am often surprised that the police don’t pull me over when they see a grown woman laughing her you know what off for no apparent reason. (I probably do look like a crazy person—no judgment.)
At home, my daughters Lily and Grace love to tell nonsensical knock-knock jokes at dinner hoping to get a reaction out of us. Rather than shushing them, I take time to enjoy their giggles. For the really bad days, I keep a stash of DVR’ed Jimmy Fallon monologues or jump on Netflix and find a comedy to lift my spirits. As William James so eloquently said, “We don’t laugh because we’re happy—we’re happy because we laugh.”
Another wonderful glimpse into the life of yet another amazing woman!
thanks traci, so glad you are enjoying the blog. it’s been an interesting project. and entertaining!
Humor, laughter and smiles reduce our stress and that allows our brains to function better. I think you have excellent strategies for a graceful and fun life.