Seven Lessons My Mother Taught Me About Life

A mother is a woman who has given birth to a child. Although this is the most common definition of the term, mothers can also be women who have raised children, taken care of them when they were sick or young, or been an influential figure in their lives in some other way.

When it comes to learning life lessons, who better to teach us than our mothers? They have been through it all and know what it takes to make it through life.

When I think back to my childhood, some of my fondest memories are of spending time with my mother. Even though she’s no longer with us, her wisdom and teachings still resonate in my life.

In honor of Mother’s Day, I’d like to share seven lessons my mother taught me about life. These lessons have helped me navigate through difficult times and make the most of every opportunity.

If you’re a son or daughter, husband or wife, I hope you’ll find these lessons as meaningful as I have. Thank you, Mom, for everything. Happy Mother’s Day.

Here are seven lessons my mother taught me that have helped me become the person I am today.

Lesson #1: Always Have Faith in Yourself

Even when you are at your lowest point and feel like giving up, never give up on yourself. Keep having hope and always remember that you can accomplish anything if you put your mind to it and persevere.

When I was younger, my mother used to tell me stories about how she had to fight for everything in life. She was the youngest of four brothers and three sisters, which meant that her parents were constantly busy with their eldest children.

My mother often tells me about the struggles she faced growing up. Despite these difficulties, my mother always had confidence in herself. She would tell me that no matter what obstacle life throws at you, it is possible to overcome them all.

I think about these words every day and try to put them into action. If my mother can be confident in herself even when times were hard, I should do the same no matter what challenges come my way.

Remembering this lesson from my mother has helped me become more confident in myself.

Lesson #2: Don’t Be Afraid to Put Yourself Out There

My mother has always been an open book and is not afraid to express her feelings. She has taught me that it’s important to express your emotions, even if you are scared or nervous about what other people will think of you.

Although my mother is an open book, she once fought hard to protect herself by not being transparent. When she came home from college one day and told me that she was bisexual, I could tell that it was a tough thing for her to talk about. She had come out as bisexual before but after some time decided to keep the fact that she was bisexual a secret from loved ones.

My mother decided to be open about who she was after much introspection and the realization that hiding the fact that she was bisexual was not productive for her or those around her. It wasn’t until one day she told me, at the age of 46, that I knew how hard it had been for her to live her life with this secret.

Lesson #3: Be Passionate About What You Do

It doesn’t matter what you do for a living. As long as you are passionate about it, success will come your way. Always follow your dreams and never let anyone get in the way of that. Just do it.

My mother has always been passionate about what she does and this shows no matter what path she takes. Ever since I remember, my mom would wake up early and work on her blog before she went to the office. By the time we were eating breakfast together, she had written a post or two and was ready to take on her day at work.

One of my mother’s biggest dreams was to have her retail store. This dream came true when she opened up Purse Valley in London in 2015. She has always been passionate about purses and shoes but it took her a while before she realized that she could make this dream come true for herself.

Even though opening up Purse Valley has been a success, I can tell that my mom is not satisfied with this accomplishment. She is already planning the next steps for her business.

My mother has helped me realize what it means to be passionate about something. As long as you are passionate about whatever you are doing, there is no limit on how successful you will become in life.

Lesson #4: Be Who You Want to Be and Ignore What Others Have to Say

At the end of the day, it is your life and you should live it the way that makes you happy. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

My mother has taught me how important it is to be yourself no matter who you are. She has helped me realize that no matter what, do not be afraid to express who you are.

This lesson was especially important to my mother growing up because even though she wanted to wear trousers instead of skirts to show her tomboy spirit, it wasn’t allowed for girls in Korea at the time. My mom always felt like she could not be who she was in fear of what others would think about her.

My mother has helped me understand that you should never let other people dictate how you live your life. I always knew my mom didn’t care what anyone thought about her which, looking back on it now, is one of the many reasons why I loved her so much.

I have tried to apply this lesson to my own life by being myself in school and even in the workplace when I interned at a design firm. The way I dress, the way I talk, and what I choose to do in my spare time all contribute to who I am as a person.

For me, one of the hardest things was overcoming my fear of what others would think about me. Once I realized that nobody cared about anything other than their own lives, it became much easier for me to be myself.

Lesson #5: Don’t Let Money Ruin Your Life

Sometimes people tend to make money the most important thing in life when it is not. Money is just a tool that can help you find success in life, but it isn’t the only thing that defines how successful you are.

My mother has taught me to never let money get the best of me. She has helped show me what matters when it comes to being happy and successful in life.

When my mother first moved to the United States, she had everything that she needed. She was given a comfortable salary, health insurance, and even extra days off so that she could travel more.

However, for my mother, all of these material things were not enough because she quickly became unhappy once she realized what her life had become.

My mother always knew money was not what made her successful or happy, but I don’t think she ever expected to lose that spark that gave her life meaning. This is when she decided to move back to Korea and start her own business.

For me, this lesson was not as easy as it was for my mother because I always associated the number of zeroes in my bank account with how successful I was.

Once I moved back home and started working at a local clothing store, I had more people that depended on me every day which made it much harder for me to make money my number one priority.

Right now, the only thing that matters is having enough money for food and shelter. One day when I am finished with school, I hope to be successful and make enough money for myself and my loved ones.

My mother has taught me that you should always focus on finding your life’s purpose and never lose yourself in the pursuit of money.

Lesson #6: Don’t Be Afraid to Love at All Costs

Sometimes people only realize how much they loved someone when it’s too late.

My mother has taught me to never be afraid of telling the people you love exactly how you feel about them.

I was always with my mom growing up, but I didn’t realize how lonely she was until her best friend moved away. I saw her fall into a depression after her best friend left. But I was so focused on myself that I barely noticed.

Then one day, my mom called me and said she had met someone who made her happy again. For the first time since seeing my mom sad, it opened up my eyes to just how much losing her best friend affected her.

When I started dating my girlfriend, I was always afraid to tell her how much she meant to me. I felt like if I told her that she made me happy then it would give her the power to leave me whenever she wanted.

For my mother, being in love has been a very powerful thing and has helped encourage both of us to find our passions and follow our dreams.

Lesson #7: Don’t Let Your Dreams Die

Dreams are the only thing that keeps humans going amid hardships. I have always been taught to follow my dreams and to never let anything stop me from reaching them.

When my mother first moved to America, she was very focused on making money because she knew it was one of those things that would make her happy. She taught me the value of dreams. However, she didn’t let money overshadow her passion for writing.

So, I am always striving to find my true dream job. One day, I hope to save enough money to be able to quit my job at the clothing store and follow my dreams.

My mother has always been encouraging of me to follow my passions, but now that I am older it is much easier for her to relate. She might not understand every aspect of what I enjoy, but she knows how important it is to never lose sight of your goals.

For my mother, dreams are the reason why she fights every day to not lose herself. She has always loved writing, but it was never enough for her to give up everything else in her life. Now that I am older and understand what matters in life, she is finally able to follow her dreams even though they might take her away from me.

Conclusion

I have learned so many different life lessons from my mother, but one thing has remained true throughout it all: No matter what you go through or how old you are, your mom will always be the person that loves you unconditionally and wants nothing more than for you to be happy. And even if she doesn’t express it, she will always be proud of you no matter what.

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