Can one magical moment in time make your daughter happier?
I believe it can!
Welcome back to Episode #12
Where we’re going to get a little personal for the sake of guiding your daughter around the proverbial dark hole – a life lesson that wasn’t exactly graceful for me.
I’m going to begin by asking you kind of fiery question – and you’ll understand why once we get this conversation going.
Is possible that your teenage daughter too stubborn to change?
Well, I certainly was.
And blurring the lines between loyalty and certainty didn’t help me, either.
Because here’s the thing about growing up - sometimes we get stuck in our own thinking.
We believe …I’m this or I’m that OR I’m good at this and terrible at that.
In my case, my stubborn pride kept me thinking … I’m a loyal person.
And loyal people stay in relationships and make them work.
But, as you probably know, life and relationships don’t really work that way.
And when things didn’t exactly go well, I did what so many teenagers do.
I spent countless hours hoping, wishing, and thinking “if only” the circumstances were different, then I’d be happy.
And “if only” this person would just see things my way, our relationship will work out.
Well, it’s probably not surprising to hear this relationship was a complete roller coaster.
Until one day, when my magical moment came along.
Thankfully, one of my greatest mentors, my mom, shared a short story with me.
It was Portia Nelson’s Autobiography in Five Short Chapters.
I may have been more annoyed than grateful, but this little book was the catalyst that nudged me to:
- Take responsibility for the choices I’d been making in my relationship
- And acknowledge it was time to change – change my behavior – you know, all the things that were frustrating me.
So, if your teenage daughter is:
- Ignoring or short cutting her needs
- Constantly making excuses to justify some of her choices
- Or lingering in a relationship where she feels disrespected and undervalued
You’ll want to listen to this podcast together!
Honestly, looking back, I’m not sure how many times I walked right into the deep hole before I finally decided to go around, and eventually, chose a completely different path.
What I can tell you - is that once I realized,
Even though being loyal is a lovely trait, my stubborn beliefs skewed the big picture.
What I was craving was
· a sense of certainty that things would work out
· And that amazing feeling that comes with true love and connection
So now, I ask you … what would you do?
Is your daughter open to looking at habits that may be keeping her from what she truly wants and needs?
If she’s ready, here’s some intel on what helps my clients create positive change.
You'll find all the important details on my Website, Cultivating Resilient Teens Podcast.
I’m excited to connect with you all again next Tuesday.
Here's to cultivating a more resilient teen for all of life's adventures!
