Last weekend, we celebrated Mother’s Day, a joyful holiday that can also be difficult for many people, especially if you didn’t have the ideal mother, miss your mother, or wish you or your partner could be a mother.
There’s no denying that “mother” comes with a lot of feelings: good, bad, and complicated.
In navigating this delicate topic over the years in a coaching capacity, the concept of mothering has come up in interesting ways.
Not mom-ing but mothering. I’m not talking about giving birth to or adopting or raising a child.
I’m referring to mothering in terms of giving life, bringing forth, nourishing, nurturing, growing, championing, supporting, and watching over.
We all mother in some way, no matter our gender or parental status.
Think about it. Where do you give life? And for that matter, where do you take it?
There are places where we pour out and contribute, helping to generate something positive in the world.
There may also be instances where we tend to suck the air out of the room, drain the energy from those around us, and bring down the mood.
Where are you giving, and where are you taking away?
When it comes to your business or career, how are you of service to your team, your clients, your audience, the people in your sphere, your ideas, various initiatives, or creative pursuits?
How might you be dragging things down, dampening vitality with your disappointment, frustrations, or negative attitude?
If you’re not quite sure, I challenge you to ponder this and to pay attention.
You’ll find that focusing on mothering — giving life, strength, spirit, and good will — will bring renewed energy and possibility. It might mean stepping away from spaces where you have nothing left to give or reassessing how you show up.
Try it and see what happens.
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