Guideposts.com - Advice from a Loser: "All I Needed to Know About Life I Learned from My One-Year-Old"

All I needed to know about life, I learned from my one-year-old.

Okay, well maybe not everything I needed to know about life…but there is a lot of truth to that statement!

My youngest son turns one this month. And just being his mother the past year has taught me such incredible life lessons. My eyes have been opened to things that maybe I hadn’t taken the time to notice before—or at least not in the past eight years (the last time I had a baby around).

Things like…

It’s okay to cry when you don’t feel good.

You need to eat—and eat often (as long as it’s the right things)—in order to be healthy.

Getting a good night’s sleep can make the difference between a good day and a bad day.

There’s just something wonderful about being held by somebody you love when you are feeling cranky.

Before you can ever learn to walk…you’ve got to fall down a few times. (Okay, many times.)

When you take the time to notice them, even tiny seemingly insignificant things can be amazing.

A belly laugh really is contagious.

Even the worst day can be turned around with a sweet smile.

Everything that looks good, doesn’t necessarily taste good—like red crayons—and is not good for you.

The squeaky wheel does usually does get the oil.

But probably the most significant thing my one-year-old has taught me is something I really already knew: Nothing compares to unconditional love.

Think about all the blessings you have in your life. And take a moment to reflect on some of the most simple truths you know. You may find, like I have, that there’s a lot of wisdom in the innocence, thoughts and actions of a child.

If we pay attention, we can actually learn a lot.