Pass It On, Baby!: Making the best of what you have...

Please note: If this is your first time visiting our blog, please click here to hear the premise of Pass It On, Baby! and how it all began.... Pass It On, Baby!

Both Elizabeth and I sometimes have LOTS to say or to relay or share within our own personal experiences and other times not. Like she said last week, I am struggling with what to write. I normally have plenty to write or speak about depending on what's been going on in my life but not sure how to share what I've been experiencing or share it in a way that relates to Pass It On, Baby!

I own my own company and times were very very good for the first 5-6 months out of the year. Then, the freelance ended, a promise of a new job, waiting around and then here we are a little over 3 months later. Although business is starting to pickup again and another freelance project will be starting in October and another client coming on board in October, that leaves me figuring out how to float my family for the next few weeks. And of course, right now - everything is hitting all at once.

My 2 year-old started his first day of Mother's Day Out today and albeit is was SUPER exciting - I struggled with how to do all the things for him that I had always wanted to do. New clothes for school, new things to take that he needs, haircuts, etc. I wanted to make a big deal of it. But our finances definitely put a huge limitation on that. I also have a wedding that I will be in at the beginning of October and although I am very excited for my friend and for going on a destination wedding - it couldn't have come at a worse time. Right in the middle of a drought for my company.

Although I have so many expectations for what I want to experience and how - I came across this quote the other day that really hit home for me.

"The happiest people don't always have the best of everything, they just make the best with everything they have."

This really made me think about Cade's experience for school. He was going to enjoy it either way, it was me that was struggling with the expectations that I had placed on what I wanted to experience. I didn't have to buy him anything new for him to enjoy the first day of school. As hard it was for me to realize, I knew that it was about what I did with the day and how I created it without all the "stuff" that I felt was important. I did get Cade 1 new shirt for the first day but nothing crazy - just inexpensive but cute. He didn't get a new haircut (although he still needs one). He wore his hat to school that he loves. I made his lunch with TLC and we talked for a couple of days before about how exciting it would be. My way of handling it I know affected how he experienced it. If I had been down in the dumps about not meeting all my expectations - he may not have been as excited or felt the same way about going.

The same for everything in my life right now. I guess there are cycles in life for just about everything - including money. I have so many expectations in my mind about how I want to experience something and a lot of becomes dependent on how much or how little money I have and how good or not good that experience will be.

For the wedding I am attending, it's been the same. I like to go over the top with gifts and have specialty items made that are personalized just for that person. I had wanted to do all the same things for my friend getting married but soon realized that I couldn't spend the same as in the past but I can do a lot for a little. I can put the same love into a gift even if it's not super expensive or what I had envisioned - it still came from the heart and she will hopefully feel that and appreciate it.

So my lesson for this time in my life where money isn't necessarily flowing in abundances - is that it's not that I have to have the best but am I doing the best with what I have? Most of the time yes, but I definitely need to be reminded of this quote more often. So I will be putting this on my facebook status today as well as Pass It On, Baby!'s as a reminder to me and to all of us.

And for Cade - his day went fantastic. He was super excited to put on his backpack and go to school. Although he quickly decided he didn't want to carry it.