Wisdom of Mom: Life is Sweet

This feature was brought to you by Allstate.

When I saw the book, The Silver Lining Companion Guide, I knew I wanted to talk about it. The 'C' word (cancer) is everywhere these days, and instead of letting it hover over us like a big nasty fear cloud, it's time to take the power back.
That's why I started Plum Deluxe, by the way. After having experienced a personal loss due to cancer, I walked away determined to change the focus of our conversation -- away from what's wrong, and instead on what we can enjoy right now, today, this week, this weekend.
In a followup to our kickoff Wisdom of Mom series, 3 Ways to Show Your Support of Others, and in honor of this awesome book, I'd like to share the wisdom I learned watching my own mother deal with cancer.

Life Is Sweet

When I was young, my most vivid memory was that my mom baked cakes as a side hustle. Life seemed so fun, so amazing, when there were cake beaters to be licked on a regular basis and a parade of beautiful creations headed out the door at a steady rate.
What I've learned since then is that life really IS sweet. You don't have to bake cakes for a living to find opportunities to sweeten-up your day. In my book, Fresh Ideas for Making Moments Matter, I actually suggest breaking down your day into segments -- mornings, afternoons, evenings, weekends -- and then look at how you can tweak each. What simple 'indulgences' could you add into your routine? What could you do to make things easier for yourself?

Life Is a Series of Choices

This one perhaps seems an obvious piece of wisdom, but there is a nugget of truth hidden in here that I'd like to unpack with you. If life is a series of choices, that means you have some influence on the direction your day takes. For example, if you find yourself in difficult circumstances, look for the bright side. Think about the ideal outcome. And if you find yourself in great circumstances, celebrate.
We get to choose how we feel and how we approach our life, so be more mindful of the choices you are making. Are you making good choices for yourself?

We're All In It Together

Lastly, I am reminded about the strength my mom found in her support network of friends and girlfriends. We're all here together, so it's important to find people to support us in rough times, and celebrate with us in the good times. With the internet and social media, it's easier to keep in touch -- but nothing beats sitting down face-to-face with a friend and a cup of tea or hosting a dinner party for that thoughtful, meaningful connection and reminder of how sweet life really is.

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This feature was brought to you by Allstate.
Allstate is helping helping every woman diagnosed with breast cancer receive a free Silver Lining Companion Guide, helping them and their families through the experience unfortunately too many of us have to endure. It's a great read and we're proud to share it.