Today I want to share a great story about my Mom. Reflecting back, it has me realize that the apple really doesn’t fall far from the tree.

When I was about 15 years old, I remember locking myself in my bedroom during one of those moody teenager phases where life felt hard and I didn’t really know where to put my attention.

After about 2 days of this, my Mom had enough. In her very direct and powerful way, she came into my room and (get ready for coaching jargon) “called me forth to go create my life.”

I don’t remember her exact words, but the essence of what she said was this:

“I know life feels hard for you right now and I get that. There are times we need to hang out and just feel sorry for ourselves. And then you reach a point when it does not serve. You’ve reached that point! It’s time to start feeling better and one of the best ways to do that is to go out in the world and do something that matters – for you and for others. I promise, you will feel better. So, get out of bed, get out of this room, and go do something now. I cannot help you with exactly what that is, but it’s time to stop feeling sorry for yourself. Get out there now!”

I remember walking out of my room, and then out into my neighborhood, and not really knowing exactly what to do or where to go, but I do remember that it woke me up.

Now, there are various perspectives to hold about a moment like this in one’s life (just ask my therapist!). And since perspectives create the experiences of our life, I am choosing on this Mother’s Day to believe that my life changed in a big way that day my Mom told me to get out of my bedroom.

I remember that moment like it was yesterday, even 44 years later. At the time I had no idea the wheels were being put in motion to create my life’s work, and looking back, I doubt that my Mom did either!

Shortly after that talk, I became the youth group president at my church and created a year-long mission project, which would become a seed planting year for my work with co-creating Bigger Game as a keynoter, executive leadership coach and workshop facilitator (that story is in my Hay House book, Play Your Bigger Game).

Today I am blessed to travel the world sharing a similar message… Go find the thing that matters to you and your world around you. Once you do, life will feel better. And that’s the baseline message of playing your Bigger Game.

So, Mom, I know that day was hard for both of us, yet so needed. I thank you deeply… and will be forever grateful, as now thousands of folks around the globe have received some version of that “calling me forth” conversation.

So how about you… what is the story you want to tell your Mom about the impact she had on you?

Grateful for all of our Moms, today and always.

Namaste-
Rick