My inner voice was given to me by my grandparents. They used idioms and expressions as part of their everyday language. It still amazes me how voices and lessons from the past can affect you forever. I can still hear my grandfather offering me great advice, ending with time-honored clichés like “Come on Jenny, pull yourself up by your bootstraps” or “Roll up your sleeves and put some gas in your ass!”
Because of his strength, wisdom and directness, as a result of his ability to not mince words, my grandfather has been my lifetime mentor and coach. He never minced words; I could feel his influence even when he wasn’t around. It’s been said that, “The way we talk to our children becomes their inner voice.”
I am a problem solver by nature, and in these trying times it is difficult to imagine “what’s next.” As I grasp for the best coping mechanisms for me and my loved ones, I remain hopeful that my grandparents’ words will provide guidance. Their lessons are as valid today as they were when I was a kid.
As cliché as it sounds, we need to ‘pull ourselves up,” stand tall and prepare for this “New World”. Preparedness reflects our ability to work through challenges and adjust to the unknown, while looking towards the light at the end of the tunnel. These are the moments when I rely on, and embrace, a more simplistic approach to life.
I’ve found it effective to appreciate to stay in the present, accept what life has to bring. Whether it’s the idea of “It Is What It Is,” “Hurry Up and Wait,” or “Carpe Diem,” I have found the strength to handle crisis is easier than you think. I have been reading and rereading The Unwritten Guide of How to Survive Challenging Times, by Lillian and Joseph M. Ryan - I have even been sharing this book with my eleven year old daughter, Violet. I’m happy in knowing that she will relate more to truthful idioms than to emojis and cellphone acronyms, bringing her a mature confidence that has earned her the nickname “Mom-Mom.”
Until we are no longer unsure of the future, “It is what it is” and my inner child defers to the phrases my grandparents I respect all the idioms used by their generation.
The sky is falling: an absurd belief that disaster is imminent.
Your guess is as good as mine: you don’t have a clue and that your best guess would most likely be mine too.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder: sometimes being away for a period can cause a person to care for you even more than they already did.
In the same boat: someone is in a similar predicament.
All hands on deck: used to indicate that the involvement of all members of a team is required.
Hang in there: to keep going, keep moving forward, and to not give up with things get difficult.
Keep your eye on the donut, not on the hole: We need to focus on what we have, not what we did not have.
Carpe Diem: used to urge someone to make the most of the present time and give little thought to the future.
Wrap your head around it: you are taking the time to understand something, or you have already taken the time to understand something.
Glass (cup) half full: the situation may be seen in different ways depending on one's point of view and that there may be opportunity in the situation as well as trouble.
Don’t cry over spilled milk: Don’t spend your time worrying about things of that past that cannot be changed.
Pick yourself up by your bootstraps: to succeed or elevate yourself without any outside help.
A blessing in disguise: something you thought would be problem turned out to be something beneficial.
Pull a rabbit out of the hat: to do something unexpected but ingeniously effective in response to a problem.
Golden opportunity: it is an opportune chance to do something that you may never get the chance to do again.
There is a profound simplicity that these idioms represent, all of which represent the truth to which they speak. I can see how this understanding is helping Violet and the rest of my family persevere now and in the future to come.
Teamwork makes the dream work.
This month's LIFE: Make it Happen blog article is brought to you by Jenny "Make it Happen" Ryan, Lily-Anna James with a little added extra love and secret sauce sprinkled in by the amazingly awesome Tracy Steven Peal
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