Every year when Mother’s Day comes around I reflect on my amazing Mom and the life lessons she’s taught me, as well as how all the great women in my life have helped me to grow and become who I am today. Below are 10 lessons I’ve learned from my Mom, also a Girlboss, Dr. Ann Auburn of The Natural Health Improvement Center. I hope they help you too.

1.ALWAYS FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS.

My Mom, as well as the other leading ladies in my life, my Great Grandma Mable and Grandmothers, Crystal and Julie always encouraged me to stay true to myself and my dreams. Even if my dreams seemed out of reach and scary, they ingrained in me that there is nothing to lose by trying and you’ll always think, ‘what if?’ if you never go for it. They helped give me the courage I needed to move across the country at 18 and eventually start my own business.

2. LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE.

It’s ok if planning isn’t your forte but looking into the future at the bigger picture is essential. So often it’s easy to get caught in the day to day of life. If you know what you’re going for you can keep your purpose close and see past the daily struggle to keep going and reach your goals. Like my Grandma Crystal always says, Rome wasn’t built in a day.

3. COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS.

There’s so much to be thankful for. It’s easy with social media to get into the ‘keeping up with the Jone’s game’ but my Mom always taught me to cherish the little things. Life is about love, family and seeing the beauty in front of you. It can be hard sometimes but I remind myself every day how thankful I am for my life, my health and my loved ones.

4. NO REGRETS.

When I started my jewelry line I sometimes felt I was up against a lot and I had made wrong decisions along the way. My Mom and Grandmas constantly told me that I was getting my degree in the school of hard knocks. All I could do was get up, dust myself off and keep going. No sense in regretting yesterday. The important thing is to learn from your so called ‘mistakes’ so they help you in the future to make decisions that are right for you. When you look back you aren’t going to remember that mistake, you’re going to remember the adventure of pursuing your dreams.

5. SMILE!

My family is big on smiling. We were never the stoic type and we’re proud of that. A lot of people I grew up with knew me as the happiest girl around, always a smile on her face. Same with my Mom. I’m lucky to have taken after her in this regard. You can change the lives of those around you with the simple gesture of a smile and surprisingly you can change your own attitude too. Be careful… once you start, you may not be able to stop.

6. TRAVEL.

Seeing and learning about different cultures helps you to understand and love your fellow man. I’m a quarter Lebanese and I’m proud of that! I was taught to respect the beliefs and culture of others and my Mom was always a cheerleader when it came to exploring the world. She encouraged me to go out and experience things out of my comfort zone. (for example, did you know ketchup as a condiment and eggs for breakfast is not very common in Italy? Yea, me neither until I went there!)

7. GET YOUR SLEEP + EAT WELL.

My Mom, Dr. Ann Auburn, is a Lady Boss herself. She is an incredible integrative doctor and owns her own holistic practice in Grandville, Michigan, The Natural Health Improvement Center. Her accolades include being the go-to doctor for the Red Hot Chile Peppers when they are in Michigan for concerts – pretty cool if you ask me! A family doctor who was an early trail blazer of integrative medicine, my Mom raised me with a very well balanced diet and an emphasis on the nurturing effects of sleep. This helped keep me sane in the early days of starting my own business because working around the clock can lead to burn out. Invest in your healthy with organic food, lots of veggies, 7-8 hours of sleep every night and 3-4 days of working out every week!

8. FAILURE IS OK.

Sometimes you are your worst critic. I’ve had to come to terms with the fact that failure is an integral part of life. The thing that my Mom has helped me realize is that it’s not a bad thing to fail and most importantly you can never let it stop you from continuing on. Too often we let our fears control us and stop us from reaching our full potential. When that happens to me I call my Mom, Grandma or talk to my fiancée. They help me to keep things in perspective and realize that life isn’t always going to be roses and butterflies but it is an adventure. It’s all in the way you look at it so turn those failures into life lessons and move on.

9. BEAUTY IS ON THE INSIDE.

I am very fortunate that my family and loved ones know the true meaning of life. I often refer to the saying, ‘All that glitters is not gold’ or rather as Shakespeare expressed, shiny things aren’t necessarily precious things. It’s become more and more present in our world that people are focused on how much they have (clothes, cars, IG followers, etc) rather than how much they hold in terms of trust, loyalty, love, help, friendships. I smile and talk to people I don’t know no matter if they are a high executive or just starting out in their endeavors. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, we’re all on this planet together and the world would be a better place if we all showed compassion and respect to each other.

10. YOU CAN DO IT!

Ending this list (which is truly endless because my Mom has taught me so much in my life) with how my Mom and Grandmas have ALWAYS told me that I can do it. They never said it would be easy or without hard work but they always, always, always told me and continue to tell me that I can do anything I set my mind to. You have to throw yourself into things, learn, have fun, get beaten up a little (figuratively) and then go back at it again! This goes hand in hand with point number 1 – Always Follow Your Dreams. It’s not always this simple but I’ll tell you my magical combination: surround yourself with good people that you trust and have your best interests in mind, treat others the way you would want to be treated, trust your instincts, believe in yourself, make a game plan, learn from your mistakes and keep going!

{My beautiful Mom, Dr. Ann Auburn and I at Blushington after we got our make up done for my engagement party!}

With that I’m signing off but I hope you enjoyed reading this and that it inspired you!

What have you learned from your Mom or the leading lady in your life? Leave me a message below!

XOXO, Katie