Every year Memorial Day comes along and is so exciting for our house ,as the kids are so excited about the big parade in town. It’s the same in almost every house in the country I am sure. I absolutely love it. Normally the mood around the house is excitement and then panic as we try rush out to make sure we get a parking spot and don’t miss the start.

The excitement returns as we get our spots and then we sit and wait. Everyone is in a great mood and you bump into old and current friends and then everything starts.

Then the mood shifts to a powerful one of awe, gratitude and being humbled. When you see the Vets walking down the streets, some of them so old, yet so proud, sweating in their uniforms as the sun bakes down on them, yet they just carry on in silence, with an odd wave or smile.

It is weird because you don’t need to say anything, everyone around you just feels it…even the kids seem to be in awe and feel the energy.

Every year it just knocks the wind out of me and I feel so humbled for the rest of the day. And just the same way that I stand on the side of the road and applaud those Vets and their families who served I want to give back to you the lessons I have learnt from them:

It’s not about me – Too often we focus on ourselves, and our problems and our life drama right? But it really isn’t about us. That may sound harsh, and I am not discounting your problems or saying they don’t matter. What I am saying is that our focus should be on how we can make a bigger impact on others, our friends, our family, our neighbors, our communities, our work colleagues and serving.

Even if we don’t feel like it. I am pretty sure that those men and Women who served didn’t really want to go to battle, but they wanted to serve. They were out to serve their country their family, their friends, their neighborhood, their communities.

We don’t have to go into battle each day, but we can have a serving attitude in everything we do every day.

There’s something bigger – Sometimes when we are in the trenches fighting our own personal battles at work, with our family, with our partners, with our friends, with our colleagues it may not all make sense. But there is a bigger picture.

We’re working towards a greater cause and purpose. That may be to become a better person, to overcome limiting beliefs, to build better relationships, whatever it may be. You may not see the big picture or make sense of the struggle, but keep going and it will all be worth it.

Be humble – I love seeing the humility of the old Vets as they walk on by. They’re not looking for accolades or prizes or anything else. They’re just proud of themselves, the friends, their family, the community and their country.

In this day and age of social media where we’re so focused on the number of likes, shares, followers and comments we get, we can learn from them. Be humble and know you don’t need other folks recognition to know you did your best.

Forgive – The amazing thing about the world we live in now is that we can travel to countries where we once fought so viciously. The Vets even though were involved in bloody battles and ugly wars seemed to have been able to forgive not just one person, but entire nations.

Isn’t that amazing? Think of that next time you are holding a grudge against someone or they have annoyed you.  Just let it go. You don’t have to agree with their behavior, but you can forgive and move on.

Remember – Don’t forget those people who have helped you along your path in life. That is both the people who have had a positive and negative impact in your life. Those struggles have helped to shape you and help you become a better person.

And it is not just people and circumstances either. It’s about remembering to:

Stop and look around. Be present and appreciate life and those in your life right now. @hayleyhobson
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I hope you enjoyed theses tips and can start applying these lessons to your life.

Enjoy.

XO

Hayley

Hayley Hobson is an author, speaker, Kick-A$$ Business Guru, 7 Figure MOM-treprenuer. and passionate about empowering others to live the life of their dreams and is based in Boulder, CO. Hayley creates lifestyle transformations by coaching her clients to become the best WHOLE version of themselves possible. To learn more about her nutritional courses, events, and custom programs, visit hayleyhobson.com or follow her on Facebook or Twitter.