Top Ten List: Life Lessons

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Top10ListHave you ever found yourself in an unexpected place where you just feel like you were supposed to be there at that moment? I think this may happen more often than we realize, we just don’t think to take the time and reflect on what we’ve seen or heard. I was very aware, however, of such a moment a few weeks ago when my husband and I were invited at the last minute to attend the Bethesda Lyceum. I had never attended this event, but was excited to learn that the keynote speaker this year was Joan Lunden. If you’re not familiar with her, she was a host of Good Morning America for 20 years and is more recently known for her public battle with breast cancer. She actually has a tie-in to Cincinnati as well. She has two sets of twins who were carried by a surrogate. This woman lives in Cincinnati and the babies were all born at Good Samaritan Hospital. I was eager to hear what she had to share, as a celebrity, survivor and mother.

While discussing her life story, how she became successful and her battle with cancer, she intertwined her top ten list of life lessons. Like the nerd/teacher that I am, I grabbed a pen and took notes. The further she got with her list, the more I realized how badly I needed to hear it and take it to heart. I hope that by sharing this, someone else will feel the same way. She told a lot of stories and examples throughout the list, but here’s the gist of it…

1. Don’t wait around for good things to happen.
2. Be open to opportunity.
3. Whenever someone asks if you can do something, just say yes.
4. Find good mentors.
5. Remove failure as an option.
6. Never underestimate the power of a positive attitude.
7. Remember to stop and appreciate the good things.
8. Expect that life will change.
9. Keep your health in check and your life in balance.
10. You have the power to change your life.

There you have it. It’s nothing new or mind blowing, but I think it’s still a powerful list when you put them all together. Even though my biggest dream, to become a mom, has already come true, I still have goals and other dreams for my life. As mothers, we often put our own dreams on the back burner and I know I struggle with thinking beyond the craziness of the moment. Hearing this list has helped motivate me to pursue other dreams I have, and to share that journey with my family. My children will only benefit from seeing their mom keep a positive attitude, while working toward a goal. And that’s the kind of role model and mother I will strive to be.

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Andrea Limke
I am a native Cincinnatian and thanks to a lot of moving, I know this city pretty well. I grew up on the Westside, attended Walnut Hills High School, and then headed to Oxford for an education degree at Miami University. After a few years in Hyde Park, my husband and I are settled in Northern Kentucky for the time being. One of the great things about the Cincinnati area is the abundance of wonderful neighborhoods, schools and family friendly activities! My husband, Andrew, and I have a son, Aiden (2) and our baby girl, Audrey. We didn’t exactly plan all of the “A” names, but it allows us to keep our family nickname – the A-Team. I am an elementary school teacher, but am on a leave of absence right now to be home with my kids. My days are filled with entertaining my babies, taking way too many pictures on my phone and changing a lot of diapers. Thanks to recent open-heart surgery, I have an aortic valve that ticks (like a clock!), I have ornithophobia (Google it) and I broke my hip when I was 18 (I will never ice skate again). But, I do love photography on my “real” camera, pretending I’m a good enough chef to have my own cooking show and playing outside. I turned to writing/blogging in order to document my family’s journey to better health and as motivation to keep myself on track. You can read more about my personal journey at www.limkelife.blogspot.com. I look forward to sharing the adventure of motherhood with you!

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