The motto of motherhood...

Wingin' It.

Am I right or am I right? We've got these little beings running around, looking up to us, listening to our every word and our every action, copying our movements and taking our lead and yet, there's no guide. There's no guide to motherhood and that's what makes it so special.

We have the power to mother any way we want to and we are given the gift of raising this little human to be the adult we want them to be. We are given the task of not only raising a baby, but raising an adult that will one day run this world.

Pretty powerful, huh?

And yet, I'm just over here wingin' it each and every day.

As moms, we encounter trials and triumphs and a whole lot more trials, large and small, and we can either allow them to crash our world before our eyes or we can take these moments and allow them to shape us and to help us grow. We have the power to turn every single trial into a triumph. We have the power to create happiness in our lives:

Happiness is a choice.

This week I wrote about my cancer journey and how I allowed this tragic experience to shape my outlook on life. I got so many encouraging and inspiring comments and messages and I could not have been more appreciative of your support. And then there's one question I got over and over -- How could you possibly choose happiness throughout that experience? How could you possibly be happy when you lost your mom at such a young age? Just how?

Two things:

1. Denial. If you read the post, you'll hear that I was in denial for quite some time and I was numb to the world around me.

2. I lose it. I lost it often and I don't always choose happiness for myself. Because it's a lot easier said than done and I am far from perfect in this department.

But here I am, writing this all down so I can look back on it in times of sadness and hurt and at times when I feel like a complete failure of a mom. And in case you ever need a little reminder or a boost of happiness, I hope some of these tips help you too.

Four ways to be a happier mom:

1. Realize that we are all wingin' it.

Every single mom is wingin' this motherhood thing whether it's your first kid or second or 8th. Every kid is different, there is no motherhood recipe for success and no matter how many kids you have and how much motherhood practice you get, life will always throw things your way and there's nothing you can do to stop it. But you can choose to turn these trials into triumphs.

2. Seek the Positive + Choose Happiness

It sounds so simple but there is a positive you can find in every single negative situation in life. My mom passed away and I have learned to appreciate life more than ever before because of it. You could get in a car accident but just think, it could've been worse. You could lose your job but that will give you the opportunity to find one you love even more or one that will pay even more. And who knows, maybe you never would have searched if you hadn't been laid off. Ava may have gotten into my makeup and may have gotten bright red lip gloss all over herself and my romper but hey, it's a memory and she had a blast, right? I could be mad at her and yell at her or I could laugh with her and tell her she did a great job on her makeup. And I'll choose the latter.

You see? There IS a positive in every negative situation. You just have to seek it out.

3. Just Smile

Okay this one is pretty amazing and I didn't believe it until I tried it, but it totally works. I'm living proof of that. The next time you feel hurt or sad or mad or frustrated, SMILE. In that moment, you'll feel the happiness flowing through you. I promise it works.

4. Praise Yourself

Pat yourself on the back. Tell the Instagram and Facebook world that you were a great mom today and flaunt that success. Each and every triumph you have, remind yourself that your great and soon you'll realize that no matter how many times you fail, you've succeeded as a mom far more than you've failed.

It's Friday, so that's also something to smile about :) Happy freakin' weekend mamas!

Go be happy!