Recently, my daughter was having a hard time doing something. The something is beyond my recollection. My mom stepped in to see if she needed help. My strong, stubborn daughter proudly explained to my mom; “Grammy, I can do hard things!”

Photo by Heart Shot Photo

I often tell my kids that we can do hard things. Usually it’s in regard to putting on our own shoes or opening a particularly tricky container with a cap. I remind them it's okay to get frustrated but not to give up.

My daughter is two. My son a mere fourteen months. As it stands today, I don’t know what their dreams are. Well, outside of finding the one thing in an entire room they shouldn’t get into and destroying it. But, I do know that beyond their intellect, education and drive their ability to persevere when things get tough will help them accomplish their dreams.

We can do hard things.

The thing is, this isn’t advice. It’s a mantra.

It’s what we have to tell ourselves when we’re frustrated in the middle of the night when the baby is crying and we don’t know what to do.

It’s what we repeat when making important life decisions – career choices, daycare solutions and navigating relationship dynamics.

The words enter our heads on mile seven of a long run and hour seven of a long day.

It’s what we say when we can’t get our shoes on and when we can’t find our footing.

It’s the repetition and realization that we can step-up when things get hard that will hopefully resonate. I hope by repeating it to my children while they are young, they will ultimately be reminded of these simple words as they get older and the stakes get higher.

Cheers!

A version of this post previously appeared on amandawendling.com.