The modern Mother’s Day was founded in the United States by a woman named Anna Jarvis; one of four surviving children out of the twelve her mother had birthed. Her mother, Ann, was the founder of Mother’s Day Work Clubs — women’s groups aimed at promoting friendship and health. It was Ann’s hope that a holiday would one day be created to commemorate mothers “for the matchless service she renders to humanity in every field of life.”
In early May of 1908, three years after her mother’s death, Anna hosted a memorial that celebrated not only her mother, but all mothers. She gave out 500 white carnations to all who attended the service.
In explaining the meaning behind her flower choice, she said, “Its whiteness is to symbolise the truth, purity and broad-charity of mother love; its fragrance, her memory, and her prayers. The carnation does not drop its petals, but hugs them to its heart as it dies, and so, too, mothers hug their children to their hearts, their mother love never dying.”
This Mother’s Day, the team at Hello Coach thought it might be nice for us to honour our mums’ legacies, too. In lieu of establishing a new holiday, we did the next best thing we could think of and listed the top life lessons our mother figures ever taught us. Their lessons on success, kindness, resilience and more have shaped us into the people we are today; and for that, we are forever grateful.
If you’re craving some motherly advice today or just want a reason to smile, we hope that our mums’ life-changing words of wisdom will inspire you. Enjoy!
Victoria, Founder & CEO
My mother was the most inspiring woman I knew. She overcame a lot in her life and was always there to champion us forward whilst also helping us navigate some tough lessons early in life. My biggest insights from mum is:
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Be grateful and gracious.
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Make a difference in the world and don’t waste your gifts.
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Work hard.
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Create your own storybook ending.
True words that my mom said to me all the time from a young age. For a young woman, they were and still remain to be empowering belief systems.
Chris, Head of Coach & Customer Experience
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Don’t take yourself too seriously, a day without laughter is a wasted day!
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If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.
Katharina, Senior Product Manager
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Be independent.
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It’s not about being the best. It’s about being better than you were yesterday.
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Family comes first — always.
Nicole, Project Manager
One of the first great pieces of advice my mother gave me around 14 years old was “There are plenty more fish in the sea” (I had just been dumped by a boy). And as we’ve both grown older, she says “The best things in life are the people you love, the places you’ve seen and the memories you make along the way.”
Monique, Senior Copywriter
My mum always told me:
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Never cry over spilled milk.
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Know yourself and be true to yourself; follow your heart and your passion.
My grandmother, whom I adored, told me that life was like a show ride: it has slow bits; wild, unexpected & exhilarating bits; and really scary bits. But the thrill of the ride is worth every second!
Hilary, Chief Marketing Officer
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Never say never. All the things I said I’d never do, I’ve done.
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Don’t be afraid to reinvent yourself (my mum was a nurse, a teacher, a financial adviser, a wedding dress maker, an artist, a Java developer, and I’m sure I missed one or two).
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Ask for what you want. If you don’t ask, you’re not going to get it.
Kasia, Content Writer
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Love all, trust a few, but always paddle your own canoe.
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Never make a big decision when you’re hungry, angry, lonely or tired.
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If you make a mistake just turn it into something more beautiful (she’s an art teacher, but this applies to life too).
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And by example: Be brave, see the world, and it’s never too late to learn something new.
Patty, Customer Impact
When I was younger, my mum taught me: "Don’t waste your time in mediocre environments. At the same time take care of your skin, your intellect, your mindset and be a high-value woman. People like attractive people.”
I’ve taken her advice a bit too far at times and given her a lot of headaches. But her advice has often paid off— like when I recently learned how to swim by surrounding myself with strong swimmers — and I am very thankful for her tough love!
Sharon, Coach Hub Manager
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Be kind always … everyone has their own thing going on.
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Do what you love, what makes you happy.
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There is always more to learn. Be curious and be brave.
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Have hope, always!
Zeke, Product Manager
My mum is my rock — she’s been through a lot in her life, and she’s sacrificed everything so many times. But at the end of the day, she’s the happiest person I know. The key thing I’ve learned from her is resilience.
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Every experience is a lesson — for you or for someone else — don’t make someone else’s lessons the wrong ones.
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Situations will eventually sort themselves out, deal with what you can in the NOW (achieving anything is better than achieving nothing).
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Time, life, everything works in cycles — if you aren’t sure of what the cycle is or where you are, you’re not paying enough attention.
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No matter how big or small, everything has been done before; but how you do it and how you experience it is how you can make a difference.
The best gift she gives me and keeps giving me is her smile, no matter how rainy the day. Love my mum so much!
From all of us at Hello Coach, we want to wish all of the mothers, mother figures, and those in all stages of their motherhood journey a very joyous and love-filled day. Happy Mother’s Day!
