You CAN Do Hard Things - #BreaktheNorm

This post was sponsored by Lionsgate as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central. You Can Do Hard Things is just something I wanted to share with you that correlates with the new movie

As parents we try hard to encourage our children to take on new experiences and embrace life’s adventures. Every year, especially at the beginning of the year we sit down with our kids and encourage them to make goals that will stretch them and help them reach further beyond themselves. Not all of us are the same and we each have different strengths and weaknesses. Some of us are scared of certain things and some of us have no fear in that same area. My daughter can stand up and sing in front of a crowd and that terrifies me. One thing we always try to teach our children is “You Can Do Hard Things.” Which is for sure something I need to work on more this year!

“You Can Do Hard Things”

It’s fun to watch each of my children as they learn and grow and take on adventures that are challenging to them. As most of you know I am a homeschooling mom, and have had my children home since my first was in Kindergarten. Not meaning we are always home, don’t worry we have lots of friends and they are fine socially. 😉 This year my daughter is taking on a new adventure by taking a few classes once a week for a full day at a what they call commonwealth school. It’s with a great group of homeschooling families. They didn’t have enough room for the rest of my family and only allow the teenagers to come themselves so I am sending her alone. This is a new and exciting challenge and adventure for both of us. I’m excited to see her grow and learn from other people and to make new friends.

Every year my kids take on challenges and adventures that are new and sometimes scary. From sports, to scouting, to going on a family trip or even just a hike, to even bigger things like moving. A few months ago my husband and I felt like it would be a good idea for us to possibly rent our house out one day, the kids overheard us talking about it and we’re not very excited about the idea of us moving again. We have lived in our wonderful home for 3 years, and have paid our mortgage down quite a bit but the idea of moving away from where we live is scary to the children and us. I’m not sure when this adventure is going to happen but I’m sure it will happen within the next year or two. That is definitely an adventure that is hard to do. We are going to have to help each other to embrace the new adventure and to get over our fears of moving.

I love to encourage my children to strive for things that they want even if they are scared. But sometimes I feel like I don’t do that very well myself. I get in my own little comfort zone and I find myself feeling just fine where I’m at, but then things come into my life that feel hard. Things that are either a challenge I decided to take that is hard, or something that I have no desire to embrace, but have to because of lives circumstances. For instance, when I started homeschooling I thought I was only homeschooler around. I didn’t need to meet other homeschoolers. My kids had friends and I had friends in the neighborhood. Something kept telling me I needed to meet homeschoolers for my kids sake. As I decided to adventure on in the homeschooling world I found some amazing people, but I had to put myself out there to meet them. It wasn’t easy, but it was so great, even for me to meet so many great homeschooling families.

There are a few things that I really love to do but I think I hide them because I am fearful of what people will think or because I think I don’t have time to do them. I will let you in on a little secret, one of those things that I would really love to do is to be in a play one day. I remember as a child trying out for the play Annie and getting called back, but I did not end up making the play. I told my mom I never wanted to try out for another play again and I didn’t. I regret that. I love to sing, and that’s another thing I kind of keep hidden. A few years ago somebody asked me to sing a small solo in our church choir. I was so nervous but I was so glad that I ended up doing it even though I didn’t want to. It stretched me and helped me grow. Our children might be nervous or apprehensive at first, encouraging them to ‘take the plunge’ proves best in the end. I think we need to be examples of that for our chidden. They need to see us taking on challenges and getting out of our comfort zone. After all, life’s greatest rewards often stem from taking chances and moving beyond our comfort zones.

One of my favorite quotes that we have hanging on our wall is “You can do hard things”. I tell my kids that all the time and hope that they live by it!

Now, I am sure you are asking what does this new movie Norm of the North have anything to do with this post. Lionsgate’s latest movie release introduces audiences to Norm, a big-hearted, and talkative polar bear from the Arctic, as he ventures to NYC to prevent his beloved home from being overtaken by developers. With helpful friends at his side, Norm takes on the Big Apple, big business, and a big identity crisis as he tries to save the day!

The theme of the movie is just like what I say to my kids, “You Can Do Hard Things” Norm takes on an adventure that is scary and hard. Norm of the north teaches kids to dare to be different and to take on adventures and challenges.

As you can see by these awesome socks my son is wearing we are excited to see this movie! (I even got a pair and wore them under my boots to church the other day!)

In excitement for the film, Norm and his friends have put together a fun “Arctic Shake” video providing instructions how you and your family can “Shake your Bear Thing” just like in the film!