55: The Art of Forgiveness and Choosing Happiness (with Megan Tenney)

Megan Tenney shares her experience with forgiveness, choosing to be happy, and taking quality time for what's important, including a bath with a boot, vacation, and playing with her kids.

Megan Tenney is the author/owner of ShapingUpToBeAMom.com, where the goal is, “Life, easier. You, happier!” Her mission is to help other busy moms achieve their goals, while sharing her own adventures in parenting, fitness, travel, and checking off her bucket list. Born and raised on the shores of Maine, she relocated after college to the Arizona desert, where she now lives with her husband and four kids: Carter, Vanessa, Harrison, and Melody…

Nuggets of Wisdom from Megan:

“Just remember, this too shall pass away.”

“I needed to learn how to forgive someone. That is why I had to go through those experiences.”

“Your happiness is your own responsibility. You cannot depend on someone else to make you happy.”

“Be easy on yourself. Don't jump right to feeling guilty for having negative thoughts toward someone. I think, to a certain extent, we can have power over our own feelings, and to a certain extent we cannot. And I think feelings might just come to you, like you get angry or you feel guilty, but then, you can fan the flames of that feeling or you can redirect your thoughts and try to focus on something else. It takes effort and it takes humility.”

“One of the questions you [Jen] ask, the one that left the most lasting impact on me, was, ‘At the end of your life, when you turn around and look back, what do you want to have done, or what do you want people to remember you for?' That made it so clear to me. Family. That is my absolute first priority.”

Some of Megan‘s Favorite Things:

Personal habit: “It has contributed to my sanity. I take a bath almost everyday. I just relax in the bathtub with a book and I do it almost everyday.”

Easy meal: “Crockpot meal. So I make a pasta meal with a jar of marinara sauce. I used maybe four fifths of the marinara sauce. And another night, I do English muffin pizzas, and I use the leftover sauce.”

Possession: “Crockpot. Vitamix.”

Megan's Favorite Books: “‘The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up,' by Marie Kondo, and ‘Learn the Secrets to Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment,' by Tal Ben-Shahar.”

“There are people that only focus on the present, and they do whatever it takes to make them feel good right now. Whether that's a bacon cheese burger, or sitting and watching TV, or whatever it is, and they don't plan for the future, and so they don't plan to be happier in the future. And then there are people that only plan for the future, and they deprive themselves of the moment. They eat only salads, or they work really hard and never take a vacation, and it's all for someday down the road. He [Tal Ben-Shahar] said that the happiest formula is to try to get both of those things, to do, ideally, one thing that will benefit you now and will benefit you later.”

Best advice received: “Treat others the way you want to be treated.”

Megan's Happiness Formula:

“I am happiest when I am being productive, planning a trip, and ending the day with a bath and a good book.”

A Challenge from Megan:

“Plan a trip. It doesn't have to be Disney World. You don't have to get on a plane. It could be to the other end of town, to a restaurant you have never been to before.”

Resources

Time Mastery for Women

ShapingUpToBeAMom.com

My Konmari Closet (or Who Bought All These Clothes)

The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up

Learn the Secrets to Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment

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