EP - 189 Declaring Independence from Negative Thoughts in Grandparenting

The Cool Grandpa Podcast

This weekend is July 4th or Independence Day in the United States. It was the day that the United States declared its independence from England. In this one-on-one conversation, I want to encourage you to declare your independence from just ONE thing holding you back on your journey to becoming the coolest grandparent ever.

We declare independence from a negative mindset, emotion, or even a condition by doing the following:

1. Write down (paper, a Google Doc, whatever but something) ONE (1) thing causing you not to enjoy being the best grandparent ever. Don't write down more than one thing. We can rinse and repeat this process as often as we like.
2. Think about and write down what actions, thoughts, etc., are in your control. Don't worry about what you can't control, focus on you.
3. When you look at your list, is this complete, or have you left items off because of assumptions or oversite on your part?
4. Create a plan to add to, enhance, remove, or reduce thoughts or actions that you control that would reduce or eliminate your inability to enjoy being the awesome grandparent you are.
5. Keep track of your plan and then see if it resolves your negative thoughts or anxiety about whatever you decide to work on. Don't be afraid to adjust your plan as you need to. The goal of breaking free from what is controlling you is what is important, not how you get there.
6. Celebrate your Independence!

In my example this week, I used the anxiety that some grandparents feel when they send letters or gifts to their grandchildren and then don't hear anything back from the children's parents. I talked about how, immediately hearing lately from the grandchildren's moms and dads whether something has been received, using a tracking number can help ease someone's mind. After all, you can follow up and check with the carrier whether an item was delivered.

I hope you find these steps and this helpful approach. If you did, please share this content with a friend or family member who might be struggling with an aspect of being a grandparent. I want all of us to declare our independence from whatever is holding us back from enjoying this exceptional period and role in life.

Links

I invite you to join me at Grandparents Week by clicking this link: https://training.grandparentsacademy.com/a/2147832178/ikxv5HFd.

If you want to sign up for my course, Intentional Grandfathering, please use this link: https://training.grandparentsacademy.com/intentional-grandfathering-masterclass.