Erma Bombeck was an inspiration to people all around the world. She was able to achieve success through hard work, passion, and skill. She challenged the status quo and made an incredible name for herself using humor, experience, and talent. She is truly an iconic creator and has lots of lessons that we can learn from her:
#1 – Take a leap of faith
“It takes a lot of courage to show your dreams to someone else.”
~ Erma Bombeck ~
It really is hard to show your dreams to someone else. We are scared of rejection, criticism, and everyone not believing in our goals. Erma was hesitant to pursue her passions in the beginning, but once she broke through that barrier and started creating, she became a success.
Recognize your feelings when you are creating and don’t be scared to get feedback. At the end of the day, creating is what makes you happy, so don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise.
#2 – Don’t stress about the negative things in life
“If you can’t make it better, you can laugh at it.”
~ Erma Bombeck ~
This is one of the main statements that Erma lived by. She used humor and comedy to bring joy into people’s lives every single day. What’s the point of following your dreams if you are constantly focusing on the negatives? Erma lived off a mindset based on positivity and making the most of what she was given in life. That’s something we can all aspire to live by.
#3 – Parenting is truly an adventure
“It’s not until you become a mother that your judgment slowly turns to compassion and understanding.”
~ Erma Bombeck ~
Aside from being a successful humorist, author, and wife, Erma was also a mother. She used lots of humor regarding her parenting strategies, which many people were able to relate to and engage with. She was able to tell stories and produce content that wasn’t fake or unrealistic for parents. So if you are a parent who feels like you aren’t conforming to the unrealistic expectations of parenting, be sure to check out some of her stories—they gave me a good chuckle!
#4 – Leave your legacy and nothing else behind
“When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, ‘I used everything you gave me.’”
~ Erma Bombeck ~
Do you want to be on your deathbed and start thinking about everything you could’ve done? Erma had a goal to complete everything she wanted to do in life and leave a remarkable legacy. Five days before her death, Erma wrote over 4,000 newspaper columns, using broad and eloquent humor. She truly lived by this quote and wanted to leave nothing behind other than a memorable legacy.
#5 – Live your life to the fullest, pursue your dreams, and never look back
“Given another shot at life, I would seize every minute … look at it and really see it … live it … and never give it back. Stop sweating the small stuff. Don’t worry about who doesn’t like you, who has more, or who’s doing what. Instead, let’s cherish the relationships we have with those who do love us.”
~ Erma Bombeck ~
Erma was the kind of person who didn’t care what other people thought about her. Whether it was parenting, comedy, or her writing, she did what she loved and never focused on what society thought about her. Her success was driven by the fact that she did what she wanted, when she wanted.
As creators, we tend to get so caught up in what everyone else thinks about us. But that mindset can be detrimental to our success because we can’t truly create with all the mental barriers built up around us. So next time you have an idea, make it happen, never question yourself, and cherish every moment in life.
We are constantly developing ideas and creating our legacy. A lesson we can all learn from Erma, is to be your true self and live life to the absolute fullest. Do everything you’ve ever wanted to do and embrace the success that you hold. Now go accomplish your goals and don’t listen to anyone telling you that you can’t do it.
