Published June 26, 2025
Last week, I shared my life transformation tip #1 which emphasized how our loved ones want us to live robust and beautiful lives. Ones with purpose, love, and joy. This principle has guided me during the past few years in how I live and in the decisions I make. No doubts whatsoever it has strengthened my emotional wellness.
This next tip has really impacted how I show up every single day, and it has empowered my journey. I am convinced it will help you too.
Here it is: Let’s make our loved ones proud!
I’ve always wanted to make Matt proud. To be a good mom and a good wife. To be a supportive friend. To make a difference in my community. He was also a very fun person to be around, with his quick wit and great sense of humor. People enjoyed his calm yet funny personality. There was always laughter, sometimes to the point of tears because we laughed so hard. Thus, I found myself wanting to be just as fun as Matt. (I could never compete with his humor though!)
You know what? I realized that this doesn’t have to stop because he died! For me, it means even more because he is no longer with me here in this earthly life. I know my kids feel the same. None of us want to disappoint Matt. We all want to make him super proud! We want him to be smiling from heaven, thinking “that’s my family, they got it going on!”
Don’t you expect that’s how your loved one would be too?
I do not think it’s pure coincidence that all 3 kids earned excellent report cards the past few years, earning straight A’s. I don’t mention this to brag by any means, but I say it to prove my point. They are thriving! They are making Matt proud! I find myself working hard and making business/financial decisions in which Matt would be proud of me. We had a parenting style of being nurturing, always making sure the kids felt safe and loved, yet we strongly believed it was important that we didn’t baby them so they would grow up to be independent and strong. I still parent this way because I know that’s how Matt would want me to be.
So there you have it. My 2 guiding principles which have made a huge impact on my life. Whenever I feel stuck and can’t make a decision, or anytime I start to feel down about what happened, I think to myself “what would Matt want me to do.”
I am certain he wouldn’t want to see me weeping, being so sad that I cannot function. Nope. Not at all. Instead, I KNOW he wants me to be living my best life, enjoying time with friends and family, and feeling grateful for what I DO have. I can actually hear him saying it! On top of this, I know he is proud of me and the kids! Without a doubt, I KNOW this is how he wants it to be.
And you know what else I realized in the process? This is how the kids and I are honoring him. This is how his legacy will live on.
We become the stories we tell ourselves. I’d love to hear your story. Have you done something to make your beloved proud? Or do you know someone who would find this blog helpful? Please share it with them along with my Instagram @sincerelyjulie_joyful_living in which I post daily grief support tips. Also, I personally respond to every message so email me at inquiry@sincerelyjulie.com or you can also comment below.