About the Author: Dawn Wessman
I am Dawn Lammers Wessman. I live in West Valley City, Utah with an incredibly wonderful husband-still-boyfriend who is my own height. We've had four kiddlettes: Robyn (7) Holly (5) Mikey (3) and Jonny (7 months). I coach cycling, yoga, weight lifting and pilates, and write and speak on the side. I really enjoy motivating people. I love the scriptures. The best part of my life are the people in my home. I have husband I look up to who doesn't criticize me and he makes me laugh. My children's sincerity and personal needs constantly force me to evaluate and change myself, which I love. Their sticky hands, soft baby-silk hair and wet kisses make my heart sing. The hardest thing in my life? Truthfully, I am usually exhausted.
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To Have Sight and No Vision
Having sight but no vision, or living in a world of negativity, cripples the progress of the human soul. And mothering is all about souls. Below is wisdom, inspired by Helen Keller, debunking common myths that hold mothers back from embracing the power of optimism.
Ninja Mom: My Six Favorite Resources at The Power of Moms
Consider the similar skills necessary to be a mother and to be a ninja: focus, balance, strength, patience, flexibility, self-control...comfortable clothing. The Power of Moms provides me with some of the most useful resources to gain the skills I need to negotiate the martial art of mothering.
If You Know Why, You Can Deal With How
Recently, I heard my baby make a muffled cry in his crib. I immediately felt the flood of angry emotion amp up my mind, mouth and muscles. I knew that my two-year-old, Mikey, had crawled into the crib with the baby and covered his face. When I walked in not only was Mikey in the...
Darth Mom
Sometimes the example of my personal character is a little closer to Darth Vader that I'd like to admit. I am learning that progress is not perfection. There is no completely “perfect mom” or wholly bad “Darth Mom.” There is just me--the woman, the mom.
You’re Not Mean, You’re Stressed
I was attending my first Power of Moms Retreat! Would I find answers to the question:Why am I a mean mom and what can I do to stop? The idea hit my mind. The idea was this: I'm not mean. I'm stressed! This discovery has helped changed my life.
Finding Your Own Pose
It's an interesting vantage point, in yoga class, as we all stand on one foot, in a room full of other people standing on one foot. We are all beautiful but, in attempting our own “Mother Pose” we often stand alone. Dawn shares how to find your own unique pose.
The Birthday Party Crucible
Let's hypothetically say there's a mom out there who struggles with patience. She decides to take on a stressful situation to develop MORE patience. Here is the experiment: a tea party themed birthday bash for a group of six-year-olds. And here are the results.
Romance On Purpose
Nine years and four pregnancies after our wedding, I was wondering if red hot romance was something reserved for vampire movies, people who have dated less than a month, or cologne ads. I found out the truth about a year ago. Romance is not an accident.
Who Stole My Cheese?
Two mice are running through a maze. They lace up their sneakers, follow their daily path to the cheese, and eat it up. But, what happens when the cheese has moved?
Going on a Bear Hunt
Deep down I know I am mentally "checking out" and creating the very stress I want to avoid. I found some inspiration in the children's book “Going on a Bear Hunt”. The idea is that in order to complete an adventure, we "can't go over it, can't go under it...gotta go through it!"
Mother Pose
My first experience with a yoga balance (or pose) consisted of me wobbling on one foot inside a quiet room, desperately hoping the other 30 participants in the yoga class wouldn't notice if I toppled over. "Don't fall, don't fall, don't fall," I ordered myself.Thud.
Dropping Out of the Mommy Rat Race
I attended my first yoga class years ago. It was at 4 pm and I was specifically looking at a girl in the front row who could easily touch her toes. And I wasn’t just looking. I was trying to catch up to her. Just then, the instructor said, “Do not compare yourself to your...
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