As I waded through the early weeks with a newborn (a colicky one at that), I often wondered why my baby didn't do what the book said or why I couldn't get anything done. A dear, lifelong friend and mama of three helped me deal with those frustrations in a way I did not expect.

"Lower your expectations," she advised. "The baby is alive and the house is still standing," she joked. Turns out she was right, the way we manage expectations and perceive a situation has all the power in the world to determine our satisfaction (or dissatisfaction) with the circumstances.