December 31, 2012

VALUABLE LIFE LESSONS OF 2012!!!

2012 proved to be a very interesting year, or maybe I should say a very stressful year! However, even though we had a few months of total stress, I did not allow the stress to overtake my happiness. As I watched my wonderful husband break down emotionally while working on our bathroom project from hell, I suddenly learned a valuable life lesson. My husband needed me right by his side praising him every step of the way while rebuilding our bathroom. During that nightmare project, I also learned that we can rely on ourselves to make it through difficult situations. 

During this past year, I lost two very special people in my life. A wonderful friend and a sister-in-law made their journey to the other side. What valuable life lesson did I learn from their passing? I learned to never put off till tomorrow what you should do today! If your intuition is telling you to contact someone, you better do it quickly, or that person may be taken from you before you have an opportunity to say good bye.

2012 also brought me the realization that no matter how hard we try to make things right with certain people, and no matter how hard we try to prove our worth to those people, there are still going to be people who won't accept your kindness and generosity. My husband taught me a very valuable life lesson this past year! He told me that no matter how hard I try to be nice and no matter how good of intentions I mean to share with others, there will always be people who look at what I do with negative eyes. This leads to another life lesson which is to accept what we cannot change and move on. As long as I tried to make things right, that is all I can do. I cannot force people to want to associate with me. I can change what I can, but I need to let God take care of the rest. 

These are just a few life lessons I have learned this year. Each day is a learning experience, and it is up to you to recognize the life lesson in everything you choose to do in your lifetime. May you learn valuable life lessons every single day in 2013!!!

December 30, 2012

DON'T EVER LET SOMEONE STEAL YOUR JOY OR YOUR HAPPINESS!!!

On Christmas day, I logged on to this blogger site. My plan was to write about how blessed we are and how we don't need extravagant gifts in order to have a wonderful Christmas holiday. When I logged on to my blogger profile, I noticed that I had a comment waiting for me to approve before publishing. Well, it wasn't a very nice comment, and whoever left the comment did so anonymously, so I have no idea who I offended with my last post. That nasty gram that I read nearly ruined a perfectly wonderful holiday. However, I could not allow this to happen. Why would I allow someone (who was cowardly and who couldn't even leave their real name) have so much power over me that I would allow it to ruin my holiday? 

Do you know what I did? I deleted the comment, and I even deleted the post that it was attached to. I guess some people don't like it when we are honest and we lay it all out there as to why my family has chosen to live our lives alone. Sometimes, it wasn't entirely our choice. Sometimes, we've been told to stay away from the extended family.

Well, enough about that. If the person who left me that comment on November 25 would like to discuss why my post offended them so greatly, I would enjoy sitting down with you and explaining my point of view. However, I will not allow someone whom I don't even know to ruin my happiness and joy! 

August 16, 2012

WHEN SELF-DOUBT CREEPS IN, KICK IT TO THE CURB!!!

Self-doubt has been my Achilles heel for most of my life. Even when I am good at something, I will tell myself that I am not "good enough." Where do you think this self-doubt stems from? It could stem from growing up in a family in which I was never "good enough" and in which I could never do anything right. However, I moved away from my parent's home when I was 19 years old, and only moved back briefly for a short few months while planning my wedding. Why after 20 years do I still struggle with this inner demon?

Perhaps my expectations of myself are too high! Perhaps I compare myself too often with what others accomplish. If I were to step back and take a wide, angle view of everything I have accomplished in life, then I should be darn proud! Sure things are not as I thought they would be! Never in a million years did I ever think that my husband would be diagnosed with cancer at the age of 37. Never did I think that our savings would be completely depleted, and we would be living from paycheck to paycheck. However, what I should be looking at is how we managed to keep the mortgage paid while my husband was sick, and how we managed to keep food on the table so we wouldn't starve. Sure we are in a tremendous amount of debt, but so are a lot of other people. Negative circumstances in which you have no control over can make you have self-doubt! You will start blaming yourself for things that you had no control over! When that happens, kick those feelings of self-doubt to the curb!

It might take my family a long time to dig out from all that debt that we are in; however, I would rather do that with my husband by my side and cancer-free than to have to do it all alone. There will be times in your life when self-doubt will creep in, and it will try to get the better of you. When that happens, kick it to the curb! Take one day at a time, one hour at a time, or one minute at a time! But whatever you do, don't stop trying!

Do you need prayer? Are you facing a struggle or hardship? Join our discussion!

Do you need prayer? Are you facing a struggle or hardship? Join our discussion!

August 13, 2012

RELEASE THE NEGATIVITY, THE STRUGGLES, AND THE HARDSHIPS!

For the past four years, it seems that my family has been facing one struggle or hardship right after the other. We no sooner get through one hurdle, and we are immediately faced with another. It seems like for the last 22 years, since my husband and I met each other, we have been faced with so many different obstacles, and there never seems to be an end in sight. The last four years have been the worse. Let me back track a little bit, and tell you what all we have faced in the last four years. 

First my mother was diagnosed with cancer, and I had to take a leave of absence from my job in order to take her to her radiation and chemotherapy treatments. She even moved in with my family while she was undergoing treatment. Shortly after she moved back to her own house, my back was injured which resulted in me having to give up a job that I truly loved which was working in a juvenile detention center. Due to my back injury, I could no longer participate in physical restraints which was a requirement for the job. This back injury caused me to be out of work for nine months which negatively affected our financial situation. However, in September of 2009, I got an awesome job working in a daycare center. Two months later, my husband was diagnosed with cancer. Six months into this job, I was forced by my manager to quit, because of the time I wanted to take off when my husband was to undergo his major surgery due to the cancer. Then last summer on August 15, I totaled my car. I was very lucky to walk away from that accident; however, once again our finances were affected. The car insurance would not cover the total expense of the car, so my family had to pay six months worth of car payments until our car, which we didn't have any longer, was completely paid off. Then fast forward to this summer, and we are facing remodeling our bathroom which was not in our budget, and extreme financial destruction from the past several years of negative struggles and hardships.

Now, some people will read this and say, "You don't have anything to complain about! You are blessed!" They are right! I am blessed, and there is one thing I am not going to do anymore! What is that one thing? I am not going to complain any longer, and I am refusing to accept negativity into my life any longer! My family has had enough! I am releasing the negativity! I am releasing the struggles! I am releasing the hardships! No longer will I accept this negativity into my life!

If you are facing hard times, struggles, hardships, and negativity; maybe, you need to release these into the Universe. Let them go and do not accept them back as part of your life! Release them and watch your life change!

August 7, 2012

WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN A FAMILY MEMBER BREAKS DOWN???

When your family members start to break down one-by-one, you know that the Universe has dealt you way too much! Have you ever sat back and asked yourself how much a human soul can take? I have! Many times! I have broken down way more than my husband and son, and I have screamed into the sky, "How much more do you want me to take?" It's one thing to break down yourself, but have you ever watched your spouse break down?

If you have been reading my blog, you know that my husband has battled cancer. He literally went through hell. So many people turned their backs on him during the most difficult time in his life. He faced cancer alone other than having myself and our son by his side. Do you know how hard that was for him? I know it was difficult for me to watch and it hurt me tremendously, so I can only imagine the amount of pain he went through.

Now, this bathroom from hell project has my entire family tired, exhausted, and seriously questioning what we have done wrong in order to be dealt more punishment. As my husband was standing in the bathroom (or what's left of it) tonight, he broke down. The tears started flowing out, and they wouldn't stop. 

I was helpless. What could I do to help? The only thing I could do was be there for him and support him through this challenging time. All I can do is give him the love that he so deserves and to be by his side day by day as we tackle one board after another.

When someone you love is at their wits end, be there for them, love them, and give them the support that they need. Sometimes, all a person needs is to know that they are still loved!

July 25, 2012

DON'T GET DISCOURAGED IF PEOPLE ARE UNWILLING TO HELP!!!

Earlier today, I started to become discouraged with people who are unwilling to help my family with our bathroom situation. If you don't follow me on Facebook, our family is facing what I have been calling "The Bathroom Project from Hell". Our initial plan was to rip down the existing tile around the tub, because there were several tiles that were becoming lose and the grout was beginning to crack. We knew the tiles were cracked for a while, but since my husband had been ill for the past 2 1/2 years, he did not have the energy to fix it, and we did not have the money to take on a project of replacing tiles. However, a few weeks ago, my husband noticed that the floor at the corner of the tub was starting to get a little squishy when he stepped on it, so we discussed the matter, and we decided that we could change the tile with a tub surround in one weekend. However, our little project just couldn't be that simple! What should have been a weekend project has turned into a three week nightmare that is nowhere near being fixed!

What we didn't realize that since the tiles were cracked, water was running down behind the wall and was rotting the wood under the tub! As my husband began to rip and tear, he discovered that we had water damage and completely rotted floors through all three layers of flooring. My husband ripped out two layers of rotted flooring with his bare hands! So now, instead of just replacing tile with a tub surround, we have to replace three layers of flooring and our bathtub (because the only way we could get it out to find out how much damage we had underneath was to take a sledgehammer to it). 

To make matters worse, we had no budget for this magnitude of a project. My husband had a little bit of credit left on his hardware store credit card in order to buy the tub surround, but we had no extra money to do all these other projects that CANNOT be ignored. What were we going to do?!?!

The solution I came up with was I was going to sell some personal items that I have had sitting around the house collecting dust for the last two years. These items are mostly all brand new items still in their boxes. I had gone out a few years ago, and I bought gifts for people, such as family members and friends, and I boxed them up to have them handy in time for Christmas, birthdays, and other holidays. However, when a lot of our family members and friends stopped associating with us, I stopped giving them gifts. So, I decided that I could sell these gifts in order to raise money for our bathroom situation. 

At first, I started off really well. People were contacting me asking me for shipping costs, and I sold a few items. However, as the week passed, no one is contacting me about the merchandise. Today I was a little discouraged, but then I thought to myself, "Would you help to fund someone's bathroom renovation?" 

And the thought came to my mind, "No," 

Then the voice in my head said, "Then why should you expect someone else to fund yours?" 

"Well," I said, "My situation is different. My family is dead broke, and every penny I earn from selling my belongings will be used toward the expense of fixing my bathroom." 

That voice inside my head said, "How do you expect other people to believe you?" 

Well, I said, "I'm honest." 

My inner voice said, "But these people you are asking to buy your things do not know you. They are probably thinking the same thing you would be thinking, 'Yeah, right, I'm not funding your bathroom renovation!' This is exactly what you would think, and this is what they are probably thinking. It's not their responsibility to help you with your issues. It's your responsibility." 

However, I had to argue with that inner voice, "But I'm not begging people for money! I'm providing a product for money. I'm not giving them nothing for their money! Plus, our bathroom situation is a dire situation that cannot be ignored! Someone could have gotten severely hurt by falling through the floor." 

That inner voice said one last time, "But it's not anyone else's problem. It's yours."

I suddenly realized that inner voice was right. It is my problem, and I should not get discouraged if people do not want to help out my family by buying our things. If I were them, I probably wouldn't believe me either. I probably wouldn't be willing to spend money on helping anyone renovate their bathroom. I just have to deal with our massive amounts of debt which include medical bills, student loans, and other debts that have accumulated since my husband was ill. I'm not the only one facing these types of issues. If we have to, we can learn to live without a bathroom. Lots of other people do it every day. I am extremely grateful for the people who have helped my family, and I hope they do realize that every penny I earn will be used toward either a new bathtub or new flooring. Their money was not spent in vain. 

If you are going through a trying time right now, maybe you are facing some of the same financial issues my family is facing, don't get discouraged if people are not willing to help you. Just try to figure out more ways of helping yourself. Like the old saying goes, "What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger!" Keep strong, and keep taking one day at a time, but don't be discouraged if the help is lacking. God Bless! 

July 21, 2012

DON'T FOCUS SO MUCH ON WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK!!!

When I woke up this morning, the thought that was running through my mind was, "I wonder what my friends and family members think of me for nearly begging total strangers for help on my Inspirational page by asking them to buy my belongings?" I immediately thought, "They must think that I am a total loser!" Then I thought, "You know what! It doesn't matter what they think, because they are not living my life! They are NOT facing the struggles that my family is now facing, so truly it's none of their business; especially if they do not want to help my family!" Don't live your life focused on what other people think! If you do that, you will never succeed at anything in life!

The fact of the matter is this: I am not begging any of my family or friends for any kind of help. They know what we are facing, and they can either ignore what my family is facing or they can offer to help. Most are ignoring our situation which is 100% alright. Let's face it! People have their own struggles, their own worries, and their own lives to live, so I cannot sit around expecting family or friends to give up their valuable time or money to help me! I have to take the bull by the horns and I need to do what I can for my family. In this case, it means parting with some belongings that have been sitting around my house collecting dust. Not only am I clearing out my house and funding my "Bathroom Project from Hell" I am also offering items to people that they may cherish or may give to a loved one as a gift. It's a win-win situation!

Don't stop from doing something just because you may be afraid of what other people may think. Not everyone is going to agree with what you do. However, they are not the ones living your life. Only you know what is right for you. If I can help my family by selling a few resin figures, then, by golly, I am going to do it. I cannot focus on what other people think!

June 3, 2012

WHEN WILL YOU CHOOSE TO BE HAPPY?

I CHALLENGE YOU TO BE HAPPY 

NOW!!!

For the majority of my life, I was never happy. I was constantly searching for happiness. I was always telling people, "I will be happy when I get a new car." "I will be happy when I get a bigger house." "I will be happy when I get these bills paid off." I will be happy when never seemed to come true even after I got the new car, the bigger house, and the bills got paid off. What I never realized is that I could be happy NOW on the journey to getting the new car, the bigger house, and the bills paid off.

Do you know what happens when you can't get happy for what you have been blessed with? Slowly, those blessings will be stripped away from you. Sometimes, God will knock us on our bottoms to make us realize how blessed we really are. When I couldn't get happy when I was blessed with many wonderful materialistic objects, then things started to happen that turned my life upside down.

My family had no debt other than the mortgage, our monthly utility bills, and our student loans. All our other debts had been paid off, and we had a nice little nest egg saved for our future. However, since I was not happy, do you have any idea what happened? My husband was diagnosed with cancer, and our world was turned upside down. That little nest egg quickly disappeared, and our debt went from zero to so incredible that it will take us 25 years to get it all paid off.

When having my husband nearly dying didn't seem to set me on the right track to happiness, then another tragic event took place. That nice, brand new black Dodge Charger that I loved so much was taken away from me. Yep! On a back road on my way home from work while it was raining, that car decided to have a mind of it's own, and I ended up totaling it in the matter of 30 seconds. It was an accident that I should have never walked away from, but as that car began to roll over and over, the only thought that went through my mind was, "Oh GOD! I do not want to die! I do not want to leave my family yet!" Do you know what, the car was taken from me, but my life was spared! Thank you, GOD!

Something that day happened on the inside of me. Something changed! I suddenly realized that it does not take material objects to make us happy. We can be happy and grateful for what we have already been blessed with. I always wondered why some of the poorest people I knew were so happy. It's because they already knew this little secret. Our circumstances do not hold the key to our happiness! The key to happiness lies within ourselves! Be grateful for what you have been blessed with already, but be more grateful for the people who are special in your life! I challenge you to be happy NOW regardless of your circumstances!

CONCERN YOURSELF LESS WITH THOSE WHO ARE NOT CONCERNED ABOUT YOU!!!

CARE FOR THOSE WHO CARE ABOUT YOU AND DON'T WAIT TILL TOMORROW!

TOMORROW MIGHT BE TOO LATE!

Since Easter, I have been very down and concerning myself with people who never concern themselves with me. My thoughts were consumed in gloom and doom, and I was truly feeling sorry for myself. I was wasting so much of my precious time thinking about people who never think about me. Do you know what happened? I took away precious time from people who truly did care about me, and in the process, I lost a near and dear friend without having the chance to say good bye.

In the past 39 years of my life, I have been obsessed with the people who reject me. I have been engrossed in trying to figure out why these people don't want to be my friend and a part of my life. I put those people who truly do care about me on hold while I was lost in my own mind trying to make things clear. Well, today, the day after I lost one of my dearest friends, things are clear. All those people who rejected me do not matter! If they do not want me in their lives, I cannot force them to accept me, and I shouldn't even waste my time trying. However, those people who were there for me and my family during our darkest days are valuable gems, and I lost a precious diamond yesterday.

I knew something wasn't right. I saw the writing on the wall, but I ignored it. Just a few days ago, I thought to myself, I need to get in touch with my friend, but I let the thought go. I thought, "I'll do that tomorrow." Tomorrow came and it was too late! My friend was gone, and I never had the chance to say good bye. 

Don't waste your precious time and don't concern yourself with people who are unwilling to concern themselves with you! Move on and focus on those who truly care about you! Don't rob yourself of valuable time with those who mean the most! Let go of those who reject you and make room for those who love you!

May 20, 2012

DECIDE TO CRAWL OUT OF THAT DARK HOLE OF DEPRESSION YOU HAVE YOURSELF IN!!!

Since Easter, I have had myself in a deep, dark hole of depression. It really started the weekend after Easter when my family found out that we had not been invited to my husband's cousin's wedding, but everyone else in the family had been invited and had attended. The wedding my family was to know nothing about became plastered all over Facebook for everyone to see. By the looks on everyone's faces a good time was had by all. However, my husband had a different look on his face; a look of hurt and pain. This is when my depression kicked in. I started to blame myself once again for my husband being excluded from family functions. Because his family does not like me, they will not invite my husband to any family functions. They do not want to be around me, so my husband gets left out. This pains me to my very core of existence. The following thought has been going through my mind for a month now, "The only way my husband will be able to have a relationship with his family is if I am gone."

I'm not exactly sure why I have trouble with these reoccurring thoughts. However, each time I decide to drag myself up out of that hole of depression God sends me the same message, "You are not the problem! Didn't you learn the lesson I was trying to teach you when I asked you to plan that Easter dinner? What is it going to take to get you to see the lesson that I want and need you to learn? If you were the problem, you would have never followed my instructions to plan and host that Easter dinner! You proved to yourself and to your husband's family that you are NOT the one keeping them away from each other! They are keeping themselves away from each other, but they blame you."

Isn't it funny what you learn when you turn on the light, when you crawl out of that dark cave, and you get quiet and listen to that little inner voice that resides from within. I already knew this, but I took those words down into the caverns of despair, and I buried them there and forgot them for a while. I'm not sure why it matters to me so much that my husband's family does not like me. I don't think I really care that they dislike me, I just don't like how they don't treat my husband as part of the family. I guess it stems from being an outcast in my own family, and I don't want my husband to go through what I have been though. Family is so important; however, I cannot force them to accept us.

Whatever you may be facing, whatever has you in that hole of depression, face it head on and don't keep yourself hidden for too long. God made you who you are for a purpose, and if you are unwilling to crawl out of that hole, you are wasting God's talents that he blessed you with. Take one step at a time, one minute at a time, one day at a time, and crawl out of that dark hole you may have yourself in!

May 10, 2012

GET OUT OF YOUR OWN WAY AND BECOME YOUR OWN BEST FRIEND!!!

How do you treat yourself on a daily basis? How do you feel about yourself? Do you look in the mirror and say, "Wow! Look at that amazing person!" or do you put yourself down and beat up on yourself? Do you find life hard and do you struggle trying to find happiness? You might be getting in the way of yourself! Step out of your way, and become your own best friend!

I have to admit that I used to be my own worst enemy. If an enemy came against me, I would magnify and multiply any negative thing they may have said to me. I would think about their words over and over again, and then I would agree with the lies even though those nasty words were not true. I would get myself into deep, dark depressions for very long periods of time. I would make those around me miserable because of my doldrums. I was constantly searching for happiness through meaningless objects, and what I didn't even realize is that the "what" might make you happy for a little while; however, the "who" can help you to find that happiness that already resides within you.

I had to learn to like myself, because other people are not going to like me if I can't stand me. I had to realize that those nasty, rude words that other people were saying to me were only a reflection of the inner soul of the person who was saying them. I had to realize that I am a child of God! I had to understand that I DO have a purpose in life! I had to cherish the life that God gave me. I had to become grateful for what He had already given me. I had to finally accept myself for who God made me to be! I had to get out of that negative thinking pattern, and I had to transform my mind. In essence, I had to get out of my own way, and I had to become the best friend that I always wanted to have, and I had to learn to become my own best friend! 

May 8, 2012

STOP LIVING IN THE PAST!!!

How much of your time do you waste thinking about time long gone? Do you let your thoughts of yesterday ruin your today? I know in the last month I have been living more in the past than in the present. I was allowing those thoughts to overtake my emotions, and I have not been a very pleasant person to be around. I was letting those old, negative thought patterns to rule over my life once again. I have to get out of the past and cherish each of my days in the NOW! 

In the past, I have had issues with such things as inferiority complex...a thing I like to call "the not 'good enough' syndrome" as well as low self-esteem, and self-doubt. I truly have been my own worst enemy. I would beat up on myself long after my enemies ripped me apart emotionally. I would just add my own self-inflicted injury to their insults. And this is what I started doing again in this last month that I have not been writing my blog. 

I was taking people's rejection of me way too personally. Instead of accepting that some people will never be my friend no matter what good I try to do, I was trying to think of ways to sabotage my own life just to make people I very rarely see happy. I was allowing the feelings of a few outweigh the needs of my own immediate family. I had to put myself in the shoes of my husband and son, and I had to take a walk in their shoes. I had to change my perspective, and I had to start listening to the words my husband has been telling me for years. The only people who matter are the three people who reside in our home: my husband, my son, and myself! No outside forces shall come against us, and I would be a complete idiot to allow any outside forces to ruin what took us 22 years to build. 

It's time for me to get out of the past and to live in the present! It is time for me to LOVE each day and cherish the two people I LOVE and who LOVE me the most in the world! 

May 4, 2012

HOW DO YOU GET OVER HURTFUL WORDS???

I am hoping to get a little interaction with the question I just posted. This is a question that I have been trying to figure out for quite a few years now. In the past several years, I have had many people bring personal attacks against me, and during those attacks they have screamed some very vicious words at me. My question to you is: How do you get over hurtful words?

The words which have hurt me worst are:

"She's an illegitimate bastard, and you should have gotten an abortion!" (Words my sister told my mother about me.)

"Who is the father of your child?" (A question that was asked of me by four different people after the birth of my and my husband's son. Seems a member of the family spread a nasty rumor that my husband was not the father of our son. A VICIOUS, HORRIBLE LIE!!!) How do I get over that?

"You are a big pile of shit and everybody in my family hates you!" How do I get over those words.

and most recently:

"You are the problem! You keep your husband away from his family!" Another statement that is NOT true, but how do I get over these hurtful words!

It's easy to say "Let them go!" or "They are only words!" Truly it is easier said than done! Those people who say to get over it never have lived a day in my life. They have never walked a mile in my shoes. They have no idea how I internalize everything that is said to me, and I end up taking things extremely personally. 

All I know is I have been trying to get over some of these words for many years, but I still have not mastered this skill. So, I ask you, my online friends, how do I get over these hurtful words???

April 5, 2012

DO YOU WANT TO BE HAPPY?

THEN BE HAPPY! 

IT'S A PERSONAL CHOICE!

Are you traveling through life trying to find happiness? Did you ever realize that being happy is a personal decision one must make? For many years of my own life, I was searching for happiness. No matter what I did, no matter what I accomplished, no matter what I gained in material objects, I still could not find happiness. I poured my soul into religion and self-help books, but I still could not figure out how to be happy. Then one day, it hit me! Happiness is a personal choice that each person needs to make on his or her own! If you want to be happy you just need to simply be happy! It's as easy as that! Our circumstances are not what should determine our happiness. We need to just be happy regardless of what difficulties we may be facing. If you want to be happy, then decide to be happy!

April 4, 2012

DON'T WISH YOUR LIFE AWAY!

ENJOY TODAY!

Do you find yourself constantly saying, "I can't wait till tomorrow!" or "I can't wait till we get to go on vacation next month!" or "I will be happy when this party next week is over then things will finally get back to normal!" What you are doing is wishing your life away. Instead of enjoying today, you are anticipating tomorrow which may never get here, or by the time it does, the plans you originally had may turn out totally different. 

I found myself doing this very thing this week. I was wishing for certain things to be over, and it was robbing me of the joy that I should have been feeling in the here and now! Don't get so caught up in tomorrow that you forget to enjoy today!

April 3, 2012

YOU CAN ONLY FEEL INFERIOR IF YOU ALLOW YOURSELF TO FEEL THAT WAY!

Feeling inferior is exactly that "A feeling!" Guess what we can do with our feelings? Yes, we can change them! If you are feeling inferior, you are only feeling this way, because you are allowing yourself to feel that way! You might be thinking, "Well, you don't understand, because my family or my spouses family won't accept me." Well, friend, I can tell you that I totally understand how you feel, but you are the one allowing yourself to feel that way! Instead of feeling inferior or self-pity, look at the situation as their loss. If someone doesn't want to be your friend, they are the ones missing out. There is a big world out there with lots of people in it who would love to be your friend! Focus less on those who won't accept you and focus more on those who care about you. Don't allow yourself to feel inferior because of a few people. Move on!

April 2, 2012

LIVE AND LEARN!

Sometimes, we falter when we make decisions in life. There are times when we plan something that we think is the right thing to do then we later find out that we probably should have made a totally different decision. When this happens, chalk it up as a life lesson and learn from it. Everything we go through in life can be a valuable learning experience. I am going through this very thing! Now, I know that the plans I made, I will never make again! Live and learn!

April 1, 2012

DON'T BE A FOOL!

Do you pretend to be someone you are not just to fit into the group? Do you pretend to like things that you normally would never like just so some people will like you? I used to want to be accepted by so many different people, and I would act a different way to try to get them to accept me. However, what I was doing was being a fool! 

Don't make the same mistakes that I made! I was a nerd growing up and while in high school. I was the good girl who got good grades, and I would NEVER bend a rule! Over the years, I got labeled as "goody two shoes." I was the girl who always got picked last, and even in my own family, I was sort of an outcast. So, when it came to me being accepted into different social groups once I graduated from high school, I sometimes pretended to be someone I was not just so people would like me. That is foolish!

I am fine just as I am!!! Never again will I play the fool!

March 31, 2012

YOU ARE AWESOME!

How do you feel about yourself? Do you unconditionally love yourself like God does, or do you condemn yourself on a daily basis? It takes some people a very long time to accept themselves for who they are. I used to be one of those people! I can honestly say that I used to be my own worst enemy. I had this recording in my mind that I would play over and over every single day of my life. That recording went something like this: "You're not good enough!" "You're not pretty enough!" "You're too fat!" "You will never amount to anything!" "You should have never married your husband, his family hates you, and he could have done a lot better!" "Your husband would be better off without you in his life!"

Imagine trying to live a happy life with these self-abusing thoughts running through your mind daily. It's not possible! I was miserable every day! I was unhappy, and I seriously didn't care who I let know that I was unhappy and miserable! I used to be one of those people who had to "tell it like it is!" However, most of time I was wrong. What I had to do was learn to accept myself and learn to love myself! Once I learned how to do that, my life changed in miraculous ways! Learn to accept yourself, because you are awesome!

March 30, 2012

LIFE ISN'T ABOUT DRAMA!

Do you know someone who is constantly fighting some sort of battle either personally or actually with another person? Do you know someone who is constantly gossiping about other people? Did you realize that if this person is talking about someone else to you, they are probably talking about you to someone else? These types of people always have to have some kind of chaos or drama surrounding them. Life isn't about drama!

I know what I am talking about, because I used to be one of these people. I was constantly getting sucked in to other people's drama filled lives. Do you know what happened to me time and time again? I became other people's scapegoat. Whatever I would say, those people would run to the people they were downing in front of me, and they would tell them every little thing I had said about them. Plus, most of the time, they would add things to what I had supposedly said. However, they would twist my words to make themselves look good, and they would make me look like an evil bitch from hell. Many relationships got ruined from me being involved with this type of drama. 

However, I did not want to live that way, so I had to walk away from the people who were constantly making me look bad. I had to turn my back, and I had walk away from some (what I thought were) close friendships. However, the only closeness was on my side, because those other people did not care about me at all! If they did, they would have never lied about me, and they would have never gotten me involved in needless drama! Life is not about drama, so don't get too caught up in it!

March 29, 2012

EXTEND A WARM SMILE TO A STRANGER!

When you are out in public, what do you do when you pass by people? Do you put your head down and act like you and they are not there, or do you offer them a nice, warm, pleasant smile? Yesterday, everywhere I went, people were looking at me and it was like they were saying to me without saying a word that they needed a friendly smile. I gave every person I passed by a nice, friendly smile. Extend a warm smile to a stranger, it may be the only thing that brightens their day!

March 28, 2012

DON'T BE AFRAID TO START OVER!

Starting over is a part of life that many of us have to face. We can either meet that challenge head on or we can run from it and cower from it. I encourage you not to be afraid to start over if that is what you need to do in your life. 

As you can see, I got behind on my blog. Very far behind! This happened to me a few times last year. I have two options: I can forget about my blog and never write it again, or I can pick up where I left off and continue to send inspiring messages all over the globe. I choose the later decision. 

When life gets you down, and you don't know what to do, start over! Don't be afraid to start again!

March 27, 2012

LIFE IS TRULY AMAZING!!!

If you know me well, you know that Aerosmith is my all time favorite band! Out of all of Aerosmith's songs two speak to me more than any; Dream On and Amazing. I posted the video for Amazing above, but I have to say that I am not a huge fan of this video. I don't think it gives the lyrics justice. However, if you can look past the video and listen to the lyrics, then you will find out how so many people fall flat on their faces sometime in their lives, but they keep moving forward. There was a time in my own life when my wings were broken, and you cannot fly with broken wings. Just like the song says; "Life's a journey not a destination!" Live your life with no regrets. Each mistake we make is a stepping stone to lead us to become a better person. Life truly is AMAZING!!! 

March 26, 2012

YOUR HAPPINESS IS YOUR OWN RESPONSIBILITY!!!

Have you ever heard people make comments like this: "I will be happy when......" You can fill in the "when" with just about anything. When I find a boyfriend/girlfriend; when I get married; when I get a luxury car; when I get a bigger house, etc. One thing that really bothers me is when people say, "I can't wait to find someone who will make me happy." That statement makes me cringe! No person can EVER make you happy! They may add happiness to your life, but ultimately, YOU are responsible for your OWN happiness! Never put that kind of responsibility on another person! Only you can make you happy!

March 25, 2012

SOMETIMES YOU ARE NOT THE PROBLEM!

SOMETIMES THE PROBLEM LIES WITH SOMEONE ELSE!

Have you ever had people come against you for no apparent reason other than being yourself? Have you ever had people make rude comments to you, such as "You're crazy" or "You need help." If this has happened to you, do you find it ironic that the people who usually make these comments don't even know you. When this happens, don't get too caught up in these negative comments. There are times in our lives when we are not the problem. The problem lies with the person who is making those rude comments. 

March 24, 2012

SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO LET THINGS ALONE AND SAY 

"IT IS WHAT IT IS!!!"

Do you try to control every aspect of every little thing you may be planning? Do you have a set plan within your mind of how things should be? Well, my friend, you may be wasting valuable time by trying to have everything go your way. I know from experience that things usually do not go like we plan, so sometimes it is better to take your hands off of things and let it go. Sometimes we have to say, "It is what it is," and let things fall into place on their own. This is what I am doing with something I have planned. I am letting it alone, and I am saying, "It is what it is!" I am letting it go! 

March 23, 2012

TAKE A BREAK!!!

I feel like I just blogged about this topic, and I apologize if I did, but I had to take a break yesterday that is why I didn't post this till now. Sometimes we get so caught up in every day life that we just don't want to deal with any extra curricular activities, and this is how I felt yesterday when this blog should have been posted. Sometimes, people who try to inspire others have down days, and sometimes we could use an extra pick-me-up. Yesterday I needed a break from my blog, and I encourage you that whenever life starts to get too stressful just take a break!

March 22, 2012

SOMETIMES YOU JUST NEED TO GET A LITTLE EXTRA SLEEP!!!

When you are tired, do you go to bed early or do you fight your sleep and stay awake till the normal time you go to bed? Sometimes when we are exhausted, our bodies are telling us that we need to get a little extra sleep. Tonight as I am sitting here typing this, my eyes keep closing on their own. I think my body is trying to tell me to go to bed, so that is why I am going to call it a night. Sometimes, you just need to get a little extra sleep. Good Night!

March 21, 2012

HAPPY SPRING!!!

Today is the first day of Spring! With Spring comes beautiful butterflies, and in honor of the first day of Spring, I am going to post some pictures of butterflies. To me, butterflies represent change! Like a butterfly, people enter a dark cocoon stage where we seem lost and alone, but during that time, we are growing into a new creature. When we emerge, we are transformed into a new being and then we spread our wings and fly! Happy Spring, Everyone!