February 29, 2012

CHERISH THOSE WHO MEAN THE MOST TO YOU!!!

Do you cherish the people who mean the most to you? Have you told these people how you feel about them? We should tell our loved ones how much we love them every single day! We never know when those we love will be taken away from us. Life is so uncertain, and we have no idea if we will be here tomorrow to enjoy the people we love. Learn to cherish those who mean the most to you!!!

February 28, 2012

DON'T ALLOW ANYONE TO SAY THE FOLLOWING WORDS TO YOU: "YOU CAN'T DO IT"....

All my life I have been listening to negative naysayers! The biggest naysayer in my life has been my mother. Ever since I was a little girl, she has constantly told me what I "can't" do in my life. For years I have been listening to her, and I have finally decided that it is time I start telling myself what I "CAN" do!!! Just because one person thinks that I "can't" do something doesn't mean that I can't try. Don't listen to those people who tell you that you "can't"!!! Prove to them that you CAN!!!

February 27, 2012

DON'T LET YOUR NERVES GET THE BETTER OF YOU!!!

Do you let your nerves bring you down? Do you worry about things that will probably work their way out on their own? If you are like me, I usually stress and get bad nerves over things that I need not worry about. For instance, a few weeks ago I started a new job, and with new jobs come new responsibility. When I have to learn new things, my nerves get bad. Today I was worried about having to make changes to my paperwork that I submitted over the weekend. I had prepared myself to be stuck at the office for hours tonight; however, it only took me about 30 minutes to make my necessary changes. I had my nerves all worked up for no reason. Another area I have had my nerves worked up is planning an Easter dinner celebration for my family. I have been worried whether or not we will have enough stuff for the party from plates, cups, forks, spoons, and food. I have also been worried because some people have not yet signed up to bring a covered dish. However, I am allowing my nerves to get the better of me. Sometimes, we need to relax and not allow our nerves to get the better of us!

February 26, 2012

IF YOU ARE WAITING FOR KARMA TO KICK YOUR ENEMY'S BUTT, THEN YOU ARE INVITING KARMA TO KICK YOUR OWN BUTT!

Lately on Facebook, I have been noticing some pretty harsh messages about karma. One message in particular comes to mind, and that message said, "Dear Karma, I have a list of people you forgot." Now, some people will probably laugh at that statement; however, it did not settle well with me. I sat back, and I realized how these people who were posting this message were, in essence, inviting karma to come and negatively affect their own lives. When we wish harm or ill-will to another person, we will get harm and ill-will in our own lives. We get back in life exactly what we send out. If we are thinking negative thoughts and wishing bad things on other people, that is exactly what we should expect in our own lives. We should be wishing everyone best wishes including our enemies. This is what Jesus was talking about when he said that we should pray for our enemies. We get in life what we give, so don't fall into the habit of wishing karma to kick someone else's butt, because karma may come and kick your own butt!

February 25, 2012

CHANGE YOUR THOUGHTS AND YOU CHANGE YOUR WORLD!!!

Have you been replaying the same thoughts in your mind for a very long time? Do your thoughts bring you down or make you depressed? Are you constantly thinking 24 hours a day seven days a week? Sometimes, our mind can cause us to think up issues that are not even real. There may come a time in our life when we have to discipline our thoughts. We have to learn that we are the ones who are in control of our thoughts. Our thoughts should never control who we are. Once we learn how to change our thoughts, we can then change our world in more positive and wonderful ways!

February 24, 2012

THINK BEFORE YOU RESPOND!!!

Do you blurt out whatever first comes to your mind before thoroughly thinking through what you are about to say? This is how I used to be in the past, and this type of behavior has gotten me into a lot of trouble over the years. I used to think that it was best to "Tell it how it is" no matter if I hurt people's feelings or not. I have struggled with this for many years, and I finally began to learn last year to think about what I was about to say.  In the past year, my body has started to give me signals of whether I should speak or keep my mouth shut. If I am about to say something that is negative, the hairs on my head start to prickle and stand up. I know then that it is better for me to remain quiet. Sometimes, it is better to just remain quiet. You do not have to blurt out whatever first comes to mind. Take a few minutes to think before you respond! 

February 23, 2012

DON'T BE AFRAID TO STAND ON YOUR OWN TWO FEET!!!

When my husband was ill, many people confused my independence with a bad attitude or excuse my language, bitchiness. One family member told me that no one was willing to help my husband, son, and I because of my bad attitude. This person who made the comment hadn't spoken to me in years, so they no longer even know who I am. I am not sure why they still feel they know me, or why they feel they have a right to judge me. Then something dawned on me! Just because I do not ask people for help does not mean that I have a bad attitude! It does not mean I am a bitch! What it means is that I am willing to stand on my own two feet and do what needs to be done in my life even if I have to do it alone and by myself! If we are constantly asking others to prop us up, we will never learn to stand on our own two feet. Don't be afraid to stand on your own two feet! You will become stronger as soon as you learn how to stand tall on your own!

February 22, 2012

ONCE YOU ACCEPT YOURSELF, BEING INCLUDED INTO CERTAIN SOCIAL GROUPS NO LONGER HOLDS MUCH IMPORTANCE!!!

Not everyone we meet is going to like us and some will never accept us no matter what good we try to do for them or others. All my life I remember struggling with a very low self-esteem, so I put way too much emphasis on trying to "fit in" to certain social groups including my own family. As I have grown spiritually in the last two years, I have finally learned to accept myself just as I am. It's ok if other people do not like me. The only thing that matters is if I accept myself. The way I feel about myself is the only thing that matters. What others think is not relevant. Once you accept yourself, you no longer try so hard to "fit in" to certain social groups. You should never have to keep trying to prove who you are to others. They should be willing to accept you like you accept yourself!

February 21, 2012

DON'T STRESS ABOUT NEW ADVENTURES!!!

Do you get stressed out when you start new endeavors in your life? Do you find yourself excessively worrying about starting new adventures in your life? This is usually how I feel when I start new jobs, and this is how I have been feeling for the past few days. Yesterday I started a new job, and I had myself so worked up and worried about the paperwork aspect of my job that I was awake all last night thinking about it. Today when I wrote my first note for my paperwork, my supervisor told me that I was doing a really great job. I was needlessly worrying about my paperwork when my supervisor was more than willing to walk me through it step by step. Don't be like me! Don't stress about the new adventures in your life! Take one day at a time!

February 20, 2012

SMILE!!!

Do you know how to change your mood if you are having a bad day? The most simple thing you can do is smile! I am sure you have heard the saying, "Turn your frown upside down." There is truth behind that statement. If you are feeling lousy, just start smiling, and you will soon feel your emotions become lighter. You might think that you don't have anything to smile about. I challenge you to find at least one thing to smile about every day. We all have blessings, so I am sure you have a least one thing to smile about. You are breathing, you are reading this message, so that means you own a computer or are blessed with being able to use one at a local library or a friend's computer. Look for one positive thing to smile about every day, and soon you will be smiling on a regular basis. Smile!!!

February 19, 2012

ENJOY EACH OF YOUR DAYS!!!

Life is too precious to be anything but happy, so enjoy every one of your days! Life passes us by way too quickly, so do not waste your time by harboring ill feelings in your heart, such as hate, resentment, and animosity. Each day is a gift from God, so we must treasure each day as the blessing that it is. Live each day to its fullest and always smile. Enjoy each of your days, because once it is gone you can never get it back!

February 18, 2012

DON'T LET ANYONE DISCOURAGE YOU FROM YOUR DREAMS!!!

For some reason, I don't believe my mother wants me to work outside the home. Every time I get a full-time job she does something to try to mess things up for me. It usually starts with having to take frequent trips to our local emergency room. This evening while at her home, she made a comment about where I will be working with my new full-time job. She stated how far away from my home this job is located. My new job is only 15 miles away from my home! This is five miles closer to my house than the last full-time job I had, and my other job was located on the top of a mountain. I have no idea why she is so concerned with where I work and how far away it is. I am a grown woman of 39 years of age, and I do not believe that I still need my mother's approval with everything I do in my life. 

My mother has been a constant negative force in my life. She discouraged me from attending college right after high school, and she was infuriated when I decided to go back to college when I was 35 years old. She told my cousin that I was too old and that I was ridiculous. Now, that I found a job that I can use my college education to better my life, she is still finding fault with the decisions I make. The fact of the matter is she does not pay my family's bills, and we have thousands of dollars worth of debt that needs to be paid, so I need to work outside the home. 

If you have a negative force in your own life, do not allow this person to control your well-being. Do not allow this person to sabotage your dreams! If they are not willing to help you to better your life, and if you are willing to better your life on your own, DO NOT allow their negative words to discourage you from reaching your goals and dreams! Go after your dreams and do what is right for you!

February 17, 2012

TAKE RISKS TO BETTER YOUR LIFE EVEN IF YOU HAVE TO DO IT AFRAID!!!

How many golden opportunities do you pass by, because you fear that you may fail? I am not sure if you realize this or not, but everything we do is a risk. Getting behind the wheel of your car everyday to drive to your present job is a risk. Walking across the street is a risk. We take many risks every single day! If you are facing a crucial decision in order to better your life, and if you are not sure what to do, I say better your life even if it means you have to do it afraid. 

Joyce Meyer has always been an inspiration to me! In many of her books, she teaches to "Do it afraid!" Don't just sit there and let life pass you by! Do it even if it means that you are frightened while starting to reach that new goal. 

Recently I started a new job, and today ended my two weeks of training. Monday morning I will start shadowing my supervisor then I will be on my own. Am I apprehensive about this new position? Absolutely! There is a tremendous amount of paperwork involved, so I am afraid that I might not understand it all. However, I am not going to let that apprehension stop me! I am going to do it afraid! Be willing to take that risk in order to better your life, and do it afraid if need be!!!

February 16, 2012

BE HAPPY NOW WHILE YOU ARE WORKING TOWARD YOUR DREAMS!!!

Have you ever heard people making the following comment, "I will be happy when......" I used to do this in my own life. I would finally be happy when I got a new car. I would finally be happy when we got a bigger house on a bigger piece of property. I would finally be happy when I got a new painting. I would be happy when I got a new angel for my angel collection. I would be happy when I finally earned my college degree. What I was doing was looking for happiness in material objects which was definitely not the place to be looking for happiness. I was waiting on happiness until I reached a dream oriented goal or until I obtained a materialistic item. What I didn't realize is that I could be happy while striving toward my goals.

A person's happiness is one's own responsibility, and it has nothing to do with the outside world. Even if we are facing struggles in our life, we can still be happy. Happiness is an inside job, so it is up to us whether to be happy, sad, mad, depressed, etc. It is a choice. So, why not choose to be happy while you are working toward your dreams! 

February 15, 2012

REPLACE THE WORD "LUCKY" WITH THE WORD "BLESSED"!!!

Last night I wrote on Facebook that I had a wonderful evening with the two men I love the most; my husband and my son! Today when I got home from work, I found the following message from one of my Facebook friends: "You must be very lucky." I thought about that phrase, and for some reason it did not sit well with me. So when I replied, I said, "I would not use the word "lucky". I would use the word "blessed." Luck is based on chance. Blessings are what we are grateful for in our lives, and I am grateful for my husband and son. From now on, I will be replacing the word "lucky" with the word "blessed!"

February 14, 2012

LOVE EVERYONE!!!

Today is Valentine's Day, so what better message to share than that of love! Love everyone in your life even if they do not deserve it. When you replace animosity and resentment with love, this act softens your heart. You then become a more caring individual. Those quirks of others no longer bother you. Even if people make you angry, love them anyway. Love is the greatest commandment. Jesus said to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind. He also said to love your neighbor. Love everyone! God is Love!!!

February 13, 2012

FORGIVE, LET GO, AND MOVE ON!!!

Has anyone ever hurt you so badly that it took you a very long time to forgive them and to move on? There have been people in my own life who were very close to me who ended up hurting me deeply. Since I was close to these people, there were some wounds which took years to heal. I didn't just forgive these people overnight; however, I did have to forgive them in order to move on with my own happiness.

How did I forgive? I had to let go! I had to let go of the words that stabbed me through my heart. I had to let go of the person's ignorance who didn't know any better than to hurt others. Once I was able to let go of the hurt, I could then forgive those people who hurt me, and then I could move on with my wonderful life!

  

February 12, 2012

FREE YOUR MIND AND STOP OVER-THINKING!!!

Were you aware that we can create our own issues in life by simply over-thinking situations? Over-thinking has gotten me into a tremendous amount of trouble in the past! There was a time in my life when my mind was so busy and so jumbled that there wasn't much room in there for anything besides drama. Throughout the last several years, I have learned that my mind does not have to be so cluttered. We can stop over-thinking by being present in our daily lives. When we are present in the NOW, our minds no longer wander off on their own creating circumstances that are not real. Free your mind, and stop over-thinking! Your life might become a lot less complicated!

February 11, 2012

SOMETIMES WE NEED TO LOWER OUR EXPECTATIONS IN ORDER TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT!!!

Do you hold expectations that you feel others should meet? Do you expect certain people to do certain things for you? Do you go into situations expecting the outcome to be one way or the other? There may come a time when we may have to learn to lower our expectations. For instance, just because we may handle a situation one way doesn't mean that other people will react like you may react. Just because you may be there for your friends when they are facing difficult times doesn't mean that they will be there for you when you are facing trying circumstances. There are other times when we need to lower our expectations, and that is when we expect something to turn out our way. We could avoid a lot of disappointment by lowering our expectations.  

Today I was disappointed again because of my expectations. My son wanted to go see the new Star Wars 3-D movie. Now, I don't have much faith in 3-D movies, because they never are what I feel a 3-D movie should be. Today I thought I would give this 3-D movie a shot. I expected George Lucas to be able to create a "real" 3-D movie; however, my expectations left me down once again. Now, I know to lower my expectations when going to see 3-D movies, because they just aren't what I think they should be. 

Sometimes we need to lower our expectations in order to avoid disappointment!

February 10, 2012

BE YOU!!!

NOBODY LIKES AN IMITATION!!!

Have you ever acted more shy than what you are around people you just have met? Do you not act like yourself, because you are afraid that people will judge you and call you weird? This is how I used to act, but today I made up my mind to be myself. It is extremely important to be yourself, because people do not like imitations or people who act fake. 

In the past when I started a new job, I would not talk a whole lot, and I would have issues with trying team building exercises. Today at my new job training, I decided to let down my guard and be me. My teammates and I were doing an exercise where we had to act like children who had behavioral issues within a school environment. Since I have worked with these types of children, and I had an idea of how these children really act, I decided to be myself and to portray how I have viewed these children in action. Not only did my co-workers and I have a good time, and we shared a few laughs, but my instructor was pleased with the outcome as well. 

Be yourself! Nobody likes an imitation!!!

February 9, 2012

LISTEN TO THE WORDS OF YOUNG PEOPLE!!!

THEY SOMETIMES CAN TEACH US AMAZING LESSONS!!!

When I got home from work this afternoon, I was scanning through the different status updates other people had made on my facebook page. I soon found this picture with a lovely caption on my husband's art page. The quote read: "Quote from my son: The outside world is looking a little like Narnia this morning!" It amazed me at how my son viewed the freshly fallen snow that was surrounding our lamp post.  Here I was worried about having to drive an hour commute in this stuff called snow; however, my son was viewing it as a winter wonderland, such as Narnia. Listen to the words of the young people in your life! They may just teach you a lesson or two!

February 8, 2012

BE KIND!!!

I know I blogged about this topic in the past; however, I don't think we can hear this message too often. It is extremely important to be kind to everyone we meet, because we have no clue what hardships that person may be dealing with in his or her personal life. It is always nice to go the extra mile whether it would holding the door for someone, smiling at someone, saying hello to someone walking by you on the street, etc. Be kind to everyone you see! It may be the only kindness that person receives today. 

February 7, 2012

BE THE FRIEND WHO DOES!!!

Have you ever been at a point in your life where you really needed a true friend? Have you ever needed someone to talk to or to lean on; however, you didn't feel that you had anyone to turn to? If you have ever faced any of these issues, then you already know how your friends may feel when facing similar situations. When this happens, you need to step up and be the friend who does! 

What does this exactly mean? It means instead of looking at your friends and saying, "If you need anything, let me know." You already know that your friend needs something! He or she needs a friend! So, do something nice for your friend who is in dire need of a true friend. 

You might be thinking, "What could I do?" Send them a card, call them on the phone and listen to what may be bothering them, take them out for coffee, simply be the friend who steps in when everyone else turns their backs and walks away. Be the friend who DOES!

February 6, 2012

EMBRACE THE BLESSINGS THAT NEW BEGINNINGS BRING!!!

There may come a time in our lives when what we have been doing no longer works in our favor. For instance, for the past three years, I have been a substitute teacher's aide with my local public school district. About a month ago, I had the opportunity to accept a very part-time job as a lunch aide. I took the job as a way to get my foot in the door. However, even though my pay increased by nearly a dollar, the hours I now worked decreased which caused my family financial stress. I still looked at this opportunity as a blessing, and in doing so about a week after I accepted the job, I received a call from a different company for a full-time position that I have been wanting for a long time. So, I interviewed for the position, and I was offered the job. 

On Friday, I closed the door to the school district I have worked for the last three years. Now, tomorrow morning will be a day of new beginnings. I am going to embrace this positive change in my life, because my family needs this blessing in our lives. We need the income this full-time job will provide for us. Embrace the change and blessings that new beginnings bring!!!

February 5, 2012

DO NOT LET YOUR NEGATIVE EMOTIONS RUIN YOUR DAYS!!!

Have you ever woke up in the morning in a not-so-good mood? Have you ever found yourself in an emotional slump, but you are not quite sure why you are in a bad mood? That was me this morning, and that mood lasted for most of my day. Half way through my day, I found myself crying for no apparent reason. Clearly, my negative emotions were ruining my beautiful Sunday. 

Old negative thoughts started creeping into my head. People's rejection and the way they ignore me were weighing very heavily on my mind. I was definitely having an attack of the inferiority complex. I was questioning so many important decisions I have made in my life from my marriage to the Easter dinner I am planning in April. 

Then I sat down and helped my son with his homework, and after we finished his History project, I felt much better. Just sitting with my son and helping him type his project made me feel so much better. Now, I am back to my normal self, watching the Big Game with my husband and son, and loving life once again! Don't let your negative emotions ruin any of your days!!! 

February 4, 2012

DO YOU KNOW WHEN GOD IS TRYING TO GET YOUR ATTENTION???

In the last few years since my husband's illness, I have become more in tune with God dwelling within me! My spiritual growth has prospered more in the past year than any other time in my life. I can now tell when God is trying to get in touch with me, or when He is trying to warn me against thinking or saying something negative. This may sound a little strange, but when I am about to say something negative, the hairs on my head will start to rise up. When I feel this happen, I know that I need to keep my mouth shut. In the past, I have ignored these warning signs, and I have reacted negatively during difficult situations, such as when someone may be attacking my character. Instead of ignoring their words, I lashed back at them. Now, I am in tune with God dwelling within me, and I now know to rely on those warning signs that He gives me.

Can you recognize the signs when God is trying to get your attention? Get in tune with your body and the sensations of your body, and see if it might be God trying to warn you about something that may be happening in your life.