Category: Encouragement

Loss – In Three Parts

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Damaged Heart

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 It’s only after we’ve lost everything that we’re free to do anything. Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club

When we think of the word loss we immediately think something negative has happened, or something negative is going to happen. These thoughts have some truth. However, have you ever paused to fully analyze who you are because of the loss?

Loss doesn’t always have to be negative. There are times loss compels us to change things about ourselves and our lives. Loss can cause us to reassess our character and change for the better. Loss brings others into our lives that we may have never known cared about us, or that we could help.

When we suffer loss, we have two choices: succumb to the loss or fight! A loss requires us to fight for our lives, families, beliefs and values. A loss will help you see who you really are, and determine if you’re happy with the reflection you see in the mirror.

Take a moment and reflect: what did you learn from the loss? What did you learn about yourself from the loss? How are you better today? Who have you helped because of what you learned from your loss?

Three Songs

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I...

There are three songs that have been pivotal in my life. These songs have helped me through some rough, good and uncertain times. These songs have been a source of encouragement and inspiration to me.

Good Woman Down (MJB) – This song has been my relationship inspiration. When I have been made to feel less than enough or wondered why I was going through, this songs reminds me that I’m a good woman that will not remain down! This is my “hear me roar, I am woman” anthem.

Your Steps Are Ordered (Fred Hammond) – Anyone that knows me personally knows I love Fred Hammond! He is my all-time favorite music artist. This song helped me deal with the death of my father and everything else in my life that happens, but I don’t have an answer. This song has helped me to return my feet to my foundation – God – and know that He has ordered my steps.

I Know Who Holds Tomorrow – I do not know who sings this song, but I have heard this song in church for years. I have heard it so much that it became one of the songs that I sing. This song has helped me remember who is really in control. When I sign this song, I am calmed and can relax in my unchanging God. He has my back and He knows my future.

Music will continue to be the symphony and harmony of my life.

Hope Prevails!

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I signed up for a blogging challenge:  Building a Blogging Habit.  My first challenge is to free write for twenty minutes.  Free writing is beneficial in expressing yourself and just allowing your thoughts to flow.  I want to write on a more consistent basis because I have a lot to say.  I’m always thinking about something and have something to say about everything that I read.  Recently, I have been beyond shocked by the number of young people committing violent crimes.  I wonder what could go so wrong in a person’s mind that he or she thinks it is okay to attack others.  I know I will probably never find the answer, but I still think about it.

Two stories stood out to me:  the recent killings by the young man in California and a story I read today about two 12 year-old girls that plotted to attack another 12 year old.  The young man in California wanted vengeance and decided to be the source of retribution.  He took the time to write an entire manifesto about his intentions.  The young girls led another young girl to the woods, on the premise to play, and one held her down and the other stabbed her 19 times!  I can’t fathom the level of insanity in these young people’s thoughts.  I am not saying their crazy, but I am saying their thoughts were crazy.  How did they think this would end?  How could they think their actions made sense?  These are just two of the stories that have troubled me.

These stories cause me to pause and think of the world that my granddaughter will experience her childhood.  Her childhood is so different from her dad’s.  Her dad could go to the park and I believed he would make it home safely.  My granddaughter has to be supervised.  Not just because of her age, but because of pedophiles and predators.  The people who lay in wait to wreak havoc on others.  Because of these people, no one is safe.  This lack of safety manifests itself in our daily actions.  We have to always be aware of our surroundings and take precautions all the time.  We can do everything right and still can be a victim.  This harsh reality could cause us to feel hopeless, and decide to be a hermit.

However, I refuse to allow predators and pedophiles to dictate my life! I will not leave in fear because I am confident in the one that is still in control.  I know you may be wondering who I am talking about.  I’m talking about God.  He is still in control!  He holds my destiny in his hand.  He is concerned about me and this comforts me.  I know there are so many times I could have been harmed, but I have to pause and think of all the times I didn’t know danger was present.  I am grateful for God caring about me, and being concerned about everything that concerns me.  God is the source of my hope!  I love Him because He loves me!  I love Him for being the source of my strength and happiness.

Even though we live in a world that provides reasons to feel hopeless.  I yet have hope.  When I read a good story, my hope is strengthened.  When I view my facebook newsfeed and read about all of graduates, I have hope!  When I brows IG and see the graduations pics, I gain even more hope!  When I read the news, and read about someone doing something good for another human, my hope is strengthened even more!  Even though evil is ever present, good always wins!  I still believe in treating others the way I want to be treated.  There is still value in taking the time to be concerned about someone other than myself.  I choose to be a source of encouragement and positivity.  I want encouragement and positivity to be synonymous with my name.

Each of us can choose to be a source of encouragement and positivity.  It only takes one person to make a difference.  Will you choose to be that one?

You’re cute, but…

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I am rendered speechless by those who are unable to compliment someone else without providing shade at the same time.  Why is it so difficult to just say a compliment without adding shade?  We have all heard these type of compliments.  I like her hair, but I don’t like that color.  That outfit is cute, but it should be a different color.  Her shape is nice, but she’s too skinny.  She has a cute face and she would be even cuter, if she wasn’t overweight.  She’s so beautiful, no homo!  Which leads me to trying to understand the purpose of adding “no homo”  after a compliment.  You’re not secure enough in who you are that you are afraid the person you are paying the compliment will think you are a homosexual.  I will never add “no homo” to any compliment I give to another woman, and I won’t provide any disclosures of not being interested as I compliment men.  Providing a compliment does not mean you want the person being complimented sexually.  If someone who is paid a compliment has delusions of being wanted sexually by the complimenter, I have s star that is currently in the galaxy to sell them!

The next time you pay someone a compliment don’t add anything negative to the compliment – just end the sentence.

 

Inspiring Myself!

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I have been participating in a course titled Blogging 101 via WordPress, which has been excellent so far!  I am a few days behind and this post was for day nine.  My assignment was to write a post inspired by my About Me page of my blog.  I worked for a few hours on my About Me page and learned about the website about.me  When you have an opportunity, please check it out. I could talk about a lot of things, but I want to talk about the three things that inspire me about me:

1.  My outlook on life – I am living my life to the fullest without any regrets.  I strive to     live every day as if it were my last!

 

2.  My love for myself – I love me!  If I don’t love me, who will!

 

3.  My sense of humor – I love to laugh.  Laughter is good for the soul!

What inspires you about you?  Think about it and let me know.

Blogging!

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I’m participating in Blogger University on WordPress.  Blogger University is a great, free resource providing to WordPress.com bloggers to enhance their skills and expertise in blogging.  The course started on April 15th, and I am a few days behind.  However, I am determined to complete the course.  My first assignment is to introduce myself and discuss why I am blogging.

This year was finally the time my blogging dreams became a reality.  I have been saying for years I was going to start a blog.  I finally stopped saying it and completed actions to start my blog.  I’m blogging publicly because I wanted to share my thoughts, insight and feelings with others.  Having a personal journal wouldn’t fulfil my need of wanting to dialogue with others about my blog.

I will be writing about life lessons, my thoughts on various current events, my experience in writing resumes and looking for a job, encouragement and motivation; and just whatever is impressed on me to discuss on any particular day.

I would love to connect with other positive bloggers and people who have an opinion about any and every thing.

Happy Blogging!

I Choose!

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I love this song!  This song speaks volume about the opportunity we have been given to choose.  A price tag cannot be placed on the value of our power to choose.  It is awesome to know that who our parents are, what town/city we come from, or even how much money our parents had doesn’t determine our power to choose.

We have the power to choose our destiny!

So many suffer from the “blame syndrome.”  They never take responsibility for their actions.  They would rather say it’s someone else’s fault.  Well, I am writing to let it be told that, if we are not where we want to be in life, it’s our fault!  The days of living in the past and saying shoulda, coulda, woulda are over!  It’s time to carpe diem – seize the day!  Choose right now to set your life on a course of greatness.  When you epitaph is given what will be said about you?  The life you choose to live will dictate your legacy.

It’s time to choose!  Choose as India.Arie says in the song to be the best that you can be.  I CHOOSE!

Invest In Yourself

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We spend so much time focusing on others that we forget about ourselves.  We forget about our dreams, visions and passions.  We place ourselves on the bottom of the priority list hoping that one day we will be able to pursue our dreams, visions and passions.  It is important that we begin to invest in ourselves.

Investing in us means making ourselves a priority.  No longer will we place ourselves low on the priority list.

If we don’t think what we want to accomplish is a high priority, no one else will think our dreams, visions and passions are a high priority.

It’s time to assess our current situation and determine it’s time to pursue our dreams, visions and passions.

It is time for self-reflection.  What are we allowing to hinder us from pursuing our dreams, visions and passions?  When are we going to take the first step and make ourselves a priority?  What are we waiting on?  I was watching a video yesterday and the speaker said the graveyard is full of unfulfilled dreams, visions and inventions.  We don’t want to live this earth without being able to say we did everything we wanted to do, and we diligently pursued our dreams, visions and passions.

Let’s make a new pledge to ourselves that we will no longer place ourselves at the bottom of our priority list.  We will invest in ourselves!  We will dust the cobwebs off of our dreams, visions and passions and immediately begin developing our success plan.