Life on a Budget

At one time I would go to the store and I had a tendency to randomly pick things up, not things that I necessarily needed, just things that I could see being of use one day.  And when I  say random…that’s exactly what I mean, random meaningless shopping!  I’m the type of person that could go in CVS or Dollar General and go crazy!   It was as if I didn’t have a sense of the value of the dollar.  If I was in the store and saw something that I liked I would just pick it up and get it.

Now that I’m older, I understand the importance of “saving for a rainy day”.  I began to evaluate my spending habits and I realized how much money I was simply blowing.  I became more cognitive of the money I was spending frivolously and decided that it was time to make a change.   I started living based on budget.  It was the best thing that ever happened to me!! Aside from my bills, I gave myself a set amount to give to the Lord, to save, and to spend on “extra” stuff.  You’d be surprised at the difference that this made in my life.  I kept a ledger that I wrote everything I spent down in and I would write my daily affirmations at the top of my ledgers with sayings from my pastor like “I Pray that Money Parks at My Door and that I will have a financial increase with an overflow in money”.  You know they say when you pray you have to be very descriptive, because God is a man that pays attention to the minor details.  And pastor said, a lot of people have money that comes through their house, the key is getting the money to stop there so that’s why the prayer is for the money to park at your door…meaning that my home will be the money’s place of residence.  At this time in my life I was living in pure abundance.  I was not only blessed, but I was also a blessing to others…How Awesome is that?

I haven’t been using my budget for a while now and I find that it’s been harder for me than usual…and you know what that means right…evaluation time!  I still haven’t been spending a lot of money on unnecessary stuff but for some reason I still cant seem to get ahead.   I’ve been baffled by this for some time now and guess what’s different…yep, you guessed it!  I am no longer living an obedient life based on the guidelines of Christ.  I feel that God knows my heart and I don’t live a life of deceit or hate but I’m still not going to church as I should.  Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think that going to church means your living according to his will, but I view going to church as showing God that celebrating him is important.  In order to have a personal relationship with God you have to date him and just as people want to be loved publicly, God is the same way.  He wants more than to be loved behind closed doors, he wants you dressed up and looking your best to greet and praise him!   So church is like doing something special with God.  I know that may seem crazy, but hey…..

With that being said my voices are screaming:  In order to get back to Eden and live on top of the world, you have to praise him in advance & sacrifice for him as you want him to sacrifice for you!

Don’t live life with Gucci Taste, a BCBG Budget and give God based on a Rave Income!

or men

Don't live life with Saks Taste, a Macy's Budget and give God based on a Burlington Income!

You don't want God to cut back on your Blessings so why cut back on your Tithes?

I don’t know about yall, but I’m stomping my own toes with this one!

Until next time….

No Destination is Set in Stone

A few years ago I was blessed with a great job opportunity that I was very thankful for, it was great pay & great benefits. It allowed me to provide for myself, and my family in a way that I had only previously dreamed about.  It opened my mind to something greater than I ever imagined possible at my age and living in Louisiana.  In the beginning I tried to stay grounded and always give thanks for the blessing that I was experiencing with this job, but over time it was as if I forgot about what was truly important.  The longer I worked there, the more I lost sight of exactly how valuable that experience was.  I allowed the actions of others to overcome me and make me someone that I did not want to be.  I began to defend myself in ways that I never had before. When I started this job I was really mild mannered and didn’t say much unless it was absolutely necessary, before leaving this job I was very outspoken, but not necessarily in a good way.  There were many people who felt that I didn’t deserve the job and I took it upon myself to start voicing my opinion about how I deserved the job just as much as anyone else, because I had time in this field and education.  I can look back and realize now that this wasn’t a battle for me to fight and it wasn’t my place to say those things.  I was supposed to continue to give God the glory and let my blessings speak for themselves and allow others to interpret my blessings however they saw fit.

When I was laid off from this job I can honestly say I didn’t know what to feel.  I had so many emotions going on.  I was angry, hurt, disappointed, confused and lets not forget I was going to be broke! I couldn’t understand why God allowed me to lose my job and walk away with nothing.  Out of everyone there, why me? I re-evaluated that time of my life over and over again trying to figure out where I went wrong and I kept coming up short…until recently.  

I can now clearly see how that job lead to a dead end road. I took too many wrong turns and allowed the wrong scenery to catch my attention.  Its now obvious to me how that time in my life made me who I am now.  I am no longer a push over, but I now know when to speak.  I TRY not to fight my own battles, because they aren’t mine to fight. I’m more mindful about the people I trust and if I happen to trust someone that doesn’t deserve such an honor, I take it for what it is and move on. No explanation needed, no love lost.  I view it as another lesson… I have the understanding to review my mistakes and form a What-Not-To-Do-List…and believe me it comes in handy!

This is why I say, “my blessings were NOT a mistake and neither were my disappointments! God knows exactly what I need, in order to be who he wants me to be!” When it seems as if God has allowed your blessings to be taken away from you… he hasn’t. He allows things to happen to us, not to hurt us or stumble us, but to humble us and build us.  God will allow you to experience little blessings to test your growth…see, its up to you if those little blessings become major blessings.  It’s all about how you handle what you’re being given at that time.  Everyone’s life is mapped out, and on the map there are multiple destinations and multiple paths.  The paths you choose dictate your next stop in life and what happens along the way.  But, be mindful, because the pit stops you make in life have the power to adjust your destination.  No destination is set in stone; one wrong turn puts you on a completely different path!  

So today my voices are saying:  When things are going good in your life remember to give God thanks. Otherwise, God may give you a reason to call on him.

There is no such thing as a Final Destination…The journey of life is traveled along endless roads, full of possibilities!

Until Next Time…

Rise with the Sun

Every morning when I’m driving to work, there is the most beautiful scene that erects behind me. The sun. Every time I look in my rear view mirror I’m totally amazed. It doesn’t matter what happened the day before, the sun will still rise beautifully. For example, it stormed yesterday evening, but there it was, rising like nothing happened. That reminds me of how life should be. It doesn’t matter what happened in the past, the day before, an hour before; you should still rise beautifully as you did before it happened. So many times we allow circumstances and situations to allow us to stay down.

I truly believe that most situations that may seem bad initially, always work out for our good. If you look back on some “bad situations” you’ve had, you’ll probably see the same. Every day is a new day and brings us the chance to start over. So let’s mimic the sun and do our best to overcome any situation and never let anything keep us from rising.

Perseverance is one of the greatest qualities that one can embrace!

An EXTRAORDINARY life is the best life - Chantelle

When Who You Are isn't Right, They are the one that’s Wrong!

The Real Me

Will you ever see me for who I am?

For what I bring to the table?

INTELLIGENCE, STABILITY, STRENGTH

The Intelligence to make it in Corporate America and maintain my identity at the same time.

The Stability to assist in making our family prosperous and steadfast

The Strength to deal with my shortcomings as well as others and maintain a stable sense of pride in myself in the midst of it all.

Will you ever see me for who I am?

FORGIVING, LOYAL, PRAYERFUL

Forgiving enough to forgive you for your past and overlook mine in an effort to make this love last.

Loyal enough to travel through the storm of life and make a u-turn when I realize it’s a road I shouldn’t travel.

Prayerful enough to know when to get on my knees and pray for guidance and strength in my life

Will you ever see me for who I am?

APPRECIATIVE, DERSERVING, GIVING

Appreciative of all you do for me and my family.

Deserving of all that you give and more

Giving of all I have physically, emotionally, and materially

When will you allow my actions, words, and love to supersede what you have pre-conceived me to be?   WHEN? When will you see me for who I am?

I am Forgiver of your sins, Bearer of your children, Livelihood of your future!!

I am Beautiful, Captivating, and Witty!

BUT….WHEN WILL YOU SEE THAT?

Years ago this was a question that I always wanted to know the answer to. For some reason it really bothered me how others perceived me.  I wanted them to take me for what I showed them and not what they perceived me to be.  I can remember a time in my life when I wanted to prove my worth to others… I’m soooo glad that I’m passed that point in my life.  I now know that anyone that doesn’t see me for who I am is the person that has the problem…not me.  I am much more than a Diamond in the Ruff, I am a Rare Jewel… I am a Desert Flower, I am Complicated Simplicity at its Best!!

We as women need to realize that not everyone is going to treat us the way we deserve to be treated…but when this happens it doesn’t necessarily mean that there is a problem with us. It just means that God has not sent the man that is meant for you yet. When your mate has been sent by God, he will see things in you that you don’t even see in yourself. A God sent mate will build you up when you’re falling apart! He will bring the best out of you when others only see the worst! He will believe in you when you don’t believe in yourself! He will support you! He will protect you! And most importantly HE WILL MARRY YOU!

When Who You Are isn't Right, They are the one that’s Wrong!

When it’s truly meant to be, there won’t be any questions... only answers!

Only when things are forced will you have problems making them link together perfectly! Real Love is Easy!

In the words of Steve Harvey a Real Man will do the “3 P’s… PROTECT, PROFESS & PROVIDE!!"

Until Next Time….

Pleasure, Happiness & Joy

These are all sentiments or words that have been used to express people at one time or another.  I've noticed in life that people usually affiliate happiness with circumstances.   Happiness is often characterized by good luck or fortune.  Frequently used to describe a person's feelings when something good happens to them.  Happiness is also a feeling that some people use to describe a state of being when romantically involved, which is characterized by emotions.

Pleasure on the other hand, is used to describe a sense of enjoyment or satisfaction derived from what is to one's liking; gratification; delight. Pleasure is usually achieved with a worldly or frivolous enjoyment.  It is also defined as one's will, desire, or choice.

Joy is defined as the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure; elation.   Intense and especially ecstatic or exultant happiness.

The more I pondered the three, I began to truly think about each words meaning and the antonyms of each.  The antonyms of happiness are- sad, unfortunate or unlucky.   The antonyms of pleasure are- anger, discontentment or resentment.  Whereas, the antonyms of joy are- misery, sorrow or grief.  While contemplating this information I decided to think about each and how they correlated to my life.   I began to realize that the moments of pleasure that I experienced were times that I was doing something that I had an interest in; such as an activity, hobby, or even eating… I can remember pleasure being easily replaced by resentment or anger.   So, I continued to scrutinize my life and was able to remember those times when happiness was what I felt.  I felt happiness at the high points in my life; such as a promotion at work, a new car, or a shopping spree. The moments of happiness gave greater fulfillment than the moments of pleasure, but still wasn't everlasting.   I was excited at the time for my good news, my nice clothes, my new car but I eventually became jaded with my position at work and tired of my clothes and wanted something different. Essentially the happiness lasted longer than pleasure but still faded momentarily.    As I continued thru this journey in my mind I approached  my life in the present tense and thought about the many trials and tribulations that I've been faced with daily but in spite of this a sense of peace within is felt.    It was at that moment I realized that what I now possess is Joy. 

It brought a smile upon my face as I realized that the words that I once thought could have been one in the same were very different.  The difference in the three words was clear; JOY IS A DEEPER LEVEL OF HAPPINESS!  Joy is something that you can hold in the midst of trials, that emits a sense of tranquility. Like the birth of a child, the love of a parent, the bond of a sibling! Pleasure and Happiness can be controlled by you or others BUT Joy is too powerful and permanent to be controlled by man! Joy can only be obtained through Christ.  I realized that by possessing Joy I have the strongest, purest emotion there is! When you possess Joy you experience happiness and pleasure to the 10^th power 

The Tears of Sadness, Misery, Sorrow and Resentment

were the Stepping Stones used to help me Appreciate and Cherish

the Minutes of Pleasures, Moments of Happiness and Eternity of Joy! 

" Joy is not in things, but in us. Joy is the feeling of grinning inside! "

So today my voices are asking:  Would you rather have one of the three...or the one that contains them all??  The Choice is Yours!!

Until Next Time…

The Key to Acknowledgement

The first step is acknowledgement

I recognize that I am lost and that I am aimless roaming through life searching,

            Searching for the unknown, the unseen, the unheard.

I admit that I am in need and that I am unable to fill a void,

            A void of loneliness, of love, of compassion.

I know that I am beautiful inside and out and that I deserve all of my accomplishments,

            Accomplishments of success, of a family, of love.

I realize that I am blessed and that GOD has answered many of my prayers

             Prayers of financial blessings, material blessings, spiritual blessings.

I can identify my faults and I know that there are things that I can change within,

            Change my thoughts, my reactions, my heart.

I understand that no one is perfect and we all fall short

            Short of his word, his hope, and his plan.

These things and more I acknowledge

            NOW WHAT?

I wrote this years ago and never finished it because I could never figure out my next step.  I was stuck and I didn't know why…until now. I've finally realized that I had my NOW WHAT question after the wrong statements.  See its all about placement; being at the right place, at the right time; saying the right words, to the right people; and asking the right questions, when they need to be asked.   

My NOW WHAT then, came from a place of bitterness and strife.  I believed that the world owed me something because of everything that I had been through.  I felt that my life was at a standstill and I wanted something to happen immediately to change that.  I assumed that just because I evaluated my life and acknowledged the compartments of me, that this should have triggered change as a result of my honesty with myself.  But what I didn’t realize is that the key to Acknowledgement is just like an Apology…in order to have a positive effect, it had to come from a sincere heart. It needed to originate from a place whom only intention was to free itself of hurt and pain caused to itself and others.  Not from a place that wanted something in return.  Doing something in hopes for a great return does not show sincerity and it is not deserving of compensation.

So today My Voices are Chanting the answers to NOW WHAT: NOW, you release the pain! NOW, you release the anger! NOW, you forgive! NOW, you release the guilt! NOW, you release the shame! NOW, you release your voice!

Then and only then, will your NOW WHAT be placed in the right direction to bring you to change.

Then and only then, will your NOW WHAT bring you to higher heights and broader opportunities.

Don’t allow your anger and resentment for others to hold you back from where you could be.  

Until Next Time…

The Ugly Truth

When I was young I was a little chubby (maybe a lot chubby).  As I got older, I was always really small; I wanted nothing more than to gain weight. It was all I could think about. I can remember one summer my cousin and I ate sandwiches, ice cream and cookies all summer long trying to put on weight...and nothing seemed to work.  For years all I wanted was to be shaped more like a grown woman and not have breast like a fat boy (in the words of my sister).   I felt inadequate because of my size. As time went on, I began to gain a little weight and lets just say…my cup started to runneth over (LOL, my bra cup that is).  This gave me more confidence and helped me deal with the whole ‘she’s cute for a dark girl’ thing.

My weight has always fluctuated, but over the years I continued to gain weight without really noticing it.  One day I actually looked at myself and my body had completely transformed in front of my eyes without me even noticing it.  Things that were at one time firm, were suddenly... umm, not so firm. For some reason, it was as if I was looking at myself for the first time in a long time and I didn’t like what I saw.  What I once wanted so badly, was the same thing that made me sad.  It was very hard for me once I realized the size I had become. I wondered how long I looked that way, why didn’t anyone tell me and why hadn’t I realized it earlier?  My appearance started having a very negative affect on my attitude, but it still wasn’t enough to motivate me to lose the weight…go figure, right? People would say “If you’re so unhappy with your weight do something about it” or “when your tired of looking like that, you’ll make a change” my favorite was “once you start doing it you’ll feel so much better”!!!  FYI: NO ONE WANTS TO HEAR ANY OF THIS! If you didn’t politely tell me “girl your starting to put on weight you better watch yourself” don’t come after the damage has been done with your bright ideas. Truth is, yes, I was tired of looking the way I did…but I still ate more (because good food makes me happy)! Yes, I was unhappy with my weight but a nice bubble dress or something that started to flare in the midsection would make me look and feel much better than a workout! AND Working out does not make me feel better, it has not become a lifestyle and I don’t miss it! Now that I’ve gotten that off my chest…back to the spirit LOL

Those of you that know me already know about my peculiar eating habits, and they won’t get me very far.  I’m getting older and I decided that it was time that I compensate for my eating habits. The last few years of my life has been a journey about learning who I am, what I love, what I like and what I want. I decided that I was ready for a healthier way of living inside and out. I decided that it was time for the person on the outside to meet the person on the inside and for them both to coincide with my bubbly personality.

I did not decide to lose weight and get in better shape until something within me changed.  It was a motivating force within that energized my entire being and made me strive to be better. So today, the fierce woman inside of me is screaming: Evaluate your life, Decide what makes YOU happy! Decide what self-image YOU want to portray and do it with PRIDE!  There is NO motivational speech, picture of a model or success story that will give you the motivation you need... It starts with YOU!

ONLY YOU HAVE THE POWER TO CONTROL YOUR ACTIONS!

ONLY YOU CAN JUMPSTART YOUR WEIGHT LOSS JOURNEY!

If you don’t love yourself how you are, work on yourself to achieve how you want to be!

If you are comfortable in the skin you're in, don't let anyone else's opinion alter how Fierce you Feel!

IT STARTS WITH YOU... THE APPROVAL, THE DENIAL, THE BEAUTY!!

Confidence is the Greatest Accessory of All!

Until Next Time…

The Power of the Tongue

I was going to write something today…but I feel the below message is something that someone may need to read. I wrote this in September 2006… I guess my voice has been trying to be interpreted for a while now.

In the dictionary there are many meanings of Word…but one that stands out is "

the Scriptures; the Bible." This definition confirms the fact of how powerful WORDS are because anything that can be referred to such a powerful tool has to be able to cause life changing events.

Contrary to popular belief WORDS are among one of the most destructive forms of offense. WORDS possess the power to heal or destroy, build or demolish, strengthen or hinder; a mind, heart, spirit, and even a soul. The demolition of these things is a long process but once it's started if not stopped immediately it's sort of like the domino affect. It happens so instantaneously that it is often hard to find a breaking point to regain control of your inner being.

Everyone deals with destruction in different ways, but ultimately it has the same outcome. The WORDS tear away at you until nothings left but a huge dark hole in your heart where love once lived; A long cold hall where your mind once soared; a broken hopeless spirit where your faith once laid; and a forgotten lost soul where your mind, heart and spirit once fulfilled.

When this happens it's the hardest thing in the world to recover from. Because you have no idea what your next step should be or even if there should be a next step. You start to doubt everything that you once were so sure about. You lose sight of everything that makes you the unique, loving, and irreplaceable individual that you are. But what you don't realize is to endure any form of pain and still go on is a sign of strength. Strength that the person causing this pain doesn't possess, so you're stronger than you think.

Use this strength to take control of your situation whatever it may be and NEVER loose that control again. In doing this don't give up, because there are GREAT things out there! Don't make everyone else suffer because of one person's wrong doing…but don't forget the lesson that you've learned while going through your trial. Use it to make you a better judge of character and let it aid you when you seem to be heading down the same paths.

DONT BE DISTRACTED BY CRITICISM...

　　　　 REMEMBER, THE ONLY TASTE OF SUCCESS SOME PEOPLE GET IS WHEN THEY TAKE A BITE OUT OF YOU!!!

Until Next Time

Dare Yourself to Do Better

Yesterday my mom said "you’re just as bad as your son is with that gadget!" At first I was offended because I thought there was no way possible that my using my phone could be compared to Blake’s playing of video games. Even though I didn’t agree, I began to pay attention to how often I picked up my phone. I was astonished at how often this was… that made me take it a step further and start paying attention to exactly what I was doing when picking up my phone. And guess what, it’s a whole lotta nothing!! I’m doing one of the following… glancing through emails, playing Words with Friends or whatever random game I’m addicted to at the time, checking Facebook, reading Twitter or looking at pictures that I’ve already seen. I was instantly disappointed in myself, I’m not even sure when this compulsiveness with my phone started and exactly what I’ve been missing out on because of this uncontrollable urge to accomplish nothing.

Me being the googling queen that I am, decided to research habit. And it is defined as an acquired behavior pattern regularly followed until it has become almost involuntary. Which is quite similar to having an addiction. I read that it takes about 30 days to break a habit and wasting so much time on non-productive things is definitely a habit I want to break. I would hate to be one of those people like on T.V. that are constantly on their phones ignoring the beautiful things that can or are going on around them. So I decided to dare myself to do better and I am going to do a 30 Day Challenge of Betterment; and I encourage you to join me in this challenge. The guidelines include:

1. Evaluating a habit that you have that takes away from your productivity
2. Think about constructive things that you could do in place of that thing
3. Set realistic goals of what you will do with your time
4. If you fail, start over from day one

It’s just that simple! My 30 Days of Betterment Challenge include NO PHONE for 4 hours a day! I am going to COMPLETELY devote an hour to my children, an hour to my mate, and 2 hours to self betterment as a whole (time with God, time perfecting a skill, exercising, etc). This will not only help me break that habit or addiction but it will help me to build on the relationship that I have with Demond and the Kids! I wish you luck…no scratch that... I don’t believe in luck, I wish blessings upon you! Keep me posted on your challenge.

So today my voices are saying: Realize who you Are, Accept Who you Were and Strive to Become Better! Your past can only hold you back if you allow it. Today is the day to begin a journey to a better you! A You that is Productive, Loving & Considerate!

I am Better than I Was, Not All that I Shall be, but Loving who I Am…A Work in Progress, Headed in the right Direction!

It’s never too late to become a better you.. Challenge yourself to become better!!

Until Next Time…

A Circle or a Ladder…The Choice is Yours

There are different types of people in life…everyone has different motivations, dreams and desires. What I hold dear to me, may not matter to the next person and so on, but that doesn’t take away from the value that it has to me.  In order to associate with people, they shouldn’t have to possess your way of thinking; they only need to be headed in the same direction as you are…the top!  If everyone thinks the same, speaks the same & looks the same, there is no diversity...meaning no one has anything special to offer the other.  You cannot benefit in life by being surrounded by people that have knowledge in the same areas as you.  It’s more beneficial to be surrounded by people with different areas of expertise than you, so you can feed off their knowledge and they do the same.  When this happens you are broadening your horizons.  If everyone is on the same level there will be no advancement in that group of people because they don’t have anyone to help them reach another level in life. It’s like having friends that form a circle instead of friends that form a ladder.  We as people need to be surrounded by all types of people and realize that they all serve a purpose. Please don’t get this confused with being prejudice and only interacting with people you can benefit from.. Its not the same, I’m not talking about using someone, I’m talking about helping someone and helping yourself in the process.

The friends that form a circle are the friends that represent a never-ending cycle of repetitive behavior.  They can either represent friends that bring you down to where you once were and don’t see you at your elevated state or they can be the people that are content in their current position and want you to be the same way.  Not everyone will understand your need to do and be more than you already are.  But don’t let that distract you from where you desire to be, if those type of friends become a hindrance don’t feel bad about leaving them behind.  Not everyone is meant to accompany you on your journey to the top. 

 The friends that form a ladder are the people who are secure with who they are and what they have.  The people who don’t judge you one way or the other for being who you are.  The people at the bottom of the ladder (sort a speak) are there to keep you grounded, the next level is there to show you your progress, the people that are at your level are there to keep you balanced, and the people at the top are there to give you something to look forward to and strive towards!

Now is the time to surround yourself with positive people, positive thoughts and people that can assist, understand and accept where you want to go in life.  The people that matter won’t judge you based on your ambitions or what you’ve accomplished in life.  The people that matter will judge you based off how you treat them.

So today my voices are saying: Don’t feel obligated to keep the same set of friends, but don’t be in a hurry to dismiss the ones that aren’t in the same place as you are in life.

Don’t associate with someone based on what they can offer you, but don’t feel bad that you want to benefit from the knowledge of others.

Don’t live your life based on some one else’s way of thinking, but don't down them for theirs.

Don’t allow the noise of others opinions to drown your inner voices, but don't only associate with those chanting your same tune.

To sing the same song you don't need the same voice…it takes diversity to harmonize! 
Besides…what's an alto without a tenor???

Until Next Time…

Don’t React, Until you can Cause a Reaction!

For some reason the phrase “let it go” was the first thought that popped into my mind today.  I was instantly excited to see where I would be lead with this topic.  Then I received my friend Lynell’s Morning Words of Wisdom and it was also about letting go and letting God be in control when you don’t fully know what lies ahead.  I was even more eager to see where my blog would lead and what would be the final outcome of my message.

Throughout the day, obstacles tried to overtake me and make me react in a way that would only hurt me.  I had to constantly remind myself to withstand from acting in a way that I would later regret.  All the time thinking “just because I didn’t respond to you, doesn't mean I didn't catch what you threw. It means I'm strategically planning a route that will have the greatest effect”.  After this I couldn’t wait to get home and express my thoughts of the message behind the voices.

Sometimes we get too excited and let our emotions get the best of us and react without having all the needed information to assess the pros & cons and act accordingly. 

Had I been too eager to write my blog I may have relayed the wrong message today, and forced my topic in a direction that it wasn’t meant to be. 

Had I not been in a different mind set today I would have responded in a way that would have cause greater harm to me than good.  And would have played right into the hands of the enemy.

Had you not been working on being a better person you would have confronted that person that you “heard” did you wrong.

We are all getting older and should be arriving to the point in our lives, where we are trying to make the best decisions for the future and are no longer living for here and now.   We should be more levelheaded, which allows us to think about things tactically.  If by responding you won’t accomplish anything except getting loud, LET IT GO!  If by having an ugly disposition with people won’t affect them one way or the other, LET IT GO! If quitting your job will only hurt you, LET IT GO!  So today my voices are screaming: Learn to be patient and wait things out before coming to a conclusion. Learn to disregard people that may have rubbed you the wrong way.  Learn to overlook circumstances that you are not in the position to change. 

BE PATIENT & DON’T REACT, UNTIL YOU CAN CAUSE A REACTION!!

Until next time…

You’re a Testimony Waiting to Happen!

For some reason the word Test has been stuck in my head all day, so I decided to google the meaning of the word (gotta love technology).

There were many definitions      

1.  an examination, experiment, or trial, as to prove the value or ascertain the nature of something
2.  an event, set of circumstances, etc. that proves or tries a person's qualities
3.  a trial or reaction for identifying a substance or ingredient
4. to give or undergo a diagnostic test or a test of quality, function, etc

After reading these definitions I instantly knew why the word was embedded in my head… Each definition could be applied to life... its outcome, it’s worth, it’s substance and it’s result.  I then began thinking about my life and the many test that have come my way and my reaction to a  few.  Some test I instantly failed, some I passed with flying colors, and others I didn’t even recognize as a test.  This then put me in the mind frame of “if I knew then, what I know now” ...which I’m sure is a place we’ve all been before.  What I had to instantly remind myself of is, I cant change the past, but what I can change is my here and now.  I can change my view, my reaction and by changing these, I can change my circumstances.  It’s like a chain reaction… Even though I didn’t know it then, I know it now and I can start using the knowledge that I’ve acquired through my trials &  triumphs to my advantage. Otherwise, the domino affect will happen and life will be a never ending cycle of misfortune .

When you find yourself thinking about your past, don’t bask in the pain of the situation, try to uncover the lesson that can be learned from it and apply it in other areas of your life. Today my voices are chanting:  Every test in life is a testimony waiting to happen! So when you review your life, it makes no sense to study the negative. Only the positive of the situation can help you pass when life gives you a pop quiz..

You’re a Testimony Waiting to Happen!

Until Next Time…

How you React Today, Alters your Tomorrow

First I would like to thank you guys for taking the time out to read my blog. I really appreciate it.  A few people told me that they were unable to post a comment if the problem still exists please let me know.

Now back to the many voices that cloud my mind :-) …I want to elaborate more on what I started talking about on yesterday.  The title Favor isn’t Fair can be interpreted in many ways.  The interpretation that most people need to understand is when someone has favor in their life it is not to be envied, because everyone has their season to prosper.   Everyone has a past that dictates their present and shapes their future, the choices we make today influences our tomorrow.  So we should learn to rejoice for the blessings of others and bring forth positive energy instead of negative vibes.  You never know what struggles a person has endured, what prayers they have prayed and what they have sacrificed in order to make it to their season of favor.  Every second you take envying someone else’s life could be used to better your own.  Instead of trying to figure out why things ‘seem’ to be going right for someone else, make preparations to change the path that you’re taking. There are always multiple routes to a destination and it’s never to late to change your itinerary for life.  So begin with not judging what you think others deserve and what they don’t…you may be blocking the entrance of favor in your life by having such negative thoughts.

We are all blessed in different ways and what some people can accomplish by not trying, others have to work hard at...but that doesn’t mean that it’s out of reach. Simply put, Life isn’t fair or easy but if you fight through the obstacles to accomplish the task at hand, favor may be in your corner the next time around…but if you give up you’ll never know.   So today my voices are screaming: You may think favor isn’t fair today, but when you’re the one with the favor you’ll think it’s well deserved.  So be happy for others just as you would want them to be happy for you. Don’t wait until you feel your life is better to treat someone nice...it may be too late. 

How you React Today, Alters your Tomorrow and Yesterday is Obsolete!!

Until Next Time…