You Are Responsible

Something happened to a close friend of mine this week and I got to thinking about how responsible we are for actions we take, decisions we make, its funny but a small decision can actually turn ones whole life upside down. Josh Hinds mailed this story to me and I found it quite intriguing and decided to share.

Four brothers decided to have a party to celebrate a new business venture.
Since wine is rather expensive, they agreed
that each one would bring an equal quantity and
mix it together in a large serving bowl.

One of the brothers thought he might escape making his
contribution by bringing water instead of wine. "It won't be
noticed in the common bowl," he reasoned.

But when, at the party, the wine was poured out, it turned
out not to be wine at all, but plain water. All four
brothers had thought alike - cheap. Each one had thought,
"Let the other do it."

This is a lesson in responsibility,
You're going to have to be responsible for
your choices and decisions. Either that or turn your
life over to someone else who might not have your best
interest in mind."


- You have to be responsible for your finances.

- You have to be responsible for your health (mental &
physical)

- You have to be responsible for where you are in your
career

- You have to be responsible for the quality of people you
hang around

- You have to be responsible for all your choices - past,
present and future

If you're not happy with any area of your life, you are
responsible for fixing it. Step up - starting now!

Letting Go Of Anger

Anger can make us feel good for a little while. When we are angry we are often feeling self-righteous, critical, judgemental and we have someone to blame for our own problems. However, anger can easily turn to hatred and this can lead to us doing and saying things we really did not mean to. It can also drain our vital energy and leave us feeling drained and washed out. Long term anger is likely to have a detrimental effect on our liver, adrenal and nervous system, experts say, not to mention our relationships with those around us.

If we can be honest with ourselves, what we are really angry about is that something has happened that we did not want to happen, or we did not get our own way, or things did not turn out the way we wanted them to.
It could be that we caught someone out in a lie and we became angry.
though at times people can make you real mad! oh yes.

But whatever the reason for our anger, we have to take responsibility for it, because we are the one who became that way. When we get stuck in anger, we can not see clearly the opportunities that are all around us all the time. We live in a big world full of choices and possibilities. When we become angry, we think that we know the way things should be and what is right and just.

To release our anger we need to be aware of a few truths

No one ever said that life was fair - sometimes unfair things do happen.
The only certainties in life are death and change. We live in a dynamic and ever changing world, so things around you are going to change.
When you accept change as a part of life you stop clinging to having things the same all the time and you can easily move on when change occurs.

If you loose your job, you see it as an opportunity to move on, meet new people and develop new skills.

If your partner leaves you, you have the opportunity to learn about yourself, your likes and dislikes, you have the opportunity to grow and develop and look after yourself. You can find ways to fall in love with life and living and then you will never feel lonely.

No matter what happens to you there is always opportunities around you. Sometimes horrible things happen, like the death of a loved one. If something like this happens we need time to grieve and then we must let go and move on and find ways to enjoy our lives again. It can seem tough and it is, but time will heal.

But for most things in life we simply need to take a deep breath, be prepared to move out of our comfort zones, and look around and embrace the new experiences coming our way. And then we do not have to be angry because something has not gone as planned. We will know that every supposed set back is an opportunity for us to learn and grow, to practice forgiveness and compassion and unconditional love.

When we can accept and embrace change, instead of reacting with anger, life really can become an exciting and grand adventure!

Please Let's Talk

One of the easiest ways to complicate our lives is in the area of interpersonal relationships, and the closer the people are to us, the more complicated it can get! Misunderstandings arise in the blink of an eye: a poor choice of words, an unconscious gesture, an incorrect interpretation, sometimes a deliberate attack. All of these cause strain on our relationships and stress on all the parties involved.

Open, clear - and immediate - communication is the key to maintaining the joy in relationships.So don't assume, talk about it. You know what that makes of U and ME!
When you're not sure, ask what the person meant. And even more importantly, when you ARE sure, still ask what the person meant. How many times have you been angry with someone, talked about it, and found yourself saying 'I thought you meant.'?

Don't Wait to Talk About It because the longer you put off talking about stress in a relationship, the more stressful the relationship becomes. The more you think about the small slight or hurt, you more you remember - or invent - big ones. And then, when that molehill becomes an erupting mountain... hey! the other person won't have an idea where it's coming from! So as soon as you realize something is 'off', talk about it.

And finally when someone asks what's wrong, don't say 'Nothing'.This is something a lot of us women do. I don't know why we do it, but we do, and by the way I am a genius at this! Tell you what if you are lucky enough to have someone who asks what's wrong, then tell them! They obviously care enough to want to remove the stress, so work with them on this one!

Tags: communication

Words Of Wisdom And...

Many people will walk in and out of your life. But only true friends will leave footprints in your heart. To handle yourself, use your head; to handle others, use your heart.

Anger is only one letter short of danger. If someone betrays you once, it is his fault; if he betrays you twice, it is your fault.

Great minds discuss ideas; Average minds discuss events; Small minds discuss people.

He, who loses money, loses much; He, who loses a friend, loses much more; He, who loses faith, loses all.

Have a swell week, all of ya!!

Building Solid Foundations

When it comes to erecting a building, few people would dispute the importance of establishing a strong foundation. It's no different in building a business, a family or a life. The emphasis today is on instant gratification. But if we want to build something of value, something that will last, we must build a foundation that will support our vision.

The quick fix, the quick buck and the quick solution will not endure. The individual who shoots to the top of his or her field only to self-destruction is often the victim of not having solidified the values and the structure to support the stardom. It takes effort and it takes conviction, but the rewards are worth it.

Keep Your Eyes on What You're Building.

There was once a man passing by a construction site. He stopped and asked one of the tradesmen what he was doing. The worker replied gruffly, "I'm laying bricks, can't you see that?" The man watched a while longer and then asked another worker what he was doing. "I'm just earning a living," he replied. A third time the man asked a worker and the response was much different, "I'm building a cathedral."

No doubt the personal happiness and the quality of the work from the last man was much better than from the first two.And what about us? Are we just collecting a paycheck, doing drudgery work--laying bricks? Or are we building a cathedral?
By staying focused on what we're building and seeing the task at hand as accomplishing that purpose, we'll gain greater satisfaction, our work will be lighter, and we'll create more excellence.

Tags: foundation

Handling Rejection

Fear of rejection is one of the greatest fears shared by all human beings. Nobody wants to feel left out, unwanted or unliked.
And at the same time what we really want is to be loved and accepted by everyone - that would be bliss but it will never happen because we all have biases,opinions and beliefs that colorthe way we look at the world.Some people will reject us no matter how good we look, no matter how successful we are, and no matter how giving we are. If wewere to become even nicer, and even more spiritually aware theywould still reject us so it is a pointless battle trying to win over everyone.

However we can change how we think about rejection. If we change
the meaning of rejection it can become our ally instead of our
enemy. Next time someone rejects you why not take it as feedback
instead. That is, your approach did not work and you need to try
a new approach. In sales,for example, the salesperson must view rejection as
feedback or else she will slowly go insane!

So let us view rejection as feedback. When you are rejected
immediately set your mind the task of intelligently answering
this question - how must I change my approach to get what I want?
By doing this, you shift your attention back to what you can do
and off the other person whose approval is theirs to give or not
to give.

You may not realize, most people just give up too easily
because rejection feels so unpleasant. If you reframe rejection
to mean feedback it becomes a mental puzzle to solve instead.
You will then be able to endure the word *No* a lot longer. This
endurance will also encourage others to let you have what you
want because you just do not seem to take No for an answer!

Tags: rejection

Principles Of An Eagle

Eagles are one bird we all know that soar into the heavenlies, I've always been fanscinated with them, just saw these facts about them and thought it was really wonderful, enjoy!

- Eagles fly alone at a high altitude and not with sparrows or mix with other smaller birds. Birds of a feather flock together. No other bird goes to the height of the eagle. Eagles fly with eagles. Never in a flock. Even when Moses (Old Testament Bible) went to commune with God on the mountain, he left the crowd at the foothills. Stay away from sparrows and ravens. Eagles fly with eagles.

- Eagles have strong vision, which focuses up to 5 kilometers from the air. When an eagle sites prey- even a rodent from this distance, he narrows his focus on it and sets out to get it. No matter the obstacle, the eagle will not move his focus from the prey until he grabs it. Have a vision and remain focused no matter what the obstacle and you will succeed.

- Eagles do not eat dead things. He feeds on fresh prey. Vultures eat dead animals but not eagles. Steer clear of outdated and old information. Do your research well always.

- The Eagle is the only bird that loves the storm. When clouds gather, the eagles get excited. The eagle uses the wings of the storm to rise and is pushed up higher. Once it finds the wing of the storm, the eagle stops flapping and uses the pressure of the raging storm to soar the clouds and glide. This gives the eagle an opportunity to rest its wings. In the meantime all the other birds hide in the leaves and branches of the trees. We can use the storms of our lives (obstacles, trouble, etc) to rise to greater heights. Achievers relish challenges and use them profitably.

- When the Eagle grows old, his feathers become weak and cannot take him as fast as he should. When he feels weak and about to die, he retires to a place far away in the rocks. While there, he plucks out every feather on his body until he is completely bare. He stays in this hiding place until he has grown new feathers, then he can come out. We occasionally need to shed off old habits & items that burden us without adding to our lives...

Have a great weekend all of ya!!

Tags: eagle

You Still Have Hope

If you can look at the sunset and smile, then you still have hope.
If you can find beauty in the colors of a small flower, then you still have hope.
If the smile of a child can still warm your heart, then you still have hope.
If you can see the good in other people, then you still have hope.
If the sight of a rainbow still makes you stop and stare in wonder, then you still have hope.
If the soft fur of a favored pet still feels pleasant under your fingertips, then you still have hope.
If you still offer your hand in friendship to others that have touched your life, then you still have hope.
If receiving an unexpected card or letter still brings a pleasant surprise, then you still have hope.
If the suffering of others still fills you with pain and frustration, then you still have hope.
If you refuse to let a friendship die, or accept that it must end, then you still have hope.
If you can look to the past and smile, then you still have hope.
If, when faced with the bad, when told everything is futile, you can still look up and end the conversation with the phrase..."yeah...BUT.," then you still have hope.

Hope is such a marvelous thing. It bends, it twists, it sometimes hides, but rarely does it break. It sustains us when nothing else can. It gives us reason to continue and courage to move ahead, when we tell ourselves we'd rather give in.

Hope puts a smile on our face
when the heart cannot manage.
Hope puts our feet on the path when our eyes cannot see it.
Hope moves us to act
when our souls are confused of the direction.

Hope is a wonderful thing, something to be cherished and nurtured, and something that will refresh us in return.
And it can be found in each of us, and it can bring light into the darkest of places.

NEVER LOSE HOPE!

Tags: hope

You are My Heroes

Sometimes in life, you find a special friend;
Someone who changes your life
just by being part of it.
Someone who makes you laugh
until you can't stop;
Someone who makes you believe
that there really is good in the world.
Someone who convinces you
that there really is an unlocked door
just waiting for you to open it.
This is Forever Friendship.

This rose is for all my friends.

All of you who keep puting smiles on my face.
All of you that've believed in me even
when I did not believe in myself.
Thank you for being there for me.
Thank you for being my friends.
I love you all.

YOU ARE MY HEROES!!!

Tags: friends