The Things Worth Fighting For

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The things that are worth fighting for are never easy, but that doesn’t mean we give up.

― Lilly James,

I have been through many rough patches in my life and have always found a way to make it through. The highs and the lows have a tendency to push reality right in your face, up close and personal. Each time it seemed easier to just give up than to fight, then I had to ask myself, “is what I’m giving up worth fighting for?” I don’t want to find myself, months, or even years from now, looking back and wishing I had not given up or thinking, “it wasn’t worth the fight!”  Making life-changing decision sometimes have to be decided at the drop of a hat. In that instant we have to decide, “do we put in the effort or walk away?” Whether you believe so or not, everything in life requires a certain amount of effort on our part, but we also have to first determine if those things are worth the effort! 

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P.U.S.H and Live in Eternal Gratitude

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I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, and changing your world. You’re doing things you’ve never done before, and more importantly, you’re doing something.  ~Neil Gaiman

Gratitude is something that’s encouraged, it’s something that we are told if we’re grateful for all that we have, it creates room for more things to be grateful for. How easy is that? It’s not always easy to be grateful, and how is gratitude measured? If you’re ill are you grateful that you’re still alive to fight the illness? Are you grateful for your family as well as the expenses that come with raising a family?  If you’re grateful for your job, are you also grateful for the long hours, the office politics that come with it, and being undervalued on that job? Gratitude is selective, we can be grateful for anything that we have but not everything that surrounds us. 

It’s difficult to smile in the face of adversity when it seems that adversity is all that you’re facing. I have always prided myself on living in gratitude and being faithful to everything I believe in, I believe in the kindness of mankind even when they’re not so kind. I lived in hope, love, and joy even on days when I can find none. I believe in miracles even when there is none in sight because I believe that faith takes us to the brink of our breaking point, then pulls us back to the point where that miracle happens. 

 As I smiled on the dying year, I was a bit apprehensive in asking God for a better year than the last year. On the surface, it was difficult to remain in gratitude and faithful when my world seemed to be falling apart. It was difficult to pray when my most significant prayers seem to go unanswered. But in all things, I gave thanks for each day I have with my family, each day I have to build my faith and grow in strength to face whatever this year may bring with it. My only hope is that it’s more kind, more gentle than the last, and definitely filled with miracles. 

When I think about all the things I continue to pray for, I’m reminded……

1. To be thankful for every day.

2. To smile, just because! A smile makes even the worse days better.

3. To reach out and help others with an uplifting hand, without expecting anything in return.

4. To remember that it is never too late to say ‘Thank you or ‘I am
sorry.

5. To eat ice cream often-lol! No seriously, eat ice cream. In fact, eat anything you want, this life is short and you don’t know when you’ll be by this way again.

6. To appreciate family and friends as a very special gift. Rather than a convenience.

7. To P.U.S.H- Pray Until Something Happen and pray often. 

8. To Take care of myself. I have one body, one mind and I don’t know how long I’m going to need them.  

Life is About Inventing and Reinventing Yourself

As you reinvent your life endlessly you should open your minds to the infinite possibilities that do exist.
― Steven Redhead

I’m sitting in my living room and looking at my Christmas tree so nicely decorated with an assortment of store-bought and handmade ornaments. The tiny lights seem to give a magical glow against the darkness of the night sky outside. I know it’s the 5th of January and Christmas is gone but I’m going to enjoy my tree for just a few more days.  Charles Dickens said, “Christmas isn’t just a day, it’s a frame of mind,” It may be the 5th of January but I’m still in the Christmas frame of mind, minus the dinner and festivities.  Each year brings with it, challenges, expectations, disappointments, and revelations, and 2022 was no different so I do each year, I’m holding on to the Christmas spirit for as long as I can. 

4 Things to Remember This New Year!

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May Light always surround you;
Hope kindle and rebound you.
May your Hurts turn to Healing;
Your Heart embrace Feeling.
May Wounds become Wisdom;
Every Kindness a Prism.
May Laughter infect you;
Your Passion resurrect you.
May Goodness inspire
your Deepest Desires.
Through all that you Reach For,
May your arms Never Tire.”
― D. Simon

We’re hours away from welcoming a new year, well, a day at least.  Given the uncertainty of the past few years, I’ve heard some people say they dread the New Year, and just take it as it comes. Me, I’ve never been the one to make resolutions. 2023 will come in just as all those before it, bringing with it a clean slate, and new beginnings, giving us 365 days of endless possibilities.  How you use them is entirely up to you but, if you’re not sure yet, here are four points you may wish to consider,  your future self will thank you!

Choose to be YOU!  Faking it is one of the most exhausting activities you’ll ever carry out.  Trying to be someone else is hard, it’s so much easier to be yourself because you don’t have to think about it, it all comes naturally. If people don’t like the real you, then find a new group.  If no one else chooses you, choose yourself above all else, in the end, it’s you, you have to live with.  

Choose to Live in Joy

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“We cannot cure the world of sorrows, but we can choose to live in joy.” ~Joseph Campbell

Life isn’t always kind and definitely not always fair, it also has a way of tossing everything at you at once. With Christmas literally just around the corner, the season brings new challenges, the challenge of trying to keep everyone happy and in good cheer…..the challenge of buying those perfect gifts for everyone on your Christmas list. For the past few years I’ve scaled back on Christmas, the pandemic helped a little with that, but this year I’ve scaled back even more. I’ve taken the commercial out of the season by choosing my gifts wisely, buying only what’s needed and nothing extra, it’s not about budgeting, it’s about appreciating the season without getting lost in all the commercialism.  Don’t get me wrong, I still love the joy that Christmas brings, and I still revel in the decorations, I revel in the feeling of peace, joy, and hope the season brings with it. 

When You’ve Given It All You’ve Got, Just Stand!

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Recognizing that you are not where you want to be is a starting point to begin changing your life.”
― Deborah Day

well-being

noun[ U ]

US/ˈwelˈbi·ɪŋ/

the state of feeling healthy and happy

~Cambridge dictionary

When we think about well-being we like to think about the definition as reflected in the Cambridge Dictionary above. It may sound simple but it’s a struggle to maintain a healthy balance when life has other plans for you. It’s even more difficult to stay happy when there are so many bad reports. Mental Health on the whole is a struggle, it’s something I’ve struggled with for years but have always just gone through the motions of filling my days with anything that would keep my mind off of what was not going right in my life.

Draging Yourself Back From Burnout to Burning Bright

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It is true that even when exhausted you still are providing something to those you serve. But you are out of touch with your deepest strengths, role-modelling self-destructive behaviour, martyring yourself, and giving others cause for guilt.
― Elaine N. Aron

We all know how is it to just ‘give up!’  It’s easy to just say I’m done, and stay down when life knocks you down. That comfort zone of despair feels so much better than facing what knocked you down, that thing that brought you to your proverbial knees. That loss, that heartbreak, the exhaustion of trying to get by, the disappointments!  Any and all of these things can knock you off your feet, and beat you down so hard you don’t know if you’ll ever get back up. But as hard as it may seem to find the strength to move on, you have to.  So often folk decide to stay down, they feel safe in that comfort zone. The heartbreak of a relationship ending, you wallow in self-pity and that comfort zone seems safe. You lose your job, you’re definitely in a tailspin because you’ve given your dedication to it and now it’s gone and you wonder ‘how I can come back from this?’  The anxiety of the future can be crippling. The exhaustion of just surviving it all leads to BURN OUT! I know you’re tired! I know you’re afraid! I know the uncertainty of it all can be crippling!  

6 Daily Reminders to Take With You Into October

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You may be the only person left who believes in you, but it’s enough. It takes just one star to pierce a universe of darkness. Never give up.
― Richelle E. Goodrich

This is the last day of the Month, I hope September has been good for you. Wishing you hope, love, peace, and most of all strength to see you through the month of October. Just remember, even if you haven’t achieved all those goals you’ve set for your year thus far, each new day brings with it new opportunities, new adventures, and new ideas. If Plan A doesn’t work, there are 25 more letters in the alphabet, so let this October be a month to remember.

6 Daily Reminders to take with you into the month ahead……….

Why Some People Cling To Pain

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Let go. Why do you cling to pain? There is nothing you can do about the wrongs of yesterday. It is not yours to judge. Why hold on to the very thing which keeps you from hope and love?— Leo Buscaglia

The human mind is your most powerful possession. It’s also one of the most difficult things to control. It takes dedication, practice, and commitment to harness the mind, to control your feelings and your thoughts. But once you do, life becomes so much better, it may still be difficult because you can’t control the minds of people around you or certain situations in life but you can live a better life when you learn to control your minds to a point where you become more conscious of your thoughts. 

When Resilience Becomes A Way of Life

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My scars remind me that I did indeed survive my deepest wounds. That in itself is an accomplishment. And they bring to mind something else, too. They remind me that the damage life has inflicted on me has, in many places, left me stronger and more resilient. What hurt me in the past has actually made me better equipped to face the present.
― Steve Goodier

Resilience!! It’s a word that has become synonymous with strength, power and overcoming. It is often used to refer to how well one comes out on the other side after dealing with a difficult or sometimes challenging ordeal. Whether you come out whole or come out totally in pieces. Did you handle the pressure that tried to crush you or totally lost your cool and blew it all to hell? Being resilient is more than just having a positive outlook on life’s challenges, it’s also about how well you cope with those challenges and the stress that they bring.