Don't miss your blessings

What beautiful things do we miss every day? The laws of attraction tell us that what we give out is what we will receive back! When we give out a hug, a smile, a prayer, a compliment...... we receive them back. What a blessing! What awesome gifts! Reaching out and  just being nice... what a concept!!! :) It is so basic, yet people are so caught up in the mundane that they miss out on their blessings! They get up at the same time everyday, they take the same shower, do their hair the same way, brush their teeth, stop at their same coffee shop, even read the same bad news... all to prepare them to tackle the same problems and go to bed exhausted with the same headache! No Blessings :(.  I challenge you to set your clock a few minutes early.. take the time to read the Proverb of the day.. ( 31 Proverbs.. 31 days of the month!) When you do your hair and brush your teeth.. SMILE at yourself and say 'Today is a blessed day, I look a feel my very best, I get to spend the whole day with... ME, YAY!" Then find at least one person to pray for, to hug, to smile at, to compliment!! The feeling you get when they hug, smile, compliment, pray back is contagious! Today really is a blessed day and we get to affect people in such a positive way. Don't miss out on your blessings!

The difference in the ending is how you tell the story

In Cinderella, if the story was told from the perspective of the sisters it would have been totally different. Cinderella would have been portrayed as a gold digger who got a witch to change her appearance to sneak her way into a ball where she was trespassing and put some kind of spell on a prince to steal her way into is heart. It would have been a tragedy.. where they were left in despair and ruin.  If it were told from the perspective the wicked step mother, it would have been a story of a marriage and how she was left a widow and out of the kindness in her heart raised her poor step daughter and taught her work ethic and her place just to have her break the rules and run away with a prince and leave her with nothing. She probably would have called Cinderella things like ungrateful.
It is all in who tells the story and how they tell it.
My New Year's Resolution this year was NO DRAMA.  Now I didn't believe that I could have a year of no drama, but I knew that it was all in the story and how I looked at it and told it! I have had a lot of things happen in my life that could be considered as crazy. But I realized how this year has differed from others by how I look at things and tell the story.
Last weekend my ex-husband called me 17 times, during church, to tell me that our neighbor of 6 years, who was also my old bosses husband, had passed away the night before. When I called to find out what I could do I was told that he had passed under some crazy tragic circumstance. I offered my condolences and a place of sanctuary if their son just needed a reprieve.
Later that afternoon, I went to dinner with my best friend of 30+ years and her family. I was telling them about the tragedy that happened the night before involving my neighbor. My friend's brother looked at me and said, "Wow, all the crazy things seem to happen around you" I looked back and said, "I am just a supportive friend, this didn't happen to me!" I realized I was taking on the drama and that was not going to happen!
Up until New Year's Eve of last year I might have looked at this differently! I might have seen this as a prime opportunity to be the poster child of "As Linda's World Turns"  But now I don't accept that. As a matter of fact I am not claiming any drama this year! I can feel for others but not take it on myself! I am healing, becoming stronger. We all need to get to the point where we feel ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
Make YOU a priority! Help others when you can, but not at your own expense and don't set yourself up for a 'woe is me' moment! Share the story when you have worked out the positive!
Aren't you glad that we got to enjoy Cinderella's Happily Ever After?

Are you a bystander in your own life?

Lately I have encountered several people that seem to be watching their lives pass them by. Afraid to take chances they have settled into a hum drum existence. Not that I believe that a life full of drama is good either.. I just wonder if people realize that they are becoming drones.. worker ants?  I challenge you.. Go out.. commit a random act of kindness today! Find a risk and take it!! Put on your tennis shoes and walk your kids to school! Find a new group and join it! Go to a city council meeting! Sign up for a class.. pottery, computers, or even The Constitution Explained. Step outside yourself and help someone else and create a better you! Be assertive.. let the world know that this is your life and you are taking it back!

What is your Lip Gloss?

In my lifetime I have dealt with many powerful women! When you ride with these women you find that each of them does different things to prepare for a meeting. However, just about everyone polishes her preparation off with one last thing... they look in the mirror and put on their lip gloss. I have asked many of them if they felt they could go in without doing this and the answer was a resounding NO.  Now we know that the lip gloss manufacturers are not secretly putting courage or power in their products.. and we know that, other than the color, it really doesn't change anything about your looks. So what is it that gives that lip gloss so much power?  It is these strong, courageous, powerful women! Women see other powerful women doing the exact same thing and conclude that they must have THAT! They don't want the shade or the particular product.. but the confidence.  Each and every one of us has in our arsenal our own personal 'lip gloss'.  You know, that one thing that gives us the confidence it takes to get up everyday in the face of adversities and put on our big girl/boy pants and trudge through the muck! That one thing that makes us smile in the middle of traffic on the expressway or while someone is telling you that what you are saying is 'bunk'.  The push that drives salespeople to make just one more call, or gives celebrities the strength to do just one more appearance.
Many people have not yet figured out what their lip gloss is.  Or maybe they have forgotten. I know that when my children were really young I forgot that there was another world outside of diapers and runny noses. I was a military wife, and having him come home from wherever he was and just be thankful that I took care of things while he was gone.. that was my lip gloss.. that was what gave me the strength to go through yet another deployment!
Your lip gloss can be anything! It can be God, a pat on the back, kind words from a loved one or friend, a cute new outfit, the admiration of your peers, a manicure or pedicure, money, dreams, or simply a hug. We all need to find our personal lip gloss and give ourselves a dose or two (or three or four) each day.  Try to help someone else figure out what their lip gloss is. That motivating factor that can make a person smile even when you lose your job, the electricity is turned off and your puppy eats your only decent pair of shoes!
What is your lip gloss???