Friendship

When I was a lot younger I remember older people saying to me "towards the end of your life you will be able to count your true friends on one hand." I say WOW then I must be really blessed because I have enough for both hands and maybe even a foot or two. Now I'm not saying that it was easy to get here. I have had quite a few disappointments along the way and some still stings when I think about it. However; there are many valuable lessons in those failed relationships.  See our trials and tribulations are what I like to refer to as "teachable moments". No matter how old we get we can still be taught important lessons in life. It is when we don't learn from these failed relationships/life lessons that we will continue to make the same mistakes. And yes you guessed it folks! You will get the same results you have always gotten. After all; the true definition of insanity is trying the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. We must be open to change.

Now we have all heard to live the good life we must eat right, exercise regularly, get plenty of sleep and manage our stress with relaxation, recreation and meditation. But did you know that there are actual scientific studies that show having good friends can lower levels of cortisol a stress hormone by reducing stress, improve self esteem, protect against dementia & reduce risk of depression. Studies have shown that people with a social network of good friends have fewer cardiovascular problems and lower levels of a protein linked to more aggressive types of cancer as well.  Studies have also shown that people with a strong support of friends out live those with a smaller circle by 22%.  See friends/family it is in our DNA to benefit from friendship.

Most of us will never save a life by running into a burning building or jumping in front of a bus to save another, but science now shows us that we can extend some one's life by just being a part of their life. Are you a good friend? Ask yourself these simple 6 little questions and answer them as truthful as you can. I call this a self evaluation.
1) Are you there for the friends in your life? 2) Do you feel comfortable being vulnerable & open with them? 3) Do you ask for what you need from your friends? 4) Do you give them what they need? 5) Do you know the song of a friends heart & what makes them tick? 6) Do they know yours?

The happiness of our friends is infectious and breads a more positive attitude on life. Be the change you want to see in others and in the world. Stop complaining and do something, be the solution not the problem!!

As always please remember to keep all the men and woman of our military covered in prayer for their save return one day soon. As they are off protecting our HEALTHY FREEDOMS. And any of those that are struggling with something life has thrown their way. God bless.

Reflections

November is often known as gratitude month. As I sit and think about what to put on this page all I can think about is all the things I have to be so very grateful for.  First and foremost, my God & all that he does for me even when I don't think he is working on my behalf. If it were not for my God I would not have all the other things to follow. My beautiful little girl that gives me a reason to get up everyday & try to be the best I can be. Believe me she tries my patience from time to time & just like any other parent I would not trade it for anything in the world. My family that is always there for me no matter what. Family is not always by blood either. I have been blessed in this world to have a fabulous group of people that see my faults & love me anyhow. My job, while it is not always pleasant at least I have one to go to everyday. With so many people going in to this holiday season wondering when they will get that opportunity I am very grateful to have a chair to put my butt in everyday. My health, while it is not perfect it is far more better than most.

I am very grateful for the chance to start my day over whenever I need to & as often as I need through out the day. I am also very grateful for the chances I'm given to re-learn how to do this thing called "life" better.  We all make mistakes & poor choices. Believe me I have made my fair share of mistakes. I look at those as life lessons & try to learn from them moving forward. It is only when we don't try to learn from those mistakes that they are then called "stupid"or "poor" judgement.  Try to be as kind to yourself that you would a good friend/family member going through the same thing.  Show compassion  & empathy towards others as you would wish to have shown towards yourself.

As you sit down with your loved ones this thanksgiving please remember our men and woman of military that wont be able to do the same as they are protecting our Healthy Freedoms.  Please also include all those that are going through trying times in your prayers.

Happy thanksgiving to all of you & your loved ones.

HEROS

I would like to take today and give a special thank for all our men and woman of the military branches & their families for the ultimate sacrifice of protecting our HEALTHY FREEDOMS here at home. A special prayer for those who did not make it so their families may find the strength to carry on without them. And that they may find comfort in knowing their loved ones did not pass in vain & they will ALWAYS be remembered & honored.

We tend to take each other for granted as if we know that we will have another day with the ones that mean the most to us. When in fact if God is knocking on my door I'm pretty sure it will not be to tell me I have more time. We must ALWAYS tell those around us how much they mean to us so when we pass they will never question our love for them. We must ALWAYS show respect to one another. We must ALWAYS remember to dance like no one is watching & play like a child.

Count your blessings not what your missing out on.
Live, Love, Laugh my friends.
Life is to short & none of us are promised tomorrow.

Ask yourself; "what can I do to make tomorrow better for someone else?"

Thank you for the continued support & encouragement. I am a very blessed woman.

Trial and error

Have you ever noticed how the fear of the unknown can have a crippling effect on ones spirit? How it causes us to avoid making decisions because we may or may not get hurt. Or how we fight against the current of going with the flow of this ride called life. All because of our past hurts, mistakes and/or choices. Mistakes are life's way of giving us a do over if you will. It is when we don't learn from those mistakes that we are setting ourselves up to fail. Not all mistakes are of our own doing. However; with that being said, if you get a gut feeling that something is not right & you do it any way that is the part you play in the outcome of the mistake. Mistakes are what makes us who we are in life.

My problem is I tend to read in to things way to deeply because of my past hurts. I over analyze everything that happens in my life both good and bad. As if I will be able to head off a potential heartbreak before it happens. That is not working out for me so far folks. haha  The reality is, I am truly powerless over anything that happens outside of my own doings.

Famous author Eckhart Tolle says "You create a good future by creating a good present." If we are truly living in the right now and focused on being happy or better than we were yesterday than it's impossible to be miserable. Focus only on the positive in the negative at that moment in time and its amazing how the bad does not seem so bad after all. You may even shock yourself at how many positives you will be able to find if you allow yourself to search for them.

It is only when we stop trying that we fail or deny ourselves the right to find out just how the "unknown" turns out for us. Who knows it may be WAY better than we ever could of imagined. We will never know if we don't get ourselves out of the way to find out.

Appreciate your way out of fear. Let go of betrayal, past hurts, guilt, anger and anxiety. Let go of toxic emotions, focus on the Healthy Freedoms. Turn the table on self destruction and kick it's ass!!

Please remember those that are suffering a great loss in the East Coast right now & cover them in prayer as they figure out how to rebuild their lives after hurricane Sandy.

Sums of life...

"Life is the sum of our experiences"

A good friend told me that last nite & I have been thinking about it hard.
Sooooooooooo true & a very positive way to think. Not poor me, but lucky me!!

As always please keep in our prayers the men and woman of all armed forces protecting our Healthy Freedoms for us. May they someday soon have a healthy/safe return home.

Good night & God bless!!

Freedom is'nt free!!!

Enjoy this link & remember that freedom is NEVER free!
A ton of sacrafice goes into allowing us our healthy/safe freedoms here in America.

http://media.causes.com/576542?p_id=92681239

As always remember to keep the men & woman of all branches of military in your prayers for a safe return.

"Who am I?"

With the new year comes new ideas, new beginnings & possibly new challenges. For some of us we find ourselves standing & asking the infamous questions why,what,when,where,how & who. Why do I have to go through this? What am I supposed to learn from it? When will it end? Where is it suppose to take me? How will I get there & who am I when it is done? It is from the life experience that we learn the answers to all of these questions.

Psychologist Abraham Maslow said "it isn't normal to know what we want". And this is true for understanding why we go through all that we go through in life. I believe we stumble through life hoping for the best while doing our best & this is how we find what we truly desire. Opening & allowing ourselves to receive the lessons while on this journey. Life can be complicated, but happiness is really pretty simple.

We must surrender to our old ideas, wisely accommodating ourselves to what is beyond our control. Let go, acknowledge & embrace change. Its choice, not chance that determines our destiny. When we make a choice to surrender & embrace the change it is the that we are open for good things to come. I try to view everything that happens in my life; good bad or indifferent as a teachable moment. Sometimes in the winds of change is when we find our true direction.

A friend was sharing with me a story about her encounter with a hawk in a parking lot & how she stopped to carry on a conversation with this hawk. Strange as it may sound when someone researched what such an encounter may have meant, they found that a hawk is called a messenger, protector & visionary. A hawk comes to you indicating an awakening to your soul purpose, your reason for being there. It can teach you how to fly high while keeping yourself connected to the ground. Such as when we choose to surrender our ideas of how we thing things should be. The hawk teaches you to be observant & take a close look at your surroundings. Asking the infamous questions of why,what,when,where,how & who?! Getting a larger perspective on things, growing a keen eyesight allowing yourself to see things more clearly. Which in turn allows you to be more open to giving & receiving the good things life has to offer.
As the hawk circles over the earth, let it remind us that as we go stumbling through life remember to keep our eyes keen on seeing the teachable moments. Surrender to the things we have no control over & view things from a higher perspective. Hold on to the power withing yourself to overcome difficult situations. Look for the lessons in all life experiences no matter how big or small.
Don't let the idea of who you want to be, define the person you are. And the next time you ask "Who am I?" remember the answer is perhaps this: the very person who keeps asking the question!