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Blogroll, Enlightenment, Gratitude, Growing, Lessons, Mystery, Life,, Personal, vision

Lessons I’m Learning!

I guess I am probably at least to the half way point of my life or at least very close. Some people call this half time, which means I could possible have a third and fourth quarter left. Some see our lives broken down by the four seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall And Winter. If that’s the case then, I am probably coming out of my Summer and into my Fall. The one thing that seems to be becoming more and more real to me is the learning of lessons and the importance of learning the lessons. When I was younger, the older folks tried to tell me, and while we may listen, most of us have to learn for ourselves and we tend to insist on doing it the hard way.

Through the living of life and in the experience of hard fought battles which culminate in exciting and great victories or bitter and depressing defeat, we are shaped into who we are ultimately become. It is during this times that lessons are learned if we are wise enough to pay attention and learn them, so that one day in the Fourth Quarter Winter of our life, we can share them with the young bright eyes that are thinking to themselves: “I’ll show you!”

“For the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity.” -Proverbs 24:16

The greatest lesson I have learned is that I am still learning and so below I will share a few of the lessons I have learned and that I am learning along the way as I journey through this life.

1. You Are Responsible For You! We like to think we can change things and change people, but the only thing you really have the power to change is yourself and if you are honest with yourself, then there is plenty that needs changing, so open you lift, mind and heart to the supernatural and allow yourself to grow beyond yourself. It really is a never ending amazing journey.

2. Time Is A Precious Gift! When we are young, we think we have all the time in the world. It seems like it takes forever for Christmas to get here, but as you get older is seems that Christmas comes sooner and sooner each year. Don’t waste time, make your time count. It is a gift that we each have a limited amount of and once it is gone, it cannot be replaced.

3. Failure Is Not Final! We are raised to believe that failure is a bad thing and we are embarrassed whenever we fail, but most of the great things that we know, the things that have changed our lives, would have never became reality, if someone had not been willing to fail again and again. Take your chance and give it you best shot. Failure is simply learning another way that won’t work, which gets you one step closer to the way that will work.

4. Don’t Miss The Now! Now is what you’ve got. Yesterday is over, so learn from it and move on. Tomorrow is not promised, so don’t waste your time worrying about it. Today, right now, this moment is what you’ve got, so make sure that you make it count by getting the very most out of it.

5. There Is No Such Thing As One Size Fits All! What works for someone else, may work for you and it may not work for you. The reality is: Whatever advice, direction or instruction you’re given, you have to figure out how it works with you, because you are unique and special. This is why it is so important to get to know yourself, who you are , what you believe and why it matters to you.

6. Instinct Is A Gift, Don’t Ignore It! Some people call it a gut feeling, some call it intuition, some call it a sixth sense. Whatever you call it, you can’t afford to ignore it. Live you life long enough and you will discover that your instincts are better than you’ve been led to believe. You are continually taking in information, without even realizing it and just when you need the guidance, you gut steps up to try to help you make the right decision.

7. Gratitude Is Best Expressed Through Appreciation! God has blessed you with so much, but if you don’t appreciate it, then you could very easily wake up one day to find it all gone. Relationships are a very special gift and should never be taken for granted. All people have something to add to your life, if you are willing to take the time to discover the treasure. Show your gratitude through your attitude of appreciation.

Like I said: In no way am I an authority and I have not fully learned all these lessons, but I am learning them. This of course is not all the lessons, just some from the top of the list that I have been learning and that has impacted my life, living, blessing, success and victory. I encourage you to think about the lessons you are learning and share every chance you get, because it not only makes your life better, it allows your better life to make the lives of others better too…

affirmation, appreciation, Blogroll, Enlightenment, Gratitude, Growing, Healing, personal growth, self improvement

The Grass Isn’t Always Greener!

We live in a disposable society. The majority of people eat most of their meals with plastic untensils, on paper plates or in styrofoam bowls, which ends up going into the trash to help contribute to the filling up of landfills, which give an enduring testimony to how we have become a “throw away” society.

If we don’t like something, then the easiest thing to do is give it to someone else or throw it away. And this attitude of consumption and self satisfaction has contributed to our society being more selfish and never satisfied. As the landfills continue to grow deep and wide, our lives become more shallow and meaningless, leaving us with the lingering question: Where did we go wrong?

I think one of the real problems is that we have forgotten what real satisfaction is really all about and bought into the lie that tells us that we have to live like someone else to really be happy. We’ve developed a “the grass is greener” mentality that refuses to allow us to experience anything as it really is. Instead, we allow ourselves to make our decisions and live our lives based on the opinions, judgments and expectations of others, who could care less if you are happy, fulfilled or satisfied.

Live your life long enough and pay close enough attention and you will discover that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side, and if it is, then it’s probably because it’s built on top of a septic tank. God has created each one of us and gifted us with certain skills, talents and abilities. When we grow in our relationship with Him, He is able to use what He has given us to help us build a life of joy, happiness and contentment.

Most of us miss it, because we have bought into the false advertising of the society we’ve grown up in and most of us suffer from “If Only” disease. “If only I had this or that.” “If only I was as good looking or as smart as that person, then I would be truly happy” We convince ourselves that others have it better and if we had whatever it is that they have, that we want, then we would some how be complete and happy too. The problem with the “If Only” disease is that it never stops to take in the whole picture. If you look close enough at the person or thing that you think is perfect, you will discover that the person or thing has it’s own unique set of challenges, difficulties and struggles.

The grass is not always greener and if it is, then there is a reason and the reason may be good or it may be bad. If it’s good, then learn from it and make your own grass greener. If it’s bad, then learn from it and be grateful you are not having to dig up your septic tank.

Three Steps To Greener Grass On Your Side Of The Fence!

Step One: Be Grateful For The Grass You Have! Take and make time to appreciate what you have. The old saying is true: “Sometimes you don’t know what you had until it’s gone!” If we invested the time we spend admiring everyone else’s grass into appreciating our own grass, then we would find the motivation to actually get our grass greener, which is where the real satisfaction comes from.

Step Two: Take Care Of You And Yours! Stop wasting your time getting caught up in the comparison game. Your value comes from one amazing truth: God created you and gifted you on purpose and for a purpose. Live that truth, grow that truth and share that truth. Take care of the blessings God has given you and I can promise you they will reproduce.

Step Three: Enjoy! I truly believe that this life is God’s gift to us and what we do with this life is our gift to God. I believe the greatest way to give God a great gift back is to live the life He has given me for all it’s worth and then some. There is nothing like seeing the sun rise in the morning and set in the evening. There is no sound quiet as soul stirring as hearing your children and grandchildren laugh and be happy. There is nothing that taste so good as a good meal with great friends. There is no place that smells as sweet as home and there is no touch like the touch of the one you love and who loves you back.

If we are not careful, we miss what really matters, because we are looking for something better, when better was right where you live…

Blogroll, Expectation, Growing, Healing, journey, life, love, peace, positive, self improvement

It Is What It Is!

I am a quote junkie. I love quotes. I collect them, inspect them, disagree with them, embrace them, post them, print them and share them. They encourage me, challenge me, grow me and make me think. One of the quotes that I often say back to myself and other is: “IT IS WHAT IT IS!” Some people love it and some people hate it, but you know what I say? “It is what it is!”

I mean let’s face it, there are some things in this life we can change and there are other things in this life we can’t change. If you can change something and it needs to be changed, then by all means – change it! You have incredible power and can do some amazing things. Do what you can, with what you’ve got and enjoy the journey.

There are some things in this life we can’t change and if we can’t change it, then what’s the point of worrying about it, stressing over it and getting all bent out of shape? If we run into something we can’t change, then it’s time to accept and admit: “It is what it is!”

“I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” -Philippians 4:11

Stop resisting what is that can’t be changed and instead learn to embrace it. We embrace it, by learning whatever it is here to teach us. So many times, I have wasted my life by getting frustrated and off path by something that I could do absolutely nothing about. I would hate to know how much time I wasted trying to change things that couldn’t be changed.

One of the big lessons I’ve learned from having to face the reality that some things will never change, is that maybe the change needs to take place in me. So in the grand scheme of things here is my simple advice: Change what you can and grow from what you can’t, because at the end of the day: “It Is What It Is!”