QUOTES......

Remember: people who are miserable, day in and day out, will never have your best interests in mind. So, it's best to cut them off ASAP and move on and away without them. Surround yourself with those who inspire and encourage you.

You deserve to be loved and accepted. You deserve to have those around you who give you comfort. You deserve to be respected.

For You....

YOU are what matters. YOU always have been. YOU always will be. 

When You matter, then others will follow suit in showing respect for you, and in doing so, respect for themselves.

Saying "I'm sorry" is just the beginning of our commitment to behave......

"I'm sorry". We've all said it. We've all heard it. We've all meant it (or at least we thought we did). This simple phrase has always meant a great deal to me. Maybe it's because I have never had a problem saying it and then following through on this sincere statement. Or maybe it's because when I hear these words spoken to me I expect the very same sincerity in return and when this does not happen, I find myself disappointed and a little less respectful of the offender.

There are many motivators behind this phrase. Some are quite honest in sincere, while others are based in their own egotistical self preservation. In other words, the only thing they are sorry for is being caught behaving badly and not wanting to suffer any of the consequences.

To be truly sorry means that whatever it is that you are sorry for, after you apologize you are making a commitment to not do whatever it was that you were sorry for in the first place ever again. That's how strongly I feel about this admonition.

I do not want to just hear these words, I want to see action and follow through with this statement every time. You should mean what you say and say what you mean at all times possible, and expect the same respect back.  Do not let others mislead you with these words that you've wanted and deserved to hear, only to have the offender repeat their bad behavior over and over again. In this, these words have absolutely no meaning and you are, at some point, now responsible for allowing this cycle to continue and the pain that ensues because of it.

When my children were very young, teaching them how to properly apologize was of the utmost importance to me (among many other things). After their obligitory "I'm sorry" was spoken, I had them explain, out loud, to what they were sorry for and to promise not to do whatever that was again. Yes, it took quite a while for it all to stick, and I knew it would be a process; but I knew that it would eventually turn into sincerity. I knew that it would make them a bit more empathetic and trustworthy.

In closing, I would just like to reiterate the magnitude of this phrase, "I'm sorry". I would like you, dear reader, to be a bit more mindful when using it yourself and to not accept anything less from those around you who speaks these words to you. Be blessed and be kind.

"It's the end of the world as we know it" ...Time to take charge and close those doors!

Tomorrow, May 21, 2011 has some predicting The End of The World, The Rapture. I take none of that crazy talk seriously but it did get me thinking as to how we can all turn this around into something wonderful, positive, and empowering. I see an opportunity here to use this moment to reflect upon our lives with the purpose of closing the doors (in essence, ending the life) on some of the issues that have been annoying us, bothersome, and contributing to sleepless nights up until this point.

Why not choose to end these disturbances (kill them off) ourselves instead of waiting for them to dissipate as time goes on. Because, in some circumstances, by being completely honest with yourself, you know very well that that is not going to happen. We must try to become more proactive in our approach concerning these matters.

For instance, is there a relationship that is going absolutely nowhere, never will and/or is a great burden to you? Well then, close the door and end it. Is there a negative behavior that you posses knowing full well that is bothers and irritates others? Then, again, close the door and end it. Is there a project that has been nagging at you to finish? Do you feel that it is just too big to handle and it's keeping you up with worry at night? Go ahead, make plans to just get it over with, closing the door and ending it.

 By making these difficult decisions and following through, you will ultimately gain  the confidence needed to not allow these types of situations to enter or stay long into your life again. You will have the power to close the door and end it yourself. You will be the master of your own destiny. The commander and chief of your world. You will forever insist on being treated with respect and dignity, by being in control of how others interact with you. You will find yourself actually wanting to treat others with respect. With hard work and perseverance it could become your new second nature.

The ending of the world as you know it (in certain aspects in your life) will allow new doors to be opened. It will also breath new life into your outlook, and in turn, attract more positive energy to you with a bright and strong vibe leading they way.