It’s a choice

I’m no angel. I have a past littered with what a lot of people would consider mistakes, but that I consider lessons. I am who I am because of each time I fell… and each time I picked myself up. If you learn from your past, there are no “mistakes”– only lessons. “The greater the struggles, the more glorious the triumphs.”

Always believe that people are innately good, decent people. Sometimes, people get lost along their way and have a hard time finding out who they really are. Love those people the hardest when they’re the hardest to love. People really are good, even though, at times, we can all do bad things.

We’re given the blessing of CHOICE. We have free-will to make our own decisions– good and bad. Always choose good over evil, but never blame God for the evil that exists. Sure, God could have gotten rid of all the evil that surrounds us, but then we’d become puppets. Choose love.

We all have flaws. Overcome the ones that need to be, or embrace the ones that don’t with kind words and a genuine smile. Laugh often because it’s a simple, free, easy way of reminding yourself that life is beautiful and there’s happiness to be had in every situation you encounter.

Meet a person with more “problems” in their life and they’ll tell you life is good. Try to befriend people with this philosophy… they’re onto something. Attitudes like this are contagious; beware: so are negative attitudes.

Smile when you’re sad, laugh when you feel like crying, and give someone a hug when you’re feeling down. The best way to cheer yourself up is to spread happiness everywhere you go.

Begin Anew

Have you ever wished you could begin anew
To experience the things you always wanted to
To make sure each day in someway you grew
To accomplish big things, and small ones too

To make a difference via things you would do
To positively impact lives of people you knew
To spend more time marveling the sky so blue
And less time worrying about your list ‘To Do’

To ensure your faith becomes increasingly true
To verify each day a good memory you accrue
The great news is each day you can begin anew
But seize this day, another isn’t promised to you

Author: D Anthony, D-Rose Impressions

Chi la dura la vince

“Anyone can give up… it’s the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart… that’s true strength.”

I’ve heard people close to me ask “Is this all there is to life?” THIS IS YOUR LIFE. Sometimes “this is all there is.” Make the most of it. One day you’ll wake up and it’s over before you know it. Live a life that you can look back on and be happy you lived. Stop questioning the depth of your daily life, live each day as if it were your last, and realize that, yes- this is “all” there is to your life because it’s “all” you’re allowing your life to be.

If you’re the best person you can be every single day of your life (and if you haven’t always been, today is the day you can start living everyday as if it were your last), you won’t have any regrets when you’re called Home. But the choice is 100%, without a doubt, yours- and yours alone.

So you don’t own a car, or have kids, or work in a plush office with a fancy view? “The prettiest woman in the world can have hell in her heart. The most highly favored woman at your job may be unable to have children. The richest woman you know… she’s got the car, the house, the clothes. She’s lonely.” Love who you are. Love what you’ve been through. And embrace what you’ll go through. It’s why you are who you are.

Life is beautiful. The sooner you realize that, the better off you’ll be. And I don’t care what anyone says… life is what you MAKE it, regardless of the position you’re in or the hand you’ve been dealt.

You’re given one life here on Earth… you might as well love it.

Failure is only an option if you let it. Not succeeding is only an opportunity for a second chance. People give up too easily when things don’t go their way. Fall six times, get up seven. If you choose to stay down, that’s on you. If it doesn’t work the first time, the second time, the third time… try something else. If you keep doing the same thing, you’ll keep getting the same result.

There are going to be certain people in your life that you just don’t get along with. Love those people. They have bigger enemies than you. They’re fighting bigger battles. As humans, we’re inclined to think our problems are bigger than everyone else’s. They’re not.

 More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope. Romans 5:3-4

Where He guides, He provides

The most beautiful people have the deepest scars. They’re the people who don’t let their pasts control or define them. The most people beautiful are the people who spend more time helping others than trying to figure out how others can help them. Beautiful people give, not take. Beautiful people find the beauty in what most would consider ugly. An ugly soul destroys a pretty face. A beautiful soul makes a beautiful person.

Just because evil exists doesn’t mean that good can’t prevail. Love is more powerful than hate and good can conquer evil.

Bad things are going to happen to everyone… good people and bad people alike. People will hurt people. People will let people down. Don’t use that as an excuse to do evil, to fail, or to hurt others. You’re only hurting yourself.

You can blame the world for your problems and question its motives, but the world owes you nothing. You can allow yourself to become a victim or you can overcome. You’re given the choice.

Find happiness in every situation, in every person, you encounter. Spread happiness everywhere you go. Life is too short to spend it mad or sad. Happiness is a choice, no matter what your circumstances, regardless of the hand you’ve been dealt.

Bad decisions and wrong turns make for an interesting story and a productive future.

Never wish time away. Life will be over before you know it.

Embrace your hardships– the greatest lessons will come from them. If you don’t learn from them, that’s your mistake.

Always remember: Where God guides you, He will provide for you. You can blame Him for your hardships, or you can thank Him for your blessings.

A Little Bit of Life

“He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.”

If you want people to like you, treat them as though they’re important. They are. Even if you don’t care if people like you, treat others as though they’re important. They are.

“Watch your thoughts, for they become words. Watch your words, for they become actions. Watch your actions, for they become habits. Watch your habits, for they become your character. And watch your character, for it becomes your destiny. What we think, we become.”

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

You know those people who argue with just about every point you make just for argument’s sake? Appreciate those people. They keep you on your toes and they clearly think highly enough about what you have to say that they’ll state an opinion about it.

Choosing to accept the loss of friends, loved ones, and relationships is choosing to embrace the present with an open mind and an open heart; it’s choosing to embrace life.

Those days that you feel like you’re carrying the world on your shoulders should be the days that you hit your knees the hardest and pray.

The opposite of love isn’t hate, it’s indifference. Indifference means you don’t care. When you carry hate for someone, you’re allowing that person or thing to still be a part of your life. Anger doesn’t cure hate… forgiveness does.

Optimists are people who expect good things to happen to them; pessimists are people who expect the opposite. Optimists see the silver lining in every situation, even when presented with what seems impossible to bounce back from. Pessimists expect the world to dress them in the morning and become constantly disappointed when it doesn’t.

“Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact.”

FAITH

This was shared with me and I’d like to share with you! 🙂

Professor : You are a Christian, aren’t you, son ?

Student : Yes, sir.

Professor: So, you believe in GOD ?

Student : Absolutely, sir.

Professor : Is GOD good ?

Student : Sure.

Professor: Is GOD all powerful ?

Student : Yes.

Professor: My brother died of cancer even though he prayed to GOD to heal him. Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill. But GOD didn’t. How is this GOD good then? Hmm?

(Student was silent.)

Professor: You can’t answer, can you ? Let’s start again, young fella. Is GOD good?

Student : Yes.

Professor: Is satan good ?

Student : No.

Professor: Where does satan come from ?

Student : From … GOD …

Professor: That’s right. Tell me son, is there evil in this world?

Student : Yes.

Professor: Evil is everywhere, isn’t it ? And GOD did make everything. Correct?

Student : Yes.

Professor: So who created evil ?

(Student did not answer.)

Professor: Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things exist in the world, don’t they?

Student : Yes, sir.

Professor: So, who created them ?

(Student had no answer.)

Professor: Science says you have 5 Senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Tell me, son, have you ever seen GOD?

Student : No, sir.

Professor: Tell us if you have ever heard your GOD?

Student : No , sir.

Professor: Have you ever felt your GOD, tasted your GOD, smelt your GOD? Have you ever had any sensory perception of GOD for that matter?

Student : No, sir. I’m afraid I haven’t.

Professor: Yet you still believe in Him?

Student : Yes.

Professor : According to Empirical, Testable, Demonstrable Protocol, Science says your GOD doesn’t exist. What do you say to that, son?

Student : Nothing. I only have my faith.

Professor: Yes, faith. And that is the problem Science has.

Student : Professor, is there such a thing as heat?

Professor: Yes.

Student : And is there such a thing as cold?

Professor: Yes.

Student : No, sir. There isn’t.

(The lecture theater became very quiet with this turn of events.)

Student : Sir, you can have lots of heat, even more heat, superheat, mega heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat. But we don’t have anything called cold. We can hit 458 degrees below zero which is no heat, but we can’t go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold. Cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.

(There was pin-drop silence in the lecture theater.)

Student : What about darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as darkness?

Professor: Yes. What is night if there isn’t darkness?

Student : You’re wrong again, sir. Darkness is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light. But if you have no light constantly, you have nothing and its called darkness, isn’t it? In reality, darkness isn’t. If it is, well you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn’t you?

Professor: So what is the point you are making, young man ?

Student : Sir, my point is your philosophical premise is flawed.

Professor: Flawed ? Can you explain how?

Student : Sir, you are working on the premise of duality. You argue there is life and then there is death, a good GOD and a bad GOD. You are viewing the concept of GOD as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, Science can’t even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing.

Death is not the opposite of life: just the absence of it. Now tell me, Professor, do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?

Professor: If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, yes, of course, I do.

Student : Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?

(The Professor shook his head with a smile, beginning to realize where the argument was going.)

Student : Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor. Are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you not a scientist but a preacher?

(The class was in uproar.)

Student : Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the Professor’s brain?

(The class broke out into laughter. )

Student : Is there anyone here who has ever heard the Professor’s brain, felt it, touched or smelt it? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established Rules of Empirical, Stable, Demonstrable Protocol, Science says that you have no brain, sir. With all due respect, sir, how do we then trust your lectures, sir?

(The room was silent. The Professor stared at the student, his face unfathomable.)

Professor: I guess you’ll have to take them on faith, son.

Student : That is it sir … Exactly ! The link between man & GOD is FAITH. That is all that keeps things alive and moving.

You’ve Got To Do Your Own Growing

The easiest thing in the world to do is give up. As a society, we’re encouraged to “just quit” when our circumstances allow us to become unhappy. We think the grass is greener on the other side, but what people don’t realize is that watering your own lawn is just as effective, if not more effective, than throwing in the towel because you THINK “it could always be better.” Things get worse before they get better and they only get better if you choose/allow them to get better.

People can change and grow. To claim that someone cannot is to deny yourself those possibilities. Think about it: if you claim people don’t change, you’re telling the world that you, personally, will never change or grow. There is a huge difference between not wanting change and being unable to. Sure, some people DON’T change because they don’t WANT to… not because they CAN’T. Change comes from growth and it’s a choice.

“We are prone to judge success by the index of our salaries or the size of our automobiles, rather than by the quality of our service and relationship to humanity.” Reread to acknowledge a huge part of what’s wrong with our world.

Life is too short. Don’t let your traumas hinder you… let them empower you. Use your experiences to help; don’t use them as excuses. God put us here to help each other, not hurt one another. “At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.” Be the person to light others’ flames, and surround yourself with those who light yours.

Never try getting “even” with someone who’s hurt you or done you wrong. That’s giving that person or people too much credit and time for the hurt they’ve caused. Instead, forgive them. “The only people with whom you should try to get even are those who have helped you.”

“Never look down on someone unless you’re helping them up.” None of us are in any position to judge another human being. We’ve never walked in their shoes and we never will. The same way you judge someone, you, too, will be judged.

“The greatest virtues are those which are most useful to other persons.” We’re put here to help each other, not ourselves. The happiest, most successful people I’ve ever known are those who put all of themselves into helping. You don’t find happiness in cars, shoes, jewelry, or food. Happiness is knowing you don’t need those things to be successful.

“This is the true joy in life – being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap; being a force of nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.” AMEN.

The only thing worse than sticking out is blending in. Be an original. All too often people lose themselves, lose who they truly are, because they fight so hard to become someone else. Be yourself. You’ll be loved more because of it.

And there is nothing greater in this world than to love and to be loved.

Love Life

Life is short. As humans, we think we’ll live forever… it scares us to believe otherwise. How many of us truly appreciate life daily? How many of us really only appreciate life until someone we know has had their own life taken from them? Until someone you know or love has had their own life threatened? Tell the ones you love that you love them. You’re not always given tomorrow… they don’t always have tomorrow. Tomorrow isn’t guaranteed. So love the ones who treat you right and forgive the ones who don’t.

“Love is an art that is learned and a discipline that is practiced.”

Love must be learned… and learned again and again. There is no end to love. “Love is the only emotion that isn’t natural. The only one that has to be learned and the only one that matters… love has to be learned. Love is a skill. Love involves giving.”

Everything that a person does says a lot about him/her… everything a person doesn’t do says more.

“Words may show a man’s wit, but his actions show his meaning.”

I’ve learned the most valuable lessons by taking wrong turns and making poor decisions. As much as I felt I was suffering, I don’t think the lesson would be as valuable if it were painless.

If you want to fail, compare your life to someone else’s. Success is finding happiness in your own life. You know you’ve made it when you want for nothing because you realize you have all you’ll ever need.

“For light, go directly to the source of light, not any reflections.” Always keep your face to the sun so you never see the shadows. You become the company you keep. Surround yourself with decent, honest, positive people and soon those attributes will become a reflection of your personality.

Life is always worth living and it’s worth living to the fullest. There are people who aren’t given as much time here as they’d like. Embrace life in honor of those people who God called home before you think their time was necessarily up.

Life is good… and it’s ALWAYS worth it.

Life Happens

Failure isn’t fatal or final and “failing” at something doesn’t make you a failure… not getting back up, or not trying at all is. “The only real failure in life is the failure to try.” Failure is not defeat until you stop trying. Never confuse one loss or defeat to a total loss or a final defeat.

“Every person has flaws and sins. It is only when you keep it in the darkness that sin grows and multiplies.” Acts don’t destroy relationships. Lies destroy relationships. If lies destroy, honesty heals.

Forgiveness comes easily when you really love someone. It’s not something you just do… it’s something you are. It’s how you live. It’s not about getting even. It’s about wiping the slate clean. Time and patience are required for forgiveness.

Forgiveness is as beneficial for the person who needs to forgive than for the person who needs forgiveness. Forgiveness isn’t about forgetting; forgiveness releases the pain that caused the hurt in the first place. Weak people hold grudges. Only the strong can forgive.

Pain is necessary to the healing process and healing isn’t instantaneous. Healing always starts with honesty, no matter how painful the truth may be. Focus on the good, happy memories and not just the bad, sad memories… it’ll help get you through the tougher, darker times.

Happiness is a personal choice, not another person’s obligation. “You cannot choose your feelings of happiness but you can choose the actions that bring about those feelings.”

Life happens. Love hard, forgive always, and leave the worrying to God.

Positivity

Happiness is a choice. People are as happy as they allow themselves to be. Your happiness, or lack thereof, is not a reflection of how other people around you treat you; your happiness is a direct result of the choices you make… you alone choose the actions that bring those feelings. Let them be actions that bring about happiness.

“We do not do what we do because we feel the way we feel; we feel the way we feel because we do what we do. We act ourselves into a new way of feeling, not feel ourselves into a new way of acting.” How often do YOU confuse the two?

Realizing and living out your calling is often a challenge because society and culture tends to confuse a calling with a vocation or job. However, a calling is about WHO we are and not simply WHAT we do. YOU ARE CALLED.

“Think of what you were when you were called.” 1 Corinthians 1:26. I’m thankful for who I was but even more thankful for who I’ve become.

Be thankful for the people God has put into your life. He put them there for a reason. Don’t allow what others have done to you define you or dictate your actions.

A negative person can drain the life out of everyone in a single room. Don’t be that person. Don’t surround yourself with those people. You’re meant to shine. Anger is the same way… it kills slowly. It will slowly kill you and the people you’re around.

Live a life of meaning and value. We’re all dying slowly, everyday. If you choose to live a meaningless, valueless life, you’re dying faster than you should be.

When you’re in trouble or you’ve done something you wish you hadn’t, take the wise way out. The wise way out is generally the hard way out. It’s always worth it in the end.

“We must deliberately, determinedly concentrate on what is pure, praiseworthy, positive, and honorable.” Anything less and you’re not living your life to the fullest… or living the life that you’ve been called to live.