Happiest Moment

Tell me about the time when you remember being the happiest. Somewhere in your journey when you felt the most at peace within yourself and felt whole... When was that moment for you?  It is an important thing to remember that moment, because when you get down or frustrated you can close your eyes and think of that time and it really does make it better.

I remember going to a place called Grand Isle, LA.  I have been there 4 times so far.  The first few times I just enjoyed it and it was nice... but there was something special about the other times... I can remember sitting on an empty beach, listening to the waves of the Gulf of Mexico, seeing dolphins dance in the water, and the sun shining on me.  That moment of that day continues to overwhelm me in a good way.  I will never forget the way I felt.  I felt whole and complete and happy. 

Whenever things get the best of me I close my eyes and remember that day and how I felt... I felt closer to God than I had ever felt.  Some people may think the scene I described wouldn't qualify as some great magnificent thing... but within my soul... it was amazing and beyond anything I had ever felt before.

Everyone has some time in there life that they were the happiest, and it is going to be different for every single person because we are all unique.  So please share with me this moment in your life?!

If tomorrow....

It came to my mind this evening... how often do we tell the people in our lives how much we love them?  What if they were to die tomorrow and you never told them what you felt?  That is a sad thing! 
It is so important to tell your family, friends, significant other, etc. that you love them every chance you get and you will never regret it!  Not only does this make them feel good to know they are loved, but it is good for ones own heart as well. 
I know a few certain times in my life that my last words to someone had been that I loved them because they were gone before I saw them again and I am thankful for those times... but I often regret the ones I remember not saying it too and they were gone before I had the chance... and those were the ones that I thought had a lot of years left, but they were young... close to my age.  You never know what tomorrow holds!
So when you say bye to someone you care about say 'i love you'... and it doesn't matter what others think... what matters is you showing love to those you care about.  I need to improve on this myself...  so spread all the love you can!!!!  Today is here... tomorrow may not be!  I love you! <3

The Past

As we are going forward on our journey we often tend to focus on the rear view mirror.  It is so easy to glance up and look through that mirror at all that has happened in our past, but that will hold us back from living in the moment and we will lose sight of everything around us that matters.
The things we have experienced in the past that have caused us some scars seem to be the things that always try to stay in the forefront of our minds.  We can forgive others but we have to forgive ourselves as well in order to move on.
Have you experienced something in your past that has effected who you are today because of the pain and hurt that you went through? I think we all have something like that, but we have to try our best to stay focused on where we are at in our journey because looking back can cause hurt over and over again and cause us to lose sight of who we really are and where we really want to be.
Remember... those who hurt others always comes full circle and will come back to them... we may never even know when it does.  The important thing is that we forgive others, we forgive ourselves, and move on... we are on a journey moving forward so don't get stuck in the ditch along the road!

Love and Compassion

I think that Love and Compassion are 2 things the whole world lacks. If we don't show that, who will?  We have to show that we care and I certainly hope we do!  That we care for every single individual. 
One day I was asked why I would ever 'hang out with someone like that.' I now know what Jesus must have felt like.  There are some who would be accusatory of Him for being with the 'sinners'.  I am glad that He didn't care what others thought about that. He was there to help anyone who wanted it or needed it. 
So when others may judge you for who you spend time with just remember that your love and compassion will be remembered and returned to you no matter who may put you down. 
Anyone who would call someone else a sinner... has never truly looked in a mirror. 
Please always show love and kindness and compassion to EVERYONE!!!!   

Never Hold Back

          If you hold back from something due to fear and it keeps you from following your heart then you should reevaluate your life.  We all have that tendency to hold back from things... especially things that make us uncomfortable, but to grow and learn we have to follow our hearts.  For some people following their hearts is becoming settled in a community and having a family, and for others it is simply going where the wind takes you, wherever it may be, and experiencing new things. Some people really enjoy being settled in a community and having a family, and in doing that you still don't want to hold back what you can offer your town and all you can offer your family.  When going with the wind, we simply go where we feel we are moved to go and not regretting it. 
          The point I want to make is that we don't want to hold back on our potential.  Wherever our place in life we want to give it all we have.  Many people still tell me that I have 'hidden talents' but I often clam up in some settings and I don't share of my 'talents' like I should.  I feel we all have those gifts and we all hold back out of fear.
          In today's society many people are maybe even fearful of sharing their talents because of criticism and bullying.  Remember though that when someone is hurtful to you they are often jealous that you have a particular talent and they don't and that is why it is necessary as well, when someone is sharing of their talents, to remain encouraging.  Maybe you can remember a time when you felt that you would never do something again because someone laughed at you (not with you).  Look above that in yourself and show them that they may try to bring you down, but they won't because you can fly...you do have wings...you can excel at your talent... Never let them tear you down and Never hold back on your talents or dreams. 
         So.... What's holding you back?

Moving Forward

There is often a dream that each person has that seems so great that they feel they could never reach it.  Sometimes there is a wish that someone has that seems so great they feel they could never reach it. Often I think we expect things to happen instantly and then when something doesn't happen like we feel it should we back out, back track, to the place we were.  Sometimes there are people telling you that you could never go further or be more... but never let anyone make you feel you are less than you are.  Each person, great or small, has a value beyond what anyone could ever see... most of the time they don't move forward because they feel like they are not good enough, they feel they don't matter, they feel like they could never reach their dream.

If someone tells you that you could never reach you goal... they are just jealous of the fact that you have the faith in yourself that you can do it... and when they bring it up to your face that you can't... show them you can... because you can.

Moving forward sometimes means leaving behind people that you have come to know and love.  I have experienced this in my life many times.  I have moved many places and met a lot of people that i have came to know and love and call my friends and each time I had to leave I felt as though I had lost everything... but later down the road I have realized that i have gained so much... though it was difficult to sever those ties i knew that in order to move forward in my life that I would have to follow my heart and follow my dream. 

Through each place that I have lived and been to, I have met some amazing people.  Remember that each place you go, each person you meet, teaches you something and gives you experience, but to really learn and grow in the experience... you have to take everything in... not just the part you feel is important, but take in all the details... because down the road it will all be of use to you. 

What I am trying to say is... just don't let anyone take away what you want to do in life.  I watched "The Help" recently and it truly moved me in many ways.  When Skeeter asks Aibeleen if she had other dreams and plans for her life and Aibeleen shook her head yes... that right there is a pure example.  She had dreamed of being something other than a maid her entire life and that is all she had done... but then she felt courage within herself and brought about a great change in her life and many others in that era and place, and she became a great writer... She also says something over and over to the child in the film, she says "You is kind, you is smart, you is important."  If we can remember that ourselves... every single one of us... we can do amazing and great things.

Have the faith and confidence that you can make a difference, you can reach your dream, you can have wishes and reach for the stars, and you can be the master of your own masterpiece... Be sure to use the brightest colors on your palette and paint the picture of your life as you go so that at the end of your life there will be something left behind that others will never forget your life...your work of art.