Take A Stand

This entry may be a little cheesy but I heard a song today that reminded me of my greatest wish for us. I wish that one day we would truly be a peaceful world. I know that is a fantasy but it is my fantasy. The song is by Boyz II Men called, "One Up For Love."

There are so many moments in my day when I just close my eyes and wish all of the anger and hate in this world would disappear. It breaks my heart to see so many people filled with hurt and rage, taking it out on other people. These people have been hurt repeatedly in their lives and have no other model of how to treat others. So the cycle continues. Causing us to create a world filled with people mistreating others and feeling neglected.

Then there are those moments where I get a glimmer of how we are supposed to be. One of my kids will start crying simply because his friend is crying. A true vision of empathy at such a young age. A man helping an older woman to her car with her groceries, or someone paying for the person behind him in line for no other reason then to show kindness. I think of the small things we can do. Passing someone on the road, smiling at them and seeing their face light up! Knowing that if I say hi to someone, I may just make their day better then it had been in weeks. We tend to underestimate the impact we have on the lives of others, both negative and positive.

This song reminded me of our chance for peace and love in this world. We all have love inside of us. We all have anger inside of us as well. I guess it comes down to which emotion you will stand up for. The choice is easy for me. I will always stand up for love!

There is nothing better then a song about overcoming life's most difficult struggles. The raw, vulnerable lyrics waiting to inspire other people experiencing similar issues. With all of the dance music filling the radio, it is so refreshing to hear a song come on that I know is touching lives every time it plays.

The moment I heard Demi Lovato's "Skyscraper" I had the chills. This is a song that reaches to your soul and brings light into your darkest moments. At some point in our lives, most of us have felt that sense of being out of control. You are beaten so far down by something completely out of your hands. You pray that you can find a way to stand back up.

This song isn't about feeling worthless, letting someone control your self-worth, or loss of hope. This song reminds us that regardless of our situation and the lack of strength we may feel, we are all capable of rising back up. We are all capable of finding one bright spot within ourselves that is worth holding on to. When you feel as if there is nothing left of you to share with the world, please remind yourself of these lyrics. As dark as your world may be and as far down as you may feel pushed, remember you were meant to soar!

Something Greater

Have you ever felt as though you were meant for something greater? I am beginning to wonder if this is a common feeling for people or if it is just me. I have spent my life feeling as though I was created for something big! Something great! I just assumed that everyone felt this way. As I take a closer look at people and how they live their lives, I begin to wonder if this restless feeling is not as common as I thought it was. No matter where I am in my life, this suffocating feeling quickly seems to follow. Every adventure I find myself on only brings excitement temporarily. Soon, that desire to do something great creeps back into my soul.

I am almost 26 and I have done nothing that really makes me proud of myself. God created me for something amazing and I know deep down that I have not accomplished his goal. People tell me that I am doing great things for kids and others but somewhere down deep I can't seem to shake this feeling. I believe that what is meant to be will be so I believe that I am in this place for a reason but something just doesn't feel right. I know that I need to have faith in his plan. I also know that I need to take a leap of faith.

I am a dreamer. I always have been. I don't really know anyone who dreams like I do. Most people I know are very grounded and realistic. Some times I feel as though I should just pull my head out of the clouds, but then, I wouldn't be me. There is a realist in me that is very scared to take the leap to make my dreams come true. What if I fail? What if I make a fool of myself? What if my plan isn't what God wants me to do? Too many times my "what if" thoughts cloud my mind and I let fear take over. Then all I am left with is the safe choice. I just want to leave this place knowing that I gave every bit of me to help make others happy. I have been blessed with a such a wonderful family and support team. I know deep down in my soul that God created me to make lives better. I just need to find the way to make that happen. I don't think I will be happy until I fulfill my purpose.

So you probably are wondering how this blog is inspirational. Well to most of you it might not be. I am in pain right now because I feel like I am wasting my strengths and true calling. What I hope you take from this is not my pain, but instead to evaluate yourself and where you are in your life. Do you have a purpose that is being wasted? Are you giving all that you can for God? Sometimes we get so caught up in our daily stresses that we forget why we were put on this earth. If you have forgotten why, please take the time to look deep within yourself and uncover your purpose. Then go out and make it right!

A little Bit Stronger

OK so I have to admit that I have a weakness. This weakness has burdened me for too many years. I'm sure many of you will be able to relate to this. My burden is.....shocker...a man! Well if that is what you would call him. He is basically the most selfish and damaged person I have ever met. Unfortunately I have been addicted to him for over 8 years. I have felt this gravitational pull towards him and have never been able to figure out why I just can't walk away, when he has never offered me anything worth my time. In all the years that I have listened to his problems and fixed his life, he has only brought me one thing; heartache!

Now I promise this blog is not about me venting (although this does feel really good). I am actually writing about a song that spoke to me today. I have a feeling that there are many people who have shared my experience or feelings towards some man in their life. If this is the case, and you have been working hard to move past him, you need to listen to the song "A Little Bit Longer," by Sara Evans. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4f3c8wC8Qs

This song gives us hope. Some days I feel so stupid for letting him slip back into my life and break my heart again. I get so down on myself for being weak, that my heartache is no longer about him. It is in me being disappointed in myself. I get mad because I didn't say, "no" to him and walk away. My frustration is not with him, it's with myself for allowing him to waltz back into my life and make me question my worth and desirability. This song tells me that even when I am at my weakest moment with him and I'm crying over his text message or thinking of him while listening to a song, I am still getting a little bit stronger. I need to be proud of every stride I make in the opposite direction of him. Because each stride away from him, takes me towards someone real. This song makes it OK to admit that this person has impacted your life. This person has made his way into your heart and will forever have changed the way it feels. I find myself trying to make excuses for how I feel and say that it was nothing and I am stupid for ever feeling that way and that soon I will feel nothing for him, when deep down I can feel that he meant something real to me. I appreciate that this song validates those feelings, even when he may have not respected them.

I hope this song can do for you what it has done for me. It reminded me how strong I am and that there comes a time when this pain gets easier and that no matter how many times I may feel like I have stepped back into that torturous place I am still getting stronger. Every day I am getting closer to being free of self-doubt and closer to being in the right place emotionally for my true love to find me!

Be Somebody

I have a quote and a song to share with you today. Both remind us that we are all special and have unique gifts that need to be shared with the world and not wasted.

The quote is by Samuel Johnson and it says: "Exert your talents, and distinguish yourself, and don't think of retiring from the world, until the world will be sorry that you retire." The song is "Born to Be Somebody" by Justin Bieber. Even if you are not a Bieber fan, google the lyrics.

This world can be exhausting. Every day we are presented with new challenges and obstacles to overcome. Some days we win and some days we fail. After a long run of failure, exerting oneself and taking risks seems pointless and impossible. We have all felt defeated and questioned, "Why do I even try?" The quote and song awakened something in me. I have been blessed in so many ways and I have so many talents to share with people. If I do not spend my life doing my best to help others, then what am I doing with my life? We all need to be somebody. Not just someone who passes the days by breathing. We all need to find ways, big or small, to make the people in this world happier.

If we all take a moment to look deep within ourselves, I know that we can find our hidden talent. That "it factor" that makes us unique. The next step is probably the hardest. Find that drive to use your talent and make a difference. It may take months of searching to find your true fit, but once you do, I promise it will be worth it. Please challenge yourself to explore your hidden gifts and then use them to make lives better. There are so many people that need inspiration and hope. In our own creative ways, we can provide that for someone. Can you imagine what it will feel like to make someone's life better? I hope everyone has the chance to experience that feeling. More than once!

What Would You Do?

I heard an amazing quote the other day.

"What would you do if you knew you couldn't fail?"

Just take a moment to comprehend this quote. What would you do you if you knew that anything was possible? I know we have all heard those encouraging words more than once in our lives, but the truth is, somewhere deep down we all had reservations, fears, and doubts. We knew that not everything was possible. So we spent our lives listening to our reason and logic working towards what we see as feasible.

But ever since I heard this quote I can't get this idea out of my head. What would this world be like if none of us could fail? If we were successful at everything we did, would we be happier? Would we be at peace with ourselves and therefore each other? Would we be risk seekers and out making a difference in our world? I guess the point I am trying to make is that sometimes we tend to fear failure so much that it paralyzes our creativity and prevents us from living up to our full potential. Soon we find ourselves in a world of mundane experiences, filled with regret.

Yes failure is very real and happens more than once to us in our lifetime, but maybe we should start acting as though we can't fail. Even if we know logically it can happen, our actions can prove otherwise. Our world is a sad place for people right now. Many of us however are in a position to make a difference in the lives of others, but sometimes our hopes and dreams seem out of reach. If we act as though we can not fail and believe in what we are doing, sky is the limit!

So my new challenge for you: Act as though you cannot fail, and believe that you can achieve greatness!

Stand

I just heard a song by Shawn Stockman called, "Stand." I immediately got goose bumps and needed to share this song and the message I got from it.

This song sends a message to me and I dedicate it to anyone that is broken down and feeling hopeless. For the people that feel as though they don't have anything to wake up for. The ones who think they lack purpose. For those that don't have a sholder to cry on or a hug to fall into. This song tells us that even at our darkest hour, when we feel all alone, we always have someone to turn to. God is always on our side and he is always right next to us, waiting to lift us up and help us find our purpose once again.

Living with out a sense of purpose or meaning has to be the most difficult burden to carry. Questioning what you are doing with your life, or wondering why you are surrounded by tragedy and no light to shine on you. At some point you begin to feel smothered with failure and depression that the easiest and only option seems to be...stay down. But this song reminded me that even though laying down and sheltering yourself from the storm seems like the only solution, it isn't.

Sometimes even though it seems impossible, just standing up is the first step in improving your life. Just using what strenght is left in your body and soul to get up and move forward is all it takes. My challenge for anyone going through this experience is to dig deep down and find that ounce of strength left in you and know that nothing is bad enough to keep you down! Stand up and take this life head-on. God will never leave you alone and will never let you fall!