Don't Hurt Yourself

People come into our lives and people go; some give and some take; some bless and some hurt; some help and some hinder.  Throughout all that you may endure in life in your interactions with others - be careful that you don't hurt yourself.
 
We suffer enough damage just by being human and reaching out to others who may not appreciate our genuine acts of kindness, but that's the risk we take.  Everyone won't appreciate you, everyone won't love you back, everyone won't celebrate you, everyone won't congratulate you, everyone won't give back to you  - that's life!
 
Don't hurt yourself by becoming bitter; don't hurt yourself by becoming unforgiving; don't hurt yourself by not giving; don't hurt yourself by hardening your heart.  As I stated to a friend recently, "when you give - it doesn't always come back from that specific source, but God will always take care of you!" 

Jeremiah 17:10 - I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

If you keep your heart right towards God - HE WILL bless you!  Don't allow the insensitivity of others to cause you to miss the blessings that God has already prepared for you to receive. 

Jeremiah 29:11 - For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

God has plans to bless you; He wants to bless you!  God is watching how you respond.  Everyone has their just reward, so remember that God is watching you!  Be careful not to hurt yourself and jeopardize what's in store for you.   

Romans 2:6 - God "will repay each person according to what they have done."

Check Yourself!

The month has been one of revealing and one of gratitude.  I have the opportunity to interact with many different people and some of them feel comfortable sharing their testimonies and/or current situations with me.  After listening to one today and pondering on the others that I’ve heard, it left me with the question to pose to myself of, “Is it really that bad?”  Meaning – are the things that I complain, gripe, whine and moan about really that bad?  Or am I taking for granted that God has blessed me with an awesome opportunity to live?!  I need to check myself!

There is a quote that I think on often and it says, “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”

Here I am complaining that my boss didn’t pat me on the back for a job well done, when I receive an e-mail from a business associate praising God for restoring her hearing - when the prognosis was deafness.  Here I am complaining about processes not being followed at work - when I was approached by a colleague stating that she was about to undergo a double mastectomy.  And then again, I received a message from a different co-worker rejoicing on how she returned to the doctor to go over her test results and the cancer that she had battled with is gone!  And again, two phone calls this week of people close to me who’ve suffered sudden death in their families.

How can I sit here and continue to belittle that Great God that I serve by complaining over things that have no merit?!  The next time you feel the urge to gripe – CHECK YOURSELF! 

Looking For a Reason...

Last night I was watching another one of those extreme weight loss shows and the young lady was over 400 pounds and climbing.  She experienced the tragic loss of her mother at a very young age and it tormented her to the point of turning to food as a source of comfort.  Through the years, she used the passing of her mother as her reasoning for continuing to over eat and for continuing to gain weight – even if it was to her own detriment.  As I sat there watching and listening to her story, I couldn’t help but think about all the reasons we hold on to in order to remain the way we are; all the reasons we hold on to in order for us not to change.  Her reason was food, but what’s yours?

I was able to relate this this lady’s story because I had two siblings diagnosed within months of each other with cancer, and they both passed away as a result of their illness.  Food, which became my source of comfort, turned toxic for me.  As my weight spiraled out of control, my health, my esteem and my outlook on life was bleak.   It wasn’t until I “made the choice” to regain control that things began to change.

People suffer all kinds of unfortunate events in their lives, but those events don’t have to be a reason for you not to empower yourself to have a better life.  That better life includes happiness, success, health, wealth and prosperity. 

You have a choice, so you can stop looking for a reason to not live your life to its fullest potential.  Let go of the hurt, let go of the fear, let go of the regret, let go of the unforgiveness, let go of the past and let go of the people in your life who are subtracting from you versus adding to you.

If you are going to look for a reason today – look for a reason to live your best life yet!

Superficial Constraints

So now that I'm in my mid 30's and pressing on, I see that my list of "must haves" in a man have changed a bit.  A guy friend asked me the other day what my top 5 were and here is where I landed.  Now if you had asked me the same question a few years ago - the answers would have included a degree, salary comparable to mine, a homeowner, 6'4-/250 lbs, etc. I do understand that with time comes maturity.  The expectation of a solid, well-rounded, good person supersedes the materialistic constraints that I was placing on my future mate and could possibly be why I'm still single.  I needed to grow up!

What I was failing to realize was that if the man I long for possessed the attributes below, the other things on the list would come together, as they should.  So the more I think on it, the more I realize that I've probably passed him many times over or didn't give him a chance because I was blinded by unnecessary necessities.

Superficial constraints.  Anyone can have a house; anyone can have a car; anyone can make a 6 figure salary; anyone can get a body like Angela Bassett.  Anyone who exerts enough time, effort and energy can have all the material things to define our societal ideas of success, but does that make them a good person?  

So you may have reached a level of admirable achievements, but are you a good person? Do you have integrity; do you talk too much; can you be trusted; are you the same person behind closed doors; do you have a close, intimate relationship with God as you portray?

Top 5 Must Haves

1. Committed relationship to God
2. Integrity (honest, trustworthy and true to who they are)
3. Ability to communicate vs. shutting down
4. Intrinsically motivated (a hustler/go getter/driven)
5. Positive/optimistic/glass half full

Think about it - are superficial constraints impacting your ability to build good relationships?  Of course you need to exercise common sense with associating with anyone, but to thine own self be true about the relationships you've dismissed.