Ignite!

We have all seen something catch fire, to become totally engulfed, and then become tiny particles of ash. But, my most fsavorite part is just to see something being ignited....to see just the spark to get its life at the starting gate. When you know that going back is not an option. I love to see it in little flare ups, when no one is looking, but I notice. When some else's life can be different because of some deed done or words said. It all matters. My dad sent me a video this week that reminds me of the way we can ignite something in others, but words we say. I am sure that you will love this video as much as I do... http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=Hzgzim5m7oU&vq=medium Now, after watching that, how does that makes you feel? That taking just a few moments of your time can change EVERYTHING for someone else, without expecting anything in return. I have seen the sun shine in my office and I have seen people be more than they ever thought they could be because of the desire to be more. We all need a little encouragement...something to get us thinking, something to get us feeling, something to get us living again. Ignite courage in others so they don't have to live in fear...ignite strength in others so they forget their weaknesses...ignite the soul so that the head knows it no longer leads...ignite the role you were meant to play...ignite the Army of One to allow others to follow...ignite the light so others may see...ignite!

Resistance

Yes, we know it exists, but that does not mean that we like it or that it will last long. Most times, we do not know how long the resistance will be in our lives or why it even came up to begin with. But, understand this. We still have three choices when resistance shows up and tries to push us back and impede us from going where we want to go. Choice one - just stop. Hold our ground. Tread water. Stay afloat. Do whatever we can so we are not going in the backwards direction. Send out an S.O.S. and see what ships come to our rescue, never knowing if they ever will. Choice two - allow the resistance to be stronger than we are. We allow its push to be greater than anything else we have learned up to that point. We give in. We surrender. We are left to drift, at the mercy of the resistance. We lose control of ANYTHING. We become a victim. Choice three - we move through it. We forge ahead and even though it is tough, we move - little by little and step by step. It becomes the mission to at least try with EVERYTHING we have to be somewhere different. To be someone different. Each choice has its own costs and therfore, its own benefit. Choice one leaves you with some weariness and may make you put out more effort than you want, especially once you realize you are not going anywhere. Choice two takes you where you have already been, where you hold on to what was and you stay stuck. Choice three requires the most effort, but also shows you that you with courage, strength, and hope you can move through tough times. Are you facing resistance today in your life? We all probably have some of it, even if it is minor, in our lives every day. Resistance can cause damage if we let it. Ultimately, the choice is still ours to make. What is your FINAL ANSWER?

Carpe Diem

Sieze the day! Do you know how? Are you taking advantage of everything that is in front of you, when it is in front of you? Sometimes, it is scary. It is so scary that you are not sure where to start and once you find the courage to start, will you be able to really hold on? I got scared this weekend. Stupid scared. But, unlike times in the past, I am not running. I am appreciating what I see...what I know...what I feel. When I see, know and feel then I feel less scared. I need to hold on but put my hands up in the air and let go. Hold on with my heart...let go of everything else. I can't have both. I cannot live in both worlds...I have to pick. I have to choose. I have to allow others to make choices as well. Even when those choices take me places I have never been before. Because I trust the choice. And I trust, absolutely completely, the person who makes that choice. I am seizing my day, every day. The courage and strength I need to get to the other side makes me better. It helps me grow and give more to others. I am going to take what is meant to be and run with it. I have no choice in that matter as it has already been decided for me. I am embracing my journey - as I was told to do so many months ago - and as someone very special once told me, "I am having the time of my life." It is here...it is now...it is having no regrets and never wishing you had done less. It is not being strong all of the time because you felt safe keeping it all in. It is letting people see YOU and truly showing the world who you are. "ACT AS IF IT WERE IMPOSSIBLE TO FAIL." - Dorothea Brande. Grasp what you want...what motivates you...where your dreams take you...and hold on to them. They will take you places you never thought you would be. And you, too, can have the time of your life.

Be your own hero

It is great to have people we look up to and admire - those people inspire us to be better. If you were to create that list right now, would your name be on it? That is hard for most of us I can imagine. There are people that I know that totally make me try harder than I did the day before. I see some of the things that are going on in their lives and I seriously say, "How do they keep going?" and "How do they do that day in and day out without breaking?" I am not sure I could if I were in their shoes. There are people that have had a worst past than I did and I think, "What can I really complain about?" But those people do so much for me...even those that will never know it. Life has dealt them issues that I have never had to deal with and hope I never do. My issues are different, not necessarily harder. Those people are heroes in my book. Things they didn't ask for, would not wish on their worst enemy, or couldn't plan even if they wanted to are right in front of them. But they accept it and take it on. But what about you? Are you proud of your accomplishments and where your life has led you to right now? In my Life Statement, the first sentence says it all. "I have lived a false life, but not one I am ashamed of. I just have not lived my full life yet." I have led the life I was meant to live - to get me to here. Now. You are my hero. Some of you may ask why. Because you are here for a reason...because you keep coming back...because you stay for good. You are all special and have a purpose. Most of us will never meet, but it would be cool to get us all together and say we were "hanging with my Homme" - our last name is pronounced "ho - me". Kitty. Even when you think there is no way anyone could ever find anything that they admire in you - because you think you are not worth it and don't deserve it - someone does. I am telling you right now...I used to think that and when someone tells me what I mean to them or that I inspired them, I stop. It stops me in my tracks - literally - and I might even stop breathing just for a moment or two. It is almost too much for me to process and fathom. But, I humbly accept it. You are heroes to people and you may never know it. But know this...you are your own hero. Be proud of that today. I am.

The strength of a smile

Every day, I put on something that makes me smile. It forces me to, even if I don't feel like it. It is a reminder of what kind of day I am going to have...a GREAT one!! However, regardless of whether I am having a great day or not, this simple accessory has brought smiles to those that see me wear it along with many wonderful comments like, "I love your watch!" Yes, I wear a bright yellow (thing Big Bird yellow) watch that has a HUGE smiley face on it. It matches nothing that I own, but I wear it anyway. It was given to me by a friend for my birthday and I wear it several times a week. Even when I do not wear the watch, I wear the smile on my face and in my heart. It is a simple gesture, to give someone a smile that always gets you one in return. In those occassions that one is not given back to you, do you wonder why? Sometimes, I do. There are some people that I see everyday and they are just the most unfriendly, borderline crabby people I have ever met. My saying, "Good morning" just sets them off. But, I say it anyway. Your smile can make someone's day, even if you think it is not that big of a deal. They say that life is not about the big things, but the little simple things that we overlook from time to time. A smile shows confidence and happiness. I would much rather give that impression to someone than anything else. Show your strength today...SMILE and HAVE A GREAT DAY!!! :-)

Strong enough?

Have you ever had to be strong, but not sure you were? Have you ever felt like you needed to tell someone something that you were so afraid to tell them? Either because you were afraid you would hurt them or you were afraid that their opinion of you would change? How many hands went up? Mine did. When I let the walls down, I still have strength, but it is harder to find. When the walls are up, I see how strong they are and how they can protect me. But how can you be strong when you feel like there is nothing there that will keep you safe? Your armor and shield are laid at your feet, and you stand alone. I recently told someone that I wasn't strong enough regarding a particular situation. Honestly, I really don't think I am. The reply I received was very surprising, yet I knew she meant it the moment I heard it. She told me, "I can be strong enough for the two of us." Today, I heard a song with that same message and it reminded me of this conversation from two weeks ago. Sometimes, we have to be strong enough for two of us because the other is weak and fragile and scared. I actually feel great strength when I have to be strong for someone else, when they need me. When we are forced to face our fears and conquer them, we become stronger. We learn about what we can and can't do. Ultimately, we are in control of whether or not we are strong enough. We do not realize what makes us stronger until we are faced with obstacles and turmoil. When do you feel stronger? I feel it when I am of service to others, giving my heart and soul away, almost naturally. Without thinking. Without practice. When the time comes when someone you love tells you that they are not strong enough, be strong enough for the two of you. Then, when you need them, they will be strong for you. It will come when you least expect it, when you think you can't, when you aren't sure of anything. But you will be strong enough. You will find the courage to say what needs to be said and still loved regardless of past actions. You have to believe that it is better to have courage to go there than to be afraid for never tried. Even when it is hard, even when you are begging on your knees, even when you aren't even sure why the tears come. Be strong enough. Fight through your fears, swallow your pride, and give it all you have. Actually, you have more than you know. Because really, there is someone else standing next to you being strong enough for the two of you.