Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Quotes

Aim to have people positively transformed just by being in your sphere of influence.
- Dr. Wes Saade

Monday, December 29, 2014

do your best

You have days when it is challenging to even think of doing the next thing.  Let alone your best.  Yet, if you aren't trying to do your best, what are doing?  

You have challenges.  I have challenges.

You have things you don't think that you can get through.  I have things I don't think I can get through.

You have goals that come with more setbacks than wins.  I have goals that come with more setbacks then wins.

You have people fighting to tear you down. I have people fighting to tear me down.

You have come from somewhere and are going somewhere.  I have come from somewhere and am going somewhere.

The question is first, do you want to do your best?  [I do!]  I don't think most people would say they don't want to do their best.  But at the same time, they aren't putting in the effort to do their best.  They are only giving it half the effort.  Is half their best?  There may be times it is.  But if you know in your  heart you could do more, do better, then it is not your best.  You have to want to do your best.  Nobody else can make you.  If you do want to do your best, then how do you do your best?

Watch this 2 minute video by Coach Garrett after the Cowboy's win on Sunday, December 28th, 2014.  Be inspired to do your best!

You do your best regardless of circumstances.  - Coach Garrett


Do what?  Regardless?  No matter what?

Yes.

No matter the challenges.  No matter what you don't think you can get through.  No matter the goal.  No matter the setbacks.  No matter the wins.  No matter the people fighting to tear you down.  No matter where you came from. No matter where you are going.  No matter whatever circumstances you are facing.

You.must.do.your.best.

If your best needs to be cleaned up.  Clean it up.  If you have something to learn.  Learn it.  Stay focused.  Don't loose sight of what is important.  Be hungry.  Be ready to take on what is set before you.  Don't quit.  Have a killer instinct.  Know what you our next move is and do it.  Trust your gut.  Follow through with it.

The results will come, if you do your best.

Take one day.  One moment.  One task.  One challenge.  And do your best with it.

I needed these reminders at a time when I am facing challenges, setbacks and circumstances trying to overwhelm me.  Defeat me.  Make me give up.  

I wanted to share them with you. I want to encourage you [and me] to do your best!  Life is short.  Give it all you got. 

And Never.Never.Never.Quit.

‪#‎DoYourBest‬ ‪#‎OneDayAtATime‬ ‪#‎RegardlessOfCircumstances‬

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

What does Ephesians 4:29 mean?

I shared a post on Facebook yesterday and got some comments because I used the term "bad ass".  Not the typical language people have heard from me.  But is the term bad?  Inappropriate?  Awful?  Shameful?  Sin?  

This term is modern slang to mean flat out incredibly awesome!  Could I have said this instead of bad ass?  Indeed.  I sure could have.  There are generally at least two ways to say something.

The term I used may offend you.  Every time you get offended do you call someone out on it?  Was my comment and post meant to offend you?  No, that was't my goal.  Could it have been taken that way?  Evidently of late, much of what I say and write is.  Does.  Why, I am not really sure, but its hitting the nerve with some.

The term may mean something different to you.  Every time you have a different interpretation of something, do you focus on making sure someone sees it the way you do and setting them straight?  Or do you try to understand and see something from their perspective?  Even if it goes against what you believe?

You may believe that this term is bad language.  Do you have grace to allow someone else bad language, either way?

You may believe that Ephesians 4:29 means I am out of line.  Let's think about this.

Don’t let even one rotten word seep out of your mouths. Instead, offer only fresh words that build others up when they need it most. That way your good words will communicate grace to those who hear them.

- The Voice

What is a rotten word?  What is a fresh word?  What is bad language?  What are words that build each other up?  Is this passage just about bad language?  Or is it more than that?  Maybe not even about bad language?  If you believe someones language is bad, where does grace come in?

I haven't always had this perspective, but as I grow to learn to grow and live in love and grace, not by rules or in a box, I want to be open to more than one way of looking at something and understanding exactly what God is asking of me.  To give love and grace.  In all things.

I don't have the answers.  I do things all wrong.  But I know in my heart and believe God knows exactly what I want to accomplish in my life and that He will lead and guide me to achieve this on my courageous journey in my walk with Him.  When I am not in line with His vision for me, I trust He will show me.  Gently. Lovingly.  Without a need to point out all my faults.  He knows I know I have them.  I know I have them.  Without a need to shove me out.  Shoving someone out of your life only creates division, not a connection.  Without calling me out.  Calling someone out on something generally only makes one defensive and put up walls.  

I am learning this.  The hard way.  May I learn to remove all rotten words and create fresh words that communicate love and grace.  At all times.

Monday, December 22, 2014

Quotes

Behavior is linked to your perception of self-value. It's knowing who you are that will change your behavior. 
- Shawn Craig

Sunday, December 21, 2014

Dear Hives

Dear Hives,

You made your first appearance back in September 2014, which came out of nowhere.  You were horrific and created some deep physical, emotional, and yes, mental stress.  After my first episode with you that lasted three days, I ended up in the Urgent Care, trying to figure out what caused your extensive eruptions.  I was deeply and very much perplexed as to the root of the issue and what would cause you to attack me like you did.  After some contemplation, I could only pinpoint it to one of two or maybe three things:  
Maybe Fried Oysters?  
Maybe an Immune Booster in a Smoothie King drink?  
Maybe Pest Control sprayed at a clients office?  

I thought with time, if I repeated any one of these things, then I would know the exact cause of what has created you to react as you have with me.  I have not attempted any one of these three things again, yet to my surprise, you have continued to reappear and overtake my body.  Lasting generally, three to five days.  Little did I know that the process to figure this out would become so difficult and that these episodes would be more horrific than I could have ever imagined anything to be.

I am writing today to share with you dear hives, some of my thoughts and feelings.  I want you to understand how I feel.

I want you to know that I understand that you are displaying outcomes exactly as you should.  You are letting me know loud and clear that something doesn't jive with you and that it needs attention.  I am listening.  I want to understand you.  I want you to know that  I am sorry.  I want and will do all I can to figure out what is triggering you so that you can have peace as much as I want peace.  I want you to know that you are not abnormal.  You are doing exactly what you were designed to do.  

Yes, you are making me feel as if I am absolutely crazy.  And if not completely crazy yet, that I will be  in that zone very soon.  I have strongly felt that there was something deeply desperately wrong with me, but I realize there isn't.  This is normal.  It is how you respond to what is triggering you.  I will give you space to be you and will accept you.  I will not fight you any more.  I will be patient with you.  I will do my best to gently soothe you when you even while you are yet creating blisters and welts, all over my body, that sting, itch and are hot to the touch.  I will do my best to not aggravate you on any level.  I want to ask you to be patient with me as I figure out what is causing you to do your normal thing.  I am not here to create opposition. I am in full support of your method.  Let's just please work together so we can achieve the results we both want.

Desiring to Help You All I can,


Misty

Saturday, December 20, 2014

the break in blogging...

You know I love to blog.  I love to write.  I enjoy dialogue.  Asking Questions.  Thinking about things.  Sharing my heart.  Sharing in your journey.

I took a break in blogging...

...at least publicly.  In that I blogged and wrote in my journal, but either posted the posts privately or just saved the posts and didn't publish them at all.

Why you might ask?

For several reasons.  

First, I have been working on some deep roots and things from my childhood, upbringing, training, concepts of truth, readdressing my spiritual journey, learning and relearning things, and the intense growth process has been at times very challenging and hard to share with you.  I have felt I needed to create some space.  I needed some time to process without putting it all out there.  

Second, when I launched into the online dating scene, it became difficult to manage all the things I was involved in both in my personal life and business life, and I had to cut some of them out.  Blogging got reduced.  Time management had to be redistributed.  

Third, I have needed to process some of the criticism and negative feedback that I have gotten over how much I choose, consciously, to share with you about my Courageous  Journey.  I have had to face the people pleasing tendencies that I have had from a different perspective and address them.

Was the move to not blog a good thing?  Did it help, do more good or did it create more alarm when you didn't hear from me?  Was my decision to not publish because I feared what you thought of me or because I really needed space?  Did I left my feelings of being so overwhelmed at times that I couldn't post prevent me from sharing when I should have shared?  

Those are good questions and I am not sure that I have the complete answer.  Either way, I did what I felt I should at the time.

The removal of layers to this onion is still in process.  As it is in each of our lives.  The growth in my personal life has been very horrific this year.  The challenges at times have been more than I thought I would face or were possible in certain phases of this journey.  The hurt that I have experienced in a handful of situations has been devastating.  However, I am committed to continuing this process, no matter how difficult it is and no matter the results.  I know there will continue to be people who will agree or disagree with my choices, my decisions, my actions, my journey, who judge me, are unable to love me or show support, based on their perceptions of me, my life and their beliefs of what is truth.  I choose to give them space to be who they need to be.  My goal is not to create any more pain in their life and if being a part of mine, seeing my journey hurts you, I understand you moving away from me.

In the midst of this, my desire to encourage, love, support and inspire you continues.  It is the core of who I am and who I want to be.  

I pray that the work I have done in my life is evident to you and the truth of everything you learn about me can only help you to love me more, not create hate, distrust or resentment towards me.

With that in mind, I want you to know that I plan to publish some back posts.  You may or may not read them.  You may or may not want to follow my journey.  Either way, I love you just the same.  My blog will not be written for approval or based on your approval.  It will be The Life Of Misty with God right by my side as I focus on continuing to Be Courageous, Be Generous and Be Loving!

give life your best

Approach life and everything in it with a determination to intentionally give it your best! When you know in your heart that you have truly done your best, you do not feel guilt over the results. You do not beat yourself up. You do not question the results. Because the truth is you couldn't have done more or better when you do your best.
Stay focused. Stay engaged. Stay determined. Give life your best!
‪#‎BeCourageous‬ ‪#‎BeGenerous‬ ‪#‎BeLoving‬ ‪#‎EnjoyEveryMoment‬‪#‎BeYourBest‬

Monday, December 15, 2014

Quotes

Many of us were taught to put ourselves last, and as a consequence we attracted feelings of being unworthy and undeserving. As those feelings lodged within us, we continued to attract more life situations that had us feel more unworthy and not enough. You must change that thinking.

—Rhonda Byrne

Monday, December 8, 2014

Monday, December 1, 2014

Quotes

Surround yourself with people who make you hungry for life, touch your heart, and nourish your soul.
 - unknown