It Matters

What is your motivation for doing things?

Does your career just satisfy your financial needs or does it satisfy your passion?

Do you believe innocent until proven guilty?

Do you set the example or wait for the example to be set?

Do you believe misery loves company?

Do you go out of your way to help others or expect someone to help you?

Do you go without in order for some else doesn't have too?

Do you sit back n watch or do you pitch in?

Do you believe in misery loves company?

Do you cause your own chaos and then blame others?

Do you believe in do as I say and not as I do.

Do you speak up or regret you did not?

Do you inspire others or tear them down?

I need to share this with you guys. Take it as you will. I wrote 90 percent of this blog during my lunch break at work this morning. I just needed an ending.

Sometimes Fate will give us what we need if we just wait for it.

I was reminded how negative behavior effects everyone we are around, today. Especially the ones that we think are not paying attention. We are human beings and for that reason alone, we need to respect one another, each moment, of each day, and always.

That sometimes we have to take an unexpected hit, that cuts us deeply, but we need to keep moving forward. That our motivation is what drives us. It is our choice to be a positive force or a negative one.

If we have any hope for the future of this world, it is through our kids. We need to show them what a positive world can be like and that it starts with what You are doing, not what everyone else is doing.


Until next time,
~It is what it is~

Mirror, Mirror on the wall.....

Do you ever look in the mirror and wonder who is staring back at you?

It is hard to look in the mirror and not like what you see. How long will you continue to look and look without doing anything?

I think we have a habit of just going with the flow of life that we do not realize that have forgotten the path we were originally on.  We start living the life that we think we have wanted all a long. Only to wake up one day realizing that this path we chose, isn't where we belong.

A relationship. A new career path. A relocation. Going back to a former job. Death of a loved one. Divorce. A million and one ways we can end up on a path.

Sometimes it is our choice that brings us to this new path. We are all excited about it and can't wait to begin. What happens when we get there we find out it is not for us? I think pride gets in the way. The inability to admit that we made a mistake will keep us going on a path not meant for us.  This will chip away at us and slowly change us into something unrecognizable. 

What if we are thrown upon this new path? No say. No choice given. We are forced to travel down this new path, a path we did not choose to take. Bitterness can slowly creep in changing us inch by inch until it takes us over completely. 

How about fear? The fear of change. Fearing something will stop us from trying something new. Fear will leave us stuck in the same place, doing the same thing, and moment by moment we will be filled with regrets.

Taking control of our lives is the answer. Not being ashamed of our choices, circumstances or mistakes. We are human. We are not perfect. There are times that we have to go through it alone and times when we need to ask for help.

Take time to look in the mirror. Reflect (no pun intended) on what you don't like and how you want to change it. Solace can be so soothing for the soul. Find a place that brings you peace. I personally find peace when I am at the beach. Something about the sound of the waves crashing and the ocean air brings me an inner peace like nothing else. It centers me. What centers you?

Knowing your circle will help.  Who gets you like no other? Who will be the most kind and honest? Or give you that long deserved kick in the ass saying, "It's about damn time you came for help!"

Now that you have decided to take a good long look in the mirror, can you continue on the same wrong path or will you take a good look around and take the steps needed to forge a new path?

Until next time,
~It is what it is~

.

Words

Sometimes when I am doing housework, I put on my headphones and blast the music. This song came on and it struck me differently today.  I know what the song is really about. But, as you guys know by now, inspiration comes to me in unique ways.

The line "All I really want is something beautiful to say" and the song title itself, "Words as Weapons", stood out for me today. 

Words as Weapons. I think we are all guilty of this one. Hurt feelings and heated arguments can lead to using words to be hurtful. We can be in a cranky mood. Just intolerant of someones behavior. A negative person to begin with. This can cause us to say the words and then come to regret them later.  Are we just expressing what we are feeling in the moment, with all those feelings we should of expressed earlier mixed in? Or it is the last straw for us?

Why is that? Why do we hold in our emotions instead of just saying them in the moment that we need too? Are we too afraid to hurt the other person? Do we not care enough about their feelings to say what we need to say when we should? Afraid of Conflict?  What ever the reason we have for not saying what we need to in the moment that we should, is not a good enough reason to allow them to come to explode in a heated moment. At that point the words we should have said long ago, come out bitter and with new meaning.

I think we all have something beautiful to say, when they are said in the right moment.  It does not matter if it the words will be hurtful or not.  When said in the moment that they are needed to be spoken in, they come out as they are meant to be heard. 

It is a declaration of how you truly feel, and how can that not be anything but beautiful?

                         **I am at my breaking point**

                         **I Love you**

                         **I want more**

                         **I cannot give more**

                         **I need you**
    
Whatever the words that you need to say, say them in that moment. Do not hold on to them. The moment will pass and you will either regret that you did not say them or hold on to them to let them sit where they will bother you until you do get them out. No matter the timing they will come out.

When we truly value what we care for or love, we should truly value the words that we use. When we are on the receiving end of these words we need to be sure that we are listening with an open heart and mind.

Do not let fear or conflict cause you to turn your beautiful words into bitter ones.



Until next time,
~It is what it is~

How strong are you?

Forgiveness. Such a hard word to come to terms with. An action that takes strength to accomplish.

Are you strong enough to forgive?
Are you strong enough to forgive someone who does not seek your forgiveness?
Do you have what it takes to forgive?

What does forgiveness really mean to you?

Think about this for a moment before you answer.

How easy is it for you to forgive someone who cuts you off on the road while driving? You may not even think about it. You may lean on your horn, flip them the bird or use some derogatory words. Then you continue about your drive. You have let it go. You have forgiven them.

What about when your shopping? Someone is rude to you. You again may make a comment and continue about your day. You have let it go. You have forgiven them.

How do you treat co-workers? Someone upsets you. A co-workers isn't doing their fair share of the work load, giving you more work to do. How do you handle that?

A loved one lies to you or treats you badly. What do you do?

Obviously when it is someone we do not care deeply for, we are not too offended, and find it easy to forgive them for their actions against us. A loved one, well that is a different story entirely.

Personal feelings get in the way, most of the time, when we have to forgive someone we love. We are shocked and offended when someone we love hurts us, deeply. We take it personally. But is that the right way to feel when forgiving someone?

Regardless if we love them or not, we tend to questions their motives. What caused them to hurts us? Were they trying to protect us or themselves?  What were they thinking?

I could go on and on with examples and such, but it doesn't matter. Really the reasoning they need your forgiveness does not matter at all. Yes, that's right, it doesn't.

A strong person forgives easily. Why? A strong person knows that we are all human and make mistakes. That they themselves are not perfect and will need forgiveness for themselves. Over thinking it. Taking it too personally. That is the problem.

It is normal to react in the moment. Anger is a normal reaction when we are hurt. We tend to react with our emotions first and then use our brains later. As a person who wears her heart on her sleeve, I react within the moment. I am hot headed. A major flaw I have. I am a passionate person. It is hard for me not to react with a passion to anything, good or bad. I am not perfect and I always choose to forgive someone because of that fact alone.

Then the unthinkable happened to me. It doesn't matter what it was. It changed me. It affected me deeply. I was put in a position where I had to decide to forgive two people who are not sorry for hurting me. For having unreasonable expectations of me. For not giving me unconditional love. How in the world do you forgive the way someone thinks?

I thought I was a strong person. I was numb. I withdrew. I thought. I came to this conclusion. I am not perfect and I choose to forgive people because of that fact. That didn't change.  And because of that, forgiveness does not mean I allow myself to continue to be hurt by these people. I had to let them go. Forgiveness means that I have let it go. For me.

We cannot control how people will treat us. Good or bad. We cannot allow not forgiving them to alter us. The burden of holding on to anger, grudges, wrongs, weigh heavily on us, not them.

Their reasons do not matter. Do they show true remorse? Their actions will determine if we continue to allow their behavior in our lives.

Forgiveness is about us not them.

I will not allow it to change me ever again, no matter how personal. I can take a hit from any angle and I will forgive.

I am stronger than anything that can hurt me.

Are you?

Until next time
~It is what it is~

The Simple Life....

Can you apply these to your life?

1) Letting it go-All of it. Easy to say and harder to do. Okay then, let's hold onto all the pain, mistakes, broken hearts and regrets. What could possibly happen? You got this right? Ummm...when someone hurts you, than all of the past hurts come rushing forward and you can't stop but to over react. It could be something simple. It doesn't even matter how this person wronged you. You have so much built up inside each time you get mad, you are unable to separate the pain and anger of the past from the present. Also, you end up becoming a bitter person.

2) Seriously? Yes, seriously. What I think or any other person thinks, of you, does not matter to you. You need to love yourself enough to know that you matter.  Ultimately, it is what you think of yourself that will determine your self-confidence and ability. It is ok to seek encouragement, advice, and mentoring from others. Does that mean that they have to like you in order to do so? No. Think of a boss. They do not have to like you but they can be willing to see you succeed for the simple reason it makes them look good. Take the personal feelings out of it. The people in your circle love you for who you are not what they think of you. Think about that for a moment. If you were to ask them what they like about you, it is not what they think about you that they like and that doesn't matter.

3) Time does heal. Going through any pain, hurt, or tragedy needs time. We all should take time to be able to process the ordeal.  It is hard to see clearly when we are going through something. Hurts or even a joyous time can cause us to put on those rose colored glasses. Take the time needed to step back, heal if you have to or enjoy the moment for what it is. Time will give you the clarity you will need. See things you couldn't see in the moment. The loss of someone will always be felt. The intensity will fade, but never go away completely and that is okay.

4) We tend to always think the grass is greener on the other side. We think because we can do something, everyone should and the same way, with getting the same result. Sometimes we think that someone has it easier or thing looks better over there. Nope. We are in fact individuals. Even twins are not the same. Do not fall into judging others. Not much is what it appears to be. We each have our own path to travel, it is not our place to be the judge of others.  There is much that we do not know.

5) Over thinking is a waste of time.  I will not lie to you. This one is extremely hard for me not to do. I am getting better at it but I am not perfect. I tend to do this and in my mind, it is a perfect world. I can have my cake and eat it too. So when life doesn't work out the way I want it to, I think again, again and again. Til the moment comes and I am like, why on earth am I wasting my time? If I could use all the time I have spent over thinking, I would have the cure for cancer by now. So the next time you find yourself over thinking it, Stop, and say what will this accomplish for me?

6) Happiness. It is easy to make yourself happy. Do not place expectations on others to do something that you need to do for yourself. Like Oreo's? Eat them. Like the ocean, then go. Like giving, then give. Like someone, tell them. Don't really like to do something, but you know it makes the other person happy, do it. Making other people happy will make you happy. Point is, do what makes you happy. You are in control of your happiness. You. 

7) Smiling is turning your frown upside down!! Corny I know, but it is true. As a person who cannot seem to control her facial expressions, at least when I smile, nobody has a clue what is going on in my mind. So try it. Next time your mind is traveling else where, when your mad, or just in a mood and you don't want people knowing, put a smile on. People tend to leave you alone when your smiling and before you know it, you will forget why you had to put on a fake smile in the first place. Try it. You can not possibly be smiling and truly mad at the same time. Go ahead, I dare you.

Bottom line here, we tend to complicate life more than what it really is. 

Say what you mean. Do what you say. Feel what you feel. Love how you love. Think what you think.

Be real. Be genuine. Be happy. Make your life simple.  You will be surprised at how easy it is.

Until next time,

~It is what it is~

Looking Through the Glass.....

Have you ever had one of those moments when you can see everything happening around you but your not really experiencing it?

You react to everything and feel nothing.

You are just going through the motions. Each moment. Each day. Each year. Meaningless motions.

You can't remember when you stopped living, you just know that you have. When did you become numb? One too many broken moments of time?

We are capable of handling a lot before we break. Sometimes we experience so much, over and over again, we become numb to it all. We don't even realize that we have become broken. There is just a little less joy in what we do each day. We get to the point where we can't even recognize the difference anymore. We hold the pain in, become accustomed to it, than we just exist.

Maybe you have had a series of bad relationships. Continually having your heart broken can certainly leave you feeling numb. A repeated broken heart can leave us feeling so broken and unlovable. It is easier to just become numb to the pain than to continually feel it.

Disappointment after disappointment can leave you feel resigned to giving it your all anymore. Always trying and giving more than 100% can be exhausting. Not achieving the desired results can be a major blow to one's pride. Why put forth the effort when the results are not what we wanted? Before we know it, we are just going through the motions.

How do we get out of this? How does it end?

I believe there are reasons why we go through these phases. We can be so numb that we can't see the pain we are in. We can't understand what we have become in our waking motions.

We may have a good laugh, and then realize, I haven't laughed liked that in a long time! You just feel off and are tired of it. You want more. You know there is more to life than what your in. We may have a person that tells us that we are not being "us".

We may hear something from a stranger that just opens our eyes in that moment. We could witness something that just clicks in us. We have to be open to all possibilities but we can't go looking for it. We don't even know what we are looking for. Five people can tell us the same thing and then the sixth person does and we finally have that epiphany moment.

If this is resonating with you or someone you know, than know that you are on your way. You are not alone. If you know someone is off, be the friend that you need to be and extend that hand. Just cause we don't talk about it, doesn't mean it doesn't happen. Realize that you may be the seed someone needs.

For whatever reason, this phase of your life, is meant to be. When you have your epiphany moment, you will see clearly. It will all make sense. You will know the reasons you became you and did what you did.

This is another life lesson. We need to learn and people learn in different ways. What happens to you, will teach you what you needed to learn.

Life can be difficult. Life can be joyous. There are times that you are down. There are times that you are up. If we do not learn how to balance it all, it will overtake us.

There is a fine line between love and hate. Be sure to always love yourself, even when you feel that no one else does. We often can not see what we are worth. Believe me, You are worthy.

Do not spend your life "Looking Through the Glass."

It is time to break the glass and start living life again.

Until next time,
~It is what it is~

The Dandelion...

I saw this on a friend's FB page.  Does this image bring you back to your childhood days? It did for me. I started thinking about making wishes and how carefree n fun it was to make those wishes on a Dandelion. The joys of childhood days.

Did you wish on a Dandelion? What kind of wishes did you make? 

I miss the innocence of childhood. How families stuck together, no matter what. How friendships were made so easily. A pinky promise was worth more than gold, any day!! How when you had a friend the worst thing was fighting over toys, what game to play or which house to play at. Parents had all the worries and we had none. 

How fun it was being so carefree most days. Having moments that I can look back at with a fondness and cherish those memories made.

How making wishes that were made with such hope and lightness. I tried thinking back to what wishes I had made back then. I really don't remember.

I started thinking what would I wish for today? 

World peace? That is a joke. In order to have world peace there would have to be a huge change in mankind. I am not that hopeful. 

Money? Money can bring stress and unhappiness.

Happiness? I have a happy life.

An easy life? Than how would I learn anything?

A simple life? I think I am pretty close to that. I am not a materialistic person. I try not to clutter my life. 

Love? I have love in my life.

I think wishes were made for childhood days. As an adult it makes me sad. We learn that childhood days are just that, the past of carefree wishes for the future. Hard work gives you what you need to live life as an adult. Dreams turn into goals, that we may or may not achieve and that's okay. Pinky swears turned into contracts. Our wishes have changed. The saying, "Careful what you wish for" has true meaning to us adults. 

The magic of childhood is long gone. We can have fun, joy and promises of adulthood. There are some perks to being an adult. We make our own decisions, money and can have cake for breakfast. There is no Good Breakfast Police after all!!!

Sometimes adult life can bog us down. Doing the career thing. The parent thing. The married thing. The soccer mom thing. The friend thing. The spread yourself too thin thing. That we choose to make our adult life magical or not. If we don't like something, we have the ability to change it.

That we have the power to make our adult life magical if we choose too. 

That if I come across a dandelion, I will still pluck it, make a wish, blow it into the wind and for a moment, be brought back to my childhood memories.

Will you?

Until next time,

~It is what it is~

And NO I am not replaceable!!

Yep, this describes me to a T.

What, are you the same way? Do you know someone just like me? Good. I am sincerely happy for you. But you know what? That person is not me.

I am who I am. I make no apologies for it. I may be just like you or someone you know. I am sure there are many people who have the same characteristics as I do. Can do what I can. That does not make them me.

You may think you can simply replace me. You will learn that you may find someone with the same characteristics as me, but something will be off.

Nobody can wear their heart like I can.
Nobody will burn as brightly.
Nobody will speak as passionately.

Simply put, not one person can be ME.

I will continue to be me. Act like me. I am not every one's cup of tea and I do not need to be.

Now re-read this but this time, You are the author.

Don't get caught up in someone not wanting you for who you are.

Everyone is not meant to stay in your life.

Those that think that they can replace you, obviously do not appreciate your uniqueness. That is on them, not you.

Why would you want someone who can't embrace everything about you anyways?

Surround yourself with people who will value what you have to say, embrace your passions and support your heart.

You are not replaceable, neither am I, and that is a wonderful thing!!!

Mistakes

It is very easy to be proud of our choices when they work out for us.

What about when they do not? Does it make you spiral downward?

We tend to beat ourselves up a bit when a choice we made ends up being a mistake. The mistake is believing it was a bad choice for us.

 I think we need to look at as a life lesson. Sometimes we believe so strongly that we are making the right choice for us and take it so personally when it doesn't work out the way we had planned.

What if we viewed it as, well if I didn't try it than I wouldn't know it was not for me. What if we learn something new about ourselves that we didn't realize we needed to learn?

There are reasons for the choices we make. Are you in the right frame of mind when making the choice? Maybe at the time it is made, we felt so passionate about it, it seems to be the only logical choice to be made.

What choice do you make when the other option terrifies you? Do you throw caution to the wind and jump in without looking? Or do you play it safe and then regret it?

Even when a choice appears to be the best choice for you, in the moment, can end up being the wrong choice.

You will never grow, learn or try new things if you play it safe all the time. Mistakes were made to happen.

Life is meant to bring you experiences, good and bad.

Mistakes are just that, mistakes. They do not define you and you shouldn't let it.

Experience it all. Embrace all the edges you have.

Sometimes being on the wrong path is exactly where you need to be in order to get to the right one.

 Living life means sometimes it gets messy.

Until next time,
~It is what it is~

Assume Nothing

Today is Monday. I kept thinking today was Tuesday all day!!! Everyone would correct me and I still thought it was Tuesday!!!

As a Baker, I kept thinking that I need to be prepping for the ad change out and getting set up for new sale items. The entire day I was being corrected.

It felt like a Tuesday. Nothing major going on. Easy day actually. I just assumed it was Tuesday. This led me to the thought of assuming. I talked with a friend that I haven't seen in awhile and we talked about how people assume things.

We have all heard the saying "When you Assume, You make an Ass out of U and Me!"

I am so guilty of allowing people to assume things about me. Sometimes I don't really care what they think of me. Like when you assume you know my motives or how I feel towards something that is opposite to how I feel. How something really went down and so on. If I care about you, than yes I do care what you think of me. I care that you didn't ask me directly and make assumptions about me.

So I ask you, why do you assume so easily, instead of just asking?  I do my best to not assume. I do a good job of it. But I am not perfect and there are times that I do assume. The more I thought about it the more I came to my reasoning for it. It is simple actually. I just don't care enough to find out the truth about it. When it matters to me, I ask. I think most of us do. The others, well I think their intent is different.

Think about what assuming has done for you, to you and others. I do not think there are many assumptions that are actually good ones.

I assumed when I started this blog, I wouldn't have enough to write about often and at some point it would just fade away. I was wrong. I assumed no one would want to read it. I was wrong. I assumed I would have nothing to say. I was wrong. I assumed that people wouldn't like my viewpoint. I was wrong. I assumed that nobody would get anything out of it. I was wrong.

I have moments when a thought will not leave my head until I get it out here. It starts off as a thought and becomes this statement that I know is meant for someone. There are many perspectives to be viewed from. I'm thankful that you have chosen to view mine. I am glad that I didn't let the assumptions out weigh the choice to find out the truth for me.

Assuming can change feelings, dreams, and the possibility of so much more than what the truth will give you. Even if the truth ends up hurting you.

What about you? Will you continue to ASSUME or do you care enough to seek the truth?

Until next time,
~It is what it is~

Dreams....

Dreams. What do they mean to you?

Often we do not remember our dreams. A lot of times it is just stuff we have come across throughout our busy day or we are trying to process something within our subconscious.

I do not remember my dreams every time I do dream. The ones that I do remember have some message that I need in that moment of time. Mostly I can figure them out and if not then I use a dream site to help.

I love those dreams that take you places. They make you feel you are exactly living in the moment of reality and not in a dream. I had one of those last night. I can truthfully say I have only had that kind a couple of times over the years. At least from what I can remember, anyways.

I came across this saying today and knew what I experienced last night was solidified. The message was sent.

Whether you have dreams or not. Believe that they can sometimes contain a message. I think we remember the dreams we are supposed to remember.

That some of us are just more open in accepting them than others.

We are sent help/discernment when needed in a variety of ways.

The mind, in a relaxed state, is still a mind. There is no shut off switch.

What better way to send a message when there is no other choice but to listen?

Sweet dreams or none at all.

Until next time,
~It is what it is~

It happens...

True Statement.

We have those people in our lives that make life easy, fun and comfortable. What about the ones that have the biggest hearts, a bit of drama, and need us more than we need them?

What is worth forgiving to you? How many times do we forgive? We are leaving ourselves open at a chance of being hurt. Who is worth the risk to you?

It takes a special person to stay, take responsibility for their actions, ask for forgiveness, and show true remorse. To admit they aren't perfect but want to stay with you. We need to be sure we are listening with an open heart.

The thing is people make mistakes. People do not always admit what led them to their mistake. So, when they do, we need to decide if we want them to continue to be in our lives.

We need to realize that if we don't, we are saying more about who we are than they are. At least they were willing to expose their true emotions to you. Trust you completely to do so.  The least we could do is return the favor, be honest with them and completely.

I think we need to be reminded of that. It is not easy to admit the real meaning behind our actions. Each person in our lives bring something to us. Sometimes it is something that we didn't know we needed until they came into our lives.

The only ones I am willing to cut out of my life, are the ones that have proven malice towards me. Who use me with no remorse. Continually take without giving in return. Who are simply not worth knowing me. It took me a long time to learn the difference. 

Life is messy, complicated, fun, exciting and so much more. It would be a waste if we didn't experience it all.

"In order to be forgiven, we must be willing to forgive"

Until next time,

~It is what it is~

Look to the Cookie!!!

Hi, my name is Jackie and I have issues with the Oreo cookie.

I went to the grocery store with two of my kids tonight. We were at the checkout and they have these $1 snacks by the registers. I told them they could pick something out. They chose the mini-Oreo peanut butter filled cookies. In the car they gave me one to try. I do not care for the taste of the peanut butter and Oreo combo. I  do not like this, or any other mini version of a any cookie.

I do not like what they represent. "Here just have a little bit. Smaller version. Not as many calories. Not as fattening."

Do you see a problem with that?  What is your version of a "snack size?" Why do we need someone to tell us what and how much we can eat?

I grew up with normal portions of food being advertised. Fast food restaurants made normal sized burgers. Those burgers today, are what is given in a kids meal nowadays. A meal was, by today's standards, a kids meal,  just marketed for adults. A package of cookies was enough for a large family to snack on and more than once.

Somewhere along the way, someone decided it wasn't enough. An adult needs a bigger meal. They need double stuffed Oreo's. Years go by and food portions go out of control. Hmmm we now seem to have an obesity problem in society. Yet, our fashion sense says we need to be skinny in order to be considered normal and sexy(notice how they use sex appeal instead of being smart). Oh, I know what to do. Since we have gotten Americans addicted to bad fast food, have loaded them with unnecessary sugar, and abnormally large portion sizes. Now let's offer them the same high empty calorie food but make it cute and call it a snack size instead. Then when they go out to eat they can order the triple burger because they chose a smaller snack version!!

Think about about it. Seriously this is the way they keep their pockets fat and you too!!!

I choose to decide for myself what I eat, how much of it and when I want it. I choose to eat a normal size meal, a normal size cookie and food made from normal/natural ingredients.  When I want to splurge on something, I will. I will balance my diet with exercise. I will be the weight I am comfortable with and that will make me normal for me. Self-confidence in myself is what makes me smart and strong, being sexy is just a result of that.

Look to the cookie people!!! Look to the cookie!!! A cookie may crumble but it doesn't lie. Advertising does that for you.

Until next time,
~It is what it is~

Table for one please!!

I saw this and immediately thought, this is so me!!! 

I am human. I get cranky. I get tired. I get to a point where I just do not want to deal with anything fake, stressful or negative. I will remove myself from all contact, except which is necessary, until I can gather enough strength to meet the world again.

There are so many politics in this world. Kid politics. Parent politics. Family politics. Career politics. Friend politics. Dealing with the Public politics. Real Politics. And so on....  It can be so draining at times.

I try to be real in all politics of life. I am not much of a faker. My eyes are certainly a window to my soul, as much as I try to hide what they show sometimes, it never works.

I am frustrated with my children's public education they are receiving. I have to help them fight their battles. I am currently dealing with a teenager and a teacher who both have valid arguments. In the middle of this battle, I realize that when I was going to school it seemed that the teachers genuinely cared at this level, well all levels really. Now it seems the goal is to just push them through it or if they can't do it quick enough, we will just flunk them out and have them take an easy make up course over the summer. Our job is done. We did our job according to the education system. We can walk away and now focus on the students to which learning comes easily in all subjects. Seriously?

I have another child who suffers from Scoliosis. Yeah, I have to stay on top of that too. Permission to bring in a water bottle and place it on her desk. Athletic limitations. Medical requests. Never ending it seems. Same school, going on 3 years, same restrictions. Can you get it already, please?

Work politics, well, I will just leave that alone today.

The public. Never ending. When I do something kind for someone, like a pay it forward deal, I get a look of WOW, so nice of you. They actually have complete surprise in their eyes. Then the person behind me whispers, why couldn't that be us??

The political scene. Do not vote for this one or that one. All lies and secrets are exposed. It is more of a mud-slinging-who-can-throw-the-most-dirt-campaign-for-presidency-of-the-United-States. Doesn't that just make you so proud to be an American??

Friend politics. If you are not genuine with me, do not waste your time. I am over and done with that.

In a world that is more concerned with looking right, than being right. Teaching as I do not as I say. Being nice while stabbing you in the back. Greediness is the New Black. You are teaching the world to treat you the same way as you are treating them and that message is, that life is all about you and only you.

I am no way perfect. I have made huge mistakes, screw-ups and you name it, yeah I am guilty of it too. I took a much needed 1 1/2 hour nap today. And by the time you read this, I will be in bed for the night.

I burn myself out until I crash and miss out on something of value because of it.  Someday I will learn my lesson. I will learn not to over extend myself. I will learn that to be unique, kind, and genuine is all that I will need to be me and that doesn't mean I have to do it all. That there are some people like me in this world. That it is okay to be different. That all this negativity does roll off my shoulders most days. Some days I am just tired of the fight but I do continue to fight.

That if you have a smirk or even a snarky smile on your lips, than this was well worth me putting off my bedtime by a few minutes. That someday, we will all gather at the same table, as one.

Until then, I would like a table for one, please!!

Until next time,
~It is what it is~

Happy Mother's Day!!

As any mom knows, being a mom is a double edge sword. We spend every moment we can ensuring that our kids will grow to be, what we believe, a functional reasonable adult in today's world. When they reach the point that they are ready to go out on their own, it is bittersweet for us mom's. 

We are so proud of them and then sad that they are not our little kids anymore.  All the years are so tightly wrapped up in our hearts, that we are amazed at how much our hearts can hold towards another human being.  

My older two boys are spending the weekend with their dad at Carolina Rebellion. I spent yesterday at the beach with my younger two. As I write this blog, the younger two are now making me dinner. Quesadillas and Nachos. 

They are so proud n happy that they can do this for me. This weekend has made me realize that I do not need a special day set aside to honor my role as a Mom. They do not have to spend Mother's day with me because the calendar tells them too.

No matter where my children are, close or far, they will always have a special place in my heart for them. When they are happy doing things that they love to do, that makes my heart filled with joy. 

That joy I feel in my heart, is what makes me a MOM. I am thankful for that and for them. 

I wish all the MOM'S a lifetime of love n joy to fill their hearts daily!!!

Happy Mother's Day!!!!

Until next time,
~It is what it is~

Doubt

We have those moments in life where we feel that we are done. A job, career, person, habit or even a thing, we just feel that we cannot do it anymore. We may even question our own judgment in the first place.  Committing ourselves to something that has so many obstacles and drama, that it can make us feel it is not worth the struggle anymore.

How do we know when it's time to give up?  Is it really worth the obstacles we keep facing? That silly little saying keeps popping in my thoughts, "Something worth having, is worth fighting for".

I think that in the beginning we can imagine what achieving the goal will be like. We may even develop an unrealistic view about it. Making it so grand, that the reality of what it takes to get there, is rather disappointing. We sometimes get caught up in how we think it will go, we often get bogged down with the journey itself.

The reason there is a journey is to show what the goal truly consists of. We can't know until we see all sides of it. Does the darkness scare you more than the shinny moments?

Nothing in this world is perfect and shinny all the time. Do not be afraid of the challenges, drama and chaos that it may bring. It is not meant to bring about doubt in us. It is meant to challenge us. Inspire us. Develop us. It will allow us to be all that we can be.

Be sure you don't give up because it is not ideal or what you thought it would be like. You may miss out on the best thing to ever happen in your life.

Discover yourself on the journey. Obtain the dream or realize the need to create a new one.  There is no shame in knowing what is truly best for you.

Face your doubts and always keep moving forward.

Until next time,
~It is what it is~

I am a "Hot Mess"

My work week starts on a Saturday and ends on Friday. Every week. That's my work week. Roughly 40hrs. Give or take. My personal life takes up the other 128 hours I have left of the week.

This current week that I am in has been, well, wicked wouldn't be the right word exactly to describe it.

My work life has been one catastrophic casualty after another. Equipment malfunctions, unscheduled meetings, and chaos. And yes I burned my arm once again. My personal life has been hectic  and only a few minor catastrophic events.

I have come to accept these moments of chaos, for they happen, and take them for what they are. They are out of my control. I have accepted that odd things will happen to me, regardless of my attitude or perspective. I am a "Hot Mess" always.

Personal life- No decent nights sleep to be had. Unexpected car service. Meaningful conversations to ensure proper guidance. Food must be bought and prepared. Planning. Haircuts. Car malfunctions. Small almost fire in kitchen. Laundry. Housework. The usual. Life.

Except in my case just about everything that can go wrong did and with a twist.

It doesn't matter the exact details. It just has been one of those weeks in my life. I realized something important today. That even though I am a hot mess, and these things will happen, I still have laughed and a good deep belly one at that! I had comical relief at work today with some of the best co-workers/friends that I am humbled to be around with daily!! Sitting around the dinner table and laughing was probably the best medicine I could of asked for. FYI When one preheats an oven, one should check to see if there are cutting boards in said oven first. And yes they will smolder before bursting into flames. It will also cause your house to smell and take hours to clean said oven.

Tomorrow is my last day of work for this week and whatever it brings me, I know that I will embrace it and endure it. I am a glorious Hot Mess and I accept it. Well except the oven thing, I do not need a repeat of that!!

Until next time,
~It is what it is~

Is your garden in full bloom?

The definition of Common Sense: Sound practical judgement that is independent of specialized knowledge, training, or the like; normal native intelligence.

Pretty simple, right? One would think all humans have it. I was talking with a friend today. She told me about a chat she had with her boss.
Here is the chat they had:

Friend- The pot that I use has been giving me shocks when I touch it. It needs to get fixed.
The Boss- Well did you touch it today?

Then the boss finally calls it in. He is on the phone with the repair person.

Boss- Did you try plugging it into another socket?
Friend-No and I am not going to. I get shocked every time I touch it.

I was out shopping one day last week. I was on my way home from work when I realized that I didn't take anything out for dinner. I stopped at a store that was right by my house. I now remember why I hate going in there, even for just for a few items.

Me- I put my items on the belt from my cart.
Cashier-Picks up one of the items, looks at me and asks me if I meant to buy this item?
Me-Umm yeah I did, that's what I plan to do with all of the items I put on the belt.
Cashier-Oh, I wasn't sure.

Pretty funny stuff. It actually makes me laugh and be like, "What the heck People!!!!" We are in the 21st Century!!

I am sure you can come up with your own moments. I get we can be having an off day, stressed out, mind on other things, but it just seems that more and more there is a lot less of Common Sense out there in this world today!!!!

So take a moment and recall the moments you were a victim of someones lack of Common Sense, and have a good laugh.  It is Monday after all!

Until next time,
~It is what it is~