Quote of the Week - Wounds

Is it just me or did you ever have something happen in your life that changed you in some way? Some event, or series of events, that wounded you, scarred you, changed some part of you?

Today's quote really spoke to my heart:

"Don't allow your wounds to transform you into someone you are not."

                                                                                                                -Paulo Coelho

You may have been hurt. You may have been treated unfairly. You may have seen someone that you love suffer unfairly, and you may not have been able to do anything about it. 

Do not let your wounds change you so much that you turn into someone you are not. Do not let these wounds make you so bitter that you cannot find joy in things that you used to love before. Just because you were deeply hurt or treated unfairly does not mean that you have the right to do the same to others. Just because you have seen things that you wish you never had to see does not mean that you should harden your heart to things that are actually worth seeing.

Things happen in life that wound us, and sometimes these wounds leave scars. And while these scars may remain a part of you, they do not have to define who you are.  

With each new day comes distance from the things that hurt us. Will you let your wounds change you into a person that you are not? I know for me, I will do everything I can to ensure that this does not happen to me. Will you do the same?

I Am Thankful For...

Is it just me or does Thanksgiving really make you think about all that you are thankful for? For so many people, Thanksgiving is all about the food and the time you get to spend with your family. 

While I am grateful for both of those things, there are SO many other things that I am thankful for as well. Seeing as Thanksgiving is tomorrow, I thought I would change up my typical Wednesday post for this week and simply list some of the things that I am truly thankful for. 

I am thankful for...

• My Savior Jesus Christ who died so that I might live, and who provides me with everything that I need.

• My loving, supportive parents who both set such an amazing example for me every single day of what it means to serve God in this crazy world.

• My siblings, who I am so close with and whom I love so much. I would not trade the relationships that I have with them for anything.

• My wonderful boyfriend, who is not only healthy but is almost 2 years cancer free, and who treats me like a princess every day.

• My closest friends who have stuck by me through everything, and who are always there to laugh with, cry with, or vent to.

• My job that I am so blessed to have, and that I really love so much.

• My house that keeps me warm and safe.

• Laughter.

• Music (listening to it, creating it, etc.)

• My life! I am so beyond blessed and I need to remember to be thankful each day that I am alive and well!

These are just some of the things that I am thankful for. If I shared everything I am thankful for, I could be here writing this post all day! Remember to be thankful not only tomorrow, but every single day for all that you have.

Have a very Happy Thanksgiving! What are you thankful for?

Keep Doing What is Good

Is it just me or do you ever feel like quitting something because you feel like you aren't getting the results you want? I know that I have definitely felt like this in the past (and still feel like it sometimes now).

For example, sometimes I think to myself, "Why am I keeping up with this blog, putting so much work into it and spending lots of time working on posts, when not very many people even read it anyway?" 

I also have a youtube channel, where I put hours and hours of work into creating/editing music and videos (you can check it out HERE if you're interested). I have worked really hard to build up my channel to where it is now, but I still am constantly wishing that I had more subscribers and such. Sometimes I wonder, "Why am I even doing this? Not that many people see it..." etc.  

Maybe for you, it's not a blog or a youtube channel. Maybe you put in really long, hard hours at work and seem to get no recognition or thanks for what you do. Maybe you continually go to the gym and feel like you still aren't seeing results. Whatever the case, we have all been there, and the "Why am I still doing this?" question never really seems to go away.

While I still do ask myself that question from time to time, I have learned over the years that what I do is not all about me. Maybe the one or two or three people that do read my blog really enjoy it and look forward to reading it every day. Maybe my new song or video will touch even one person and change their life for the better. 

Just because you are not getting the results that you want right now does not mean that you should stop doing something. You should not work any less hard at your job because you feel you aren't getting the recognition you deserve. You should not stop going to the gym because you aren't as thin or fit as you'd like to be. You should not being kind to someone just because you aren't getting that same kindness in return. 

Keep doing what is good simply because it is good. 

Never give up, because you really do not know the effect that you may be having on someone's life. You really do not know how many people you are potentially encouraging. So whatever it is that you're doing, keep at it.

Have you ever felt like throwing in the towel and giving up? I hope that this post leaves you inspired and encouraged to keep doing what is good.

Quote of the Week - Wrong vs. Right

Is it just me or is it difficult to do the right thing sometimes when everyone around you is doing the wrong thing? Today's quote is perfect for this issue, so let's just get straight to it:

"Wrong is wrong even if everyone is doing it. 

Right is right even if no one is doing it."

This seems like such an obvious thing, but sometimes it helps to have it written out in front of you. Just because everyone is doing something does not make it right, and it does not mean that it is OK. And just because you may be the only one doing something does not make it any less right, and you should not stop doing it because you feel like you're the only one. 

Feeling like you are alone in something can be extremely difficult. It is so much easier to just give in to doing what everyone else is doing. But you can't do that. Why? Because wrong is wrong and right is right. If you know that something is wrong, you need to steer clear of that, even if everyone else seems to be flocking to it. And if you know that something is right, you need to keep doing that and hope that you can lead others to do it too.

Figure out what your morals are, and stick to them. Don't go back on what you believe just because everyone is doing something and you don't want to feel left out. Stand strong, no matter what.

Will you join me in doing the right thing?

Keep Your Childlike Heart

Is it just me or can we learn a lot from kids? I know that we are supposed to become "wiser" as we get older, and I do believe that to be true, but I also think that we need to keep some of our childlike traits as we age. 

As a teacher, I am constantly touched and amazed by how awesome kids can be. Yes, sometimes I want to pull my hair out in frustration, but there are also many times when I just want to sit back and admire my kiddies for their caring, loving hearts. And these good times far outweigh the bad.

This morning when I walked into my classroom, I found this written on my chalkboard:

(Nativity Grace is one of the characters in the Christmas play that we are putting on this year)

Since I don't teach on Thursdays, I had no idea that one of my students left me this little surprise. But let me tell you, the smile on my face when I walked in today and saw this was huge. Just the fact that one of my students thought to leave me this little note is so touching. It didn't cost anything. It probably didn't even take up much time. Yet it totally made my day! So why don't we do things like this for others more often??  

And as if the note wasn't enough, I went on to teach my next class and was overwhelmed by the kindness that I saw going on between the students. I had asked the students to work together in small groups, and reminded them that I wanted them to be kind and try not to argue. I was so proud of them, because, not only did they work together so nicely, they also surrounded each other with love and respect that I don't see amongst most adults.

I learned a lot today in a short amount of time, and I am constantly amazed by the new things that my students are teaching me. 

So grow up. Get older and wiser. But never lose your childlike heart. Never lose that ability to care for others more than you care for yourself. Never lose that desire to put a smile on another person's face with the smallest act of random kindness. Doing these things does not make you any less of an "adult." 

What have you learned from kids recently?

How to Get Through the "Tough-to-Get-Through" Days

Is it just me or are some days really hard to get through? You wake up knowing that you have a long day ahead of you, and you wonder how you are going to get through?

For me, those tough-to-get-through days are Wednesdays. I go non-stop on Wednesdays from morning until night, and I usually dread them. But this week, I tried something a little different. When yesterday morning came around, I thought to myself, "You know, today doesn't have to be a bad day. I'm going to try and make it a good one." 

And so I did.

I went into the day with a happy mentality, and instead of trying to take on the whole day at once, I focused on getting through one task at a time. This is something that I highly recommend--get through those tough days one task at a time, no matter how small the task. 

If you have to, mentally walk yourself through your day, step by step (ex: I'm going to get ready for work now. OK, now I am going to drive to work. Alright, let's get through my first class! Now the second...etc.). Doing this helps me break down my day into something more manageable, and I feel accomplished every time I complete one little "task." Doing this also helps me feel a lot less overwhelmed. 

Have those tough-to-get-through days? Try taking things one step at a time. I promise you that you'll make it through! 

Do you have any other tips for getting through the rough days? Let me know down in the comments!

It's Much More Than That - Compassion

Is it just me or do we sometimes get a little calloused and hard-hearted when it comes to dealing with other people? We see so much on television, in movies, in real life, that we get desensitized and forget that there are real people with real problems all around us. 

Today's word is: compassion. According to the dictionary, 'compassion' means "sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others."

To me, compassion is so much more than "sympathetic pity and concern" for another. To me, compassion is lending a helping hand to someone that you don't know. Compassion is taking into account that a person might be having a really terrible day before you decide to give them an attitude at the check out counter. Compassion is putting yourself on hold to help someone else in need.

If you look around wherever you are on any given day, there are bound to be lots of people in need of compassion. Be it a friend or a stranger, odds are that someone is in need of some love, attention, acceptance, forgiveness, compassion. The need is always there; we just need to be ready and available to see it. 

We need to realize that life is very real, and everyone is going through something difficult at one point or another. Unfortunately, there is not one magical "cure" for all of life's troubles. Every person, every situation is different, and deserves to be treated as such. Compassion can take many forms, and may look different depending on the person and situation it is being used in. 

Having compassion for someone may mean buying them a hot cup of coffee on a freezing cold day. It may mean giving someone a second chance that they don't really deserve, because in reality, we all make mistakes. It may also mean being sensitive to another person's needs and meeting them where they are at.

As you go through your day, I challenge you to open your heart and look for others who are in need of some compassion. It just might make all the difference in their life.

What does compassion mean to you?