MY LIFE IS MY MESSAGE 

This blog is for anyone who, like me, is addicted to inspiration – for those who remember that to live is a verb; who endeavour to give more of themselves and get more from their lives – to live with passion, to take action, to love completely, and seek peace  (both inner and outer); for those who aspire and inspire and seek to be inspired.

My favourite kind of inspiration is the people kind. I have been lucky enough to meet a hundred inspiring people in my lifetime (probably more). Their courage, generosity, creativity, and passion moves me. It encourages me to be my best self; makes me proud to be a fellow human. I try to learn from them everyday heroes I meet - how did they take their first step on the path towards living their passion? What inspired them? What have they learned? And how can I follow in their footsteps?

The world is full of inspiring people. This blog is my personal excuse to talk to as many of them as possible, to emulate them, to learn how to be the change I want to see in the world. I hope it may also be helpful for other inspiration addicts.

Inspiration is everywhere. Let’s celebrate the great.

- Nana Kwame

My Life is my Message ♫ No matter how hard we try, we don’t control what we think or what we feel. But, we do know which actions bring us happiness, pleasure and confidence. So, we do the actions that make us feel good. It is the action, the behavior that comes first. Take the next few days to notice how you feel after doing a particular behavior. If you like the feeling, do more of it. If not, change the behavior.

One of my biggest strengths as a person is I’m caring, sensitive and emotional – it is also my greatest weakness. While this strength helps me to build and maintain healthy relationships, it can also make me too reactive and less effective when dealing with conflict. This can create a confusing paradox for me from time-to-time, but having the awareness of the thin line between the two better prepares me to either use my strength or be mindful of my weakness.

TELL ME SOMETHING IN LIFE THAT I NEVER KNEW ABOUT.

NOTE:

Things aren't always as they appear. Sometimes what seems to be the end is really just a new beginning. Like a caterpillar turning into a butterfly.
I remember a time when it felt like nothing could go right. The whole world appeared to be teamed up against me. But I kept on moving forward, even when I couldn't tell exactly where I was going.this is the

For a long time now I have tried simply to write the best I can. Sometimes I have good luck and write better than I can - Nana Kwame.

NOTICE THIS CAREFULLY

Pencil: I'm sorry

Eraser: For what? You didn't do anything wrong.
Pencil: I'm sorry because you get hurt because of me. Whenever I made a mistake, you're always there to erase it. But as you make my mistakes vanish, you lose a part of yourself. You get smaller and smaller each time.

Eraser: That's true. But I don't really mind. You see, I was made to do this. I was made to help you whenever you do something wrong. Even though one day, I know I'll be gone and you'll replace me with a new one, I'm actually happy with my job. So please, stop worrying. I hate seeing you sad.

I found this conversation between the pencil and the eraser very inspirational. Parents are like the eraser whereas their children are the pencil.

They're always there for their children, cleaning up their mistakes. Sometimes along the way, they get hurt, and become smaller / older, and eventually pass on. Though their children will eventually find someone new (spouse), but parents are still happy with what they do for their children, and will always hate seeing their precious ones worrying, or sad.
All my life, I've been the pencil. And it pains me to see the eraser that is my parents getting smaller and smaller each day. For I know that one day, all that I'm left with would be eraser shavings and memories of what I used to have...

We can Replace eraser But we cant replace our parents with another so We must love our parents and at least we can make them less worried about us by making few less mistakes and Loving them with Full Heart ..

Make sure Nobody can Ever take place of our parents because they are the one who will never happy when you are not Comfortable ..

“We never know the love of our parents for us till we have become parents.”By Nana Kwame

 SOMETHINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

Never treat some one like they're second best

Never get less than 8 hours of rest

Never tell some one that they mean nothing to you

Never sue some one who doesn't deserve to be sued

Never look in the past when your futures ahead

Never check some one's pulse and still mistake them for dead

Never drink soda when water's nearby

Never say that you don't care if you die

Never trust anyone who isn't yourself

Never push photos to the back of the shelf

Never believe that you can't measure up

Never think it's empty when it's a full cup

Never act selfish just cuz your mother's around

Never expect to helped when you're on the ground

And if there is anything you should never do, is pretend you don't like him/her when you love everything they do.

WORDS OF COMFORT

"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself, any direction you choose."

"Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than you."

"From there to here, and here to there, funny things are everywhere."

"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened."

"Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So...get on your way."

"If you never did, you should. These things are fun, and fun is good."

"I meant what I said, and I said what I meant. An elephant's faithful, one hundred percent."

"So the writer who breeds more words than he needs, is making a chore for the reader who reads."

"And will you succeed? Yes indeed, yes indeed! Ninety-eight and three-quarters percent guaranteed."

"Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple."

And, if you want to do the assignment...which do you like, and why?

copy right by Dr. Seuss.    

IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER - by Erma Bombeck(written after she found out she was dying from cancer).

I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.

I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.

I would have talked less and listened more.

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained, or the sofa faded.

I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.

I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.

I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.

I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.

I would have sat on the lawn with my grass stains.

I would have cried and laughed less while watching television and more while watching life.

I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.

Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.

When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, "Later. Now go get washed up for dinner." There would have been more "I love you's." More "I'm sorry's."

But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute...look at it and really see it .. live it .and never give it back. Stop sweating the small stuff.

Don't worry about who doesn't like you, who has more, or who's doing what.

Instead, let's cherish the relationships we have with those who do love us.

Let's think about what God HAS blessed us with. And what we are doing each day to promote ourselves mentally, physically, emotionally. I hope you all have a blessed day.

Beautiful Women's Month

Age 3: She looks at herself and sees a Queen.

Age 8: She looks at herself and sees Cinderella.

Age 15: She looks at herself and sees an Ugly Sister (Mum I can't go to school looking like this!)

Age 20: She looks at herself and sees "too fat/too thin, too short/too tall, too straight/too curly"- but decides she's going out anyway.

Age 30: She looks at herself and sees "too fat/too thin, too short/too tall, too straight/too curly" - but decides she doesn't have time to fix it, so she's going out anyway.

Age 40: She looks at herself and sees "clean" and goes out anyway.

Age 50: She looks at herself and sees "I am" and goes wherever she wants to go.

Age 60: She looks at herself and reminds herself of all the people who can't even see themselves in the mirror anymore. Goes out and conquers the world.

Age 70: She looks at herself &sees wisdom, laughter and ability, goes out and enjoys life.

Age 80: Doesn't bother to look. Just puts on a purple hat and goes out to have fun with the world

 I Lost Myself Somewhere Along the Way

 Life.

I used to be one who was afraid to do a lot of things. I was afraid of being hurt, afraid of being afraid. But ever since I went to this thing with my church, my life changed, I've thought a lot more that usual, I seem to always help others a lot more. I seem to keep my head held high, I don't sit around and let people bother me. I can't. And I refuse to ever give up. I've made tons of mistakes, still am, but that's what's making me a stronger person every year. I learn from my mistakes, and face the consequences. I refuse to give up on myself. I'm just a strong girl, stronger than what I used to be. I'm unique, bright, outgoing, positive, and I'm just me. I don't change for people, I changed to make myself stronger. I hated being so down, which is why I changed. I hide my emotions, and sometimes when I vent it makes it easier to write. I write to relax myself, to express myself. I love myself, and I wouldn't change anything but build upon my self-esteem. I just want to build myself up so in the end, people won't be able to just knock me down. But in the end, I'll always be me, lessons are being learned, while I'm becoming a stronger person. I won't give up, and I won't back down.      

 Where Did I Go? I Lost Myself Yet Again?

I think it happens to all of us.  Not like a clap of thunder or the slam of a door.  More like the gentle slow leak of sand from a cracked hour glass or the slow leak of water from a tiny crack in the water glass.  But you realize it suddenly....when your glass is like mostly empty...and then you are like where did I go?  I think it happens when we pour ourselves out into other people or into projects or into avoiding dealing with real life or figuring out our dreams  because we feel like we could never achieve them anyway.  Most of the time, though, I think it happens when we focus too much on other people.  I'm not saying giving to others or caring about others is bad.  But sometimes it's easy to take it a little too far and before you know it you've focused all of your energies and attention on someone else so that the colors of your life's painting have bled out and become emeshed into someone else's and rather than making a beautiful mixture of the two of you, instead you find your canvas blank and the other canvas walking away from you.  That's the tricky part...you don't even realize your canvas is blank until the person who drained all the color from your life walks away and then you notice it.  Or maybe the other person doesn't walk away but it's like something happens and you are like a sleeper awakened.  Like before you were walking in a dreamy world of everyday simple actions that were sucking the life out of you but then for some reason you were awakened and after you found yourself fully awake you found yourself fully MIA. 

so where is the cure?  What is the fix?  As Shakespeare said, "to thine own self be true." The tricky part here, too, is to think that finding yourself might be to exercise, eat right, lose weight, find a new girlfriend or boyfriend or get a new place or move or blah blah blah.  But it is not the outer stuff that makes you missing, right?  It's the inner stuff.  So then while all those other things may be good and well, I think to really find yourself back you have to do the tough inner work.  Quiet yourself so you can actually hear yourself think and feel and be and hear the cries and longings of your heart and look past your fears and past your road blocks and self protective walls made from the fibers of the breaks and tears of life's hurts and betrayals and lost loves and just plain losses of life.  And when you start to get a glimpse of you with all your strengths and weaknesses and hopes and dreams and broken places, do not run...but embrace.  It is good to be yourself.  It is good to be with yourself. as you really are...warts and all as they say.

And because I know that God is my maker, I think that it cannot be ignored that to find yourself again is to face God with your realest self.  The self that doesn't quite get life or get life right.  The self that is messy and confused and confusing.  And to really know and accept that the One who created you is the one most qualified to put the color back into your world.  He knows who you are, even when you don't.  He knows where you are, even when you feel as lost as anybody could ever be.  He knows why you are even when you think you have absolutely no purpose whatsoever...zip...zilch...nadda...but God knows.  And maybe God, in his infinite wisdom, will share with you His purpose for you, or maybe He will just hold out His hand and simply say, "Come."  And just that simple act of saying okay, Lord, I'm coming along even though I'd much rather have a better idea where this is all going, nevertheless that simple act of faith...to go ahead without knowing...I think is the start of putting the color back in your world.  Because the thing about relating with God is that rather than draining us of our color He creates it in us.  Instead of depleting us, He makes us spark alive again.  In becoming fully absorbed in God, the miracle is that you do not lose yourself but in HIm you find yourself again.  Weird, huh?  But really really cool.

Who Am I?

Im 22 I lost my job and im single. What a way to start this story huh. When i was younger I was the life of the party every one wanted to be my friend and I was outgoing we partied every weekend and I lived laughed and loved as the song says but never took anything seriously therefore i never felt stress either. I was a big man as i still am I weighed 70+ pounds but was always athletic I could move like a small man. but somewhere along the way i stopped seeing my friends and stopped going out. I guess i sort of crawled into myself and i dont no if i would say i was depressed or not but when i say it out loud thats what it sounds like. I feel ashamed sometimes about it because i see no reason for it there are people out there that have real sincere problems and i dont see my problems as worthy of depression. but never the less i find myself now wanting a significant other and maybe even a family. i gues im just saying i dont know who I am anymore. what happened to the guy that was afraid of nothing or anyone? The guy that everybody loved and looked up to? I am trying to find him and essentially start my life over again. I thank you all for the help as this website acts as a sort of therapy for me reading everyone elses experiences and sharing a few of my own. 

I Don't Know When

i feel lost and i'm not knowing where to go anymore i used to be happy just happy anything could make me happy but not anymore i'm always thinking too much and life wasn't much of a help
i've lost myself and i don't find anyone who could help me get through this because i don't find somebody who could see things as i do
i feel so empty and angry all the time  

I Dont Understand... Why?

this is my first trip to this site, i like what i see... anyways, i dont understand why i am so easily ignored and passed over by people. the only person that seems to give a crap about my life is my therapist and she is paid to care, i know that seems melodramatic but its true, the people in my life either dont want to deal with me, dont have the capacity to understand, or simply to recognize my issues as valid problems, why are people like this? im so lonely that i spent three years with someone simply because she acknowledged me... i cant go back there.. the only thing that keeps me moving everyday is hope and shear will power... but how long will that last? how strong can i possibly be? how long can i stand against the maelstrom of my own emotions without it consuming me? i dont understand why i am in this situation. im stong and ill keep moving forward but i am soo lonely, i am so sad, and i just dont know what to do.. 

I'm Finding Me Though

I lost myself, my individuality. I wasn't one of the sheep following the "cool people". But I sat in the shadows, not knowing who I was or what my purpose was. What was the point in my existence? It only brought pain. To me and my friends.

Then I snapped out of it. I'm getting back to it. Back to living life and not just getting through it. But finding yourself when you've been lying to yourself is hard. Because you won't know for sure what you are or what you feel. At least that's my case. I don't know what's real and not right now.

But I'm finding the me in myself. I'm on the way of becoming a person of my own again. I lost myself literally but I'm getting him back. I'm getting myself back.

 I Don't Understand What's Going On With Me...

for so long i've been telling people that i think, no, that i know something is wrong with me, but they laugh and shrug it off. they tell me that i'm just not fighting hard enough or that i shouldn't let the devil cloud my mind with depressing thoughts, but they don't know what its like for me. they don't know that i have such high hopes and aspirations yet it seems like i'll never reach them because i feel so hopeless about life itself. they don't know that i still try to be a good sport every Sunday at church so no one will say anything to me, but even then they still can tell. they don't know that i sometimes have these thoughts of killing myself, but i never go through with them because i'm too scared to die. they don't know how desperately i want to be happy and have a decent day without the severe mood changes that i deal with. they don't know that i don't want think the thoughts that i think, that i just want to be normal for just one freaking day, just one freaking day of being normal, that's all i want. they don't know that try to please them all so they won't have anything to say to me, but i still come up short in their eyes, desperately seeking their approval. they don't know what its like to feel like i'm losing my mind every single freaking minute of the day, every day of the month, every month of the year. no i don't think they nor do i think they truly care

Along The Way

I wonder if its just the fact that I'm getting older and don't view things in the same mindset as i did when i was younger, but I cant seem to shake the feeling that im lost here. I used to be the "life of the party" so to speak. I was a very strong minded person, quick to jump in with my opinion. Now after I've battled depression, unhealthy relationships, health problems, and the death of my mother, it seems that ive just become so weak. So beaten down by the world.
I look back on all that I've endured with a sense of awe. Not that my life is so different than a lot of people's, I know there are others that have it way worse than me and I try to remember to pray for them. Everybody is different and everyone feels things differently. I, unfortunalty, feel much too deeply. This is a trait that has surfaced as I have gotten older. Maybe this is just the way life is, but I just cant shake the feeling that I've lost myself along the way.  

But I'm Finding My Way Back

I don't want to define myself by my circumstances, but i guess I was doing that up until about 6-months ago.
I remember a time about 2-years ago, when I was crying and suddenly realized that I didn't feel like a human being anymore, let alone a woman. 
I felt like a "thing." Like the chair, or some inanimate object that had no value. I had totally put myself on the back burner, and I lost sense of who I was. I guess rejection over a long period of time will do that to a person, and I wasn't even aware that it had happened, until that moment when it hit me.
I didn't want to be a "thing" anymore; I wanted me back. 
It didn't happen right away, and I'm still working on getting me back, but I no longer feel like a thing. I know I'm a human being and a woman. I can only guess, that it happened over a long time of being in a sexless, affection-less, stress filled, from so many quarters, life and marriage. And I don't blame anyone but myself. I tolerated too much for the sake of my sense of duty and responsibility, but those qualities are way overrated. I was always going to leave once one problem was solved, or when someone was grown, or this crisis was resolved,and so on and so forth, until it was 20-years later.
But that is the past, and although I am still with the same person, my other commitments and responsibilities ended about 6-months ago. So now, I am working on a plan to make a life for myself.