Live, Laugh, Love, Forgive, and Move On

To many times we let the hate in our minds over take the love in our hearts. 

We let grudges, and unresolved conflicts tear us apart.

To many times we want to act tough, 

Rejecting apologize because they're just not enough.

Never forgiving others mistakes, but expecting understanding for our own,

living life in such a hateful state, we'll all end up alone. 

Not bothering to take responsibility for damage that we've done.

Just dropping relationships, and shooting out hatred like a gun.

If we all keep deflecting blame, and acting like we don't care,

Soon there will be no more love to spare.

If hearts keep hardening with no more warmth to spare

Love will become obsolete, and all kindness will disappear.

It is important to learn to care for more than just ourselves.

Put away our judgments, on the shelves.

Selfishness is a destroyer by design,

Removing compromise of any kind.

We must learn to forgive before we hate,

Rebuild the bridges before it's to late.

Challenge:

As the start of lent begins I challenge you all to give up hate.

To let go of your grudges, and move past the hurt.

Move past the feelings that harbor your anger and negative energy. 

Allow your heart to forgive, to heal, and to move on.

Today I leave you with a quote that my mother once said:

"Life's too short to spend even one moment angry. Nobody's perfect. Not me, not you, not anyone. Live, Love, Laugh Forgive and Move On."

Live

It is easy to pity ourselves in times of hardship. Often we let the negativity of what is happening to us, and in our surroundings dictate our thoughts, and feelings. Giving up is easy, just letting ourselves rot away, and just waiting to die is the cowards way out.

It takes courage to live. It takes courage to be adventurous, and explore the unknown. 

If you don't want to live for yourself, live for the people who love you. Live for the lives you save every day without even realizing it.

At the end of the day, when we lose the strength to live for ourselves, we live for each other.

-Bridgette Lear

Faith, Be the Hope

Today I want to talk about something that I'm normally very silent about. I want to talk about faith. Not any one particular type of faith or religion, just faith in general. The one thing you put your trust in, the thing in your life that gives you hope. That one thing you put your emotional trust in, and rely on to reassure you that things will be ok, and work out for the best. For some people it may be God, Karma, or the planets, and stars aligning in a certain way. What ever that faith may be in, it can be pretty heart breaking when something happens to test or shake that faith. When everything you believed in since you were young, when the blind confidence you have always had in that higher being or magical working of the universe is suddenly shattered.

For me personally it was a faith in God. It was drilled into my head, and my heart that as long as you are a good person, and live for others, do as Jesus would, God would protect you, answer your prayers, and never abandon you. My family is very religious all the way around, we went to church every Sunday together, and not because we were forced to, but because we wanted to. My mother and I sang every Sunday in the choir that she started for the earlier mass, she also taught ccd. My family tried everyday to do good deeds, and live as good people (not that we are perfect by any means we've all made our share of bad choices). So naturally when we got the deviating news that my mom was diagnosed with Breast Cancer after the initial shock, we made our peace with it, because God was going to save her. As long as we prayed, and continued to be good people God would answer our prayer, and save my mom. He would give us a miracle I was sure of it.

After a long fight my mom was deemed cancer free. Amazing, but I knew she would be, God was on our side. But not even a month being cancer free the cancer moved to her spine, and into her brain. Most people would be so scared. Nope not us we were surely going to get our miracle.

Except this time we didn't get our miracle. Instead we got to watch the most beloved person in our family suffer, and fight everyday with a smile on her face, despite the pain in her body. If anyone was a definition of an angel on earth it was my mom. I'm not just saying that because she was my mother. She made every decision with her heart, even if it wasn't the best thing for her. Creating smiles in the darkest places, and friends in the unfriendliest of times.

I just couldn't wrap my head around it. My whole world shattered as I woke up that morning to the sounds of her last breaths, a memory I live over, and over every night. An image, and a feeling I will never be able to shake.

All my faith, all my trust, all my love for God, gone in that moment. Replaced with anger, and hate. If he couldn't save the one person I've seen everyday live in his image, how could he possibly be real.
For many reasons I couldn't bring myself to go to church after that, and honestly to this day I still cant. I may never get the explanation I need or the answers I seek. But what I have learned from this, is that even when your faith is shaken, live for the people around you. Be kind to others to better their lives not to have some alliance with a higher power.

I didn't write this to convince people to be religious or anti religious. I think having  faith in something is a good thing. Hope is a magical thing.

I wrote this to give you this challenge today:

If your faith is battered, and your belief shattered, no matter how hard it is take the strength you have left, and go be someone's hope. If you've lost your faith go help someone else  keep theirs. Live for the people around you. Better yet, reach out, and help someone rise from their own despair. Create change, exhume love. Be hope.

Actions Speak Louder

What defines who a person truly is? Everyone says actions speak louder than words, but what actions are the ones that truly define who a person is for real on the inside? We all make mistakes, everyone has laps in judgement. No one is perfect. 

A person can't be judged solely upon one grand action, good or bad. A persons merit, and true character should be determined based upon their every day actions, and how they handle those moments when tough times are in front of them. Especially when they have done something to hurt someone else. 

Someone of good character takes accountability for their mistakes, and faces the people they hurt. Cowering away, hiding, and avoiding consequences shows vial selfishness, complete lack of empathy, and blunt disregard for the well-being of another person. Actions like this speak the loudest. If you make a mistake own up to it. If you do something to hurt someone, apologize. Offer a solution to try and correct the mistake. Admitting you're wrong sucks, and yes getting dagger eyes, and yelled at is ungodly uncomfortable, but that's life. A person of good merit owns up to their actions, and faces the consequences. Don't run away, dodge calls, and tell lies until you're blue in the face to justify your deceitfulness. 

Just because you run away from a "problem" or a "bad choice" doesn't mean that the affect it took on every one surrounding your went away. Sometimes you're not the only one who has to live with the results of your poor decisions. 

My challenge for you today:

If you've ever made a mistake, and hurt someone unintentionally in the process, reach out to them, apologize. Truly ask for forgiveness. Maybe not for what you did, if you still believe it was the right thing to do. Apologize for hurting them, apologize for putting them in a bad position or for what ever it was that affected them negatively. Don't let your selfishness, and poor judgement blacken your soul. Don't let your fear of admitting your mistakes dirty your heart. Step into the light take responsibility for yourself. Mend the wounds.

Until Next time.

Peace Out Cub Scout        

Direct Reflection

I am no picture of perfection,

I am flawed all through my being.

What you see is a direct reflection,

Of the pain that I keep seeing. 

I am no picture of perfection,

There is nothing worth imitating here.

What you see is a direct reflection,

Of hope starting to disappear.

I am no picture of perfection,

I try to accept with an open mind.

What you see is a direct reflection,

Of a human just trying to be kind.

I am no picture of perfection,

Just a soul with my heart on my sleeve.

What you see is a direct reflection,

Of a heart that will never leave.

I am no picture of perfection,

I am only trying to do what's right.

What you see is a direct reflection,

Of the world trying to shine a light.

I am no picture of perfection,

I could never see myself that way.

What you see is a direct reflection,

Of a girl trying to make a better today.

Step Out Of The Darkness

Something that I wrote Today.

I hide in the darkness,

My shadow can't find me there.

My secrets stay hidden,

They can't see my despair.

I hide in the darkness,

The lack of light hides my scars.

My secrets stay hidden,

Not to be exposed among the stars.

I hide in the darkness,

The pitch black hides my tears.

My secrets stay hidden,

No pure honesty to my peers.

I hide in the darkness,

It's so much safer than the light.

My secrets stay hidden,

No need to face my failures in the night.

I hide in the darkness,

Its security is all I need.

My secrets stay hidden,

No one else has to see me bleed.

I hide in the darkness,

Promising to cross into the light soon,

My secrets stay hidden,

Afraid they'll lead me to my doom.

I hide in the darkness,

But maybe this all isn't right,

My secrets stay hidden,

But maybe truth is worth the fight.

After I wrote this it got me thinking, we all hide things. Often out of shame, or pride. Afraid that someone may look at us differently, or being afraid that you've let someone down. My challenge to you today, is to step out of the darkness, and be honest about what you've been hiding. Tell that person you're afraid to tell, and don't be ashamed. One bad thing doesn't define you. And it's only a bad thing if you yourself are unhappy about it. If you don't like something, change it, or make steps to improve it. If you are happy with the situation you are hiding step out and rejoice it. Don't let the opinions of others stifle your happiness.  

Reflecting Back

I haven't looked at this blog in years, let alone posted to it. It's weird how a moment of reflection on yourself, who you were, who you are now can open your eyes to things you've lost sight of. A link for this blog came up on my "Time Hop" app, for those of you who don't know what that is, it's a phone application that brings up pictures, statuses, tweets and things from your various social networks that you have posted on that date from years past.

 I clicked on the link not even remembering it was my own blog. As I read some of the posts I was reminded of who I wanted to be as a person. I was reminded of the whole purpose for starting this blog, and why I even bothered posting my thoughts to the internet. So after about 20 minutes of figuring out what one of my 100 emails, and password I used for this. I finally was able to log-in, and let my thoughts flow again.

I let time, and the rush of growing up let me forget about one of the most important things in life. Spreading the Love. As I take my own challenge today, I extend it to you as well. Take a step back from your busy life, make time for your family, and make time to become the person you want to be. Don't be what you think everyone else expects of you, follow your dreams, follow your passion. Even if it isn't orthodox, who cares? Why would you want to be ordinary anyway?

To quote "What A Girl Wants" (Great movie btw):

"Why are you trying so hard to fit in, when you were born to stand out?" 

Take a leap of faith and try something new today, something you've always wanted to do but were to scared to try. Let me be your courage today, and your push of confidence. Open your heart, believe in yourself, and take a change on you. I believe in you, and your dreams. Go out today and do something to make them happen.

See-Ya Latter Alligator

-Bridgette :)