I Try Twice As Hard And I'm Half As Liked

Some one person once said "the grass is always greener on the other side" and then about 4 billion people repeated it since then...I have to admit though, this guy must really have known what he was talking about because it seems like no matter where we are there is always somewhere better to be. I mean think about it, do you know a single person who doesn't h ave any aspirations left? Or even who loves every aspect of their life? It seems like we always need something else to be truly happy, no one ever gets to a point in life where they can say "okay I am done, I don't want anything else from life...everything is perfect as is."

This isn't something that is ever gonna go away, it's human nature to want more. We get used to the situation we have and then those blessings aren't enough to satisfy us anymore. But just because society isn't changing doesn't mean you can't! And I mean that in more ways than you think, sure I can tell you "there are people in third world countries starving, so be happy you have access to instant McDonalds" or whatever. That isn't enough, yes you should be thankful for that, but take it a step further and stop worrying about the shape of your  thighs or the size of you nose. Even the most "beautiful" people in the world can find something about themselves they don't like, but it takes a truly beautiful person to take that part of themselves and truly own it. You may hate your smile, but what about all the parts of you that you love? This shouldn't stop at appearance: so what if one girl called you something mean? What about your best friend sitting next to you telling you that you are the best damn thing to ever happen to her?

I guess I am stating the obvious here, we let the negative bother us more than we allow ourselves celebrate the positive. Yet it confuses me that we never ever really celebrate the positive, one let down stays with me for a day and yet a compliment flutters away moments after I hear it. I say that it's time you look yourself in the eye and say that you did it! There are countless movies/TV shows/Books about the underdog coming out on top and defying all odds and we all wish that was us...well it is! I may not be Elle Woods and I may not have gotten into law school and graduated top of my class...but I did manage to come out of the semester with a kick ass GPA. It's a small victory, but I did it!

It's time we stop admire other people lawns, and we break out our own hypothetical lawn mowers and make our lives just a tad bit greener! Celebrate that which you already have and strive for happiness and nothing more. If you are gonna let one loss get you down, make it a promise to make all the successes build you up. Don't wait for it to happen, make it happen!

I'm Trading My Sorrows, I'm Trading My Pain

Every once in a while an event comes along in your life that you just do not know how to deal with. Today was that day for me. Without going into details, security services said I was "the victim of a hate crime", and that is basically true...but its one of many things that I am and one of many things I plan to never let define me. Some awful word was carved into my things and some terrible words were said from behind a hidden phone number. I can't lie and say it wasn't upsetting or even disappointing, because it was, yet that wasn't all it was though; it was enlightening too. This individual wanted something from me, they wanted to see me upset and angry and they wanted to see me hurt...Why? I could give them so much more, I have countless other things to offer. As I munch on that thought it occurred to me sometimes life gives us things in the most mysterious ways. For all I know a calm response from me can be enough to prove to this person that they are in the wrong. What I am saying is that sometimes our eyes can't see what our hearts can feel. 

Whether you believe in God or not, there is a fine print somewhere in the contract of life that says "what goes around comes around" and I personally like to think God is the one making the circles. While this situation may be trying and difficult now, it will give me the strength to encourage others to be courageous in the future. While the person behind the harsh words may be cold and hard now, God may be sending him down this path so he can one day stumble down the right path. 

Recently I have been sharing this story like it was my job, and so one more time can't hurt:

A friend of mine told me that God is like a Sheppard, and when a sheep used to stray from the flock back in the day the sheppard would have to get it back on track. To do this the sheppard would break the sheep's leg and carry it until it had healed so it learned to trust its master and follow the path it set for him. In this same fashion sometimes God "breaks our legs" and takes us down a path we might not have seen coming so that we can one day walk the path he always wanted us to. 

I guess what I am saying in all this is that sometimes life just happens, and you can get knocked down and stay there or you can pick up the pieces and realize that there are a thousand other reasons to be happy. Religious or not, you are loved loving and loveable and the more you come to know this the better off you'll be. No matter who you are and no matter what you've done I hope you one day find a happy and moral life. Be kind to each other everyone, we don't live long enough to do otherwise.