" It Makes You Stronger......................."

It Makes You Stronger...............

As the years roll by, as the days take their place in time; I stop to look back… look ahead… and look within… a snapshot into my soul.

Looking Back :
It's been said that those who do not learn from their past mistakes are condemned to repeat them. Soberly reflecting, I cast my mind back to the many lessons I had to learn not once, not twice, but several times over, because I simply refused to let go. It gets to a point where you stop running, stop crying, stop lying to yourself - you face reality. It's a struggle at times, but my, my! I look back and realize it does get easier, with each passing day.

It takes me a while to close doors because I believe doors open for a reason, but sometimes we are so bent on keeping that door open, that we fail to see when God closes it and opens another. The ghost of the past can be a lurking shadow chasing our sunrises but with God's help - break that hold! Embrace the dawn of a new morning! It's never easy but you reflect, you accept and you learn…and it makes you stronger.

Looking Ahead :
In finding myself, I discover my future with all its beauty and promise and hope. We cannot change the past but we can shape the future and that's the beautiful thing about life. The rain will fall, the unexpected will occur but it's your attitude about what card life deals you that makes the difference.

Will you see the clouds or the sky? Will you see problems or solutions?

I claim the promises of God in believing that He'll never leave me nor forsake me and trust in the plan He has for my life. I am bound to make mistakes, but I will learn from them; I am bound to go through trials and tribulations but they will make me stronger; I am bound to hurt people dear to me, consciously or unconsciously, but I will ask for forgiveness. The world is my playground and the best is yet to come. Tomorrow is not granted, but my attitude can be and that powerful realization…it makes you stronger.

Looking Within :
Life can be cruel in its harsh reality. I've learned and continue to learn some hard facts. Situations and circumstances have revealed my strengths and also my weaknesses. At the height of good fortune, a human can be vulnerable to misdirection and mistakes. In the rough times, I've learned more about myself than at any other time in my life. I must accept my imperfections and overcome them.

Life also reveals the different shades of human nature. When the lightning strikes and the storms come, the rainbow reveals who your true friends really are. Roses have thorns, people change, and most friendships are fleeting.

Learn to seek happiness alone, love yourself and through that you can truly love others. Forgive, not for the person but for yourself. Let God carry your burdens, sometimes it's just too heavy to carry them all by yourself.

Look within and discover your passions, your soul, discover you…it makes you stronger!