A Note of Thanks for Just Being You!

Image Credit: Towfiqu barbhuiya

Throughout the week we write and share, read and comment, and then hit repeat. Sometimes we don’t give ourselves an adequate amount of time to recharge before we are at it again. So, I want to pause right now and thank all of you, who stop by to read, engage, and share. I don’t take any of you for granted. Even if we don’t agree on certain views, I appreciate your decency, respectfulness, and for showing others just what it’s like to be civil, kind, and human. That’s character. Enjoy your day! 🌞

Law of the Garbage Truck

Image Credit: Painter06

One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were 

driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a 

parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his 

brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of

the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us.

My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was really 

friendly. So I asked, ‘Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined 

your car and sent us to the hospital! ‘This is when my taxi driver 

taught me what I now call, ‘The Law of the Garbage Truck.’ 

He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run

 around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of 

disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it 

and sometimes they’ll dump it on you. Don’t take it personally. Just 

smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Don’t take their garbage and 

spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets. The 

bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day.

Life’s too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, 

so…Love the people who treat you right. Pray for the ones who don’t. 

Life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you take it! 

Have a garbage-free day!

– Author Unknown

Somebody’s Watching Even When You Don’t Know It

Image Credit: Marten Newhall

Someone is always watching you whether you realize it or not. Of course, we need to be vigilant about our actions. People are going to perceive what they see based on what they want to see and likely what they stereotype you to be. Look, I think many of us have far surpassed caring about what others think about us, especially when we are trying our darndest to make the right choices and decisions that will propel us to perform our purpose, not to discombobulate our progress.

Not only are adults watching us, but children are watching too. They use all of their senses to observe and mimic what they see or hear us do. Children, especially, can be positively empowered and encouraged by our actions or we can let them down with our waywardness and poor choices.

We have a grand opportunity in this mixed-up, messed-up society, to do something that is going to mean something for the good of mankind. Like many of you, I become frustrated by the corruption we see every day that tries to convince us that such corruption is good. So what do we do? We zero in on ways that we can individually make a positive impact in spite of the mounting reports of the destruction, chaos, and confusion we witness. We can’t save the world, but we can certainly contribute to saving the part of the world we embody. Remember, you don’t have to do something humongous. Just a little dab will do it.

Somebody is always watching us whether we are aware of it or not. Look, there is already a surplus of negativity to go around. So, while they are looking, and even when they aren’t, let’s give them something good to talk about. Be that bright light!

Image Credit: Msporch

Let Go and Come Out Better

Image Credit: Joel Muniz

“No person is your friend who demands your silence or denies your right to grow.”  – Alice Walker

Many of us have had to let some folks go in our life who were hindering our growth potential. If they didn’t go, we had to make the bold decision to leave their grip of torture in order to move forward, to travel down the interstate of our journey, and to come out better when we reached our destination than we began. Our lives depended on our great escape.

To feel guilty is not an option for leaving toxicity behind because we can fall into a trap that we could never escape. Courage, not cowering, is an empowering character trait. The agony, cruelty, mental abuse, and oppression are not worth putting up with, but learning to let these attackers and their attacks go is a priceless lesson.

Oh, and another thing, if you’re planning your escape, don’t let the perpetrator know or talk about it. Trust me, they will find out somehow, thwart your intentions, and make your life miserable for trying. Just work your plan and get the heck out of there, especially when you feel threatened. At least you can rise up, even if it is slow because you are alive, you survived, and now it’s time to thrive. Don’t allow someone who is truly unworthy, to steal your joy and make you feel inferior, useless, and lifeless, whether they are a friend, family, or foe. Nope, not today, and tomorrow ain’t lookin’ too good either. Stay calm and focused. God bless.

May Your Wins Be Greater Than Your Losses

Image Credit: Oscar Söderlund

The following quotes from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., spoke so impressively and powerfully to me today.

1. “If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” 
2. “People fail to get along because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don’t know each other; they don’t know each other because they have not communicated with each other.” 
3. “No person has the right to rain on your dreams.”

“May your wins be greater than your losses. And may your losses teach you a great lesson on how to strengthen, yet humble your spirit and win.” -Kym Gordon Moore

Does Integrity Matter Anymore?

Image Credit: Jon Tyson

Mistakes you will make, but it’s not the end, because today is the day to try again.

I’ve always heard the phrase, “Do what’s right, not what is easy.” Also, “Honesty is the best policy.” It is evident that many people, for the most part, try to do the right thing showing moral fiber in their character. They display a conscience that cares about humanity, not selected bits and pieces of stuff or positions that will only benefit them. But on the other hand, it’s so disheartening when we see people who have compromised decency, honesty, and integrity in such a foul way, and it doesn’t seem to bother their crass behavior one iota. And somehow, they still seem to come out ahead and on top.

Image Credit: Brett Jordan

This is tragically disheartening, especially when we try to teach children honesty, integrity, and how to be good citizens. People can only fix their character flaw(s) if they want to. Are we leading others astray with disgusting examples about how to lie, cheat, and steal without suffering any consequences? Well, whether they are prepared for it or not, consequences will follow them like a shadow and when they least expect it, they will have to answer for their horrific deeds. After hearing the opening quote to this post about mistakes, which came from the movie, “A Score to Settle,” I thought about our power to do the right thing as much as we possibly can. When people step outside their arrogance, greed, vengeance, narcissism, and any other “ism” by returning to a state of decency, order, and honor, then we will witness a better, loving, and more peaceful world.

We Are Poetry!

One body, many members.

Each member has a purpose, a responsibility, and is accountable for what they do to strengthen the body, not weaken it.

We vow to make decency, order, unity, equality, ethics, love, and integrity matter, noteworthy, and even more popular on a massive, global scale once again.

Image Credit: johnhain

A Daily Bowl of Moral Fiber

Image Credit: Lynn Greyling

I suppose at this point in my life, I shouldn’t be surprised by the extent people would go to grab power, no matter how corruptible it may be, versus standing on moral attributes without wavering. It seems like the lines of morality these days are increasingly blurred between what is right and what people want to believe is right. The definition of moral standards involves the rules people have about the kind of actions they believe are morally right and wrong; the distinction between good and bad behavior.

Moral fiber is the capacity to do what is right regardless of the circumstance. It seems like the trade-off to get while the gettin’ is good, regardless of the costs or who loses, supersedes doing the right thing, for the correct reasons and at the right time. I have written about this topic on numerous occasions, as have many of you. I think we have to do a self-examination about the moral fiber we consume or regurgitate. While none of us are perfect, we must remain responsible because we are held accountable. Think about what’s in your bowl today.

(Image Credit: Andrea Stöckel)

What Is, What Does

-Translation-

Love is, is what love does.

Hate is, is what hate does.

Peace is, is what peace does.

Chaos is, is what chaos does.

Generosity is, is what generosity does.

Greed is, is what greed does.

Happiness is, is what happiness does.

Sadness is, is what sadness does.

Compassion is, is what compassion does.

Indifference is, is what indifference does.

Encouragement is, is what encouragement does.

Discouragement is, is what discouragement does.

Whoever you are, reflects whatever you do.

Whatever you do, reflects whoever you are.

 

Our character reflects what we are made of and what we do. We must think about what our reflection looks like if we want to make a positive difference and an empowering change. Just a thought.

Name Recognition

Image Credit: George Hodan

“A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold” -Proverbs 22:1 NIV

        What’s in a name? How do you feel when you hear someone’s name called? Growing up my mother used to remind us of what a good name meant. She would say, “When it seems like we’ve lost everything, we still have our good name as long as we don’t tarnish it.”

        As always, something triggers a memory about lessons we learned from the past. Have you ever noticed that even if a person isn’t around, there is something that conjures up emotion about that individual, whether it’s good or horrifying when that person’s name is called? No doubt, when we hear an individual’s name, we connect their reputation, character, and conduct as an identifier to their persona.

        Unfortunately, some people try to use smear tactics to run your name in the hole. While you can’t stop their idiocracy, you can control the temperature of your response. You don’t have to go down their cesspool hole of pettiness, but you can take a stand in a dignified manner to leave them in that hole of garbage. As they say, there’s more than one way to skin a cat (no offense to cats).

        Your name can go from zero to mud in 2 seconds in an unavoidable situation or a tragic predicament, especially if social media has anything to do with fanning the flame of slander. We have witnessed such mud-slinging comments on any given day. Still, your name is what you own. That is a gift to protect if you can, as long as you can. What is your name worth?

Beauty or a Beast?

Image Credit: brunapazini0

Beautiful is an adjective that describes pleasing the senses or mind aesthetically.

Beautiful on the inside and out? We often respond in this manner because of someone’s external beauty and their comforting spirit. The question of character arises when we see one thing sparkle on the outside and then see something foul coming from within the beholder. Are we lured into a trap by the words and actions of a person, only to find a stark contrast between what we see and what we get? Do we find beauty in what things look like, their aesthetic attributes, and their exterior pleasure to our eyes only to find out it’s only an illusion?

Fakery, dakery, dock

like a cloak hiding in a sock

the sock came down, they looked like a clown

fakery, dakery, dock!

I believe most of us have been bruised or even battered when we take a liking to and trust those who look exceptional on the outside, but we withdraw from them with our mouths open, horrified by what we really see. When we are drawn to outward beauty only to discover a beast living within a buxom beauty or a good-looking buffed brawny man, we get the impression they are trustworthy and ok. But the trap of deception reveals the true beast living within. That revelation leaves many questions. Is it an act, a fact, or an illusion?