Let it go . . . .

Hello friends! I hope you are settling into the New Year, and approaching it with hope and optimism. You have new aspirations for yourself, right? A personal goal? Here's something you can do for yourself that will move you towards your own goals faster than any other motivator. Not only that, but it will free your mind and open your heart more than you can imagine. 

If you are holding on to hate, anger or resentment, it can prevent you from moving forward in your life. Freeing your mind from these ugly emotions will leave room in your heart and mind for you to embrace new possibilities. If you are cluttering your mind with hurtful feelings, it is you who is quite possibly sabotaging your own goals. It clouds the mind! Do it for YOU! When you hold on to hurtful feelings, it is you who suffers. Do not allow the offender to continue to have this hold on you any longer. Do it for your own well being. Holding on to resentment is destructive, and you have the power to stop the ongoing pain, anger or hurt. Let it go! It will do more for your mind, body & spirit than a year's worth of therapy! Forgiveness does not mean that you are wrong, or the other person is right. It simply means that you have made a decision to stop letting it eat away at your soul. Think of it as today's gift to yourself. 

Today's gift to yourself . . . .

Happy Monday, my friends! Want to get your week off to a great start? Here's something you can do for yourself that will free your mind and open your heart more than you can ever imagine......

Do it for YOU! When you hold on to hurtful feelings, it is you who suffers. Do not allow the offender to continue to have this hold on you any longer. Do it for your own well being. Holding on to resentment is destructive, and you have the power to stop the ongoing pain, anger or hurt. Take the moral high ground and let it go. It will do more for your mind, body & spirit than a year's worth of exercise! Forgiveness does not mean that you are wrong, or the other person is right. It simply means that you have made a decision to stop letting it eat away at your soul.  Think of it as today's gift to yourself. 

End-of-the-day questions . . . .

Asking ourselves questions and answering them honestly is something we can all do to understand ourselves better, and to help us realize that we can do SOMETHING every day to make the world a better place. But sometimes we get all wrapped up in our own little world.....walking through our day with blinders on. It doesn't take a lot. Asking ourselves these simple questions can help bring awareness as to how we are spending our day. Are we doing what we can to be kind? To forgive? To try a little harder? Below is a quiz from Dr. Leo Buscaglia's book Born for Love that will help point out ways in which you can show more love to others. Remember, you can re-take this quiz any time. This is one quiz you can never fail!

Is anyone a little happier because I came along today?

Yes___ No___

Did I leave any concrete evidence of my kindness, any sign of my love?

Yes___ No___

Did I try to think of someone I know in a more positive light?

Yes___ No___

Did I help someone to feel joy, to laugh, or at least, to smile?

Yes___ No___

Have I attempted to remove a little of that rust that is corroding my relationships?

Yes___ No___

Have I gone through the day without fretting over what I don't have and celebrating the things I do have?

Yes___ No___

Have I forgiven others for being less than perfect?

Yes___ No___

Have I forgiven myself?

Yes___ No___

Have I learned something new about life, living or love?

Yes___ No___

"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around."

-Leo F. Buscaglia

"Forgiveness is letting go of the hope that the past 

could have been any different."

-Oprah Winfrey

5 Must-Read Life Lessons from Gandhi...

1. Be the Change

“You must be the change you want to see in the world.”

Be the example, be the leader.  If you lead properly people will follow, and together you will change the world.  Anyone can complain, anyone can blame, and most do, but if you desire to change, then “you” be the change.

2. Ask the Right Questions

“The power to question is the basis of all human progress.”

The quality of your life is in direct proportion to the quality of the questions that you dare to ask.  Are you asking the right questions?  Are you asking the right people?  You can’t get answers, without questions; you can’t make progress, without an inquiring mind.

3.  Always Act

“Have a bias towards action – let’s see something happen now. You can break that big plan into small steps and take the first step right away.”

If you’re going to be biased, be biased towards making something happen today.  Tomorrow never comes, any progress to be made, must be made today.  It must be made right now! If you don’t act now, you don’t have a future, just a longer today.  Gandhi said, “The future depends on what we do in the present.”

4. Forgive

“The weak can never forgive.  Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.”

It’s not “weaklings” who are quick-to-forgive; it’s those who are strongest.  The ability to forgive quickly is a sign of strength.  How strong are you? If you’ve been weak in the past, you can begin today to be strong.

5. Monitor Your Beliefs

“Your beliefs become your thoughts.  Your thoughts become your words.  Your words become your actions.  Your actions become your habits.  Your habits become your values.  Your values become your destiny.”

In short, your beliefs will create your destiny.  What do you believe?  What do you believe about yourself, your future, and your potential?  What you believe, you will surely become.

Mr. Self Development is an author who teaches a motivational and practical guide to success. Please visit him at Mr. Self Development.com.

The power of forgiveness . . . .

Hate, anger and resentment are destructive, eating away at the heart and soul of the person who carries them. They are absolutely incompatible with your own peace, joy and relaxation. Ugly emotions change who you are and contaminate every relationship you have. They can also take a physical toll on your body, including sleep disturbance, headaches, back spasms, and even heart attacks. Forgiveness sets you free from the bonds of hatred, anger and resentment. The only way to rise above the negatives of a relationship in which you were hurt is to take the moral high ground, and forgive the person who hurt you. Forgiveness is not about another person who has transgressed against you; it is about you. Forgiveness is about doing whatever it takes to preserve the power to create your own emotional state. It is a gift to yourself and it frees you. You don't have to have the other person's cooperation, and they do not have to be sorry or admit the error of their ways. Do it for yourself. You don't have to forgive because they deserve it,  forgive because you don't need it anymore.

Forgiveness is a gift 

you give yourself.

Happy Friday!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Photo of Kate Winslet via Patterson Maker

You are beautiful already . . . .

"To the people who love you, you are beautiful already. This is not because they're blind to your shortcomings but because they so clearly see your soul. Your shortcomings then dim by comparison. The people who care about you are willing to let you be imperfect and beautiful, too."

-Victoria Moran


Photo by Alexander Benz

Just try it . . . .

Are you constantly disappointed by others? Are your expectations so high that when they fail, you find yourself judging them? If you're slow to forgive and move on, you might need to disappear for a few days to reflect on the grace that's been extended to you. If you are finding that you can no longer extend grace to others, it's time for a break.


Learn to focus on the things you like and appreciate about your friends and family members instead of obsessing about the things that annoy or upset you, and you will be amazed at what your new focus reveals. 

Just try it.

Photo via The Steward

Forgiveness . . . .

The reason forgiveness is such an important element is that, without it, you are almost inevitably destined to a life marred by anger, bitterness, and hatred. Life is short, and once you make the decision to forgive, it is then that you will be able to free your heart from the constant eating away of your soul.


"You will know that forgiveness has begun when you recall those who hurt you and feel the power to wish them well."

-Lewis B. Smedes

Happy Friday!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Forgiveness can change your life . . . .

At some time or another, we all get hurt by a person who either treats us badly, betrays our trust or breaks our heart.  And while this pain is normal, sometimes that pain lingers for too long. We get trapped in a cycle of anger and hurt, and miss out on the beauty of life as it happens. As hard as it may be, we need to learn to let go, to forgive, to allow ourselves to move on, and to be happy. Forgiveness can change your life. It doesn't mean you erase the past, or forget what has happened.  It merely means that you are letting go of the anger and pain, and moving on to a better place. 

When you allow yourself to carry a grudge, it is you who suffers. You give power to the other person by allowing the hurt to rule your emotions. Holding on to a grudge allows the wrongful event to repeat itself in your head, and prevents you from moving on with your life. It literally handcuffs you to that negative past, and that's a heavy load to bear.  It will eventually devour you from the inside out! 

I understand that it's not always easy to forgive an offense, but what if your health depended on it? A grudge can take shape in your mind, then in your body, and if carried around long enough, the long-term stress can begin to make you physically sick. It can drain your energy, and leave you constantly fatigued. It will take a toll on your body, your mind, your happiness and your future. Things happen, and there will always be times when you are disappointed in people. Commit to letting go, and understand that you cannot control the actions of others. You can, however,  control your actions and your thoughts. You can stop reliving the hurt, you can choose to move on, and begin to focus on the things that bring you joy.

"To forgive is to set 
a prisoner free, 

and discover that 
the prisoner was you."

-Lewis B. Smedes

Partial text via zenhabits