OBITUARY of Common Sense (The Times, 10/20/03)

Today we mourn the passing of an old friend, by the name of Common Sense. Common Sense lived a long life but died from heart failure earlier this year. No one really knows how old he was since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.



He selflessly devoted his life to service in schools, hospitals, homes, factories and offices, helping folks get jobs done without fanfare and foolishness. For decades, petty rules, silly laws and frivolous lawsuits held no power over Common Sense. He was credited with cultivating such valued lessons as to know when to come in out of the rain, the early bird gets the worm, and life isn't always fair.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you earn), reliable parenting strategies (the adults are in charge, not the kids), and it's okay to come in second (or even last, as long as your best efforts were given).


A veteran of the Industrial Revolution, the Great Depression, and the Technological Revolution, Common Sense survived cultural and educational trends including body piercing, whole language and "new math." But his health declined when he became infected with the "if-it-only-helps-one-person-it's-worth-it! virus.


In recent decades his waning strength proved no match for the ravages of overbearing regulations. He watched in pain as good people became ruled by self-seeking lawyers. His health rapidly deteriorated when schools endlessly implemented zero tolerance policies, reports of six year old boys charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate, a teen suspended for taking a swig of mouthwash after lunch, and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student. It declined even further when schools had to get parental consent to administer aspirin to a student but cannot inform the parent when the female student is pregnant or wants an abortion.


Finally, Common Sense lost his will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband, churches became businesses, criminals received better treatment than victims, and federal judges stuck their noses in everything from Boy Scouts to professional sports. Finally, a woman who was stupid enough not to realize that coffee is hot, and was awarded a huge payout for her stupidity, caused Common Sense to finally throw in the towel.


Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents Truth and Trust; his wife, Discretion; his daughter, Responsibility; and his son, Reason. He is survived by two stepbrothers: My Rights and lma Whiner.

Not many attended his funeral because so few had realized that he was gone.

Are You in Control?

The difference between your expectations and your perceptions is called reality. Of all the things you can't control, there is one thing you can control...your ATTITUDE. Attitude is the energy that drives your feelings, thoughts and actions based on reality. Control your attitude and you gain control over your life. Gain control over your attitude and YOU control your destiny.

Stay FIT (Fully Inspired Today) !

Pamela D. Ballard

It's Your Life...

When I look at this cartoon by Mike Baldwin, I am reminded of a book I once read by Pastor Paula White, Deal With It!: You Cannot Conquer What You Will Not Confront. It makes sense.




If you don’t like your life, change it! While many things or people may exert power in your life and cause things to change, only you have the authority to make the changes that propel you into your destiny. Power and authority are not the same. Power is taking by force, while authority is changing by influence. How you see yourself is going to influence you to make a move or hide inside. You are here, but can you see yourself there? There, beyond the empty bank account, beyond the empty home, beyond the broken marriage, beyond that troubled child that doesn’t listen, beyond the great job that offers no real satisfaction, beyond all the riches with no peace. God has given us all abilities and skills to do what we need to do. You have to make a choice to step up, step out, and step on to the platform that is before you to do the thing you were born to do: BE YOU!



Stay FIT (Fully Inspired Today)!!

Pamela Ballard

Accountability

Accountability: we all say and do things that knaw at our souls. Some people refuse to accept their shortcomings, opting instead to blame others and deny responsibility. But others learn that inner peace can come only from owning up to faults and mistakes--to themselves, first and then to those they have wronged. Its a lot easier to breathe once we get those heavy weights off our chests.

(taken from marlin company)

Make It Happen

You’ve done the easy part, you’ve thought of the idea. Now do you have what it takes to make the dream reality? Creativity, persistence, and your tolerance for risk can enable you to do it but don’t forget about the external factors out of your control and dont be afraid of change.

You say you want it. Are you COMMITED? Are you doing something with it regularly, be it daily, weekly, or monthly? If it doesn’t come to you then you go after it. Make it happen!

Just Do It

Often times we are scared to do what we dream because we think we may flop, people will laugh, we don't know enough, don't have start up capital ,and no one else to support you emotionally. While all that may be true, its still in you.  You have to see it even when you don't see it. I'd like to leave you with these words:

"The only requirements to begin is vision and faith. Tangibly, you won't have everything you need to finish when you get started. You won't have enough money, enough time or enough knowledge. Just get started with what you have and don't quit until you're finished. Learn as you go and don't fret over those not committed to you through the end." Ed Rhino (via Facebook):

Now go in peace and Just Do It!

I hope you are now Fully Inspired Today!!

~Pamela

Don’t Be Afraid Of What You're Made Of

Sometimes your greatest strength is your greatest weakness. Sometimes the best in you can also expose you to the worse in others. The character trait that dominates as your strongpoint in one instance can become an opportunity to leave you hurt or disappointed in another instance.


For example, Trey is very laidback or easy going and may be well liked by others because he is willing to help others, and everyone wants someone like that around. On the flip side, Trey is so nice and humble he may have a problem saying “No” and eventually find himself overwhelmed and unappreciated. Now he begins to resent certain people and decides no longer to be so nice. Trey’s selflessness has caused him to be taken advantage of.


Angela, who chooses to believe the best in people by overlooking their faults and love unconditionally, has the power to motivate and uplift someone with encouragement. Because she is so willing to love only after he has gained her trust, her blinders cause her to develop feelings for someone who is not used to receiving this special treatment. Even though he had feelings too, he disregards her in a way that leaves her feeling desolate and her presence is no longer desired. She has been here before, so she decides to put up a wall around her heart. One of her best assets of seeing the best in people no matter what they have done wrong now causes her to second guess her judgment and she hides from love.


Repeatedly going through similar unfavorable incidents in your life is like strength training with a personal trainer. The more repetitions you do the more resistance and muscle you put on. Soon after you have gone through the routine numerous times, the effort doesn’t faze you at all. You’re able to turn the resistance up a notch. The same goes for when you are going in circles it seems with the same issue or new challenges one after the other. The more times you deal with them the stronger your roots become and you are not moved by the catastrophic events in your life. You are able to turn the adversity up a notch.


Since your body can get used to the workout, there are times you may hit a plateau. Because you stop seeing results, now your guard is down. You don’t practice healthy eating (feeding yourself positive affirmations). You don’t stretch (move beyond your comfort zone). You don’t warm up or cool down (so you jump in unprepared and collapse before the assignment is complete). It is necessary to change up our routine so it shocks the body and you don’t become too familiar. Don’t give up on the traits within you whether it is wisdom, selflessness, humor, love, motivation, bluntness. This is what makes you, you. Don’t deny the inner spirit its right to reign in your life. You can train yourself based on experiences when to use that trait to your benefit. You have to learn who and what to give yourself to. Because it wasn’t appreciated in one chapter of your life, doesn’t mean it won’t work out in the next chapter so finish the book.

If you want your life to be a magnificent story, then begin by realizing that you are the author. ~Mark Houlahan

Push through the pain…Tarry through the tears…Spit out the salt from the sweat…Bandage the blood… Don’t be afraid of what you’re made of.

Changing Lanes

In my previous article, Timing Is NOT Everything (July 2010), I painted an illustration of a traffic scene of the merging car coming off the exit ramp into your lane. Here is a snippet:

Have you ever been driving on the highway, coming up to an exit and there is traffic exiting on the highway? The vehicles merging into traffic should wait until they have enough space to merge; but instead they just drive off the exit, into your line of sight expecting you to move over into the next lane. It forces you to pump the brakes and LET them in...

Sometimes you have to make people notice you, let them see how serious you are and force them to LET you ‘get in where you fit in’....

In this analogy you were to see yourself as the merging car boldly making your transition into the right lane fulfilling your purpose. Now take that same scene and reverse the roles. Imagine you’re the driver in the lane of traffic. You’re about to yield to the car merging into your path. Remember how frustrated it was when the vehicle forced its way into your path and caused you to shift lanes? Don’t see that maneuver as a bad thing. Welcome the divine interruption! Sometimes you need a little jolting. You may need something to happen to make you mad enough to move. You can become complacent at the place you are in, not realizing while you are wallowing in contentment, you’ll soon be fuming feelings of resentment.

As you know all slow traffic should keep to the right. If you’re like me, you don’t like your speed broken or want to pump your brakes once you have momentum flowing. This merging vehicle is now prompting you or I to move over toward the left lane, where faster moving traffic is traveling. In reality, the left lane was designed for passing other vehicles while in route to your destination, not for coasting. The same goes for you as you make this journey to do what you desire to do.

Sometimes we get bogged down with distractions and multitasking of work, taking care of kids, running a business or two, church activity, mentoring, and very little “me” time until we lose sight of where we are on the road and how long its taking us to reach our destination. This is not to say you are failing if you fall behind or haven’t reached your goal by a certain time. I’m merely saying if we weren’t interrupted or “cut off” sometimes we would never move otherwise. Timing has nothing to do with it, things happen the way they are suppose to. It is our sensitivity to the stimulation around us that determine the outcomes of our life. (Choices) We choose to do, not to do, to love, not to love, to reject love, to help, not to help, to encourage, to ignore things and people around us. Your reaction to your stimulus can allow you to ride on cruise control in the slow lane getting uptight because someone just got in front of you. Or you it could push you over to the fast lane so you can pass by all the distractions and enjoy the ride! Its up to you.

Everyone who got where he is had to begin where he was ~ Pope John Paul II

So, CHANGE LANES!!

Pamela D. Ballard

Keys To Success

You hear so many motivating speeches pumping you up for success, telling us to rise up and do what you have been called to do. However, if you don’t know what you've been called to do, then is it motivating or does it resonate how much you're still lacking and add to your confusion? You are your own worst critic and your biggest fan. You must find a way to motivate and encourage yourself. There will be days when no one is able to do it for you. When someone has “a word for you ", and its incongruous or inappropriate, it is like a doctor misdiagnosing your condition, prescribing the wrong meds and making your worse than you started out. Self-discovery is going to be the first key to your success. Contrary to the adage, what you do not know wont hurt you, what you don’t know about you can hurt you. It can halt a major production line if an intricate detail is missing; now everything comes out flawed, not ready for packaging, and can’t be shipped out. You are holding up your own progress!



A second key to success is how you define success. Some people view success as a status or acquisition of "stuff". I asked my niece Tymia, what she thought being successful meant and here is what she had to say:" it means to achieve a goal". Therefore, I asked her, "If you don’t achieve that goal have you still succeeded?" She said, "Yes." I said, "Why do you say that?" She said, "Because you had to work hard at trying in the first place". "In other words you are successful because you didn’t stop trying?" She said, "Exactly!" Pretty smart for a nine year old, huh? How do you define the word success?

I looked up the word success and here is what Encarta had to say:

• Attainment of wealth, fame, or power: an impressive achievement because of a record of achievement. (Ask yourself, who are you trying to impress?)

• Achievement of intention; achieving something planned or attempted (It doesn’t have to be planned or done correctly on first try. The only way you fail is if it never comes into realization)

Words synonymous with success are accomplishment, victory, triumph, realization, attainment, and winner. The only word I found as an antonym was failure. So I queried failure:

• Breakdown in performance of something

• Lack of development or production

• To collapse or fall down suddenly, decrease in value

Which takes us to key number three: You must take action! When you stop moving, you start collapsing.

John C. Maxwell quoted author C. D. Jackson:

“Great ideas need landing gear as well as wings.” Any idea that remains only an idea doesn’t make a great impact. The real power of an idea comes when it goes from abstraction to application.

Some think failure is the part of the process when you make mistakes. Conversely, the correction of mistakes is where you achieve greatness. If you don’t take action you won’t know what works. You may have to do it 10 times or 100 times. You can’t give up. “If there is no struggle there is no progress,” (Frederick Douglass). This brings us to our last key of success, resilience.

The uphill trudge will seem hard because you may not know exactly what you are supposed to do, where you are supposed to go, and you won’t know everyone you need to know. As you get moving and continue the process, resources will start to cross your path. Tackle your goal in bite size pieces instead of larger chunks. This is true for any goal you plan to accomplish. It’s like exercising. If you are new to doing it, it can become overwhelming. Instead of spending 3 days a week performing an hour of strenuous exercise, try spending 5 days a week doing 30 minutes of exercise. Of course this would be tweaked based on personal preferences and situations. The key is frequency. Five days of shorter times will motivate you to stick with it versus fewer days of longer periods. Frequency is going to promote a habit that will create lifestyle changes. You have to see it all the way through to the end. The more you expose yourself to the commitment you have made the sooner you will start to see progress.

In conclusion, the four keys to success are (1) be in tune with yourself, (2) define success for your purpose, (3) take action, and (4) see it through to the end.


Pamela D. Ballard  

Are you a Boss or a Leader?

excerpt from an online article..


Although your position as a manager, supervisor, lead, etc. gives you the authority to accomplish certain tasks and objectives in the organization, this power does not make you a leader, it simply makes you the boss. Leadership differs in that it makes the followers want to achieve high goals, rather than simply bossing people around. Thus you get Assigned Leadership by your position and you display Emergent Leadership by influencing people to do great things.


W. G. Rowe (2007). Cases in Leadership

Are You FIT For Life?

Being fit means you are healthy, in good shape, competent, toned, “wrapped tight”, sound, and able-bodied. We spend so much time trying to crunch activities or accomplishments into now, because we say life is too short. But the truth is life is not short for everyone. Some people live to grow old gracefully. We say life is too short because we don’t know when our life as we know it today will come to an end. Tomorrow is not promised. Well if tomorrow is not promised why should it matter what I do today?


What you do today is really not about you. It’s about what others get from you while you carry out your assignment that only YOU were assigned by God to do. That assignment may be to open businesses, to exhort, to comfort, a caregiver, a dream catcher, to teach, or simply smile. Haven’t you ever wondered why some people that no matter what trials are in their life, you can’t tell because of their countenance? Maybe your assignment is humbleness, being meek and mild. Your assignment can be complex or so simple, yet it is effective. It’s the reason you will be missed when you are gone. So don’t slack today for fear of no tomorrow. As you go about your daily hustle ask yourself “Am I FIT for life?”



Are you Following Ideas Through?

Does your Faith Increase Trust?

Does Fortune Invoke Thankfulness from you?

Does the Family Inherit Together?

Are you Fearless In Transformation?

There are many ways to get in shape, the list can go on. Whatever it is for you always stay FIT: Fully Inspired Today!



Pamela D. Ballard

Timing is NOT everything….by Pamela Ballard

You overheard a stock tip and made a lot of money and you thought “Man, I was in the right place at the right time.” You just landed a job through a stranger and feel like you came across a streak of good luck. So many times when a plan comes together or things fall into place, we often utter the cliché “timing is everything”. Is it?


Have you ever been driving on the highway, coming up to an exit and there is traffic exiting on the highway? The vehicles merging into traffic should wait until they have enough space to merge; but instead they just drive off the exit, into your line of sight expecting you to move over into the next lane. It forces you to pump the brakes and LET them in. Here, timing clearly isn’t everything.

Sometimes when you’re trying to make something happen, you have to be like that vehicle merging into traffic. Sometimes you have to make people notice you, let them see how serious you are and force them to LET you ‘get in where you fit in’. Life is not always a game where you sit on the sidelines and wait for a position to become exhausted before you’re sent in. Life is an experience everyday. In order to experience it, you have to do, you have to be. If there is something holding you back: lack of money, discouragement that lead to thoughts of doubt, or lack of resources examine where you are and where you want to be. What can you let go in order to pick up something that will allow you to advance? It may mean letting go of a part time job that adds stress and picking up a class to gain more knowledge. It may mean letting go of a person who pulls you down and picking up a real friend who pours into you with inspiration and motivation. It may mean sacrificing a little sleep in order to have more time in the day to complete your tasks. It may be for you stopping to rest and sleep to allow your body and mind to recharge.

Whatever it is, a sense of balance must exist. This takes some planning. There are some of you who say you don’t plan anything. Flying by the seat of your pants will not always guarantee landing on your feet, so be prepared to crash physically, financially, or emotionally. There has to be balance of work, play, love, devotion, and worship. There is no one thing or person that will get you to where you need to be. Its time to unlock yourself and interlock in right relationships with God, yourself, and others. What are you waiting for? The right place? The right time? Timing is NOT everything, but the time is NOW!

Doing Versus Being

If you want something done – ask the busiest woman in the room. Society rewards women who get the job done with raises and new business opportunities. And the more you do, the more you are, right? Maybe not.

“When did doing take precedence over being? At what point did we stop feeling in favor of achieving?” asks author and The Empowerment Weekly Editor Elena Moreno. This rings true for so many women striving to do good with their careers and their lives. But, “when every minute is scheduled, there are no surprises, days become predictable routines of managed events… day after day like a never ending video loop,” says Moreno, who recently advised one of her students to “Do less. Be more.” Perhaps the real measure of success is the fullness of life, rather than how much is accomplished.
Interested in more?


“I am what I am,” says Erich Fromm in his book The Art of Being. He encourages pursuing true self-awareness beyond simple political, ideological and religious agendas and separating ourselves from our possessions and routines in order to find our true selves. Understanding Our Mind offers ways to train our mind consciousness through mindfulness. Author Thich Nhat Hanh compares the mind to a field with different kinds of seeds – seeds of suffering, anger, happiness and peace – ultimately suggesting that the quality of life depends on the quality of the seeds.

By Cynthia Good

Be wise and accept correction, it leads to perfection. Disregard for correction leads to destruction..

11 Inspiring Life Lessons from Bruce Lee

Bruce Lee was an actor, philosopher, film director, producer, screenwriter and martial artist. He was born in November 1940 and died July 1973 from a mysterious brain hemorrhage. Many consider Bruce Lee to be one of the most influential martial artists of the 20th century. His films took martial arts to a whole new level.

He was a pioneer when it came to making Chinese martial arts more popular in the west. He still to this day is considered a legend, and his philosophy lives on through his martial art Jeet Kune Do and through his writing.

When I grew up, I always looked up to Bruce Lee. He was this short guy, who weighed very little, yet seemed to have the power of a lion. He inspired, motivated and showed me that I don’t have to listen to the boundaries people impose on me. I make my own life, and I decide my faith.

Here are 11 powerful life lessons I learned from Bruce Lee:

1. Goals


“A goal is not always meant to be reached, it often serves simply as something to aim at.”

Goals serve as something to aim for, so don’t get too hung up on reaching them. Focus on enjoying the journey and the process.

If you’re hiking on a beautiful trail, your goal is to get to your end destination, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the walk, or even change direction. Be open, be flexible.

2. Flexibility


"Notice that the stiffest tree is most easily cracked, while the bamboo or willow survives by bending with the wind."

The happiest people in the world are flexible. They do not have rigid beliefs or try to control and manipulate their surroundings to make them happy.

They are okay with how things are. They accept, they live in the now and they breathe. If you want to have a fulfilling and happy life, be flexible and accept things as they are.

3. Time


“If you love life, don't waste time, for time is what life is made up of.”

There’s no time for procrastinating, making excuses and succumbing to your fears. I know it can be hard, but you will ultimately die, so why not make the best of your life?

Don’t waste time, instead start boldly moving towards your dreams. You will fail and make mistakes along the way, so stay humble and stay in the now.

4. Service


“Real living is living for others.”

The most satisfying way to live is to help and enrich the life of others. It wasn’t until I started my blog that I realized how satisfying it is to assist others.

If you can find a way to solve other people’s problems while following your passion, you will have found the ideal way to live.

5. Acceptance


“Take no thought of who is right or wrong or who is better than. Be not for or against.”

If we want the earth to become better, we have to let go of judgment, prejudice and rigid beliefs. There is no need to be right or wrong, or say that you are better than someone else.

Everything is as it is. If you do not like it, you can do something else, but do not inject negative energy, because it never does any good.

6. Single-Mindedness


“I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.”

If you want to get results and master something, you have to stop dabbling and jumping around from thing to thing. Commit to something and follow through.

Most people quit before any results can appear. They give up too soon. Don’t be one of those people!

7. Creativity


“Using no way as way, using no limitation as limitation.”

You impose your own limitations. Even if a guru tells you that something is impossible doesn’t mean it is. He or she is human just like you.

Remember, most great people were told they could never accomplish something, but they went ahead and did it anyway. Listen to yourself and do what excites you.

8. Simplicity



“Simplicity is the key to brilliance.”

Simplify your life and eliminate the unnecessary. We as a society have been taught to consume and amass material possessions.

Luckily, we are starting to realize that this doesn’t work. Happiness comes from the inside, not from the outside. Simplicity gives you clarity and peace of mind.

9. Find Your Path


"Absorb what is useful, Discard what is not, Add what is uniquely your own."

In the beginning, learn from someone you look up to, but as you get better and more successful, take what works and discard what doesn’t.

We are all unique, so we have to find our own groove and start listening to ourselves. Listen to your heart for guidance. Where is it trying to pull you?

10. Take Action


"Knowing is not enough, you must apply; willing is not enough, you must do."

You can read all the information you want, but if you never take action, nothing will happen. You will almost never have crystal clear clarity, so you will have to work through confusion and uncertainty.

I know you want a rock-solid guarantee that will tell you that you will be successful, but in reality, no such thing exists. You have to start moving in order to get to where you want to be.

11. Ego


"The martial arts are ultimately self-knowledge. A punch or a kick is not to knock the hell out of the guy in front, but to knock the hell out of your ego, your fear, or your hang-ups."

Everything you do involves your ego. It’s the one that is afraid. It wants you to stay where things are comfortable, convenient and safe.

If you listen to your heart, you know that this isn’t the path for you. Go after your dreams and do so boldly. Accept the fear inside you and keep moving.

Life is meant to be lived, so start living and following your passion.

If you agree, please feel free to pass this article along to your friends!


Written on 6/04/2010 by Henri Junttila. Henri is addicted to living a free and passionate life. He runs the Wake Up Cloud, where he shows you how you can learn how to find your passion and live consciously.

What is Love? by Pamela Ballard

In order to love you must clothe yourself in mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, and forgiveness. You must leave room for error and forgive the person who offends you (Col 3:12-13). This is a simple formula on how to love people but not so simple to do. Why is that? We no longer live in a society where turn the other cheek applies. It has become more like ‘an eye for an eye’ or ‘tooth for a tooth’. But where does that get us? Nowhere... Most of the time we are afraid to love because we want to protect ourselves from hurt. How ironic is that, to protect yourself from love when love is the most important piece of armor you will ever wear? Love is what binds us together. Love is good. Love is pure. Love is power. Love is trustworthy. Love speaks truth. Love communicates. Love forgives. Love transforms. Love strengthens. Love restores. Love can conquer fear. Love does all these things but yet you may still say you don’t know how to love. Well let’s go to where it all began... It began with God. He loved us so much He gave us His only begotten Son. John 4:16 says God is Love. So if He created us in His image, we all have the capacity to love. While we may not love perfectly and overlook faults the way that God does, our love still has the power to make the impossible seem possible. Love is a choice that you make. When you are offended or wronged by someone, even though you’re mad at the person you can choose to continue the relationship whether it is family, friends, marriage or business. That is because love acts as an entity that has a character of its own. 1Corinthians 13:4-8 says Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. Love never fails. In order to become a star athlete you have to practice. Love is the same way. You can’t just say I love you, you have to show it. It’s easy to say if it doesn’t come with a cost. Practice makes perfect. Sometimes relationships fail, not because we don’t give love, but because we won’t receive love. We have failed at relationships in the past and never moved past the hurt so we guard ourselves. Instead of absorbing love like a sponge, we let it bounce off us. 1John 4:18-19 says Such love has no fear because perfect love expels fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of judgment, and this shows that his love has not been perfected in us. We love Him, because He first loved us. This implies that we must receive love before we can give it away. Sometimes we see love as a hindrance instead of the good things it has to offer. We feel if we get “caught up” it becomes a distraction. Some of us grew up seeing no communication between the family, some saw our fathers go to work and pay the bills and thought that was love. Some who had no father in the home, subjected to different types of abuse or adversity, still have another outlook on what love is. Yet there are some in spite of the lack of affection, they still are able to love affectionately because it’s a choice they made. This is why it is so important to trace love back to its roots—God. Without him there can be no love. While this relationship is the ultimate one we should seek first, realize God uses people to love through them to get to you. In turn He uses you to love and reach others. So the most important relationship of love is the one you have with yourself. You must give love to yourself so you’ll know how to receive it. How do you do that? You see only the best in you, and you share that with others. Love is a gift that keeps on giving.

Groom As You Grow... by Pamela Ballard

As we go through experiences we learn what not to do, or what we should do. In essence it makes you wiser and a better person. Right? Well sometimes it doesn’t work out like that and you find yourself stuck in the same place over an over again. It leaves you discouraged, “busted and disgusted.” Why do you suppose that is? It’s because you didn’t groom yourself while you were dealing with the situation or struggle you tried to overcome. Example (1): You got in trouble, locked up in jail because you were guilty not by doing wrong, but by association. You get out of jail, three days later the same fellas want to hang out, and you go. Groom Tip: Change your environment and it could change your circumstance. Example (2): Your girlfriend gave you money to catch up on your bills last week. You get paid this week and have a little extra. You see this dress you want and think you deserve to treat yourself. You know that if you do get into another bind, your girlfriend is your ace in the hole. Your girlfriend doesn’t see you’re trying to help yourself and she is less inclined to help in a pinch. Groom Tip: Put the extra money in savings for backup until you are financially stable. Just because God allows things to grow it doesn’t mean it’s at its best. Grass grows but do you not mow it? Hair grows but do you not trim it? Nails grow, but do you not mani/pedicure them? These are all examples of grooming while growing. You actually grow faster and healthier if you groom. Grooming is the preparation you do to anticipate what lies ahead. Grooming is the isolation you go through to eliminate confusion. Grooming is the meditation on who you are, where you see yourself, how you see yourself, and how God sees you. Grooming is the sacrifice of instant gratification versus delayed gratification. Grooming is discipline and self-control. Grooming is acceptance of where you are NOW, taking responsibility for HOW you got there, and having courage to ALLOW the process to change you. Just like you trim your beard or arch your eyebrows, groom as you grow into a new you.

My Attitude

This is so powerful. If you can just do the first one, everything else is easy. This was passed on to me by my First Lady of Anointed Word Christian Ministries where we connect Woman to Woman. I PROMISE MYSELF: 1. To be so strong that nothing can disturb my peace of mind. 2. To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person I meet. 3. To make all my friends feel that there is something in them. 4. To look at the sunny side of everything and make my optimism come true. 5. To think only of the best, to work only for the best and expect only the best. 6. To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as I am about my own. 7. To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future. 8. To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature I meet a smile. 9. To give so much time to the improvement of myself that I have no time to criticize others. 10. To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble. My attitude…is my life. …author unknown