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Repeats

Most often, history repeats itself when you didn't learn your lesson the first time.  What do you see today that is reminiscent of your past?  Did you learn from the situation(s) you may have recalled?  What have you done to consciously prepare yourself for something new?  Or, have you found yourself in the same situations over and over again?

You can repeat an action out of habit.  You can repeat a thought due to unanswered questions.  You can even repeat a good dish with a good recipe.  However, there are some things that should be taught and learned only once.  Is it a proud moment when a child is doomed to repeat a grade in school?  Of course not!  He/she knows that there are things ahead that he/she should already be experiencing, but can't due to whatever unlearned lesson exists.

You shouldn't take your yesterdays into your tomorrows, so handle today with care and keep your eyes and ears open for the lessons that await you.

It's beautiful to be you...simply beautiful.

Practice Makes Perfect

Everyone has hopes, dreams, and aspirations.  Each of us were created to pursue our heart's desires.  However, after repeated failed attempts to achieve a goal, some people give up.  On the other hand, some people develop an even stronger drive to realize their ambitions.  Some people become desensitized and complacent with a mundane life absent of motivation.  Then there is another small group of people who constantly try and adapt to change...good or bad.

Our societal chameleons harbor the wild passion of a stallion and the tranquility of still waters.  They are as resilient as rubber and as tough as nails.  Seemingly, people like this are very strong and never have problems, worries, or stress over the many negative circumstances  that sometimes surround them.  On the contrary, this couldn't be farther from the truth.  Notably, practice makes perfect.

These experts of adaptation, societal chameleons, take life as it comes.  They don't harbor anger or resentment, bitterness, or jealousy.  They recognize if a situation isn't working in their favor and they adjust their plans accordingly.  They have learned, through practice, how to survive without giving in to the typical insecurities that plague the average person upon repeated denial, rejection, and pain.  They practice to be perfect at living well despite the circumstances of any situation.  The next time you notice a love seeming to fade, a wilted friendship, or any unfavorable outcome or condition of a situation...practice to heal, love, and live in spite of it all.  Practice makes perfect.

It's beautiful to be you...simply beautiful.

Spoken

There is more power in words than you think.  What you say matters.  How you say what you say matters.  When you say it matters.  Who you choose to speak to matters.  You must be selective about what you say to whom, how you say it, and when it's said.

Regardless of what medium is your orifice of choice, your words are spoken through it.  If written on paper or on the web, via text, spoken over the phone, or in person face to face...your words are used to convey thought and meaning to others.  Be sure that the intended meaning of your words is conveyed properly or they can be potentially deadly.  Your words can kill someone's spirit, courage, dreams, ideas, and/or self image.  It may take years to build up a person and their character, but it only takes a few words spoken in a few seconds to tear them down.

The spoken word can be a powerful tool or weapon...just be sure to use it to build and defend, not to destruct and offend.

It's beautiful to be you...simply beautiful.

Facetime

Face time is the quality time you get to look into someone's eyes as they speak; the time you get to have a really good hug.  It's harder and harder to come by each day.  You get face time from dozens of strangers and acquaintances everyday, but not always from those you'd like to have time with.  Although you may be able to email, text, or chat...nothing beats face time.  Real is always better.  How real are you with yourself?

When was the last time you spent time with yourself?  Have you spent any face time with you lately?  Time is money and money is time.  Money is replaceable, time is not.  It isn't endless, so you must use it wisely...including who you spend it with.  You are the most important person to consider having daily face time with.

Look in the mirror (mentally and physically) everyday.  Don't simply comb/brush your hair or brush your teeth...look at yourself in the mirror.  Decide, each morning, if you can live with who you know and see in that mirror.  If you can see yourself as confident, kind, caring, strong, and intelligent...act as such.  If you can't see the goodness in yourself each morning, take small steps toward achieving that goal.

However, if you can't look in the mirror...you have a bit more work to do.  No better time than the present to get started!  Face time...it's harder and harder to come by everyday.  You have to be real with yourself in order to be real with anyone else.

It's beautiful to be you...simply beautiful.

Love Note 9

Dear Love,

At times I hurt because of you, but I need you nonetheless.  At times I cry because of you, but still hold you close to my heart.  Sometimes I'm angry because of who is affected by you, but I know it isn't your fault.  Sometimes I'm so sad and discouraged because of what you allow me to experience, then quickly remove from my life...but I know everything has a purpose.  Then there are the days when all I do is smile...thanks to you.

The laughter is worth the tears.  The joy is worth the pain.  The discouragement is worth the strength.  The smile from one heart to another is priceless.  Thanks love.

Yours Truly,

My Heart

It's beautiful to be you...simply beautiful.

Moments

There are amazing moments in your life when you wonder how did I get here.  There are puzzling moments in your life when you wonder how did I get here.  There are melancholy moments in your life when you wonder how did I get here.  There are indescribable moments in your life when all you can do is stand in awe.  Nevertheless, no matter the situation, there will always be defining moments in your life.

The moments in your life will be defined by you or they will define you.  You will have moments in silence, moments in chorus with the world around you, moments alone, moments with loved ones, moments in the spotlight, and moments in darkness.  These times in your life are not predictable or foreseeable.  You can not choose, ahead of time, which is the right way to go.  You have to utilize the space you're in to choose "wisely" your action of the moment.

Don't decide to walk in someone else's shoes because you have one moment of weakness or a moment that you feel is unbearable.  Continue walking down your own path and your moments of strength and reassurance are sure to come with blessings to boot!  Be wise, be blessed...live, learn, and grow.

It's beautiful to be you...simply beautiful.

Encouraging You

Encouragement is something that must be given, shared, and experienced.  It lets you know that someone believes in you and is supporting your efforts.  If you've never experienced it, it may be hard for you to recognize when someone is giving it to you...similar to love.  If you've never shared it or given it of yourself to others, it's a bit pretentious to assume that someone should do that for you.  Nevertheless, if no one ever  offered it to anyone else, that would break down the cycle.

There is a cycle to everything in life...even life itself.  Life is sustained, supported, and loved by those who participate in living...and by the Creator of life.  At times, we get discouraged or feel a little off kilter.  Those are the times at which it seems we need encouragement the most...but we may not get it.  When you feel this way, it's important that you find something to do or say that helps to encourage you in being who you are and what you do.  Keep your cycle going.

I'm encouraged through encouraging you.

It's beautiful to be you...simply beautiful.

Blessings

A blessing is an advantage, a gift, help, good fortune, and to some, just plain ole good luck.  Whatever your belief, you should know that blessings don't happen due to any doing of your own.  Blessings are advantageous gifts given by God for the sole purpose of enhancing who you are and what's inside you.  Once you receive your blessing your only responsibility is to bless someone else.  Most people don't understand their responsibility in receiving a blessing.

Know that nothing you receive is only for you.  You have a larger responsibility to share what you receive...either through learning, experience, finances, or just love and understanding.  You are someone's link to understanding their own passion, dreams, talents, and gifts.  Fulfill your responsibility of blessing another so they might be able to do the same.  It's a chain effect and a beautiful cycle to be a part of...blessings beget blessings.

It's beautiful to be you...simply beautiful.

Life Is Real

Sometimes reality really sucks, but sometimes it's the best.  It's all about your perspective...how you view things.  How you think/feel is based on how you interpret what goes on around you...your perspective/perception.  Oftentimes, your perspective/perception is shaped & molded by your past instead of your reality, but life is real.

Don't live your life based on how you think things operate.  Learn, explore, discover truths for yourself.  Surround yourself with those who strive for growth.  Gain a true perspective on reality...because you live it.  Life is real and so are the people who live it.  Live it well.

It's beautiful to be you...simply beautiful.

So This Is Life

Guess what...this is your life.  You can do with it what you want...good or bad.  Although, doing what you want may not always be the best thing for every situation.  Sometimes you have to do what's right when you may not want to.  Sometimes sacrifice is necessary.

As children, we have big ideas and enormous dreams.  We have beliefs about the way the world works and the way it should work.  Then, we concoct a totally unrealistic plan to fix all that's wrong and make ourselves and loved ones wealthy beyond our imagination.  That's a child's mind, a child's thinking.  This is life.

We're adults now and see that things don't work exactly as we thought they would.  You have to pay for or cook food when you're hungry.  Everyone doesn't want to talk to and/or play with you.  No one offers or supplies you with anything simply because you need it.  This is life.

Nevertheless...never stop dreaming and trying.

It's beautiful to be you...simply beautiful.

Love Note 8

Dear Love,

What I want is to feel special in your presence and even when if seems you're nowhere to be found.  I want others to feel special in my presence...because they are.  I want to be wanted and cared for...loved beyond my imagination.  I want to be respected, not feared...because love doesn't produce fear.  I want to be an example of your greatness and strength.

I want someone's heart connected to mine, united as one, beating as one, living as one, learning and teaching as one, loving as one.  I want to experience what you have to offer on a higher plane.  I want to show others how to love without a thought of "what if".  I want to live without fear.  I want you and I want you to want me...always.

Yours Truly,
My Heart

~It's beautiful to be you...simply beautiful.

I'll Make Ya Famous

You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.  You can offer valuable information in any medium known to man, but you can't force people to learn.  There are some people who will always be their own biggest obstacle.  When you are confronted with those who display self-apathy, let them be and keep moving forward.

There are days that I would absolutely love to see everyone smiling and content, but that isn't realistic.  All one can do is to positively affect the lives you cross paths with the best way you know how.  What another person does with the positivity that you've shared is totally in their hands, not yours.  Be willing and able to share what you know despite the possibility that the recipient may take awhile to grasp, understand, or utilize the information.  You're charged with spreading positivity and sharing knowledge; not making sure it's used properly and shared further.

For every experience, there is a story.  For every story, there's more than likely a lesson.  If a person does nothing but give me a story to pass along because of their ignorance, stubbornness, or callous heart; don't worry, those who I encounter will know of it.  Welcome to my life; share what you know...I'll make ya famous.

It's beautiful to be you...simply beautiful.

Work, work, work

It's what fuels your fun and pays your bills.  It's what gives a lot of people purpose for their days and lives.  It's what makes some people smile and what makes others frown.  It's what makes you rush to be on time in the morning.  It keeps you busy, forces you to do your best, sets deadlines for you and holds you accountable to those around you...work.

While some people may not know what it feels like to do what they truly enjoy, others actually do.  Nevertheless, everyone has a day that they'd love to lounge a bit.  You'd love to lay in bed a bit longer without having to be anywhere by a set time.  It would probably feel wonderful to accomplish all that you do through your work from the comfort of your own home, but that isn't possible for all types of work.  Work, work, work...someone's got to do it.

Once in awhile you'll have a lazy moment.  A lazy moment may be merely a few minutes when you can breathe and take a small break to have a mental escape from your responsibility.  It may be a day when you can stop all that you do to simply lay around with no goal other than relaxation.  No matter what type of work you do or when your lazy moment may come...enjoy them both while they're here to enjoy.  No one can do everything all the time.

It's beautiful to be you...simply beautiful.

What Remains

There are moments in your life when you wonder "What on earth did I gain from that experience?".  At these moments, it's almost always best to simply sit still for awhile and reflect.  You don't have to dwell on whatever the experience has been; although you already know it wasn't an enjoyable one.  Pray or meditate and reflect on your role in the situation...what you did or didn't do to affect the situation and outcome.  Try to see things as clearly as possible, accepting full responsibility for your actions.  Forgive others involved and forgive yourself.

Forgiveness may take time if you've been hurt or if you're grieving.  Likewise, your emotions can cloud your ability to see things clearly; therefore not allowing you to truly understand your role in a situation.  If this is the case, don't rush...growth takes time.  When the picture is clear and forgiveness has taken place, then you must face what remains.  Whether it's residual feelings, mental/emotional/physical scars, or tangible items...there is always a lesson to be learned.

Regardless of what you can add to the list, the lesson which remains is the most valuable good from any situation you experience.  The lesson usually takes the longest to learn because you must first forgive and understand your role.  When you find, understand, and internalize that which remains (your lesson), move forward with purpose in each step.  Celebrate what remains as a part of life that has made you smarter, wiser,  stronger...better.

It's beautiful to be you...simply beautiful.

More Than Enough

Sometimes it's hard to accept who you are.  You may wish to be taller, shorter, lighter, darker, to have longer or thicker hair...but you are just who you were designed to be.  All that you are is so much more than what you see on the outside.  Don't spend your time or waste your energy comparing yourself to others or wishing to be those things which you are not.  Make the most of your time by learning yourself, your talents, your gifts, and your purpose.

Within you lies the ability to make someone else better, stronger, wiser, and more of themselves.  We all have a purpose...and you've been created with more than enough gifts and talents to fulfill your purpose.

It's beautiful to be you...simply beautiful.

I'll Try

More often than not, people get upset or disappointed when they've been let down.  A let down can happen because an expectation wasn't met, a promise wasn't kept, or simply because no effort was put forth at all.

When someone vows to try to do something for you, appreciate it for what it is...effort.  Trying doesn't mean anything is promised or sure to happen except effort.  You know too well how it feels to hope for something only to be hurt or disappointed.  Don't hurt or disappoint yourself by hoping for far more than the effort to which someone may avow themselves.

Continue to hope and wish for everything.  The sky is the limit.  Simply set a boundary for your disappointing experiences by knowing when not to hope beyond someone else's abilities or word.  A small effort is better than no effort at all.

It's beautiful to be you...simply beautiful.

Family

There is a saying: "blood is thicker than water".  It means that when there is a misunderstanding among family members, versus non-family members, you work out the kinks with your family at all costs.  It means that you don't stay at odds with family the way you might with someone who is not related to you.  It means that you stand up for family and support them.  That one saying means all of the aforementioned things...maybe a bit more, but nothing less.

You need family; but sometimes you need outsiders to make you appreciate family properly.  At times, family can treat you worse than anyone else in the world.  This only happens because they're closest to you.  At other times, you can trust a friend with your life and heart long before you would a family member.  This happens due to past pain & hurts that haven't healed or haven't been overcome within the family.

Family, love, and support makes life easier to live.  Sometimes friends are the only family you have.  No matter what kind of family you have...appreciate it, it's your family.  Remember, family isn't only made up of those who share the same last name or same direct descendants.  It's all about relationship and the bond you share.

It's beautiful to be you...simply beautiful.

Expectations

Promises - words spoken assuring that things will be done - most often lead to expectations.  Periodically, expectations appear out of pure desire...without there ever being a promise spoken.  At that moment, give yourself a reality check.  Be sure, be certain, be most confident that you aren't expecting something outside of your reality.

Oftentimes, people get upset, angered, or hurt because someone let them down.  Take the time to analyze and reflect. Did someone else let you down or did you let yourself down due to your own unfounded expectations?  Do your best to be truthful and honest in your thoughts, intentions, and ultimately, your actions.  Know who you are in every situation so you'll know exactly what (and what not) to expect.

Quell your anger, disappointment, and hurt.  Evaluate situations honestly, with your eyes open.  Make no excuses or whimsical possibilities...focus on your reality.  Things do change, but not overnight and not without effort.  Your expectations are your hopes and desires...not someone else's.

It's beautiful to be you...simply beautiful.

Get Off The Road

Every once in awhile you need to step outside of the mainstream...do something different.  You can't want something different or want to see something different if you don't do anything or go anywhere different.  Life can be as mundane or as out of the ordinary as you live it.  Even the most popular kid knows that he/she isn't popular for being a follower.  Despite what you see and hear everyone else do;, do your own thing...do what makes you happy.

Oftentimes it's good to get away and see new sights.  There are all kinds of roads paved to lead to many different places.  They all have certain themes or scenery...greenery, signs, landscapes, etc.  You may have to get off the main road to really see what's around you.  Sometimes traveling your own road, the road less traveled, is necessary.

What's the point in having an ATV or SUV attitude if you're planning to spend your life coasting in smooth, paved roads?  Get off the road...enjoy life.  Make your own path.  Set a standard for someone else to follow.  Learn something new and have fun while you're doing it.

It's beautiful to be you...simply  beautiful.

Morning Inspiration

Arise with fresh eyes.  Go forth with a lightened heart.  Make decisions with your heart and mind anew.  Eat healthy and heartily.  Pray often.  Love always.

Do what feels right in your heart, not just what makes sense in your mind.  Every goal doesn't always seem feasible to attain.  Every road doesn't seem worth traveling.  Every step doesn't feel easy to take.  Have faith and courage...you can do it.

Find a saying or remember some encouraging and strengthening words.  Think of someone's desire to succeed and their tenacity...replay it in your mind daily.  Let it inspire you to greatness...or simply to get up and go.  Don't let the concerns of yesterday keep you from experiencing the goodness of today...it can ultimately hinder your tomorrow.  Know what gets you going and do it!

It's beautiful to be you...simply beautiful.

Craters

There's a huge, gaping hole inside me...right in the space where I keep the things I love.  You'd never know by looking because I'm not bandaged or limping.  You can't even tell if you talk to me, since my speech isn't slurred or obstructed.  There's no apparent damage according to the eyes of on-lookers...only in the eyes of those who are kindred to my soul have I been broken and damaged in some way.  Even though it lies within, they can see the hurt and pain...they see a difference in me.

I can't repair it on my own...it takes time.  Slowly, hurt and pain will fade.  However, memories will be lasting.  Sometimes the memories will conjure laughter...and at other times tears.  I'm not comfortable with this process, but I know we must all go through it in order to learn and grow.

Whether a death, a lost love, or sheer disappointment from failure or fallen expectations...craters are what remain after something great has happened.  It makes no difference whether the happening was greatly negative or positive...learn something from it.  Go through the process.  Before you know it your crater will be filled with new life.

It's beautiful to be you...simply beautiful.

What You Want

There are some things in life that come easy.  They're gifts like sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell...some people don't even have these gifts.  There are other things that come, but not so easy...like success and happiness.  You never have to work for the easy things, but they are also never guaranteed.  However, the other things that aren't so easy can be innate or simply things we have to work to achieve.

Some people are destined to have the world at their fingertips for every beck and call; while others must work for every thread of anything they ever achieve or possess.  No matter which category you fall into, it is indisputable that you must put forth some effort...even if it's only in thought.  You must first decide what you want; then, how to get it.  No matter who you are, where you are, or where you're from...do something.  Get what YOU want.

It's beautiful to be you...simply beautiful.

Fun

Sometimes we seek good times, fun times...in the name of forgetting not-so-good and not-so-fun times.  Know and understand that some fun now does not equal good times later.  I know you want to get through your rough patch as quickly as you can and forget all the turmoil that came with it.  However, there are times when you need to remember the turmoil so you can make better use of your right now moments.  It's your right now that will determine your next seconds, minutes, hours, and days...your next steps.

Never allow your discomfort to dictate your level of decorum.  There are some things that must be experienced now in order to prepare you for your tomorrow...to mature you.  Manage your moments wisely...they're your steps to the next level.  Put forth effort so that your fun is building your future.  Otherwise, is it worth it?

It's beautiful to be you...simply beautiful.

Waiting

Sometimes it feels as if you've been waiting all your life.  Babies don't know who they'll be born to or when...that's a waiting process too.  We wait for good times to begin and for bad times to end.   We wait for our  friends to arrive and for enemies to leave.  We await the arrival of new love, while waiting for the feeling of old lovers to leave.  Wait, wait, wait.

More than waiting, life becomes a series of anticipated moments.  Your life is so much more than a compilation of things you're waiting for.  Your life is a map of land...none of which has been discovered by you.  It's up to you to go, see, and do...to live.  Don't waste your time waiting for things to come and go...full of anticipation.

Be the cog in the middle of the wheel that makes everything turn.  You can be quiet, reserved, and modest; but still be one of the most important aspects of someone's day.  Every good and necessary thing is worth waiting for, but sometimes you have to go get it.  Don't spend your life waiting...live.

It's beautiful to be you...simply beautiful.

Pressure

Pressure can be a negative or positive experience.  It can serve as your motivation for success or it could be the genesis of your failure.  How you handle the pressures of life will determine your character.

The element of surprise is not only a characteristic of memorable birthday parties.  It is also one of the most underrated agents of living.  Pressure takes on an element of surprise whenever you happen to be having an unplanned ordeal.  You must adjust and strive toward becoming and remaining stress-free.  Pressure has its way of unraveling the fabric of your tranquility.

Here are some steps to maintaining your harmony and peace of mind.  First, realize that you can't control everything.  Second, realize that you can control your responses to everything...no matter how chaotic it may seem.  Third, understand that everything happens for a reason...even when you can't understand the reason(s).  Fourth, make a conscious effort to see at least one good thing in whatever comes your way.  Finally, no matter how many times you have to adjust and re-adjust your actions and responses...never quit.

Life, at times, can be as unstable as the earth's core.  Be still and let the pressure push you to the top with the dazzling brilliance of a diamond...and shine!

It's beautiful to be you...simply beautiful!

Waking of Possibility

You've been awakened to a new day...full of possibilities.  This day has options for you; waiting like flowers blooming along your personal walkway for your picking and smelling pleasure.  You can choose to walk by them, admiring them as you travel.  Or you can pluck one, or two, or three...to take with you and re-plant wherever you go.  They're all here for you.

Tomorrow you'll be awakened to another brand new day of possibilities...flowers outside your door.  Just remember that what you see when you leave your door today, may not be there when you wake tomorrow.  Don't smell the flowers today and decide to plant tomorrow.  Pluck up your flowers of possibility today and enjoy the fragrance and bloom of living a life of success and blessings today.  It's yours for the taking!

It's beautiful to be you...simply beautiful.

Embers

Embers are the remnants of a fire...what's leftover but still burning before a fire goes out.  Sometimes those remnants can spark another fire when added to fuel - something else to burn.  There are times when the embers jump outside of the original fire, oftentimes igniting a dangerous, untamed, and possibly overwhelming or deadly flame.  However, when tended to properly, embers can be used to spark or rekindle a new fire that can be an excellent source of heat and comfort.

Time and again, in our everyday lives, we enter into agreements, arrangements, relationships, and the like...only to reach the realization that we don't really want to be there.  Sometimes those relationships (business or personal) tend to be so volatile that it's best that all ties are severed.  Periodically, however, we enter into a good,  working relationship.  Communication is clear and concise.  Integrity is top-notch.  Everything looks good...but for some reason the fire starts to die out.

When left unattended or not cared for properly, the fire/passion of a relationship can dissipate quickly...just like a fire being started.  Frequently, we mistake this to mean that something went wrong or something is wrong with one of the persons/parties involved. This conclusion is not always the case.  There are times when we just need to understand that one fire is only meant to have a certain burn life.  Fires don't burn forever.

If it's meant to last, the fire will continue to burn because it is tended to and fuel is added at the appropriate times to maintain the life of the fire.  At other times, the fire will be tended to and still die out slowly...because the burn life was not designed to go on any further.  Nevertheless, if you move in haste to start another fire too soon...remember that the embers from the old fire never died out completely and could be dangerous.  Be patient and let the fire burn itself out or extinguish it totally before jumping into something too soon.  There may not be a flame, but embers are just as powerful.

It's beautiful to be you...simply beautiful.

Damage

When accidents occur, the damage is almost always apparent.  However, every so often the damage isn't evident or immediately noticeable...it's hidden very well.  It hides beneath laughter, smiles, professional composure, and emotional detachment.  Sometimes, the damage isn't easy to hide at all.

The struggles a person faces sometimes leave residual emotions and speculation of what will be.  At times the trials of life leave you wanting...with the expectation that your desires and needs will be fulfilled through other people and things.  These other people have no clue what your past experiences or pains have consisted of.  They don't know your frustrations or pet peeves.  Their not knowing isn't a sign of some kind that they need to learn; it simply means that you must learn to trust enough to share.

There will be instances when moments of your past are recalled in your mind because you hear a song, pass an unforgettable location, or smell a lingering scent.  From time to time these moments create the environment for those residual emotions to resurface.  There's nothing wrong with you because of that...it takes time to heal.  Oftentimes, it's necessary to feel again what you once felt and to think what you once thought...just to re-evaluate and reflect.  It's okay to mentally go back to the past...but only to learn & grow, not to stay.

The damage we see in others needs repairing.  The damage we see and feel in ourselves needs repairing.  However, we are not always the ones who need to perform the repairs.  The decision to step back may be just as paramount in the healing process as the decision to forgive.  When you get a glimpse of someone else's damage or realize your own...just be there to help, support, or to reach out when it's needed.  All things happen in time.

It's beautiful to be you...simply beautiful.

Younger Years

You did something stupid before...even though you knew better.  You were defiant before...even if it was only on the inside or in your thoughts.  You thought you knew what was best for you before...even though a much wiser person may have already told you different.  You were so dense at one time that you couldn't see the forest for the trees.  Think about it...this was you at one time in your life.

Patience is a virtue that is very trying and/or difficult to obtain.  When you see someone in their younger years don't be so quick to give up or throw in the towel.  He/she may be going through one of the same kinds of moments you had so many of during your own younger years.  Simply have a quiet moment and reflect; then offer some wise words as advice.  Just pray that they listen & hear those words.

Never be so old that you forget that you too were once young, stubborn, and dense...even if only in your thoughts.  Be there...don't give up on the ones going through their younger years.  They need you.

Its's beautiful to be you, simply beautiful.

Doors

Doors are gateways to opportunity.  Doors are exits from pain and trouble.  Doors are the portals through which you pass once an experience is complete, a lesson learned, or a journey about to be embarked upon. Doors are the thresholds you cross to enter into a land of living, moving, breathing moments that become your life.  Do not be afraid.

Some doors are locked and meant to be opened; while others are meant to remain locked.  Some doors are always open and merely exist as symbols of your achievement; your path to a new greatness.  Some doors are designed to open when knocked upon; others must be knocked down.  Some doors are designed to be opened with a key; while others are designed to be opened for you.  No matter the design or the fashion, each door in your life leads you to something new.

You must successfully close one door before another can be opened.  Don't make the mistake of leaving doors unlocked behind you as you move on to new experiences in life.  The past has a way of creeping along with you if not left securely in its proper place....in the past.  Appreciate every experience, good or bad...and readily make your exit when it's time.  Likewise, be ready and inspired to move on when the time comes.

Even if the time to move comes along before you think you're ready, just remember: when one door closes another door opens.

It's beautiful to be you, simply beautiful.