The Courage to Grow Up

“It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.” -E.E. Cummings

We are coming to the time of the year that people are graduating from schools and moving on with there life. Some from 8th grade others from High School and some are graduating into the real world. All of these steps are big parts in our life and some are harder then others. When some people think about growing up they set goals that would like to reach but never really strive for them. I am not saying it is easy to set a goal and get to it but shouldn’t you try.

To accomplish those goals you have to try. I know it sounds funny that you have to try to be the person you really are but some people forget who they really are as they grow up. Don’t let that be you. Be who you are and express yourself. Don’t hide the secrets from people because you are only hurting yourself. Grow up to be the person that you want to be and have the potential to be.

Growing up does mean taking on responsibilities and not all are fun but we do have to do them. My challenge to you is to try to do something that is on your list for when you “grow up”. Do the only thing that you said you would do some day because some day is today. Life is what you make it so what are you going to do today?

As We Grow Up

“As we Grow up we realize it becomes less important to have a ton of friends and more important to have real ones” –Unknown

Friends are the ones that help you without being asked or without expecting something in return. As we grow and go through hard times and good times we lose some friends and find others along the way to help us out. The best way this has been put is “run your car off the side of the road, get stuck in a ditch way out in the middle of nowhere. Get yourself in a bind lose the shirt off your back.” (Tracy Lawrence, Find Out Who Your Friends Are) find out who your friends are!

Recently I have had the pleasure of moving, not so fun. Two of my good friends showed up and spent 4 hours helping me move couches, my bed, Huge dresser and all the boxes I had packed. One of my friends had gone out the night before and let’s just say even with a very big head ache was still there for me. To me that just shows that he is a really friend.

When I look back on the friends throughout my life that have always been there we I need them, I realize that people come and go. Look back on friends that have inspired your life. The ones that are always there. You don’t have to be the most popular person with a hundred friends you just have to be the one that has the lasting friends. Life is what you make it, so what are you going to do today?

Life is better when you laugh

“Life is better when you’re laughing” -unknown

Some times people forget to ease up and have some fun. When your stressed about something you sometimes have to find something to laugh about. Whether it is a joke, funny picture or a story that a friend has for you, take the time to laugh and lighten up. If you think back to a time you had a lot of fun, what were you doing? I know that for me I was just talking with friends. We weren’t doing anything in particular we were just sitting at a friend’s house talking.

The other day a friend of mine was getting ready for a big test on Cement. Yes I know that sounds so exciting. He was stressed about the test but once I made a joke about the fact that he was having a test on cement, he laughed and seemed to be a little less stressed. Sometimes laughing will help you relax so that you can actually think clearly when taking a test instead of stressing out and forgetting everything you studied.

When your having a hard day take five min and find something funny. This may mean going on Facebook, Pinterest, or finding a joke. Little things may help the day become better and in the end you will have a better day. So next time you are stressed out or are having a bad day do something to make you laugh. Life is what you make it so what are you going to do today?

Enjoy the Little Things

“Enjoy the little things in life… for one day you’ll look back and realize they were the big things.” –Unknown

Many people push things aside because they are the “little things”. Yes some of them might be but some of them might have turned into much bigger things. If you always push the little things aside they turn into a pile of little things.

If anyone has ever pushed the little things aside like: sport games that your kids were involved in, listening to a friend when they asked or watching a movie with a friend. Yes they may be little events but they do mean a lot to the ones that you pushed aside. No one likes to be pushed aside and forgotten. You also have to remember that something that may be little to you, may be big to someone else in their life.

If a friend did want to talk to you about something it could have been something big in their life that they needed you to listen to, but because you pushed them aside you didn’t hear about the news until everyone else knew. Little things are big things that are still growing. You just have to pay attention to them.

So next time a friend calls and wants to talk take the time because it might turn into something big. Or the next time your kids ask you to do something with them do it because to them it will be a big deal. Life is what you make it so what are you going to do today?

Friends Pick us Up and Listen

“Friends Pick us up when we fall down, and if they can’t pick us up, they lie down and listen for a while” -Unknown

Some times people do not actually want you to help them up they just want you to sit down and listen to their problem.  The thing is, that’s what friends are for. They are there to do what ever you need them to do at that time in their life. This is also when you really find out who your friends are. They might be the ones who tell you what you don’t want to hear or the ones that just sit there when you have a bad day but they are still the ones there for you.

I am the one that is always willing to listen when a friend needs it. It might be in the middle of the night or the middle of the day but that’s what friends are for. I know that even when I haven’t talked to my good friend in a while I can call her up and tell her any problem and she knows that she can do the same to me.

Once you have those people are in your life that will lay down and listen don’t let them go. Friends are meant to help you up and listen to you no matter what so next time a friend calls and is complaining or just wants to talk, just stop and listen because some day you might want them to do the same for you. Life is what you make it so what are you going to do today?

“I’m Possible”

“Nothing is impossible the word itself says “I’m possible”! –Audrey Hepburn

Everything is possible if you try and you keep working at it. Many people do say things like it is impossible. When you think about it you realize that almost anything is possible. There is always a way to make things work. It may mean moving things around in your schedule or asking for help but it can still happen. Things can be possible if we want them to be possible and make the time. Life is all about making the priorities on our lives happen and making time for those that are priorities.

I know that I have had friends call me 20 minutes before class starting and saying they locked them selves out of their car. I had to run up to my car to pick up his extra key that he had given me and then run back down to class. It wasn’t the easiest thing to do in the time period that I had but it was possible.

Sometimes we have to help people out when they think that things are impossible so that we can help them make things possible. Next time someone says something is impossible try to help them figure out how to make it possible. Sometimes that means just talking it through and sometimes it means that you might have to help them take action. Life is what you make of it so what are you going to do today? 🙂

Which Bridge to Burn

“The hardest thing in life is to know which bridge to cross and which to burn.” –Unknown

Bridges are those things in life that you have to decide if they are worth crossing or which ones to cross. Life is the same way, you have to make the choices that are right for you and right for what you want in life. Bridges are also the people you meet in your life that make you realize new things and have new experiences.

Every person that you have known in your life is a bridge to where you are now. The ones that you passed up are the bridges that you burned. The thing is that even if you burned a bridge with someone it has still taught you something and made you into the person that you are.

Every day we make choices about where our life is headed and I know that no matter how many choices you make to cross a bridge there is always another bridge on the other side. I have made choices to burn bridges with friends but when I look back I don’t regret it because regret is not going to get me anywhere.

My challenge to you is to reflect on bridges that you have burned and decide if that was the right choice. If it wasn’t maybe you can try to rebuild the bridge. In the end do what is right for you.  Life is what you make of it so what are you going to do today?

Life only Happens Through Heat

“Life only Happens through Heat and heat means Friction”- Unknown

This is a reminder that life isn’t easy and you have to be ready for challenges and confrontation because it is going to happen. We have to have heat to live right? Well to really live you have to be willing to stick up for yourself, others when needed and the things you believe in, which can cause friction.

I know that in the past I have said things that have needed to be sad but it doesn’t always turn out the way you hope. People may get hurt, might not stay friends, but you have to do what is right. In the past I have had to tell a friend that her boyfriend was cheating on her. We didn’t talk for six months but she had to know what was happening. I am not saying that it was easy but sometimes you do what you know is right to help the ones that need it.

People make choices and those choices can turn out good or bad. No matter if they are good or bad you have to do what you feel is right which means you are going to cause some heat. My challenge to you is to stick up for friends and family. Don’t back down because you don’t know the outcome. Go for it and see what it brings you because in the end you have to have heat to live. Life is what you make it so what are you going to do today?

If Plan A Doesn’t Work

“If ‘Plan A’ didn’t work. The alphabet has 25 more letters! Stay cool.” –Unknown

Many people think that if they fail at one thing its all over but you have to remember that even if you didn’t achieve the first thing there is always a second thing to do. If you do have a plan A then you probably have a plan B. The problem with a plan is that it is just an idea of what you want to do. You have to be willing to change as other things are given to you. Sometimes it means coming up with plan E but you can still accomplish your plan.

I know that even when I plan things down to the minute, one thing will go wrong and you have to figure it out and plan A just changed to plan B. I am a planner at heart but when it comes down to it I realize that you can only plan things to an extent before you just have to let things happen.

This quote should remind you that things will work out you just have to go with the flow some times. The challenge that I give to you is to not freak out if the first plan doesn’t work out and to just figure out a second or third or fourth or fifth plan. Life is what you make of it so what are you going to do today?

No More Bashing

“Promote what you love instead of bashing what you hate” -unknown

Many people forget to mention the good things in life and only focus on the things that go bad. People need to forget the things that make the day bad and focus on the things that are good in the day.

I know that sometimes you just have to complain about people that are annoying in your life but you also have to say the good things because if the person that your complaining to only hears the bad about another person it is hard to ever think good of that person.

I know that when I have friends that have told me bad or annoying things about a person that I have never meet before it is hard to ignore those things when I first meet the person. They are like first impressions but without actually using our own ideas and views to come to your own conclusion. The thing about judging people before you meet them you don’t ever give them a chance to show who they really are.

You should not worry about the people that bug you on a daily basis but tell people about the ones you love on a daily basis. Next time someone treats you well tell people and just ignore the people that don’t treat you well. My challenge to you is try to find something that you are passionate about, like me and quotes and tell people about them. Life is what you make it so what are you going to do today?