Word Tattoos

I read another quote last night... Or maybe the night before... Again, I've been thinking.  This quote asked one question and honestly, I had to answer "no." I've been so disappointed in myself to have to answer no to that question... It's something I "preach" all the time but also something I "preach" at myself because I fail frequently.  It's something I need to work on and change about myself and I would bet it's a question you would have to answer no to as well.

Posted by Lauren DeMoss 

So what if your daily words became tattoos on your skin? Would you still be beautiful? Would each word be something you would want everyone and anyone to see? If your words were to become your tattoos would you change any of them? If your words were your tattoos would you be kinder, stronger, more confident, more trustworthy? Would you trust God more? Would you speak less? Would you love more? What is it you would change if you knew everyone would see?  Would you change even the things you say to and about yourself? Would you speak words of encouragement and support to yourself? Would you speak more humbly?  Would you appreciate who you are and concentrate more on the things you like rather than the flaws?

Of course, the lesson we learn from this question and all the other questions it leads us to ask of ourselves is to be more aware of the words we speak... Not only the words we speak to others but those we speak into our own being. We must take time to think about our words, I know it is more difficult in the moment but we should take time right now, thinking of the words we have spoken lately that we may not be proud of, the words we wish we would have spoken, the words we would soften... If we think about them now it may be possible to change them in the moments to come.  Dr. Phil frequently says "it takes one thousand 'atta boys' to make up for one negative statement."  We must speak life, kindness, love, encouragement and support, we must change our way of thinking before we can change an outcome and to change our thinking we must repeat a thousand "atta boys."

"Words kill, words give life; they're either poison or fruit - you choose."

Proverbs 18:21 (Msg)

"Fools care nothing for thoughtful discourse; all they do is run off at the mouth.  Many words rush along like rivers in flood, but deep wisdom flows up from Artesian springs.  The words of a fool start fights; do him and favor and gag him.  Fools are undone by their big mouths; their souls are crushed by their words.  Listening to gossip is like eating cheap candy; do you really want that junk in your belly?  Answering before listening is both rude and stupid.  Words satisfy the mind as much as fruit does the stomach; good talk is as gratifying as a good harvest! Words kill, words give life; they're either poison or fruit - you choose."

Beauty & Rainstorms

I read this today... It's so impacting to me. Isn't that exactly what happens to us all, in one way or another we learn to be silenced? Maybe not our voice itself but definitely our words, we change what we say to be more accepted, more like those around us... We don't stand up because we are afraid to stand alone.  We stop singing because we don't want to magnify the darkness of someone else's situation... 

The problem with silencing ourselves, with hiding our thoughts and opinions through choosing not to speak them... The problem with changing what we say to be like others and to gain acceptance... The problem with not standing at all because of fear to stand alone, the problem with stifling our song is sometimes that's all that gets us through. Sometimes we lose what we want most and the only thing that helps us work it out in the mind is giving the pain a voice...  If we choose not to speak our minds on what we believe in to gain acceptance and be like others, first we cannot gain actual acceptance of our true selves and second if I don't speak, you're silenced and the person next to us is the same then no one is speak and we are just being swept away by the current of our surrounding culture... The problem with being swept with culture is we will never have time to think about who we are, what we want or what we believe because we will be too busy just trying to stay afloat.  The problem with never standing up, I know you're probably expecting "we will fall for anything" but no, if you don't stand and I don't stand and no one stands then change and betterment cannot come... What is Abraham Lincoln never took a stand, what if Rosa Parks never took a stand what if Bumblebee transformer never took a stand!? Too far? Haha. The problem with not singin our song is we lose the light in our own lives... Don't be afraid to magnify darkness, darkness cannot coexist with light, maybe your song is the sun breaking through the clouds in someone else's situation.

You are born to be bold! You were born to be chaotic!  Don't be afraid of the storm, you don't owe sunshine or beauty to anyone, you owe yourself to be true, real and honest with the world. The funny thing about people is we all want to be found beautiful in some way, we all seek the approval of someone else but we often fail to realize that the same things we find beautiful in others is beautiful lived out through us! We look at others and deem them beautiful because they are "their own person," because they're so "authentic," they are so "real and down to earth..." We see those beauties in others then we hide ourselves. Stop hiding the true you,  you're beautiful, rain and all.  Let your presence be booming, let people take note when you walk into the room, not because of what you're wearing but because they know you have something to say and they wait to hear your voice.

I suppose the thing I am trying to push you toward is remembering who you are... Digging yourself out of the grass you've blended into and let your colours bloom! Let the rain of your life cause beauty to break forth.  Accept the dark rainy days of your past, don't hide from them, don't even hide those days from others, let the rain soften the soil of your heart and spring forth words of encouragement for others going through the rain. Stand up, find your voice again, share your opinions, stop fitting in with the current crowd and find those who love you for who you really are! Sing your song, let it take you through the hurt in your life while inspiring the people around you to walk through their own storm, inspire them to be real. Inspire them to acknowledge their own chaos and work it out. After all, you were born to be a rainstorm.

Just Hold On a Minute!

Hi guys, I'm a bad blogger girl the past month! I almost wasn't going to post again today, I'm sooo tired from work today... Well let's just say Monday has nothing on Thursday.  Last week I actually completely forgot to post, then I was going to so another Friday post and forgot then as well... Maybe I should get that checked, haha!  Anyhoo, I didn't want to let the bad day win today so I thought why don't I write about it?

It is not just me that had a bad day, it was nuts for everyone in the office! My poor boss actually said he wanted to retire and do something else... "Welcome to Wendy's, can I take your order?" uhhh, no. I told him he just needed to "hold on on for a little while and it will change."  It's not that we don't enjoy what we do, it's just that we can't extend the hours in a day to get everything done... And, it's not our clients, they're great, we love them all! Everything worked out in the end as it always does it's just that knowing or hearing "it will all work out" doesn't always help.

Everyone has bad days, whether it's work, a relationship, just a mood or circumstance... And we aren't always being babies about it, sometimes things just suck.  We can all understand that, even though we all experience things differently there is not one person who hasn't experienced a day when they felt like giving up on something and most likely deservedly so... So what how should we handle those lovely days?  Don't give up, give in to the day, accept it as a sucky day and move on... Go home, go to bed, let go for now but NEVER, NEVER, NEVER give up.  Hold on to hope and try again tomorrow, it will get better at some point, you just have to get through the rainy days to see the sun shine again!

So there it is, nothing special this week, no deep words of wisdom but maybe some hope?  If you don't need it today, tuck it away in a safe place and bring it to mind on a sucky, rainy, give-uppy day :)