My after forty face felt far more comfortable
than anything I lived with previously.
Self-confidence was a powerful beauty-potion;
I looked better because I felt better.
Failure and grief as well as success and love
had served me well, Finally, I was tapping into
the most hard-won of youth dews: wisdom.
~ Nancy Collins ~

Sean:
Mom, I love you!
Kevin:
Me too!
Sean:
You can be a real Brute sometimes.
But you are the Best Mom EVER!
Kevin:
Yeah, EVER!
This comment shared by
my two oldest Boys,
May 2005.

Your thorns are the best part of you.
~ Marianne Moore ~

My thorns are the best part of Me.
~ Me ~

Oh, the places you'll go!
~ Dr. Seuss ~

Others have called me:

Ridiculous
Wishy-Washy
Soft
Insecure
Foolhardy
Stubborn
Moody
Confrontational
Thoughtless
Pushy
Forward
Selfish
Simple
Intense
Too serious
Too emotional
Illogical
An accident waiting to happen

And let’s not forget … verbose!

Notice I said, “I let them affect me”
In the end that finger ALWAYS points back to me.
regardless of what anyone says – good or bad.

AT ALL TIMES
My attitude can change poor feelings of insecurity into
wondrous inspiring feelings and Acceptance of who I AM now.

This is what I did this morning…
I changed my attitude.

Others have called me:

Beautiful
Thoughtful
Encourager
Courageous
In touch
Spontaneous
Kind
Intelligent
Funny
Driven
Conciliatory
Determined
Creative
Confident
Down to earth
Lighthearted
Bold
Honest
Peacemaker
Eloquent

Those are sweet words. Just as interesting as the less positive descriptions up above ...
just a few of the words and descriptions that I have used and others have used to describe myself.

Various names with various descriptions and meanings
At times unique to the individual using them –
based on the knowledge they have at that given moment.
Positive and Negative.
True and Untrue
I AM
based on
Reality
and
Illusion ...
Fact
and
Fiction ...
Mine and Yours
I ACCEPT AS IS

This does not mean I accept ALL.
This does not mean I do not move forward.
This does not mean I do not grow or change

At times,
there is no rhyme or reason
for the way I choose to live.
Many times …
I ACT simply and ONLY
Just because of what I feel inside.
Conversely …
I ACT simply and ONLY
Because of the great thought I have
put into a course of action.

I like who I am today, now.
This moment.
I am comfortable with my beliefs – based on Reality or Illusion.

Only time reveals all...
Each day making a choice to be
courageous enough
daring enough
To live and to follow my own path…
Enjoying each moment AS I AM now.

In regards to others criticisms or praise...
I welcome both –
In the long run…
I learn from everything and ALL.
It is an attitude I choose to adopt; to practice.

Daily I grow
Most often slowly and at other times
Profound giant leaps and bounds.
I like my way AS IS; yet,

My way is not the only way
therefore...
My life, this miraculous journey,
this life adventure is never ending.

~ The Rose Within ~

May they bring you encouragement and comfort as well …
May they inspire ATTITUDES of GROWTH!
May they inspire you to FLY!
In spite of and Because of!

I skate to where the puck is going to be,
not to where it has been.
~ Wayne Gretzky ~

No man is an island, entire of itself;
every man is a piece of the continent.
~ John Donne ~

Life is the first gift,
love is the second
and understanding the third.
~ Marge Piercy ~

He who binds to himself a joy
Does the winged life destroy;
But he who kisses the joy as it flies
Lives in eternity’s sunrise.
~ Williman Blake ~

Love yourself and watch -
Today, tomorrow, always.

To straighten the crooked
You must first do a harder thing -
Straighten yourself.
~ Buddha ~

Living well and beautifully and
justly are all one thing.
~ Socrates ~

The beautiful souls
are they that are universal,
open, and ready
for all things.
~ Montaigne ~

Gently remind yourself that life
is okay the way it is, right now.
In the absence of your judgment,
everything would be fine.
As you begin to eliminate your
need for perfection in all areas
of your life, you'll begin to discover
the perfection in life itself.
~ Richard Carlson - Don't Sweat the Small Stuff ~

Just trust yourself,
then you will know how to live.
~ Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe ~

Seek not outside yourself,
heaven is within.
~ Mary Lou Cook ~

Since we cannot change reality,
let us change the eyes which see reality.
~ Nikos Kazantzakis ~

Infinite riches are all around you if you open your
mental eyes and behold the treasure house of infinity
within you. There is a gold mine within you from which
you can extract everything you need to live life gloriously,
joyously, and abundantly.
~ Joseph Murphy ~

The high note is not the only thing.
~ Placido Domingo ~

We are not human beings on a spiritual journey.
We are spiritual beings on a human journey.
~ Stephen Covey ~

There is no need for temples,
no need for complicated philosophies.
My brain and my heart
are my temples;
my philosophy is kindness.
~ His Holiness the Dalai Lama ~

'Tis a gift to be simple,
'Tis a gift to be free,
'Tis a gift to come down
Where we ought to be
And when we find ourselves
In the place that's right
'Twill be in the valley
Of love and delight.
~ Shaker hymn. ~

We carry with us the wonders we seek without us.
~ Sir Thomas Browne ~

Not everything that can be counted, counts.
And not everything that counts can be counted.
~ Albert Einstein ~

I am not bound to win, but
I am bound to be true.
I am not bound to succeed, but
I am bound to live up to
what light I have.
~ Abraham Lincoln ~

My advice to you is not to inquire why or wither, but
just enjoy your ice cream while it's on your plate.
~ Thornton Wilder ~

Today may you savor those feelings and sensations and let it inspire your every step ...
let it carry you into the coming week!
Starting now, this moment ...