Bravery

Bravery seems to be the theme of this week. 

It has been a subtle, gentle nudging. A still small voice that I remember as a familiar friend.

You don't lose being brave over one moment.

It is a lot like those who are stuck ...

Stuck is a pattern of counterproductive thinking or behavior that results in your not moving forward to that which you desire. It is typically a result of internalized fear, confusion, chaos, overwhelm, being lost, lack of clarity, or pessimism. By this definition, being stuck is not something that happens one time. If you stumble once, get back up, and move on, your are not stuck. That’s a mistake. That’s life. But if you find yourself repeatedly in similar situations, struggling with similar challenges, then stuck is an appropriate description.

Maybe there isn’t any one event that seems to define your stuckness. Instead, stuck has become a way of life. You’ve gotten used to it. You may not even think of yourself as stuck anymore. You’ve rationalized that this is just how life is. But deep down, you know you are settling- and you’re really not okay with that, even when you try to convince yourself otherwise. You feel constant uneasiness – a lack of peace – about where things stand in your life. - Michelle McKinney Hammond

Being brave is doing the work.

Bravery isn't the absence of fear, it is looking fear in the eyes.

Seven Pillars of Wisdom

“People ruin their lives with their own foolishness 

and then are angry at the Lord.” 

- Proverbs 19:3-4 

Let’s face it. God and the devil get blamed for many things that are not their fault. 

God has given us a tremendous gift along with His generous grace, it is called the gift of choice.

                                                                 - Michelle McKinney Hammond

Wisdom is needed in making all decisions in life.

"Wisdom has built her house; she has set up its seven pillars." 

 - Proverbs 9:1

There are attributes of the biblical seven pillars of wisdom, I liked this one best because the foundation is faith, hope, and love.

Humility.

Integrity.

Stewardship.

Discipline.

Courage.

Passion.

Perseverance.

We are not perfect, but the best part of the things we have not perfected is ...

We get another day.

And today is a brand new day.

Indecision

Life goes through tailspins and takes my firm path of clarity, direction and everything I am certain of and *shakes* it smugly to dislodge everything I am made of as if to say, see how she does now.

Those who are indecisive flounder. 

"Decision is a sharp knife that cuts clean and straight:

indecision, a dull one that hacks and tears and leaves ragged edges behind it."

                                                                                        - Gordon Graham

I don't live well in hacks, tears and ragged edges. 

Sub par is a certain death to my soul. 

You can't grow if you don't trust your inner voice.

Life will always present options.

Opportunity will always knock.

Know what doors to open and say "Welcome" to and know what doors are hot to the touch. We learn very young to not touch a hot stove, yet we fling doors open in eyes wide open curiosity as if there are not raging flames behind it.

Sometimes the flames don't look like flames. At first.

 Sometimes you have to be still to hear God's whisper when the world is loud.

"I Confess ..."

Dangerous Beauty, to this day is still my favorite movie.

The scene of her confession ...

"I confess as a girl I loved a man who would not marry me for want of a dowry. I confess I had a mother who taught me a different way of life. One I resisted at first but learned to embrace. I confess I became a courtesan. Traded yearning for power, welcomed many rather than be owned by one. I confess I embraced a whore's freedom over a wife's obedience. 

[Inquisitor: This is not repentance.] 

What am I to do? I must confess my evil as the church instructs. These are my sins. 

I confess I find more ecstasy in passion than in prayer. Such passion is prayer. I confess I pray still to feel the touch of my lover's lips, his hands upon me, his arms enfolding me. Such surrender has been mine. 

I confess I hunger still to be filled and inflamed. To melt into the dream of us beyond this troubled place to where we are not even ourselves. To know that always, always this is mine. 

If this had not been mine, if I had lived another way a child to a husband's whim my soul hardened from lack of touch and lack of love... I confess such endless days and nights would be punishment greater than any you could mete out. 

You, all of you, who hunger for what I give but cannot bear to see such power in a woman, you call God's greatest gift, ourselves, our yearning, our need to love, you call it filth and sin and heresy. 

[Inquisitor: Enough. One last time before you are condemned: Do you repent or not?] 

I repent there was no other way open to me. I do not repent my life."

After over a decade of loving this movie, it finally arrived in my mailbox.

Happy Valentine's Day to me!

Transformation and Restoration

Today just feels like transformation and restoration.

Arbonne Independent Consultant

When the idea of being an Arbonne Independent Consultant was proposed, I shot it down hard and fast.

#1 - I have a very significant career that just got a lot better.

B - This creature of habit already has skincare products that I am happy & faithful to.

Opportunity slid in and I sampled.

Suddenly, what I thought was perfect for me, I have turned my back on. New samples are holding me over until the needed order of my new skincare line arrives.

My "Aha!" moment came the very second the Make-up Primer touched my face.

Who knew?! My skin felt identical to the velvet touch of a rose petal.

I know of four ladies in the same family who have walked away from their professional careers because they do better in Arbonne and drive a FREE white Mercedes-Benz SUV from their success.

I am an Arbonne Independent Consultant.

In addition to my career of significance that is my foundation, Anti-Aging Skin Care, Nutrition, Detox, Weight Management, Personal Care and Cosmetics are now my language.

I am part of a large, local team of successful women that is part of a much larger nationwide team.

My world has just got much bigger. Conferences coming up in Las Vegas and next January in Maui. I do love to travel.

As I was getting my picture taken to introduce me to my new local team, Mickey put her arm around me and said, "We take pictures of our journey from the very beginning and soon it will be with your new Mercedes!"

A love language. I, too, take pictures of my journey through life.

My new team warmly welcomed me. They will become my friends that get together throughout the month.

I'm excited and the timing is perfect!

Beautiful Inside & Out

This has been the common theme of my week.

New people in my life who have told me I am beautiful inside and out. They see and hear the surface and are drawn in to something they find intriguing.

I smile graciously at their kind words. It is an empowering statement, but it is just the tip of the iceberg they see.

Still waters run deep slips into my thoughts behind the smile. They have no idea the passionate nature behind what they see and hear.

No need to explain.