The Next Chapter by Carrie L. Devone

To forgive…now is as good of a time as any. We have all been hurt, have had our heartbroken (and I do not only mean by a significant other ~ it’s much deeper!) The hurt and sorrow are real, but why hold on to it? The only person you are really hurting is yourself.

So, let it go…FOrgive, FORgive, FORGIVE! You are not doing it for them, you’re doing it for you & you deserve it! Love yourself enough to let go of the pain. It begins in your heart, forgiveness is love!

Let 2017, be your year for dignity, success, love and forgiveness!

“Forgiveness doesn’t excuse their behavior. Forgiveness prevents their behavior from destroying your heart” ~ Unknown

 

So, it has finally come and gone. The day we have all been anxiously awaiting, highly anticipating and praying to come to an end. There has to be a reason beyond our scope of knowledge as to why and how it turned out as it did.

The time is now for us to come together…more than ever to unite. We cannot give in to the hatred and despair. Let’s pull each other up from our bootstraps, hang on tight because it is going to be a bumpy ride.

Make no mistake, we live in a great place but it is not without issues ~ MAJOR ISSUES. We must remain prayerful, hopeful, loving and caring. It is unreal but IT is our reality for only a moment in time.  

“Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers all wrongs” ~ Proverbs 10:12

May God Bless America!

 

 

 

There comes a time in a women’s life when priorities shift and an imaginary switch goes off in your brain. It’s like you wake up one day and you wonder where did all the time go? Is there still enough time to do everything you wanted? You know, simple things like get married, have children, watch your babies grow up and experience the trials and tribulations of life. Trying your hardest to keep them safe and protected but not sheltered.

But for whatever reason there is no marriage. No babies to love. No house with a family to come home to. And while you recognize the grass is not always greener on the other side, you also realize how nice it would be to step on that grass…if only for a moment.

You know at some point you start to reflect and wonder how’d I get here? How did my life choices take me to where I am today? You try desperately not to get pregnant in your 20’s, and in your 30’s you are more open to it but still focusing on your career all the while, contemplating the possibility of marriage and family. But it just doesn’t pan out that way, at least not for you. Now well into your 40’s and still no marriage, no kids and ALL your friend’s kids are teenagers and in some instances, they are grown, married and considering starting a family of their own. So, you sit back and ask yourself…How did I get here?

Surely there were some great guys in your life. You were even proposed to but not by the right person. So, it all comes back to choices and priorities. Never wanting to be a single mother or a desperate woman rushing into something because you yearned for a baby (not that there is anything wrong with either of those decisions, just not what you wanted for yourself.)

You just think …. you’ll always have the option to have a family. BUT then things change. Your body starts to do weird things. And you realize the hope is no more. It’s not that you don’t want it, it may be that you just can’t at this stage in the game. Who wants to be the mother that is constantly confused as the grandmother?  But also, your selection of men is just NOT what it used to be. Many are married and well that’s just taboo, some have no desire to be in a serious relationship, while others just don’t meet your standards.

Sure, it would have been easy to just get pregnant, but what if you made calculated choices not to have kids with just anyone and what you really wanted was to have that family unit ~ consisting of father, mother, kids all in one household. Is that so wrong?

So, you continue to reflect and ask yourself more questions. Did I party too much in my 20’s? Focus too much on my career in my 30’s? Now in your late 40’s ~ wanting nothing more than a family. You think there will ALWAYS be time for that…but really? Is there? One day you wake up and POOF it’s a little late.

But life is a journey. Remain faithful and all that is meant for you will be for you!

“Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” 1 Corinthians 13:7

Always remember ~ “Family is everything!”

I was recently at a local grocery store and watched a mother struggling with her young son. He was having a straight up melt down in the 90+ degree weather. I sat back and watched several people walk by and gawk at her with contempt in their eyes and a sense of judgement.

It was clear to me, the young boy had a form of autism and was simply having a moment. And was in much need of a break as did his mom. So I approached her and asked if I could help. She accepted my offer and as I sat on the ground with him, more people walked by with a look of judgement. He eventually let me hold his hand as we walked into the store and picked up some grapes and a cupcake.

His mom was so gracious and thankful. She acknowledged how difficult it was and that her son was on the low end of the spectrum with autism. I was proud and thankful she accepted my assistance. But at the same time I was saddened by how many people walked by and looked as if they were simply disgusted.

As a society we have to become more acceptable of people and celebrate all of our differences.

“The first step towards change is awareness. The second step is acceptance.”                                             ~ Nathaniel Branden

 

Just as You Are!

We are all different and special in a unique way. I know, this is nothing new but it’s always nice to get a reminder, because it’s often easy to forget. As we grow, mature, live life, experience pain and heartache it’s easy to get lost and fail to remember ~ “You Are Perfect…Just as You Are!”

Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve had some intriguing conversations with remarkable people and one thing we all have in common is life just didn’t turn out like we expected. Not that it’s been bad; just not what we expected in our 30’s, 40’s and 50’s.

It’s imperative to be mindful of the important things in life and I can tell you, you will not find your peace in a career or solely in what you do for a living. What you do DOES NOT define your worth. But how you treat people and the way you make them feel, your family, love for God…these are the things that are important and make you Perfect…Just as You Are!

Your crooked smile and corky ways are what make you special. You’re not always going to be happy and easy going but you being you is a blessing. And how you treat people on the daily and the way you touch people’s lives are what’s important.

Life is really simple. Focus on what is important, you know God, Family, Friends, Relationships, Giving Back…just being a blessing to others. Whatever you have is enough and makes you Perfect…Just as You Are!

So the next time you’re feeling low and getting down on yourself, remember no-one can take away what’s for you and you are exactly where you need to be. Find your blessings in being a blessing. Give without expectations and love without conviction.

As the late great Muhammad Ali said, “Live everyday as if it is your last because someday you’re going to be right.”

In loving memory of Richard Kelly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At some point in life, most of us have struggled with the crossroad of “What’s my next step?” Or “Where do I go from here?” Facing this dilemma is scary and agonizing. The thought of the unknown makes us feel vulnerable, but that is precisely when you need to dig deep in your soul and put in the hard work at finding your pathway.

When you reach this impasse in your life now is the time to focus on what you can do and not give in to the obstacles standing in your way. Now is the time to flex your creative muscles and keep striving for what you want even after you have been beaten down. Now is the time to tap into your power of choice. You can choose to wallow in self-pity or take responsibility and keep moving forward. This is the perfect opportunity to wake up your conscious mind and replace negative thoughts with positive ones.

Enter the next phase of your journey with these three “E’s: Energy, Excitement and Endurance.

1. Energy: Find the energy to take the time and figure out what you really want to do with your life.
2. Excitement: Embrace the change and the excitement of the unknown. Take action and tap into your competitive side making it fun.
3. Endurance: Exercise is a great release to keep pushing forward when all you want to do is give up.

So the next time you’re faced with this dilemma ~ stay prayerful, worry less, take calculated risks and develop a going forward mindset.

“If you can believe it, the mind can achieve it” ~ Ronnie Lott