I spent WHAT!!!!

How many of us can actually say we are constantly aware of our spending habits. Have you ever taken the time out to actually add up what you spend monthly, weekly, or even daily? For me, I am constantly on the go and I find it hard to cook all the time especially when I work two different places and I'm gone all day. Therefore, I'm usually stopping by a restaurant somewhere or driving through a drive-thru for a quick meal.

Recently I decided to take one of my bank statements and go through it to see exactly how much I'm spending on food. The results shocked me. Looking at my July-August statement, I had spent a total of $292.55. This total is just the results from my bank statement when using my debit card. This amount did not include the cash I spent (which I have no idea how much). So basically in one month, I spent over $300.00 just from eating out!!! Ridiculous!!!  When I receive my August-September statement, I will be doing the same thing! Hopefully I haven't increased on the amount spent on eating out, but when you are not aware of it you tend to keep the same patterns.
What I'm doing differently:
Meal prep: Meal prep goes a long way! Not only does it save money, it is much healthier than eating out. Being able to prep your meals also saves time. My goal is to do meal prep on Sunday's so that I can have more healthy/economical savvy meals throughout the week!

Watching My Spending:
There are different strategies I plan to utilize in order to track my spending. One way I can do this is to keep a certain amount of cash on hand per week. For instance if I have $25.00 cash that I spend on nothing but food for the week then that already is cutting my spending down to less that half of what I am currently spending. It will take some adjusting and getting use to but I plan to make it work for me.
Another way to help with spending is to utilize money management apps such as Mint, Pocket Expense Personal Finance, or Goodbudget Budget Planner. Apps such as these can be valuable resources in helping you to effectively manage your money. You can also use Excel to create spreadsheets of your budget and create graphs according to your spending.
Limit Dining Out:
Sometimes we go on diets to cut back on eating. Well, I could go on a spending diet to cut back on spending money eating out. If I only limit myself to eating out twice a week. Ok.. who am I kidding :) Let's try 3 times a week and see how that goes. Limiting my outings will definitely help to cut back on spending.

 Have you found other areas that you overspend in?  What are some ways you find are helpful with balancing your budget?  Share your stories and solutions!

ARE YOU HAPPY ???

Why can't I just be happy? Have you ever uttered those words before? Well what's stopping you from being happy? Did you know that we make a choice as to rather or not we are going to be happy.  Everybody goes through things.... after all....its called life. The things we go through can ultimately have an effect on our happiness and if we don't understand how to handle various situations, it can destroy us. We have to learn to  look past our trials and tribulations in life and actually embrace these circumstances as stepping stones to overcoming and getting to a new level of happiness. 
I have encountered people who have every excuse in the world NOT to be happy. These people will give reason after reason to validate their unhappiness.... when all they really have to say is "its me". Most people can simply blame themselves for the lack of happiness they are experiencing. You really just have to want to be happy!! In life you will have great moments and not so great moments. Embrace every moment and don't let those not so great moments determine your happiness.  I have been through things in my life, like we all have..... but in the end, no matter what... I still choose to be happy.

I recently watched a clip of T.D Jakes on The Steve Harvey Show ( See video link below). It was very interesting. He was talking about being happy and the fact that so many people have questioned exactly how to be happy. Bishop Jakes shared some points to being happy. The 5 steps T.D. Jakes shared were so awesome and I wanted to pass them along to you.

1.  OWN YOUR OWN HAPPINESS
Your kids, your spouse, your big house, car, money, etc..... No one or no thing can make you happy if you cant be responsible for bringing joy into your own heart.
2.  CHALLENGE YOUR OWN STORY
Change the way you talk to yourself about your life and who you are and what you are going to do in your life.
3. ENJOY THE JOURNEY
Don't focus your happiness only on when you reach your destination.  We delay our happiness by not celebrating along the way. Don't wait until you get your degree, or get married, or have a kid or whatever. Be happy along the journey and enjoy getting to where you want to be.
4.  MAKE RELATIONSHIPS COUNT
Enjoy your relationships. Especially the one with yourself. Make sure the relationships you surround yourself with are good ones.
5. BALANCE WORK WITH PLAY
You cant do all of either one and be successful and happy. You have to balance your work and play so that you can be a whole person and others can get a better perspective of exactly who you are.
Remember...Its not hard to be happy... You just have to WANT to be happy. So from this point forward.... CHOOSE HAPPINESS!!!



Link to video clip of Bishop Jakes on The Steve Harvey Show....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDQRYbINeNM

 

 

 

ASK, BELIEVE, RECEIVE !!!! It's that simple.....or is it??

While browsing through my email I ran across this message: 

From The Secret Daily Teachings........

Ask, Believe, Receive – just three simple steps to create what you want. However, very often the second step, believe, can be the most difficult one. And yet it is the greatest step you will ever take. Believing contains no doubt. Believing does not waiver. Believing is absolute faith. Believing remains steadfast despite what is happening in the outside world.
​
When you master believing, you have mastered your life.

How many of you actually BELIEVE this? How often have you wanted something so bad, but didn't believe enough that you actually deserved it. Did it happen for you? Or did you  just sink into unbelief and doubt and end up not receiving. Do you even realize how powerful it is to actually BELIEVE!!
I have began putting this to practice in my everyday life. Even if its something as simple as a finding parking spot or winning a contest.  I have practiced asking-believing- and receiving!! It actually works. You have to believe whole heartedly that what you are asking for- you actually believe you will receive.
For instance, I wanted to go to a Hawks game. While on my way to work I was listening to the Ryan Cameron show on V-103. He said to call in and be the 103rd caller in order to win tickets to the Hawks game. I began to call. As I hit redial over and over and continued to hear busy signals and operator response to try again- I continued to say to myself "I am a winner", "I am winning these Hawks tickets", "I am winning", "I believe I am a winner"..... and as I repeated these affirmations I visualized myself at the game! I saw myself seated at the game and cheering on my team. I head a voice say "V-103" and they confirmed I was the right caller. I won those tickets like I BELIEVED I would. Ok some say that's just luck. Believe what you want. I called again and won $103.00 recently and the whole time I BELIEVED I would win. #Winning!!!!

Start putting this concept into practice everyday. Learn more about the Law of Attraction by researching and practicing it daily. Begin to watch things manifest in your life. Get to know who you are and what you want- then begin to ask, believe, and receive!!! This subject is very deep and profound and my goal is to  introduce it to you  so that you may begin to get your mindset aimed toward the possibility of this concept working for you. Research it. Learn about it. Change your thinking; Change you life! If you haven't read "The Secret"  then order you a copy today!
Let me know your experiences with this concept. Do you believe it? Does it work for you?
Comment and don't forget to share!

On Memorial Day......... Let's remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice!

 Today we celebrate Memorial Day. Do you understand the true meaning of why we celebrate on this holiday? Why do I see so many people telling our service men/women (who are still alive), that they are honoring them on Memorial Day. I see tags on Facebook and shout outs. People are grilling out, drinking and celebrating being off work.  But does anyone actually understand the reason for Memorial Day?
For those of you who are not sure as to what Memorial Day is or the reason behind why this is a holiday let me help you to understand.........
Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States for remembering the people who died while serving in the country's armed forces. The holiday, is observed every year on the last Monday of May. It originated as Decoration Day after the American Civil War in 1868, when the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of Union veterans — established it as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers.

Memorial Day eventually extended to honor all Americans who died while in the military service .It typically marks the start of the summer vacation season, while Labor Day marks its end.  Many people visit cemeteries and memorials, particularly to honor those who have died in military service. Many volunteers place an American flag on each grave in national cemeteries.
Do you know anyone that that died while serving this great country? Or maybe you know someone who has a relative  or friend who died while serving. While enjoying your day off today, lets take time to reflect on the people who gave their life as they fought for our freedom. Let's be in remembrance of the veterans who lie in rest at Veteran's Memorial Cemetery. Lets not forget the true meaning of this holiday..... so as we prepare the grill, and tune in to our favorite station.... grab us a drink and begin the celebration......- maybe just maybe we can have a moment of silence out of respect for our fallen service men/women. You know........the one's who this holiday is really about! So please...Comment & Share!!
Everyone have a blessed day!!!

CELEBRATE YOURSELF!!!

We all have goals that we set for ourselves. We have reached milestones. We have taken steps to better ourselves. We have obtained new positions at work. We all have goals and accomplishments we are proud of (regardless if anyone knows or not), but how often do you just take the time out to celebrate yourself when you reach said goals? Once we do the necessary things to reach our goals, for many people its "on to the next one....."

What we really should begin doing is start taking out the time to do these 3 things..........

1. Pause! You gotta take a pause for the cause and think about what you have just accomplished!
2. Reflect! Start by reflecting on the goal that was set and everything that was did on the path to accomplishing that goal.

3.  Celebrate! Celebrate by doing something you enjoy. Something that you may not get to do very often. You could do something as simple as dinner at your favorite restaurant. Or something relaxing like a spa day complete with a facial, mani/pedi, and full body massage. Fellas may want to enjoy a weekend of golf or take a mancation to have chill time with the homeboys.
I have reached many milestones in my life and recently I started thinking about the fact that I never stopped and took the time to acknowledge all the hard work it took to get there.  I just went straight into the next thing. I worked very hard to obtain my Masters Degree. Long classes, driving 2 hours every other weekend, my final project was so stressful ....... but I made it. I was so happy and felt so accomplished. I made all A's and being conferred was the best feeling in the world. Still, I did not take the time out to celebrate myself.
The whole point of setting a goal, is to reach that goal. It is the greatest feeling when you do and we need to start taking out the time to do something for ourselves to celebrate our achievements. Remember, its never too late!! So if you have accomplishments that you have yet to celebrate then start planning to do so now. Grab some friends- go out and have fun! After all....... You truly deserve it!!!!

TO TIP OR NOT TO TIP.....that is the question!!

I have never worked as a server/waitress at a restaurant or any other establishment where people get tips for service. As a customer, I do know what I expect especially if I'm spending my hard earned money. I feel as though good customer service is lacking these days and I want to applaud those who always continue to provide their customers with excellent customer service.

Ok....let's discuss those who don't!! I am very particular about the service I receive at restaurants. I also highly believe that the level of service coincides with how you tip. I have had people tell me that no matter the level of service I received, I should still tip 15% and if the service is excellent or outstanding then the tip should go up from there. Really?!?! So if I receive horrible service, you are telling me that regardless I should tip because that's how they make their money and pay their bills. Well, I believe that if you know that this is how you make your money and pay your bills then you should make an effort to deliver great customer service everyday. I'm sure everyone has their bad days and may not deliver the greatest of service but when you don't take pride in trying to do your job, then why do you think that you deserve a tip.

I will give an example..... I was at a restaurant. Ordered my food. Right before my food came out, a party of like 12-15 people came and sat in the area I was in. My food arrived and I needed steak sauce for my steak. Well.... The server said she would be right back. She then went to the large party that had just came in and proceeded to get their drink orders. Ok,..... so I'm waiting for her to take all their orders. Remind you.... My food is sitting in front of me waiting...... Once she finished taking all the drink orders I was thinking great.....now she is going to get my steak sauce. That wasn't the case. This chick went and made all the drinks for that large party and then after she passed out the drinks she took all their food orders. Of course by now I am not a happy person! All the time she is seeing me looking at her.....waiting on her...... and she keeps holding up a finger like wait a moment. By the time I received my steak sauce, my food had been sitting there approximately 25 minutes. This wasn't the only issue.... but the main one. Other things like not attending to my drink....... not checking on the table... things like that will surely deduct from your tip.

I work hard and I feel that I deserve, at the very least, good service. Its a plus to get excellent/exceptional service. So what do you do when the service did not meet your expectations? Remember, the quality of food has nothing to do with the server..... But everything that goes with making sure your needs are met while being provided service is what I base my tip on.
So have you had horrible service before? Do you tip when the service is bad?  Let me know your thoughts and reasoning behind tipping.
Thanks for reading!! Don't forget to comment & share!!!!!!! :)

Say it with me..... "I AM BEAUTIFUL !!! "

I wanted to do a quick post about something I read today......

I ran across a Dove campaign today as I was online (see link below).  This new ad encourages women to #ChooseBeautiful and I absolutely love it!! In the ad, women are faced with going through one of two doors. One is labeled "Average" and the other is labeled "Beautiful".  Its crazy how many women walked through the door labeled average! The even crazier thing is,  I do understand why they did it. When you think about it, how will feel about ourselves has a lot to do with how others feel about us. So when faced with choosing a door, our first thought seems to always lean towards what others will think.

There are also those who think negatively about themselves anyway, regardless of what others think. These negative thoughts come from low self esteem, body image issues, never being told they were beautiful growing up......  And they never really feel accepted or pretty. I have a daughter and I make sure she knows that she is beautiful and to never let anyone tell her different.
At this point in my life I am sure of which door I would choose. I would walk through that beautiful door with my head high and dare anyone to say anything. It wasn't always like that. There were often times in my life, I didn't feel good about myself.  I would always rely on what others thought. I even let friends or relationships determine my self-worth. I didn't see how beautiful I was inside and out. Once I changed my attitude and thoughts about my self, then others could see and feel that "beautiful" energy radiate off me. No one can tell me any different! I AM BEAUTIFUL....... and so are you!! :)
Click on the link below to see the ad campaign. Thanks for reading! Comment & Share!!

http://on.11alive.com/1CcrqU0

Another police involved fatality.......My perspective on the Nicholas Thomas shooting........

If you haven't heard about the controversy surrounding the most recent police shooting in Cobb County, Georgia.... Here is a breakdown.  Nicholas Thomas, 23, was shot March 24 outside the Cumberland Parkway Goodyear tire store where he worked after officers tried to serve him with an arrest warrant. Police contended he used a car as a weapon and a police officer killed Thomas in self-defense.

Police said Thomas got into a customer’s Maserati and tried to run over officers rather than submit to arrest. Owens fired into the moving car, which came to a stop, police said.
After Thomas didn’t respond to orders to exit the car, police fired bean bag rounds to break out a heavily tinted window to look inside, where they saw Thomas was wounded. Thomas was dead on the scene.
Now..... As hurtful as it is to lose a loved one, especially in this manner I have a question.  Why is it that the parents and family members,  as well as all the "protesters for justice" have not one time mentioned that it was a very BAD decision on the part of Thomas to steal a car in the intent of escaping offices. If in fact the warrant was for "traffic violations"....didn't that warrant the risk of incurring new charges (theft, attempting to flee, etc.) all in order to avoid being arrested. Something doesn't add up. I truly believe their was something else he was running from. But anyway, for no one to even say "Hey, it was a bad decision to try to run from police. To steal a car. To try to run over police with that stolen car." Ummmm.....No one is saying this. And what it does is give other kids and young adults the idea that it is ok to do this because if something happens then people will just protest  because the officers are wrong for doing their job!

It ridiculous and I'm sick of black people pulling the "race card" out their hind parts or even making it ok to break the law because you black. What are we teaching out kids?? What kind of examples are we setting. Is this what he planned to teach that precious baby? A baby he wont get the opportunity to raise and watch grow because he made a stupid decision. Its sad! Very sad! But one thing I don't condone is ignorance and disrespect. At this moment there is too much of both of them going on in the black community. If Nicholas Thomas would have made a better decision, it's possible he would still be alive today! Every police shooting is not reflective of another shooting.

Every case is different and should be treated as such and I'm the first to always say...... when you wrong, you wrong! Stop defending wrong behavior!!!! People bringing Martin Luther King in this and our civil rights and its just too much!! I'm sorry, but it is. For the ones who think I wouldn't feel this way if it was my child....That's where you are wrong! My child knows how to respect authority and if she was told to stop, you best believe she wont try to run over officers.
So what are your thoughts on this matter? I'm very interested to know.....
Don't forget to comment and share this post!!

Deal Breakers! How many of us have them?

You meet this amazing person. So it seems. They are attractive. Charming. Intelligent. They have a great career. Financially stable. Sexy/handsome. You are seriously looking at this person as a potential mate. Then they drop the "bomb"on you. That "bomb" could be a variety of things. A variety of things or the one thing that pretty much establishes the fact that this is someone you can't have a relationship with. This is called a Deal Breaker! 

For some.... A deal breaker could be a certain number of kids, a lifestyle choice, or something as simple as a gold tooth. Penis size is a factor for some. Even the choice of hairstyle. For instance some men don't like natural hair on women.... (I've been asked to straighten my hair by a guy before). Also if a woman wears a weave, that can be a deal breaker for some men. 

So why is it that people will let a potentially great person pass them by because of one thing that they see as a deal breaker. 

For instance..... I have a friend who met a great guy. An absolutely great guy. He was stable. He had a great career. Owned his home. No kids. Never been married. He was funny. Great personality.  Treated her like a queen. Wanted to have a relationship that could possibly lead to marriage. And this chick could not get past the fact that this dude was SHORT!!!! She complained and complained that when she put on heels how she was soooooo much taller than him. And even wearing flats she was taller than him. She did like him and enjoyed his company but she let his "shortcomings" block her insight on what a great guy he really was. No matter what it always reverted back to him being too short and that was a major deal breaker for her.  

For a male friend of mine, his issue with a female he met was the number of kids she had. (Especially if she had never been married and had an excessive number of kids). He would talk to or not talk to a woman according to the number of kids she had. He never considered the great woman factor. Her kid count was a deal breaker for him regardless if she was a great woman.

A deal breaker of mine is bad breath! If your breath is horrible....that is a "not going to happen" factor in my book. But maybe, just maybe I should consider something  like.... "Did you just eat lunch?"as a possible factor to the bad breath. But if we continue to meet and Im still making acquaintances with the same horrible breath-that is a deal breaker for me. 

 The real question is.... Are deal breakers really that crucial that you would let a really good person go because they exhibit the one thing you can't handle? In my case, maybe I could offer gum or perhaps the business card to my dentist. Or maybe just be honest and see if the problem could be fixed. Some deal breakers are in fact fixable. Others you just have to decide if that person is worth it or not. You just may find out that the thing you wasn't really wanting to deal with .... Isn't such a deal breaker after all. 

So what are some of your deal breakers?

 

The Do's and Dont's of Sex With An Ex !!!!

Sex with an ex..... How many of us have done this?  The reality is....most of us have. Its really okay. Why? Sometimes there are unresolved feelings. You both are still attracted to one another. The chemistry is still there and even though you are no longer together, its a  possibility that you are still in love. It all good,  but what you don't want to do is fall back in a tangled web that you cant seem to get out of. If you are going to divulge in having sex with an ex there are rules that must be followed....

Do Use A Condom- The fact that you have been out of the relationship and possibly seeing other people warrants the fact that a condom should be used. You are no longer in a monogamous relationship and you must be sure to protect yourself at all times.  Its understandable that you may not have been condom users when you were exclusive but now that you are no longer in a relationship you must use good judgment and a condom!


Don't Catch Feelings- Is easy to fall back into the familiar ways of your relationship. You all of a sudden start realizing all the things you miss about your ex and once you begin having sex again, you may start catching feelings. This is the worst thing you can do, because for one you are not thinking clearly (sex tends to cloud judgment) and you end up forgetting about the reason you actually broke up. You must be able to keep feeling at bay and keep in mind that its only sex! Nothing more!

 Do Set Rules- We have to follow rules everyday.... so why not set some when you start having sex with an ex. By rules, I mean both should state what they want and don't want. For instance: some people think that once you start seeing your ex on that level again, then you can call whenever and expect to see that person whenever. It doesn't work like that. That is your ex and you have to keep in mind that your ex may be seeing someone else.  So they may not be readily available for you and you have to understand and be ok with that! Set rules for how you are going to go about this sexcapade!

Don't Think You Are Getting Back Together- This is self explanatory. Just because you are having sex doesn't mean you are about to rekindle the relationship. Also definitely don't talk about the past relationship. Don't talk about why the relationship ended or mistakes that were made.  Its just sex and trying to make more out of it will just ruin the moment.  Don't get caught up in the whole idea that having sex will rekindle something because you just may end up disappointed.

DO Have Fun!!- Yes!!!! Have Fun!! It shouldn't feel like its forced. You shouldn't think about those angry feelings from the relationship or think about the relationship period. Its over! Don't do anything but enjoy the moment and have fun.!!!

Have you had sex with an ex? Was it the wrong thing to do or did it turn out ok? Share your experiences.

Thoughts on Scandal's "Ferguson- Inspired" Episode ................

I just finished watching last weeks episode of "Scandal" and all I can say is that was a great show. I already knew there were mixed reviews from reading Facebook post, so I decided not to indulge in the chatter until I could see the show for myself. Unfortunately, I am just getting around to watching it (I'm always on the go). So I stopped and made it my point to watch tonight before another episode comes on.  That show had me in tears! It highlighted the frustration on both sides of the fence. The frustration between white cops and African American citizens (especially our young black men).
I have always been the one to see BOTH sides of the story, and even in this one there are still two sides of the story.

I loved how we were able to see how everything played out..... from the shooting to justice being served. We all wish that this show could be our reality... especially in light of everything that has happened involving police shootings lately. I loved how it highlighted how we feel in our community. We want justice and we want to feel that our kids lives matter. Although the cop was rightfully found guilty..... I also see the other side of the story. Did anyone else understand what the cop was saying before he was arrested.
Some may question... how can you possibly see the cops side.  I definitely don't agree with the killing but I do agree with  what he said about the disrespect that cops have to deal with everyday (no matter what race). The cop was also correct in stating that some kids are being raised to be "against" them. He felt they are paid to serve and protect people who hate them and have no respect for them. Don't get me wrong..... there are some dirrrrrrty cops out there. But that's not the case for EVERY cop out there. Just like there are black people who are criminals..... still not the case for EVERY black person out there. The father wanted justice for his son and that justice would not have been received if he had not stood for what he believed and saw to it that his son was proving innocent.  Unfortunately, not every case ends like this one did. I talk about what the cop said because he had a very valid point about respecting authority.

My thoughts is we need to teach our kids RESPECT for authority. Respect for authority is lacking in a lot of our households. Not just respect for cops but respect for authority period!  I work with kids everyday, and as a teacher I see and hear a lot. One thing I definitely  see, is how disrespectful some of these kids are to their parents which in turn makes them feel they can be disrespectful to their teachers. They have no respect whatsoever for  any form of authority.  This is a major issue in our community and it needs to be addressed immediately!

The storyline to this show was an excellent choice and it highlighted the issues that are affecting us everyday. The black on black crime. The disrespect for authority. Race issues. Injustice. The pain. The angle from both sides. It was a deep and powerful episode.  Shonda Rhimes really did it with this episode and it was heartfelt and appreciated. At least by this chick!
 I know that there is always two sides to every story, but to every story there is TRUTH. I hope that we can lessen these types of incidents in the future and that justice will always be served.

 

Shhhhhh.... To tell or not to tell?!?!?

Sooooo.... Here's the situation. You are out at dinner.  It's a typical Saturday night. Dinner, drinks,

and friends.  Only this night has become less typical because a few tables over you notice one of your best friends' significant other having dinner as well. Only they are not with your best friend, but with another companion.  Not wanting to jump to conclusions, you just figure they are out with a friend or family member until something happens that lets you know for sure its definitely NOT family member and a little too much for friends. The first thing you want to do is tell your friend. But why is this not always the best thing to do? Those who are against telling gave me some really valid reasons why telling is not a good idea. 

 

1. It really could be just a FRIEND!

We all have friends of the opposite sex and sometimes those friends are very close. Signs of affection doesn't always mean something is going on. It could just appear to be more than what it is. And you don't know just by looking. An example could be hugging and holding a friend that just loss someone close to them. The affection you thought you saw is just a friend comforting a friend. Nothing more!

2. They are NOT going to leave. 

The most common reason was the fact that the friend is not going leave their significant other anyway. So why waste time telling. It could be that they have been in that situation before or even more than once and they always stayed. So what's the point of telling them, only to add more cases to the file. Just be quiet and act like you didn't even see it. 

3. Strains on the friendship and your friends' relationship. 

Now you become the friend that told and the one who ruined the "perfect" relationship. Now every time your friend and their significant other has an argument the whole incident will come up. The friend could also feel that you think less of them because they are staying in the relationship and accepting infidelity. It just makes everything awkward and it can all be avoided by keeping quiet!

Have you ever saw a friends significant other involved in questionable conduct. Do you know for sure your friends' mate is/has cheated? Did you tell? Why or why not? Share your stories and experiences. You can reply anonymous.... That way your friend doesn't know you know :) 

Post comments and don't forget to share !!!! 

I'm giving these things up..... for Lent and for Life!!!!!!

A few weeks ago, those who participate in Lent were trying to figure out exactly what to give up for

Lent this year. In the years past I have given up things like chocolate, meat, alcoholic beverages, ice cream, etc...... All tangible - meaning capable of being touched, real or actual, rather than imaginary or visionary.  This year I decided to give up something that would transform my life in a more spiritual way. Things that would also help to benefit my well being emotionally and mentally.  One of my friends shared with me an interesting article by Phil Ressler- published by Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd (see link below). I decided to choose 5 things off that list to work towards, so this year I decided to give up Ungratefulness, Worry, Feelings of Unworthiness, Impatience, and Resistance to Change

Ungratefulness
I never really looked at myself as being ungrateful. But then I started realizing how blessed I am and how I wasn't thanking God daily for blessing me. I chose to give up ungratefulness because I became aware of just how grateful I should be. I have even been told by my bestie that I can sometimes be ungrateful but of course I could never see it. I'm definitely working on being better.
Worry
I definitely can be a "worry wart".  So I had to add "Worry" to my list of things to give up.  Sometimes I can worry so much that I can feel myself being  stressed out. I've gotten headaches from worrying. My mistake was choosing to worry instead of having faith. Instead of worrying, I just put it all in God's hand. Worrying causes unnecessary stress that can be avoided.
Feelings of Unworthiness
I'm sure we have all had a point in our life where we didn't feel worthy.... Not smart enough....Not pretty enough......Not deserving......Just plain NOT ENOUGH. But we have to get out of the mindset that we are undeserving.  I deserve every good thing that God sends my way and I will no longer feel that I am unworthy of His blessings.
Impatience
Oh my! Now this is me. I am so impatient. I want what I want when I want and I will act a fool if I don't get my way. Well.... maybe not a fool, but I will feel some type of way.  I am learning to be patient. I am praying for patience. I will wait for what is for me and stop trying to make things happen on my own. I will be patient!!!
Resistance to Change
This is the hardest for me but its definitely what I need to work on the most.  My issue is that I can see the changes others need to make but I cant see the things I need to work on to change. My bestie and I have had battles about this as well. This was also something that I battled in my last relationship. I wanted so many things to change about my significant other but the things I needed to change I ignored. I was so resistant to change that it actually played a part in the demise of the relationship. I had to step back and evaluate exactly how I can expect for others to change to fit into my world but not being able to change to fit back into theirs. I learned a lot and I am grateful for that experience to help me to work towards being a better person and changing for the better no matter if others change or not. As long as God is pleased and my changes make me a better me then I am good. And change is good!

Not only am I giving up these things for Lent but I'm working towards giving up these things for life.....
Note: While doing Lent, don't forget to pray daily and be spiritually connected to God as you work towards being a better person.  Pray, Pray, and keep on Praying!!
So tell me..... what did you give up for Lent and how is it going?
To check out the complete list click on the link below....
http://gs4nj.org/40-things-the-give-up-for-lent-the-list/
 Is there anything you would add to the list?
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