Holy life lessons this year!  I’m so thankful for that!

Before I lost the weight, I was miserable.  You might think that the weight was the  reason I was miserable but it was not.  I lived in a cloud of negativity, judgement, and anger and I didn’t understand that I brought all of that into my life.  Sometimes you don’t see a lesson clearly until you’ve lived through it, get to a better place, and then look back.  It was so obvious, I’m not sure how I missed it.

So here are my thoughts.  These are just my opinions based on the life I have lived (and I have so much more life to live!)  Take them or leave them! 🙂

I believe the only person I can cast a judgement upon or try to change is myself.  If there is negativity in my life, absolutely I should do what I can to remove it; however, casting judgment, criticizing in a negative way, or putting another person down actually hurts me more than the person I am directing it towards. Anger can eat a person alive and most of the time the person I am angry at is oblivious to it.

If I truly love myself, and focus on bettering myself as a person, it is then that I can truly love others and accept them for exactly who they are.  I may not like everyone I meet, but that’s my right and I can then establish boundaries or chose how much I allow them into my life.

I believe there is a purpose for every single person that comes into my life.  Some are close friends, some are comic relief, some bring me peace…and yes, even the ones that have hurt me in the past are there for a reason. They teach me to cherish what I have, not to sweat the small stuff, and to value what’s important in life.

Forgiveness is essential for true inner happiness.  That doesn’t mean I am passive, it means that I need to let go of the anger and put it behind me.  I’ve learned that it is impossible to understand where another person is coming from because I haven’t lived their life or walked in their shoes.  Let go of the anger and move forward. That’s true freedom.

I have learned that when I let go of expectations I impose on others, then I am no longer disappointed in people.   If I’m angry at someone, I just have to look at the root of that anger to realize that it’s often because I “expected” something from them that they didn’t deliver.  People are busy, life is busy, I’m busy…I most likely disappoint someone somewhere daily!  I remind myself often to simply drop expectations.

I’ve heard this saying “You do you, and I’ll do me”. It’s so true! Why should I worry myself with what someone else is doing?  Who cares!!!  If the only support I give another person is understanding, love, and acceptance, that’s all anyone can ask for in a friend.

I have learned, that it is COMPLETELY FREEING when I focus on the good. The positive. The Love. The Kindness. The brighter side of life.  I don’t live life with rose-coloured glasses, I just search for ways to find purpose, wisdom, strength, and good through every negative event that comes my way. And I’ve also learned to be thankful for the negative because it’s only through times of adversity that I have come to appreciate the positive so much.   Say you are trapped in a dark room for months and suddenly there is light.  You don’t focus on the darkness you have experienced for months, you embrace and are thankful for the light!

Life is good when you let the goodness in and share it by lifting others up!

“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”  I lose sight of the golden rule sometimes.  I continue to pray for humility, understanding, and a heart full of love.  Life is meant to be lived with joy and it’s hard for that joy to come in where there is anger standing in the way.

From my heart to yours,

Christine