A Real Fairytale

In case you didn’t know or possibly live on the moon there was a pretty important wedding over the weekend. The youngest child of Prince Charles and Princess Diana married an American former actress.Love between the Monarchy and Americans has happened before. Small history lesson for you. The queen got her throne because her uncle wanted to chose love for his American divorcee over the throne.

One thing about this union was very important to me. She at one time was just an ordinary girl living an ordinary life in Crenshaw, California. She obviously had dreams. I mean she was an actress and appeared on many shows from a young age. She obviously put in work to get to be apart of a series on TV.

The criticism and judgement is also evident. It’s shows in the media from the time we heard they were dating. Is she worthy of him? Is she using him for a chance to be even more famous? Is she all about the spotlight or love?

I wish them the best no matter what. I kinda thought things would fall apart myself. I mean the media exposure her family members have gotten made it hard to not have some questions.

One thing  is forgotten in all this excitement. She was an ordinary girl chosen to live an extraordinary  life. She was chosen and she chose him. In the end she is able to live exceedingly and abundantly beyond her own expectation!

I mean people have to bow to her. She is a duchess! I don’t care what fantasy she had as a young girl playing in her room. She got to be a real Cinderella. I’m not hating. I’m appreciating.

Photo by Min An on Pexels.com

Listen. Harry was born into royalty. Meghan was working and doing what she knew she  wanted to do. And being pretty successful at it. Now look where she is.

Faith without works is dead. When you want something or ask God for it; we have to do our part. And while we wait just be grateful for the future outcome. God doesn’t mind the asking. He actually loves it. But in our patience we need to stay the course.

I tell you one thing I am happy for this union. I was impressed by the ceremony. I see the Monarchy changing, choir with natural hair, Bishops speaking about love, and a mixed race Duchess.

So instead of judging take a lesson from this. And that lesson is:

ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE

This weekend I made a decision to believe in all possibilities again. To live. To laugh. To be diligent in achieving my goals.

Remember we are all heirs to a Mighty throne already. Meghan kissed a Prince but all we have to do is trust and believe.

Now go be great!

Trust Me

Let’s talk about trust. I have trusted a few people in my life that have let me down. I don’t regret it though. I understand the real reason they weren’t worthy of that trust anymore. I have been lied to, cheated, scammed and even made to believe someone was a total different person. It’s all hard to believe right?

Truth is that I have to remember that not everyone is worthy of trust. Trust is earned. Actions need to back up what you say. Unfortunately sometimes we forget that part. A heart of compassion will lead you to do things you feel are necessary. Like giving , sharing advice or even listening without judgement.

When you don’t have a heart of compassion you will do the opposite. You will take from others, purposely mislead , and never care to hear what others say. Sometimes even be the one that will sabotage the joy of others.

All of this may seem obvious. Unfortunately there is a vast majority that never pay attention or don’t know to look for these harmful actions. And once they find them walk  and/or run away.

Why? I mean if someone steals from you it’s time to move on right? How about if they make you believe something that is blatantly false? You’re supposed take caution to their words. I mean is it really that hard to  figure out?  For some …yes.

We are taught behaviors from birth. Things like eating, talking, and walking are natural progression. Taught threw consistent action. Some other things are taught subconsciously. Those things can last a lifetime if you let them.

Take this example: There is a meme out there of a horse tied to a lawn chair. The horse never tries to break free. Above it reads: Sometimes the chains that prevent us from being free are more mental than physical”

How does this tie together? We learn how to trust. We have examples set for us. What that example is depends on your own experience. I’m writing this because I want you live without boundaries. So are you ready to hear what I did to learn how to trust?

Here it goes..

 

Give yourself and those around you grace.

 

Just that simple. Actually it may not seem simple but that’s all it is. When you know the story behind their behavior it may make sense. What if you never know that story? Well that’s where grace comes in. It’s awarded to us and it’s our obligation to award it to others. Now that doesn’t mean it will come naturally at first. But think of it this way. God knew you were going to do some bad things or make some bad decision but still wanted to be there for you. Some of the disciples were some of the worst people you could think but still lead others to learn about God. And lastly Jesus died for you even though you were not perfect. How about this one..even if you were the only one on Earth NONE of that would change.

So trusting the wrong person happens. It happens and may even happen again. But it’s okay. Don’t let it take the wind out of sails. Keep going. The best way to get over it is to keep living. We have to. There’s too much life out here not being lived. Let’s not be those people. Give grace to others AND YOURSELF. We make mistakes. You are worth the continuing effort. Trust me.

Now go be great!

My I-Problem

To whom it may Concern,

I quit.

I quit lying. I quit trying to conform. I quit making excuses. I quit not taking chances. I quit believing I can’t. I quit trying to control others. I quit being scared. I quit doing things I don’t want to. I quit taking advice I would never follow.

I quit trying to be someone I’m not. I quit taking what I don’t want. I quit not building relationships. I quit taking jobs I don’t want. I quit believing I have to. I quit comparing myself to others. I quit stealing my own joy. I quit not believing. I quit building on poor foundation. I quit thinking it will never change. I quit trying to follow.

I quit sitting around. I quit being quiet. I quit lowering my expectations. I quit giving away my power. I quit striving for perfection. I quit staying in a corner. I quit thinking I won’t have enough. I quit thinking that I’m not enough. I quit overthinking.  I quit quitting on myself.

I QUIT!!

Please accept this as my letter of resignation. Although I have enjoyed tolerated been here for years; I must now move on. I have accepted a new life and will be moving on post haste. It has been quite the experience. I take with me a number of lessons learned. But the need to quit was greater than the need to stay.

Thank you for your time,

Now I will go be great.

Sincerely,

Melissa

 

What’s your name?

So what’s in a name? Hear that alot. A name is what we are to be called or referred to. Who we recognize ourselves as. The Webster’s definition is “a word or set of words by which a person, animal, place, or thing is known, addressed, or referred to.”

Basically everything has a name. It may not be Jennifer or James but you know what to call something when you see it. The true meaning behind a name is usually based on the language it was derived from. All of this is the technical side. That’s not what I’m speaking on today. I want to talk about the names we call ourselves.

What speaks up in your brain everyday? What wakes you up? What do you hear before you o yo sleep? What were you called one time a long time ago that you still hear?

The definition said places and things need a name. Humans have names of way more substance. There’s a famous Youtuber that has 6 kids. Her youngest doesn’t have a name yet. She is almost a year old. Why? Because they value names so much they want it to reflect her character. It will come to them and be exactly who she is. That type of trust is so very cool to me.

Unfortunately the name that we call ourselves and others is what I want to reflect on today. One in particular. That being:

FAILURE

We have all referred to someone or ourselves as such. There’s a real harshness related to it. It basically negates every effort, stands out in front of successes, makes a bold and negative statement. Failure is the only word that has became a name and a full description. Its even a sentence in the right context. Why have we given such power to this word? Why? Because when things don’t go the way they should we believe it’s our efforts that need to be punished. And the proper punishment is name calling.

Zig Ziglar said ” Failure is an event, not a person.” Words no more true today than the day he said it.

When we look in a book for baby names we never see failure. It’s not there. Trust me. Because it’s what happens. Not what you need a reminder of. Not something to put on a name tag or any kind of I.D. It passes. It helps you learn what not to do next time. But one thing it doesn’t do is kill or destroy your dreams. We do.

My point is this. Some great and not so great things are about to happen. Your life will have some ups and downs. That’s what happens. But failure is a passing wind. It may ruffle feathers or hurt some feelings. But only for a second. It is NOT what you are supposed to be referred to. You are made for greatness. Built on a foundation of the rock of truth. That next wind has your name on it. Get out your wings and fly! My name’s Melissa by the way. Nice to meet you.

Now…go be great.

Jumping for Joy.

No one ever complains about life being easy. Wouldn’t that be a nice burden to bear? I mean having everything you want. Never needing more. Always content and living in the lap of luxury.

Unfortunately most of us know the feeling of heart breaking failure or disappointment. The exact opposite. That’s the real part of life we all face. It would be nice to not have any hard times but we all know that is not possible.

Trouble will come. You won’t always be successful. You won’t always get to finish what you started. That is not the point of this today. We already know these facts. Besides how motivational would I be if I left it at that?

No there is a point in all our lives where we have to make a decision. A decision to either jump or not. By jump I mean literally jump. Take a boundless leap into something unknown and new. Something that will possibly propel your forward. Change your life.

The problem is many times we don’t change because of fear.

When I was young we lived in an older two story home. One of the second floor bedrooms had a landing. The landing was actually the roof  to our enclosed porch. Down the street was a stadium that could be seen clearly if you stood out on it. It was a crazy idea but a few times we went out to watch concerts. I remember Bon Jovi played one year. Could see the backs of their  heads as clear as day. We would sit out there for hours. Sometimes even had refreshments. I saw so many things from that spot. Concerts, football games, and even a circus. All with no price of admission. I just climbed out the window and sat down.

Not once did I ever think about the possible danger of being on that roof. I just went through my window and believed that I would be okay. That the ground I was standing on was secure. I could of fell through easy. It was an old house. Anything could of happened. But I never thought of that.

We as human beings are designed to be cautious. To be aware of our surroundings and take heed to danger. But also are supposed to live free. Free to be and do whatever we want. There’s no danger in that. What ever is placed on your heart to do is what God wants for you. No need to be afraid. He’s placed a plan together and the pieces are slowly being revealed to you.

So when the window is open and you see a ledge step out. I understand it may be scary. I get it may seem dangerous. But that window was opened for you at that specific moment just for you.

We all have windows in life. Some stand open for years. Some never close. Some stay open for only a moment. Today I hope and pray you learn to see through the glass to the other side. That you step through on to the landing and see the endless possibilities. That you find a great new opportunity. And continue to be great.

 

Love,

Melissa

 

 

The way you move.

 

The best thing about making moves is making them. Bring graceful is usually the goal but how close doe we come to that every time? Some moves are confusing. Hard to decipher. Some are flowy. I know that may not be an actual word but it’s one I like to use. I love this show that comes on Fox called “you think you can dance”. Every year thousands of people gather for a chance to compete on TV. For the bragging rights of being crowned the winner. Sure there’s a few prizes but I’m not sure what they are exactly.

What I like the best about the show is the auditions. Every time I get a surprise. Seems like there’s always one person that surprises the crowd with some amazing moves. The competitors that seem to  not be prepared are the best. They show up in jeans and a t-shirt. Or they are much older than the rest of the group. Or even seem to be out of shape. But manage to blow the judges away!

I have come to enjoy that kind of unexpected action. Not knowing the outcome no longer scares me either. It’s part of life. We can’t plan this stuff. Plans are for wimps. It’s like saying” I don’t trust that the wind will blow so I’m gonna bring a fan.” So what if it doesn’t! The biggest move I made this year was to own my life again. That meant leaving regret behind and taking every opportunity for change. AKA..Making moves. I wasn’t prepared for some of the moves I had to make. Some hurt. Some felt uncomfortable. Some were therapeutic. All were worth it. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t make the move to look into WordPress.

The way we move needs to not be the focus in life choices. It’s a dance choreographed by God. Those moves just happen. You let your feet be guided divinely. No need to count or remember them. The music is only heard by you. No one will even know if you miss a beat.

So how will you move? What steps are planned out for you? Only one way to find out. Lace up your shoes and just DANCE DANCE DANCE! Now go be great!