Throughout my eighty years, I have had the privilege of many different occupations: from working in a restaurant during my high school and college years, teaching at junior high and high schools, a copy editor for a North Carolina Newspaper, to a promotions coordinator at a radio station and a few others as well. Since 2007, I have become the author of three published books and now an ordained minister.
My most satisfying employment was at a Career Center for high school students. I was employed as a Behavior Modification Counselor. That job gave me the privilege of inspiring many students. One area of my responsibility was to visit the classes and give motivational speeches. At other times, I counseled students the teachers sent to my office for misbehaving in class or dressing inappropriately.
That's where I developed a love for motivations quotes and adages that I used to inspire the students. One of my favorite adages is: "If you don't STAND for something, you will FALL for anything." As a minister of God's Word, I'm still in the motivating business. I truly believe that if you want to stand firm through whatever tests come your way, your life has to be built on a solid foundation. For me, that foundation is THE WORD OF GOD and JESUS.
Living in the UPS and DOWNS of today's world, each day of our lives places us on shaky ground. We are all seeking to find stability. In the Parable of Two Builders, found in the Book of Matthew 7:24-27, Jesus teaches the importance of building your "house"--that is your "life", on solid ground. We all are building our lives on something. Too often that something sacrifices QUALITY FOR CONVENIENCE. (And we wonder why our children, and adults too, are killing each other.) More and more people today are sacrificing "enduring truth for quick fixes.”
The older I get, the more I am being forced to step out of the quicksand of CONVENIENCE and step into the bedrock of LASTING TRUTH. My eyes are being opened more and more to the fact that storms are an inevitable part of life. It's simply a reality that our lives will experience a "train wreck or two". The death of my husband has INCREASED MY DETERMINATION to try to live the rest of my life as my best life. In reality, my "best life" was the 38 years I had with my husband.
My husband's death has made me so much more aware of the fact that this one life we have here on earth is giving us a finite amount of time to change what we do here for the better. I believe that means handling our relationships, our goals, and our dreams with great care. Every moment we have breath in our body is an opportunity to strive for greatness.
I love strong adages and living by a few simple yet undeniably important MANTRAS. So, I will end this blog with two mantras that COULD make a difference in your life as well. Here they are:
"LIFE IS LIKE A CAMERA, FOCUS ON WHAT'S IMPORTANT AND USE WHAT DEVELOPS. CAPTURE THE GOOD THAT COMES FROM THE NEGATIVES."
"IF THING DON'T LOOK GOOD... TAKE ANOTHER SHOT! HE WHO HAS A WHY TO LIVE, CAN BEAR ALMOST ANY HOW."