Grudges and Forgiveness

Are you the type of person to hold grudges? Or can you forgive and forget easily?
Does it depend on the person who commited the 'act' against you? Or the seriousness of the 'act' itself?

I watched a movie not too long ago, and one of the issues at the heart of the movie was forgiveness. The protagonist in the movie was told that when you hold a grudge and refuse to forgive someone, you allow THEM to have power over you.
I can see where this is true. Even if you say you don't speak to someone anymore, at some point it surfaces to the front of your mind. You wonder if things would have gone differently. You try to make excuses for their behavior. They are occupying space in your mind, and it's not good space if you allow it to only be negative thoughts.

I admit, I suppose I used to hold grudges. Now, I might give the appearance of forgiveness. But I do NOT forget. It's very hard, especially when I've been badly hurt by someone, not to think about what they did sometimes. And I know this probably isn't healthy. It's something that I think about every now and then, and I work on it. I'm not perfect. No one is.

The act is no longer brought up. You talk with the person. But there comes the issue of TRUST. Every now and then you do wonder about what they're saying about you, or if they're plotting to do something TO you. You have to work through this too.

I'm not a religious person, but I heard Pastor T.D. Jakes talking on the radio earlier this morning talking about forgiveness. He said if you want to lose weight, try first getting rid of the grudge that you hold...you'll realize it was heavier than you thought.

Invisible life?

Do you ever just feel invisible or unimportant? That the mundane goings-on of life are just one empty routine after another, almost like you're on autopilot? Going through the motions for the sake of stability and familiarality?
Like people don't notice you? Like you want to stand up and scream, 'Look at me!' Not to be an attention whore, but just to have SOMEONE think and acknowledge that you ARE important, and that the things that you say and do really DO matter.
What's so wrong with wanting to be noticed? Is there something bad in wanting to have someone talk to you, acknowledge you, think that you're 'worthy' enough to sit down and just shoot the breeze for a bit?
Some people are 'noticed', yet they don't have to say a word or do a thing. Other people are talkers and doers and feelers, yet for all they say and do, they might as well just be part of the crowd...there, but no one really 'sees' them.
How this this 'unbalance' happen...and how can it be fixed?
Or can it...?

A New Year

So we've come to the end of another year.
How was it for you? Good? Bad? Middle of the road?
Did you reach any goals or milestones?
Accomplished any dreams you had your eye on?

I don't do New Year's Resolutions, simply because I think you can better yourself every day, not just make the 'promise' to do so just because you want good luck for another year.
We're always changing and growing. Each day is an opportunity to learn or do something new, to make a positive change in your life, or to do something positive for someone else.

The year was decent for me overall I think.
I finally made the commitment about losing weight, and it's working!
My mom and I got a personal trainer together, and I'm losing weight and inches and people are noticing!
That's one of the best feelings in the world. I might have my days where I slack off, or eat what I shouldn't, but I'm definitely doing better and I'm proud of myself for that.

Took my boy to Disney World for the first time and he had a ball!
I had fun too, and I look forward to doing it again. I think we'll go again in 2008.

I hit the big 3-0 in November! I'm looking at things in my life, present and past, and just reflecting. I'm defnitely a different person. I have my faults like anyone else, but I'm officially a grown up now, and my way of thinking reflects that.

And of course there were the not so great times, but I'm not even going to go there. You can't change the past, and bad memories serve no purpose, so I'll just leave them where they are.

Is getting married more important to women than men?

(Got this idea off a message board I frequent)

Some women seem to hold "being married" as some great accomplishment in life. Or when they get engaged, it's the hugest news possible, there's a huge party, the ring is shown off to anyone who will look, there's so much excitement in planning a wedding. Afterward the wedding, being sure to put the name "Mrs." on mail, etc.Not that men don't value their marriages, but is "being married" more of a status symbol, accomplishment, or whatever else to women?

What do you think?

Conversations with a 'friend'...

"I like you."
Me: 'I like you too.'

Nothing more, nothing less.
Does it get any better?

Perhaps, but for now I'll hold on to that.

Thankful Thinking

Good morning, Be thankful! In order to manifest a higher quality of life, we must stay in a happy, happy, thankful mode! Do you want a raise? You must raise the vibrations around you! Whatever you praise, you raise. (Remember this!) Whatever you think about, and thank about, you bring about!

~Rev. Run

Calmness in your life

I am passing this on to you because it definitely works, and we could all use a little more calmness in our lives. By following simple advice seen today on the Dr. Phil show, you too can find inner peace.

Dr. Phil proclaimed, "The way to achieve inner peace is to finish all the things you've started and never finished."

So, I looked around my house to see all the things I started and hadn't finished, and before leaving the house this morning, I finished off a bottle Patron, bottle of Merlot, a bottle of White Zinfandel, a bottle of Bailey's Irish Cream, a bottle of Kahlua, and some JD; then a package of Oreos, the remainder of my old Prozac prescription, the rest of the cheesecake, some Doritos and a box of chocolates.You have no idea how good I feel!

Thank you for this Jen!