Character equals responsibility…

???????????????????????????????Observe behavior over time and character will be revealed. Any mask and facade can only be upheld for so long, until it cracks or completely falls apart.

One important indicator of character is how a person handles situations and life in times of stress, when they are criticized/confronted or experiencing failure; in other words, when things don’t go their way and all is not rosy.

Pressure reveals who someone is at their core and what coping skills they have or don’t. Those with strong character compose themselves with grace, dignity and kindness, no matter how bad it gets. Going through difficult or hard times never gives reason to act like a jerk. And, a person with strong character won’t always make it about themselves, while selfishly disregarding another’s view or opinion. They don’t have their head stuck up their butts, unable to see anything outside of their own box and bleak reality, and because of that they know how to forgive, let go and go forward.

Strong character is fueled by integrity, honesty, fairness, kindness and strength. Therefore, consistent actions of egotism, victim-hood, fear, anger, jealousy or imbalance are not sported, because a strong character has no need for those except, perhaps, for a few weak, dark of the soul fleeting moments.

It is human for someone to handle things the wrong way at times, but the sum of our actions is what defines us; not our occasional words or displays of doing the wrong thing.  And a person of character will realize when they have behaved or acted wrongly and will apologize or correct their behavior.  Apologies not excuses.

Don’t listen to excuses like “Well, these were special circumstances,” or “I have been going through a hard time.” We all go through hard times now and then. It doesn’t give us the right to lash out, to insult people or take our moods and attitude out on them. If a person can’t or won’t eventually see and own what they have done to harm or hurt another, they will not grow in character nor will they change.

Anyone who notoriously sports moody behavior, who can’t be trusted and requires a constant tiptoeing, i.e. censorship of one’s actions or words is not worth it. Persons with character, own their ‘bad moods’ and recognize when their behavior is less than it should be and if they can’t and always make excuses, well then you have seen who they are.

Any relationship, personal or professional, requires a consistent flow of giving and taking. When things are always off balance, it is time to reevaluate if it is worth continuing interaction with that person.

Unhealthy souls enjoy wallowing in stress, drama and pain. They are never in a space of true happiness; they don’t know joy and any success they may feel is short-lived. The glass is always half empty for them, no matter how good they have it, or what happens, because they have long lost, or maybe, never even learned the ability to enjoy anything in life. They have come to rely on their own misery, worry and lack of anything good to define how their life unfolds.

Those I have met amazing people of character who have lost a great deal in life, but you would not know it, when you first meet them. They have endured great hardships or pain and within all of that have learned not to take things for granted and to appreciate people and situations more, while complaining and whining less.

They have learned to be kinder and more patient because they know how it felt at some point and time to be on the other side of the spectrum. They have learned what truly matters in life. What is it that decides why some who endure pain turn into monsters, while others turn into heroes? It’s their character.

And most importantly a person of character does not blame… they take responsibility… this may be the corner stone of character, the ability to take responsibility.

The character of a person defines who they are and everything about how they live.

Speak your truth…it creates inner confidence and…

52Seasons9is an important element to having the life you want. It’s setting your boundaries. I’m not talking about spewing whatever comes to mind whenever you feel like it, and to whomever you want to, in order, that you get your point across, but, well sometimes… that needs to be done..

 Speaking your truth has no attachment to outcome. To speak your truth means to stand in your power and to not allow anyone to take your power away. It has little to do with aggression, manipulation or being stubborn, selfish and mean-spirited, although ‘some’ might take it this way, sometimes it may appear this way and actually sometimes it is this way.

Many people are frightened of truth and feel threatened when someone has the confidence to speak it.

The weak-willed may call confidence, narcissism or arrogance, because they feel threatened by confidence, internal power in others and truth.

But having attachment to someone else’s reaction turns your ‘truth speaking’ into an act of trying to get things your way and changes the focus. To be honest does not mean to be cruel, a bully, manipulative or unkind, but well, sometimes it might. When you state the truth, you don’t care what the other ‘feels’ about it because you have no attachment to the outcome. Truth has no agenda… it is what it is.

People are whatever they are and choose to be. Confronting those who have wronged you, or are still wronging you, will rarely create peace of mind, but…sometimes it does…

Most people are absolutely unwilling to change, or even to see their part in an argument, problem or issue. Most are too busy blaming, deflecting, projecting and side-stepping… anything to avoid looking at self.

Many are threatened by truth and those with the confidence to tell it.

When you set your boundaries and claim your power, it doesn’t matter if a person changes their mind, or point of view, because their action, or reaction does not influence your happiness, or your peace. To stand in your truth will give you peace… and those with inner peace are threatening to many who don’t have the ability to achieve it.

I used to not ‘get’ this. My idea of  being honest sometimes backfired, when I would confront a person with their (in my mind) bad attitudes, or unacceptable behaviors. I thought, if I told them and spoke clearly enough that they’d ‘get’ it. But they rarely did… sometimes, but rarely. So, the miscommunication, struggle, fights, or arguments would continue. The more someone would misunderstand or misinterpret me, the more I would attempt to ‘set them straight’. Needless to say, this ‘usually’ failed. In the past, my ‘honesty’ lost a few ‘friends’, made a few enemies, and gave me the feeling of being seen in a completely distorted way, or being treated unfairly. It takes a brave person to speak the truth because many don’t want to hear it.

I am attempting to make a difference in the world. So, I actively pursue being true to my higher self.

Accepting who you are and to stop making excuses for it, will allow you to grow your power and peace of mind; as a permanent state of being. That doesn’t mean you lose the need to self-evaluate… as those of us on the path are always doing this as awareness and growth are our goals.

When you state and live your boundaries consistently, you will find little need to manipulate. In fact to do so and to observe this in others will offend your senses.

It doesn’t matter if someone agrees, or doesn’t, because at the end of the day, it isn’t up to others to validate who you are. This power is yours alone. You know in your soul who you are, or who you are not… that is if you live in your truth. Even in your moments of doubt, at your core, you are still secure and certainly more secure than most.

Living your life with honor, integrity, courage and kindness will attract those who require no explanations. You will find yourself surrounded more often by those who won’t continuously challenge, misinterpret, or suck the life out of you and more by those who do  live by and have the same principles. They will not ask why. They will know…

And when you realize someone doesn’t live by honest principles, or has little to no self-awareness, you will more easily let them go. In fact, it will  be a pleasure to do so. When I dismiss someone from my life and look back in evaluation… I always see their false living and am thankful to have it out of my world.

The universe has a way of weeding out, as you shift and change, those who no longer belong in your life. So, when you ‘lose’ someone to your newly found ability to live in the power of truth, let them go and know that others will emerge to fill the space.

Living in your truth sets you free… and the more you do, the easier it is to see others who aren’t, can’t, don’t or won’t, for who and what they are…
Truth will eventually be revealed… it is what it is…
So, what’ca think … ? Truth or not?…
(FYI those spots on my nose and face are because of the sun shining through the holes in my hat…it was a hot, and very bright day. I was out of town and had been eating lots…crazy time to take pics, but we did and it’s the truth of that day)

What do you do with your time alone?…

brickorange8It is such a precious time. Do you recognize it as such? What is it that you do when your time is yours alone?

I enjoy working out, writing, reading, contemplating, being quiet unto myself and close to God…

“The most profound relationship we’ll ever have is with ourselves.” Shirley MacLaine.

 
Being alone makes some people frantic and stressed, others enjoy their alone time.
 
Being alone doesn’t mean you are lonely. Although nothing is wrong with being lonely. It’s just part of being human. And sometimes, you can feel more alone and lonely being with someone, or even in a large group, than you feel when you are actually by yourself. And that kind of loneliness is the worst.
 
It’s normal to feel lonely when someone you love dies, or after a breakup. And to avoid that feeling is to avoid being human. 
 
Most all of us enjoy companionship, but those of us who need it like a craving may make bad choices in companions. Moving from one bad relationship, or one friend, or activity to another to avoid being alone. Hanging around someone just to be with someone and not alone… to not ‘feel’ lonely is a sad place to reside.  Or those going to packed and noisey places to drown out their aloneness with the distraction of too many people, alcohol and activity, so they can temporarily put at bay the humanity of their aloneness. Or those who are overly busy, running here and there avoiding time for self and reflection.
 
Those who can be alone and enjoy it, oftentimes, can more often recognize a bad companion from good because they can feel and tell by their time spent alone when something is good or not for their well-being. Time alone allows for reflection and to get to know yourself.
 
My Dad was injured in the war when he was young and spent much time alone in an infirmary. He told me it was horrible being hurt and alone. That he had never felt so lonely. I recall the way his voice sounded and the way his face looked when he told me about this and it made me feel close to him that he would reveal this to me.
 
Nothing is wrong or weak about being lonely… And it’s an aware, actually strong person who can state it. Feeling lonely is like all other feelings… sad, happy, angry, joyful…and they are all part of the human experience. It’s a fortunate human who allows themselves to experience all the feelings and the emotions that accompany them.  We are sentient beings. We are on earth to experience and to feel.
 
I talked with a woman who had been married most all her life and had many children. Her life had been filled with many people and much activity and she told me that during that time, she most always felt lonely and that it wasn’t until her children were on their own and her husband died that she felt at peace and not alone. Interesting, huh?…  My take is that finally, she had the time to reflect and to know herself and in the company of herself she was not lonely. What a blessing.
 
I have known people who will never admit to being lonely. It’s as if they think to do so makes them appear weak or something undesirable. Being able to know and state how you feel in any given timeframe with personal awareness shows strength of character.
 
I like being with people and I like being alone. I like being with myself because I like me and don’t need a diversion from who I am all the time. I have had times in my life where I felt like I was never alone. I was so busy with so many around me that I had little to no alone time. It could get frustrating and didn’t feel good… and I was so glad to have sometime to myself.
 
So, if you are alone and lonely enjoy it because it may all change to a timeframe where you don’t have a minute to yourself.
 
If you can’t stand to be alone and experience the feeling of being lonely, why is that?
 
After all, when we enter this world, we are alone and when it’s all said and done, when we die, we do it alone.
 
Think of Jesus alone on the desert or dying alone on the cross. Even with people observing, he was alone.
 
Somethings, you just and must do alone…
 
Do you enjoy your alone time or do you dread it? 
Can you admit to yourself and others when you are lonely or do you deny it?
 
Look to the left and click to follow…

Don’t put your faith in words…

…put your faith in truth…

Learn to hear through and behind words…

Leviathan is doing a number on the world through communication…

Leviathan derives from the ocean and is the devil of communication… putting a fog around people’s ability to hear and discern in order to control for his evil agenda…

We are in the time of Leviathan…

It’s never been more important that you learn to discern… truth from words…

Words many times speak lies…
 
Truth is what is and doesn’t change…

Imitation or genuine…?

???????????????????????????????Imitation or mimic is an advanced behavior whereby an individual observes and replicates another’s behavior. Imitation is also a form of social learning that leads to the “development of traditions, and ultimately our culture. It allows for the transfer of information (behaviours, customs, etc.) between individuals and through generations without the need for genetic inheritance.” The word imitation can be applied in many contexts, ranging from animal training to international politics.

What we have today is that which is more imitation than that which is genuine…
Genuine
1. Actually possessing the alleged or apparent attribute or character: genuine leather.
2. Not spurious or counterfeit; authentic. .
a. Honestly felt or experienced: genuine devotion. b. Actual; real
4. Free from hypocrisy or dishonesty; sincere.
5. Being of pure or original stock: a genuine Hawaiian.
6. not fake or counterfeit; original; real; authentic
7. not pretending; frank; sincere
8. (Breeds) being of authentic or original stock
Can you tell the difference between what is genuine, what is mimic and that which is imitation…?