(Y)our (E)xtraordinary (S)uccess

When I found myself speaking of being 'open' to different ideas and different opportunities, it made me start thinking of all the things that I've possibly said "no" to in my life because maybe I was scared or maybe I was embarrassed. Do I have any examples that immediately pop into my head? No, but I know that my life has been made up of many 'yes' replies and many 'no' answers.

Even though I'm so grateful for where I am in my life, have I missed out on wonderful experiences due to my semi-closed mind? This thought honestly scares me... the thought that I, myself, have held myself back from LIVING. That I, myself, built up my own walls that have caged me in.

Of course there are many fitting situations for the answer, "no," but there are so many more that should be answered with, "YES!"

Why should we hold ourselves back from living our own lives? We weren't all born to be normal or average. We should all be intimidated by the fear of being merely average and strive to be extraordinary because God expects absolutely nothing less.

Being scared is a good feeling, but it's not one to hold us back; it's a feeling that should push us forward into the unknown because for all we know, that's where we belong. In the unknown... searching for answers our whole life and living in the journey rather than the destination.

Rather than using the word 'no' we should try using the word 'know.' Rather than passing up a possible moment of greatness by saying no-- we should think to ourselves, "You KNOW, this could be an amazing memory to be had before me."

Then take it. Seize it. Conquer it. Carpe Diem.

If we have any fears in life, it should be the fear that our fears are holding us back.

I don't regret any of the times that I said no because I am so thankful for my sweet and precious life, but I do apologize to my fate for possibly turning me from where I was possibly suppose to be.

So for all the times that I said I couldn't-- Actually, I CAN.

To Be Continued

I've decided that in life you never honestly know what's going to happen. You can make plans that you swear you'll live by but how long does that really last? Whether we like it or not, life changes and we change along with it.

I consider it to be a form of the circle of life. Right now, if you look back, you'll see that even though days seem to be the same after the same... is your life just like it was a year ago? It's rare that that would ever be true.

Some people are being born, others are going into high school, some just left... Some people just quit their jobs and others just found one. Some people are enjoying their family life and others may be alone trying to figure out what went wrong.

Someone could have just succeeded while someone else has failed.

But is there really such thing as failure in life?

Failure hurts at the time, but don't we always find a way back? Doesn't God lead us to what we were truely meant to find? Maybe He'll help you succeed with what you were trying to accomplish in the first place... Maybe He'll give you something less extreme but just as satisfying... Or maybe He'll give you things that you never thought you could reach in the first place. Failure always leads to success. We just have to be open to the idea that even though life may not be sunny right now, God has bigger and better plans ahead of us that He wants us to work towards.

So maybe we shouldn't just be thankful of what God has given us... Maybe we should be thankful for what God has in store for us.

Life does change and so do people... but God would never take away something without replacing it with something even better.

GOD CHANGES LIFE.

He tests us and He challenges us, but He never gives up on us.

Our gift to Him should be how we decide to live our lives that He has so graciously given us.

I will never know what's in store for me but that's the fun part...

It's my turn to try and figure it out.

I'm the living, breathing 'To Be Continued.'