Financial Freedom.

In the past I thought that financial freedom meant being rich. I wanted to buy whatever I wanted. I wanted to travel. I wanted to have a job earning a lot of money.

What is it about money that excites people? Is it having the money or is it about "feeling" free; to know that you can do whatever you want? Doesn't it just boil down to being happy? If I were to have all the money in the world would I be happy? Probably not. There are prisoners serving time in jail who have lots of money yet they're not happy. Then, there are individuals to consider like Martin Luther King, Jr, and Mother Teresa, who didn't have lots of money, yet they had the freedom to do what they enjoyed.

Financial freedom provides me with security. Financial freedom enables me to assist others who are in need. Seeing the joy on their faces makes me happy. The bottom line for me is knowing that I have "freedom" because I'm happy.

What does financial freedom mean to you? What steps are you willing to take to be happy?

Forgiveness: Part 2.

I can remember as a child having a "spirit" of unforgiveness. I saw examples of unforgiveness throughout my life. I would hold grudges towards anyone who made me mad or caused me harm (physical or mental). I would shut people out of my life. I would build walls to protect myself. I was a self-made prisoner. I blamed others for all injustices, never taking responsibility for anything I started or hurts that I may have caused.

Sometimes, I would smile at the person who I felt had hurt me, all the while planning my revenge. Some people didn't realize that I was upset. I was stuck in the mire that I had created and I couldn't get loose.

Not being able to forgive others causes rifts, alienation and misunderstandings. Unforgiveness can cause one to make mountains out of molehills.

As I got older, I learned that I could either accept or reject how others treated me. I chose to break down the walls; to escape from my self-imprisonment. The first time I forgave someone for hurting me I felt strange (in a good way). As I continued to forgive, it got easier. Not all forgiveness was done verbally. I forgave in and from my heart. I even forgave myself!!!  Being able to forgive has reduced stress in my life. I'm so much happier because I let things "roll off" of me.

Is there someone in your life that needs forgiving? Change the direction of your life by letting go of the past. Get back in the drivers seat. Set your course for happiness. You'll be glad you did.  

Forgive. Forgiveness.

Forgive. Forgiveness.

Wow. Just thinking about these words can cause tightness in the pit of one's stomach. By definition, to forgive is to give up resentment of or claim to requital for <forgive an insult>; to cease to feel resentment against (an offender).

How do you wipe the slate clean and forgive someone who may have caused you harm? Forgiving is a tough thing to do. People can be mean-spirited by actions or words they speak. Sometimes comments made when trying to "help" someone causes more harm. How do you forgive someone when they don't even know the hurt they caused?

When you are hurt you may encounter feelings of anger, strife, or bitterness. You may feel offended by what you perceive is a lack of caring by another individual. You may want to seek revenge or hate the person, however, what good will that do? What will you accomplish by being angry and/or unforgiving?

Allowing the negative feelings to fester will create health issues. Are you willing to risk your health and having a happy life by punishing yourself?; by holding on to your resentments?

Every day we are hurt out of spite, out of anger, and oftentimes, we are hurt on purpose. Being able to forgive is difficult. It takes strength of character. The reality is that we don't forgive for the sake of the individual who caused us harm; we forgive for ourselves. We forgive to release the bitterness from our lives.

Forgiveness can be done in person or through prayer. You can ask God to give you the strength to forgive. While praying, tell God that you forgive the person for the harm that was caused.

Let your healing begin. Don't allow the resentment to build or keep you in a state of anger. Stop justifying in your mind all of the reasons why you should remain bitter/angry. Get back to living a passionate and fulfilled life. You deserve to be happy

When you forgive, do it for yourself.

Living Your Passions.

Did you know that 80% of Americans are NOT passionate about what they do? That means that 4 out of 5 people you meet or work with aren't being fulfilled. Where do you fit in?

So many of us are doing what we think we have to do to get by. Some of us are content with what we are doing, however, we'd like to take things to the next level. What would you do if money was not the focus or you knew you could not fail?

Think back to when you were a child. What did you enjoy doing? What would bring a smile to your face?

Think about the things that people are always complimenting you on. You may be organized, customer focused, creative, detailed, a risk-taker. Do you enjoy working individually, on a team, or are you adaptable to each situation? Identifying what your "gifts" are is the first step towards determining a good job/career fit.

Whether it's your life, job or career, when you focus on doing what you enjoy, you can reduce stress, refocus your mind, and gain clarity on what's important. Not having stress in your life can lead to a healthy life. Reducing the amount of stress will positively impact relationships at work, at home, etc.

Maybe you're feeling stagnant at your job because you no longer feel challenged; the job has become too routine. It's possible that with a little tweaking you can begin to enjoy your job again. Or maybe, starting your own business is the route to take.

There are so many options available to you. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain in living your passions. What steps are you willing to take to become part of the 20% that are happy?

Commitment.

Commitment: an agreement or pledge to do something in the future.

Making a commitment is stressful, it builds character and it's not to be taken lightly. When you make a commitment do you tend to go back on your word? Do you follow thru & keep your commitment? Can people depend on you when you make a commitment? If so, then you demonstrate that your word or verbal commitment is important; there is no question that when you make a commitment that commitment will be honored.

Have you ever had someone make a commitment to you; then the person making the commitment flakes on you? How frustrating is that? How often do you allow the "flaker" to continue before you finally catch on?

Then there are those who don't make any commitment at all. These individuals go thru life unwilling to devote their time and/or energy to anything (job, marriage, extra curricular activities, etc.). I heard about a married couple who were only 1/2 way committed to each other. When they had children, they were only 1/2 way committed to raising the kids. The kids behaved as they saw/learned from the parents. The parents would fuss at their kids because the kids lacked a willingness to get involved with anything. (I use this example lightly because this is not always the case.)

What type of commitments do you make?

Disciples of Love.

If you enjoy donating time and/or money to underprivileged children, check out Disciples of Love. They are doing a fantastic job of ministering and helping children in Uganda. A dollar goes a long way. I had the privilege of donating. The money was used to provide supplies and a Christmas party for the children. What a great feeling to know that you put a smile on a child's face.

Pictures found HERE.

Masks.

Masks. They can be simple, complex, colorful, even scary. Masks can be used as part of a costume, as a way to cover, hide or disguise one's face.

There is also an invisible mask that is used as a means of concealment. People will use an invisible mask to protect themselves from harm. They will also use the invisible mask as a shield to not allow others to get too close for fear of having their true nature revealed.

I used to wear invisible masks. I kept re-wrapping or re-packaging myself. I thought that if I presented myself differently, I wouldn't be 'found out'.  I finally realized that my outside wrappers and packaging would eventually get old and start fraying. This always led to revealing what was inside of me. It's not worth always having to be on guard. There's no payoff to wearing masks. Ridding yourself of the invisible masks enables you to clearly see what is causing any misery, thus being able to deal with the issue(s).

Do you wear invisible masks? What are you hiding?

I absolutely love food, however, in an effort to eat more healthy, I'm following healthy recipes I've found in the book, Divine Epicure, by Greta Andrews. The book provides recipes for salsas, salads, entrees, soups & sides, sandwiches, smoothies & juices, sweet treats and breakfast foods. The corn salsa and sweet potato apple snack are two of my favorites; they are to die for!!!!

The book also contains a nutritional guide, essential minerals, a nutrition glossary, herbs & spices info, eating for healing, cancer fighting foods, as well was the ability to customize your own eating plan.

If you're interested in living a healthy lifestyle, grab a copy of Divine Epicure.

Listen.

Have you ever been in a conversation with someone and felt like you weren't being listened to at all? They have this blank stare on their face; the deer in the headlight look. It's as though they were busted for pretending to be interested in the conversation.

Maybe, they kept waiting for a break in the conversation, or they interrupt the conversation, to add their viewpoint which was nowhere near what was being discussed. You wonder what happened. How is it that the response was so out of context with what you meant? What is the basis of their interpretation?

Based on our life experiences or biases, we tend to interpret what we hear and say. It's easy for us to make judgements of people/situations based on our own thoughts/beliefs. I've had this experience. I've decided to look @ how I listen & respond more closely. I've learned that everyone doesn't think what I think they think. That way I can learn & understand where the other person is coming from.


Above picture found HERE.

Welcome!

Welcome to the Oops Your Underwear is Showing Blog. This blog is dedicated to our lives and how we live it when we think no one is watching. The blog is also written with the desire that info shared can be used beneficially. I hope to provide a little humor as we discuss different topics.

Have you ever met someone whom you perceived had it all together? They were funny, caring, always wanted to hang out. They had an outstanding personality; people were always drawn to their magnetism. Then one day you catch them off guard. The Dr.Jekyl persona emerges and you wonder what happened. Now don't get me wrong. I'm not talking about about a sadist, an individual who may have medical issues or even an individual who is abusive.

I'm talking about the individual who is afraid that if their true personality were exposed, we wouldn't like them. Maybe they are trying to get over on us (thinking that we are naive). Their stories change as often as we change our underwear. I'm sorry to break the allure of these individual's perceptions, however, wake up!!. We are on to you. There is no need to make yourself out to be any different than you are. There's no reason for non-truths. What you work so hard to hide eventually is revealed. And guess what? We like you anyway!. We all have skeletons in our closet. Why do you think that your shortcomings are any worse than the next persons?

Would it surprise you to know that some of your closest friends also have their own Dr.Jekyl personality? It's what you do with this character flaw that matters. Are you hiding because you are shy? Or, maybe, you think your life is boring and needs some added spice? If you dislike someone and are putting on a "show", eventually you will slip & your true feelings will emerge. If you are hiding behind your own "mask", take the mask off and deal with the issue(s). You will be surprised at how 'freeing' your life becomes when you realize that people are receptive to another persons flaws. So,get out of your self-imposed prison. Put your big girl panties on and make any required changes.