What Kind of Person Are YOU?

I have this tree analogy when I think of people in my life, be it friends, family, acquaintances, employees, co-workers, whomever...They are all placed inside what I call my tree test. It goes like this:

 LEAF PEOPLE:
Some people come into your life and they are like leaves on a tree. They are only there for a season. You can't depend on them or count on them because they are weak and only there to give you shade. Like leaves, they are there to take what they need and as soon as it gets cold or a wind blows in your life they are gone. You can't be angry at them, it's just who they are.

 BRANCH PEOPLE:
There are some people who come into your life and they are like branches on a tree. They are stronger than leaves, but you have to be careful with them. They will stick around through most seasons, but if you go through a storm or two in your life it's possible that you could lose them. Most times they break away when it's tough. Although they are stronger than leaves, you have to test them out before you run out there and put all your weight on them. In most cases they can't handle too much weight. But again, you can't be mad with them, it's just who they are. 

 ROOT PEOPLE:
 If you can find some people in your life who are like the roots of a tree then you have found something special. Like the roots of a tree, they are hard to find because they are not trying to be seen. Their only job is to hold you up and help you live a strong and healthy life. If you thrive, they are happy. They stay low key and don't let the world know that they are there. And if you go through an awful storm they will hold you up. Their job is to hold you up, come what may, and to nourish you, feed you and water you.

Just as a tree has many limbs and many leaves, there are few roots. Look at your own life. How many leaves, branches and roots do you have? What are you in other people's lives?
 

Guard Your Heart and Mind

One of the keys to success is to be able to guard your heart. Now, usually when someone says guard your heart they are talking about keeping yourself from heartbreak. Although that is important (as long as you don’t go overboard... but that’s another conversation) that isn’t what I’m talking about. When we are born into this world we enter with such a pure heart but as we grow older situations, circumstances and people tend to make us change. Now I know it is nearly impossible to keep a childlike innocence in our hearts all of our lives, especially after people have betrayed, lied, mistreated and downright been the devil. Trust me when I tell you, I have seen it all. I have been there big time. If you’re like me you’ve been there too. But if this is your situation I want you to know two very important things about those moments of heartbreak. Number one, learn the lesson in it. See how it will work together for your good, because it will. Once you do, it’s easier to forgive and move on. Secondly, and this is just as important as the first one, you must not let that person or people change your heart. What do I mean by that? Well, if you are a giver and someone you have given to misuses your gift, don’t stop giving… just give to someone else. If you are a person that loves people and someone you love hates you, don’t stop loving… love someone else. Eventually, you will find people who appreciate your kindness and your love. Remember this, lots of people have been conditioned to not be able to accept purity of heart. They can’t take it in. Most times it’s not even their fault. It’s just what has happened to them on their journey in life. But don’t let them turn you into one of them. There will be a lot of people in your life who will not appreciate your pureness of heart. If they hurt you don’t stop being you… just be you with someone else.

Why is this so important? Because God blesses you according to what is in your heart. If you are being kind, giving, loving and sharing because it is in your heart and you are not looking for anything in return, then that is a heart that God wants to bless. If you change who you are because you’ve been hurt, then you’ve changed the thing that God wants to bless you according to, and that is your heart. The people who hurt you are not worth that. You can lose everything that you have, but don’t let anybody change your heart.

Amazing Tarot Readings

Recently i have started doing tarot readings. I have always wondered what a tarot reading was.

So, i have this amazing tarot reader.
Mind you, this woman is not only amazing tarot reader, she is a very good friend of mine that i have known for years now. We both have watched each other pretty much at our best and at our worst. She has always given me helpful insite on so many things as far as myself and just life in general. One thing that i have always respected about her was that she never looked at me no different and always kept it real with me. Let me mind you though, i met this woman several years ago in a chat room as a complete stranger. Today, she is i can say one of my best friends and one of my biggest inspirations.

Miss Veronica Joy Burgess

And so, with all that being said. I encourage each person reading this interested in a tarot reading to visit her site: http://www.naturalhealingsoul.com/ for further information.(You may need to copy and paste this URL into your address bar)

I recently had a reading done. I asked her to give me my life purpose spread and here is what she had to say:

"Being...you get the Justice card. So what this means is the need for you to be fair and honest in all of your dealings. This is a karma card where you reap what you sow. You will need to be very careful of the decisions that you make, because you may experience this more than others. You may have already even noticed this--your friends and family getting away with more than you at times. But it is because you are to remain balanced and in check. Accept responsibility for your actions.

Feeling--You get the seven of pentacles. You may experience a lot of frustration and feeling of failure because you do not see the fruits for your labor. It may feel as if you are not getting anywhere. You feel that you are putting in the work but there is no progress. But the thing is, you need to be patient and keep working hard at it. When we are consistent and work hard, we will eventually see our hard work pay off. Take the time out to see how far you have come, and what you need to do to go further. Pat yourself on the back for how far you have come and continue to move forward!

Thinking--You get the nine of swords. You have great worries. And you may even feel some guilt and shame. You may worry so much that you create things in your mind that are not even there. This could also cause you some difficulties with sleeping. You have to be careful of your thoughts. They create the monsters in your mind and will keep you fearful and limited from your greatness.

Doing--You have the wheel of fortune. That is when there are external forces that are out of our control; they play a major role in our lives. You cannot control which way the wheel turns but you can control how you respond to it. Be careful of the choices you make during those times. You may hit a low point but you will need to make good choices, the bad choices keep you stuck in the cycle. Don't force the change and the wheel to go into a particular direction--learn how to go with the ups and downs of life. You don't have to accept what life hands you and dont allow the bad times to worry you. Keep faith and remain optimistic. And be careful of the risks you take.

Finally, the two of swords is about making tough decisions. Often times, we want to stand there and hold off on the decisions, but you can only remain in that position for so long. After some time, you will need to make a decision. But the decision you need to make will require logic in your case. What makes the most logical sense, what is wise--and also you will need to "face the music." You cant hide from what is going on nor deny it. You need to face it head on, and make a decision with the best intentions. Also, be mindful of the consequences of your decisions you make.

You are a 9 life path number (like me!) and your personal year you are in is the number 4
So in this life time you are the humanitarian.
You have much to teach others through your own personal wisdom.
In this lifetime you go in to find your own personal truth--taking in what you have learned. And then you will need to go out into the world to help and guide others who have gone thru the same difficulties as yourself. You are the voice of the people!

In your personal year 4 (2012) this is about getting things in order....getting the structure and stability in your life, in place. You will need to make sure you do this because next year, you will experience a lot of change and movement. Make the most of this year that is left, to create stability in your life. make connections. You may need to make, break bad habits. It is kind of a "get your house in order" type thing.

So for the rest of the year, make sure you are playing it safe and doing the right thing because as I said before, you will reap what you sow....so sow good....and even when you do find yourself in trouble, the universe does remember the good you have done and will reward you for it.
Your work is not in vain!"

I welcome all of your thoughts!!

Myself-Exactly As I am

Self-Value means I know who I am!
Self-Esteem means I am who I say I am!
Self-Worth means I believe I am who I say I am!

Until today, you may not have been aware of how your knowledge of your own value affects your self-esteem or how your self-knowledge of your own value affects your self-esteem or how your self-esteem affects your sense of self-worth.

Just for today, make sure that what you know about yourself is reflected in what you say about yourself, because what you say about yourself influences what you believe about yourself!

Fooling Thy Self-Facing Thy Fears

You can fool some people some time but you can never fool yourself. You can tell yourself almost anything to excuse away your fear. The bad news is, you will actually believe it for awhile. The good news is, there will come a time when the excuse will not be strong enough or big enough to camouflage your fear. Eventually what you tell yourself will begin to sound so weak, so lame, so utterly ridiculous that you will have a hard time convincing yourself or anyone else that it is true. When that time comes, don't be defensive. Be willing to face the thing you fear.
As long as there is something you fear lurking in the back of your mind, you cannot, will not have peace of mind. When you defend yourself for taking or not taking a particular action, you are denying the foundation upon which peace is built. Truth! When, however, you wait or prepare to the point of avoiding what you say you really want to do, when you know you are afraid but refuse to admit it, there is no way you can have peace  of mind. In fact, if you insist on defending the excuse, you may lose your mind.

Until today, you may have found yourself making excuses for not confronting the things you fear. You may have had a great excuse for remaining in a relationship, work environment or living arrangement that is not fulfilling. Just for today, lay down all of your excuses. Ask yourself, "What am I afraid of that makes me stay here?" Make a list of responses that come to mind. Prayerfully offer the list to the Holy Spirit, asking it to show you the way out. Repeat the process as often as necessary until all excuses vanish.

‘The Awakening’

There comes a time in your life when you finally get it…when, in the midst of all your fears and insanity, you stop dead in your tracks and somewhere the voice inside your head cries out…ENOUGH! Enough fighting and crying, blaming and struggling to hold on. Then, like a child quieting down after a tantrum, you blink back your tears and begin to look at the world through new eyes.

You realize it’s time to stop hoping and waiting for something to change, or for happiness, safety and security to magically appear over the next horizon.

You realize that in the real world there aren’t always fairy tale endings, and that any guarantee of “happily ever after” must begin with you…and in the process a sense of serenity is born of acceptance.

You awaken to the fact that you are not perfect and that not everyone will always love, appreciate or approve of who or what you are…and that’s OK. They are entitled to their own views and opinions.

You learn the importance of loving and championing yourself…and in the process a sense of new found confidence is born of self-approval.

You stop complaining and blaming other people for the things they did to you – or didn’t do for you – and you learn that the only thing you can really count on is the unexpected.

You learn that people don’t always say what they mean or mean what they say and that not everyone will always be there for you and everything isn’t always about you.

So, you learn to stand on your own and to take care of yourself…and in the process a sense of safety and security is born of self-reliance.

You stop judging and pointing fingers and you begin to accept people as they are and to overlook their shortcomings and human frailties…and in the process a sense of peace and contentment is born of forgiveness.

You learn to open up to new worlds and different points of view. You begin reassessing and redefining who you are and what you really stand for.

You learn the difference between wanting and needing and you begin to discard the doctrines and values you’ve outgrown, or should never have bought into to begin with.

You learn that there is power and glory in creating and contributing and you stop maneuvering through life merely as a “consumer” looking for you next fix.

You learn that principles such as honesty and integrity are not the outdated ideals of a bygone era, but the mortar that holds together the foundation upon which you must build a life.

You learn that you don’t know everything, it’s not your job to save the world and that you can’t teach a pig to sing. You learn the only cross to bear is the one you choose to carry.

Then you learn about love. You learn to look at relationships as they really are and not as you would have them be. You learn that alone does not mean lonely.

You stop trying to control people, situations and outcomes. You learn to distinguish between guilt and responsibility and the importance of setting boundaries and learning to say NO.

You also stop working so hard at putting your feelings aside, smoothing things over and ignoring your needs.

You learn that your body really is your temple. You begin to care for it and treat it with respect. You begin to eat a balanced diet, drinking more water, and take more time to exercise.

You learn that being tired fuels doubt, fear, and uncertainty and so you take more time to rest. And, just food fuels the body, laughter fuels our soul. So you take more time to laugh and to play.

You learn that, for the most part, you get in life what you deserve, and that much of life truly is a self-fulfilling prophecy.

You learn that anything worth achieving is worth working for and that wishing for something to happen is different than working toward making it happen.

More importantly, you learn that in order to achieve success you need direction, discipline and perseverance. You learn that no one can do it all alone, and that it’s OK to risk asking for help.

You learn the only thing you must truly fear is fear itself. You learn to step right into and through your fears because you know that whatever happens you can handle it and to give in to fear is to give away the right to live life on your own terms.

You learn to fight for your life and not to squander it living under a cloud of impending doom.

You learn that life isn’t always fair, you don’t always get what you think you deserve and that sometimes bad things happen to unsuspecting, good people…and you learn not to always take it personally.

You learn that nobody’s punishing you and everything isn’t always somebody’s fault. It’s just life happening. You learn to admit when you are wrong and to build bridges instead of walls.

You learn that negative feelings such as anger, envy and resentment must be understood and redirected or they will suffocate the life out of you and poison the universe that surrounds you.

You learn to be thankful and to take comfort in many of the simple things we take for granted, things that millions of people upon the earth can only dream about: a full refrigerator, clean running water, a soft warm bed, a long hot shower.

Then, you begin to take responsibility for yourself by yourself and you make yourself a promise to never betray yourself and to never, ever settle for less than you heart’s desire.

You make it a point to keep smiling, to keep trusting, and to stay open to every wonderful possibility.

You hang a wind chime outside your window so you can listen to the wind.

Finally, with courage in you heart, you take a stand, you take a deep breath, and you begin to design the life you want to live as best as you can.