We do our own harm. We are our own worst enemy. We take risks that we know can cause us lasting harm, lasting pain. Yet we act knowingly. We behave knowingly. We do knowingly. And in the end we pay, acting in a manner of great surprise; a dumbfoundness that only a superfied state of denial could manifest. We look around in wonderment. Looking for that someone else to blame, that someone or someones to receive our projectile of vile blame lased in laser-targeted contempt.

Then we move on looking for that next whatever to placate our "yuck" that lives inside of us surviving only on:
1- I did not mean it

2- It was not my fault

3- It was only one mistake

4- Things around me caused me to act in this way

5- It wasn't that bad, everyone else is just over reacting

6- Nobody is perfect

That is until that moment when ..... there is no one else to blame.

And then something quite original happens. We wake up. We own up. We pray up!


Romans 8:1 says that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because the Lord Jesus took all of the Father's condemnation on Himself on the cross.

So you don't have to project on someone else something God is waiting to forgive you for. Why give your forgiveness away? Own your rain and its rainbow.

Garth Callaghan started slipping notes into his daughter Emma’s lunchbox when she was in kindergarten. She could barely read at the time, so he kept the napkin notes simple with easy words, sometimes using drawings or symbols.

Today, Callaghan's eighth-grade daughter has come to depend on those brief missives as a daily source of inspiration — and a reminder to never take her dad for granted.

Callaghan, 44, has battled kidney cancer twice over the last several years and currently lives with prostate cancer, a slow-growing disease. Recent blood work shows “no evidence” of kidney cancer these days, but Callaghan said his oncologist has bluntly told him that people with his medical history only have an eight percent change of surviving the next five years.

"This isn’t a story about cancer, because any parent at any time could be hit by a car or have a heart attack," he said, explaining to TODAY.com about why he continues to write "napkin notes" to his daughter. "This is really about leaving a legacy so that she can understand some of my life philosophies and how much I love her.” 

READ MORE (Eun Kyung Kim) http://www.today.com/news/dying-dad-writes-daughter-826-notes-so-she-wont-have-2D11999985

The Jordan River played a significant role in numerous events of bible history. It is mentioned 190 times throughout the bible.

The first mention of the Jordan is when Abraham and Lot parted company: "And Lot lifted up his eyes, and saw that the Jordan valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of The Lord, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar; this was before The Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah [see The Destruction Of Sodom]. So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan valley, and Lot journeyed east; thus they separated from each other." (Genesis 13:10-11 RSV)

• Jacob was renamed Israel at the ford of the Jabbok River, a tributary of the Jordan: "The same night he arose and took his two wives [see Leah and Rachel], his two maids, and his eleven children [The Tribes Of Israel], and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. He took them and sent them across the stream, and likewise everything that he had. And Jacob was left alone; and a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and Jacob's thigh was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, "Let me go, for the day is breaking." But Jacob said, "I will not let you go, unless you bless me." And he said to him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Jacob." Then he said, "Your name shall no more be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed." (Genesis 32:22-28 RSV)
• At the end of their Wilderness Journey, after Joshua succeeded Moses as the leader of the people, the Israelites entered the Promised Land by crossing the Jordan River that, like the Red Sea (see Where Did They Cross The Sea? and Is This How The Red Sea Parted?), was miraculously divided for them (Joshua 3:15-17).
• The prophets Elijah and Elisha were active on both sides of the Jordan (see The World Of Elijah And Elisha)
• The Jordan River was the area where John The Baptist conducted much of his ministry. Jesus Christ was baptized by John in the Jordan River.

In earlier times, the Israelites possessed the territory of both sides of the Jordan (see Tribal Lands and Solomon's Kingdom). Today the Jordan River forms much of the international boundary between Israel and the Kingdom of Jordan.

I could only be identified by dental records when discovered. Age 40 and alone. My TV was left on for three years following my death. No one knew. No one realized I was gone. You would think someone would have been there for me. Left alone. Not even a picture of my beautiful face in the paper upon discovery. How horrendous. And nobody notices, oh my God I have four sisters and no one even reported me missing!

A body melting into the carpet basically. My life. Really? Does anybody even care to know? Dead 3 whole years before being discovered. If you should see me and I am smiling don't think my smile is for real. I could not imagine dying alone. I had ulcers is all. I should be alive.

But I never wanted to be in the end left alone. I had a decent education, not advanced...middle class. I was at times happy and quite friendly. Soft and quite clear, without a put on. I was trying to get somewhere in life.

I had a responsible job in the treasury once. From the outside, I reminded people of a person they would want to be. In truth, I had no lifetime friends. At my 21st birthday celebration I had no number of friends there of my own, just other people's friends. My mother died when I was 11 at age 41. I had 3 older sisters brought up Caribbean style.  My dad the carpenter, walked with a swagger, a real ladies man. I was not proud of him, wanted no connection really.

When they found my body after 3 years, it appeared I had been wrapping Christmas presents.

"Hi. My name is Joyce and that's nice." A recording of my voice found after death. In life I was quite entertaining and spoken modestly, I was very good at it. I was simply stunning.  I turned heads, celebrities and all. All I ever wanted was someone to want me. Trouble is I never had my own interests. I never had any great plans. My smile is just a frown turned upside down. And if by chance you hear me laughing. I only laugh to fool the crowd.

Did I mention I met Mandela?  Most people thought I was so positive just like him. But we really don't know people do we? The death of my mother had a profound affect on me. I could not understand it. I gave the impression to all that my dad was dead too. I cut myself off from my sisters. I will take those secrets to the grave with me. No pictures. No music. New reasons given. I kept those reasons to myself.

There was a sadness in my life. It affected me, contributed to my character.  I made relationships but only to a certain point. For awhile, I lived in a battered women's shelter. I told no one. We all make bad decisions in our life. Mine were tragic. I do know I was always looking for Mr. Right. In those final days I slept on a lot of couches. Inside I was disturbed.

Once I went into the hospital and I put as my next of kin ...my bank manager. That really sums it up doesn't it?

I was in love once. I even asked him to marry me. I think he refused because with my mocha skin he would have "tinted" children. Oh the thought of being married and having children. I think I was deathly afraid of living the dream, too afraid to just enjoy it. There were demons that wanted me more than life wanted me.

 It was as if I never existed. A story of fiction. A theory. Watch me fall from grace.

By the time anyone cared, I was dead. A true documentary: "Dream of a life."

God, the Powerful Creator God began the enlightening interrogatives with one of the most biting questions: “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?” (Job 38:4). The Lord followed with a jabbing challenge: “Tell me, if you have understanding” (v. 4; cf. v. 21).

Job, who purported to have such insight at times, was asked, “Who determined its measurements —surely you know!” (v. 5). Like a massive building project, “On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone?” (v. 6). God alone — the powerful Creator — knows the intricacies behind such questions.

He introduced the subject matter for the Job’s course with this implicit charge: “You do not know the most basic facts about dirt (i.e., the earth). You are hardly qualified, therefore, to judge what happens on top of it.”

As the Creator, he controls the sea. He determined how far it can intrude upon the land, for the ocean is as a baby in the hands of its Maker (vv. 8-11).

God, the Philanthropic SustainerAs the sun rises and sets, God sustains the created order with a loving interest for its inhabitants (vv. 12-15). The Lord invited Job to consider the morning. It takes hold of the earth like a skirt, and the wicked are shaken out of it. As the features of the earth take form and color in the morning sun, so God supplies a providential restraint on the wicked by design.

Jehovah asked Job, with a view towards the value of the morning, “Have you commanded the morning since your days began?” (Job 38:12). God was saying: “Job, before you were born, I caused the dawn to know its place. And after you were born, you surely didn’t take my place.” Robert Alden summarized: “Those are God’s responsibilities and prerogatives. So far he has never failed” (373).

The Creator inquired concerning the “depth” of Job’s knowledge. “Have you entered … walked … seen … comprehended …?” (vv. 16-18). “No. You have not walked the recesses of the deep, nor have you seen the gates of death. You do not comprehend the expanse of the earth — do you? If you do, tell me all about it.” These were more unanswerable questions for Job.

God enlightened him by considering light and darkness (vv. 20-21). They were represented as having homes. In the morning, light appears to come from somewhere. “Where does it come from, Job?” The Lord chided the patriarch, “You know, for you were born then, and the number of your days is great!” (v. 21).

“The suggestion that Job surely knew the answers to all these questions was God’s way of strongly remonstrating Job—because he presumed to question God’s governing of the universe, when in reality he could not answer even one of the questions” (Zuck, 168).

OK I get that my kids don't always want me hanging out with them. They want to be dropped off "away" from the school doors, don't like me talking to them when they are with their friends, and especially don't want me dressing too "young/hip" or talking in teenage vernacular. I feel that, I was probably (OK I WAS) like that too. But with some things I must draw the line. Facebook is mom's too. If they had their way I would curl up with a good book, sit in front of the fire and forget I even heard of social media. God forbid one of their friends were to "like" me on FB. You would have thought I dressed in Hello Kitty pajamas and joined their slumber party. Goodness already! Parents like to have fun too. We like to keep in touch with the ongoings of pop culture. We have a life too..right?

So whose facebook is it? Well it about killed me when after less than one week on Facebook my new teenager had more friends than I did after being on it nearly three years. I thought it was charming in a "wow what a charmed life" kind of way.  What I envied however, she not only has Facebook but also all of these other avenues for social expression and connection. Instagram, snap chat and only that age group knows what else. Goodness...give me Facebook I say....indulge me!

The problem is not that I mind at all that she is on Facebook. No, the problem is I now feel like I am intruding on "someone's space" once she joined. The day her grandfather "friended" well now Facebook is for "y'all people" not "us people" she quips. So I guess soon she will pack up and move on to "younger pastures."

I live for the day we can all, young and old coexist in this new world of social media.  Can we all just get along?

Before I even start. Let's take a moment and pray that everyone comes home safe tonight, everyone. AMEN

Roll call 10:00 PM. The sergeant shares the status of current events internal and external. Reminds everyone to be careful, even reiterates the importance of how to hold your flashlight when you approach a traffic stop. Holding it in the wrong hand can get you killed....has gotten some killed. The roll call ends in every officer simultaneously testing their Tasers in unison and then one lone offer, my officer, leads the group in prayer. That's it. The night has begun.

Around 11:30 PM we are called to a "emergency" call to inform a unsuspecting person his identify may be being used without his knowledge. This is the simplest call of the night.

Around midnight, a call comes in that a car has hit another and kept going. The car, in this case a taxi, pursues the other car several miles, all the while communicating with dispatch, communicating with us where they are. As we travel several miles at high speed we pass several infractions (speeding, DUI, texting while driving, driving without headlights, illegal switching of lanes). We finally reach the incident we are pursuing and it changes one family's lives forever....DUI, no license, certain deportation.

Next, another call. This one a supposed DUI. A thirty something young man. He says he swerved because he was texting, gave no cognizant excuse for his blood shot eyes. One beer he says that's all...hours ago while watching a game on TV. He, it turns out has a great job, out of state plates, masters degree. He submits to a car search and a field sobriety examination. With the grace of God and my interjection he goes home. I asked the cops to give him the benefit of the doubt. He did well in my estimation. It was mostly my heart talking perhaps not my head.

Next, driving without a license while going to pick up a husband from work. That's all. Trouble is in GA that is a mandatory jail sentence. The kids were asleep in bed at home, all under the age of 11. Broke my heart again in one night. She cried out for my help from the back seat. Nothing I could do, nothing I could say.

Then there were the neighborhood and business checks. Inoculant at best, routine even. These stops break up the night as everyone is happy to see you, glad to see a police presence in the environment. Minutes later back on the beat. The 20 something that "hits the ground" (runs) rather than stopping. Turns out he has a blood alcohol level of 1.55 over twice the allowable limit of .08. Or the woman who is so intoxicated she urinates on the officer's shoes, or the undocumented person who has zero command of the English language until the cuffs go on. All sad, all heart wrenching. At least to me.

Then there is the perspective we place on all of this. The fact that for me this is only one night. For my partner this is a career. A career that pays at start around $30,000 and not so great benefits. A career that we depend on to protect us from the demons of the night. The evil around the next corner.

We did a neighborhood check, just for kicks in my neighborhood. My partner could hardly restrain his sense of wow at the accomplishment. The manicured lawns and circular driveways. His face, even in his discerning profession, could not disguise the "if only" of his psyche. My heart dropped.  He pulled away saying, "De De" I will come back and check on this neighborhood often. I breamed.  

This was a long way from his career's $30,000 paycheck plus any additional work (nearly all police have a second job) would yield. I felt guilt, I felt a greater sense of appreciation for his effort.

My biggest drop in altitude? The trip to the jail, one of the toughest in the southeast. The female intake officer asks, how many, one of two? I was the "two". My heart stopped. I realized in an instant how close each of us can be to number "two". Lord I hope never. I wanted to scream, "tonight was my first night in a police car. A half hour ago I was wearing a yellow police rain coat in the freezing rain. I am not one of them." But what is one of them?

We choose that I suppose, with every smart or dumb or survival decision we make. It is about choice.

Dang that night was complicated. I came away better but subdued. I do know that I will work as hard as I possibly can to leave that work to those who live to do it. I will my life setting the example to keep mine from becoming a "subject" in it.

I respect the field of law enforcement. Perfect? Not a bit! But I will err on the side of counting on them in a time of need for mine or yours!

Below is the note I wrote the precinct at the end of my ride along and I meant every word today and always! They sent me an immediate and gracious response in turn.


I had a wonderful time traveling with Sergeant P. He was so professional, helpful, insightful and sensitive to my position in this endeavor. He made the night meaningful in so many ways. I learned more than I anticipated. I at times wanted to shout and others cry. Mostly because this evening was a night in my back yard, a community I care so deeply about. I so appreciate his professionalism and the care that the entire precinct took to make my experience meaningful and real. I had a hands on and that is more than I ever expected. I enjoyed it, I feared it, I respected it! Thanks so much to everyone. La Detra White

“ A man's reputation is the opinion people have of him; his character is what he really is. ”

— Jack Miner

1. They know when to stay and when to leave. Successful people know exactly when they should change employers, start a company or fold their company. They have good intuition and aren’t afraid to make hard choices, despite opposing forces.

2. They do more than what’s asked of them. They view their job descriptions as just the beginning of what they can do with their job. After they’ve completed their mandatory tasks, they will always ask to take on more projects that challenge them. They are even willing to take on the tedious work that no one else wants to do in order to be a team player.


3. They are willing to fail in order to eventually succeed. All successful people know that it doesn’t come easy and they are bound to fail more than they will succeed at anything. They are willing to learn from each failure, as it will help them make better decisions that lead to success later. While many people give up after failing at something, a successful person will persevere.

4. They know that they make their own luck. Luck is derived from hard work over time and positioning yourself for success. You won’t randomly get lucky and successful people know that. They will do at least one thing every single day to put themselves in a better position to get lucky and then use that luck to grow.

5. They set real goals that they can accomplish. Successful people wake up and they’ve already planned their day, while unsuccessful people are scrambling to figure out what they need to do next. Their goals are very focused, big yet obtainable and are aligned to their strengths. They know what they are capable of and will invest all of their efforts in it, avoiding their weaknesses.

6. They take accountability for themselves and their actions. They aren’t relying on other people in order to get the job done. Instead, they are looking inwards and are trying to find the solutions, while leveraging their current assets. If they make a mistake, they own up to it and immediately think of ways that they can improve next time, not making the same mistake twice.

7. They make change instead of being affected by it. Successful people aren’t waiting around to be affected by economic trends. They are the ones who are creating the trends and making things happen.

8. They are able to adjust to changes in the marketplace. Successful people are willing to reinvent themselves to stay relevant in the business world. They understand that if you stay stagnant and ignore trends, that you will be left behind. They are constantly coming up with new ideas, searching for the next big thing and getting new skills.

9. They can communicate their story effectively. If you walk up to a successful person and ask them what they do, they will able to tell you everything in a concise manner. They know who they are, what they do and can make you believe in them. They have strong posture and are very persuasive and confident.

10. They ask the right questions to the people who can deliver the right answers. Successful people know they need to solve problems by tapping their networks. They aren’t afraid of emailing or calling the best person who can answer their questions. They are always prepared with the right questions and are always willing to help the other person out in return.

11. They are life-long learners who push themselves out of their comfort zones. While most people think that when they graduate college, they are finished being a student, successful people remain students. They are constantly learning new things and have new experiences. They aren’t afraid to try new activities and to fail at them.

12. They know who they are and their place in the world. Successful people are confident and can lead themselves, as well as others. They have their own vision and mission and seek to bring it to life on a daily basis. They also know who they aren’t and don’t waste time on things that they aren’t good at or they aren’t satisfied with.

13. They are more excited about the journey than the pay out. Successful people ignore get rich quick schemes. They are more focused on building sustainable careers through hard work, risk taking and creativity. They enjoy the journey, despite the obstacles, because they are doing something that has meaning in their lives.

14. They create instead of just consume. While most people are busy reading emails, watching TV or listening to a podcast, successful people are creating new tools, presentations and coming up with ideas. They are the ones who are making things that other people need instead of being on the other end of the spectrum, consuming them.
Dan Schawbel is the New York Times best-selling author of Promote Yourself.

The generous man will be prosperous, and he who waters will himself be watered. Prov. 11: 24,25

Well, it happened. By: Michelle Konstantinovsky

Someone finally asked me the question I hoped I'd never have to actually address in writing: Can a woman ever fully and completely love who she is, or is she destined for a future of dissatisfaction?

The question of whether or not it's possible to unconditionally embrace oneself raises some of my biggest fears and insecurities as a positive body image advocate and women's health writer. My knee-jerk response is, "Of course! Ladies -- you are enough! Don't let the media hype and societal insanity infiltrate your brain!" My honest admission based on personal, day-to-day struggles? "I'm not sure."

I want to believe it's not only possible, but inevitable that we all reach a point where we're officially tired of the masochistic self-loathing that we falsely thought was motivating us to be thinner/prettier/hotter/smarter/sexier/better. I want to fully trust that we'll once and for all stop believing the unrealistic images and standards and just learn to look within ourselves for true happiness, satisfaction, and serenity. But do I embody those beliefs and live them out every day? Not a chance.

Or maybe just not yet.

Talking to a friend the other day, I couldn't help but think of how her personal epiphany could change my answer to this question and potentially the course of my life (not to mention my authenticity as any kind of spokesperson for self-acceptance). Gazing intently at her reflection days before our talk, my friend told me that she'd begun noticing all the imperfections in the few features she'd thought were her best assets. Her eyes were slightly off-kilter. Her smile was a little crooked. Her breasts suddenly seemed unmatched.

But rather than throw a fit, smash the mirror, or create a dozen new ways to berate herself for these newly-discovered "flaws," she did the most radical thing she could think to do: She laughed. It was all so ridiculous. The pieces of her that she'd always considered "perfect" and "beautiful" by societal standards warped and distorted before her very eyes the longer she stared at them. It was all so subjective and ridiculous. And she realized then and there that no matter how close she came to exemplifying cookie-cutter beauty, it would never be good enough.

It was what she said next that I haven't been able to get out my head.

"I thought, 'What if I choose to like myself? It's just a simple decision," she told me. "It's that easy. It's all in my own head. I could just make the decision, commit to it, and then it would never matter what anyone else thought or said."

It was such a simple assertion, but it struck me as revolutionary. What if we all consciously chose to not only accept ourselves, but to love who we were, are, and will be, no matter what we continued to hear or see in the outside world? Would we all fool ourselves into delusional states of grandeur and end up totally unaware, conceited jerks? Well sure, that's the fear, isn't it -- that we'll somehow shine brighter than we really deserve to? But maybe the reality is that we'd shine as bright as we're supposed to, and we'd stop unnecessarily cowering and self-flagellating for fear that we're not good enough as we are.

And if you think I stole those sentiments from a far more articulate source, you're absolutely correct. Several friends, including the one mentioned above, have sent this Marianne Williamson quote my way, saying it reminds them of me. I know the association is triggered by my love affair with self-deprecation, but I'm hoping they might one day associate the excerpt with me for a different reason. Maybe I'll have the courage to once and for all just choose unconditional self-acceptance, letting my own light shine, and inspiring others to do the same.

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." ― Marianne Williamson, A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of "A Course in Miracles"

 
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We spend a lot of time testing each other. Most times we do it as a form of self protection, a defense mechanism. Have you ever waited for someone else to "prove" themselves to you before you would behave in some way or another toward them? I have.  What a drain of time and energy. Mostly a waste of time. I understand that no one wants to be hurt especially hurt in love. But I can count the number of times on one hand when after "holding out/holding back" I came out better on the other side in a relationship. Mostly, what happens is a sort of gamesmanship which slides gently into a season of disillusion and tactical posturing on both sides. It has never created greater love or compassion...not ever. It build resentment, pain, and anger.

The older I get and the more I see younger people engaged in forms of relationship manipulation and I don't just mean boy/girl kind, it heavies my heart. I know better now that the yield from these type of behaviors leaves you in the emotional red not in the emotional black. And the more these type of behaviors are exercised they become part of your ongoing character. What a horrible trait to build into your spirit. Holding back until you feel someone you really care about has done more for you than you have done for them. Making moves yet keeping the scale ever tipped in your favor.

I wonder what if Jesus treated us like that? How different our lives might be. But in what ways?  With the help of God's Spirit, however, we produce something far different: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering [or patience], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control" (verses 22-23). That is truly good fruit! God wants us to bear much of this fruit!

Spirit-led people have these wonderful virtues of godly character as the result of God's Spirit acting from within. The credit for this fruit belongs to God and Jesus Christ who supply that Spirit.

And God will let us bear this fruit only when we are trying to give of ourselves to others. This fruit is manifested in relationships. God's Spirit is like a river (John 7:38). It will flow into us only when it is also flowing out to others.

Matthew 7:12 ESV         

So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

Shhh! I have a secret. I don't need you. Well more specifically, I choose you but don't need you for my survival. There, I said it. Now if you will indulge me I will elaborate on my many reasons for choosing to be the branch on your tree.

I support you. I adore everything good in you. I admire the try, I respect the failures. I don't judge you because after we became one, your weaknesses are mine. I own them as much as you should. I recognize our strengths are only as good as the propulsion we put behind the crafting of the "on" behind it. We became us in an instant.

So I am wise enough to know that WE don't look good until we each individually look good. We became a unit, judged by our last action and the actions to follow. We are equally accountable for our collective success or failures.

I am the branch to your tree. You are the branch to mine. Our fruits are not a result of your efforts, they are not the direct result of mine. No! We are able to branch because we collectively understand that our roots sprout because we work together to provide nourishment at the roots......at the core of what we are trying so desperately to grow.

So my mate I am your branch. I am the branch because I fully recognize that without my branches the tree will not grow. Without your branches the same ill fate.

So I will bring fruit! The kind of fruit that springs forth a forestry of LOVE, FAITH, KINDNESS and PATIENCE.






In Jesus name....AMEN.

BY DANIEL WALLE 
Positive people don’t have a magical power that you don’t possess. Instead of letting stress control them, positive people take control of their life by managing stress and striving to improve every day. Check out these things that positive people don’t do, so you too can be happy and successful.

1. They Don’t Assume the Worst.It’s amazing how many problems wouldn’t exist if we didn’t invent them. Positive people know that leaping to conclusions is usually a bad idea. Instead of freaking out about an unanswered text (“What if they don’t like me?”), they go on with their day (“hmm, they must be busy!”). Before they decide another person is untrustworthy, they make an honest effort to find out more about them.


2. They Don’t Resist the Truth.It’s easy to live in a lie because lies can grow so strong that it can eventually make people forget about the truth. Positive people know that they need to face the truth and live with it because making excuses will never get a solution for what have gone wrong.

3. They Don’t Hold On To Resentment.Positive people understand that resentment only causes pain in life over and over again, so they let go of it. They choose to accept and forgive things happened in the past to move on with what they have learned from the incidents.

4. They Don’t Forget the Little Things.Is it easy to forget the little things? Certainly. But positive people don’t make a habit of it. Instead, they express gratitude for every blessing, no matter how big or small. They know it’s silly to think more stuff will make them feel better if they can’t be happy about what they have.

5. They Don’t Pass the Buck.Positive people realize they are the CEO of their life and thus take full responsibility for how things are. They didn’t get “stuck in traffic” — they were late. They didn’t “have something come up” — they forgot. Positive people don’t claim “they can’t help it,” because they can do anything they set their mind to.

6. They Don’t See Problems as “Problems”.The word “problems” is seen as “challenges” for positive people. They believe that every obstacle comes as an opportunity that is yet to be discovered. Positive people take the chance to challenge themselves and improve their life.

7. They Don’t Resign Themselves to “Reality.”This “reality” most people speak of sounds like a dreadful place where dreams go to die. Positive people know that anything is possible with consistency and hustle, so they choose to write their own reality.

8. They Don’t Expect Something for Nothing.Positive people don’t fall for “lose weight fast” or “get rich quick” scams. They know that anything worth having requires hard work (often, lots of it). Positive people are comfortable with the fact that achieving success might take a bit longer than they would like (but will be so worth it).

9. They Don’t Get Bored.Boredom is a place where creativity, inspiration, and productivity die. Positive people are fascinated by everything around them. They explore the world with enthusiasm and curiosity, asking as many questions as they can. On a similar note, fun fact: did you know you have atoms in your body that were created in a star 13 billion years ago? True story (so you don’t get to be bored).

10. They Don’t Let Negative Thoughts Hijack Their Brain.Positive people don’t subject themselves to a chorus of self-defeating negative thoughts. When a negative thought passes through their head, they remind themselves: if I wouldn’t say it about another person, I shouldn’t think it about myself.

11. They Don’t Make Comparison With Others.Positive people understand that everyone is different and has his own progress, so they don’t compare themselves to other people. They are confident about what they have and what they do. Instead of focusing on how others are doing, they pay attention on how to improve their own life.

12. They Don’t Agonize Over Every Little Mistake.Positive people don’t look at failure as a terrible thing to avoid at all costs. They know that failure is a possibility when it comes to trying anything new. Seeing failure for what it is (a learning opportunity and nothing more) helps positive people achieve massive success as they learn and grow.

13. They Don’t Think Life Is Perfect.Positive people forget about perfection, because it’s just not possible. When is the last time you thought, “Wow, this is the perfect day to get in shape,” or “You know what? This is the day I quit my job, move to Santa Fe, and pursue my real passion?” Oh, that’s right: you didn’t, because there isn’t a “perfect time” to do anything. Positive people take action in the here and now, perfection be damned.

14. They Don’t Hang Out with Toxic People.Positive people don’t let negative, toxic people drag them down. Instead, they surround themselves with other positive people who are fun and inspiring to be with. Why should a positive person spend their time with a person who complains about everything and gossips about everybody? Positive people know there is no good answer to that question.