love thy self

I'm pretty new to this blogging thing and have just started reading other people's blogs. I also speak to a lot of people in my day to day comings and goings. On my long drive home today, many thoughts ran through my mind. Well maybe it was more of a WOG- you know- walk jog. Anyway, one of the thoughts the kind of lingered the longest was that there are a lot of folks and sorry to say more women than men, that are so hard on themselves. In reading some post I want to show up on their doorsteps like the publishers clearing house sweepstakes crew and inform them that they just won a HUG.

I just want my reading audience out there to know that it's OK. My mother would always say "when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade" of course I passed this wisdom down to my kids and one day my smarty pants daughter said "its too many lemons. I'm going to sell mine to Pampers so they can make lemon scented diapers. Let somebody else deal with this sh*t",,, Uh yeah, she is 17 and I laughed because it was funny. I know most parents would have found that to be fresh or whatever but based on the nature of the conversation she is spot on. I was also proud because she inherited my wit. Well it kind of run in the family.

Back to business. This journey in my opinion has been the hardest road I've had to travel. Here are some of the streets I've traveled. I lost my dad at age 9, my mom well she deserves a few chapters. I've walked up and down Cancer Blvd. I trekked through Graves Disease Drive, spent some time on Tumor Row which led me to Hysterectomy Highway and landed on Lupus Lane. My mode of transportation, Chemo Car, Radiation Rail Road, Butcher Bus, and the list goes on. Through all of my trials and tribulations besides GOD being my rock and foundation, I am blessed and Thankful to still be here.

First of all, if you don't love yourself how the heck do you expect somebody else to love you? Think about the energy you are putting out there. When you surround yourself via your thoughts in a black cloud, guess what....its gonna rain. If you call yourself ugly, stupid, fat then that is how the world will see you. You should include PROPHET in that because you will see it into existence. If you are going to go that route you might as well put on a big robe and head wrap and call yourself a psychic. Make some money and charge people for your services. You can say "look, I told ya'll I was fat", open your robe as proof.

Another thing is to take care of yourself first. As a mother I can tell you this is easier said than done. I think I would have been a much better mother had I followed this earlier on in my kids lives. You cannot not possibly take care of others without taking care of yourself first. You can do it for a little while but the body will hold a revolution and protest and you will start to experience things you didn't know was possible. Have you ever gone to a once thriving neighborhood that is now economically depressed? You wonder what the heck happened. Oh it used to be so nice here. Were there riots? Really, what happened here? Well that is what you do to your body when your sole focus is on taking care of others. You become that economically depressed neighborhood. RUN DOWN,  tired, old looking. Your body becomes a breeding ground for the gangs to start their turf wars. Next thing you know you are getting tagged and graffiti on your once beautiful perfectly manicured lawned canvas. Sure you will call it age but is it really? You will need more taking care of then the folks you've dedicated your life to taking care of.

I am not saying to be totally selfish, I'm just saying to pencil yourself in sometimes. OK scratch that, put it in PEN and make it often.

Last for now, embrace the change even if others around you don't. Start to transform everything around you. That include the food you eat. Oh and throw away that fat free stuff. It ain't free and is making you fatter. The negativity needs to be packed up and given a one way ticket to hell. Satan has room for it, you don't. I don't know if you need mantra's or daily motivational guides or whatever to help you. The new you is playing peek a boo, so give it something else to do. Envision the change you want to be and work towards it DAILY. Don't just talk about it- be about it. Be sweet enough to yourself to compliment the lemons that will grow on your tree. There is so much you can do with a lemon...