2012-Okay, here we go!!!

Greetings to all!!! I pray 2011 was all you hoped it would be and if not, well let's try again in 2012. I am not going to send one of those cliche emails about setting goals, what you can accomplish, being all you can be, yada-yada-yada. Instead, this blog post is about simply giving it the old college try. If I honestly asked you what resolution you made in January 2011 that you kept until December 31, 2011 what would your answer be? I know mine-I half way fulfilled my resolutions and stopped somewhere around ummmm January 24th!! So in 2012 let's not make a bunch of promises we can't keep. Start off with something small-one thing, and commit to it for a week. Then after you do that, add another week or something different. Baby steps provide us the confidence we need to take ourselves and our commitments to the next level. Okay...I am putting it out there-Resolution #1-Finish Rich Dad Poor Dad by January 13th. If I can't finish a book in a week and a half (I am already on Chapter 4) then shame on me. My bookcase is full of books I have partially read so one by one I will get through as many as I can. Comment back and let me know what your baby step is. Together we can make this year a very successful one. I'm in, are you? Love you all!!!!

Stop Complaining Already!!!!

Hello my dear friends!! So as I complete this year....the Year of Susan, the one thing I am going to stop doing is complaining. Don't get me wrong, I am not a Negative Nancy by any means nor do I see the glass as half full. I do however sometimes feel the "weight" on my shoulders and some days it is more than a girl wants to bear. I mean let's be real here, how much can a sister take?!?! When you are the one that typically does it all, be it at home or at work, others begin to see you as that "go to" person for any and everything. As nice as it is to be needed, sometimes you want to just say STOP ALREADY!! So, why don't we? I can only look at myself here and maybe you can see yourself in my mirror. I have a take charge, get it done personality. It is who I am and part of me thrives on it. But the other part of me wishes people would do what they're supposed to do and not look to me as if it is MY problem. I do it to myself though. I really do. For one, I should say something when it all becomes too much but no...I take it on then bitch about it later. Well, no more....stop complaining already! If I don't want to do something then I should say so, otherwise quit the moaning and get the job done! That goes for me and it goes for you too!! (And I don't want to hear you complain about it). :) Love you all!!!

What is it really all about??

Hello my friends....I hope the month of October is treating you well. I am excited everyday about the opportunities that come my way. The challenges and struggles we face only make us stronger. Many of you are ready to tackle the world with all your might and all I can say is GO FOR IT!! Think about 2011 and what this year has meant for you. Look ahead into 2012 and tell yourself what that year will mean for you. Some of you will experience life changing events...you will start a new career, move to a new city, marry, have a child, gain a friend....at that same time some of you (including myself) will lose a job, divorce, lose a friend, experience the death of someone close, experience a tragedy...all things we don't want to happen but for some of us it will. How will you respond? That is the question you must ask yourself. How you respond, your approach to life and the things it brings your way is what makes you who you are. I am a survivor and all good things come my way..no matter what it is. The Year of SUSAN....YES!! The Year of YOU...YES!! There are a few months left so let's make it a year to remember...together!! Love you all!!!

October Already??!!??!!

Hello my dear friends!! I can't believe a month has already passed us by. Where does the time go? I am very excited about finishing this year strong so I must work hard not to let myself fall off the wagon. I have goals, dreams, ambitions. "I want to be a star Mom!". Anyway....I hope the month of October is a pleasant one. As we approach the last quarter of this year I take a moment to look back and reflect on my past life. The life I have lived and what I have done or what I didn't do. The one thing that remains true...time continues to pass us by and we can either surf this wave as long as God gives us breath or we can walk around with our heads in the sand, oblivious to what is going on and what is happening in our lives. I started 2011 50/50. What I mean is 50/50 working on my goals and not working on my goals. Well I have said it before and I will say it again...we fall down, but we get up. I pray that God continues to give me breath, life on this earth so I may do all HE wants and expects me to do. May I always be mindful of my blessings and take no moment for granted. Tomorrow is promised to no one. I ask for His blessings and His grace upon me. This has been the Year of Susan....I am thankful it has been and will continue to be a great one!

Greatness

Greetings to all!! I pray the day is treating you well. It has been several days and several hours since my last blog post. Followers please forgive me! I have missed you and I hope you have missed me. So my question for the day......Greatness....what is greatness? The measure of a man's success is in the eye of the beholder just as beauty. What determines greatness and those who "are" great is beyond my understanding. There are the obvious choices, great leaders before, during and after our lifetime. But...greatness is in many areas of ones life and striving to be great and rising to the challenge is what makes man great. It is an absolute sin to live life on this earth and not achieve your full potential. It is not GOD'S plan for life to be mediocre but for life to be great giving HIM the praise for allowing it to happen. What is greatness? Is it achieving fame and fortune? Is it raising happy, healthy, productive children? Is it living out your dream? Is it being a person of purpose, strength, desire and will? Is it wealth? Is it unselfishness? We each measure ourselves and honestly we measure those around us. We look at others and assess who they are, what they have achieved, what their family is like, their strengths and weaknesses. We look at them and look at ourselves. Well I am here to tell you my friend......greatness for me is living up to be the person that deep in my soul I know I am meant to be. It is living up to the expectations I have set for myself and living up to the person those who have inspired me want me to be. Greatness can be many things. It is not however accepting status quo...your lot in life....it is the way it is. It is not being less than, being with a person who is less than, raising children who are less than, accepting all that is less than. Greatness was, is and will forever be what GOD intended for me!! Be great my dear friends. Love you all!!!

What day of the challenge is this?

Greetings to all!! I pray the day is treating you well. So I am continuing with my 100 day challenge as we draw closer to the finish line. I must say, this journey has been a very exciting one! Work continues to challenge me in ways that cause me to grow and I love it! My personal challenges of working with my son on his reading and writing have proven to be very beneficial. I am so proud of his accomplishments and growth over the last several days. He started a new school this year and to my pleasure as a mother, he has really shinned. Another part of my challenge is my personal growth and improving myself and reading books on a regular basis. Honestly, I have not been as diligent as I should be but that is okay. Part of challenging yourself is reaching and stretching outside of your comfort zone AND recognizing where you fall short. Remember we all fall down but we get back up. I have also challenged myself to lose weight and I have so far lost 7 lbs!! Talk about happy! Once you get started it is easy to keep moving forward. That is the beauty of challenging yourself. It may be a struggle in the beginning, but the hard work and effort will serve you well. That is if you go for it!! Let's keep moving forward. Love you all!

65 Days

Greetings to all!!! Man-how time flies!!! I can't believe how much time has elapsed since my last blog post. I am so excited about my 100 day challenge and everything that is happening and will continue to happen to me. I love this challenge and I am so happy I took it. So what has been going on you ask? Well life does present many challenges to us and we either rise to the occasion or we sink and fail. I appreciate the challenges as they come and look at the opportunity for me to grow. My birthday is soon!! I have never been so happy. Just as I am right now. I stand up for what is right and I shine even when the clouds appear. I challenge you to find happiness within yourself. Not in your mate, your friends, your kids or your job but in yourself! At the end of the day people and things will come and go but you are stuck with you always. If you don't like and appreciate who you are, no one else will. As a dear friend of mine always says "Live life to the fullest!!" Love you all!!