Don't forget to smile!

I read this quote and thought how true it is. Let's face it, some days it is just hard to smile. Especially if you let all the negative things you've experienced lately, become the main thing you think about. Pretty soon, it becomes a burden and a heartache and ... you are no longer smiling.
But I know from personal experience, if we stop thinking as much about those things, and think about all the people and blessings in our lives...it is hard not to smile. The truth is most of us have a lot to smile about if we think of it. And when we realize that if we are sad and carrying big burdens around then we are no longer smiling and chances are ... we really aren't changing the world for that day. This was a great lesson for me.
I had a dear friend come and visit, that I haven't seen in a couple of years. It was if we had never been apart. I realized then, how blessed I am to have soooo many dear, dear friends.
 I need to remember them and all my blessings and bring that smile back onto my face and keep going!

Good night dear friends!

Forgiveness

I like this short story about forgiveness. Brings it right home! Now I will always think of a bag of potatoes when I don't forgive! Well, if it works...it is sure worth it! Night dear friends!

BAG OF POTATOES

One of my teachers had each one of us bring a clear plastic bag and a sack of potatoes to class. For every person we'd refuse to forgive in our life, we were told to choose a potato, write on it the name and date, and put it in the plastic bag. Some of our bags, as you can imagine, were quite heavy.
We were then told to carry this bag with us everywhere for one week, putting it beside our bed at night, on the car seat when driving, next to our desk at work.
The hassle of lugging this around with us made it clear what a weight we were carrying spiritually, and how we had to pay attention to it all the time to not forget, and keep leaving it in embarrassing places.
Naturally, the condition of the potatoes deteriorated to a nasty slime. This was a great metaphor for the price we pay for keeping our pain and heavy negativity! http://www.motivateus.com/stories/bag-of.htm

"Too often we think of forgiveness as a gift to the other person, and while that's true, it clearly is also a gift for ourselves!"

"Not forgiving someone is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die."  ~ Unknown