Life and Positive Changes

I have spent much of my life believing in the impossible. I have always been a “positive thinker” and believe in Positive Changes. I have taken chances, born skepticism from others and the looks that could kill you if you let them. I defied what other people thought and decided to make my journey in life, not what someone else thought I should do. I have heard statements that I was a little immature and not cautious, in my younger years of course. I let nothing stand in my way and just let it go in one ear and out the other. I just kept on going, where ever I felt lead and a lot of the time not knowing if it was right or wrong but I just knew I had to do something.

I have always believed exactly what the Bible tells us, no questioning of the scripture actually, just questions of how it was interrupted sometimes by others. I have had a real knowledge of God since the age of nine. I was raised on a church bench, so to speak, as my father was a deacon and minister. My mother was stricter than my father and she wanted us to be perfect. Yes, you got that “perfect.” I am the third daughter so by the time I finished high school and went to Chicago to live with my sister for a while, she (my mother) still did not realized that there is no such thing as raising “perfect” kids. Unless you call not doing drugs, alcohol or sex as being perfect as I surly did none of those because the consequences would have been the wrath of you know who. I am so glad that I have never experienced drugs or alcohol as they both can be deadly. Back then the church was really strict also and there was not a lot you could do in the entertainment world. You didn’t ask, you knew you couldn’t already. You didn’t speak your mind and you didn’t talk back. You just did for the most part what you were told to do.

I wasn’t allowed to date just anyone, they had to be what my mom thought might be perfect also; a church person was okay, but not just anyone. So I dated who they approved of, but not that much. At any rate when I was 20, I married the man with whom I am still married and we are happier than we have ever been. So I guess that accounts for something real. It has not always been “perfect.” In fact it has been turbulent at times, and in fact we divorced once and remarried eight years later…still not perfect, but we somehow seem to keep it together and stayed together. We have one son and no he is by far “not perfect.” I decided he could say what was on his mind, be it right or wrong and he does speak his mind, probably too well sometimes. I am not saying my parents were wrong with me; they did the best they knew how and they taught me values that I am so grateful for. They wanted us to be decent, honorable and have a good name. Those values are priceless but we still know that no one is perfect.

I have never failed to recognize that God does maneuver our path and directs us in the right path, if we allow Him and His way is the best way to go. I also know that He will let you make mistakes and break promises that we have made and then suffer the consequences of our behaviors.

I have made a lot “positive life changes” in my career and every one of them put me in a better position and rank in most cases. They were not all perfect and yes, I met with challenges in some moves and had to learn that everybody does not like you and they never will. I learned that people can be cruel, mean, selfish, overbearing, and incapable of reasoning. I learned that some people get by with such behaviors and those over them that allow such, did not have sufficient character themselves or standards and integrity to call their hand. They just sat back and allowed it. Not just once or to one person but to others as well. So I learned that it doesn’t matter how good you are or if you are in the right, there are just times that the “bad” can overtakes the “good”. Oh yea, the old saying goes that ‘what goes around, comes around’ and yes it does…always….and, eventually it did. You do not always know when it will or does…but I happened to know that it did.

Of course, mom didn’t know these battles so she would have never have understood that no matter how you are raised and how good you might think you are morally or what your integrity is…. It just does not count in this world we live in some cases, people judge you, are jealous and will hold you back…if you let them. Yes, these are the people that really need personal growth and to look within to find out whom they really are and what their purpose in life is.

I actually never quit working toward something greater, more fulfilling and knew that right will overcome eventually when you make a move toward and for the right reasons. You see in some of these instances, I probably did not make the move for the right reasons therefore learning about life was inevitable and needed…I was immature to think that every soul on the planet was going to “like” me. I was a quiet person, who actually did not speak up much, but I always tried to do a great job, and I knew if I did that it was something no one could take from me…..and they never did. I spent 30 plus years in a very rewarding career, I learned from my managers, how to and how not to treat other people. Does that mean that when I became a manager that I didn’t make mistakes and that everybody loved me? No, it didn’t, more life lessons followed and as most of us know, some people do not like to follow anyone and still it doesn’t matter what is in your heart, it only matter how other people perceive you. The perceive part is the most important piece of personal growth, learning how to act so that one is able to be influential and perceived as the person they really are and thereby follow graciously. We know therefore that all people in positions are not “manager” material and they just might be perceived correctly.

With the above said, I was able still to accomplish much having merely a high school education, some college courses in nursing (especially psychology) which really enlighten me and a strong desire to be something more than mediocre. I accomplished a salary to go with the hard work and dedication at points far more than some master degrees. In fact not far from six figure and if I had been just a little younger, I might have made it there.

My point in this is; never underestimate anyone, never underestimate yourself and go with your beliefs and desires if you have studied them. What someone else wants or thinks is right for you cannot be your determining factor. No one knows what is right for anyone, and neither do you actually. It is all about taking chances and acting upon one’s belief that we all have potential and if we act on the positive things in our life we can become more than we are. It does not mean that we will not make mistakes; it is inevitable that one will. Those are the stepping stones and stairs to a higher performance and path to greater things if acted upon in a cautious manner.