Unsettling Memories; The Strength in Remembering.

She feels a sense of pride when people say that she is the happiest person they have ever met, or when they simply say she seems happy all the time.

It is true now, but there was a time when it wasn't.

There was a time when no matter how happy she was on the outside, her insides were crying as if there were no tomorrow.

She takes a deep breath and steadies herself; it isn't like that anymore. She's not even the same person that she once was! Still, there are times when her mind subconsciously decides to wander back to that time of angst and sorrow. It was a difficult time in her life, and it is definitely a hard time to revisit through her thoughts and memories.

However, it would be even worse if she did not revisit it. She does not want to forget those memories no matter how unsettling they may be. She knows that in the end, it was all worth it. If she had not been through so many painful days and nights, she would not be the same person she is now. She would be totally different and not nearly as strong. She now knows what true strength is, and it makes her smile both on the inside and out.

She smells the familiar scent of the air around her, and she knows she is where she is meant to be.

Getting Our Priorities Straight.

Why are we so concerned about petty things that aren't important, yet when something is important, we take it for granted?

Why do we even care if Britney Spears shaves her head or if Lindsay Lohan is a lesbian? Let's face it: that will most likely not matter in the long run of our lives.

However, many of the things we do have, we take for granted. Whether we are always used to having our cell phone by our side, or always having that one friend that is there for us no matter what, there are things we all take for granted.

Either way, we need to understand that cell phone could break, or the friend we've always counted on could get tired of being just a doormat.

Of course we will always take something for granted; it's human nature.

We just have to understand that no matter how hard a time we are going through, there is almost always a person worse off. Stay optimistic, and keep your head up through the rough patches.

This may be easier said than done, but it is possible to keep your head up even when everything else seems down.

There are times in life when we must take a step back and look at our priorities for what they are.


Some time you might realize that what is close to the bottom, should be near the top...

And some things are not as important as they once seemed.

And Yet...

It is sometimes difficult to grasp when you try so hard, and yet...

That is the problem right there: the "and yet..." And yet you aren't good enough, old enough, pretty or handsome enough, tall enough, smart enough. There are so many times when someone might claim that you are not enough. It isn't right in many cases, but it happens.

Okay, so maybe your two year old sister is not big enough to ride The Torturer at the local theme park; that's understandable. However, when someone makes you feel inferior or takes you for granted, it is a much different situation.

It's just you cannot change the other group of people by force. It would be nice sometimes if it were that easy, but life isn't easy.

You can't change the past, as many people before me have said. You can change how you are in your present and future; so much of it depends on your attitude. That statement does not necessarily mean if you think positively everything will be great all the time. Everything is definitely not great all the time. That's just the way it goes.

However, it sure can make your life a heck of a lot better! As the late and great Randy Pausch said, "We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play play the game."

Is Ignorance Always Bliss?

Certain people are just so ignorant sometimes. They are full of themselves, yet insecure. You can hear them lament from miles away out of their own self pity.

However this is not always obvious to everyone. Sometimes it takes a long time to figure out whether a person is real or fake. So many people are not real today because they strive to be like a Barbie doll or maybe it is just their personality.

There are also people who try to be genuinely real most of the time, but we all mess up sometimes. Obviously we are not all perfect, and that is okay. It is just that some people get to the point of being fake, that you don't know what to think is the truth anymore. You do not know if what they do or say is the truth or just another lie.

It gets to me when someone begs and begs for something that they don't even care enough to give in return, to a person who has also begged and begged to them. That might not make sense to everyone, but it has a good point and it makes a darn lot of sense to me.

I wish people would not be so thoughtless to ask for something that they will not give back. I am not saying if you give someone a Christmas present they should give you one. I am not even speaking in terms of material things. I am saying that if you ask for kindness from someone else you should probably be kind in return.

I think this applies for many attributes like kindness and trust. Of course there are mistakes or problems or disagreements every once in awhile, but I feel that if all of the participants in the relationship are willing, then some kind of peaceful decision can be made.

Maybe we are not able to see all people for who they really are all the time. However, sometimes we need to take the responsibility for opening our own eyes...