Oh Nuts

  Is the customer always right? Some people out there would answer that question with a resounding yes. Others might answer it with a hard no. But which is the correct answer to that question? Photo by Hello I'm Nik on Unsplash . Edited by me It would seem like yes, and no is the correct answer. Part of this is because some people like to create a scene and use their emotions to make people feel sorry for them. Since it is a bit of a classic question, it seems like it will be around for a while. Often the phrase is used by customers when they claim that something was entered wrong during a purchase, whether at the grocery store or a restaurant. But whatever the case may be, the customer isn't always right unless it is a legitimate claim.  Although I have rarely come across "Karen's," and their need always be correct, I know they are out there since I work in retail and have encountered some annoyed/upset customers. Of course, no one is perfect, but we still need ...

  In life, we are expected to have everything planned out to the dot for our futures. But we might not realize that it is okay not to be perfect and not have everything figured out.  The photo was taken by me We need to learn and work on the fact that it is okay to feel things that are shameful, hate, and feel guilty. And we've tried to stand by the message that it's okay to have scars and show them. To show that you've been through all sorts of things and have become a different and better person because of it. It is okay to let go of anyone in your life who tries to pull you down with their own negativity.   A large part of the need to plan everything out, as well as any negativity, stems from the fact that no one likes to be wrong. In the times that something proves us wrong, it just makes us believe in it more. But we need to learn that it's okay to be wrong. As human beings, we often don't like to go outside of our comfort zone. Moving outside of our comfort zo...

  Dear Future, I'm ready! Ready for all of the curveballs that life has to offer. There are many things that I learned from the past that I can use for the future. Photo by Javier Allegue Barros on Unsplash  and edited by me Using the mistakes that I made as tools to guide me, I know that I can succeed at anything that I put my mind to. With that in mind, it is like what Dr. Seuss said in the book "Oh, the Places You'll Go!" "And will you succeed?  Yes! You will indeed! (98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.)" And with that in mind I know that I am ready to face the future whatever that may be. Whether it's now or later on down the road. So dear future. I am ready.

  Dear Past,  Thank you for the lessons. Some days felt like a party while others just seemed to drag on. But many lessons and mistakes that we learned in the past can help with the future.  Photo by Hadija Saidi on Unsplash  and edited by me The lessons each of us has learned were often accompanied by tears, anger, frustration, smiles, and many other emotions. But they were all tools to help guide us in different ways so that we could have a deeper understanding both then and in the future. We were taught to live by love, respect, honesty, and truth. These were words that the past used to guide us forward and to reflect on the times when we failed to apply them. Even though we might be defined by some of the choices that we made in the past, we learn from those. To help us approach the future, we turn to them. As we approach each new day it often presents us with an opportunity to become new and stronger people.  We can also use the tools that we have to help ...

  Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash When it comes to life and things in general it can feel a little crazy, or nuts at times. Am I right? Well, the other day, I can't remember if it was at work or at home, someone used the phrase "Oh nuts" about something that had just happened. And it stuck in my head for some reason and I also thought about my blog here, which ended up in a bit of a hole last year with barely any writing. And after a little bit of thinking, I decided that my little hole here on the blogosphere needed a bit of an update since it has been a while since I did an update around here.  Of course, an update here means changing the background color, font style, and name. I know for a while the name was the same, but after a while, it started to not feel like me really anymore. Though for a while I couldn't think of anything else that fit me and worked as a new name for here. That is until whoever it was said "oh nuts," the other day. And f...

This is a post that I started back in 2020 during the "height" of the coronavirus and then sort of forgot about and let fall to the side. Especially since I have only put out one post in 2021, compared to all of the ones that I had put out during 2020. When I started working on the idea for this post, while I don't remember where I came up with or found the topic, I asked people a simple question about what made them vulnerable or how they showed/felt discomfort. While I didn't get that many answers for either question, the ones that I did receive were good responses to what I had asked.  The photo was taken by me My original title for this post was "Seek Discomfort and Vulnerability," but sometimes I think those things find us instead. And I believe that was part of my thought process behind asking the questions and then this post. When we are faced with discomfort and vulnerability, either together or separately, we have to face them, and sometimes it fee...

Never lose an opportunity to tell someone "I love you." Never lose an opportunity to give someone a hug. Never lose an opportunity to help someone in need. When you miss an opportunity to an act of kindness, who knows if it will ever happen again. "Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful, for beauty is God's handwriting."  - Unknown I came across this quote when a friend of mine shared it with a picture they had posted on Instagram. When I first read the quote it reminded me that even though life is full of missed opportunities, God always turns it into something beautiful. As it says in the quote beauty is God's handwriting, so when we are disappointed over the opportunities that we have lost God shows us that there is beauty in everything around us no matter what. He also shows us that there are more opportunities for us to do. Even when we miss an opportunity to help someone, remember that God always has other opportunities for yo...

At this very moment someone is sad. At this very moment someone is happy. At this very moment someone is dying. At this very moment someone is born. Every moment of every day someone is doing something. No matter what part of the world you are in, someone is always doing something. Good or bad it is still something. But is it the right something that we are supposed to be doing at that moment? Knowing what God wants me to do with my life is something that I have a hard time accepting, because I don't know what it is that I am supposed to be doing. Recently I came across this quote that I have had saved on my computer for a while and it fits with accepting that God knows what he is doing with my life. "You are where God wants you to be at this very moment. Every experience is part of His divine plan." Because someone else had put the text on a picture, I put it as the background picture for my computer so that I have it as a constant reminder that God knows what...

If I am already kind to others and show courage, why do I still need to remember to that? It is one thing to say that we are kind, or that we have courage. But it is another thing to actually live those words out. There are many different ways to show that you have courage or are kind and to actually live them out. When you say that you do those words often do you really know what they mean? Here are the definitions of Kindness and Courage that are found in the American Heritage Dictionary : kind·ness    n. 1.  The quality or state of being kind. 2.  An instance of kind behavior:   Your kindnesses won't be forgotten. cour·age    n. The state or quality of mind or spirit that enables one to face danger, fear, or vicissitudes with self-possession, confidence, and resolution; bravery.  By reading over the definitions for these words you know have a better understanding of what they actually mean. But how would they be put into pr...

How often do you hear someone saying thank you? When was the last time that you said thank you to someone? * Thank you is a very simple and very easy phrase to slip into your daily conversations. No matter where you are or who you are with or what you are doing at that moment always remember to say thank you for any help that you receive. No matter where you are thank you is a phrase that you often hear and have said to you. It is often said to you by cashiers, the lunch lady, baristas, family members, and many other people that you will meet at some point in your life. While others may say thank you to you, how often do you say thank you in return? Just by simply saying thank you to someone say it with a smile, because it could make someone's day just hearing those two simple words. There will always be people out in the world who don't say thank you to someone who helps them, no matter how simple and easy it is to slip it into a conversation. While there will alway...

When we hear the word joy we immediately think of something that made us very excited and happy. Or you could have thought of the little blue haired character from Pixar's "Inside Out." But what one thing that you might not think of when you hear the word joy is an acronym. Now after reading that last sentence you are probably wondering how there is an acronym in a three letter word. Well many years ago I saw the acronym written on a post it note and hung up in a bathroom and it has been something that has stuck with me since then. And the acronym for joy is: J esus, O thers, Y ourself...and it is something that we should try to follow out. While I might not be doing a good job of it, I have tried to follow it every day. Whether its, in the morning, afternoon, or evening, or even if you do it through out the day, we need to take some time out of our busy schedules each day for Jesus. While it might be hard at first and take time, just trying to take time out of...