You can ONLY LEARN what TO DO by DOING IT!

    If YOU DON'T TRY then YOU will never know if it will WORK OR NOT.

   Some LESSONS can ONLY be LEARNED by LEARNING what DOESN'T WORK FIRST.

   The FIRST TIME you got on a BICYCLE did you think you would AUTOMATICALLY KNOW HOW TO RIDE A BIKE?

   OF COURSE NOT, because YOU KNOW THAT YOU will start off all WOBBLY AND FALL a FEW TIMES.

   But YOU DON'T GIVE UP just because you FALL a FEW TIMES.

   IF YOU DID then you will NOT LEARN how to RIDE A BIKE.

    YOU JUST GET UP and GET BACK on that bike because YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO RIDE A BIKE.

   LIFE LESSONS are LEARNED by LEARNING AS YOU GO. 

   SOMETIMES YOU CAN ONLY LEARN the HARD WAY.

   If YOU PUT IN THE WORK then everything will WORK OUT OKAY.

REGROUP to continue moving forward

    When you get KNOCKED DOWN on your LIFE'S JOURNEY, you got to GET BACK UP in order to KEEP MOVING FORWARD.

    Although it may be true that you take TWO STEPS FORWARD and fall ONE STEP BACK, you are still ONE STEP CLOSER to where YOU want to go.

    On your LIFE'S JOURNEY you will face CHALLENGES along the way and you will have to ADJUST to SUCCESSFULLY meet the CHALLENGES.

    When you get THROWN A CURVE BALL on your LIFE'S JOURNEY you will have to REGROUP to go AROUND THE CURVE to KEEP MOVING FORWARD.

    LIFE IS A ROLLERCOASTER and THERE will be UPS AND DOWNS as well as TWISTS AND TURNS, you JUST have to GO WITH THE FLOW to KEEP MOVING FORWARD.

    We only have the TIME we have so we have to ADJUST, REGROUP, and at times we may even have to BEND LIKE A PRETZEL to ENJOY THE TIME WE HAVE.

    If YOU SEE TROUBLE COMING then GET OUT OF THE WAY.

   

A TEXT from time to time doesn't allow any CHANCE for SIMPLE "SMALL TALK"

    You would be surprised at what you COULD LEARN that could help you in your FUTURE by just sitting around together, IN PERSON, and just SIMPLY TALK.

    "SMALL TALK" is TALKING about NOTHING IN PARTICULAR just ODDS AND ENDS of STORIES about NOTHING BUT it's ENTERTAINING AND.. It just might help you one day.

   TO ME ...That is what MY BLOGS ARE, just "SMALL TALK" about NOTHING but IT JUST Might HELP DISTRACT you while you PONDER each BLOG.

    "SMALL TALK" ALLOWS FOR AT LEAST A CHANCE that SMALL CONVERSATIONS might TEACH you things that you DIDN'T KNOW THAT YOU WOULD NEED TO KNOW.

    You LEARN how to RELAX by STOPPING LONG ENOUGH to have time for "SMALL TALK" and just RELAX and take a deep breath of FRESH OXYGEN.

   IF YOU want to really have a BOND with someone it takes stopping long enough to BOND with them, not just send them a TEXT from time to time.

   A physical HUG 🤗 is not the same as a FACEBOOK POKE.

   TO STAY CONNECTED TO YOUR HUMAN SIDE you got to INTERACT PHYSICALLY WITH REAL HUMANS. 

    

There is NO HURRY so ....

     If you are TRAVELING OUT OF TOWN to ENJOY MEMORIAL DAY with OTHERS...  There is NO HURRY so SLOW DOWN and DRIVE SAFELY.

    As long as YOU ARRIVE SAFELY then it DOESN'T MATTER if you ARRIVE LATER THAN YOU HAD PLANNED.

    AS WE ARE REMEMBERING those that are no longer with us on MEMORIAL DAY we also NEED TO REMIND OURSELVES TO CHERISH our LOVED ONES that are AROUND US EVERY DAY.

    We are REMINDED that EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US ONLY HAVE THE TIME WE HAVE SO DON'T WASTE A MOMENT OF THE TIME YOU HAVE.

    TODAY IS THE ONLY DAY YOU CAN ENJOY because YESTERDAY IS ALREADY GONE, TOMORROW MAY NEVER COME, but TODAY IS YOURS TO ENJOY.

   If YOU want to ENJOY LIFE YOU have to ENJOY IT WHILE YOU ARE LIVING IT, BOTH ON THE GOOD DAYS AND THE BAD DAYS. 

   LIFE IS A ROLLERCOASTER and THERE WILL BE UPS AND DOWNS, as well as TWISTS AND TURNS, THAT'S JUST LIFE.

    

    

Take care of YOURSELF..!!

    You ALONE decide WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO EAT, no matter how many times someone has told you how UNHEALTHY IT IS FOR YOU.

    You ALONE decide WHETHER YOU WILL EXERCISE TO MAINTAIN YOUR HEALTH, no matter how many times you have been told that REGULAR EXERCISE is NECESSARY to maintain your OVERALL WELL BEING.

    You ALONE decide WHETHER YOU WILL BE AN HONEST PERSON OR NOT, the CHOICE OF WHO YOU WILL BE is UP TO YOU.

    You ALONE SET THE STANDARDS you will LIVE BY NO MATTER HOW CHALLENGING LIFE CAN BE they are STANDARDS YOU WILL NOT CROSS 

    You can BLAME IT ON THE MOON OR JOE BLOW but the TRUTH is THAT YOU ALONE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT YOU DO.

    DON'T DO ANYTHING to get through a TEMPORARY SETBACK that YOU will PERMANENTLY PAY THE CONSEQUENCES for.

    Your REPUTATION is WHAT people THINK THEY KNOW ABOUT YOU but YOUR ACTIONS DECIDE the TRUE CHARACTER THAT PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT YOU.

What You HEARD can have MANY MEANINGS

     YOU MAY have HEARD yet you COMPLETELY MISUNDERSTOOD what you HEARD.

    It's like FIVE PEOPLE can Read the same FORTUNE COOKIE and HEAR A TOTALLY DIFFERENT MESSAGE.

   I Love getting a FORTUNE COOKIE knowing I am going to be TAKEN ON A short JOURNEY to PONDER THE MESSAGE and HOW I INTERPRET IT will determine WHERE the MESSAGE TAKES ME.

    Go on a JOURNEY the NEXT TIME you GET TOGETHER to have some CHINESE DINNER with your FRIENDS.

    WHILE you are all sitting around the table letting the FOOD DIGEST, READ YOUR fortune Cookie messages out loud.

   GO on A JOURNEY in the DIRECTION TO WHEREVER THE FORTUNE COOKIE MESSAGES LEAD each of YOU AS YOU PONDER WHAT IT WAS SAYING TO EACH OF YOU. 

   IT will do ALL OF YOU some GOOD to PUT DOWN YOUR PHONES long enough to take a JOURNEY AND USE YOUR MIND TO PONDER YOUR THOUGHTS.

   

    

IF GIVEN A CHANCE WOULD they TAKE IT?

      If no one GIVES them A CHANCE then they DON'T HAVE A CHANCE.

      Someone has to GIVE THEM A CHANCE so they can HAVE A CHANCE. 

     It is the only way YOU can SEE if GIVEN A CHANCE WOULD THEY TAKE IT.

     We all know someone who is facing tough times and they just NEED to CATCH A BREAK.

     Sometimes it may be because they BLEW A CHANCE they HAD in the PAST BUT.... today if they were GIVEN A CHANCE THEY WOULD DEFINITELY TAKE IT.

    If YOU have A CHANCE to GIVE SOMEONE A CHANCE WOULD YOU?

   They may not take ADVANTAGE OF THE CHANCE but YOU will FEEL GOOD that YOU at least GAVE THEM A CHANCE.

     IF GIVEN A CHANCE TO HELP SOMEONE I HOPE YOU WILL TAKE THAT CHANCE.

    

     

Choose wisely

     ALL THROUGHOUT YOUR LIFE you must PICK and CHOOSE what BATTLES are WORTH FIGHTING FOR.

    A war is comprised of MANY MANY small BATTLES that makes CHOOSING which BATTLES are WORTH FIGHTING FOR very important.

     Whether it is a WAR at WORK, A WAR IN your RELATIONSHIPS, there is a WAR to be WON in MANY AREAS on YOUR LIFE'S JOURNEY.

     AND you won't WIN EVERY BATTLE so SAVE YOUR TIME AND ENERGY for the MOST IMPORTANT BATTLES.

    If it doesn't really matter then OBVIOUSLY it IS NOT a BATTLE THAT YOU NEED TO WASTE your TIME and ENERGY ON.

    WHAT is MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU is the MOST IMPORTANT BATTLE TO WIN.

     OUR new puppy has made us CHOOSE to let him GET AWAY with a LOT BUT....some THINGS he could be DESTRUCTIVE WITH we are WINNING THE BATTLE WITH. 

    SINCE NAPKINS AND SOCKS are CHEAP to REPLACE.....THOSE BATTLES WE LET HIM WIN.

    YOU DON'T have to WIN EVERY BATTLE to WIN THE WAR you just have to WIN THE MOST IMPORTANT ONES. 

     When you COMPRISE with OTHERS then EVERYONE CAN BE A WINNER.

    

You KNOW YOU BEST so what do YOU THINK YOU should do?

    At times it's HELPFUL to ASK SOMEONE THEIR OPINION, Because getting SUGGESTIONS on what YOU should do will give YOU A DIFFERENT VIEW to CONSIDER.

    EVERYONE has their OWN OPINIONS but at the end of the day the ONLY OPINION THAT MATTERS MOST IS YOURS.

    THE FACT IS that YOU KNOW YOU BEST so YOUR DECISIONS should be made BASED ON WHAT YOU KNOW is BEST FOR YOU.

    Sometimes on YOUR LIFE'S JOURNEY YOU might make a WRONG DECISION but OUR MISTAKES in LIFE are sometimes A NECESSARY PART of OUR JOURNEY. 

     As long as YOU Did what you thought was BEST FOR YOU at the end of the day YOU WILL BE PROUD OF YOURSELF.

    EVERY DECISION YOU make MATTERS so CHOOSE WISELY because YOU WILL HAVE TO LIVE WITH the CONSEQUENCES for EVERY DECISION that YOU MAKE.

     KEEP IN MIND that Just because other people are doing it doesn't mean that it is the RIGHT THING for YOU TO DO.

    

    

    

    

WITHOUT EVEN SAYING a WORD

    Have you ever heard the phrase...A PICTURE is worth a THOUSAND WORDS?

    Have you ever heard the phrase.... ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER than WORDS?

    YOU DON'T HAVE TO SAY A WORD for people to HEAR YOU LOUD AND CLEARLY.

    When you walk in a room THE LOOK ON YOUR FACE let's everyone KNOW WHAT kind of MOOD YOU ARE IN. 

   When you LOOK IN THE MIRROR you can SEE WHAT OTHERS SEE.

   And TRUST ME WHEN YOU ARE ANGRY YOU DON'T LOOK GOOD.

   NO ONE WILL BELIEVE what YOU SAY AS YOU ARE DOING THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT YOU SAY THEY SHOULD DO.

   AND REMEMBER the phrase in the song...THAT IF YOU ARE HAPPY YOUR FACE WILL TRULY SHOW IT.

   WITHOUT SAYING A WORD THE LOOK ON YOUR FACE and YOUR ACTIONS SPEAKS VOLUMES.

   

A CHANGE is sometimes NECESSARY

    You may have spent a LIFETIME working TOWARDS A GOAL then SUDDENLY ONE DAY YOU REALIZE that TODAY your GOAL HAS CHANGED.

   It doesn't mean that you WASTED YOUR TIME working TOWARDS the GOAL YOU ONCE HAD, it just means your GOALS HAVE CHANGED.

   What you WANT when you are a TEENAGER CHANGES with TIME.

   What you THINK IS MOST IMPORTANT when you are MIDDLE-AGED CHANGES after DECADES OF LIVING.

   When you are OLD you realize that there isn't DECADES for you to WORK ON REACHING NEW GOALS 

    SO you LEARN TO MAKE THE MOST OF WHAT YOU DO HAVE and MAKE GOALS THAT WORK FOR YOU WHERE THINGS ARE FOR YOU TODAY.

    YOU DON'T HAVE TO STICK TO THE PLANS you MADE before you EXPERIENCED LIFE BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO LIVE LIFE TO LEARN WHAT is the BEST PLAN FOR YOU IN THE LONG RUN.

Just because SOMEONE or SOMETHING has ANGERED YOU is NO EXCUSE

    When you are ANGRY DON'T SPEW YOUR ANGER onto OTHERS.

    I AM SURE YOU KNOW THAT SPEWING YOUR ANGER ONTO OTHERS WON'T MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER. 

   BUT IT SURE DOES HURT those that YOU SPEW YOUR ANGER ON.

   ANGER IS GUARANTEED TO MAKE YOU SICK.

  YOU WOULDN'T SPREAD THE FLU TO OTHERS because you know it will MAKE INNOCENT PEOPLE SICK.

   Which IS WHY YOU SHOULDN'T SPEW YOUR ANGER ONTO OTHERS BECAUSE IT WILL MAKE THEM SICK.

   When you are ANGRY take WHATEVER ANGERED YOU and JUST FLUSH IT OUT OF YOUR MIND so IT CAN'T KEEP YOU SICK, NOR MAKE OTHERS SICK EITHER.

   On your LIFE'S JOURNEY you CAN'T PREVENT that there will be PEOPLE AND SITUATIONS THAT ANGER YOU.

    BUT YOU CAN PREVENT IT FROM DESTROYING YOU OR HURTING OTHERS by JUST FLUSHING IT OUT OF YOUR MIND.

   

   

   

There is a SMALL WINDOW OF TIME

     YOU CAN'T COMPLAIN THAT YOU TRIED but you COULDN'T DO IT when you ACTUALLY WAITED UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE to TRY.

   YOU CAN'T HONESTLY say that YOU DID YOUR BEST if you DIDN'T DO EVERYTHING THAT YOU COULD HAVE DONE 

   IF THE DEADLINE to have it DONE is at 12 NOON you CAN'T SHOW UP AT 3:00 PM and EXPECT THAT THE DEADLINE was for EVERYONE ELSE but YOU.

   YOU may have the most EXPERIENCE but when you are considered to POSSIBLY JOIN THEIR TEAM they are looking for a TEAM PLAYER.

    IF you DON'T SHOW UP ON TIME TO BE A TEAM PLAYER you SHOW THEM that you will not be a GOOD TEAMMATE.

   You get a lot more done with FIVE AVERAGE WORKERS who SHOW UP ON TIME EVERY DAY then you will with a GOOD LEADER THAT RARELY SHOWS UP TO LEAD THE TEAM.

   Although EXPERIENCE MATTERS, CONSISTENCY AND STAYING FOCUSED IS WAY MORE IMPORTANT TO HAVE A POSITIVE OUTCOME.

They might not remember WHEN, WHERE OR FROM WHOM they LEARNED it

    You might LEARN IT but you might not know WHERE YOU LEARNED it.

   You might have LEARNED IT from someone but not remember WHO YOU LEARNED IT FROM.

   PERHAPS you need to LEARN the FACTS about it because you never know if WHERE YOU LEARNED IT OR FROM WHOM YOU LEARNED IT FROM really knew the FACTS or was it just THEIR OPINION.

   I recently was reminiscing with someone about WHAT I LEARNED FROM THEM when I was YOUNGER.

   I proudly TOLD THEM HOW IT HAD INFLUENCED ME.

   Then with WIDE EYES THEY GASPED and told me I COMPLETELY TOOK WHAT THEY SAID THE WRONG WAY.

  They ACTUALLY MEANT THE TOTAL OPPOSITE OF WHAT I THOUGHT THEY MEANT.

   You may have HEARD IT BUT YOU MAY NOT HAVE TRULY UNDERSTOOD WHAT YOU THOUGHT YOU HEARD.

   JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE SAYS IT DOESN'T MAKE IT A FACT, IT'S THEIR OPINION.

   JUST BECAUSE YOU HEARD IT DOESN'T MEAN YOU HEARD IT CORRECTLY.

   I began to think about all the CHOICES AND DIRECTIONS I CHOSE IN MY LIFE based on what I THOUGHT was ACCURATE FACTS I HAD LEARNED FROM THEM.

   ALTHOUGH IT'S TOO LATE NOW to CHANGE HOW IT INFLUENCED ME IN THE PAST, I CAN MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS BASED ON THE ACTUAL FACTS.

   I CAN CLEARLY SEE NOW HOW I WOULD HAVE DONE SOME THINGS DIFFERENTLY.