Food For Thought #3

Parenting- Is it important that your kids like you and laugh with every second of the day? Should you be your child's friend?

Sometimes parents get so involved in being "cool" with their children, they overlook a major detail. Discipline. Unfortunately this is one reason kids are getting out of control, lack of discipline, lack of rules, and lack of preparedness. Allow this to marinate for a moment. If kids were aware of consequences at home, do you think they would have the preparation for consequences of life?

Letting Go Phase 1- Acknowledgment

My previous post started a discussion regarding healing old wounds. This sparked the idea to create a series on step to "Letting Go"




Phase 1 of my series on self improvement, "Letting Go" is acknowledgment.

Before you can heal you have to recognize that you have not only been hurt, but that you are still hurting. Regardless of how long ago the hurt began, the first step to recovery is to realize you need to recover, and to recover you have to get over it.

Acknowledging past pains that are clouding your present and darkening your future will help you make room for new achievements, new loves, new self appreciation, and new confidence. A tip is to sit quietly with yourself and think about what is hurting you, what is truly bringing you down. Once you realize you are still hurt by someone's past actions or abuse, realize you have to move past the stage of trying to understand why. Sometimes why has no answer. Simply saying I am hurt and I want to move on is the path you want to begin on.

The road to letting go and moving forward is like driving down a dark dirt road in an area you've never driven. It's dark and scary, but you know to get where you are going you will have to keep driving forward.

Christmas Shopping Anyone?

It's that time of the year for me. Time to start Christmas planning and shopping. I love the holidays in the sense of giving. I generally starting planning this month and will start my shopping a week before Halloween. My shopping consists of mainly gift shopping for my little girl. I like to start early, not only because you can catch some nice deals, but also because you don't have to worry about things being sold out.

Well for those of you that may be interested Kmart is offering online layaway. Yep you heard it right, you can pick your items online and set-up online payments. You can then pick your items up in the store after your balance is paid. Interesting, huh?

You can get more information at http://blogs.reuters.com/shop-talk/2009/10/06/layaway-goes-virtual-at-kmart/

It is important to budget and plan ahead for this year especially because we are still in a recession and we don't want to wake-up with buyer's regret in January 2010.

Let's make a positive effort this year to not only put smiles on loved ones faces, but also keep a happy face on that checking account for 2010!

What Ya Reading?

For the month of October I will be reading "Making Great Decisions" I will be reviewing this book at the end of the month. I encourage you to read with me and share your thoughts.

Book Excerpt

Before You Take the First Step -- Reflect, Discern

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step."

-- Chinese proverb

I can trace every success or failure in my life back to something I did or didn't decide effectively. Whether in the course of developing relationships, doing business, selecting investments, or accepting invitations, I've found a direct correlation between my location on life's highway and my decisions to turn, exit, stop, or start. Extenuating circumstances beyond my control were always involved, yet more times than not, I was a victim or victor of my own making, achieving or failing because I did or did not put in place the necessary prerequisites to accomplish my desired goals. Now, to be sure, I am not a self-flagellating individual who uses this premise to blame and belittle myself for past decisions and their consequences. No, I am saying that my decisions set the course of my life.

I have now been married to the same woman, the mother of my children, for over twenty-five years. That relationship decision has set the climate of my life much like a thermostat on a heating system sets the temperature in a room. In keeping with this concept, persons in a room may not know that the temperature is affected by the smallest incremental movement of a drop of mercury in a device at an unnoticed location. In spite of its invisibility to the inhabitants of the room it still affects the comfort level of everyone present. Similarly, my key relationship decision, and many other decisions I have made, affect me and all those around me. Good results are a direct reflection of myability to think through, discern correctly, and move succinctly from the trajectory of my last decision

All I Want for Christmas...

Aside from wanting to have a wonderful Christmas this year, I do want a new toy. Generally I don't want anything for Christmas, but this year I have been working my butt off in school and I think I deserve it.

I have been keeping my eye on this camcorder for a while now it retails at $199 and I want it. If it comes in pink that would be even better. I have used it before and it is very basic, but creates great videos.

Review "How To Bake a Cupcake"

As promised, I completed reading this book a couple of nights ago. With my busy schedule I have devoted reading a few pages a night to my "leisurely reading".

This book is unlike any book I've read. It was about an African American young lady, her acceptance of love, and learning to put the guard down that so many of us "beautiful brownies" tend to hold on to in an effort to protect ourselves.

The character, Jasmine Taylor, was smart, sophisticated, and sassy. The level of hurt in her past held her back from experiencing something great.

The book is clean and loving. I describe it as being sweet. It is a change from the normal and I loved it. Two thumbs up to author H.L. Sweate for displaying in a wholesome way, the emotional confrontations young women hide within their hearts. I could definitely relate to the character and almost feel as though the story was speaking directly to some of my experiences. Check it out for yourself.