Successfully Failing?

“"Successfully Failing?"
"Successful" is a title worn proudly by few. Many wear it without earning it. And some wear out trying to achieve it. Failure is not a way of life but a fact of life. No one becomes a failure by their actions or attitudes but comes through a time of failing by renewing their mind and perceptions.

Attaching a title of "Failure" to another person is branding someone without a basis for our judgmental ignorance.

To be a successful failure is to understand that your options abound to improve in any and all things. To be branded a "Success" is to many a self embraced title worn undeservingly. For it is the successful person in the stage of becoming more than they are that is often unaware of the progress they have made as they arrive at their level of success.”

Take the step towards 'becoming more'...Yubw8n?

... Serving Seconds ....

Seconds are the small segments of a life-time that link minutes to one another to create an hour that joins hands to become a day. These days then mosey on to form calendar months, years, and time. We seldom notice them as they move swiftly past us and rarely, do we give them a second thought. They just are. However, when 'seconds' are more apparent, we take time to pay attention. Stay with me for just a second, maybe even two....

~Ok so you did and now you wonder for what you waited. Well, it could be anything. On second thought it may be nothing at all. But let's take a second look at this small but powerful word, action, status, & position that wears the name that is really second to none.

Everyone wants to be first. What is so great about first? No one really remembers who came in second. However, the runner up to a contest eyes the trophy with desire even though they found themselves with the red ribbon this time. Run past first to second and you are halfway home. Stop at first and you are further from the goal. Get to third, and well, you get the idea.

The birth order designs placement opportunity as the second born is also the youngest child or merely the second to the oldest. That would mean that the first born is simply second to none.


Remember the second helping you ate last holiday meal; it was either because you were still hungry or wanted the repeat sensation of the tastes that satisfied you the first time around.
Seconds can be fun, fattening, frustrating, family related, and frivolous for favor in competition. You have only so many seconds in a lifetime. Make the most of the first and second moment of your day.

Give second chances.
Accept second chances.

Take that second look at life and remember you are only seconds away from becoming your best…

"Order Up!"

"May I See A Menu, Please"

Sometimes we go out to eat & then stare at the familiar menu of selections as if it is the very first time we have seen it. Then, we will ask the waiter about the ‘special of the day’& if THEY like it or not. Why do we base our selection choice often on the scale of someone else's likes & dislikes when it is our meal? Everyone’s pallet is different.It would appear that conversation accompanies cuisine in similar ways. Yet, rather than be cautious & concerned about our tone of conversation, & weight of our words, we ramble off statements with little or no consideration as to how they will look on another person’s feelings. We take liberties with the pre-determined portions of praise & curried conflict heaped upon someone else’s plate when we should be more considerate. We would be wise to taste our words before dishing them out.

When you speak, do you weigh your words opposite your thoughts before opening your mouth? Do you regurgitate your opinions & spit & splatter them upon others? Do you shove them down another person’s throat? Is it easy for all to see that you’re full of yourself & not only do you need a healthier dialog diet 'butt' you could stand a little help when it comes to how to scale down your fattened ego of expressions? Don’t worry; you are not alone in this self indulgent society of overweight sentiment.There are many who need to tighten the belt on their panting of complaints & find more compassion in their conversational cuisine. We would not be so miserable to ourselves & to others if we would just walk away from debates, disputes,& side dishes of drama. Indigestion from certain relationships could be avoided if we kept our opinions, comments & harmful whimsical rambling of words to ourselves. It’s good to know when we have had enough of even a good thing…let alone, something or someone who is unhealthy.
Today we have fast food & fast talkers that devour one another with a second helping but rarely a second thought.
Even our sentences contain words related to eating & food.

Phrases like:
You are going to have to EAT your words.
What’s the SKINNY on that?
Oh, we are just CHEWING the FAT.
You haven’t got the STOMACH for that.
I have a lot on my PLATE to do.
They have a healthy APPETITE for living.
You can DISH it out but you can’t take it.
I’ll take another SLICE of the PIE.
That’s CRUMBY.
Have your CAKE & EAT IT too.
Life’s so short, take SECONDS first.
That’s GRAVY.
He had to be SPOON fed all the way.
Your words really cut like a KNIFE.
You speak with a FORKED tongue.
He’s really MILKING the opportunity or is he just EGGING you on.
We had a celebrity ROAST for him even though he’s just small POTATOS in the industry.
It was really WATERED down.
Have you ever been BUTTERED up?
Seriously, what’s the SCOOP on that?
They are the top BANANA.
You are the APPLE of God’s eye. (That one, I like...;)

We talk about FOOD or food related slang even when we are making reference to something that has nothing to do with food. It is self consuming. We wrap our thoughts in niceness or humor, with a lot at ‘Steak’ & even though we meant ‘well’... ‘Rarely’ is this skill-et ‘well done.’

Never leave a conversation or any area of concern that may be ready to boil over, unattended. This could cause a fire that burns a relationship so badly that even the most sincere of apologies cannot extinguish it before its total demise. Season your words to taste. No more, no less. Mean what you say-say what you mean. Get out of the kitchen of comments if what is being prepared does not suit you. Why partake of something or associate with someone who is not to your liking. Be as selective in your relationships as you are in your dining. People of quality are sustenance for the soul & are to be appreciated for their own ingredients to the relationship. Our words reflect our hearts so always strive to be a Gourmet of Edification.

Menu Options:

Too Many Second Helpings:
It is easy to see & clear to hear that many people are extremely obese in physical demeanor & in how they wear their feelings upon their sleeve. Over indulgence is not at all attractive. Words can quickly become a premeditated sentence of situational suicide. Since we are what we eat, say,& profess.What happens if we open our mouth & nothing but air (or error) comes out? Then what? Yet, many are exercising their freedom of speech while not following the proper form in how they weigh words before speaking. Every day we see people in constant communication without even thinking about it. It is like breathing. Phones & fingers move quickly sometimes before the words even form in their minds or the light turns green as horns blare from irritated bystanders. This inconsideration towards others is the feverish food fight of fast forward thinking. Even though driven for better, they are mindlessly tossing the trash out the window of opportunity expecting someone else to pick up after them. This is rudeness with reasons no one will respect. We do this with our words. We say things, hurtfully & expect someone else to come along & make it all right. Wrong! Whether it be spoken from a podium, pulpit, or pillow, WHAT you say is not as important as HOW it is said, heard, & perceived. You know you have said…”yeah, but what I meant was…” This is the specialty of the house…a side-dish of dropped intention soup. A mess you will undoubtedly be cleaning up repeatedly, unless you hear your thoughts through before you pass the taste- test of talking.

The Assumption Appetizer:
This is featuring a popular dish named after many who partake: ‘Me-ism’. This selection takes only a little time to boil over,as it will spew its heated substance on the most sensitive of tough skinned hearted people, & then often leaves a scar of a memory many would like to forget. These people speak in dashes of demands. But rather than keep their words in small easy to swallow bite size morsels, they take each irresponsible action & irrational decision to irritate as many people as they can in one sitting. This is grammar gluttony.Let's dismiss them from the table, shall we.

Too Hot To Handle:
In a heated & haughty (hot) debate, discerning disagreements, or a deliberation of dialog, keep your words short, sweet, & smooth. These very words that dissolve from your thoughts to your voice must be easily digested. For this to happen, they must be measured precisely, pronounced properly, stirred with care as to not stick or scorch,& when tasted by the listener, they need be considered - a delicacy of edible expressions.

The Lighter Fare:
Look at poetry. As a poet paints their emotions in prose,& flavorful limericks, they season them with the right amount of sugar & spice & everything nice. These morsels will be tasted by the most sensitive of poetic palates. This recipe for rhyme is an art form. Therefore, be an artist. Mix & blend the colors of your thoughts in such a manner that when another hears your words, they appreciate your good taste. They will be blessed having shared an enlightening experience that will surely linger long upon the palate of their mind.You will be making an impression that will feed their soul.

Order Up...Wait on Words!!
Be a server & a servant of The Words that nourish & matter most…the Bread of Life.
Go ahead...have a seat. We will be with you in just a moment. While you are waiting-Take a look at GOD's Menu for Living.
Yubw8n.


NOTE FROM SHARON: "This writing was inspired by that of a reading I did years ago. What I learned stayed with me over time. Our words can set us free or we can be surely HUNG BY THE TONGUE. I trust the thoughts I have expressed in this blog will bless your heart & be food for thought. Always speak with words that you yourself would be able to swallow. And remember...once they leave your mouth, there are no leftovers or true do-overs."

Success is yours. Victory and defeat are born in the mind, "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he." (Proverbs 23:7) Humans speak what they believe and think, often causing defeat. "Death and life are in the power of the tongue." (Proverbs 18:21) Jesus said, "My words are spirit and life." (John 6:63) Fear will prevent you from speaking victory. This little book has helped many to rise from their defeated condition to a victorious life.

What you say...is often what you get. Place this 'read' on your menu.

It's for you...

The phone rings...you pause for just a moment & wait as someone answers it & turns to tell you - "It's for you." Or maybe you've missplaced your cell phone & you're concerned about missing an important call from someone that is 'just for you'. Maybe you will miss the call regarding an emergency that you need to be informed of or an invitation to a special occasion meant- 'just for you'. Either way, you may experience a feeling of disconnection when communication is gone & out of your control.

It seems these days that everyone has their ear glued to the cell phone or texting with abandonment- in the car, at crosswalks, in stores, bathroom stalls, & even in the most intimate of settings-we really don't know the value of true communication at all. We have made it artificial.

Even when the phone rings- we jump to answer the call. When we have excitement to share, we immediately reach for the phone to call someone to share it with. Even as children we play ‘telephone’& actually never out grow the want-to of speaking to people on the phone. This fun, continues...

Caller ID is a great feature as it let's us see the present situation in real time & decide our actions; whether we will take the call or let it go to a recording even if it is convenient for us to answer. This ‘letting it go’ is simply another form of procrastination. Sooner or later, we know that we will retrieve the missed call, listen to it & then decide, if it is still an option to call back, an action worthy of our invested time.

Life is like that too. People come & go in our life. Many go to our ‘procrastination’ area. We avoid feelings, confrontation, decisions, & closure. If we had had a caller ID on this relationship, we would often just delete it entirely,if we knew then what we know now or should it just not suit us. This irritation rings & rings repeatedly until an action is completed. What is it that stops us from dealing with the situation...the person? Where is the communication?When was the last time you sat still, silent with another person, & then actually talked face to face? We get wrapped up in our life's 'stuff' & give less time to 'people' for who they truly are.

When opportunity calls, answer it. You never know who is on the other side, what it is that is being presented & if you fail to answer the call, well…you have done just that- Failed to Answer the Call. You missed it. And you may not have a return number to call back & hopefully recapture the missed moment.

On the Spiritual side of things, when you choose to be disconnected from your GOD, your Source, you are also lost. Communication has broken down. Prayer is a form of that relationship & requires no special words, equipment, or environment. There is no special ‘ringtone’, service plan, or unique gadget to use. You can talk with God anytime, anyplace, about anything. He is always awake & on your time zone. No long distance fees, no taxes, no rules. Just talk.


While we smile at the little one who finds joy in playing 'grown up' on the telephone,ask yourself this...Have we taught our children the value of prayer?
Do we appreciate the time we have to share our hearts with God?
So, the next time your cell phone rings…maybe a special ring tone of a loved one or a dear friend…don't hesitate- pick it up. They have a reason for calling you.

And as for prayer...God is waiting to hear from you. By the way, God doesn’t need ‘call waiting’,’ call forwarding’, or ‘caller ID’. God knows you intimately & loves you eternally– He just wants to hear your voice. Take the opportunity!

Ring...Ring...Answer His Call...
Ask yourself-Yubw8n?
After all,It's for you

Sharpen the EDGE of your Abilities

How many edges
do you have in
your life;
your personality;
your views;
your decisions;
your
opportunities?




Ever say that you are 'feeling a little rough around the edges'
or that someone else is looking that way?

Ever been on the edge of a decision?

Ever been almost pushed over the edge of what you can tolerate?

Ever had someone to ‘edge you on’ to something that was before you?

Edges are often imagined as being ‘sharp’ in nature, but are they really?

Most likely you are on the edge of saying…yes.;o)

When you are not feeling well then you are not feeling at your sharpest.
When you are trying to decide something, the manner you process with is a sharp vision of the answer.

And finally, when someone is annoying you, they are dull-definitely not sharp.

So, are you seeing a trend here yet?
Yep, you are pretty sharp. (Sorry...that just kinda cut right in there, eh;o)

Seriously though, let’s stand on the edge of another thought for just a moment, okay.

Sometimes, we need to realize that just because someone gives us something does not mean we have to accept it! What does this look like exactly? Here are some areas we encounter that often we never asked for and may not understand completely until we look at them from different angles:

Attitude
Advice
Anger
Encouragement
Judgment
Opinion
Warning

So when you see a defined line do you view it as a boundary or an opportunity? Exactly- The edge of what we view is dependent upon our perspective. For example
Advice may be viewed as judgment.
Encouragement heard as advice.
Attitude delivered as anger.
Warning heard as an opinion.

Where you are standing when you are approached by these ‘edges’ determines how you view them. Your determination to see clearly is up to you. How sharp are your skills when accepting options in life?
What does all this have to do with edges? Well, let's look at a knife blade for an example and how it relates to skill, viewpoints, opportunities, and discipline.

Knowledge is like a knife that cuts to the core of our ability. How we access our ability is determined by how sharp the edge of the blade remains. Resistance and abrasiveness in life is what the wet stone is to the blade and what best sharpens our edge of tactics and tenacity.

However, don’t stand idly by ~ waiting and whining ~ you’ll cut yourself on your own complacency. Sometimes you have to get out of your own way.

Finally, the edge on the "knife of knowledge" requires constant sharpening. As you sharpen your character, take a moment to appreciate the 'edge' that is uniquely you. It is by looking at it from all angles that you become more aware of the opportunities life presents to you. So- Yubw8n?