Unfinished

1. Sometimes bad things happen to good people. Awful things that you didn’t deserve. And there was nothing you could do to stop it happening.

2. You may think that you know someone really well, but they may be hiding their true self from you. People can deceive us if they want to deceive us. They can cover up their tracks, and can conceal what’s in their heart. Even people we love deeply can lead a double life.

3. We need to process the past, to make peace with the past. Repression, and pretending, only stop us moving on. We stay stuck in our trauma, and our silent suffering.

4. Letting go isn’t easy. You can go for therapy. You can try to feel the feelings. You can want to start again. But it’s never quite as easy as you hope it’s going to be.

5. You need to listen to your heart, as well as take advice from others. We’re all on different pathways, and we all had different starts. What helped one individual might not resonate with you. Keep searching, and keep trying to find what works for you.

6. Believe in you. The real, true you. Not the false or distorted self people have sometimes ascribed to you. That isn’t who you are; don’t give away your power.

It’s easy to make your relationships more complicated than they are. Here are ten simple reminders to help you keep them on course.

1. All successful relationships require some work. – They don’t just happen, or maintain themselves. They exist and thrive when the parties involved take the risk of sharing what it is that’s going on in their minds and hearts. Open communication and honesty is the key.

2. Most of the time you get what you put in. – If you want love, give love. If you want friends, be friendly. If you’d like to feel understood, try being more understanding. It’s a simple practice that works.

3. You shouldn’t have to fight for a spot in someone’s life. – Never force someone to make a space in their life for you. If they know your worth, they will create time and space for you.

4. There is a purpose for everyone you meet. – Some will test you; some will teach you; some will threaten you; some will use you. Others will heal you, and help you see your strengths, and help you to discover your authentic self.

5. We all change, and that’s okay. – Our needs change with time. When someone says, “You’ve changed,” it’s not always a bad thing. Sometimes it just means you stopped living your life their way. Don’t apologize for it. Instead, be open and sincere, explain how you feel, and keep doing what you know in your heart is right.

6. Forgiving others helps YOU. – Forgiveness is not saying, “What you did to me is okay.” It is saying, “I’m not going to let what you did to me ruin my happiness forever.” Forgiveness is the answer. It doesn’t mean you’re erasing the past, or forgetting what happened. It means you’re letting go of the resentment and pain, and instead choosing to learn from the incident and move on with your life.

7. You can’t change people; they can only change themselves. – Instead of trying to change others, give them your support and lead by example. If there’s a specific behavior someone you love has that you’re hoping disappears over time, it probably won’t. If you really need them to change something, be honest and put all the cards on the table so this person knows what you need them to do.

8. Heated arguments are a waste of time. – The less time you spend arguing with the people who hurt you, the more time you’ll have to love the people who love you. And if you happen to find yourself arguing with someone you love, don’t let your anger get the best of you. Give yourself some time to calm down and then gently discuss the situation.

9. You are better off without some people. – When you have to start compromising yourself and your morals for the people around you, it’s probably time to change the people around you. If someone continuously mistreats you or pushes you in the wrong direction, have enough respect for yourself to walk away from them. It may hurt for a little while, but it’ll be ok. You’ll be ok, and far better off in the long run.

10. Small gestures of kindness go a long way. – Honor your important relationships in some way every chance you get.

write for the people who will one day pore over the words you've chosen.

write for the people who think you could never have gotten so far.

write so you can bring words to life.

write so one day you can look back and see how far you've come.

write to inspire people who are too afraid, or who cannot, put words to paper.

write, because if you don't create this, who will?

1. Remind yourself that you are NOT your feelings.

2. Don’t sweat the small stuff; choose to focus on what matters. Ignore or overlook the petty slights and grievances.

3. Feel the power as you learn to take control of your reactions. You’re not just a puppet where someone pulls your strings.

4. Don’t agree with other peoples’ opinions of your value, or the way they rate your actions, your motives or achievements. Don’t let them be your judge, or the one who sets your worth.

5. Don’t compare yourself to others as we’re different and unique. Set yourself some person goals then celebrate when you succeed.

6. Accept that life’s a journey, and we grow and change with time. We don’t start off being perfect – so expect to get things wrong.

1. Not having goals. You can’t reach your goals if you don’t know what they are.

2. Choosing goals that don’t inspire you. You won’t be able to keep on going if the prize at the end doesn’t really matter to you.

3. Expecting immediate results. Anything worthwhile is a battle and a struggle. It takes times and effort to bring about a change.

4. Lack of support. We all need someone to believe in us and to be our cheerleader when we start to feel discouraged.

5. Not believing in yourself. As Henry Ford so wisely said: “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re right.”

6. Feeling bored. Most success involves a lot of humdrum work, and repeatedly doing the same kind of stuff. But each day brings you closer to achieving what you want.

7. Inaction and laziness. You have to work the plan before the plan will work … and dreams are only dream till you turn your thoughts to actions. Also, it’s crucially important that you manage your time well, and you don’t get distracted or procrastinate.

8. Being around negative people. There are plenty of people who only see the flaws, and whose eyes are on the problems, and the absence of solutions. If you hang out with them, you will lose your zest and passion, and your positive outlook will soon be undermined.

9. Comparing yourself to others. We each are individuals, and we start from different places; we all face our challenges, and work at different rates. Remember “it’s your journey”. Be patient with yourself.