Surround yourself with positive people

Using my life as an example, I have learned from experience that people who are negative and have a filthy personality, can make a terrible impact on someone who is striving to be a good positive person. 

There was a guy in my childhood that I had a huge crush on. For quite some time I was sure I loved him. Almost every word that came out of this guys mouth was lies, and I somehow convinced myself that love meant you were only allowed to feel it when no one was around.'
If you were a secret of his and denied among his fellow friends, that was pure love. 
He didn't approve of who I was, so I had to be who he wanted me to be, in order to draw his attention. 

I became bitter and desperate, I completely changed and I had become disobedient to my parents. 
Do you think he was a great influence to be around or a poisonous one?. 
Definitely a poisonous one. 

I didn't think it would have such a strong effect on me, but I guess it did because I carried it with me and into my marriage. It was hard to trust guys after him because I was so hurt. 

But marrying my husband of now 9 years (an counting), it has completely changed my outlook on everything. He is not ashamed to show me off, is a pure gentlemen, loves me like I've never felt loved before and actually shows me the real meaning of love through his actions and words. 
He has been the influence I longed for. 

Compared to him and the guy from my childhood, it is like black and white. 
You never know how much dirt will pile up on you if you allow it to be involved in your life.
Eventually it will just cover your whole body and you wont be able to recognize yourself anymore. 
I've been shaking dirt off for several years and now I am finally at a point where I realize, 
 I really should have walked away from that guy a long time ago, he wasn't worth it. 

People to watch out for: 
People who lie a lot
People who cheat
People who make you be someone you're not 
People who bring you down rather than lift you up
People who influence you into doing, saying or thinking wrong things
People who care only about themselves and what they can get out of you
People who speak and think negatively 24/7

Surround yourself with those people who will cleanse you daily, who will lift you up, 
compliment you, who are honored to be your friend, partner, spouse. 
You are your own advocate, if you want to be positive, surround yourself with positive people, 
if you want to be happy, surround yourself with happy people. It's our choice whether we continue to allow ourselves to stick around poisonous people or to purge them out of our lives and find new friends who can encourage, motivate and enlighten our lives. 

I chose to walk away from that relationship years ago because the pain I was feeling had ripped a hole inside of me that just couldn't be repaired by him.  
Are you willing to walk away from those loved ones or friends who are giving you pain?. 
Do it before it does to much damage. You deserve better my friend!! 

I choose to stay with friends who are like minded, those people who want to make a difference in other peoples lives (instead of focusing only on themselves), those people who will always encourage me and lift me up for doing a great job at improving myself. 

Do you have poison in your life that needs purging?. 
It's time to renew your life, and give it more meaning! 
It's time to change it for the good, the way God intended. 




 







 

What I've learned

What I personally learned being more positive is that it changes your mood. 
You tend to be more happy when you are more positive. I definitely want more happiness in my life, don't you?.

I also learned this is not a technique you can learn right away, it is something you must master over a long period of time. That one is hard for me to swallow because let's face it, I am a little impatient. 
I'd like to be able to have control over my words and my thinking quickly, but that is just not the case. 

I have to admit, I couldn't completely follow through, and ended up going to my comfort zone, which unfortunately meant I went back into my negative way of thinking and talking. I tried it for a short time, but quickly fell back into my awful habit.  

 I think this all started back in 2012 when I got diagnosed with Celiac Disease. I think in my mind, it was the end for me. When in reality, it was just the beginning of a wonderful adventure. 
Sure it would be lousy at times (when I get accidentally glutened) but it would be fun to go treasure hunting to find new gluten free products. Celiacs affected me in a lot of ways, but one of the ways it affected me the most is through my mind. Depression hit me hard, anxiety and memory loss. All of those combine really sucks. 

Now I must TRAIN THE BRAIN and shut the door to negative thoughts and open the door to positive ones. Little by little because it is NOT EASY, specially when that is what you are used to. 
I don't want it to control me anymore though, I want to be the master of my mind, and guess what guys?........................... I WILL BE!! 

      

"Worrying steals your joy today 

and cannot improve your tomorrow"

"Fear is a side effect of not enough prayer"

"Once you've given the Lord your burdens

DON'T TAKE THEM BACK"

"Everything that has happened to you and how you chose to accept it, has made you who you are 
 
TODAY"

Transforming Our Words

How easy is it to speak negatively?. 
Unfortunately it is very easy to do, specially if you are programed and conditioned to be negative since childhood. 
After all, it's all you knew, it's all you heard, this is the norm to you. 

Have you ever thought about how speaking that negativity affects your mind, your actions, your life and the people around you?. It makes a huge impact and I don't think we quite realize it. 

I had the pleasure of speaking with a great friend, mentor and dynamic man today. 
He opened my eyes to the realization that we are the ones that choose to be unhappy, choose to be depressed, choose to be negative. We always use the word {I am} or {My} before explaining the issue we struggle with. For example: "My disease......",  "I am never going to get over this."
There is serious power in our words. 

Let me ask you a very important question, "Do we honestly WANT what we are complaining about or what we are struggling with in our life?"    

Then why do we personalize it to us?. 
By personalizing it to us, we are accepting that this is the way it is, and no positive change can come of this. 

The sad truth is, some of us actually like to use the struggles to their advantage and speaking negatively about it brings attention. 

We need to get the understanding that what is happening in our lives, is happening for a reason. We have to accept that this is just another title in the chapter of our life and don't make it about us, but make it about how we can improve the situation, bring light into the darkness & help others who are struggling with the same thing. 

So, how hard would it be to just start making a few word adjustment when we talk and replacing them with more positive ones?. 
If we practice a little each day, I am sure we will see a huge difference in the way we feel, act & think. 

Do you think this is something you could do?. 
 
My personal challenge this week is to alter my words, so they edify, uplift & encourage me. 
I challenge you to do the same. 

I look forward to coming back here next week and talking to you about what changes I've experienced in my life just by making these few adjustments. 


Talk to you next week!


 

Diamonds From Dust

To be honest, I don't know much about the whole detailed process of making a diamond, I just know that you need carbon and a lot of pressure to achieve it.
I also know that this concept is very similar to how our lives are.
We are very quick as humans to fear the worst, beat ourselves up, and build an imaginary negative world around us. We can easily accept defeat and convince ourselves that we are stuck when in reality, there is a rope that is dangling in the hole we made and threw ourselves in. We have full control of our emotions, thought process and actions despite the pressure that is put on us.

Have you ever thought of your situation as a stepping stone instead of another curve ball?.
 
How about how your situation is making you stronger not weaker?.

In this blog, we will focus on ways we can change our thinking, acting and speaking, so we can begin to live happy, positive and less stressful lives.
 

The song, "Making diamonds out of dust" by Hawk Nelson, is my inspiration for the title of my blog. His song is a perfect example of how despite the pressure and hardship we go through, God is refining and sharpening us into something beautiful.

I want this blog to bring you encouragement and light into your life.
We can cope through the tough times together!

I hope you come on this wonderful journey of character building and mental improvement with me.
The ultimate goal here is to transform our struggles into our strengths and practice good habits that make a positive impact on our life.

Welcome to my blog!