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“PURPOSEFULLY PEACEFUL”.

That describes my weekend to a “T”. PURPOSEFULLY PEACEFUL. My intention is to carry that same theme over into my week. Let’s see how long that lasts cause, while I know some of ya’ll know that the “freaks come out at NIGHT”…the rest of us know they also clock in at 8:30am. LOL

Can I share a tiny little hiccup that flashed quickly across the landscape of my “Purposefully Peaceful” weekend? During a convo with a friend, she asked about another person we know. It dawned on me that this other person hadn’t been very responsive to any contact lately but life has been busy for me so perhaps the same held true for her. No biggie right? Wellllll…..my friend shares with me how this other friend doesn’t think I’m “progressive” enough.

I fell out laughing. See, this other friend? She is driven. D-R-I-V-E-N. And I’m not mad at her at all. Matter of fact, I wish her well in pursuit of her dreams. But you know why I laughed?

Simply because: people who don’t know where you’re headed can’t POSSIBLY tell you how to get there…or how fast to go.

Mmmmm….that felt good to say. So much so, I’m gonna say it one mo’ g’in:
PEOPLE WHO DON’T KNOW WHERE YOU’RE HEADED CAN’T POSSIBLY TELL YOU HOW TO GET THERE…OR HOW FAST TO GO.

They can’t draw YOUR map, they can’t pack YOUR luggage, they can’t plan YOUR stops…
They can’t do none of that. NONE of it. Not nay one drop. Zilch. Zip. Nada.

The other reason I laughed? WHAT THAT OTHER PERSON THINKS OF ME IS NONE OF MY BUSINESS. Cause um…in matters of opinion such as these - who I be, how I live - the ONLY opinion that matters is mine.

I know who I am. I know where I’ve been. I know where I’m heading. I know what it will take to get there. I know who my support system is. I know what kind of person I am, what kind of friend I am. I know that when it comes to gifts of the spirit, one of mine happens to be accepting people where they are in their lives and not measuring them against any standards I may have for myself. Can I share something else with you? Being “familiar” with someone does NOT equate to “knowing” them. Just a thought.

See, every day I get up and recommit myself to living MY life as fully, as freely and as joyfully as I can. To being authentic in every interaction I have. To being helpful when and where I can. To seeing people as they ARE…not as I would like them to be. To knowing what I need, knowing what I want, knowing who/what is good for me and not just good “to” me. To letting all of that seep down into the crevices of my life, spill over into my soul and bubble up and out of my heart.

After all of that, nothing else really matters. No matter who thinks it should. That’s exactly why that other person’s thoughts didn’t shake me from my “PURPOSEFULLY PEACEFUL” weekend. I’m grounded in something much deeper than how someone on the periphery of my life perceives me.

Besides, you know what they say, “Until you’ve walked a mile in someone else’s shoes….”

Sang it Emily King….

Happy Monday.
Have a better day than you planned!

Live DELICIOUSLY!

~ J ~

PS. Another reason I laughed? Not everyone who comes off as “DRIVEN’ is truly DRIVEN. Some of them are RUNNING. There’s a difference. And guess what? Sit back and watch? You’ll learn the difference.

Either way, I say “Be blessed. May the life you live out loud be bigger than the one in your dreams.”