if there is one thing that i’ve witnessed and truly believe, it’s that dealing with some people requires a lot more grace than dealing with others. when i was younger, i remember reading a quote by Plato that said:”be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle.” that quote always stuck with me, and as i got older, i just remember really recognizing how important it was to treat people with respect and compassion because you really don’t know what they are facing in their life. you never know when people are on the brink of their breakdown- or their breakthrough, and you could be the one to push them over the edge either way.

i say all of this because of a conversation that i had with a friend last night on how someone from her church was really being negative to her, and because of a situation that i encountered on my job today. i truly believe that some people just require a little more discipline, a little more grace, and a little more love to even make their presence bearable. however, when i think of all the discipline, grace, and love that GOD has shown to me, i figure that the least i can do is try to exhibit that in my interactions with others; which is seriously one of the hardest things i’ve done. but at the end of the day, i don’t want to be accountable for causing harm (of any kind) to someone because i was rude to them.

my challenge to the few readers of this blog…let’s try kindness for a week. be encouraged all!

“be kind to unkind people- they need it the most” ~ashleigh brilliant

“kind words are short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.” ~mother teresa

“Don’t try to force anyone into staying with you, caring about you, loving you, calling you, coming to see you. When people walk out of your life, let them walk. Your destiny is not tied to anyone that left. Their leaving does not make them a bad person. It just means that their chapter in your story is over. And you’ve got to know when their part is over so you don’t keep trying to raise the dead. You’ve got to know when it’s dead. If you are holding on to something that doesn’t belong to you and was never intended for your life, LET IT GO! If you’re holding on to past hurts, LET IT GO! If someone can’t treat you right, love you back, or see your worth, LET IT GO! If someone has angered you, LET IT GO! If you have a bad attitude, LET IT GO! If you keep judging others to make yourself feel better, LET IT GO! If God is trying to take something off of your hands, LET IT GO! Let the past be the past. Forget the former things. JUST LET IT GO!”
~t.d. jakes (i think)

“Later that day I got to thinking about relationships. There are those that open you up to something new and exotic, those that are old and familiar, those that bring up lots of questions, those that bring you somewhere unexpected, those that bring you far from where you started, and those that bring you back. But the most exciting, challenging and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself. And if you find someone to love the you you love, well, that’s just fabulous.”
~carrie, sex in the city

Watch your thoughts, they become words.
Watch your words, they become actions
Watch your actions, they become habits.
Watch your habits, they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.

“Wait for the man who pursues you, the one who will make an ordinary moment seem magical, the kind of man who brings out the best in you and makes you want to be a better woman. Wait for the man who will be your best friend, the person who will drop everything to be with you. Wait for the man who makes you smile like no other man makes you smile. Wait for the man who wants to show you off to the world when you are in sweats and no makeup, but loves it when you get all dolled up just for him. Wait for the man who praises God for you, and encourages you daily in your walk, and most importantly, remain patient, for this partner will come when you least expect it.”

“My life? It isn’t easy to explain. It has not been the rip-roaring spectacular I fancied it would be, but neither have I burrowed with the gophers. I suppose it has most resembled the blue chip stock; fairly stable, more ups than downs, and gradually trending upward over time. A good buy, a lucky buy and I’ve learned that not everyone can say this about their lives. But do not be misled. I am nothing special; of this I am sure. I am a common man with common thoughts, and I’ve led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me, and my name will soon be forgotten, but I have loved someone with all my heart and soul, and to me, this has always been enough.” ~Nicholas Sparks

“Why is it that when you don’t want to, don’t try to, and don’t need to, you will invariably find that one person who lights up your day, who calls just to let you know they want to talk to you, who can’t keep their hands off of you? This is because the person who wants all of you is not someone you can look for; it’s someone who is not looking for you. The best relationships are reluctant – because, when both people are scared, they allow themselves the opportunity to step back and realize that life without that person isn’t worth it at all.”

“The best things in life are not seen. That’s why we close our eyes when we pray, when we dream, and when we kiss.”