You are looking at a woman who is blessed beyond measure and truly humbled to have received over 500 plus birthday wishes on FB, calls, cards, gifts, text messages and many beautiful renditions of my birthday song.
I took some time to capture one lesson for each year of my life and I would like to share them with you.
A Relationship with God is Most Important
1. A relationship with God is one of the most important relationships I can ever have.
2. The next most important relationship is with myself…loving me and taking care of me is
my primary responsibility in life. When I look in the mirror, I absolutely must love who I
see looking back at me. SELF-CONFIDENCE IS THE GOLDEN TICKET IN LIFE!
3. Every day I open my eyes is a blessing from God and another opportunity to carry out the
purpose He has assigned to me
4. Health is my #1 priority. If my health is compromised, so is everything else in and around
me.
5. The Lord is so great and greatly to be praised! He gives all of us choices and options on
how we go about this life. Our job is to choose wisely…and He even gives us wisdom to
do so when we ask and are open to receive. How incredible is that?
6. The toughest part about choices is knowing which one to make. However, the Lord
doesn’t leave us hanging; the closer we get to Him, the easier it is to make the right
choices for ourselves.
7. Emotional Management is the key to living a more intentional and balanced life. I wish I
had learned this in my teens.
8. Keep your circles tight and nurture relationships that matter most.
9. Character development is not taught enough but it is the single most defining element
that determines our level of influence, impact and how well we feel or think about
ourselves. To top it all off…we have 100% control over it!
10. If you hurt, feel violated or taken advantage of…. SAY SO!
11. Everyone has a perspective and opinion and should be respected. Smile because you
never know who might need it.
12. My way is not always the right way…dogfoot! LOL
13. I don’t have to be perfect. I don’t have to be perfect. I don’t have to be perfect.
14. Perfection is the enemy of progress.
15. Treasure and make the most of each day with my family and friends. Take time for
laughter! It's good for the soul!
Education is Important But Life is The Best Teacher
16. Education is important but life is the best teacher.
17. Relationships work much better when you understand who you are first and your non-
negotiables.
18. There are 7 essential areas to a human being (Psychological, Intellectual, Emotional,
Financial, Physical, Social & Spiritual). If one area is compromised, so are all the rest.
19. My value is not in what I have but who I am.
20. Material things are fleeting but matters of the heart, matter most.
21. Anyone can have children but raising them with great character and teaching them how
to be the best they can be is a whole different level of dedication, commitment and
sacrifice.
22. At the end of the day, I am my only true competition.
23. At 40, you may need glasses…try not to go to the eye doctor on your 40th birthday or be
in denial and throw your eyeglass prescription in the “C-file;" you will end up needing a
stronger prescription. LOL
24. At 50, you need to face the fact that gravity has come to play and you gotta work harder
to keep winning the game.
25. Pour your best into your children BUT keep enough for yourself to live your best life
because there is LIFE after raising children.
26. Remain in preparation mode so when God blesses you with more, you can handle it.
27. I am not everybody’s cup of tea….AND IT IS OKAY!
28. For everyone who has been challenged by my presence and I have realized it; I ask
myself what part did I play in the challenge and correct it if I deem it necessary. If not, I
understand that the challenged people face a battle within themselves and; therefore,
are none of my concern.
Everybody Does Not Have The Same Capacity
29. Everybody doesn’t have the same capacity; recognize it and LEAVE IT BE. I can’t fix
anybody nor help everybody. Those tasks belong to the Lord.
30. It’s OK not to know everything.
31. Time management is one of the most important skills to master and it takes discipline
and time to learn. I am still a work in progress. So, word to the youngins…master it while
you are young, you will fair much better in life, build better relationships and close more
deals.
32. People really do come into your life for a reason, season, or lifetime. Our job is to pray for
discernment, be wise in our selection process, fight for those who you know should stay
and be willing to let go if they do not make the cut.
33. Financial management is another critical life skill. Learn it while you are young and your
life will be what you desire it to be.
34. When you are blessed with so many ideas, select one at a time, develop it wide and
deep, see it thru, give it time to take root, grow it, nurture it and then move to the next
idea.
How We Do One Thing Is How We Do Everything & Everything After That
35. How we do one thing is how we do everything and everything after that.
36. When our children are young, we parent them but when they reach the age of adulthood,
we become their coach which means we coach and not parent; it means we ask more
questions and encourage them to find or create the answers for themselves.
37. Recognize when it is time to close the chapter to relationships, situations, and
circumstances; THEN LET GO AND DO IT! If not, I compromise myself, my
relationships; my impact is weakened and my character will be at risk.
38. Growing up, we were taught to go to school to get a good job. Today, it is all about
creating one because nothing is guaranteed.
39. Listening is a wonderful communication tool when I listen to actually hear versus
listening only to form a rebuttal or express my own opinion.
40. Do not take everything personal, not everything is about me.
41. Learn to see the beauty in everything and everyone, regardless of how they see me. Yes,
Please & Thank You are three magical words; they have and always will take you far.
42. Know my numbers: Health, Finance & Business…. numbers never lie.
43. Friends can sometimes be more like family when they allow me to be who I am and not
judge me or impose their expectations on me; they simply accept me for who, what and
the way I am.
44. Marriage is absolutely wonderful when both people want it and are willing to work for it.
Be Focused In Life But Do Not Be So Focused You Miss Life
45. Be focused in life but do not be so focused you miss life.46. Past mistakes are just that…
mistakes of the past…learn from them, grow from them and leave them in the past. I am
not my past and my past can never be my future, not unless I allow it to be.
47. It’s a chore to learn how to just be myself but it is so worth it.
48. There is nothing that can compare to creating something from nothing; especially when
that something has the potential to help others and show me what I am made of. It takes
work!
49. Medicine and doctors have their places; however, I must absolutely take control of my
own health by doing my own research for natural alternatives, create a protocol for
myself based on my genetics and issues, discipline myself to follow my protocol and
JUST DO IT!
50. Never lower my standards; there are people waiting in the wings to do it for me.
51. Never stop learning; every moment can be a lesson and every lesson can change my life
for the better.
52. Caregiving is one of the most humbling, beautiful and selfless acts I can ever do and it is
a great honor and blessing to care for the human being who cared for me.
53. Everything happens for a reason and my mission is to find out what that reason is. If not,
it will be revealed by and by.
54. My mind is the greatest tool I will ever have: I must do my best to nurture it, grow it,
protect it, be gentle and be kind to it. It is through the mind; I see the abundance of life
and opportunity or the lack thereof. Take nothing for granted, be intentional about living
my life on purpose; and focus more on my personal growth than I do on other people’s
issues. Only then will my tool be sharpened.
55. There are stages to my development in this life:
Stage 1(16 - 30): Defined me as a woman
Stage 2 (30 - 50): Refined me as a woman and I discovered my rhythm
Stage 3 (50 + ): Simply Be HER, own all of HER, the good, not so good, the beautiful,
ugly and indifferent; continue to dance to the beat of HER own drum, speak life over
HER and tell HER: “It’s okay to take a moment but Keep moving BABY...you’ve got a
long way to go!!!”56. True love will find me when my heart and mind are ready to receive
it…
57. To be continued…