Whose voice do you listen to?

Sometimes when we're making a decision or a choice about something we like to seek input from other people. We may want to ask for advice or a recommendation. It might help us to decide what we want to do. Then there are times when people offer you their two cents worth without you even asking for it. Social media has been great for that these past few months. Don't bother reading comments on an Internet article, because people love to troll there. They like to hide behind their computer screens and play judge and jury to people they've never even met before. I expect to see the negative judgmental comments, so I am really not surprised anymore when I do. Sorry to say, but I find that incredibly sad and disappointing. 

There are so many things in our world today that we have little to no control over, but the one thing we can control and choose to make positive is our attitude and character. We can choose to be supportive and giving. We can choose to be a good listener. People don't always want you to give them the answer, sometimes they just want someone to listen. They want to know that their voice matters and can be heard. In a chaotic time like today where practically anything goes, why would you want to be part of the problem when you have the ability to be better?

I saw a photo online the other day on a Facebook page of a group of people gathered together and smiling. Some people responded back with, 'You look like you're having a great time' and 'You must be sisters, you all look so much alike.' Then there was the one (there's always at least one) who responded with a mask judgment, 'Where are your masks? Don't you care about anyone other than yourself?' What they didn't bother to ask or know was that they were a family (from the same household) who took their masks off at the table to take a picture. But when people look for a way to post negativity they usually don't take the time to know the whole story. Why bother? They clearly have their own agenda. They usually just want to stir the pot or add fuel to a non-existent fire.

When you need to make a choice whose voice do you listen to for advice? Hopefully not the ones that are unsolicited and mean-spirited. Listen to the voices of the people you trust or have something positive to contribute. In the end the only voice you really need to listen to is your own. Your voice matters and has a lot to share, especially when it's coming from a good place and worthy of others feeling blessed by it.

You've got this!

Have you ever felt attacked with someone's unsolicited words?

Defining the Moment

Have you ever listened to the lyrics of a song (that perhaps you've heard before) and for whatever reason they felt new? Have you ever looked at a painting and suddenly understood the meaning the artist was trying to convey? Have you ever felt like a friend supported you with kind words at just the right time?

Sometimes the moment you hear a song, read a poem or a scripture verse, or get a call from a friend is the exact moment you needed for it to happen. Call it luck, call it good timing, or call it destiny if you prefer. I don't always understand why it happens that way, but feel extremely fortunate and blessed when it does. 

We never know when we are going to need to be on the receiving end of 'that moment', but we can cross our fingers that it will happen. 

What can we do? We can stop and think twice the next time we are prompted to do something nice for someone else, whether it's a phone call just to check in, drop off a plate of the cookies we made (because we always make too many, lol), or just compliment the stranger that we chat with while standing in line at the store. Maybe the moment we choose to make that extra effort is 'the moment' they need to know they are being thought of or cared for. 

You know what they say about karma? It always comes back around (good or bad).

My advice, for what it's worth? Be proactive. Be nice. Be considerate. Be thoughtful. Be respectful with your words and actions. In a time when our society is up in arms about everything under the sun and choosing sides over every possible topic ... well, I think a little niceness could go a long way. Will it solve the nastiness of the upcoming elections or social media topics? Probably not, but if I can go to bed at night knowing I tried to be part of a solution, rather than contributing to a problem, I may be able to sleep a little better.

When's the last time you had a moment? The kind of moment where things were turned around for the better, you felt loved and supported, or you felt blessed? I felt blessed last week when my kids (now adults) were in a car accident. The angels were watching over them as they skidded on a wet freeway, not hitting any other cars or getting hit by anyone else. Vehicles can be replaced and bruises and soreness will go away, but it was a moment of real blessing for my family. A moment we can't necessarily explain, but a moment we are truly grateful for.