Let it simmer

Just thought I would hit you with a little bit of inspiration. This is my favorite quote. Enjoy!

 "There is a time in every man's education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide; that he must take himself for better, for worse, as his portion; that though the wide universe is full of good, no kernel of nourishing corn can come to him but through his toil bestowed on that plot of ground which is given to him to till.  The power which resides in him is new in nature, and none, but he, know what that is which he can do, nor does he know until he has tried"

...and truly it demands something godlike in him who cast off the motives of humanity and has ventured to trust himself for a task master."

                         - Ralph Waldo Emerson

A candid letter to my daughters. Pt. 1

Self Esteem:

I don’t want to give you the wrong idea when I say this but,

YOU ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN THE WORLD.

Your life is all about you.

You (and only you) will have to live with every single decision you make in this world.

So it doesn’t make sense to do anything that isn’t going to benefit you.

What’s good for one person might not be good for you.

So the only thing you can do is stay true to yourself.

Get a hobby, work towards goals, have fun.

You know what’s best for you.

FORGET THE NAY SAYERS.

Leave them in the dust.

As long as they don’t disrespect you or put their hands on you, don’t pay them any mind.

If you weren’t doing the right things they wouldn’t be worried about you at all.

Jealous people will always try to tear you down to bring you to their level.

They hate that you have what you have, look the way you look, and do the things you do.

So they talk about you and try to make you feel crummy, because then you will feel just like them.

The only time you should change yourself is if YOU don’t like something about YOU.

Never let anybody convince you that you are anything less than what you are: smart, beautiful, brave, and interesting.

Don’t compromise yourself, to fit into someone else’s mold.

They may not like how you are, but please believe that there are plenty of people that admire you for who you are.

Inspiration...

A Dream Deferred

by Langston Hughes

What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore--
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over--
like a syrupy sweet?

Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?

     I gave birth to my first daughter at 17 years old. I was a senior in high school. So many people told me that my life was over. So many strangers shook their heads in pity or disgust when they saw my round belly. Yet somehow, my heart kept beating. The birth of my daughter may have come at an inopportune time by society's standards, but they say, a baby is a blessing. Of course, if I could turn back the hands of time I would have waited until I could be more certain of a secure future for her, but I must say that my little pumpkin did dramatically change my life...for the better! The thought of having the responsibility of creating and shaping a new new life, has sent me into overdrive. My daughter gives me something to live for. She is a motivation for me to take life seriously. Only God knows where I would be right now had she not come into my life.

     This poem reminds me that you should never give up on your dreams. It feels like I've been dealing with hurdle after hurdle, but that's life. It goes on, even when you think you feel like you can't take anymore. My dream was deferred, but its still attainable, and I'm determined to meet my goals. :)

Does this poem resonate with you? How?