#TBT Growing up my parents best friends didn’t have kids. So when we went over to celebrate holidays, parties, dinners etc their friends said “children are to be seen and not heard”. My parents encouraged that. Sadly I carried it through my adult life up until the last ten years or so.
The jobs and businesses I’ve had over the years have always been customer service oriented. By pausing and reflecting back I understand why now. I was given the opportunity to be me.
I’ve always encouraged my children to be themselves and stand up for themselves and what they believe in. Unfortunately bullying played a part with all four of my children at one point or another. I didn’t understand that they didn’t stand up for themselves because I wasn’t.
As I moved forward with my life and from their fathers I learned to stand up for myself and all my children learned to too. I wish I would have learned this life skill earlier on in my life so I could have taught them sooner. Learning to forgive yourself for all the wrongs you’ve done in your life is a bit more challenging than one would think.
It isn’t anyone else’s job to understand why we are the way we are. That is our job.
I believe too many people are walking around being someone else for someone else for one reason or another. The sooner we start being ourselves the right people will show up in our lives and the wrong people will leave.
This picture is of me at about six. Why my mommy ever thought my hair was ok to be like this is beyond me. This was the start of me being someone else for someone else. I know I didn’t choose this hairstyle.
Thank God I found me and I found Him.
If you are being someone else for someone else ask yourself why? And if isn’t serving you?#PauseReflectMoveForward
