I use prayer abundantly and rely on my faith:  here is a glimpse into the humiliation and love I was exposed to recently.  I found myself in a situation that was extremely awkward for myself, for those around me, and for the person who appeared to be losing self-esteem, self-confidence, and pride.  It was one of those situations where I felt quite helpless regarding how to assist in the situation and yet so uneasy about the tone of what was going on around me. I arrived near the end of what transpired, so I can only imagine what…

As I watched the streaming of Hamilton, one particular line stood out to me. The line was “Talk less, smile more.” Although the perfect line for the play, what came to my mind was “Talk less, listen more.”   Listen to gain an understanding I listen to others so I can understand what people are going through and so that I can learn from their experiences.  Listening is simple, but not always easy.  I enjoy learning about what is important to those around me and have a listening ear when one needs to vent.  The challenging part comes with all the…

If I don’t believe what I can see, how do I believe what I can’t see?  I observe people not believing in themselves, not believing that they are beautiful, not believing that they are smart, and not believing that they can accomplish great things.   I see people who have lost weight look into the mirror and not see that they have lost anything despite the fact that the scale is evidence of success.  I have witnessed gorgeous people of all shapes and sizes look into the mirror and not believe that they are beautiful. I know people who…

When I think about my unconditional friends, I am referring to people that under any circumstance I feel comfortable reaching out to them personally or by phone. There are no judgments made and no questions asked, simply someone who will listen. Not only do they listen, but they are confidential and offer constructive responses when appropriate. It always surprises me that these unconditional friends are not necessarily people that I am around daily or even that I think about on a regular basis.  I can count on them at all costs.  I have confidence in the person and their value…