It's Time to Take Responsibility!

I just read some comments that didn't "sit" well with me. Some of them were "I would rather have friends and be able to look at myself in the mirror than be rich." "I don't have a huge house, nice car or a lot of money, but at least I have friends." "I don't have..., but at least I have...."  Why is this okay?  Why can we not have a nice house, nice car, money AND friends.  I don't understand, I don't get it.  Why is it one or the other?  Where is this coming from and why is it trending?  I see it in other areas when it comes to weight and fitness too, but I want to talk about "the rich".

Sadly, I see a consistent theme or ethos on Facebook and on the internet regarding the wealthy, they are evil, immoral, it's unfair and more.  There seems to be a push and I just don't understand it. Are there some who are immoral or fit this description? Yes, there are and I am not denying that. I have also seen cases of entitlement on recent shows and other exploited exceptions to the rule. The majority are not evil, immoral beings, but the minority stand out and the perception is gaining momentum.  This perception is snowballing. 

These days I do see more questionable actions, lack of values and morals, I see life valued less, I see people valuing themselves less. I don't see this in the just the rich though, I don't believe this is from a rich and famous agenda.  If it were true that everyone who was wealthy or rich and famous were evil, immoral characters then what type of world are we living in and where are we headed?  If the rich and famous are these evil doers than why are we going to see their movies or listen to their music?  If we truly saw them this way then we would stop and wouldn't spend our hard earned money to further their agenda.  We need to wake up and stop the blame game.

I have lived abundantly, not wealthy, but no wants, and I have lost everything, in neither of these cases have I been any of the above. In fact, I HAVE been told I am "to damn honest for my own good". I have always been able to look at myself in the mirror and I have taken responsibility.  It wasn't the other persons fault when I lost everything, it was my own for not reading a contract thoroughly and with a fine tooth comb or having someone else read it for me instead of gleaning through and assuming.
 
I have met some incredible people over the last 10 years. I  know a lot of wealthy people, some through my tax career, some through my business and some who I have just been fortunate enough to meet and not one of them is evil. I have never asked one of them for a handout, nor would I ever!  They didn't get there on someone's back, they did it by doing what others weren't willing to do.  They were uncomfortable, but knew they only way to make a change was to change themselves.  I know a man who saw a need unfulfilled and designed an entire business to fulfill that need around the world.  Now retired he has given about 80% away and when he passes, the rest will be given away.  These people stepped out of the mainstream and chose a different path. They saved, they sacrificed, short term, and they did more than they had to do to get where they wanted to go. At some point we have to start taking responsibility for our own lives. 

I have worked for minimum wage and I have worked for less than minimum wage.  When I realized and understood that I was not going to be able to provide for myself and my son, I went to college to provide a life for us. Was it easy? Not in the slightest, I worked 30 hours a week, went to school full time with a preschooler, as a single mom, living on our own. I had to make choices that were incredibly difficult.  In fact, it put me in the hospital for weeks and I had to learn to write, comprehend and walk again. And I did, I refused to give up. After a few months I continued in my education, finished my degree and went on to my career. A career I  eventually walked away from to start all over again.  As life has gone through the hills and valleys, I looked for other opportunities.  They are out there, we just have to seek them out, we have to put out the effort. It hasn't been easy, but it has been worth, I have made wonderful friends, met incredible people and have learned SO much in the 24 1/2 years.

Our needs are always met and I always give whatever I can.  Even when I didn't have the money to, I have found a way and in the end, needs were met. I am not saying that I have never asked for help, because I have when I absolutely had to, but that is a last resort for me. I call that ego, something I have to work on, it's not pride as some would think, it's ego. You see, I have learned that lesson too. Sometimes the choices I had to make were incredibly hard and I know they were not understood by some of my family and friends, I know I have been judged by people who haven't walked one step in my shoes, but I have always done what I felt was best our family, and our needs were met. 

As I rebuild our abundance, I will continue to give joyously, fulfill dreams for myself, my family, and my friends. I will be able to travel and enjoy the beautiful world God created for us. I will be able to build the senior center I want to and do missions trips. I will always be able to look myself in the mirror and I won't apologize. I will always learn, I will always try to do more, to do better, to gain knowledge. Mostly, I will work on myself. To become better I have to change, I have to be better, I have to do better, no one else can do it for me. I do not expect anyone to take care of me, except for me and God. I know He will because God is faithful and provides, because I trust in Him. I also know He expects me to put forth the some of the effort.

This Year is About the Journey

I have spent quite a bit of time at the end of 2013 and early 2014 looking at my goals for the year. I had decided I wanted to focus on one word for 2014.  I scribbled words in notebooks, my journal, my computer and I kept coming back to a verse.  The verse is Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

2013 was a tough year, probably the toughest in 21 years and if you know anything about the last 6 or 18 years of my life that is saying something. At times I felt out of place, not myself, without focus, without purpose, I didn't know what to think or do.  There is one thing that I do know though? Life is about the journey, not the destination.  It is what we learn and who we become along the way to reaching and achieving our goals.  I have questioned over and over and over my path, what am I supposed to do, who am I supposed to help and how am I supposed to do it.  I have asked God this question 1,000 times this past year and as I kept pondering the New Year this verse kept popping in my head.  You see I'm a planner, I like it all in the calendar or spreadsheet neatly planned out and ready to go and this verse tells me I am not the one in control of the plan.  What do I do with THAT?  Well, I finally decided to let go.  Let go of the plan, let go of 2013 and let God.  Because frankly what else is there to do, clearly I don't want a repeat of last year.

So my word to focus on in 2014 is - Journey.  I plan to focus on the journey of what God has planned for me. I am going to be disciplined enough to listen and follow through on His plan with real intention.  I am going to seek him out so I know that I am on the path that he has laid out for me.  I don't know where it's going to take me yet, but I do know that I don't have to worry because it's in his hands.

Now what this doesn't mean is that I will sit back in my lounge chair, day after day and wait to hear his voice.  What it does mean is I will listen as I set my goals, act when my gut tells me to do something and when I am sure about his plans I will work with intention of achieving those goals 100%.

One goal I have this year is to read the Bible in its entirety in chronological order, so far that has been a lot of fun.  I have a separate journal just for goals, quotes, words, verses and pictures for my 2014 path.  I am letting go and just letting God take control. Will I stumble along the way? I have no doubt, but I also know one other thing about me, I ALWAYS get up, I dust myself off and I move forward. 

So this year, I will enjoy the journey. I will take time to appreciate, I will sit back and rest when I need to and I will go 110% with my hair on fire when I need to and I can honestly say, I am looking forward to it all.  Let the journey begin!!