19 years in my rearview

Mantra of the day: Always forgive, never forget. Why is this you ask? Well because it is a very good way to live your life. I believe in forgiving no doubt about it. It is a commandment, if you don't forgive you will never be forgiven. Forgiveness is one of the biggest things in this world. It is the stuff grudges are made of. As some of you may know holding a grudge is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die. It just hurts you.

Ergo, if you don't forgive you are only hurting yourself. The other person will move on with life, and things will continue to progress while the whole nasty experience will eat your insides out! So forgive! On that same token NEVER forget! This is where the second part of my mantra comes in. If you remember the experience you will definitely learn and grow.

The reasons we have trials in this life is for our learning and grown of course. Take the learning and growing part out of the so carefully planned out equation and what is the point? Now don't interpret not forgetting as grudging how you have been wronged. When you have a grudge it is brought on by and unforgiving heart. If you simply forgive, yet remember all that has come of the experience you grow and protect yourself from being hurt again, and learn the lesson you were supposed to. Don't be a pushover! Another simple life lesson is to give three chances. Three strikes and you're out as the old adage goes. It is so true. In the kindergarten I give them three chances before a time out, three time out's before a pink slip, and three pink slips before expulsion. They have plenty of time and plenty of chances to learn, grow, see the error of their ways, and repent in a sense. If they choose not to it is them not I who will be hurt in the end. The same thing goes for every day life.

I give people three chances. I have no problem freely forgiving, but if it happens again and again, why should I keep letting you get away with it? Why should I keep letting you hurt me? I just don't understand why people put themselves in positions like this. It is up to you. You run your life, you control your life, the ball is in your court! Don't let people walk all over you, you are your own person and can make your own decisions. Decide right now to stand up for yourself and what you believe in. You are obviously not learning your lesson if you keep hurting me, I on the other hand am! You are not to be trusted!

Trust is a precious thing to me. It is how I rate a person. If I can trust you, you become the elect in my eyes. If I can't trust you you are a waste of my time. I hate liers, cheaters, and any other form of deception. I also can't stand people who break my trust. Everyone makes mistakes and I understand that, but I believe that a mistake is not repeated more than twice. If you keep making the same "mistake" it is no longer a mistake.