THE 11TH COMMANDMENT “LIFE IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT”

Thank you “Wirehead”

My Very Own 10 Commandments

80 posts and counting. A very dear friend of mine is the first one ever to tell me about blogging..and now I am addicted.  A great form of self-expression and therapy. Doubt he thought I would lay my whole life out for complete strangers to read about but that is how I blog best I think, honest and open, no frills; it is what it is.

Just about my favorite philosophy in life now is “learn from other people’s mistakes”. Better that than to fall on your ass and struggle to get back up when you could have made it easier on yourself by just watching and listening. A lesson I learned too late.

To all of my followers, thank you and God bless you. You are part of the reason this one blog will come alive..because maybe someone will read, listen and learn from my mistakes.

This blog will not include visually appealing graphics, music links, or other such effects..it is what it is, the plain truth, in black and white. Take it or leave it, your choice.

Lesson 1: DO NOT give until it hurts.. a fallacy. No constructive thing ever came out of giving until you hurt so much you are unable to give anymore. It is detrimental to yourself and to those you are truly trying to help, and to those in the future who may look to you for strength.  You will be wiped out and unable to help those you love as you set out to in the first place. Set limitations and know yours..save enough to go around including enough for yourself.

Lesson 2: DO NOT stand idle as those who are supposed to “care about you” belittle you and take you for granted. Allowing this to happen takes away from your very soul..you will feel less of a person than what you truly are. Whether it be a parent, spouse, sibling or whomever ..you will become a doormat for all that is not good in their world. (key term:their world, not yours)

Lesson 3: I WILL PAY YOU BACK. Another term for: maybe I will repay you but most likely not..Do not loan your money or anything else to those close to you unless you are fully and willingly able to accept the fact that it may not be a loan but a gift and leave it at that. Keep your eyes open before falling into that trap. There is nothing wrong with giving, just go into with eyes wide open.

Lesson 4: NEVER SAY NEVER. As God as my witness, just when you say that the sky will fall and you WILL be crushed! Nothing is beyond comprehension when it involves another human being and emotion. Like it or not it is an instinct from the time we are born to survive and for some that means pushing it to the limit to get what he/she wants or feels like they deserve no matter who it hurts. Just when you think someone close has pushed far enough hold on because they will most likely give it one more shot and it may be your undoing. Not theirs, they got what they wanted at your expense.

Lesson 5 : DO NOT ASSUME.  You know what they say..it makes an ass out of ‘u’ and ‘me’. But in all honesty it is true when you reason it out. Even though you may do something that you honestly feel is the right thing or the wise thing: “Only a fool thinks himself to be wise, but a wise man knows himself to be a fool.” [William Shakespeare] Do not assume you know what is best. Take the time to listen and observe..two of the best tools given to us.

Lesson 6:YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW. Not so, at least on the surface. While you may think you are doing good you may be actually doing more harm. Some people NEED to learn to stand on their own two feet..if you give them yours what is left for you?! Ahh, yes indeed you may reap a handicap that you did not intentionally mean to sow for yourself. All actions have consequences; and that my dear friend is a fact of life!

Lesson 7: I CAN LISTEN BUT CANNOT BE HEARD. A crock of shit in my opinion. Be assertive. Be willing to listen but also be prepared to say what you think in a respectable manner. Your thoughts count, as they should. Do not let this one go..it can make all the difference between frustration and self acceptance. What you have to say matters, even if no one else thinks it does.

Lesson 8: DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD HAVE DONE UNTO YOU. A wonderful life premise, but not necessarily a full circle fact.  You may never get back what you have given but that is the beauty of it..you give enough to feel good about you, not necessarily to get back. The better you feel about yourself the more willing you are to give..I hope anyway.

Lesson 9: LOVE IS BLIND.  Yes it is, but if you listen and learn from your mistakes it is the blindness that will enrich all the other senses, making it all worthwhile.

Lesson 10: ONLY THE GOOD DIE YOUNG.  I will leave that thought with you…

All my love, Smarterwiser