Appreciation

Along this journey called "life," I've met some pretty amazing souls ... and some not so amazing. Fortunately, I've been able to learn something from them, whether they were amazing or not. I've learned what true love is thanks to my husband, and I've learned what unconditional love is thanks to my nephew. I've met some pretty amazing women who have helped me along my journey, pointing me in the right directions (even if I didn't listen right away), offering me undeniable advice (again, even if I didn't listen right away), and being an all-around fantastic support system for me.

I've been learning about patience, and the fact that I have very little of it in many situations. This is where I remind everyone of that "work in progress" that I like to refer to myself as. I've also been learning to set boundaries - something that I hadn't done in the past. It's amazing what happens when those boundaries get set. When I declared (to myself and the Universe) that I refused to take part in or enable certain behaviors of those close to me, all of a sudden the contact with those individuals lessened.

I've learned that I struggle with many personalities, especially those that are full of shit. Hypocrisy and lying are among my least favorite traits and I am determined to not allow time for those people in my life. In some cases this is great! But, in other cases, this pertains to souls that are close to me - family, close friends, etc. - and creates problems that aren't always easy to navigate. I'm sure these problems just mean more learning for me. I also know that life is all about balance, so in order to take in and appreciate the amazing souls I've encountered, I have to take in and appreciate the not-so-amazing ones.

So, here's me declaring my appreciation of all of the souls that have impacted my life, whether good or bad. Obviously I have more appreciation for the 'good impact souls', but again ... "work in progress." :)