The U.S. vs. Babylon: My Ramblings on How Christians Should Respond to the World

There has been a LOT going on in the media lately. Reading and following the life of Daniel over the past few weeks, I have realized that not one of the issues we are facing today is any different than those Daniel faced hundreds of years ago. 

Racism, slavery, segregation, gender confusion (or fluidity for the politically correct), religious freedom, money, and power are all issues that Daniel faced. What I have learned over the past few weeks is the extreme difference in how Daniel responded to these issues compared to the Christian community today.

I’m writing this because I’ve been learning a lot about the heart of God and how we as Christians are supposed to respond to those that hold a different belief system and lifestyle. This blog is mainly for me and anyone else that is trying to make sense of the world around them. I wanted to share what I’m learning and get it out so it’s not jumbled in my head. Plus, this is so long, I don’t actually expect anyone to read it in full. ;)

Ok...Here we go

There are some big issues floating around that are causing a lot of conversation. So what’s the right thing to do? How do you properly respond to someone that has opposing beliefs or lives their life against biblical teachings? Growing up, I was taught that we are to “go out and make disciples” (Matthew 28:11) and in doing this I was to do all things necessary to get people to agree with me and turn to God. I was very aggressive because I thought that’s what you’re supposed to do. I would think, these people are wrong and I must teach them the way. What I learned quickly is that people don’t really respond well to aggression. In fact, putting someone in a defensive state rarely helps you get what you want. I feel like Christians have used this tactic A TON in the past and especially now. We judge people according to their actions and we hold people to the same standards and belief system that we hold ourselves to, Christian or not.

What Would Daniel Do?

Daniel was captured by his enemies and brought to a city that opposed his belief system, yet he never treated any of them as enemies. Even as they forced him to do things he didn’t agree with, they lived their lives against the teachings of God and treated him horribly, and in return he treated them with respect. He believed that God had placed them in leadership for a reason and honored that regardless of how he personally felt. He kept true to himself and his beliefs without opposing his beliefs on anyone else because he was confident and secure in the Lord. He showed the love of God through HIS ACTIONS.

This is where I believe we are faltering a little. Our great assignment is to go out and teach people about God in a loving and accepting way, not push our agenda on those that aren’t ready to receive it. Jesus never told us to create a Christian nation, impose our standards on nonbelievers, or preserve a particular culture. He told us to share His message with the lost.

The "Warfare" Mind Frame

Those who live in a “warfare” frame of mind either ignore or are completely unaware of the awful cesspool that the New Testament church was birthed in. There was no such thing as political freedom in the Roman Empire. Family values were forgotten. Sexual perversion was the norm. Life was not valued. Only the rich and powerful had access to justice and even though Rome tolerated most foreign religions, it didn’t tolerate Christians (sound familiar??).

Yet the focus of the New Testament is entirely upon changing hearts, not changing governments or culture. When the biblical authors speak of spiritual warfare, the context is framed around our personal spirituality. The battle isn’t against the lost it’s for them. Non-Christians are victims of the enemy we are fighting against. Our mentality today is to wipe out those that are living an ungodly lifestyle, which would make everyone more comfortable I’m sure, but is so incredibly backwards.

Don’t believe me? Let’s see what the Apostle Paul says about how we should respond:

And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will. (2 Timothy 2:24-26)

The goal of our interactions is not to see God pour out his judgment upon them. It’s to see him pour out his grace and mercy, granting them repentance and knowledge of the truth. I read something in a devotional once that really hit home for me:  Tolerance in the biblical form is granting people the right to be wrong. When we think of tolerance today, we think of being politically correct. But the truth is, we all believe differently. Even Christians have 10,000 different denominations because none of us can agree 100% on what Christianity should look like. We all have our basis and the same guidelines brought directly to us from God himself, but each interpretation is slightly different. That doesn’t make Baptist John any less Christian as Church of Christ Jane. Think of this, if Christians are so mixed up themselves on how to live a Godly life, how much different do you think the minds and beliefs of Non- Christians might be? Is attacking or running away the answer?

While Daniel didn’t believe the actions and beliefs of his kings were right in the eyes of God, he did not oppose them, as they had no affect on his personal spiritual walk with God. Just because someone does or says something contrary to your beliefs, doesn’t mean it’s your personal duty to silence them or make them feel like less of a person because they disagree with you. It’s your duty to LOVE and through your actions; bring them to the knowledge of God.

The Struggle Is Real

I understand how difficult it is, especially today to proclaim what you believe without it being turned on you as being hateful even if you come from a place of love. Those who dare to claim that some behaviors are actually morally wrong are written off as intolerant bigots. While many of us feel sorrowful of the intolerance directed toward Bible-believing Christians today, we have no one to blame but ourselves. We’re getting what we gave.

Not that long ago, Christianity was the dominant cultural religion.  From what I understand of history and what I’ve seen with my own eyes growing up Christians often used this power to shut down those who advocated opposing agendas. We’d force a college to disinvite a commencement speaker who advocated a godless agenda. We’d pressure sponsors and brands to stop advertising on television shows we didn’t like. We’d boycott and smear Non-Christian companies in the media for making Non-Christian decisions.

Now we’re on the receiving end. As I write this, the statue of the 10 Commandments is being removed from state capitols. National chains are being boycotted for proclaiming Christian beliefs. I often wonder what would have happened if we’d had the wisdom of Daniel when we were in control. What if we’d been tolerant in the biblical sense of the word? What if, rather than trying to silence those we strongly disagreed with, we’d let them have their say - secure in the knowledge that truth has nothing to fear?

My guess is that we would still have an extremely high level of opposing parties trying to push us out all together. But we’d have a far more level playing field when it comes to speak to the sins and issues of our day.

Daniel never made these mistakes. He let the worldly live like the worldly, while continuing to live his own godly life in full view. Which is why when the time came for him to step forward and speak up, he’d already earned the right to be heard.

This is where I feel like many of us get it wrong. This world has fallen from grace. It’s something we all know, but longer we live in this world, the more we’ll start to realize the overwhelming sin that surrounds us. The realization can result in feelings of resentment, bitterness and harsh critiques that are from  what one would consider a “gentle rebuke”.

Many excuse their words by pointing to Jesus’ harsh rebukes of the Pharisees and other religious leaders of his day. But they miss the point. Jesus didn’t rail on the sinners of his day. He pursued them. It was the religious hypocrites who were attempting to keep the sinners at bay that he blasted.

I guess what I have learned from all of this is to choose my battles wisely. To seek the counsel of God before running my mouth and potentially causing more damage toward  my cause than good. To keep my eyes open and my heart still. To be kind, seek God, show love, take opportunities, be genuine. and most importantly:

 TRUST God.

I Resolve to Evolve

Happy New Year! Welcome to 2014. Now is the time to take a second to reflect over the past year and create a road map for the future. But rather than create an empty task oriented list of resolutions that I will be sure to abandon by February, I have decided to take a different approach.

Don’t get me wrong. I do believe in self evaluation and goals. However, as we all know, hardly anything in life goes as planned so as these goals are applied to my life, I want to cast a larger net and allow for a little wiggle room. So here we go…

Start Over? No thanks.

The biggest theme during the New Year is the idea of a fresh start, a new beginning. Honestly, the idea of starting over seems extremely exhausting. I’ve had the ups and downs and made some mistakes along the way, but those life experiences have helped shape the person I am today. We are constantly evolving into someone new. Knowing that there is a part of me that God reserved as simply my own, I also know that with each life experience we change. Even in the past year I have come to notice changes in my personality and world view. And that’s OK! My memories will always be there, however, I never want to hinder the person I am to become simply because I refuse to let go of who I was.

With that said, 2014 is sure to be an exciting year. While 2013 came with its share of changes and adjustments, I am the happiest I have been in a very long time with A LOT of life experiences ahead of me. That is exciting. There are a lot of things I hope for this year, I choose to focus on things that are actually in my realm of control.

Be Content with My Own Life Pace

I have always been the type to go at my own pace. And that pace tends to be slightly behind the rest of my eager generation (as you can tell with my clearly late to the party NY Day post).

I am happy with my choices, yet I have always felt the pressure to move at a faster pace. Every accomplishment or life change comes requires answers as to what you will be doing next and when,  giving me the feeling that I am lacking in some form or fashion to complete my life by the proper deadline.

I am not looking to complete my life just yet, I want to enjoy it. So rather than accept the pressure to move faster, this year I will choose to be content with slow and steady pace of my life course. In this case, I do not want to be the first to finish the race.

Focus on the Fruits

In Galatians, Paul speaks of the fruits of the spirit. For those of you that didn’t spend your adolescent years learning cheesy Bible songs, they go as followed: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  The more I study these words and their meanings, the more I understand the importance of incorporating each into my daily life.

While some of them are vices (patience being a big one) I want to make a conscious effort to genuinely offer to others my love, bring them joy, be fully at peace, learn patience, respond with kindness and goodness, have a gentle approach and self control over my mind, body and spirit. I honestly believe that those that walk in these traits daily live the happiest and most fulfilling lives. It’s all about perspective, people.

Leave Room for Error

Anyone that really knows me will tell you that I am usually harder on myself than anyone else could ever be.  I have a tendency to create goals that are slightly overreaching or completely unattainable and then beat myself up for lacking completion. I also have a love/hate relationship with both procrastination and perfectionism. As you can imagine, this tends to add a little frustration to my life from time to time. Throw all these traits in a blender and there’s not much room for error (of course because I waited til the last minute).

Life is full of uncontrollables and there’s no such thing as perfect. Therefore, to compensate I will leave more room for error this year. I will learn to take a breath, let go of the reins a little and allow life to take me on my intended journey with less insistence that we do things my way.  Mind over matter is the focus. If I can do this then I think I’ll be more productive and less stressed all at the same time, which is a foreign concept to me now. 

So there you have it, my road map for 2014 (If you made it to the end of my continuous ramblings than you deserve a medal).  I am happy with who I am today, but excited to see how this year will shape me for the future. We are constantly growing, constantly learning, constantly evolving into the truest version of ourselves. And I can’t wait to see what’s next.

Valentine's Day is Not Just for Kids and Lovers

Since the 1840’s Valentine’s Day has been celebrated by lovers across the world. On this day, through heart shaped candies or sparkly items, couples go out of their way to declare their love for each other. I think we can all agree that Valentine’s Day has become this extremely over marketed phenomenon pressuring men across the world to make “the big gesture”. Of course it’s silly to think that all of one’s love MUST be expressed only one day out of the year, which certainly does not make for a healthy relationship. But whether expressed or not, the truth is at the end of the day every girl wants to feel important and not forgotten.

When was the last time you thought of your business like the love of your life? We are all human. We all want to feel loved, special and appreciated by another. May I submit to you that since your clients and co-workers are human, maybe they fall into the same category? When was the last time you “made the big gesture” to show how much you appreciate them? As silly of a holiday as Valentine’s Day is, I use it as a reminder to show the ones around me how much I truly appreciate them in my life.

Let me lead by example.

I work as a marketing specialist at a lead generation company called LeadRival. Side note: (queue shameless plug) If you’re an attorney needing quality leads you should look into online lead generation, I have linked the name for more info. Moving on, this is truly the best group of people I have ever worked with in my life. It is very much a team atmosphere where I feel freedom to be creative, ask questions and learn from others. We work together on projects and ideas regardless of what department you may be in; there is always room for opinions because we are all working towards the same goal. Each person I work with Kye, Mitch, Brandie, JD, Lindsey, Aaron, Brian, Tom and Sherry… they all attribute to any success I may have in my job and I truly appreciate what they bring to the table every day.

What do you Love about your business?

It’s time we shift our minds from what is for us to what we can give. Valentine’s Day does not have to be ONLY about lovers. Use this as an opportunity to tell the world what you love about your business, your clients and your employees or co-workers. Valentine’s Day cards are not just for kids, it can be your opportunity to “make the big gesture” and show your clients a little appreciation while also sharing what it is you love about your own business and team.

Get Creative:
The next time a silly holiday comes along, don't just brush it off.  Clients are people, and people crave connection. Make a video, send a card or simply pick up the phone and tell them yourself.  Use silly holidays as an opportunity to let your clients know you are not just a product or service but a person that really cares.

Body Boosters! 5 On-The-Go Fuel Sources to Keep Your Body In Pace with Your Schedule

In a fast paced world, being constantly on the go has become the norm in our society. While routines may be relatively similar from week to week, for those of us that have the tendency to over pack our schedules, it’s the little things that go out the window. I have what I call my “six day burn”- between work and school, crunch time is from Thursday to Tuesday. In this time I am constantly on the go, moving from project to project; from job to job having little time to sleep or eat. If I even remember to eat during the day, it’s easiest to run through a drive-through at a fast food restaurant. The problem is Junk kills the immune system. I have found that most people in the business world have an equivalent pattern. What usually happens is after weeks of piled on “burn” time, the lack of adequate fuel that comes in the form of food and sleep breaks down the immune system and drains the body of energy. If we are not careful, as our bodies hit their limit, the “burn” time results in “bed” time.

To ensure this doesn’t happen, here are a few easy “on the go” fuel replacements in order to boost your energy and immune system during the times when sleep is sacrificed:

An Apple a Day….

The myths are true folks! Despite the long-term benefits apples provide like bone strengthening and protection against various cancers, it also has an agent called “Quercetin” found in the apple skins which happens to contain more antioxidants and fiber than your own personal flesh. This not only services to build your immune system, but is also a low calorie way of building natural energy and regulating your digestive system.

Just a Spoonful of…Garlic?

Try to substitute your quick sugar intakes with foods that incorporate small doses of garlic. While sugar acts to break down your immune system, 1 teaspoon of garlic a day will increase antibacterial agents in your body to fight off small bugs such as the flu.

Green Tea with Lemon
Studies have shown that Green Tea not only helps your body physically, by rebuilding and restoring blood and skin cells, but it relaxes the senses and lowers stress levels. Helping calm and focus the mind. Add a lemon to cleanse toxins from your liver and blood.

Orange you Happy?

Oranges are high in Vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant that can neutralize free radicals and fights off infections. What most people don’t know is that many associate oranges with happiness and freedom. This lightens moods and stabilizes stress levels.

Yogurt Your Heart!

Aside from protection from heart disease, daily doses of yogurt help build the protein in your body called gamma interferon, which helps develop white blood cells. This increases your metabolism and allows your body to process more toxins in your body.

Along with healthy food alternatives, finding time in your day to exercise also increases your energy and builds the immune system. Adding a few of these supplements to your daily routine will not only save you money, but also help your body and mind keep up with your constant schedule.

Feel free to add to this list in the comment box-what are some other on the go healthy alternatives?

For more information or questions click here to find me on Facebook!

Time Tools! 3 Ways To Get More Out Of Your Day...

Life as a full time college student with three jobs, a lively and active group of friends and various outside responsibilities takes discipline and planning. But even with all the discipline in the world, things happen, plans are changed and I often find myself at the end of the day wishing I had just a few more hours. Life today is in constant movement for most people. Whether it is a business owner trying to manage daily activities, meetings, networking and still make it to his kids play or a mom responsible for all the details that make their house function properly, people are constantly looking for more time. The truth is, unless you find a magic genie we all have the same 24 hours in a day. So how is it some seem to pull more time out of those 24 hours than others?

Here are 3 quick and easy ways to free up more time for productivity:

Smallest In, First OutMost people that move minute to minute have a pretty detailed schedule, one that is full of small 10-15 minute tasks that very quickly take up a large chunk of the day. The problem is, most people focus on the bigger issues of the day and put off the smaller things until later. This causes the person to worry and think on the small things throughout the day, not giving their full focus to the most important things. At the beginning of each day, make a list of all the tasks that need to be accomplished and categorize them by time and importance. Anything that NEEDS to be done that day that is under 15 minutes, go ahead and knock it out first thing in the morning. Having the smallest tasks marked off your list first will free up time while also clearing your mind for the more important tasks of the day.

Schedule Self Meetings and Quitting TimesOne of the biggest time fills throughout the day is getting caught up doing something for longer than needed. Often people rewrite lists with the same tasks for weeks because they never have time to accomplish them. One of the greatest time management lessons I learned was from Dr. Steve Greene, who advised to literally schedule time in the day in order to accomplish specific tasks. Just like one would set an appointment with a client, set appointments with yourself in order to accomplish large projects and important tasks and weigh the importance of “showing up” to those self meetings as important as it would be to show up for a client meeting. This ensures a specific time in the day that those tasks will be done, allowing for more production. Setting a quitting time is equally important, putting in the forefront of your mind exactly how much time you have to work on a project before moving on will strengthen your focus during the allotted time you have given.

Balance Weaknesses with StrengthsTime management is a hard topic for most and is constantly being perfected in some form or another. People vary on weaknesses and strengths, but allowing one to balance out the other will ensure more productivity in the day. Take a week out of your month to keep track of what you are doing with your time. Write down what you did everyday and how long it took you to do; this will allow you to see your flaws and strengths. For example, I have found one of my greatest weaknesses is the tendency to procrastinate; yet I also tend to be a perfectionist when it comes to completion of tasks. Also, knowing I work my best late at night- I plan focus time on large projects to align with my best hours of focus to increase production and balance out my weaknesses.

Incorporating these three factors will help you gain control over your day and open up time not only get more done, but allow you to accomplish the things YOU want to accomplish.
There are several other ways one can squeeze more time out of their day and people are constantly looking for ways to perfect time management, what works best for you?

Beanie Babies Saved My Life! What I Learned About Risk Aversion and 3 Ways to a Balanced Life.

When I was younger I fell subject to the beanie baby craze. I had to have them all… especially the limited edition ones like the “Princess Diana Bear” with the "White Rose of England", Ooo that was a good one! The difference is I never wanted them because it was the “cool thing”. I wanted them because somehow, even at the age of 9 or 10 I saw the value in them. I knew that if I was paying a ridiculous amount of money for stupid stuffed animals, then so was everyone else...and if I held onto them long enough, eventually stores would run out and I could sell mine for more. I guess my brain has always been wired that way (surprised?).

The problem is, I held onto them too long. In fact, I never sold them. This was my first ever-entrepreneurial attempt that clearly ended badly. One thing I had to learn the hard way was that with a fad, they hit fast and end fast. By the time I got around to selling my beanie babies, nobody wanted them anymore. So here I am almost 15 years later and I still have like 200 beanie babies stuffed in a cabinet waiting for some love and attention. I keep them as a reminder… in business, yes. But mostly for life, if you wait too long to go for what you want, you often miss out on opportunity.

I started thinking about this today in the middle of my Financial Management class. As Mr. Wiley went on and on about how risk aversion changes the SML slope, my silly brain translated it to life. So here it goes…

Often in the stock market it’s all about perception. What is actually going on compared to how you see it can change how you respond. Is this not true with EVERYTHING in life!? Often the way we perceive things comes from our past experiences, fears, failures, and successes. When you’re younger it’s easier to take risks because you don’t see much to lose… with the beanie baby situation I think I was just being greedy. I wasn’t afraid I would lose out, I just thought the longer I wait, the more money they will be worth, but there’s always a top line before it starts to drop.

The older I got, the more my experiences taught me to fear risk…I learned to put up walls, avoid confrontation, and wait for a “sure thing”. Let’s bring it home, for example, true or false? It’s better to keep your mouth shut and not say what you really feel than risk losing a person, right? Maybe. Usually not, but it’s often what I think…what usually ends up happening is you lose them in a different way- they move on…and there you have it, opportunity lost. I’m not going to get too deep into that it’s just an obvious example I think many have struggled with at some point or another.

Risk aversion is the pessimistic version, but what about being overly optimistic? Is that even possible? I think so. In the stock market those are the people that take high risk with a low rate of return…in other words, they end up buying junk and lose money (hello beanie babies). But how can being overly optimistic be bad in life? To me it’s obvious, how about trusting everyone and everything? You end up getting punched in the face, so to speak, at every corner. You acquire leeches as friends and people walk all over you because you allow it. This used to be me at one point as well…what I had to learn is it’s not bad to love people and want to do everything you can for them, but you have to draw a line somewhere. There has to be a balance, as for most things in life. The beauty is finding that balance between releasing your fears enough to take the important risks and being smart enough to know where to draw the line before you’re taken advantage of. For this, I think may take a lifetime to fully understand…but here are a few things I’ve learned along the way that may help get you started in the right direction:

1.) Test Your Friends- I’m a social butterfly, but there are very few people I actually lean on for advice. They are the ones that have gone through the fire and come out on the other side. They aren’t afraid to tell me the truth and have proven themselves to be trusted. It’s good to test your friends, make sure they are there with your best interest in mind and not just for a good time…I like the “good timers” but they’re a dime a dozen. They don’t get to know my heart. OH! And always, always make sure the people you care about know it before it’s too late. This is something I had to learn the hard way.

2.) Find a Mentor- I have a few mentors that I go to for advice on different things. One is for business, one for spiritual things, and one for life in general. The good thing is they know me, but are disconnected from my daily life so there is less of a bias. They look at the situation with fact and logic, separated from emotion. This is one of my greatest assets in life.


3.) Believe in Yourself- It doesn’t matter if 100,000 people believe you can do something, if you don’t believe in yourself it will never happen. The truth is, if you don’t believe in yourself, you won’t have 100,000 people believing in you anyway. Bottom line, you are the passion behind your own successes.

So there you have it, funny how a 40 minute class about risk aversion in the stock market could translate to all this. It’s obvious I’ve had a lot on my mind lately, just thought I would share with the class. Anyone want to add to this list? Let me know your thoughts.

What The Bachelor has to Teach about Business and Life

So about a week ago I stepped outside of the norm and found myself watching the Bachelorette (I know don’t get me started). Shortly after the show was over there came, quoting my mother, “the best part…the whole reason for watching”. The first EVER sit down with the previous Bachelor Jake Pavelka and his former fiancée Vienna Girardi since their HORRID BREAKUP (gasp!!).

Personally, I don’t understand why anyone would want to subject themselves to an awkward scream fight between 2 people seemingly “in love” and actually call it entertainment but to teach their own, I guess. What I did realize throughout this experience, is that there is a few things we can learn from Jake and Vienna pertaining to the business world and how we conduct our lives on a daily basis.

You see, as the fighting drug on, what I noticed is Jake and Vienna had 3 very specific problems in their relationship that no doubt were the main cause that resulted in the break up. Ask yourself these questions and see if they fit into your relationships in the work place…

1.) How are your Communication skills?

Anyone blind, deaf and/or mute could tell that Jake and Vienna have serious communication problems. The constant “he said, she said” mess where they tried to justify their actions towards each other by expressing the other “never listened” while talking over each other’s sentences shows that neither one of them really heard the other person, let alone really tried to understand where they were coming from. Yet, in their own mind they are right, and the other is wrong. I feel like this happens a lot in the business world. Whether you are a manager not really trying to understand your employees or an employee hating on “the man”, the lack of communication often causes more work and stress than in necessary. I know it can be awkward to approach a co-worker or even a boss in a confrontational way, but biting the bullet can work out some misunderstandings and cause more peace in the work place then in the long run, it’s worth it. You just have to get past the fear and see the bigger picture. I think if Jake and Vienna had taken a second to see the bigger picture outside of the little fights about furniture arrangements and GPS systems and really tried to listen and understand where the other was coming from, they may have had a chance.

2.) Do you choose Honesty?

The biggest issue throughout Jake and Vienna’s brutal public therapy session is the fact that neither one of them trusted the other. Jake accused Vienna of cheating… Vienna accused Jake of being abusive…but if you really listened to their arguments, they were both dishonest at times throughout their short-lived relationship, which in return planted seeds of doubt in both their hearts. I know that the little white lie can be easy and is accepted as ok in most situations if you ask around, but one little white lie can lead to a bigger lie, and then a bigger one, to the point in which it is no longer okay. It’s better not to start at all. Honesty has been lost somewhere in the business world and people are searching for it. If you can be known as a trustworthy, honest person to your co-workers and boss then I guarantee success will follow. A little white lie may help you in the moment, but being a person of integrity and honesty will follow you everywhere you go and benefit you in every situation for the rest of your life. It seems like it’s not a big deal at the time, but if you watched, it’s not easy to see that it was the tiny insignificant little white lies in Jake and Vienna’s relationship that were the biggest issues in the end. If they had just been honest from the beginning, then it would have been easier in the end to give the other the benefit of the doubt.

3.) I know you’re looking, but do you really SEE the other?

If you take Jake and Vienna’s relationship and look at the whole picture, there is one thing that rings true; they never really took the time to really see the other as they really are. They both looked for what they could benefit in the relationship, not what they could give. So many times in the work place this is the biggest cause for unhappiness. Instead of going to work to see what you can gain, try looking around you at the people you work with and really try to see them for what they are, how they contribute, and how you can work together to really make a difference. If you go into work with that kind of attitude I guarantee your happiness level will elevate. Take it upon yourself to take ownership of your job and help others see their potential. Who knows? You just might make some lifelong friends in the process. If Jake and Vienna would have taken the time to really see each other and how they can work together in the relationship, rather than search for what they could gain I think we would have seen a very different reunion special.

So there you have it. Three ways Jake and Vienna have taught us to be successful in the work place and in life. Remember, these are life lessons; they don’t have to stop at work…but it’s definitely a good start.

What are your thoughts? Do you see how things could have worked out differently for them? Do you see any of these issues ringing true in your own relationships both personal and professional?

Back to the Basics...It Sure Has Been a While

It's been 3 years since I have revisited this blog. To be honest, I completely forgot I had it. It once serviced as a source of therapy for me at a very transitional time in my life and here it is three years later; I find myself needing such an outlet again but for very different reasons.

So much has changed in my life the past three years, and as I read over previous posts it became abundantly obvious that the person I am today holds just a glimmer of who I was then. The important things stayed... my strong personality traits, curiosity, sense of humor and hunger for life...they remain. But as I relive the stories of my past I can't help but notice the differences in my thinking, friends, and overall view on the world...although, I must use these experiences as part of the source of change. Some has come from life experience, some from new education and knowledge, and some just from the changes that come from living life. To be honest, the world has tainted me some, I have experienced heartbreak and confusion in ways I never would imagine possible...but what I have learned is most of the good in my life has come from walking through fire and seeing what life has to offer on the other side. I regret nothing. There are always things I will want to change on this journey but I love the person I was, I'm quite a fan of the person I am now... and I am looking forward to seeing who I will become.

In all my re-reading and self discovery, I noticed one thing that I feel will always remain constant.. 3 years ago I named this blog "Reinvented Dreams" because my life was changing so drastically. All the dreams I had once dreamt were gone and new ones had taken their place. I started writing because I was having a hard time letting those dreams go and allowing the new ones to arise and take flight in my heart. I sit here today realizing the same thing as I did back then, only with more understanding than I could have imagined. The hopes and dreams I had 3 years ago have been reinvented again. I see the evidence of them in the new dreams in my heart but I am also aware of the alterations. It's amazing how God puts things in your heart and then molds it with time to fit his plan. I didn't understand this process 3 years ago and felt abandoned and hurt by God for seemingly ripping all my hearts desires away. But as I look back, that isn't what he did at all... it didn't happen how I wanted it, but God has stayed true to his promises. The dreams he put in my heart are still there, but are constantly being reinvented into bigger and better things.

For all of these reasons, I have decided to begin writing again. Before it was 100% for me..this time I'm hoping to offer a little bit of knowledge, wisdom, or insight to the world. Let's be real, there are PLENTY of people on this planet that are far more equipped to be giving advice or wisdom than me but I tend to have a way of correlating life into situations so if someone can gain something from my ramblings then that would be ideal. Also, I am a sponge for knowledge. I love it and always look for more so I'm hoping this blog can service as an outlet for that as well. I would love to share my thoughts, but more importantly, I want to learn from others.

So here's a little bit of my back story... I am a Marketing student at Oral Roberts University and I love all that is business. I tend to look at the world through the eyes of a 1/3 therapist,1/3 closet evangelist, 1/3 business mogul. I'm that nerdy kid that gets all giddy at new business books and could talk for hours about marketing strategies, human behavior, theoretical issues, therefore, there is a good chance most of my ramblings will include one of the three...if not all. I have 3 jobs to help pay my way through school, one of which is a marketing internship that I LOOOVE . My life is extremely fast paced so I writing things down helps me decipher the world around me and put it into perspective. I don't know if this blog will help anyone or just service as another outlet for my crazy mind to process life.

But here it goes.