The Answer Key

Try as you might to avoid difficult situations and people, they do show themselves from time to time. If you absolutely have to deal with something or someone not-so wonderful, do so with a commitment to yourself. Do not allow this person or thing to adversely impact your entire day. Give them your undivided attention temporarily so you can fix the issue at hand, and move on as quickly as you can. Attack the problem not the person. Be honest and concise. Be consciously open to compromise, look for the brighter side, but also know when it is best to simply walk away.  Every battle is not worth fighting for.   Still, some difficult situations can be unavoidable and must be addressed. Do that as best you can without the goal of changing anyone one else's perspective. Clarify your own, seek a resolution, do your part, then hurry up and get back to putting your energy into that which serves you best: your health, your family, and the positively wonderful things you have going ...

Sometimes life will hand you lemons. The tang of its bitterness can sting. Own your feelings. If you are sad- be sad. If you are mad- be mad. If you are devastated- be that too, but only for a short while. Take a moment to allow yourself to be upset or disappointed because that is part of what makes you human. People are emotional creatures that love and hurt, feel pain and sadness, and suffer disappointments and failures from time to time, but you can refuse to dwell in the storm. Staying in that place takes time away from your plan of action to make things right, get back on track, and recover. With every moment that passes, you could be missing an opportunity to turn things around for the better. Life is not going to be full of wonderful, awesome, jubilant moments all the time, but it is always full of blessings. Acknowledge them and give them the attention they deserve even (especially) while you recover from defeat. It is in those moments that your blessings will multiply...

This is your life. If you do not like something in it; remove it. If you do not see the positive purpose someone is serving in it; remove them. If you do not like the way it is going; change direction. Life goes by too quickly to live with any regrets. You are the pilot of your jet. You are the author of your book. You are the conductor of your symphony so if you do not like how it sounds; change the music. Whatever you do, live with purpose, live with passion, live your life well, and your way. Smile, play, laugh, and relax as much as you can. Eliminate everything and everyone that does not add positively to your experience. Live a life you will be proud of when all that is left of it are the memories you made. Live your life well. Start now. ~For more positive posts stop by fb.me/TheAnswerKey & www.twitter.com/_TheAnswerKey daily!

Once you have made it your business to start your day off on the right foot a few conscious efforts must take place. Sure, on most days you can wake up and choose to be positively productive and take everyone you encounter with you on that journey. However, a ll of your good vibes are not for rent. Do not make it your job or duty to remove the filthy cloak of woe from everybody else. You will not always be rewarded for attempting to brighten someone else's day. Some people are perfectly content with being negative, bitter, pitiful, and just plain sad. Let those people be who they are, and do not waste your good energy trying to change them.  You have to be very careful with your energy and who you exchange energy with because it goes both ways. Everyone has their own problems or issues that they have to tend to, but some choose to allow them to consume their day. That said, you certainly do not want to leave an interaction feeling negative simply because it rubbed off. Know when yo...

Life is full of hills and valleys. Recognize your moments on the hills as the wonderful moments they are and take it all in. Do not waste time up there worrying about the next valley. Give those moments the time they deserve. Be happy and be grateful for them, and when the valleys come, take them in stride. Embrace the experiences for what they are; time to show yourself what you are really made of, show your strength, affirm your faith, and keep moving forward knowing that with every valley you are on the upswing to something better. Do not get stuck, stranded, or stagnant. Do not lie down and give up or quit. More than anything else, pay attention. The valleys are there to teach you something about yourself you may not have known before, reaffirm what you already knew, or re-establish what you knew and lost along the way. Both hills and valleys are blessings to your life. Embrace them both equally and be grateful for the experience. ~For more positive posts stop by fb.me/The...

The best lesson you can figure out at this stage in your life is the most important one- your happiness is your daily duty from one moment to the next. The moment you realize that you can choose your happiness over your situation, thoughts, or offense under most circumstances, you are well ahead of the rest. That said, the second you decide that your happiness rests in the hands, pocket, or is the ball in someone else's court, you have a problem. Your happiness is not, can not, and will not be reliant on the execution or approval of anyone else unless you let it come to that. In that case you are merely a puppet mastered solely by your puppeteer's will. Avoid those shackles at all costs. Someone special, a boss, a friend, loved one, or even a stranger can come into your life, month, week, or day, and give your happiness a shot of adrenaline, sure, but they should never be the sole catalyst- you are. The production and maintenance of your happiness is your job. Release the thin...

When you set up boundaries there will always be people in your life trying to jump the fence. Do not let them. Stand firm in your understanding of your limitations and stick to them. Know the difference between being useful and being used. Take time to consider the impact the decisions you make will ultimately have and you and your family, not just how greatly your efforts would benefits the person asking for something. Everyone knows the saying, 'you have to teach people how to treat you', but what is most important is learning the practice of it when you are challenged. Do not feel bad for taking you into consideration in every decision you make.  Some people will not catch it on the first day.  It will take your commitment to learn that lesson and hold the line, but it is always worth it. ~When you get a sec stop by fb.me/TheAnswerKey & www.twitter.com/_TheAnswerKey daily!

Mondays can be tough if you going out to do something you really are not into, and doing it anyway. Mondays are hard for those who have no desire to be where they are going. Mondays bring great sadness to anyone uninterested in being who they were last Monday. May this Monday bring you peace in whatever must be done today, but  clarity in what you will do to bring forth a future Monday you can look forward to. Let the action you take today and everyday be based in the understanding that with you efforts today a better Monday is going to come. For more positive posts stop by www.twitter.com/_TheAnswerKey & fb.me/TheAnswerKey daily!

The time has come. It is time to wake up and move, move toward your dream's fruition. If you have not started yet, let's go, start today. Do not allow your fears to paralyze you any longer. Remind yourself that you have already beaten odds before, made your way out of the eye of storms before, and survived before. You have been down, hurt, and disappointed before too, but you are still here. You made it through all of your life's challenges thus far even if you were beaten, battered, or bruised in the end- you made it. You made it because you decided that you were stronger than all that was thrown at you. Therefore, you know you can do anything you set your mind to; you have already proven it to yourself time and time again, but you have to want it. You have to want it more than anyone else wants it for you. You have make it a priority in your life. You have to believe and plant and water those seeds of success every day, and remember that the harvest is merely a physical r...

Give yourself permission to have your dreams and pursue them. Continue to believe in yourself and make them come true. No matter what obstacles may come, great or small; answer the calling in your own heart. Know that you have all you need in regards to your ability, whatever you do not know already you can learn along the way, and as far as potential is concerned you are limitless. Add some faith, determination, and dedication to complete your package. Then, get to work- map out your plan, take action, and watch it bloom. It may be slow, but a little of something is better than nothing at all. It may take more time for you than another, but remind yourself that this is not a competition and you grow at your own pace. Yes,  you may even have a few detours here and there, but as long as you maintain your commitment to your dream you will continue to get up and get going to make it happen. Always remember to acknowledge and appreciate the steps you have taken along the way no matter ...

Never allow the limited thinking of others stop you from chasing your dreams. Their reasons for you to hold back are the reasons they would never, could never, and will never grasp the potential, nerve, drive, and ambition you have to go for it. Do not require yourself to ever explain, defend, or dilute your dreams for the sake of saving face with someone because they do not understand it. Your dream is yours and yours alone. That said, make that big move, go for that position, visit that country; you have the right to do whatever you want to do as long as you are making moves that are making you happy. Explanations should not be necessary and people who really care for you (as fearful as they may be) will be simply supportive of you while you are in passionate pursuit of your dreams. ~For more positive posts check out fb.me/TheAnswerKey & www.twitter.com/_TheAnswerKey daily!

You can wish for whatever you like, but make sure you are ready to work even harder for it. Let this year be the year of fruition. Forget about just hoping for a dream to come true, put yourself out there and make it happen. Remember to do your part regarding the events that make up the story of your life; invest in your own future, and stay focused on your dreams. No one knows how vital your work is to you like you do. Your commitment to your work is the summation of the thing you do along with the self-validation, belief, and permission you give yourself to make it happen. ~For more positive posts stop by www.twitter.com/_TheAnswerKey & fb.me/TheAnswerKey daily!

Continue to express your gratitude for all that you have, will gain, and even your losses that blessed your life by leaving. Have faith that all of it happens with good reason. As you go forward keep that in mind. Your energy will spread like glitter. Leave a little faith, hope, kindness, and love on every single person and thing you touch; that said, by no means are you to set yourself aside any longer. Make time for the people and dreams you love to receive your undivided attention. Let your relationships flourish and rise to new heights. Let your dreams become one with your reality. This year, make time to apply yourself, fully and completely focused on what you love. Embrace your people, love you and them more than enough. Plug into your soul, allow yourself to unleash your gift daily, and watch it manifest. ~For more positive posts stop by www.fb.me/TheAnswerKey &   www.twitter.com/_TheAnswerKey   daily!

This year is quickly coming to a close. There is little left on your to-do list from 2014 that will not have to wait until next year, and that is okay; it will have to be, right? So, with the time you have left before you ring in the new year, make a resolution, set a goal for yourself, or make a promise or vow to uphold to someone else- reflect. Pause just long enough to review everything you have done, every where you have been, the people you have loved and lost this year; not to judge or criticize yourself for what you have not done, where you have not gone, or did not become, but to accept everything just as it is. Take it all in and embrace the magic of still being whole and present as the tested and resilient, forgiving and forgivable, generous and humble, beautifully flawed gem of a person that you are as you are today. Appreciate the gift in every experience you have had this year, acknowledge the lessons you have learned, and know you will have more of them to come. That said...

Whatever you do, find time, better yet make time to allow yourself to have intentionally placed moments of joy. Even if you take a moment or two to just relax. Take a little piece of this one life you are living and live it well and with your joy in mind. Let the pressure fall by the waist-side from time to time. Do what makes you happy. Be around people that make you laugh and smile. Live in a place that lifts your spirits just being there; embrace all of the beauty in just being you. Smile more, laugh more, hug more, and live better. Tomorrow is not promised. We all know that, but go a step further and do something today that will put your yesterday to shame, and do it for yourself simply because it makes you happy. You and I both know the grind will still be there tomorrow. Make some time for joy today. ~Check out twitter.com/_TheAnswerKey & fb.me/TheAnswerKey for more positive posts.

Be kind and willing to give freely of yourself to others. That said, only give your all to those who will not take you and your kindness for granted. Trust that you will know or learn the difference. The moment you notice it, immediately do something about it. First and foremost, save yourself- create and keep your distance. No one should have the chance to milk you any longer than they already have. As soon as you find yourself being taken for granted- 1. Do not blame yourself. Your generosity is not a defect. 2. Bounce back. Decide what you will do differently if you see history repeating itself. 3. Learn your lesson. Do not change your nature; that is who you are. Change the people you offer yourself to that do not value you. Giving, compassionate, generous people have often fallen for the schemes of those who will always take more than an inch or a mile. Now is the time to draw a line with them and make sure it is in PERMANENT MARKER. Do what comes naturally to you, but be mindful ...

Growth can come after suffering, but it does not have to. Choose to flourish in the bounty of your blessings and in your trials. No matter what the experience is you can seek the potential, the lesson, benefit, and value every situation is meant to give you, reveal to you, or prove to you when you are in disbelief. It all matters and happens on your behalf if you let it. When you open yourself up to all the greatness (obvious and obscure) that life has to offer, life itself will open up overwhelmingly to greet you. ~For more positive posts stop by twitter.com/_TheAnswerKey & fb.me/TheAnswerKey daily!

Just in case yesterday was not your day, remember this is your tomorrow. Wipe your slate clean. You are blessed to see today; be grateful first for that in and of itself. Then, with this tomorrow, start the day with a plan for your day and your future with gratitude in your heart for life as it is right now, fresh and new. Today may happen to be THE tomorrow- the one you have been waiting for. Reflect for a moment on how you looked forward to it and live it as best you can. Make the most of it. Choose today to be happy and move forward with a pep in your step, a twinkle in your eye, and gratitude in your heart. ~For more positive posts stop by www.twitter.com/_TheAnswerKey & fb.me/TheAnswerKey daily!

Life can not be all sunshine, roses, and gumdrops. Sometimes things will not go your way, but pity parties are for children. If you can do something about it- do, but pouting gets you no where. That is simply a waste of time so do as little of it as possible. Instead, embrace the lessons your disappointments have to offer, and have faith that what is for you will show itself as long as you continue to do your part to bring it to fruition. Either do something to change the outcome or get okay with the way it is. Know you were made to be resilient enough to handle whatever comes with the rain and graceful enough to dance in it. ~For more positive posts stop by  www.twitter.com/_TheAnswerKey   &   fb.me/TheAnswerKey  daily ! Photo: Letters of Gratitude

You can not make leaps and bounds every day without growing weary. Today, simply do the best you can even if that means you take baby steps only. No matter what, give yourself credit for baby steps because though they may be small, they count too. They too bring you closer to fulfilling your dreams. The fulfillment of your dreams is a matter of endurance not necessarily the speed. Do what you can today. Be grateful for where you are and what you have learned from being where you have been. Have faith in where you are going no matter how long it takes to get you there. ~For more positive posts stop by www.twitter.com/_TheAnswerKey & fb.me/TheAnswerKey daily!