Pain will change us.

This quote is profoundly truthful. Pain will change us more than success or good fortune will ever. And if you’re in the midst of trekking life’s uphill battle – then I wish for you courage and determination to face each day. And when you come out of it, you’ll be wiser and stronger.

©2015 Susie LeePain changes us

You’re going to be okay.

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13 reasons you’re not as successful as you should be.

Many of us rarely reach our full potential in life. Whether it’s fear of failure or even, fear of success. Often we blame our situation, lot in life, or other people in holding us back but in reality, we’re the ones holding ourselves back. I love this infographic because it doesn’t sugar coat what we want to hear but rather gives us a swift kick in the butt in what we need to do. Here’s to reaching our full potential!

©2015 Susie Lee

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Grace to grow.

Ok. In my last article, I wrote about how to live without being offended. Since then I’ve had a couple of close encounters. So when I was confronted by another person whether I was offended or not, I had to catch myself from shrugging it off with an excuse. Instead I took a moment and consciously decided to take a risk to be honest and vulnerable.

Fact is we’re not going to be ok with what happens to us or how people treat us. Even though we know we can’t blame others and we’re responsible for our feelings – inside we still feel crappy and angry. In the midst of this, we need to be honest with ourselves. This means recognizing our blind spots and working on them. This will be painfully hard, and at times we’ll fall flat on our faces. But that’s why we need to show ourselves grace. Grace to grow, and time to heal. With each new day we get a ‘do over’ to be a better person, to take another chance, and to be fearless. So instead of avoiding the thing that’s causing us pain or avoiding the person that’s making us feel uncomfortable, we must face them head on until it no longer has a negative effect on us. Be brave, with each moment.

©2015 Susie Lee

Live without being offended.

How do we live in a way where we don’t easily get offended? Where our feelings aren’t at the mercy of people’s behavior, actions, or opinions of us? I know it’s hard not to feel insecure when someone accidently overlooks us or intentionally leaves us out. But if we want freedom in this area of our lives, we must begin to know our worth.

So, where do we start? First, we need to stop blaming people for how they’re making us feel. We always have a choice, and we’re responsible for our feelings. Second, we need to look at ourselves. Our reaction is a good indication of what’s already going on inside of us – perhaps we still have childhood wounds or dealing with low self-esteem. Lastly, we don’t want to base our self worth on people, possessions, or position because they’re circumstantial and therefore can be taken away from us at any moment. Our self worth needs to come from who we are as a person – inner strength, quality of character, quiet confidence, and a nurturing self-love. Once we begin to love and accept ourselves we’ll become immune to outside influences.

Once we discover our true worth, we can live without being offended.

©2015 Susie Lee

Let love guide you in your pain and struggle.

More often than not, we’d rather run away from our pain, problem, or hurt than to face it head on. But I believe a lesson never goes away until we learn what they’re supposed to teach us. We can avoid difficult people or we can learn how to love them beyond our capacity. We can be frustrated at a problem or think of a creative solution to get through it. We can stay mad or we can learn to let go. We have choices everyday, and these choices will either make or break us. It’s not always easy to do the right thing or be the better person but for the sake of our spiritual growth and mental peace, we must let love guide us in our decision making process. And when we do, we’ll find that our pain won’t have a grip on us any longer because we’ve been set free.

©2015 Susie Lee

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14 Things Successful People Do On Weekends.

It’s Friday, and you know what that means right? It’s the weekeeeeend!! Unfortunately, many of us use our weekends to either play catch up or veg out. Instead of taking a mental vacation, why not try these simple steps to reenergize your body, mind, and spirit? Here’s to a fantastic weekend that’ll rev you up for Monday!

©2015 Susie Lee

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How to stay creative

In my last post, I mentioned that even the happiest of people will have their off-days as they feel unmotivated, uninspired, or are emotionally unavailable. Another area you can shut down in is creativity – the inability to create new ideas, ways to have fun, or problem solve.

Whether you’re a stay home parent or working professional, it’s important to stimulate your mind on a daily basis so you can grow and stay engaged. Sometimes, this may mean stepping away from electronic gadgets, changing up the daily routine, or something simple as trying a new flavour of ice cream. As your creative juices begin to flow back, your mind will be open to new ideas and find creative solutions to problems. You’ll also notice an extra pep in your step and a lighthearted joy in your days. Remember to have fun while being creative. Here are 12 simple ways on how to stay creative:

©2015 Susie Lee

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Inspirational to unmotivated

When I was growing up, I didn’t think I had many talents but the one thing I knew I had was the gift of encouragement. I loved cheering people up when they were sad or finding a solution when they had a problem. And since I’m generally easy going and happy-go-lucky, I always had a hopeful and optimistic outlook in life, even in hard times.

The fact is, even the happiest of people will have their off-days as they feel unmotivated, uninspired, or are emotionally unavailable. It’ll seem as though they’ve reached their maximum capacity to give – they can only say so many things, in so many ways, so many times.

If this is you right now, keep on moving – no matter how slow it may be. You may feel like ‘what’s the point?’ because you’ve lost your enthusiasm and zest. But these dry spells are necessary for growth as it prunes the unfruitful branches and turns off the autopilot mode. As with all things, this season will pass. And once it’s completed its work in you, you’ll re-gain your balance and start to bear fruit once again. Until then, keep moving.

©2015 Susie Lee

A little goes a long way.

Etiquette will never go out of style – everyone from all walks of life, race, genre, and age will always appreciate kind gestures. Not only will it make them feel appreciated but these simple and sincere acts will speak volumes into your character, mannerisms, and thoughtfulness. Always make time to show respect through the little things you do for people, it’ll leave a lasting impression long after you’re gone.

©2015 Susie Lee

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