Hump Day Thoughts on "Coming to terms - mine, yours, or ours" 05/9/12

Already the 9th of May, and so far it seems like this month is just rolling along. All the signs are present that spring is definitely in the air as I see flowers in full bloom and folks have long since shed their long sleeves. This is probably one of the most exciting times of the year for a lot of families with the flurry of graduations and Mother's Day this upcoming weekend. Twelve years ago I know how exciting it was for me to walk across the stage at Jackson State University the day before Mother's Day. What an exciting time that was for me to make my mother proud and begin new chapters in my life. Looking back over the last twelve years it seems as though I never left school because the learning doesn't stop. Sometimes I wonder about the journey that I have taken over the years only to see where I am growing still learning about the world and myself. I have realized that once you stop learning you have really stopped growing. Through conversations with some people and a little self-discovery I have accepted the fact that I am selfish about some things. At first I was a little taken aback, but then it made sense as I am very hesitant to let go of; things I have worked for, my time, my thoughts/ideas. I guess the common denominator is that those things are mine before anyone else's. This observation took me down a path of in what circumstances do I share these things. At the end of the day, I make the choice to share these things on my terms; when and where I want to. Is there anything that you tend to be selfish about? What are those things? Why do think you do? So I started to develop some of my thoughts on why we tend to be selfish with things and it appears that it all boils down to on whose terms. Confusing at this minute probably. I am probably going to have to dig a little deeper to make the connection between selfish and terms. You may notice how the world works that if the terms are favorable for another party then there really are not any concerns on their behalf. And I guess that's really human nature for people to choose to engage in things where the terms are favorable based on their situation. Why would one ever engage in something where the terms were unfavorable? Have you ever agreed to something on unfavorable terms? Why did you do it? At some point in life we may have to make a decision on whose terms things are going be on. Before we do anything we are given a choice and it is important to figure out how we want to proceed. Whether its a relationship, career, giving of our time, or even a purchase of something there are terms that we are willing to agree to. What happens when the terms are not something you are willing to agree to? What are your next steps? Do you look elsewhere for an opportunity that's on your terms? Or do you just deal with it what you have? Is there an opportunity to negotiate to more favorable terms? You may be in a situation right now having trouble coming to terms with something, but you are going to have to be the one to make the decision whether you will or not. People can present things to us over time, but we still have to decide what we are going to do. Whether they are my terms or your terms, you can't escape coming to terms with anything. It all starts in the mind and you have to remember that positive thoughts breed positive actions. From here on out, remember that the #PositiveMovementsForward lifestyle is the foundation to get you where you want to be. Have you come to terms with that, yet? All the ingredients are present now for you to live life and be amazing, but the question is are you willing to agree to the terms to get you there? “In simplest terms, a leader is one who knows where he wants to go, and gets up, and goes.” John Erksine “Stop thinking in terms of limitations and start thinking in terms of possibilities” Terry Josephson “If you think in terms of a year, plant a seed; if in terms of ten years, plant trees; if in terms of 100 years, teach the people.” Confucius “Those who really seek the path to Enlightenment dictate terms to their mind. Then they proceed with strong determination.” Buddha “The most valuable things in life are not measured in monetary terms. The really important things are not houses and lands, stocks and bonds, automobiles and real state, but friendships, trust, confidence, empathy, mercy, love and faith.” Bertrand Russell “The customer perceives service in his or her own terms” Arch McGill “If you wish to converse with me, define your terms” Voltaire “You are a product of your environment. So choose the environment that will best develop you toward your objective. Analyze your life in terms of its environment. Are the things around you helping you toward success - or are they holding you back?” W. Clement Stone “Anyone who cannot come to terms with his life while he is alive needs one hand to ward off a little his despair over his fate... but with his other hand he can note down what he sees among the ruins.” Franz Kafka “If you haven't the strength to impose your own terms upon life, you must accept the terms it offers you.” T. S. Eliot