If you've been alive long enough, you've definitely experienced the "I've got more/better than you do" attitude from someone.

Sometimes it's funny because we don't really care about whatever they are focusing on. If they happen to stumble upon a sore point though, their jabs can be pretty hurtful.

The next time someone insults you, puts you down or tries to act like they are better than you are for having more stuff, ask yourself these questions:

1. Does this person's opinion really matter to me?
   Is this someone you respect? Is this person reliable and a good influence? Is this someone you would like to be around or share values with?
    
2. Do I really care about whatever they are talking about?
   Is this convo about something that matters to you? Does this have something to do with your life?
    
3. Is this in line with my values and dreams?
   What is your version of success? What is your version of Golden Rule living? Would this be something you would be proud of and feel comfortable with?

Most of the time, people put you down to try to make themselves feel better about themselves.

Someone who is confident in who they are and how they are living their life has ZERO reason to try to bash you.

Have fun, stay safe and God bless,

 

 

Unknown

Mean Girls

If you've been alive long enough, you've definitely experienced the "I've got more/better than you do" attitude from someone.

Perhaps it is because I never went through high school (I went from the first semester of 9th grade to college LOL).

Perhaps it is because I had the responsibilities of an adult long before my peers did. Or maybe it's because our world has dissolved into a bunch of spineless mother truckers in the proverbial hell-bound handbasket.

Whatever it is, I've realized something. We get our feelings hurt when we forget that we don't give a crap about something. And I'll be the first to admit that I used to let myself feel hurt. A lot.

For example, the neighbor who flaunts have huge, flat screen tv's in every room of her house and a gazillion channels. She's bragging about her leather furniture, how she's remodeled her house several times and has two vehicles for herself (instead of how I've got one, Mom has one). Her point is she has more money than I do.

Thing is, I don't WANT that stuff. I would rather have a simple home, pet-friendly furniture, a reliable vehicle and the freedom to travel with my son.

Burt's Pumpkin Farm - Georgia

That woman is trying to make it seem like she's better than me because has more than I do but she's stuck in a set routine to maintain that. Not to mention the fact that she's terrified she'll get robbed.

An ex-boyfriend put me down for not having a husband/partner who is "successful" like him and for being a "poor" single mom. He's got a big truck, is married to a fitness model who just had his baby, etc. etc.

He's also an admitted cheater.

Then there are the "friends" with closet stuff they try to hide with religious perfection and the ones who try to knock you for the size of your rack and booty.

Honey, religion is just soulless, exterior action. Real faith and spirituality isn't just about showing up to church and being involved in everything. It's the state of your heart and how you treat others.

As for my boobs, don't hate me because I'm average. I know you feel like you are just boobs on a stick but heck, if you are going to manipulate people based on your humongous proportions, you've got to expect that's what will happen.

If my boobs are bigger than yours but so is my booty, well, we all have different shapes. Relishing that your booty is not as big as mine or trying to use me as a "fat friend" to make yourself feel better will only hurt you in the long run.

You don't want to hang around someone who always tries to bring you down and it's no different for me. You'll lose one of the best friends you could have ever had.

Real friends don't need to tear each other down to feel better about themselves. Real friends respect each other's differences. Real friends balance each other out naturally because they care.

When I stop to think about it, it's funny.

The key phrase here is "stop to think about it". The next time someone insults you, puts you down or tries to act like they are better than you are for having more stuff, ask yourself these questions:

1. Does this person's opinion really matter to me?
Is this someone you respect? Is this person reliable and a good influence? Is this someone you would like to be around or share values with? 

2. Do I really care about whatever they are talking about?
Is this convo about something that matters to you? Does this have something to do with your life? 

3. Is this in line with my values and dreams?
What is your version of success? What is your version of Golden Rule living? Would this be something you would be proud of and feel comfortable with?

Most of the time, people put you down to try to make themselves feel better about themselves.

Someone who is confident in who they are and how they are living their life has ZERO reason to try to bash you.

Have fun, stay safe, and G-d bless,

Anonymous

Last night I ran across an awesome YouTube video. It's in the style of my "Anatomy of a Hater" post from the other day and is really inspirational.


It takes a little while to get to the "good" stuff, the actual advice part, but hearing her story definitely helps.


[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgOiSu4k9tM&w=460&h=345]


Do you have any advice? We all have life experiences, maybe yours can help inspire someone else too.


Wishing you much peace, happiness and success,

Unknown

Last night I ran across an awesome YouTube video. It's in the style of my "Anatomy of a Hater" post from the other day and is really inspirational.

It takes a little while to get to the "good" stuff, the actual advice part, but hearing her story definitely helps.

[This video was removed or made
private by the uploader.]

Do you have any advice? We all have life experiences, maybe yours can help inspire someone else too.

Have fun, stay safe and God bless,

 

 

Unknown

The city of McAllen, Texas's Park & Recreation department definitely spruced up Bill Schupp Park!

We have pics of various stages in the project but 2 years after it was dedicated, we've got this awesome image.

As native residents of the RGV, we're pretty proud of how it's shaping up. We uploaded pics to a Bill Schupp set on Flickr, added a review on Trekaroo and will be posting a short video tour soon!

Now if only they'd fix the park's east side bathrooms ...

[signoff]

Unknown

If you've ever felt like someone was attacking you unfairly, accusing you of something you didn't do and generally just making your life hell for some reason you do not understand, this post is for you.


My Uncle, who lives in another state, married a slim, intelligent woman. She's not supermodel gorgeous but she is 5'6", slim and knows how to work what she's got. She's a total sophisticate and is great at convincing men anything she says is the gospel truth.


Here's what's true: she has zero *real* self-confidence.


She puts on a great front but she claims credit for things my mom and I accomplished, tell false tales about how sneaky we are, etc.


In other words, she's blaming us for stuff she does and since the dudes - who don't seem to remember she burned them - are led by their non-thinking head, we get dumped on.


We asked her point blank what her problem was. We asked what we'd done to her. She mumbled something vague about a time 3 years before my Mom ever knew she existed (way before I was born) and then hauled butt to go hide in the house.


At first, I was angry. Then I realized what the problem was and now I feel sorry for her. Funny thing is, that makes her more angry and so she lashes out any way she can.

• Horrible, totally false rumors about us? Check.
• Calling our jobs, pretending to be irate customers demanding we be fired? Check.
• Call our jobs, pretending to be us and saying we quit because we're sick/f you all, "I'm authorizing my relative to pick up my last check" (authorizing herself to pick our check up)? Check.
• Causing petty fights in the family to turn our relatives and friends against us? Check.

She torments us wherever we go. She's married in to our family and uses the family grapevine to stalk us.


The most pathetic thing is that if she'd switch from putting all that effort into "destroying" us toward her career and life, she'd be super successful.


She hates us because she's not successful and feels like she should be because she's "so much better" than us. She doesn't understand how we can still move forward and so she doubles her efforts to tear us down.


Ironically, she's the reason she's not successful.


The point here: our enemies are their own enemies. You and I are just their scapegoats.


If you can remember that, it will be easier to shrug off the feelings of betrayal and hurt. It will be easier to focus and work toward your goals.


Haters don't really hate you. They hate themselves, their self-perceived failure to be what you represent to them.


Have fun, stay safe and God bless,

 

 

Unknown

If you've ever felt like someone was attacking you unfairly, accusing you of something you didn't do and generally just making your life hell for some reason you do not understand, this post is for you.

My Uncle, who lives in Arizona, married a slim, intelligent woman. She's not supermodel gorgeous but she is 5'6", slim and knows how to work what she's got. She's a total sophisticate and is great at convincing men anything she says is the gospel truth.

Here's what's true: she has zero *real* self-confidence.

She puts on a great front but she claims credit for things my mom and I accomplished, tell false tales about how sneaky we are, etc.

In other words, she's blaming us for stuff she does and since the dudes - who don't seem to remember she burned them - are led by their non-thinking head, we get dumped on.

We asked her point blank what her problem was. We asked what we'd done to her. She mumbled something vague about a time 3 years before my Mom ever knew she existed (way before I was born) and then hauled butt to go hide in the house.

At first, I was angry. Then I realized what the problem was and now I feel sorry for her. Funny thing is, that makes her more angry and so she lashes out any way she can.

• Horrible, totally false rumors about us? Check.
   
• Calling our jobs, pretending to be irate customers demanding we be fired? Check.
   
• Call our jobs, pretending to be us and saying we quit because we're sick/f you all, "I'm authorizing my relative to pick up my last check" (authorizing herself to pick our check up)? Check.
   
• Causing petty fights in the family to turn our relatives and friends against us? Check.

She torments us wherever we go. She's married in to our family and uses the family grapevine to stalk us.

The most pathetic thing is that if she'd switch from putting all that effort into "destroying" us toward her career and life, she'd be super successful.

She hates us because she's not successful and feels like she should be because she's "so much better" than us. She doesn't understand how we can still move forward and so she doubles her efforts to tear us down.

Ironically, she's the reason she's not successful.

The point here: our enemies are their own enemies. You and I are just their scapegoats.

If you can remember that, it will be easier to shrug off the feelings of betrayal and hurt. It will be easier to focus and work toward your goals.

Haters don't really hate you. They hate themselves, their self-perceived failure to be what you represent to them.

Have fun, stay safe and God bless,

 

Unknown

As ironic as it seems, I'm attending a full day, online seminar today. Ironic because I've posted more today than I have in a while.


The key to this has been time, or lack thereof.


Knowing I had 5 minutes here, 15 minutes there has helped me to condense everything I need to do. Strangely, it's also caused my productivity to soar.


Of course, the ability to post-date posts helps immensely. If it wasn't for this awesome feature, you'd have been bombarded with 5+ posts and a new podcast entry all at once today. LOL


Parkinson's Law is in full effect for me today and I'm grateful! =)


Anyway, check out my radio show page for the latest entry.


Wishing you much peace, happiness and success,

Unknown

The Stir posted an entry that spoke to my very soul. It also made me feel normal and giggle in commiseration with the women who contributed.

This is my version of their 8 point list. I've included a link to the original post at the bottom of this entry.

1. Potty Time
No longer a solitary activity, Potty Time is now a spectator sport. Or at least, it's a new place to field arguments from.

Hey, at least you can make faces without them knowing. Unless they peek under the door. Children and pets have this weird obsession with closed doors.

2. Getting My Nom On
I now hide KitKat bars in the uppermost shelves in the refrigerator (hee hee) and can't open a soda without my son running across the house to ask "was that a soda I heard?".

Yet, he never hears me calling him for dinner or to bring out his dirty laundry.

Anonymous

Last weekend, we took a road trip from South Texas to Eastern Louisiana. We were going to provide moral support for a relative who's (whose?) dad was dying.

It was supposed to be a weekend thing but somehow turned into a day-trip thing. 11 hours one way. Oh my aching booty!

Yep. I was told to pack for 3-5 days. I had 2 hours to pack for myself and my 9 year old son and - of course - get ourselves ready to go. Shower, all that.

That part wasn't a biggie. We've traveled so much that I've got the hurry up and pack thing down pat.

Most of the time we were flying so I have my little baggie system, my 2 "carry-ons" (a backpack with our tech and a snack/blankie bag; stowed behind the seat this time) and one small suitcase (it's all in how you pack it).

Heck, we were ready before the driver was. An adult man with only himself to worry about. We actually had to wait for him! (Typical, huh, ladies? LOL)

Timeline Recap: We left Saturday morning at 9am, arrived at 10pm, got up at 7am, spent the day with my Louisiana relatives, went to bed early in order to hit the road by 6ish-am on Sunday.

So there we were. Driving along in a newer F150 on a beautiful, sunny Sunday morning. When suddenly, the truck's battery and alternator decide to go out. Just as we entered Texas. Still 9ish hours from home!

Anonymous

The Stir posted an entry that spoke to my very soul. It also made me feel normal and giggle in commiseration with the women who contributed.


This is my version of their 8 point list. I've included a link to the original post at the bottom of this entry.

1. Potty Time

No longer a solitary activity, Potty Time is now a spectator sport. Or at least, it's a new place to field arguments from.


Hey, at least you can make faces without them knowing. Unless they peek under the door. Children and pets have this weird obsession with closed doors.


2. Getting My Nom On

I now hide KitKat bars in the uppermost shelves in the refrigerator (hee hee) and can't open a soda without my son running across the house to ask "was that a soda I heard?".


Yet, he never hears me calling him for dinner or to bring out his dirty laundry.


3. Entertainment Options

Not sure how long it's been since I watched a "normal" (i.e. not totally kid safe) movie. Ironically, I don't really want to. I started thinking about how if I wouldn't want to my child to see the "bad" stuff, hear the "bad" stuff, etc. then why would I?


The thing I miss the most is dancing. I love just going out and dancing. Maybe that's why I do the "dance like no one is watching" thing. It's my way to let loose and be a little crazy.


4. Cursing *gasp*

If I say anything worse than "pickle sticks" I feel absolutely horrible. Sadly, I sometimes say harder things like "fudge" and "drat".


Eh, who am I kidding? I sometime let a real one loose and flinch when I hear my son saying it in agreement. Quick lesson time. Son, we BOTH have to not say words like that ...


5. What's A Bath?

My life has been diluted to 5 minute showers. Sometimes I'm lucky and I take a long one. 10 minutes of sweet, sweet bliss.


Bath salts and bubble baths may be out but the latest body wash craze helps make up for that.


6. Mental Function Fails

I've developed "trying to do it all" ADD and (unfortunately) forget stuff. If it wasn't for the Good Lord Himself, the Pomodoro Technique, the FlyLady and -uh-


What was I saying?


Another weird thing is that I *swear* every child that says "mom" is mine. Even though they don't sound ANYTHING like CJ. I'm so well trained that I'm instantly on alert and trying to figure out what the need/want/problem is.


Have you ever automatically reached out to catch a slipping child? Stopped to help a child reach something their little fingers can't quite stretch to? Swoop down, mid-walk and return a baby's dropped toy without pausing?


Heck, sometimes I even auto-respond to the child that keeps whining "mom, mom, mom" at the store. I've actually growled "What?!" and realized, THAT WASN'T MY CHILD!


Not sure who was more surprised: that child, my child, that mom or me. I sputtered, "OMG CJ I thought that was you!" and rushed away.


7. Wild and Free

No matter howhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif responsible we all try to be, there's still that little kid inside. The one that wants to do something wild and crazy just because we're alive, happy and want to shake off the heavy mantle of adulthood every now and then.


Confession: I used to street race. Now, I'm hyper vigilant and use my street skills to drive defensively. I'd die inside if something ever happened to my son (God forbid!) because I was reckless.


Confession: I used to hike in the woods a lot. Now, I'm terrified of all the potential risks. How would I save my son from a mountain lion, bear or shark attack? (We're in rural South Texas. On a homestead. In the land of the rattlesnake and Capybara. LOL)


Yeah, my "Wild and Free" side is majorly repressed. Most of the time, I'm okay with it. It's only when someone says parents are fuddy duddies or I see other parents leaving their kids all over creation to go be crazy (get drunk, high, etc.) that it bugs me.


That's why family adventure is so important to me. We're whole people. We want to have fun too. We just have an extra munchkin or two to consider and share it with. =)


8. Mommy Guilt/Amazement

I know I suffer from "can't be away from my child" mommy guilt but I'm not sure how to treat it. I kinda think there'd be something wrong with me if I didn't notice my child wasn't around.


Don't get me wrong, I know both my child and I need space to be individual people. That's healthy, normal and will help both of us be happier and more fulfilled in the long run.


Thing is, I really like my son's personality. I like having him around. He's smart, he's funny, he's really nice, respectful and very observant (which can be both a good and bad thing LOL). I love to adventure and experience the world through his eyes. He thinks of things I didn't consider or maybe overlooked.


It's amazing to think this handsome and super delightful mini-person was once in my tummy!


9. What Is Sleep?

The original list had 8 points but I just *had* to add this one!


You see, I used to sleep like a log. I literally once slept through a fire call in a condo complex in Austin that made normal walking sound like a herd of elephants on a drum set.


Now? Any little thing wakes me up instantly.


Ironically, MY mom now sleeps like a log. I lay there in the dark, staring at the exposed rafters a lot more than I'd like to.


I'm sure there's more but I've developed "trying to do it all" ADD and (unfortunately) forget stuff. Or did I already mention that?


If this has resonated at all with you, you've got to read the original 8 Things You Can't Do Once You Have A Kid post. Better yet, join the conversation! =)


Have fun, stay safe and God bless,

 

 

Unknown

So much has happened in the past few weeks. Nothing terribly horrible or anything.


It's just one of those periods where you feel drained and like you need to retreat into yourself for a bit to recharge. I've alternated between:


A) Wanting to cut off my phone service, disconnect the internet and disappear into the woods for a while.


and


B) Wanting to go out and punch the world in the -uh- yeah.


With my responsibilities, CJ taking classes online and my own return to University in October, I can't go all 1800's on anyone's @$$. No matter how tempting it is.


Since life goes on, even when we're desperately searching for the "pause" button on the Big Guy's remote, there's nothing else to do but ... DANCE!


If you know me, you know I'm cheesy and always looking for a good beat to keep me going, lift my spirits and shake the booty to.

My latest discovery is a free album (for now) from a fast talking guy named Watsky.

Remember the super fast talking Hot Wheels guy? Yeah, think fast like that but younger, a tad bit foul mouthed (language warning) and definitely hip hop-ier.


The beat I heart is the "Show Goes On mini-mix" off of his "A New Kind Of Sexy Mixtape" album.


Show Goes On mini-mix by Watsky

Yeah, it's short. I recommend putting it on replay and playing a few more songs off that CD. Songs like "4AM Monday".


Wishing you much peace, happiness and success,

Unknown

So much has happened in the past few weeks. Nothing terribly horrible or anything.


It's just one of those periods where you feel drained and like you need to retreat into yourself for a bit to recharge.

My fight-or-flight reflex has kicked in and I've alternated between:
A) Wanting to cut off my phone service, disconnect the internet and disappear into the woods for a while.


and


B) Wanting to go out and punch the world in the -uh- yeah.


With my responsibilities, CJ taking classes online and my own return to University in October, I can't go all 1800's on anyone's @$$. No matter how tempting it is.


Since life goes on, even when we're desperately searching for the "pause" button on the Big Guy's remote, there's nothing else to do but ... DANCE!


If you know me, you know I'm cheesy and always looking for a good beat to keep me going, lift my spirits and shake the booty to.

My latest discovery is a free album (for now) from a fast talking guy named Watsky.

Remember the super fast talking Hot Wheels guy? Yeah, think fast like that but younger, a tad bit foul mouthed (language warning) and definitely hip hop-ier.


The beat I heart is the "Show Goes On mini-mix" off of his "A New Kind Of Sexy Mixtape" album.
Show Goes On mini-mix by Watsky

Yeah, it's short. I recommend putting it on replay and playing a few more songs off that CD. Songs like "4AM Monday".

Have fun, stay safe and God bless,

 

 

Unknown

A lot has been said about the quality of the food we eat. Research has proven that lower income families have poor diets because it’s cheaper to buy junk food than to buy fresh, healthy food.


In addition to financial issues, there's also the time problem. A lot of us don’t have the time to prepare the healthier and cheaper recipes that we wish we could.


Who do you rely on when you are crunched for time, the kids are hungry, you are hungry and tired and – worst of all – you don’t know how you’re going to make ends meet because your budget is so tight?


We can personally testify that:

• You don’t need store-bought convenience foods or drive-through windows.
• You don’t need acres of land to grow your own food.
• You don’t need to buy hundreds of dollars worth of organic goodies to eat healthier.

All you need are a few simple routines and a willingness to take a different path. A path that leads to self-sufficiency and self-sustainability.


Have fun, stay safe and God bless,

 

 

Unknown

A lot has been said about the quality of the food we eat. Research has proven that lower income families have poor diets because it’s cheaper to buy junk food than to buy fresh, healthy food.

In addition to financial issues, there's also the time problem. A lot of us don’t have the time to prepare the healthier and cheaper recipes that we wish we could.

Who do you rely on when you are crunched for time, the kids are hungry, you are hungry and tired and – worst of all – you don’t know how you’re going to make ends meet because your budget is so tight?

We can personally testify that:

• You don’t need store-bought convenience foods or drive-through windows.
• You don’t need acres of land to grow your own food.
• You don’t need to buy hundreds of dollars worth of organic goodies to eat healthier.

All you need are a few simple routines and a willingness to take a different path. A path that leads to self-sufficiency and self-sustainability.

Have fun, stay safe, and G-d bless,

Anonymous

A lot has been said about the quality of the food we eat. Research has proven that lower income families have poor diets because it’s cheaper to buy junk food than to buy fresh, healthy food.


In addition to financial issues, there's also the time problem. A lot of us don’t have the time to prepare the healthier and cheaper recipes that we wish we could.

>Who do you rely on when you are crunched for time, the kids are hungry, you are hungry and tired and – worst of all – you don’t know how you’re going to make ends meet because your budget is so tight?


We can personally testify that:

• You don’t need store-bought convenience foods or drive-through windows.
   
• You don’t need acres of land to grow your own food. 
• You don’t need to buy hundreds of dollars worth of organic goodies to eat healthier.

All you need are a few simple routines and a willingness to take a different path. A path that leads to self-sufficiency and self-sustainability.


Have fun, stay safe and God bless,

 

 

Unknown

This tree seems to have formed a healthy, long term relationship with a vine that could have killed it.

The building behind it? That is a local church in Pharr, Texas.

Yep. This interesting display is part of the St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church's beautiful jungle yard. Kinda figures that - in a place like this - the good and bad balanced out to make something cool.

You gotta admit, that tree looks both cool and creepy at the same time, doesn't it? LOL

We will be posting a short video tour and Flickr pic set of their gorgeous grounds soon! We promise that it really is pretty and this was really the only slightly freaky part. =)

[signoff]

Unknown