Monday, August 1, 2016

Your Soul Will Come Alive When You Go After Your Dreams

Tonight is my typical blog night. I missed posting last Monday because it was my first night "Going Live" on FB  and I had to prepare. It was pretty cool, a new learning curve and pretty successful. It's a hard decision to make these days, with all the ways to reach people, exactly which ones to use. So... I do what I feel most people with some sort of influence do... I use them all. Some people like to read, others would rather watch, and I want to reach them all.

I am not really sure with all that is roaming around in my head tonight what to share, but I prayed about it and simply asked God to give me some words that someone needs to hear. When I have drawn blanks before and asked that of Him, some of my best stuff has been delivered, so let's see what comes out of this. I will just tell a story of something that happened today and let it flow. It touched me and perhaps it will touch you too.

Pain is a funny thing, we often hide it inside as to not call attention to ourselves or our troubles, yet in my life, I have witnessed many times that letting it out and sharing a painful moment touches lives, helps us connect, and lets us inside one another's hearts. In all that, change often happens, positive change, life-changing change It's cool, and has a lot of impact; at least on me.

Some of you know that I am in the planning stages of my life long dream... building a massive mentoring community called The S. Giard Group, whose goal is nothing more than to impact the lives of everyone involved and to change the way people look at personal and professional growth.

Our mission is to help EVERYONE involved, no matter how much or how little to manifest what ALL of us have inside. To rid ourselves of the things that hold us back.

This goal is something that has been in my head for a long time, about 11 years, actually. For the past 7, I have been mapping out how I would build it and run it. For the past two I have been piecing it together and now I am filling the pipelines. It is the most influential endeavor I have ever attempted.

I am excited and thrilled that I am now in the stage of adding mentors... finding the very people that will help me run this and make it a reality. With that being said, I have been interviewing people over the past several months and it has been a great process.

Today, I met with a lady that I was introduced to by one of my newest mentors, Ken, who is on the leadership and accountability team. The three of us met for coffee and she and I began to get acquainted. It came time for me to present my company and all that I have planned for it to this new contact. After I presented the whole concept and all that we were about, she was wowed. She shared personally with me a little bit about her son and as she did, she became very emotional coming to tears and said "If my son would have had something like this to plug into, his life would have been very different. This is really great Shelley and I would love to be part of this!"

I knew, in that moment, that I wanted her on my team.

You see, there is something to be said about a genuine soul, one that is not afraid to share, not afraid to cry. One that has been through their own experiences and KNOWS the value of having something, someone to plug into. A soul that KNOWS what self improvement and self discovery can do for your life. It was an awesome moment and I am looking forward to welcoming someone with a business degree as well as a masters in the Psychology field on the team.

Things are coming together. It is exciting, and no matter how long it takes to build this dream, I will push on despite the people who may think I am a crazy, far-fetched dreamer. They are right, I am. I am likely as FAR-FETCHED as they come. But, so were Walt Disney, Hans Christian Anderson, Dr, Seuss, Colonel Sanders and Ray Croc, just to name a few. They went for YEARS being broke to go after their dreams. They were relentless on the emotional roller coaster it is to go after a dream. However all of them, ALL of them reached their goal, fulfilled their dreams, changed lives and lived to see it happen.

For those who gave up... we can't say that. We don't know what may have happened if they had stuck it out just a little while longer. They died defeated, and likely worn out by the cruelty of a life without dreams and goals. A life that most people lead...

Is that the life you lead?

I am ALWAYS preaching on dreaming big and going after them and I will preach this till the day I die. If you are going to follow me, get used to it, or politely say good bye and know that I wish you lots of success and happiness.

As my tag line goes, "I am the girl that will tell you that you CAN when everyone else says you can't."

If you need that, I am here to plug into. I am here for you to share with others who need an outlet.

Today... I was moved by a tearful moment when someone felt that my company could have changed her son's life, THAT was so encouraging and it's little moments like that from a complete stranger that keep me going sometimes. That's two in the past several days... God knew I needed that encouragement and delivered it right on time.

I hope that somehow, these words stirred something inside of you. KNOW that I believe in you and want to help you in any way that I can. Reach out, anytime to the email below and I will help you find your voice and your way.

Email: TheSGiardGroupTeam@Gmail.com
Subject Line: Blog Reader

Be AWESOME, Dream BIG and don't let anything stop you.

"The past is the inspiration to the story, the days ahead are the painting... remember that you hold the brush to create it. Now go make it a masterpiece." ©ShelleyGiard

Until next time....

PURSUE WHAT YOU HOPE FOR; LEAVE BEHIND WHAT YOU WISH TO FORGET.... 


xoxo

Shells






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Monday, July 18, 2016

Be the Light That Others Seek

Well friends, another week has passed and I am sad to say that the world is still a mess. If only I had a magic wand to sweep over the nation and fix it all; wouldn't THAT be awesome?

I am thankful today for my health, for my family and for the simple fact that I am alive; for that, I am blessed. I do not live in fear, although there are several people who do. I do not live in worry, because I can only live day to day being the best that I can and plan for a brighter future.

My goal today is to be short and sweet, to be a muse for those of you who need an escape from all that is happening and just need some light to shine in on your life. After all, if we all became beacons for others, this world would be a better place now wouldn't it?

But instead, most people spread negativity, they replay news stories that we are all tired of seeing, hearing and being reminded of. We do not pose solutions, but simply regurgitate the problems. We thrive on, yet also fear the chaos. It's the most obscene contradiction I know of.

Nothing is perfect, but that does not mean we should give up trying to perfect what has gone so terribly wrong. We get swallowed up in current events, political debate and propaganda. Meanwhile... we miss out on the bigger picture; CHANGING OURSELVES to influence others.

We CAN'T change others, but we CAN change ourselves, and through those changes we inspire others to change. Anger fuels anger, hate fuels hate, fear fuels fear, worry fuels worry, violence fuels more violence.

On the other hand, love... understanding and hope fuels the same. What fuel are you pouring out for the world to see?

I will continue to be a light in a VERY dark world. I will continue to spread the Word of God in hopes of changing a few hearts, because I know how miraculously mine was changed and what that change did and continues to do for my life.

I STARTED WITH ME when things were a mess, and I encourage you to do the same. When people start to see you change, they take notice, they pay attention, and soon enough, you will have a few people following you. You will inspire others to change so that they can have some of what you have... happiness. Be the page that people go to when everyone else on their feed is negative.

"Be the light and others will seek you. Be the dark and people will fall into it with you."
©2016 Shelley Giard

Matthew 5: 14-16
"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.


Until next time....

PURSUE WHAT YOU HOPE FOR; LEAVE BEHIND WHAT YOU WISH TO FORGET.... 


xoxo

Shells






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Monday, July 11, 2016

And Then I Met Gabby

I am often amazed how God works in my life. When once upon a time I could not "feel" his presence. When I thought that because of all of my mistakes and bad choices, that He would never help me, love me or forgive me.

It was ME, it was my lack of belief and trust that was the problem. I am really glad that I was wrong about Him, and even happier that He brought me to the experiences I needed to ask for His help in hopes of actually getting it. This is why I am thankful for the horrible moments and struggles in my life, for without them, I would never have needed Him.

I am writing this on day 6 of a 9 day family vacation, and although it may seem strange that I am "working" on vacation by writing this blog post, I was inspired to do so and with all the violence that has happened over the last few days; innocent men being shot dead by men with authority and firearms, I KNOW that this is coming at a perfect time. Now I know why God put Gabby in my life.

If you have ever read any of my blogs, you know that I think miles outside of the box, that I can pull a positive twist from the straightest of lines to help you see a side you may never have realized in a situation, encounter or circumstance.

Today is one of those days.

The other day, we stopped at Publix, a grocery store for those who may not be familiar, to get a few things before heading back to our condo for the night. My niece wanted to get a sandwich from the deli, so we headed over to stand in line. In front of us, was a mother and her 3 children. The youngest of the 3 decided to look at me and smile big, so I smiled back and quickly said "hello there, how are you today?" She innocently threw me a Cheshire grin and said "Hi, guess what? I was the first one in line for a sandwich." I chuckled and told her that they should give her a prize for that and she happily agreed with me.

We proceeded to carry on a delightful conversation as we stood waiting for our orders to be filled. This exuberant little girl had so much to say and her personality was simply amazing. She impressed me, and I complimented her mother on what an amazing child she was. Her mother chuckled and shared that she was quite a character and that I probably shouldn't blow her head up too much. I laughed and said, "well, unfortunately, you have no idea who you have run into... I tend to find the best in people and help them shine, it's what I do." She smiled.

We continued to talk and Gabby (such an appropriate name for this child) continued to impress and entertain  me during what would have been a boring wait in line with delightful conversation. I told her that she was amazing, that I felt she would become something great one day, and that the world needed to know who she was. 

It was at this time I asked how old she was and she pridefully said "3". I was absolutely FLOORED! "3??? Are you kidding me?", I said to her mom. I was so incredibly blessed by meeting this little ball of joy. I immediately asked her mother's permission to share a blog about Gabby... I asked her if she would send me a picture since Gabby felt she "looked a mess" being that she had just been at a water park. I was thrilled when her mother said yes to both. We borrowed a pen from the deli manager and on the back of a menu, her mother wrote her contact info.


It is not the simple meeting of this 3 year old amazing little girl that I was so excited to share with you today. What excited me and inspired me, was how this little girl made the simple choice to smile at me, it was the innocence in that beautiful smile that moved my soul. It was how that smile provoked me to speak to her and how those first few words led to a wonderful conversation. It is how that conversation made a negative wait in line a wonderful experience, and now has become an inspiring story to all of you.

It's a ripple effect, the butterfly effect, the wonders of paying attention to a small encounter in your life and using it for a MUCH bigger purpose. The ability to realize that God puts everyone in your life for a reason. Finding purpose is why we have been given gifts and feelings, and experiences. Things we go through SHOULD bring us to bigger purpose. To live with purpose, is to live life as it was intended.

I am not sure if my simple little blog will make Gabby famous, I am not certain that millions will read, but I KNOW with the history of my posts, that thousands will and at least one person who reads this will be inspired, at least one person will smile and maybe think of how one small gesture, act of kindness or how telling a story can ultimately change someone's day, life, and even the world.

I could easily be saddened and consumed by the way our world lives in fear, how people no longer talk to their neighbors or speak to strangers because they are glued to their phone screens, or simply afraid to speak. I could be paralyzed by how hate is fueled by mere differences in lifestyle and opinion. Instead, I hang on to wonderful little moments that shed a glimmer of hope. I am inspired by people like me who are not afraid; people like Gabby.

I read my Bible to learn about how we are to live, act towards others, and get through the struggles that come. I wish I had done this years ago, but am thankful that I have done this for the past three years. As I have learned and applied what I learn, life has become easier, more peaceful and my trust in God has grown exponentially. I KNOW as long as I lean into Him, I will have peace in my struggles. I know that EVERY person He brings into my life crosses my path for a greater purpose, and I ask to be shown that purpose.

Thank you Gabby, for smiling at me... although you are young and may not be able to fully comprehend the impact it had on me, I encourage you to please... keep smiling at strangers. You will have impact on many people through life if you stay EXACTLY who you are.  Keep being amazing, Dream SUPER BIG, and NEVER give up on those dreams little girl. YOU have the potential to become ANYTHING that you want to be and certainly have the personality to get you there! No matter what anyone tells you, no matter how many people may tell you you cant', KNOW that I think that you CAN!

Thanks to her mom Mandy for allowing your precious little girl to have a conversation with a complete stranger, and by allowing me to share your little girl with my readers. By doing so, my blog was brought back to life after a much needed break .

To my fans... my readers... my friends.  SHELLS IS BACK!

Until next time....

PURSUE WHAT YOU HOPE FOR; LEAVE BEHIND WHAT YOU WISH TO FORGET.... 


xoxo

Shells






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Tuesday, January 12, 2016

2016... The Year of Full Faith; Here's To A New Beginning

~Closing the door on 2015~

Have you ever wished you could have a do-over? Perhaps you made a wrong decision, said something you wish you could take back, let go of something that you wish you had held onto, or held onto something when you should of let go...

I accomplished every one of the above in 2015. It was a year of drastic change, big moves, major decisions and lots of uncertainty.  It is no surprise as I reflected as the year closed, I was left feeling caught in the tailwind of it all.

Being quite the spontaneous person despite my responsibilities, I often make quick decisions when something feels right; why waste time? We are not promised tomorrow and who wants to die asking "what if?" However sometimes, when I get ahead of myself and finally stop to look at where I stand, the reaction is... "WOW, God gave you guts of glory and the courage of a lion. You did it! NOW what are you going to do?"

~De-railed~

My last blog post was written the week of Thanksgiving, and although I wish I could say it was my busy schedule that caused the silence, I can't. This time, my silence was because I did not know what to write, what to say... I was dealing with the bottled up emotions of having one HELL of a year. For the past several weeks I have been wrapped up in an emotional roller coaster trying to find myself again. I got lost last year... REALLY lost in the numbness of what was happening around me and kicked into survival mode. Only a few people knew what was going on, and even they did not know all that was happening. I tend to be private in these thunderstorms of emotion.


~Here's To A New Beginning~

So, here I am... sharing the first blog post of 2016. Ready to conquer, turning another page, writing another chapter, allowing the past to be the past and opening myself up for what the future has to bring. I am going into the new year single, once again, in a new state, after 17 years of being in Florida,  and retired from the "hair chair"... a career that gave my kids and I a great life for 24 years. A lot of change for one year, but it's time to go after BIGGER dreams, to pursue something with even GREATER purpose, and live the next 10 years going after it like I never have.

I have a lot to accomplish, a lot of things I want to achieve, things I want to experience and I'll be honest and say that when I look ahead, the road is foggy... the clarity I am used to is gone. I am running ahead in FULL FAITH this time. I wish I knew the bible more...  (I am slowly making my way through it) There must be a story where God led someone into a crazy scenario asking them to TRUST in Him. That is how I feel right now, in this very moment. Through the tears of fear I also feel excitement because I know that when we are brought to our knees, miracles happen.  I am listening to every prompt, every word and will follow even when I am fearful...


I invite you to follow me on the continued journey... my next set of chapters 
"GOING AFTER MY HAPPY ENDING"

Until next time....

PURSUE WHAT YOU HOPE FOR; LEAVE BEHIND WHAT YOU WISH TO FORGET.... 


xoxo

Shells





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Monday, November 23, 2015

Focus, Faith and Future

As I cued up the instrumental music tonight, I wasn't quite sure what to write about... so I prayed. In mere moments, the word FOCUS stirred inside of me. Here I go, letting it flow, fingers to the keys, no forethought at all.



RAT ON A WHEEL

There are so many thoughts in my head that I can barely keep up with them. Focus is a constant battle. I make lists and then sub-lists just to get it all out and accomplished. As my good friend Will best describes me... " You have a Ferrari brain with Chevy brakes." That about sums it up, and it's no different today than it was yesterday, in fact, it may even be worse.

Many things in today's world demand our "focus" calling our immediate attention; or is it that we simply CHOOSE to give them the immediate attention that they DO NOT truly deserve? We are pulled so far away from where our focus should be...

GOD 1st, FAMILY 2nd, CAREER 3rd

That is what is written, it's what is REQUIRED to live a life of abundance, yet we struggle as we are pulled from living this way on a daily basis. It takes a lot of strength to live this trilogy of faith; I suppose that is why the reward is so great when we do.

This morning when I woke up with an overwhelming feeling to write, the urge was expressed in a status update on Facebook. Without any though at all, I opened my laptop and just wrote...

So often we look for happiness and fulfillment in things... in people... in actions, money and careers yet still feel empty, lonely, broken and defeated.
Simply put, we are looking in the wrong places.
Once you realize where to turn, who to surrender control to, and EXPERIENCE the wonder of God's grace for real, your heart and life will be filled in a way I can only describe through experience.
I have come a long way since my days of atheism; I did not even know that's what it was called. All I knew was that God had never been there for me... or so I thought. My life was a mess and I felt that if I was "His child" he wouldn't let my life fall apart.
In reality, He was always there. I had just never invited Him to walk with me, to guide me, to change me. Now that I have, my life has changed, my heart is filled even when it's empty and even when I fall; because I still do, I know by grabbing His hand in a tearful surrender, He will pick me up and carry me to a peaceful place.
Have a blessed Sunday knowing that you are never alone even in your loneliest moments and that you are blessed every day even when you don't notice.

All day, my mind swirled around in thought about what I wrote and I got a feeling inside that I need to shift my focus in a few areas of life. Then, one sentence in today's message at church confirmed that for me. Refocus is needed in many of our lives as we sacrifice things we should never sacrifice for things so insignificant, so undeserving. We don't even take moments to STOP and realize that it is leaving us empty inside. We repeat cycles expecting different outcomes when the results have already been proven and rarely change; we are in a comfortable denial.

We hold onto things for self serving reasons and call ourselves generous, we future pace our lives instead of handling the present, we avoid problems and issues causing them to multiply while focusing on what deserves the LEAST amount of our attention. We hurt ourselves, our lives, our present, our future and those around us. 

TIME TO REFOCUS!!
I have been working really hard lately on refocusing energy, but have failed in a few areas. Today I made a promise to myself, to future, to family and to the legacy that I hope to leave behind long after being gone. I will refocus in the areas of life where it's needed and put God 1st in everything. I have failed Him, but He does not fail me. Trying harder, sacrificing for Him, not for self service will allow Him to deliver the life He wants to give me. Where I fail, He will forgive, where I fall, he will pick me up and carry me when there is nothing left in me to walk. Putting my attention where it should be and leaving the rest alone is something that I will remind myself of every single day.

I encourage you to evaluate where your focus is... define what is sucking up all your energy and attention. Is it worthy of your attention? If it is, then make it a more significant part of your life, but if it's not, perhaps you should simply let it go. Get unstuck by shifting your focus and weeding out what is not helping you. Focus on the what is to be rather than the what is now or what has been before. Change is the most uncomfortable feeling there is and letting go of things is frightening... but at times it is the ONLY answer to reaching the next stage of life.

Until next time....

PURSUE WHAT YOU HOPE FOR; LEAVE BEHIND WHAT YOU WISH TO FORGET.... 


xoxo

Shells





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Monday, November 9, 2015

Mirror Mirror on the Wall..... a Thought on Reflection

There is a tremendous energy pouring out into my words tonight. As I slid on my headphones, cued up my instrumental music and closed my eyes to pray over the delivery of my message to you, an unexpected tear rolled down my face and I wasn't quite sure if it was a happy tear or just a powerful little moment of reflection. It has been quite a week, a roller coaster of emotions as many thoughts have been swirling around in my head. This is not to say that this isn't a usual occurrence for me, but this week has been a little more intense than normal; dramatic change will do that for you.

This message is going to speak loudly to someone, maybe it's you... maybe it is someone that you know that you'll share it with... all I know is that my intuitive energy is saying that THIS is going to be an important post for someone who reads it.

REFLECTION

The other night as I lay awake in bed reflecting on things past, present and the hopes for a beautiful future, I thought about the many years that I did not like who I was as a person. I found myself recalling the actions and experiences that made me the person I had a hard time looking at. I did all I could to pretend that I was someone else to gain acceptance from those around me. As years went on, I hid my anger, frustrations, shame, sadness, and emptiness from everyone; there was a lot of it. I used to stare in the mirror and wonder who I really was, I felt as though I had actually lost myself somewhere along the way.

It wasn't until years later, I realized that it wasn't that I had lost who I was... It was that I had never really figured out WHO I actually was simply because the time was never spent getting to know the real ME. I was too busy submerged in the circumstances, and experiences trying to fake it, trying to be who everyone else expected me to be. I had not yet defined who I truly wanted to be and how I could become that person. It was even later still that I realized I was actually responsible for creating what others saw in me; it was with that discovery that everything began to change. My actions, my priorities, visions of my future; I shudder at the thought of where I once was, how far I have come and all that I have and continue to learn about myself in the process.

PERCEPTION

We all perceive ourselves as this "person" and when we look at our reflection in the mirror we see that "person" staring back at us. Have you ever thought about the fact that YOU have only seen your reflection? You have NEVER and never will be able to see yourself as others see you... it's basically impossible. Let that soak in for a minute. Close your eyes after reading this sentence and think about what you feel when you stare at yourself in the mirror.... what do you see?

AVOIDANCE

Now... do you like that person or do you avoid staring at your reflection because you are filled with feelings of regret, shame, guilt, or disgust? Do you fail to see the beauty because all you see are flaws? Do you see only mistakes, bad choices, or the pain that you and others around you have caused? Do you see wrinkles, tired eyes and a solemn face, or is there still a smile? What you avoid multiplies... what you face, gets resolved. What are you scared to face? What are you avoiding?

DISBELIEF

How many times has someone told you that you look like a celebrity and you found it surprising? How about when someone sees a quality in you or compliments you on something that almost makes you feel uncomfortable or comes across as ingenuine because you simply cannot see it yourself?People are not crazy... they just have the unique ability to see in us what we often cannot see ourselves. Maybe it's time to start believing they are right and accepting it as truth; that is the hard part. Even harder is accepting these things when you can't even look at yourself in the mirror. Have you taken the time to define who you are, to really get to know YOU and create who you want everyone else to see?

EPITAPH

I often think of my epitaph... and what I want it to be. After years of figuring out what makes me tick, through self discovery and reflection, I sometimes think of what others will say about me when I am gone. It's not that I care if people like me or not, but rather the legacy I will leave behind. When you think of things in this perspective, something may click inside of you like it did me.

People around us die every single day and although all are missed initially, the ones whose absence is felt by many for long periods of time are those that took the time to develop a reflection to be proud of; to create a life of significance that touched the hearts and lives of others deeply; THAT is who I want to be so that my existence matters, so that I make a difference in someone's life while I am here, even if they only knew me for a moment. I want to be proud of myself even if nobody else is. THAT is what matters to me. I want to use every single gift God gave me to do good; one of the reasons you are reading this blog right now was me wanting to take my trials and failures and share them with you. There is nothing wrong with, but everything wrong with not enjoying your own reflection or in these days of social media... enjoying your"selfie".

I catch myself looking at people's self portraits on social media and find that they often tell a story. Some tell a story of triumph while others tell a story of tragedy. Some people are crying out while others are shouting to the rooftops that THEY LIKE WHO THEY ARE! (and well, then some are just plain narcissistic.)

A SPIRITUAL TWIST

What does God see? How does He perceive us? Have you ever asked yourself this question? Perhaps you have avoided God altogether because of your own inability to look at that person in the glass. Maybe you are telling yourself that you are faithful while still doubting your worthiness. That used to be me. I had made so many mistakes, and was so ashamed of myself and my decisions and failures. I  felt alone, angry and empty. It wasn't until I learned that God sees us all in light, in glory that He gave to us, that our imperfections are what gives Him a reason to step in and perfect us. We are all seeds of perfection waiting to be watered and bathed in the sun of His grace if we can just BELIEVE that we are worth it. That is the life He wants for you, and in reality, it's the life we want for ourselves. CLAIM IT!!!!


YOU ARE WORTH IT

You are forgiven. Ask and you shall receive, but you have to TAKE what is given to you. We are all molded by experience, all of us shaped through shame and failure. Some of us accept these things and find our way through hope and grace while others continue to drown in the cold and emptiness falling back right where God wanted to pick us up from. Reach for His hand... it is outstretched and waiting for you to grab hold..

GROWTH

My words were not always so faithful, in fact as the past few years brought on more confusing trials and pain, my faith grew substantially, and I grew so much as a person. Sometimes I feel that with every stage of growth I am set farther and farther apart from everyone around me, and that reality can feel pretty lonely. It is hard to connect with people when they can't seem to connect with where you are in life. In these times I pray, and ask for the right people to fall into my path and have faith that one day I will be fulfilled... I know that day will come.


MOMENT OF TRUTH

I encourage you today to stare at your reflection... for longer than a minute, truly look deeply into it and decide what you need to change, face what you have been avoiding and give YOURSELF your all. Begin to see what others see, by simply believing it as truth. For me... that meant facing some harsh realities. What others saw was an egotistical know it all who thought she was better than everyone else, and men saw me as someone who was vulnerable and easy to fool into "love", because I lacked it, even for myself. Kind of funny how contrary that was to who I saw when I looked in that mirror. The person I saw was a broken soul, in need of saving. I was trying to prove myself to the world because my self esteem was so low I felt I was proof of nothing. I drank to drown my shame, had no self worth and gave what value I did have away to anyone who would give me attention and make me feel loved, but it wasn't true... it was false and this left me insecure, lonely and empty.

When I faced what others saw and decided that was NOT how I wanted my story written, not the person I wanted to be known as, I changed. When will you change? Are you ready for something different?



Until next time....

PURSUE WHAT YOU HOPE FOR; LEAVE BEHIND WHAT YOU WISH TO FORGET.... 


xoxo

Shells





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