Family Ties

"Family is not an important thing. It's everything." -Michael J. Fox

Families come in all shapes and sizes. They come in ways you may view as non-traditional. To others, your traditional family might very well be considered non-traditional. It could be considered matrilocal (a mother and her children); conjugal (a husband, his wife, and children); or even consanguineal (extended family) whereby parents and children live together with other members of one parent's family.

There have been studies showing that:

- Having social support is greatly related to psychological well-being. What this means is the more one feels they have family and friends that will be there for them, the less likely one will become depressed and anxious.

- Having high levels of social support is a predictor of greater job satisfaction and a higher number of years staying within a particular job as opposed to those without the social support.

- Healthier living is much more likely with greater social support which translates into greater odds of living longer and much more productive or active into older age.

We each understand that there can never be the "perfect" family, regardless of the style or makeup of that family. We have our differences and friction can take place. But the family environment should allow for that friction to take place in a safe place. Being able to express, learn, laugh and love is what the family can do for us.

Your family is not always contained to "blood" relationships. Families can grow to be close friends, a community family or a church family. Each are in support of one another, in good times and in troubled times, each are there to support one another.

Find your family to be a part of. It is a two-way street in which you give of yourself to but also get to receive in times of need. There will be disagreement, but there will also be laughter...and there will always be love.

Stay inspired my friends.

Chains That Bind

"So often time it happens, we all live our life in chains, and we never even know we have the key." ~The Eagles, "Already Gone"

We have a tendency to place limitations on our own lives. We believe that many of those limitations are placed there by others. The source of all our failure is someone else. There will never be any rising above our circumstance if we do not step beyond those thoughts.

Much of our failure is due to self-defeating words we speak inside. The kind of words we tell ourselves which are negative in nature. When you look down deep, you will find the word that has been holding you back.

It may be fear, fear of failing at what you want to do. Do not forget that many successful people failed many times before success happened. Yet they kept learning from it and kept moving forward.

It may be hurt, hurt from what others have done or said to you. So much that you have accepted that pain from them. Let go the pain and leave it in the past. Move on and away from what was.

It may be dumb, feeling you are not smart enough to do anything more then you have. We each have levels of ability, but reading more and believing in experience of life will allow you to become more knowing.

It may be self worth, that others have told you so many times you would never amount to anything. Those people can not determine your value in life, those were only words that you have to release from your life.

These and any of those defeating words need to be removed from your mind and more importantly from your heart. They are the chains that bind you from achieving so much more in life. And you hold the key to remove those chains, no one else.

Replace the negative with positive words. Replace fear with courage, replace dumb with smart or replace ugly with beautiful. These words will eventually overpower and become the norm in your life. You need to speak these words when you speak of yourself, never the negative ones. You will begin to believe and draw strength from them.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not talking about sitting in front of a mirror like that character from Saturday Night Live, Stuart Smalley. What I am talking about is believing in yourself and not letting others dictate who you are.

When you step out of the labels that others have placed upon you, your life becomes much clearer. You unlock the weight of those chains that you have allowed to become a part of your life. Only you can choose to change, only you can choose to unlock the door through which you step. Your world, your life will be greater.

Stay inspired my friends!