Those that Mind don't Matter & Those that Matter don't Mind

It kinda goes hand-in-hand with judgements. Those that judge you don't matter to your life (when you think of it). And those that truly love you, or matter to you, really don't judge you. SO why choose to let others perceptions affect you?!? Yes, like JJ astutely said, of course she cares about her image being a good one; she's earned it through relentless self-awareness. Most of us had our self-worth damaged by childhoods that were less than perfect and ONLY we can do anything about it. And it takes determined, hard work, so no it ain't easy ~

But I feel the strength and determination JJ has to have taken her to where she is today. And I believe she's internalized the above "title" into her consciousness.

I brought my children up believing in that statement and it came back around to me, from them, when I needed to hear it most. But that's another ten hour story for another time.

JJ and I are cousins with very different life experiences, yet here we are forty-ish years later and we've each reached an emotional state in our lives that very much reflects what brought us where we are today: something greater than JJ or I alone. I've gotten to see inside her more by reading her blog:http://checkingmymotives.blogspot.com/

I came from what my boyfriend refers to as a "privileged life" and he came from a life very similar *with different traumas affecting their childhoods) to JJ's, so he has a "right" to speak his truth to me. And I must acknowledge that yes, my life was certainly a better way for a child to live. Although the emotional damage was eerily similar.

Yet perceptions are obviously mainly in our minds as I found out by reading JJ's perceptions of the family I grew up in. Leading me to my perceptions ~ seen from a higher perspective if you will, of the family I grew up in.

Now I don't know about JJ's younger life in regards to believing in a higher power, but I do know that in mine it was basically taboo and not spoken about. I grew up hearing that believing in "God" was only for weak people. My mom chose to let her beliefs in "God" remained buried for twenty-one years. But that's the way it was, and so be it. Acceptance and forgiveness are keys to unlocking doors to greater awareness of this "God", higher power, or whatever you choose to call it. It's amazing how our life seems to take another path towards deeper goodness when we accept and forgive, and surrender our will over to the unfathomable brilliance of the greatest mystery of man's life, or "God", again if you will. When you do this, and it's only a heart/mind thing, and something you must consciously feel until it becomes second nature, you life can't help but begin to head to greener pastures.

Fare well and a hui ho, LL