Sister U Matter!

You are uniquely you. A one-of-a kind masterpiece. An awesome treasure. A beloved jewel. You are uniquely you.

So, what makes you so unique? Your personality. Your interest. Your experiences—the good and the bad. Your expectations.

Sisters, I want to encourage you to appreciate your individual differences while intentionally celebrating the differences of others because our differences only make us unique…not better than or less than our sisters. You are exactly who you are and so is your sister. Be proud of you AND your Sister!

Spread the word…Sister U Matter!®

Comments (1)     

PTSD: How much do you know?

I don’t know about you but for the longest time when I heard PTSD, I immediately thought about  those who have experienced deployment and/or war experiences associated with military service. But I’ve come to realize that anyone who has experienced a traumatic life experience can experience symptoms association with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Common symptoms include:

Flashbacks, or feeling like the event is happening again

Trouble sleeping or nightmares

Feeling alone

Angry outbursts

Feeling worried, guilty, or sad (Source: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: MedlinePlus)

June is PTSD Awareness Month and June 27^th is National PTSD Awareness Day. I challenge you learn more about this disorder. I have included some links that I hope will be helpful.

Helpful links

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

https://www.nami.org/Learn-More/Mental-Health-Conditions/Posttraumatic-Stress-Disorder

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/index.shtml

https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/post-traumatic-stress-disorder#1

https://www.ptsd.va.gov/

https://medlineplus.gov/posttraumaticstressdisorder.html

PTSD Awareness Month: Educate Yourself

https://www.nami.org/About-NAMI/NAMI-News/2013/PTSD-Awareness-Month-Educate-Yourself

Comments (0)     

You know we get in a rut sometimes. We’re in a slump before we even realize it. We throw those pity parties, too. Trust me, the ruts, the slumps and even the pity parties are okay for a moment…Just Don’t Stay There!

I’m learning that life is not always going to be positive, with steps forward all of the time. There will be periods of inactivity; times when the creative juices stop flowing. Even some times when we declare (mentally) “I quit” …Just Don’t Stay There!

Be intentional about moving past these times in your life. Recognize that indeed you are in a stagnant place. Give yourself permission to slack off. This could also serve as a time of rejuvenation…Just Don’t Stay There!

Comments (0)     

"Words are free. It’s how you use them that will cost you." -Anonymous

You know, Sisters, just because we can say or do a thing doesn’t always mean we should. Sometimes saying or doing something (even with the best of intentions) at the wrong time can be very devastating. It can damage relationships, strain situations and create pockets of distrust among even the closest of friends. I read a devotional many years ago that encouraged readers to consider these three questions before speaking:

    It is true?         Is it kind?           Is it necessary?

If what we are about to say (and I add ‘do’) answers ‘yes’ to these questions, then move forward. If not, don’t. Our words (and actions) can build up or tear down others. Sometimes, as women, we get so caught up in “telling folks the truth” or “telling her about herself” that we don’t consider if our words are also kind and/or even necessary. Sometimes our assessment of the situation is not correct and we could cause more harm by “telling the truth” from our perspective.

Sisters, I challenge you to keep those words (and actions) true, kind AND necessary. Spread the word…Sister U Matter!®

Comments (1)     

Have you ever dreamed of something? I mean really dreamed. You had a desire to do or be something and you took the steps to walk out the dream. Well, I’m here to tell you that dreams do come true. As a matter of fact, the real walk generally turns out even larger than your biggest dream.

A few years ago, my desire was to hand out inspirational cards to women beings (my phrase for any aged girls through adult women) that I encountered. I mean I could be having a general conversation with a woman (a real conversation) and literally see myself handing the woman an inspirational card (a dream). I just wanted to pass out special notes to remind women beings of their worth and value and to inspire them to look for the good within themselves.

Well, I want to report that to date I have distributed at least 3000 cards since September 2016. The part that really humbles me is that others are eagerly handing them out on my behalf. (Remember my dream was of me handing out the cards. Now I have many hands handing out the cards!) The cards are all over the world in places that I could have never imagined. They are in women’s shelters, middle and high schools, teen and women advocacy programs/centers, beauty shops and even Afghanistan (I never even imagined that the cards would be in other parts of the world); and the biggest part of my dream come true, the cards are now on college campuses. You talk about bigger than I could have ever imagined...WOW! It’s just so humbling.

So, keep dreaming and working towards making the dreams a reality. Dreams do REALLY come true!

Remember…Sister U Matter!®

Comments (0)