Interpersonal Relationship
View allAll Photos Tagged selfworth
Last of this sad note photos...
In today's society with the anger out there... remember kindness. Many of us that put our heart and souls into our jobs, our friends/family... after a while finally break.
This song I chose because this man has one of the most amazing voices through out his career.
✈️ : The Outer Garden
I hurt myself today
To see if I still feel
I focus on the pain
The only thing that's real
The needle tears a hole
The old familiar sting
Try to kill it all away
But I remember everything
What have I become
My sweetest friend
Everyone I know goes away
In the end
And you could have it all
My empire of dirt
I will let you down
I will make you hurt
Gotta keep, gotta keep, gotta keep your head up
Gotta keep, gotta keep, gotta keep your head up
Gotta keep, gotta keep, gotta keep your head up
Who puts you first?
Find someone who loves you at your worst
✈️ : Breath of Nature
I wouldn't wanna be anybody else.
You made me insecure
Told me I wasn't good enough
But who are you to judge
When you're a diamond in the rough
I'm sure you got some things
You'd like to change about yourself
But when it comes to me
I wouldn't want to be anybody else
Na na na
Na na na
Na na na
Na na na
I'm no beauty queen
I'm just beautiful me
Na na na
Na na na
You've got every right
To a beautiful life
C'mon
Who says
Who says you're not perfect
Who says you're not worth it
Who says you're the only one that's hurting
Trust me
That's the price of beauty
Who says you're not pretty
Who says you're not beautiful
Who says
It's such a funny thing
How nothing's funny when it's you
You tell 'em what you mean
But they keep whiting out the truth
It's like a work of art
That never…
This was such an amazing Day! Plus I had an amazing group of people support me and there aren't enough ways to say thank you!!
The list of people to thank is numerous. Miles you especially were there and made me realize maybe I can do this.
Thank you everyone for your ongoing support and fav's and comments. As I continue to learn and grow as a photographer artist in SL, I am so blessed.
Four years ago, I lost the woman I used to be.
Slowly...
I found the woman I was meant to become.
This is not a story about giving up.
It's a story about rebuilding.
About finding my voice when I thought it was gone forever.
Some battles leave scars you can't see.
But they still deserve to be respected.
They always come for the wild ones
They always come for the freaks
I don't fit quite like they like it and now they've come for me
They always wanna change me
They wanna make me weak
I don't keep quiet like they like it and now they've come for me
An easy target, an easy mark
But how you think I got this far?
I'll turn to face you
Then I'll erase you
Before I do
I'll take this moment like I own it
Ain't seen the last of me
'Cause I will be the last one standing
Walk through the fire, it takes me higher
Ain't seen the last of me
'Cause I will be the last one standing
I won’t let you kill me
Not like you could
They say you only die one time and Imma make mine good
You think you got me cornered
But here's what you don’t know
You didn’t get the best of me
---
Be you.
---
Guest model: Anonymous
Originally featured on the April 2021 cover of Attention SL Magazine.
🎹✨ And now . . . . . . . the Orchestra reaches its crescendo ✨🎻
Today with this song – The Sound of My Wings
💛✨ Waterfalls of Dreams I feel Blessed by the Journey ✨💛
Before I share these new page of my journey . . .
I would love to invite you into something very close to my heart . . .
Little pieces of my story . . . .
Little fragments of my dreams . . . . . .
But now something is changing . . .
🎹✨ The orchestra is beginning to play ✨🎻
The melodies are finding each other . . . . . . .
The memories are weaving together . . . . . . . . . . . .
And the journey is becoming something greater than a single song ✨💛✨🎻🎹✨
Let's continue the journey . . .
Taxi: ✨🌌 Waterfalls of Dreams ~WoD~ 🌌 ✨
More of this will be revealed to you day by day enjoy it . . .
Over the past months I created an album called
💛✨ Waterfalls of Dreams ✨💛
Album: ✨🌌 Waterfalls of Dreams . . . . 🌌 ✨
If you feel called to listen,
I hope you will find a little piece of yourself somewhere within it. ✨💛
Each song tells a different part of the journey.
Each melody carries a memory.
Each notebecame a piece of the story.
Sometimes life closes a chapter . . .
not to take something away . . .
but to make space for something new.
Looking back, I see so many moments,
so many lessons,
so many dreams that carried me further than I ever imagined.
And today . . .
my heart is simply filled with gratitude.
For every beginning.
For every ending.
For every person who became part of my story.
Waterfalls of Dreams exists again . . .
and somehow it feels like coming home.
A new book . . .
A new chapter . . .
A new beginning . . .
I feel blessed.
Blessed by the journey.
Blessed by the people I met along the way.
Blessed by the beauty I found even in difficult moments.
And most of all . . .
blessed to still be dreaming. ✨💛
Lasst uns die Reise fortsetzen . . .
Heute mit diesem Song: The River Flows Within Me – Orchestra Version
Bevor ich euch diese neuen Seite meiner Reise zeige . . .
möchte ich euch gerne an etwas teilhaben lassen, das mir sehr am Herzen liegt . . .
Kleine Stücke meiner Geschichte . . .
Kleine Fragmente meiner Träume . . .
Doch nun verändert sich etwas . . .
🎹✨ Das Orchester erhebt seine Stimme ✨🎻
Die Melodien finden zueinander . . .
Die Erinnerungen verweben sich zu einem Ganzen . . .
Und die Reise wird zu etwas Größerem als einem einzelnen Lied . . .
Zu einer Geschichte aus Erinnerungen, Träumen und all den Wegen, die mich hierher geführt haben . . . ✨💛✨🎻🎹✨
Lasst uns die Reise fortsetzen . . .
Tag für Tag werdet ihr mehr darüber erfahren – viel Spaß dabei . . .
In den letzten Monaten hab ich ein Album erschaffen, es heisst
💛✨ Waterfalls of Dreams ✨💛
Wenn du das Gefühl hast, dass du hinein hören möchtest,
hoffe ich, dass du darin irgendwo ein kleines Stück von dir selbst findest. ✨💛
Jedes Lied erzählt einen anderen Abschnitt der Reise.
Jede Melodie trägt eine Erinnerung in sich.
Jede Note wurde zu einem Teil der Geschichte.
Manchmal schließt das Leben ein Kapitel . . .
nicht um etwas wegzunehmen . . .
sondern um Platz für etwas Neues zu schaffen.
Wenn ich zurückblicke, sehe ich so viele Momente,
so viele Lektionen,
so viele Träume, die mich weitergetragen haben, als ich es je für möglich gehalten hätte.
Und heute . . .
ist mein Herz einfach voller Dankbarkeit.
Für jeden Anfang.
Für jedes Ende.
Für jeden Menschen, der ein Teil meiner Geschichte geworden ist.
Waterfalls of Dreams existiert wieder . . .
und irgendwie fühlt es sich an wie Heimkommen.
Ein neues Buch . . .
Ein neues Kapitel . . .
Ein neuer Anfang . . .
Ich fühle mich gesegnet.
Gesegnet durch die Reise.
Gesegnet durch die Menschen, die mich begleitet haben.
Gesegnet durch die Schönheit, die selbst in schweren Momenten zu finden war.
Und vor allem . . .
gesegnet, noch immer träumen zu können. ✨💛
No words needed,
just the calm of a new day
and a friend beside me.
picture taken @ Bella's Lullabyl
She faced the rain and the car and did not move.
Because sometimes stopping is the only way to go on.
Don’t let others decide who you are.
picture taken @ Cherishville - Tuscan Hills
We all have a light within us, even when we feel dull, stale, broken, or just ordinary. Your light is unique, let it shine so others around you can appreciate you for who you are. Your light will shine bright as you see your own worth and beauty, and it will shine brighter as you see the light in others.
💛✨ Waterfalls of Dreams I feel Blessed by the Journey ✨💛
Taxi: ✨🌌 Waterfalls of Dreams ~WoD~ 🌌 ✨
Before I share these new pages of my journey . . .
I would love to invite you into something very close to my heart . . .
Over the past months I created an album called
💛✨ Waterfalls of Dreams ✨💛
Album: ✨🌌 Waterfalls of Dreams . . . . 🌌 ✨
Song for this Pictur – Feeling the Glow . . . .
If you feel called to listen,
I hope you will find a little piece of yourself somewhere within it. ✨💛
Each song tells a different part of the journey.
Each melody carries a memory.
Each note became a piece of the story.
Sometimes life closes a chapter . . .
not to take something away . . .
but to make space for something new.
Looking back, I see so many moments,
so many lessons,
so many dreams that carried me further than I ever imagined.
And today . . .
my heart is simply filled with gratitude.
For every beginning.
For every ending.
For every person who became part of my story.
Waterfalls of Dreams exists again . . .
and somehow it feels like coming home.
A new book . . .
A new chapter . . .
A new beginning . . .
I feel blessed.
Blessed by the journey.
Blessed by the people I met along the way.
Blessed by the beauty I found even in difficult moments.
And most of all . . .
blessed to still be dreaming. ✨💛
Bevor ich euch diese neuen Seiten meiner Reise zeige . . .
möchte ich euch gerne an etwas teilhaben lassen, das mir sehr am Herzen liegt . . .
In den letzten Monaten hab ich ein Album erschaffen, es heisst
💛✨ Waterfalls of Dreams ✨💛
Wenn du das Gefühl hast, dass du hinein hören möchtest,
hoffe ich, dass du darin irgendwo ein kleines Stück von dir selbst findest. ✨💛
Jedes Lied erzählt einen anderen Abschnitt der Reise.
Jede Melodie trägt eine Erinnerung in sich.
Jede Note wurde zu einem Teil der Geschichte.
Manchmal schließt das Leben ein Kapitel . . .
nicht um etwas wegzunehmen . . .
sondern um Platz für etwas Neues zu schaffen.
Wenn ich zurückblicke, sehe ich so viele Momente,
so viele Lektionen,
so viele Träume, die mich weitergetragen haben, als ich es je für möglich gehalten hätte.
Und heute . . .
ist mein Herz einfach voller Dankbarkeit.
Für jeden Anfang.
Für jedes Ende.
Für jeden Menschen, der ein Teil meiner Geschichte geworden ist.
Waterfalls of Dreams existiert wieder . . .
und irgendwie fühlt es sich an wie Heimkommen.
Ein neues Buch . . .
Ein neues Kapitel . . .
Ein neuer Anfang . . .
Ich fühle mich gesegnet.
Gesegnet durch die Reise.
Gesegnet durch die Menschen, die mich begleitet haben.
Gesegnet durch die Schönheit, die selbst in schweren Momenten zu finden war.
Und vor allem . . .
gesegnet, noch immer träumen zu können. ✨💛
"Reflect on the day. Reflect on the thought. Reflect ongoingly even when you are distraught. Reflect to find answers. Reflect to appreciate. Reflect on no endless boundary. Just Reflect...
Sometimes what we do not see is already reflections of us. Often what is hidden is never buried deep..."-K. Marshall
“We have never understood why men mount the heads of animals and hang them up to look down on their conquerors. Possibly it feels good to these men to be superior to animals, but it does seem that if they were sure of it they would not have to prove it. Often a man who is afraid must constantly demonstrate his courage and, in the case of the hunter, must keep a tangible record of his courage. For ourselves, we have had mounted on a small hardwood plaque one perfect borrego [bighorn sheep] dropping. And where another man can say, "There was an animal, but because I am greater than he, he is dead and I am alive, and there is his head to prove it," we can say, "There was an animal, and for all we know there still is and here is proof of it. He was very healthy when we last heard of him.”
― John Steinbeck, The Log from the Sea of Cortez
We're Here! : Confessions of a Photographer
Lacking inspiration for your 365 project? Join We're Here!
Strobist: AB1600 with gridded 60X30 softbox camera left. Triggered by Cybersync.
“Voyage upon life's sea, to yourself be true, and whatever your lot may be, paddle your own canoe..”
Sarah Bolton
"Just because you are soft doesn't mean you are not a force. Honey and Wildfire are both the color gold." ~ Victoria Erickson (Author - Edge Of Wonder)
💛✨ Waterfalls of Dreams I feel Blessed by the Journey ✨💛
Taxi: ✨🌌 Waterfalls of Dreams ~WoD~ 🌌 ✨
Before I share these new pages of my journey . . .
I would love to invite you into something very close to my heart . . .
Over the past months I created an album called
💛✨ Waterfalls of Dreams ✨💛
Album: ✨🌌 Waterfalls of Dreams . . . . 🌌 ✨
Song for this Pictur – I Stand in My Power
If you feel called to listen,
I hope you will find a little piece of yourself somewhere within it. ✨💛
Each song tells a different part of the journey.
Each melody carries a memory.
Each note became a piece of the story.
Sometimes life closes a chapter . . .
not to take something away . . .
but to make space for something new.
Looking back, I see so many moments,
so many lessons,
so many dreams that carried me further than I ever imagined.
And today . . .
my heart is simply filled with gratitude.
For every beginning.
For every ending.
For every person who became part of my story.
Waterfalls of Dreams exists again . . .
and somehow it feels like coming home.
A new book . . .
A new chapter . . .
A new beginning . . .
I feel blessed.
Blessed by the journey.
Blessed by the people I met along the way.
Blessed by the beauty I found even in difficult moments.
And most of all . . .
blessed to still be dreaming. ✨💛
Bevor ich euch diese neuen Seiten meiner Reise zeige . . .
möchte ich euch gerne an etwas teilhaben lassen, das mir sehr am Herzen liegt . . .
In den letzten Monaten hab ich ein Album erschaffen, es heisst
💛✨ Waterfalls of Dreams ✨💛
Wenn du das Gefühl hast, dass du hinein hören möchtest,
hoffe ich, dass du darin irgendwo ein kleines Stück von dir selbst findest. ✨💛
Jedes Lied erzählt einen anderen Abschnitt der Reise.
Jede Melodie trägt eine Erinnerung in sich.
Jede Note wurde zu einem Teil der Geschichte.
Manchmal schließt das Leben ein Kapitel . . .
nicht um etwas wegzunehmen . . .
sondern um Platz für etwas Neues zu schaffen.
Wenn ich zurückblicke, sehe ich so viele Momente,
so viele Lektionen,
so viele Träume, die mich weitergetragen haben, als ich es je für möglich gehalten hätte.
Und heute . . .
ist mein Herz einfach voller Dankbarkeit.
Für jeden Anfang.
Für jedes Ende.
Für jeden Menschen, der ein Teil meiner Geschichte geworden ist.
Waterfalls of Dreams existiert wieder . . .
und irgendwie fühlt es sich an wie Heimkommen.
Ein neues Buch . . .
Ein neues Kapitel . . .
Ein neuer Anfang . . .
Ich fühle mich gesegnet.
Gesegnet durch die Reise.
Gesegnet durch die Menschen, die mich begleitet haben.
Gesegnet durch die Schönheit, die selbst in schweren Momenten zu finden war.
Und vor allem . . .
gesegnet, noch immer träumen zu können. ✨💛
Thank you to all my dear friends who help me see in past year that I am good enough. I wish you all a better year ahead xx
suno.com/song/9e0deacc-ccc3-4ff5-944a-e4164d386565
Blue light on the ceiling
Morning at the glass
I was lying close beside you
Feeling oceans in the gap
You were quiet as a coastline
With your mind beyond the room
I kept reaching for your heartbeat
But it never reached back soon
I loved you with devotion
Soft hands, open door
Made a chapel from your silence
Then kept kneeling on the floor
I did not need forever
Written in the sky
I just wanted you to see me
Standing in the light
You were the love of my life
But your heart was never mine
I kept trying to bloom
Where there was no sunlight
I did not leave because I stopped loving
I left because I was fading
You were a home I could not live in
And I was dying trying to stay there
Invisible to you
Invisible to you
I was calling from the room
But I never reached you
Invisible to you
Invisible to you
I loved you in the dark
But I had to choose me too
Your hands were almost gentle
Your voice was almost near
But almost is a country
Where I lived for one long year
I learned the shape of waiting
The weight of being kind
How to smile across the table
While disappearing in your eyes
There were nights I watched you breathing
Like a prayer I could not keep
Loving you felt holy
But it cost me too much peace
And I know you never meant it
Maybe that is the saddest part
Some hearts are not cruel
They are just never where you are
You were the love of my life
But your heart was never mine
I kept trying to bloom
Where there was no sunlight
I did not leave because I stopped loving
I left because I was fading
You were a home I could not live in
And I was dying trying to stay there
Invisible to you
Invisible to you
I was calling from the room
But I never reached you
Invisible to you
Invisible to you
I loved you in the dark
But I had to choose me too
I wanted to be seen
Without begging for your eyes
Wanted to be heard
Without swallowing my cries
Wanted to be chosen
In the ordinary way
Like a name you say softly
At the ending of the day
But love should not feel lonely
When the person is lying close
And I became a shadow
Trying not to need a soul
So I kissed the dream goodbye
With my whole heart in my hands
Some exits are not endings
They are how a woman stands
I was not angry when I left
I was breaking into light
Still loving who you were
But no longer losing mine
You were the love of my life
But your heart was never mine
I kept trying to bloom
Where there was no sunlight
I did not leave because I stopped loving
I left because I was fading
You were a home I could not live in
And I was dying trying to stay there
You were the love of my life
But I am still part of mine
I walked out of the dark
Before it swallowed mine
I did not leave because I stopped loving
I left because I had to
You were a home I could not live in
But I loved you
I loved you
I loved you
Female choir only.
Soft violin fading.
Invisible to you
But I see me now
I see me now
I see me now
They say many things about critics. That everyone is one, that you're your own worst one. But they say other things too. For example, Fall down seven times, get up eight. You're never going to be everyone's cup of tea, so please toss another cube of sugar in your cup and be a little sweeter to yourself. You have love to give and are loved. It's an awfully scary thing to do, but try to pry open the fist holding your heart and let light in, little bits at a time. Take whatever time you need. You will lose lots of things. Your keys, one mitten, weight, grandparents, love, trust, your way, and sometimes faith. Don't worry, these things come back to you in a different form, in a way that suits you much better.
She grew in a land of nuture... the dark may have surrounded her but her growth helped to reach for the stars above her ...
This has to be one of my most favourite images that I have made to date - not only because I’m amazingly proud of my editing skills!! I’ve never made an image as strong as this I don’t think.
Let me know what you guys think and stay tuned for more exciting images coming soon!
Your childheart came here to to write a story
The one you are meant to live
With all its cast of characters and dramatic unfoldings
Romances, heartbreaks, adventures,
Triumphs and tragedies
Heroism and horrors,
We choose such a variety of themes
Beware the greater narrative
Which contains the multitude in Itself
Where we can lose ourselves
Pay too much attention
Get sucked into the plotlines of others
Become unwitting extras
Extracted from our own Imagination
Incentivized with fame and fortune
Lured into ambitious participation
The mind is relinquished for a shiny prize
As the heart is denied again and again
The storyteller is slowly poisoned
Into submission away from the one true purpose
To be the designer of Its own destiny
Zombie- like compliance activates massive herding
Confusion coaxes obedience through lies
Storylines are smashed apart and rerouted
Comfort and order become cages of refuge
The few monopolize the ignorant many
Darkness and fear breed distrust
Hopelessness spreads its false inevitability
But always travelling in that glorious night sky
Filled with the blaze of a million suns
Your star waits to lead you home
Re-activate the inner creative urge
Resusitate that inner playful child
Eager to pour out with epic proportion
While staying true to the undying quest:
“Know Thyself”
GF April 18, 2022
ArtQuesting is simply the process of allowing a freeflow process to happen while exploring inner thoughts and feelings. The message of this piece was personal and revealing but there is always a greater message that pours out for me to share with you. Today's encouragment is to remind you that your story is there inside of you always waiting to be experienced and shared. The power of the whole Universe and the symbol of the star are always there to draw from. Remember John Lennon's famous song line:
"You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope someday you will join us and the world will live as one."
To dream from the heart and bring them forth is our birthright and the more we practice, the more profound life becomes.
Sending out love to all of you!!!
Remember, if you are not actively imagining the world you want, there are those all too ready to build it for you and cast you involuntarily into its design:
“Someone who doesn’t make you their top priority isn’t worthy of being your top priority.” - IMRAN™
© 2022 IMRAN™
#quote #lifelessons #lifecoach #love #romance #relationships #dating #couples #IMRAN #relationshipgoals #relationshipquotes #relationshipadvice #relationship #priorities #selfworth #respect #selfrespect
Words are powerful. I believe that. This is something we are all working on believing at our house. Especially my daughter.
Preconcieved notions; I'm so sick of people thinking they know who I am. I assure you, they don't. I've sold my soul to very, very few people in this world. They're the only ones who know everything about me (or almost) and therefore, one would assume, the only ones with the right to judge. And yet, there are hundreds of people, people you pass in the street every day, people you work with and casually recognise, and even people who know you as friends, who think they know who you are. They think they understand you, have the right to make decisions for you, can tell you how you're feeling, but they're wrong. I'm sick of being 'that girl'. I'm sick of being someone with a legacy, the girl who___, the one who always ___, isn't she the one who ____? How do you know me? You don't.
Someone told me that they think I'm much more confident than I seem. Than I seem? Do you think I'm not confident? I guess that yeah, in reality, I do tend to act quite coy, and I'm occasionally afraid, but I'll talk to anyone who I believe wants to talk to me, I like being close to people and I like speaking out, I'm not afraid to be wrong. Body image wise, I'm not, nor will I ever be, perfect, and yet I can live with who I am. It doesn't make me unhappy, because there are people around me who accept me for who I am.
At a party, thursday night, a girl I've never properly spoke to stood with me, and she chatted to me. 'I've never been kissed properly', she told me. 'I've just been called frigid, and it hurt.' I know that I barely knew her, but this hit me. "Frigid; without warmth or feeling." How dare they judge this girl? Assume she didn't want to be kissed, or wasn't willing to, or wasn't necessarily any good at it, when they'd never given her ample chance? Unless they'd tried to kiss her (which they hadn't) how could they say such a thing? This girl is beautiful; petite and sweet, friendly and charming, and this guy had ruined her night because he'd judged her. I told her he wasn't worth bothering over, that she'd be the one who'd end up with the happy, trusting relationship and she'd be the one who ended up happy, but I knew how she felt. I've been there. I've been called it to, and to what purpose? The guys that called me it weren't ever worth crying over, they called me allsorts and generally tried to make me unhappy. But not one of them had ever tried being close to me, and yet they thought they had the right to come to such assumptions. I'm not. It's such a hideous belief. I hope karma gets people like them, since they deserve it.
/rant over. It's just so unnessecary.
Today, I was supposed to revise. Instead, I biked a few villages away and sat on a park bench eating ice cream and reading a magazine. Later, I met Ed and we wandered round the local villages taking pictures.
Sorry. I created a tumblr, if you value my sanity you'll follow me, please? :)
"Your opinion of yourself, and to a slightly lesser extent, the opinions of those that Love you are the only opinions you should ever concern yourself with."
"Finding happiness and fulfillment within is priceless and every other opinion is effectively pointless in the long run."
Period.
Folks have been asking how Em did down at Nationals and I've been trying to think of how to relate it, because it's more than just she won or she lost...
Lets start with the facts:
1. Em didn't win the National Title.
2. She didn't make the Top 15.
3. She didn't win either of the two optionals she entered.
4. I couldn't be happier about any of that.
I watched Em "compete" against 67 other girls under the age of 7 for a "National Title" this last Thanksgiving week. There were precious few of that Top 15 that had a whole lot of the little girl that should be there left in them. I am not talking about there being a bunch of girls that acted like they were older. Even Em does that from time to time, I think every kid does. I am talking about little girls, many of which were shells of the children they should be, even when there was no competition to be had.
And after watching them interact, I blame no one else but their parents.
Don't get me wrong, she made friends. We met some really nice, well adjusted people. They were the exception to the rule, and that just doesn't compute for me.
When it was all over, we were going to go out for a celebratory supper with the family of the Sweetheart Division winner for Alaska, the next age group up from Em's.
While Mom was getting ready, Em and I had a moment:
Em: *out of the blue* "I'm sad, Papa. I really wanted to win."
Me: "I know, Honey. I'm sorry. Did you do the best you could? Did you play fair and were you polite to the other girls?"
Em: "Yeah. I think I did." *pauses* "I dunno..."
Me: "Well, the thing to remember from this whole thing is that if you do the best you can, no matter what it is that you are doing, even if you don't win or place or whatever, is that there is nothing else you could do. Everything else is out of your control, and that's something you can hold on to. Your best. It doesn't matter if you are doing pageants, or playing baseball or doing a spelling bee or whatever. "
**Pause while she tries her best to digest what I just said. : )**
Me: "I know that's hard for you to understand right now. Try it this way... What I'm trying to say is that your opinion of yourself, what *you* think, well, it's the only thing, and I really mean the only thing that will ever matter, Em. Ever. Today? Well, today you found out the opinion of 5 grown ups who don't even know you. That's all."
**She fights with her brother for a minute, because he's a boy and annoying and then she stops and looks at the bed in the hotel for a bit...**
Em: "Do you mean that if I think I should have won, I really did?"
Me: *chuckling* "Sorta. Another way to say it is that if you're happy with yourself, if you tried your best, and you really know it in your heart? Then, yeah. :-) You really did win something, Em. Much more than Jenna (Overall Winner from NJ) did today. Much, much more. You won something that you never, ever have to give up. Next year? Next year she has to give up her crown and title. Not you. What you won, you never have to let go of. Ever."
**She looks right at me, and says...**
Em: "Papa? I gotta go potty."
Me: *laughing* "Off you go."
**She comes back in a little and says...**
Em: "I think I did the best I could, Papa. I guess I could have smiled more or something, but I just wasn't happy."
Me: "Were you sad? Nervous?"
Em: "I wasn't sad. I just wasn't happy!" *puts hands on hips.* "Papa?!? It's really hard to smile when you're not happy. It's hard to fake it!"
Me: "I'm glad you said that. I wouldn't want you to be any other way."
Em: "But I'm happy now!"
**She smiles. A pause. Then Jacob stretches a little while watching some TV and gently touches her with his foot.**
Em: "STOP IT, JACOB! LEAVE ME ALONE, DANGIT!"
And just like that, everything is back to the norm and the talk changes to Disney World and Blizzard Beach for the next three days. Just a little girl and her family on a great vacation.
Just as it should be. :-)
1. The foundation for all self-worth is the awareness that we are God’s own creation, made in his own image.
Genesis 1:27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. (NASB)
Genesis 2:7 Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. (NASB)
Genesis 2:21–22; Luke 12:7; Psalm 139:13–14
2. Knowing that God valued us enough to send his own Son to die for us makes life truly meaningful.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (ESV)
Jeremiah 31:3 The LORD appeared to him from afar, saying, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.” (NASB)
Ephesians 1:6; 2:4–7; 1 Peter 1:18–20; 1 John 4:10
3. We must find significance in our relationship to God, not in ourselves or in others.
Micah 6:8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (ESV)
1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (NIV)
John 15:15–16; 2 Corinthians 5:17–18; Ephesians 2:10
4. Knowing God personally makes life truly meaningful, not physical qualities, intellect, or achievements.
Jeremiah 9:23–24 Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.” (ESV)
Ephesians 1:18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people. (NIV)
Ephesians 3:17–20; Philippians 3:8–10
5. Reliance on self can be a dangerous trap.
Romans 12:3 For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. (NASB)
2 Corinthians 1:8–9
Biblical Narratives
• Elijah, deeply discouraged, 1 Kings 19:4, 10
• Job, feeling worthless, Job 3:11–13; 9:21
• David’s struggles, Psalm 22:6; 31:11
Practical Steps
• Work on being a man of sacrificial living, thinking of the needs of others and doing something about those needs. When you are giving out, it becomes less about you and more about others.
• Keep a daily journal of meaningful expressions of service and kindness you have accomplished for others.
• Memorize and meditate on Jeremiah 9:23–24. Consider carefully why intellect, power, and riches don’t cut it for true meaning in life.
Keith R. Miller, Quick Scripture Reference for Counseling Men (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2014), 260–262.
Call me old fashioned if you like, but I believe this beautiful young Japanese girl could teach a lot of young western women a thing or two.
As seen on the tourist trail in Bath city centre, Somerset.
suno.com/song/5ced2f00-a993-4f53-90b3-4d76dac29604
You drew a kingdom on my open hand
Said we were written, said we had a plan
I learned the rhythm of your waking day
Kept the morning soft, kept the night away
From your first breath to your final word
I gave a year you never fully heard
Your mind had windows I was never shown
I stood beside you and still stood alone
I won’t turn your name to thunder
I won’t dress the truth in blame
But I know the sound of promise
When it starts to lose my name
You promised me the world
Then gave me borrowed rooms
I kept the roof above us
While your heart faced other views
I was the hands, the home
The breath beneath your day
The faithful one beside you
While your mind was far away
No, I don’t hate your heart
But I am done with the disguise
I won’t be the shadow
Where another woman shines
I was yours with no ending
You were mine with a door
I was your borrowed forever
Now I belong to me
Borrowed forever
Now I belong to me
Borrowed forever
Now I belong to me
I saw the words I waited for so long
Leave your mouth for someone else like songs
The tenderness I begged the dark to bring
Opened elsewhere like an easy spring
Do not call it a dream I made alone
You placed the promise where my heart could hold
But while I gave my whole year to stay
You kept a hidden life turned my way
I won’t ask the wound to whisper
I won’t beg the past to lie
I only know I loved you fully
While you loved me with goodbye
[Build]
[Staccato violins pulse]
[Rolling bassline grows]
[Choir lifts behind the lead vocal]
You promised me the world
Then gave me borrowed rooms
I kept the roof above us
While your heart faced other views
I was the hands, the home
The breath beneath your day
The faithful one beside you
While your mind was far away
No, I don’t hate your heart
But I am done with the disguise
I won’t be the shadow
Where another woman shines
I was yours with no ending
You were mine with a door
I was your borrowed forever
Now I belong to me
I was not made for waiting
In a life that would not choose
Not made to guard the silence
Of a heart I could not use
I was not the quiet candle
Burning where you came to rest
Not the borrowed warmth beside you
While another held your best
So I gather every sunrise
Every night I gave away
I call my spirit back to me
And leave with my name
You promised me the world
But left me at the door
I gave you every season
I won’t give one more
I was the hands, the home
The breath beneath your day
The woman who kept loving
While you looked the other way
No, I don’t hate your heart
I simply choose mine
I won’t be the shadow
Where another woman shines
I was yours with no ending
You were mine with a door
I was your borrowed forever
Now I belong to me
Borrowed forever
Now I belong to me
Now I belong
Now I belong
Now I belong to me
From morning into midnight
I carried what we were
Now I lay it down gently
It does not answer for her
It does not belong to sorrow
It does not own my name
I walk my path unbroken
With nothing left to claim
I was your borrowed forever
Now I belong to me