Keep It To Yourself….

August 30, 2016August 24, 2016 ~ authorlasharnda ~ Leave a comment

Like others, I am bothered whenI hear things like “that person doesn’t like you” or “she has a problem with you.” Look, Whatever! Yes, I will admit it, it bothers me. I have learned to push back when someone tells me that someone feel that way about me. I push back when I have felt the animosity from a person first hand also.

You see we all have someone who do not like us. Wow, you thought everyone you met like you? Well, they don’t. What a revelation, but it is true. The most popular people have folks that find something wrong with them. The most unpopular do too. What makes the world go round is to recognize early if you can that we are all different and we may not like the same things nor can stomach some of the people we have to interact with. That’s just reality and it’s okay. My problem is with my friends and pseudo-friends. I love you but….let me tell you a couple of things. You probably think you are doing me a favor by making sure I know that someone does not like me. I get it. However, please do me a favor. Keep it to yourself.

That’s right, keep it to yourself. You are not helping the situation at all and if it bothers me to hear, I can imagine how it might destroy someone who is not as confident as I am.

You may think that you are just saying something either to help me (or to be mean to me pretending to help) but don’t. My life is full, filled with happiness and joy and on a positive trajectory. I am winning. I don’t want to be brought into a negative space. Honestly, I don’t believe that is your intention at all; at least I hope not. But that’s what happens when hurtful words are used even when those words are no intended to be used as such.

Look, even the best people who are positive and optimistic can be brought down, albeit for a little while, with those comments or opinions you are passing on. Now let me ask you something. Do you feel good about yourself when you pass on that “stuff?” I bet not.

Okay, so maybe you didn’t know this. Soooooo now you know. Also know this, “Haters gonna hate.” That’s just a fact of life. I have always believed and stated when a person is focused on me, they probably want to be just like me. Of course the hater will say that’s not true. But to all my haters, yes it is. I can’t say that I blame you though. If I were you, I would want to be just like me too!

Haters Gonna Hate!

August 23, 2016August 24, 2016 ~ authorlasharnda ~ Leave a comment

The first time I heard the term “Haters gonna hate” I laughed out loud. I had to think about what the phrase really meant. You know what I mean? Sometimes we hear these catchy phrases and begin repeating them without really knowing what they mean.

“Haters gonna hate” does not mean that they truly hate others. On the contrary, what the phrase means is people who are jealous or insecure, will always have something critical to say or imply about someone else. The term really only means that if one is a negative person, all they do is find fault, be critical or just plain and simple, have nothing good to offer. I chalk it up to them having low self-esteem. They will never admit it, but I bet they are always comparing themselves to others. Just think about it. A “hater” has deep insecurity. They put on pretenses that they are confident and strong, when in fact, they are not. Many times what’s lurking right under the surface is the question “Am I good enough?” They may be really good at many things, but they seem to zone in on what someone else is good at or what someone else is getting credit for, and it bothers them. Just watch someone who you think may fit these descriptions: They brag to show what they have. They evaluate their clothing, hair, car, home, my goodness, anything to someone they are secretly competing with. The person may not even know that they are in a competition, but the hater knows. Actually, it takes too much energy for me to deal with haters, so I choose not to do so. Why? I can’t change them and neither can you. So, you should not waste your time trying. In fact, you should not give your haters a second thought. I am not joking with you!

Look, haters want you off your game! The truth is they want to be just like you but they will never admit it. They want to look like you, be popular like you, be your size, do the things you do and be good at it like you are. They may smile in your face and say all the right things to seemingly show support, but all the while, in the back of their minds, they resent you for some reason. No worries though. I am going to tell you how to deal with them. Because if you would recognize who you are dealing with up front, you can head off your shock when they finally reveal their true colors to you. Here is my advice:

Don’t watch for them, they will show up.
When they show up, don’t be in shock. Tell yourself, LaSharnda said they exist.
Do not waste your time with them. Be kind, professional, and aware, but do not hang out with them. Don’t be fooled into a sense of security with them. They only want something from you because they are not your friend.
Always speak well of them. Even when they are not speaking well of you.
When they do something to undermine you, don’t get even. Laugh. I am serious. Laugh at the situation. If you get bogged down thinking about what they did, they win. You are now distracted, unfocused and vulnerable. You are not winning! The reason they secretly resent you is because they see you as a winner.

My grandmother always said “what’s done in the dark, will come to light.” I couldn’t stand it when she said that. However, she was right. Whatever it is that someone succeeds at doing to you or even if they try to do something to you, just remember, you don’t have to worry. If you are a Believer, the Bible says, “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”(Romans 12:19)..

If you are a non-believer, (I wish you were a Believer), but this is for you, Karma is a B—- and remember, “What goes around, comes around.”

Have You Tuned Out?

July 31, 2016July 31, 2016 ~ authorlasharnda ~ Leave a comment

I don’t know about Encourage-One-Another1 you, but if I don’t watch it, I can easily find myself criticizing everything.

How about you? Can you get on a roll if you don’t like something? Me too. I have listened to myself get on a roll if something irritated me. To think of it, when I start, I can just keep going and going and going. I think that’s why the word, “whiner” came about. We just keep whining and whining until no one wants to listen. In fact, I know that’s why kids, spouses and others close to us learn to tune us out.

If you think about it, when we whine, our emotions are not “good feeling” emotions. They are stressful emotions.. They come in the form of irritation, anger, frustration, fatigue, being unforgiving, intolerable or just down right —I want to be nasty today. I used to tell myself if people would hear how they sound, they would stop, but I am not so sure anymore. I am convinced there are those who love experiencing negativity; they just like to complain or condemn and discourage.

I block out complainers and I make it a point to try to hear myself when I get on that train. I wan tuned-out-2 t to catch myself and stop to right away. I don’t want to be a person who becomes the crier of bad news and the person who is the Debbie Downer in every
situation. I don’t want family or friends to think of me as the one who is always negative. I pray to be a positive person and to be a person who can help bring joy to others.

People have a lot to deal with in life and most times, they know when they haven’t made the right decisions. They know when they could have done better but chose to do otherwise. I don’t think they need me pointing that out. I learned this from having a son. I want to uplift him and help him. I want him to always feel that he can recover from anything; from any failure. Heck, I have. I don’t want anyone in my sphere of influence to ever feel totally defeated, I don’t care what they have done.
You know, Jesus encouraged others. He didn’t tear them down. He didn’t look at those who was already beating themselves up for their mistakes and beat them down more. Rather, Jesus strengthened and encouraged. That’s what we are supposed to do too according to Romans 15:1 “We who are strong in the faith ought to help the weak in order to build them up in the faith.”

If you know you have a habit of becoming negative, stop yourself. If you have tuned out and can’t hear yourself speaking negative, get a true friend who can gently point it out in you and bring you back. If your words would change and become more positive, I bet your entire life will reflect that too.

Push Yourself For Yourself. No One Else Matters..

July 21, 2016 ~ authorlasharnda ~ 2 Comments

I was out running one morning and was amazed at how many times my mind would tell me to stop. I could hear myself say “no, just don’t stop.” As my feet hit the pavement, I felt exhilarated and tired at the same time. Again, I would hear that voice in my head say, “just stop running and walk; you’re tired.” I would be tempted, but I would literally say to myself, “push, don’t stop.”

What’s funny is I run so early in the morning, and I am living in a new place, so no one knows me and no one cares what I do. So I could stop if I wanted to do so. I could just walk, or I could cut my run short and just turn around and go back home, but I don’t. I don’t because it’s not about the run. It’s about me being able to overcome the negative talk that is going on in my head. Besides, how will I ever get better if I don’t push myself?

You see, to continue running when my mind says to stop, means I overrule my mind. My philosophy for every area of my life is “try and try harder. Push yourself until you can’t anymore. Never give up. Give it your all.” I tell myself constantly all that is required of me is my willingness to try. Plus, I don’t push myself only when others are looking on, I push myself for me.

You see this discipline applies to goals in every aspect of our lives, whether it is selling Mary Kay, Nerium, Advocare, Scentsy or whatever. This discipline is important if you are going to school and trying to finish a Bachelor’s, Masters or Doctorate. It applies if you are writing a book or an article. It applies to healthy habits and spiritual disciplines. It applies if you are single or married. It just applies to life.

Those who succeed are just gutsy enough to decide that they are not going to listen to what the naysayers have to say, even when their own mind becomes the primary naysayer. They are not going to give up because a sale didn’t happen or a person let them down. They keep on getting back up and pushing. That’s why some drive their Nerium Lexus or Mary Kay Cadillac or go on Scentsy cruises year after year. They are tenacious. Yes, they experience disappointments just like all of us, but they don’t wallow in them. More importantly, they understand how important it is to get up and do their thing every single day. They don’t freak out over the “no’s”because they understand that all they need is that one “yes.” They are not deterred because the people they thought they could count on, were not the ones they could count on at all.

As much as I love my family, I have always reminded myself of one thing; there are two people I can count on, God and me. I know it’s important to trust God and to have faith, but I also know that God is not a genie and He wants me to do something with the gifts He has given me.

Many times the reason someone isn’t successful has nothing to do with a lack of skill, it is due to the lack of motivation and the fear of failure. Oh but those successful ones, they find the motivation when it isn’t staring them in the face. They may have some fear of failure, but their faith in God and in themselves, is far greater than the fear. They push when the fearful pulls back. They find a way to climb that mountain when the mountain seems too hard and they run when that voice in their head says “you should stop; you’re tired.” They respond “No, I am not.”

Love Should Build Bridges…

June 21, 2016 ~ authorlasharnda ~ Leave a comment

Is it ju love builds bridges st me or do you have trouble comprehending the anger seen in society today?

Most times I can’t comprehend the anger and hate that some people carry around in their hearts. I often wonder what makes them so bitter. so hateful. At times, the hate extends into pure evil.

Like some of you, I too read posts on social media. Some are filled with such divisiveness and hatred. There is no one group that has the corner on the ugliness either. I see people who range from everyday folks to those who have huge followings writing things against people we should be praying for. Yet, we wonder why we see people acting out so terribly. They are following their leaders!

Do we ever think that we have a responsibility to speak love and acceptance rather than always focusing on what is so different about each of us? If we sat alone and asked the God that we say we follow if what we do day in and day out really represents Him, do you know what He would say to you?

I have a theory; I can have my own theory. I am not saying that it is right, but for me, I think it is. My theory is that God is displeased with many of our actions when what we do brings about divisiveness and hate. I just don’t see God sitting back saying “you call them out of their names; that’s good.” Nor do I see Him saying “Kudos to you. Just run that idiot over with your car.” or for goodness sake, I sure don’t see Him saying “just kill them!”

When I wrote that last one, I felt right away that someone would say, “He did tell them to kill in the Old Testament.” I refuse to believe that He is happy with hate-filled actions. You don’t have to agree.

I sit here and stare around my office and look at the framed art on the walls. Many relate to Love. If you recall, my last book was titled, You Call That Love? I think about this topic a lot. One piece of art says ” LOVE builds bridges where there are none.” I sat watching this and thinking about what was being said. I agree love does build bridges. For one thing, when we want to dismiss the opinions of others, love will cause us to stop and rethink their point of view. We are challenged to listen. We don’t have to agree, but we listen out of respect for the other person’s opinion. Love causes us to stop and think about whether what we do or say hurts another person. Now, I know many don’t give a crap about hurting another person’s feelings; they say, they need their feelings hurt. I say, that may be true, but I sure would like another person to give me the benefit of the doubt when I may not be at my best. Wouldn’t you?

Whether we disagree politically, religiously, or socially, we should be able to do so without being outright nasty to each other. If you don’t like how I grade your paper, that’s okay, I still respect you and ask the same. If I don’t care for how you raise your kids, that’s okay, they are not mine, they are yours and I should respect that you are doing your best. Just as I would want you to think that I am doing my best also. If we don’t agree politically, I won’t trash talk your position and I don’t want you to trash talk me. When we hold different religious views, I promise to respect how you feel and I pray you will respect how I feel. In the end, when we disagree, let’s give each other the benefit of the doubt. For us that are Believers, remember what the Word of God says…

“…Knowledge’ puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if one loves God, one is known by him”

1 Corinthians 8:1

I know that I am not always right in every single thing I think or do. However, neither are you. Let’s value each other’s differences and seek to see what makes us more alike than different. I think if we do that, we will show LOVE. I believe that’s when the Father of Heaven will be pleased with us.

You’ve Come a Long Way Baby

May 16, 2016 ~ authorlasharnda ~ Leave a comment

Have you ever looked back on your life and thought to yourself, “Wow, I have come a long way?” Ever sat around collecting your thoughts and considering the life that’s right before you now and thought to yourself, “What a blessed life?” or “What a crummy life?” Have you ever been so mesmerized with the status of your life that you just could not believe you made it to where you are now or are you terrified by the choices you have made and regret every moment of everyday of being you?

Whether you are living the life that you have always dreamed of or if it is just a mess, I believe that you have come a long way. Everything that we experience in life has been designed to bring us to where we are right now. All of the choices we have selected and the decisions we have made along the way, have all been a part of the process that makes up who we are right now. Good or bad; it is what it is.

It is always good to evaluate where you are. Even if it’s hard to face. By doing so, you have an opportunity to either continue down the path of success or you can now course-correct; you can make adjustments that can alter that path you are on. Maybe you have made many mistakes or bad choices, but I don’t believe it is ever too late to make your life count.

The totality of who you are and what you want to be all fall into one camp; the decisions you make. You want to get on the road of success? Whether that success is in your personal life, professional life or spiritual life, think differently and act differently. Start to move into the direction of what you deem as success. Don’t sit around and continue to accept mediocrity, or accept excuses or place blame, just do something and make it productive and positive. Make it something that will move you towards your goal of succeeding.

You have come a long way baby whether you think you have or not. You have come a long way whether you have succeeded in attaining your goals or whether you have fallen short. If you are where you want to be, great. If you are not there yet, you still have time to get there. However, you must act. You must make changes and do things differently than you have in the past. You see it is easy to accept the status quo and easier to remain complacent. It’s easy because it is comfortable. Doing the same things the same way won’t get you to where you want to be. Be daring, be a risk taker, use your past experiences to your advantage. What have you learned from them? If you re-evaluate them, you will find you have learned a lot.

Whatever you want, won’t just happen, however. It will happen when you begin to do. So get up and get started. You may not have as far to go as you think!

Embrace Joy!

April 23, 2016 ~ authorlasharnda ~ Leave a comment

There is so much sadness in the world today. The lost of some very popular celebrities are in the news. People are experiencing pain with relationships and there seems to be an overall sadness in the air. Some people who I have talked with recently are really struggling with being joyful.

It occurred to me that if I am not careful, I could find myself beginning to feel and act as sad and down as others.

I have reflected on some of the most recent conversations I have been a part of. What came to mind as I thought of some of the recent losses was how to pray for those who are experiencing pain. I have prayed over and over again. What struck me hard one morning as I was praying was this thought, “Watch it or you will find yourself sad too.” That was the Holy Spirit.

“Watch it” is important to remember. You see the scriptures tell us to “guard” our hearts in Proverbs 4:23. I believe we are told that because if we are not careful, instead of embracing “joy” in our attitudes, we can end up on a downward spiral of sadness that so consumes us that we no longer look like joyful, happy and powerful people of God. We look like people who’ve been defeated!

In Philippians 4:4, we are told to “rejoice in the Lord, ALWAYS.”

Already, I can hear some say, “You can’t always be happy.” Well, maybe not, but that does not negate what the Word of God tells us to do. I totally understand that heartaches and disappointments can get the best of any of us, but as one person put it recently: “I think that sometimes our attitudes can cause certain things to come to us.” My response to her? “You know I agree with that statement 100%.” I do believe that we can attract negativity, which includes sadness, depression, anxiety and other anti-joy stealers or we can attract positivity, happiness, peace, love, patience, and other joy-creators.

We all face “stuff.” We just do. However, we can have joy in the midst of our struggles and pain. That’s what the Word of God says.

“When anxiety was great within me,
your consolation brought me joy.'”

Psalm 94:19

Generosity or Greed?

March 23, 2016 ~ authorlasharnda ~ Leave a comment

Many of us would like to think that we are generous and we would never admit to being greedy. Let’s face it; greed is such a distasteful word.

The Bible tells us “a generous person will prosper; the person who refreshes others will also be refreshed.” (Proverbs 11: 25). I think we can measure whether we are generous or greedy. I don’t mean at times you are generous; many are. What I mean is do you hold your “stuff” loosely? Or do you hold on tight to your “stuff?” Your money, your time or even your skills and talents? Do others have to beg you for everything?

My husband is a generous giver; he has always been that way. One lovely night, we were walking hand in hand, leaving a Hilton hotel heading to a 5 star restaurant when a woman came out of nowhere and walked right up to him and asked him for money for food. He did not hesitate. He just took money out of his pocket and handed it to her and we begin to walk hand in hand again to dinner. Not saying one word about what had just happened. I remember thinking that I would have never stopped and done that.

Another time I was in Washington, DC with a friend on a freezing cold night. We were driving onto the off ramp, when I noticed her feverishly digging in her purse and braking as she was slowing down on the ramp; I had no idea what was happening. All of a sudden, she just stopped on the ramp and yelled “Hey, come over here and get this!” a homeless man was sitting on the railing on the ramp in the freezing cold and her goal was to feed and shelter him. Again, I was struck by her generosity.

After witnessing those two acts, for some reason I changed. I stopped thinking the worst when people would stop me on the streets and ask for money or if I would see them on the corner with a sign. Instead of judging their situation, I started thanking God that He had blessed me so and I prayed for them as well as just hand them what I had in my purse. I used to be good about thinking that people should go and find a job or I would think they are going to get that money and go and drink or buy drugs. I stopped doing that. Why? Because like the two people I witnessed up close and personal, it wasn’t for me to question. I was to do what God led me to do and watch how the person I gave to was blessed; ultimately I was too. Now, I won’t say that I give to everyone; I don’t. However, I do give more than I should probably, but that’s okay, God gives me more than He should also.

I have read that scripture in Proverbs several times. In the Message version, it reads:

The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed ;those who help others are helped.

You see we all benefit from being a little more generous. Not only do we help others, we also help ourselves in that we lose a little more selfishness each time we release something that we want to tightly hold on to. In the process of developing generous habits, we become more Christ-like. We lovingly give to the poor, we take care of the elderly and orphans, and we enhance the world we live in.

Living Happy Everyday

March 17, 2016 ~ authorlasharnda ~ Leave a comment

For years I hosted a radio show titled” Living Happy Everyday with Dr. LaSharnda.” My first published book was titled “When You Are Happy With You.” and my monthly contribution to a magazine is titled “Positive Faith.” I think you can sense how I tend to live my life and how I think I can help others do the same.I simply prefer looking at my life with an attitude of the glass “half-full” rather than “half-empty. It’s hard for me to understand why anyone would refuse to do the same.

Have you ever met someone who point out everything that is wrong with others? The see everything that is wrong with the state of the nation and with the world. Yet, they can’t see anything wrong with themselves. As the Bible says, “You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” Matthew 7:5.

I have listened with an ear of cynicism to some who argue that God did not intend for us to be happy. Really? I have heard some say that God only cares about us preaching the gospel and making sure we are out in the world ministering and saving souls. Although, I agree that is very important and is the Great Commission, I still believe that God cares about every single thing that affects who we are both collectively and individually. The Bible says that we don’t have to worry about “stuff” because if He cares about the sparrows of the field, how much more do you think He cares about us; His children? Matthew 6:26. Sure He cares about our happiness. To me, there is no doubt in my mine regarding that.

I do want to say this though. It’s our responsibility to try and live happy and not just sit around waiting for Jesus to cause us to be happy. In Him is complete truth, so we should be happy about that. However, to live a happy life everyday takes intention. We have to be intentional in our thinking. In fact, we have to take control of our imaginations and emotions especially as we think and feel about people and situations. If we don’t, we will automatically find ourselves in a deeply negative and discouraging frame of mind.

Let’s face it, it is easy to complain. It is easy to see fault and it is easy to participate in gossip. It is easy you-dont-become-happy-by-pursuing-happiness-you-become-happy-by-living-a-life-that-means-something-quote-1 to mumble and whine. It is easy to get disgusted, discouraged and down-right angry. It takes little to no effort for any of these emotions to happen. What takes effort is to not complain, not gossip, not mumble or whine. Think about it! It takes a considerable amount of effort to resist being discouraged, disgusted and angry. In fact, I have to tell myself when I find myself going down that rabbit-hole to stop it. Sometimes I have to be firm with myself and say it out loud—-STOP IT. It’s called taking your thoughts captive.

Did you know that the Bible reminds us to do just that? “We demolish arguments and every pretension that set itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.’ .2 Corinthians 10:5. See?

Listen, do you live a happy life? Do you want to? Does God care if you live happy? I say that He does care. In Ecclesiastes 3:12, it says this: “I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live.”

I couldn’t agree more!

New Beginnings…

January 24, 2016January 25, 2016 ~ authorlasharnda ~ Leave a comment

Can you feel it in the air? I can. There is something new and fresh that is about to happen and I can just feel it.

I get excited when I think about all of the blessings of the past, but I am

excited about what the future holds.

As I have thought about this year of new beginnings, the scripture in Isaiah comes to mind. God says that He is about to do something new; it can be a new life, a new relationship, vision, hope, dreams or opportunities. Will you be ready?

As you enter this year, are you entering it with an attitude of optimistic expectations or are you locked into your past, holding onto all the disappointments that you experienced? Will you walk into this year with the attitude that says to anyone near you that you are going to move mountains, live out your dreams and take a more positive and assertive position in pursuing God’s will for your life or have you decided that whatever happens to you is God’s will and what will be will be? Are you bent on holding onto negative attitudes? Are you comfortable with being passive, waiting for life to hand you your dreams?

11690912-attitude-is-everything-text-written-with-chalk-on-a-blackboard

I don’t know which of these descriptions describe you, but I do know that you don’t have to let anyone lock you into a box. If the latter has been you in the past, it doesn’t matter and you do not have to continue that way. You can decide to change the channel of your life.

I have gained great insight into the psyche of people over the years. I can almost intuitively figure out those who are just talk versus the ones who are a little envious of others. I can even tell the ones who will say they are going to do something and will get it is done no matter what versus those who say the same thing and will never make one move toward doing anything.

Success, whether in our personal or professional lives, can be measured by our attitudes. God tells us that He has a plan and purpose for each of us, do we believe Him? He also says that He is about to do something new, do we optimistically look forward to it? Or do we brush it off as just historical sayings or stories of Old Testament Prophets? I am crazy enough to believe Him and maybe that’s why my life seems to experience abundant blessings. I not only believe Him, I expect Him to do something new. Heck, it’s already starting.

Don’t allow your blessings to slip away because you want to hold onto a pessimistic and naysayer-type attitude. Look for opportunities that may be right in front of you if you would look for them. A new thing is going to happen for you. Not because of magic or anything like that. A new thing will happen if you move towards thinking positive, speaking positive, and acting in a way that will attract the positive things you rightly deserve in life. Hey, He is about to do a new thing, can’t you feel it?

Dr. LaSharnda Beckwith

It's Your Life; Own It. No Blame, No Excuses

#best you