I was waiting for my son to finish school and I had an interesting conversation with someone whom I've never really met until today. His daughter passed away and he expressed his feelings of hope and of comfort. I admired him for his courage to speak openly about it, after all - it is when you can openly talk about your feelings that you know, you are reaching the light at the end of the tunnel. But what he said next shows the importance of having a belief, he said:

"Lucky, I went to church back then and believe in God" 

This is what enabled him to mourn but to accept his loss and to keep moving forward and start the healing process. Not moving forward to forget but embrace the life his daughter would've wanted him to live. Having something that gives him hope to believe in, made it much easier to grieve. Even though he may shed a tear, here and there, he was able to feel comforted by having a belief. He then said that he had to be strong for the ones who are living, his other children and family.

I've been around people who don't believe in anything and when disaster strikes, they take it the hardest. I've also been around those who believe in something and when trouble hits, they just dust it off their shoulders.

Not trying to convert anyone but when you are hopeful, you will always find yourself out of the darkness. When you believe in something strongly, you will find that 'that belief', is what will help you push through your trials. Just know that you are loved by someone of a higher power, it may look easy to blame God for everything bad that happens your way, that you forget all that has been given to you that you have been blessed with.

It isn't a bad thing to believe in something many may make fun of, it isn't a bad thing to be hopeful, it isn't a bad thing either to have "Faith". But what those things can do to help you, is to heal, no matter how deep the wound may be.

Love,

Corina Jane (CJM)

Why living positively helps with day to day living.

Everyone at some point gets to that stage where they feel down about things, whether it's appearance or struggles we all face. We get to that stage where we hate ourselves or the world. But instead of focusing so much on the things that aren't working out or the things we're not happy with, why not substitute that mindset for a more grateful one. Why not wake up determined to get through the day instead of worrying about what's going on? Why not wake up grateful that your family is still there? or even that you woke up at all?

When you start changing your mindset and start looking at your blessings rather than your problems, you'll begin to see changes, in a way, where you are able to stress less on certain issues that were weighing you down before. Now, we're not going to talk depth in religion because this is a topic which always gets a lot of hate on BUT if you're not a firm believer in God, why not have an open mind to those who want to share their beliefs with you? I find that, my faith and learning about God and his son Jesus Christ plays a big part in why my attitude towards life, is the way it is. Why I have tackled down the hardest of trials and live to tell the story. I find that having a connection with the Spiritual side to things is what helped me maintain the positive attitude knowing there was a higher power who watches over me & protects me. I know there will be some people who will disagree with my point of view & I respect that. The main message I am trying to get out, is to think positive no matter how hard the situation is or how hard life is. Be open minded. Train your mind to see good in all things. Have faith & even if you're not a church go-er, just pray. You won't know the power of it, unless you try :)

- CJM