Shortcuts!!

Today's blog was born out of a situation I've dealt with several times in the last few months. This is not meant to hurt anyone, but to try and make people understand what you have to do for yourself.

All of my life, I have been a giver. I've given my money, my time, my advice, my love, my prayers, and myself to others.

I have helped when people needed food, clothes, money, bills paid, car rides and the like. I have also received those things as well from others and I'm very thankful for it all.

I had a conversation with my friend the other night where we were talking about somone in particular who just wants things given to her without any effort on her part. My friend quoted a scripture from Matthew 26:11. "The poor you will always have with you".

From my understanding during our conversation, that means there will always be those around you with a poverty mentality. I'm not saying that people don't have problems because I'll be the first to tell you that we ALL do.

I've been well-to-do and I've been dirt poor.

I've had much and I've had nothing.

There have been days that I've felt guilty for having so much food that I've had to throw it away and there's been days that I've been hungry, not knowing where my next meal was coming from.

So please don't misunderstand and think that I'm judging anyone in any way at all. I'm not.

I have been where each person is. But I've had people around me to give me the same advice I'm about to give you. It was given to me and so I'll pass it on to you.

Whatever you want out of life, you have to work for it.

Nothing is free, except salvation and that came with a price that we didn't have to pay. Our Savior paid the ultimate price with His life to give the gift of eternal life to us. So really, that wasn't free at all.

But back to my point. It's like in Acts 3 where Peter and John went into the temple at the hour of prayer. There was a lame man that caught their eye. They walked over to him and the Bible says that he was expecting something of them. I think that probably means this was his way of life. Maybe because of his inability to walk, he would take offerings to help with expenses. So that day was no different for him. He saw a couple of men and expected some change maybe. But instead of giving money to him, Peter asked him to look at he and John. Then he said, "silver and gold have I none, but such as I have, I give unto thee. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk."

The Bible says the man took him by the hand and he rose up leaping and praising God.

Now, I said all of that to say this. You may ask me for things and I may give them to you. But how long does that last?

When I went through a really hard time of being homeless after leaving the abusive relationship. I needed money to live. I needed it to buy food. But if people would have just handed it to me, how far would that have gotten me? Maybe a few days. Just like the old saying, "Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime."

But when I was offered a job at the factory, that's when my life started to change. I was able to get up begin to take care of myself.

I worked that job for a few months until a better job came along. But when I lost that job, I was in shock and wasn't sure what I was going to do. Thankfully, I had enough in savings to live comfortably for a year without a working a regular nine to five job.

That's when I feel God began to lead me into my gift of writing, and

that's when I picked up my laptop and began to type.

I had woken up with a story in my mind and since I had nothing better to do than just sit there, lol, I decided to type it out. Five months later, I had a book called The Letter.

I got a request from someone the other day for something they want and after much thought I realized what they really want me to do for them. They basically want me to do the job for them.

I posted something on Facebook that said "If you want it, work for it". Then I put a caption above it that said, "I can teach you to fish, I just can't fish for you". It's true. I can help you, but I can't do the work for you.

I had a friend that I've spoken of before who wanted so badly to be an author. She was always saying how she had a book in the works. For more than two years, she kept saying the same thing. But she never finished it. She became angry at herself and then at me because I was doing and she was talking.

We all have the same amount of hours in a day. If you want something, go do it. I can't write your book for you. I can show you where to start, but I can't write it. She is no longer a friend because of her jealousy and inability to get beyond the good things that are happening for me. The good things that I worked for. So she cut me out of her life. But the same success that I'm seeing, she can see as well. We all can do whatever it is we want to do. It's up to each of us. It's all in how badly we want it.

Oprah Winfrey always said, "people make time to do what they want to do". She was speaking about how someone kept telling her they really wanted to do something but just couldn't get the time. Then I heard her quote that line and it has stuck with me all of these years. It's so true. People do whatever they want to do.

It reminds me of a simliar situation where a girl I know wanted one of my books. She messaged me one day and asked for one. I told her that she could either order it from Amazon, Barnes and Noble or that she could purchase it from me. She got angry and said that she is poor and wanted it for free. I explained to her that was how I make my living and I have to have my money as well. She then got on Facebook and went off on me, saying that I was mean because I wouldn't give a poor girl a book. I messaged her and asked if she worked. She replied yes. I asked if she still smoked and she replied yes. Then I told her that since she works, she gets to choose what she spends her money on and if she really wanted a book, then she could forgo a couple packs of cigarettes to get one. I asked her if she would expect to get things for free at Walmart if she told them she was poor. That's when she really became angry with me, lol. Now each time I run into her, she still runs that mouth of hers. I worked hard on making my dream come true. If she wants to read my book bad enough, she'll work hard to purchase it. If not, she can borrrow it from someone.

Side note: the funny thing is when I put it on Kindle download for FREE, I messaged her and told her that all she had to do was go to Amazon and click "download for free". Her reply: "I want the real book, not the Kindle version". Geez!! Really? So you see, there are some people that you will NEVER please no matter what you do.

Let's say I make a huge dinner and tell everyone in the house that it's ready. There are seven people there and only six show up to the table. They all eat until they are stuffed to the gills, as grandpa used to say. But that one person who didn't come and eat is puffed up mad on the couch because they didn't get any dinner. Now, whose fault is that? It's the person's that chose not to come and eat. I can't make you eat. If you want to eat, you have to take the necessary steps to make it to the table. I refuse to spoon feed anyone. No matter what age they are.

When my son was a baby he required me to feed him, but you can rest asured when he got big enough to hold that spoon, he fed himself. That's how it's supposed to be. If you want a dream to come true, work for it!! I can't do your work, only you can. Otherwise, it would be my dream and my work.

I'm sorry if this is hard to swallow but it's the truth. If you want something bad enough, you do it. If you want your life to change, only YOU can change it. I'm not going to write your books for you, I barely have time to devote to my own books with everything else I've got going on.

I love you all and I want each of you to succeed, but you have to go after your own success.

Remember to work hard and Dream Big!!

Much love,

Christy