The woman looked at herself in the bathroom mirror. “I don’t want to go to my aunt and uncle’s for Christmas. I don’t want to answer questions about why I’m not married yet or why I want to pursue my dreams.”

She continued to look at herself – tears formed in her eyes. She gripped the countertop hard; her knuckles looked as if they’d rip through her skin. She took a deep breath and released it.

“Maybe this year things will be different. I can make them be different. After all, I’m an adult and my parents can’t force me to do anything I don’t want to do anymore. I make my own decisions.”

It’s supposed to be the “most wonderful time of the year.” However, the holidays are the time of the year that most people despise.

While the holidays are a joy for some, for others they add more stress to their lives. Sadly, some people are driven to commit suicide for one reason or another.

Remember that you are in control of you. Whether you enjoy the holidays or not is entirely up to you.

It’s possible to laugh and smile your way through the holiday season. Read on to find 10 ways to beat holiday stress. Before you know it, you’ll be saying, “Ho! Ho!” instead of “No! No!” [Read more…]

In March 2007,  I began my metaphysical and spiritual (I sometimes refer to it as the Journey to the Center of Me.). As I started to peel back the layers of my life, the poetry within me began to come out. One of those poems is titled The Golden Ladder.

Sometimes, we hit rock bottom and can’t see a way out. However, if you adjust your eyes to the dark, you’ll see a glimmer of light, of hope. Furthermore, you’ll see that you within you is a golden ladder that you can use to climb out of the depths of your despair or whatever it is you’re feeling or going through.

When you begin to climb, pause on each rung and think about how you got there. Maybe you experienced a break up. Perhaps you lost your job. Maybe someone close to you died. Whatever your experiences are, learn the lessons so you may move forward. Find the love and carry it with you.

Here is The Golden Ladder.

The Golden Ladder

Deep inside lays a golden ladder,
You must seek your inner being to locate it.
It cannot and will not be found outside of you,
Although, I’m sure you’ll believe this to be untrue.

No one will present you with the golden ladder,
You must discover it yourself – it’s the only way.
Your life provides the map to it, with all of its twists and turns,
Do you accept the adventure?
Or will you run and hide?

The golden ladder will lead you to the top,
If you expect the best, this is where you will find it.
At top are all of the riches that your life has to offer,
What will you do to get them?

Complaining, blaming, whining, playing a victim,
These will not lead you to the golden ladder.
They are the obstacles that will prevent you from it,
It will become invisible to you, yet remain present.

Whether or not you chose to seek the golden ladder,
The outside world as you know it will continue on as it has been.
Its projection to you may be good or bad, prosperity or lack, success or failure,
It may shock you to know, you played a part in it all,
You were the key and did not realize it.

The choice is yours to seek the golden ladder,
The world will continue on as you know it,
Your life will continue to be as it is.
You could change it by seeking the golden ladder,
Take hold of it and begin to climb,
The choice is yours my friend, the choice is yours.

If you enjoyed this poem, I’d appreciate it if you shared it others on social media. Tweet it, post on Facebook, Pin it, etc. Email it too!

Have a Blessed Day and Life!