This Has Nothing To Do With Your Birthday

I literally just wrote to a friend of mine, “I love being first.”  Not sure if that makes me competitive or not… Neither here nor there.  Anyone that has known me for more than a day knows that I hate to lose.  Point is…THIS is the first.  This posting will serve as my first words to you in 2013, and I gotta be honest… I’m feeling the pressure.  For some reason I feel like all eyes are on me and you’re all waiting for me to say something truly meaningful and profound to help get your year off to an amazing start.  Well…my apologies beforehand should I disappoint.  I’ve got no tricks up these sleeves today.  Not much of anything up the sleeves right now to be honest.  I’m just excited.  I couldn’t settle down to write to you until I had first written to myself, and I did.  In Jasmynne Shaye fashion, I wrote out my goals for the year; wrote out my prayer for 2013; and I have again charged myself to accomplish one new thing each month this year.  Whew!  I wasn’t sure if I was gonna go for that again, but I don’t think I’d be able to live with myself if I didn’t at least try.  I’ve gotta try.  The worst that can happen is I miss a month or two – still puts me in a winning position by the end of the year.  I’m choosing to think of it as a win/win.

And I want you all to be winners as well.  And I’m here to tell you that it’s as simple as making a choice.  You choose to win or you choose to lose.  Disagree with me all you like, but I’m right about this one. 

“But, Jasmynne, I want to win; I just don’t know how.”

“But, Jaz, I gave it my all and I still failed.”

“Jazzie, if you had the year I had last year, you’d cut me some slack.”

“I’m just tired of trying.”

“I don’t have your kind of luck.”

“God hates me.”

“I don’t have any support.”

“I don’t even know where or how to get started.”

“I’m just not like you.”

Go ahead. Pick one.  Select the excuse you prefer and tuck it in your pillow case tonight.  Write it on your bathroom mirror and post it on your refrigerator.  Send out an email blast and tweet it to all your followers.  Tell the whole world why you can’t cut the mustard, and send me a note detailing all the sympathy you receive; because I want to know.

Now come here.  Come closer.  I don’t want to have to reach too far to slap some sense into you.  WAKE UP!!!  No one cares!  Are you hearing me??  No one gives to rips about your hardships.  No one.  Even the ones that say they do – don’t.  No one cares, so cut it out with the pity party.  All you’re doing is sitting in a puddle of milk looking and sounding foolish. 

What do you want?  Who do you want to be?  Do you know?  Are those questions you’ve even taken a moment to answer for yourself?  Here’s a secret.  Either YOU answer those questions for yourself or someone else does.  Then you’re stuck half-living a mediocre life helping someone else accomplish their dreams.  And I’m here to tell you that you’re better than that. You are.

You’re probably sick of me telling you about it, but I’m gonna take it back to Formula 409.  Yes.  The household cleaner.  It is called ‘409’ because it was the four hundred and ninth solution that was the winner.  You getting this?  Four hundred and eight failed attempts.  4  0  8.  So when you say that you’ve tried I question how hard.  When you say you don’t know where to begin, I say start somewhere.  When you say you have no support, I say welcome to my world.  When you say you’re not like me and you have no luck and nothing you attempt works – I ask you, “Have you made 408 attempts?”  Until you have, I don’t want to hear it.  I’m sorry, I just don’t.  Do you understand that I’m a winner because I choose to be.  Because I decided a long time ago that failure was not an option for me.  I made a decision.  Simple as that.  And not everything I attempt works out, but I certainly don’t get my undies in a bunch because of it.  I press on.  I move forward.  Thing is:  I know exactly where I want to go.  I know exactly what I want and I know exactly who I am.  Those are things that I have no question about whatsoever.  And because I am rock solid on those, everything else is cake.  Just a piece of yummy (vegan) cake.  If you want a slice, take it.  Last I checked no one was walking around with cake samples on a silver tray.  You’re gonna have to elbow your way through the crowd to grab a slice; and once you get it guard it with your life because there is a thief around every corner hoping you’ll turn your back long enough for yours to be snatched away.

I think I’ve said enough.  I’m off to enjoy my slice and I pray you’re lacing up your shoes to go out and get yours.

My name is Jasmynne Shaye, and this is me STEPPING ON A FEW TOES.

photo:  www.stockfreeimages.com