Raising Our Children with Ethics, Morals and Values

How we raise our children speaks volume about who we are as parents. How our children act on our teachings as adults is strictly up to them. I believe that when you show love in your household and teach your children ethics, morals and values, it makes them a better person. I believe that we pave the road for our children and their future by raising them with the basic and loving fundamentals that we were taught. No, we are not perfect parents, nor can we make our children turn out perfect young adults, but we can guide them and kick them in the ass when they take a wrong turn. (just kidding)

I was raised with love and kindness and that is how I raised my children. I had the luxury of not only being raised by two wonderful parents, rather 4 grandparents and one great grandmother. That's 7 fantastic people that influenced my life. My children had two parents, 4 grandparents and 3 great grandparents. Am I proud of them today? You betcha I am. They have never shown me disrespect and they always took my advice whether they wanted to hear what I had to say or not. I think somewhere deep inside, even if they were not happy at times with what I had to say, they knew that 'ole mom had a good head on her shoulders!' 

Here’s a story to share with you. When I am not trying to be the best aunt, daughter, friend mom and sister I can be, when I am not out saving relationships, or pinning my blogs, DIY projects or recipes on Pinterest…when I am not tweeting about sales at my stores, making new friends on Facebook or trying to make it big in the panty world, I also work a part time job in sales with a group of young ladies that are quite special to me. I call them my very own “Fab 5” and the old boys of Michigan U of M don’t have anything on these ladies! They are my superheroes. These women give me hope, encouragement and a reason to keep on blogging and selling lingerie. They are my cheerleaders and they motivate me! Let me not forget someone else, lets call her Jordache,who is no longer working with us but remains dear to me and I miss her and her funny stories.

Oh how I love when these women come to work and tell me about their lives,... and by now they all know that they should really watch what they say as their conversations are the best blogging materials for new articles. 

Often, I wake up knowing what I want to write about, and other days, I have to ponder it a bit. Or, I go into work and one of the gals tell me about something that happened that makes me want to share it with all of you. Here’s my story about raising your child with morals. Last week, one of these gals came in and told me that she was asked to prom. It wasn’t just any invite, it was what every young lady could ever probably wish for and not just for some formal dance, but to her senior prom. This young lady wanted an invite to her prom. She had the perfect dress picked out and all that she needed was to be asked. Oh, she got invited, but allow me to share with you the thought that this young man put into his invitation; and to all of you other young men, do take notes: 

He started by putting a teddy bear and a note in her car at the end of the day last week. The note said “when you get home, go to your front door” so she did…and at her front door was a bouquet of roses along with a note that said; “arrange these in order and call this number.” She did just that and when she put them it order it spelled the word ‘PROM!’ She then called the number left with the note. This young man told her “do not give him her answer yet, he said "I’d like to hear it in person.” Then he told her to go to her front door…so she did. There he was this handsome young man standing on her porch. It was then that he asked her to go to the high school prom with him. 

This young man made a real impression and my guess is that he is already loved by her family. He opens doors for her, walks her to her door, and treats her very much like a lady in every sense of the word. He is good to his siblings and loves his mom. When the topic of dating and relationships came up, she told him that she wasn’t ready for a relationship. He told her that it was all right and that he would wait because she was worth waiting for! Oh, and PS) she said 'YES!' 

KUDOS to the parents who raised such a fine young man and double kudos to this young ladies parents who taught their daughter how to love, be kind to others, to have standards and to never settle. Two kids raised by two separate families who both were loved and nurtured. They have much respect for themselves and for others. This comes from yet how they were raised and the morals and ethics as parents that we instilled.

I get chills when I hear stories like this because in society today, there are far too many children that just don’t get it. Teach your kids to be kind and not mean. Keep your children close and regardless of if they stay, or stray, always know that you gave them all the love that you could, and just pray that someday they see the picture a little bit more clearly! Raising children is not easy! The most important thing is to keep the lines of communication open. 

Just Be Yourself...Stop Listening To What Other People Think

Are you 100% original? I am. There is no one like me and I like it that way. You either love me or you don't. I'm upbeat, positive, and grateful for all that I have. I have been blessed with good friends and a family like that of no other. Health? Maybe not so much, but not even that has kept me down. Often people get confused with my traits or my personality...why? I haven't a clue. I am a caring, giving, most loving woman and I am always the one who is here to listen and never judge. I was raised with awesome morals and I use them daily whether it be in friendships regarding my personal life or in the business world.

 No, I'm certainly not perfect, and I make mistakes,...but if you asked me today just how happy I am with 'me' I would tell you pretty damn happy. Why? I was never really one for worrying about what others thought of me. I was never an ass kisser and I never will be. I am just me! When it comes to self-improvement I take it all on myself, but we always need a little help from our friends...In my opinion, other people can help or hinder you in doing what’s right for you but NO ONE other than you knows what is right for you, and there is absolutely NO ONE other than you who is looking out for your best interest 100%. No one. Sure people care about you, but at the end of the day, you have to look in the mirror and accept yourself faults and all. You can listen to others tell you what's right or wrong for you until you are blue in the face, nonetheless, guess what...they don't walk every day in your shoes. 

Every one is different and our lives change constantly. This is not meant to scare you, but to liberate and empower you. Once you realize that everyone is doing what’s right and best for them in that moment, you are free to make your own decisions as to what to do for yourself.

Other people spend an awful lot of time, often with the best of intentions, trying to make other people conform to their view of how things are or should be. This can take the form of artful persuasion or it can take the form of bloody warfare; either way the root is the same: trying to impose one’s will on another. This is not good guys...

Once we understand the Law of Attraction, once we realize the awesome creative, reality-shaping power each of us possesses, the implications of such a statement are stark; people’s lives are being dictated by other people. How about yours? How is your life and are you happy with it? That's the question that you should be asking yourself! A

Are you letting someone else tell you what to think and believe and how to live? If so STOP it right now. Don't listen to what others think...you are an original. Quit allowing others to decide how you live! Your life is yours and yours alone. You decide, who, what, where and when things will partake. You decide if you will more forward or fall short only to go backwards. Life is not easy and there are times when we all want to crawl under a rock. Guess what? You need to be brave and strong and determined! Those whom crawl under that rock are giving up. You need to be a fighter. You need to be strong and you need to suck it up. I follow my heart. I listen to my gut, and I take the bull by the horns. Am I a fighter? You bet I am.

The more you push against something, the more you validate and therefore strengthen its existence, so in trying to change something about another person you only enforce the very behavior and situations you’re trying to eradicate. You create the exact opposite of your desired result and, in doing so, reinforce your own belief that the situation is as bad as you thought it was. Don't let fear drag you down. Don't use it as a crutch, and don't let others on the outside meddle and tell you what is best for you. Find your happy place. Trust me, my life has been all but easy and if you have followed my blog from the get-go you know where I am coming from, and where I have been. You also know that I would be the first person in line to cheer you on and to tell you to push yourself harder to be a better YOU! If I had listened to others, I would be living under the rock, but I was not at all going to allow myself to go backwards in life. I had a family to protect and the mama bear came out with her claws ready to fight.

The way to change the world is to change yourself, not other people; live the life you dream of and the world you live in will mold itself to the world of your dreams. My grandmother used to always say that if you were going to dream, dream BIG! It's all that I know, and it is how I raised my children. You can't fail if you don't try. This holds true in life, love and relationships. 

One person is not right and the other wrong. One person’s judgment does not determine another’s worth. One person’s fulfillment is not dependent on another’s approval and one person’s happiness is not determined by another’s actions. You have to make your own happiness, and only YOU are in control of your destiny. Find something that you desire more than anything an go after it. Don't be shy now...if you want it, come and get it.

You and other people are different for an incredibly important reason, one that’s crucial to the very nature and purpose of life in the Universe. The contrast and variety we experience, that which seems to cause so much conflict and disagreement, is the only way for us unique extensions of a singular consciousness to develop preferences and perspectives, the very stuff that desires are made of. And that’s what the Universe is made up, after all: the ever-changing stuff of our desires. 

Here’s how it works with you and your perfect partners in creation known as other people:

• You change your reality; you call the shots, and you make your own destiny!
• Other people drawn to your reality gravitate towards you and help strengthen and expand it;Other people repelled by your reality gravitate away from you, keeping you free of their encumbering influence on further strengthening and expanding the reality you’ve created. 

Describe Character...5 Steps to Improve Yours!

What is "Character?"

"Character" is defined as "the inherent complex of attributes that determines a person's moral and ethical actions and reactions." Honesty, respecting others, having good sense of right and wrong. Acting appropriately in all situations. In simpler terms, your character is what leads you to make the decisions you make and perform the behaviors you do in everyday situations. Character is who we really are. It's what we do when no one is looking. It' s the accumulation of thoughts, values, words and actions. These become the habits that comprise our character. That character determines our destiny. My grandmother used to say that your character described you in general to a "T." Integrity and ethics I feel are strongly associated with your character and who you are. It's all about being kind, not necessarily about being right. It's about listening, not about always being the assertive speaker. It defines who you are, and the type of person you become. I was raised with high morals and ethics and that is how I have raised my kids.

A person of character thinks right and does right according to core universal values that define the qualities of a good person: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship. The CHARACTER COUNTS!

Follow the 5 steps below to a stronger, more principled self:

1. What rules do you follow? This is important, so give it some deep thought.Think about the morals that guide you. Where did you learn them? Are they connected to your own ideas, what your parents taught you, or your faith?

• An example of a rule you might follow in life is "The Golden Rule." Maybe you learned it at home from parents or in church. It states, "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you." More succinctly, the Golden Rules says to treat others the way you want to be treated.
• If you discover you have no "set" of guidelines that you follow, now is the time to compose your own rules and write them down. Alternately, look for morals that you aspire to.
• Talk to those you love about your personal guidelines. They'll help you clarify what you really want to live by.

2. Evaluate your life. Have you lived by your guidelines? An important step in strengthening your character is taking an inventory of your past behaviors/choices.

• Did you make your decisions based on your principles? For example, if you consider yourself a Christian and vow to follow Christian rules and morals, have you actually been applying those rules in your life?
• This exploration into your past is necessary whenever you hope to strengthen your character. Without knowing where you've been, it's hard to see clearly where you're at today.

3. Do your morals match your past behaviors? If you discover you've avoided following the very rules you've adopted for your life, it's important to reflect on what you did and what motivated you in those instances.

• This reflection is crucial to character development. When you do this, you take steps forward to change your actions and decisions to better follow your guiding principles.

4. Something needs to change. Consider frankly what you'd like to alter about yourself to more closely live by your rules. Next, make a list of what you've noticed.

• Do you desire to be more honest with others? Are you ready to let go of manipulating others to get what you want from them? Whatever changes you plan to make, write them down. Ponder them.
• Find others who believe in the same principles as you do and make friends with them.

5. Apply your guidelines each day. From this point forward, focus on decisions you make and how you behave, keeping in mind your chosen set of rules. Vow to make the changes you've listed.

• If you like, type up your life guidelines and place them where you'll consistently see them.
• Your principles might be summed up as simply as The Golden Rule. Or they may be a long list of rules and ideals that you aspire to. Whatever the case, stay in conscious contact with yourself every moment of each day.
• Be fearless in your efforts to follow your morals. Stand guard over your daily decisions to ensure they match up with your guiding principles.
• And remember: today is a new day. Whatever you did yesterday, while it may require an apology or amends, is now in the past. If you didn't do as well as you would have liked, you can start over today.

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