What I Know for Sure--Thankful Thursday

I know lots of people who have never been/are still not fans of Oprah Winfrey, and that's completely fine with me. I have no shame in saying that I still love watching reruns of her show and occasionally turn on her network if something appealing is on. This woman is an inspiration to me. She came from nothing and worked her way up the ladder to have everything she's ever wanted and then some. We used to get her magazine at our house, but stopped quite a few years ago. However, they sent us one of those cards for subscribing in the mail the other day. On the card, she wrote a little snippet of her column called, "What I Know for Sure." She gives advice and world experience about what she can say that she knows for sure. Here's some of my favorite lines from her:

• What you put out comes back all the time, no matter what. (This is my creed.)
• You define your own life. Don't let other people write your script.
• If the only prayer you ever say is thank you, that will be enough. (From the German theologian and humanist Meister Eckhart.)
• If you make a choice that goes against what everyone else thinks, the world will not fall apart.
• The happiness you feel is in direct proportion to the love you give.
• When people show you who they are, believe them the first time. (A lesson from Maya Angelou.)

Seriously, I love reading her words. They are so wholesome, inspiring, harsh yet true, and definitely believable. The other night I was reading them and I was thinking about what I know for sure. So here's a little something that I came up with:

• I know that I will always have my family, faith and friends behind me. They may not agree with every decision I make, but they know me and my character. They know that even if I falter, I will stand right back up and many of them help me do it. They are my rock and I would not be here without them.
• I know that I am not a model. I'm not perfect. But I know that I love myself. I do, not matter the day, even when I'm having one of those "fat" days (come on, we all have them!). I know that I am worth it, everyday. No one can take that away from me.
• I know that I was made to make mistakes. We all are. But I know that my mistakes help me learn and grow each day as a person. I also know when to admit that I was wrong. I sometimes don't always like to admit it, but I know that acknowledging my faults helps me discover what I did and grow for the next time. Laughing over them is also necessary!
• I know that life is a gift and that many people are not given the experiences that I am given. I have to cherish them everyday really like it is my last day. All of our days are numbered, to an extent, but some people have less time than others. Every day has to count and I try to live them as fully as I can. We can all do the same. Live them for you, no one else, but share them with those you love. 
• Always trust yourself and your own instincts. Only I truly know what is best for me. Of course, I am going to consult other people as much as possible, but really, only I know what I really should do. Don't let those instincts go unheard.
• I know that "We can do anything we want if we stick to it long enough." Helen Keller said this and it is a quote that sticks with me every single day. If we persevere, and push ourselves far enough, we can achieve anything we want, no matter how many people tell us no. We may have a million interests and thousands of things we want to achieve, but we can always achieve those few things that we stick to for the long haul. I know that I will not ever give up on my dreams, and I know that my dreams may change a few times. I will see my dreams come true if I put the work into them, even though it's a difficult road.

And here's one more thing that I thought was perfect for this post (it really sums up everything I truly know for sure!):

What do you know for sure? It's weird to think about it in that context, but I think we all do have something that we do know for sure.

Here's hoping my kiddos are in as good of a mood as they were last week! The weekend is so so close!

~Susan