“Never let anyone steal your brave because of their fears and insecurities, never let anyone steal your pretty because they have an ugly personality, and never let anyone steal your sparkle because they don’t know how to shine.” ~Anne Dennish~

Sometimes all we need is a memory to pop up to remind us of a life lesson. This was mine from many years ago.

A good friend of mine had stopped by my house many years ago. We hadn’t seen each other in months, and it was a much-needed break for me that day. We had a nice visit, but it was something that she said as we said “goodbye”, that stuck with me for many hours that day. She said: “What happened to you? You lost your pretty, your sparkle and your brave! Go get that stuff back!”

Wow, point taken, and she was right. I had lost my pretty, forgotten about my brave, and had most definitely lost my sparkle. My task on that day was to figure out what happened to it all and the next was to go and get it back. It wasn’t the thing that I had wanted to do that day, but after all, if I’m going to share my experiences with all of you and tell you how I got through them then I had to practice what I preach or at least practice what I write about!

So, what happened to my pretty, my brave and my sparkle?

A lot of things happened.

Yet it isn’t so much about “what” those things were but “why” those things happened. And as always, I believe that what we allow will continue and that we have to set up healthy boundaries in our life and not allow them to be crossed.

It’s easier said than done.

So, on that day I had to look in the mirror and be truthful with myself. And yes, the truth, even our own truth, can hurt.

And it did.

I had work to do that day and I was more than ready to do it. I knew then why and how I lost my pretty, my brave and my sparkle.

I lost it because I lost sight of its importance to me and that those three things are a part of me. I forgot to love myself the way I want to be loved, and I lost sight of myself as well.

You see, I’m as human as you and even I have to be handed another experience in life to remind me of a life lesson that I had forgotten and needed to remember.

Only I am in charge of changing myself; only I am in charge of my feelings and emotions; and only I am in charge of my actions and reactions.

After all, don’t I always say that “everything in YOUR life begins with YOU?”

On that day many years ago, I remembered that “everything in MY life begins with ME.”

And I remembered it again today.

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~