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Have you ever watched a movie or a program on television that really affected you?   Do you have a favorite program or movie that you don't mind watching over and over again because you like the way it makes you feel?   Or, are there some shows and/or movies that you stay away from?  

For me, watching a scary movie where someone is frightened out of their mind is not my idea of a good time. It may appeal to some, but for me personally, I stay away because I don't like how I feel during or after the movie.  

I remember one movie that I watched as a teenager late one night with my Mother called, "Imitation of Life." That particular movie had both my Mother and I sobbing in one of the final scenes.   I remember going to bed actually feeling a little sickly because of crying so hard.   When I woke up the next morning, I had a hard time eating because I still felt sick to my stomach.   Don't get me wrong; the movie was great.   It just affected me very strongly as a young teenager.  

Late last year when I was looking over both my personal and business goals for 2016, I was happy to see that I hit many of the goals I reached for.   When I started working on 2017 goals, they just were not coming together as easily for me.   And, to be honest, I couldn't understand why.

When this happens to me especially in my business, I start analyzing everything.    I take some time to pray about the situation and what I should or should not be working on.   I kept telling myself that the biggest reason was because I was waiting to see how the Affordable Care Act was going to play out.  

It turned out to be something very different.   I noticed something changing in me, but it was truly of my own doing.   When things aren't exactly going the way I am striving for, social media becomes a crutch for me.   Only this time, it really became so much more.  

Since the New Year began or really since the election, I've noticed that the posts that I love to see aren't as plentiful as they were once were.  I would read posts of people attempting to say something nice and no matter what, things would get misunderstood.  This blog post isn't about what I saw, but more importantly what I noticed about myself as I logged on to social media.   My mood changed.   I could go from happy to sad reading just one post.   When that happened, work would not get done and a draining feeling washed over me.  

Rather than feeling that way, I started to "hide" posts.   I would make sure to log on to the groups that I belong to that are motivating and uplifting.   I have a prayer group that sends me prayer requests and I made sure to look at that each day.  

Last week, I was determined to finish up my goals for 2017 when I received a prayer request to pray for the country.    I decided to go to social media and see what people were posting, what their concerns were, and how to pray for each of them.  

To say that I was shocked was an understatement.   The posts that I hid to keep off my news feed broke my heart.   Hatred seemed to be at the heart of what I saw.   I did pray for the country that day, but I also couldn't get any work done.  In the next few days,  I went through the motions of the day, but I realized that my clients were not getting the best me, my family wasn't getting my best, and most importantly,  I wasn't able to be my best self.  

After President Donald Trump took the oath of office, I decided to try an experiment.   I wanted to see if my mood was better if I limited my time on Facebook.  I wanted to see exactly how I felt after reading motivational posts as well as how I felt after skimming through posts that were less than desirable in my eyes.

Just after a few days of limiting my time on Facebook, my goals for 2017 are done.   An idea that has been going through my mind is now being brought to life.    An issue that I have been striving to find a solution for has been solved.  

I wrote a post on Facebook late yesterday afternoon that I would be limiting my time on Facebook. Thank you to everyone who has reached out to me with your understanding.   It means so much and didn't go unnoticed.

Just like a movie that affected me years ago, Facebook has an effect on me too.   I could choose to continue to let it drain me or I could choose to take steps in helping myself.  

My clients deserve that.  

My family deserve that.  

I am respecting myself enough to know that I deserve that too.  

I Believe in our Great Country

On Friday, January 20, 2017, the United States of America will have a new President and Vice President.   President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence will put their hands on a Bible and take the oath of office just like 44 other Presidents and Vice Presidents have done in the past.   For me, I will be in the comfort of my own home praying.

I will be praying for both of these men.   I will be praying for their wives and families.

I will be praying for their safety.   I will be praying for the thousands of people that will protesting.   I will be praying for the men and women working to provide protection for everyone in the DC area and throughout the country.

I will be praying for a peaceful transition.    I will be praying that the new President and Vice President will look at all the needs of all Americans.

I will be praying for all of us just like I did eight years ago when President Obama took the oath of office.   In fact, if Donald Trump would not have been elected and it was Hilary Clinton taking the oath of office instead, I would have also been praying for her.  

It is not my desire to get into pinning one side against the other.   In fact, I don't see sides. What I see is a family of the United States of America each with different values, but values none the less. It is not my desire to see people arguing trying to make each other wrong. It is my desire to listen to one another, support one another, show kindness, and most importantly, show respect for the President of the United States.   I have not always agreed with everything that each President did or didn't do, but showing them support by praying for their own hearts was the only way I could wrap my head around things I couldn't understand and did not support.

For the record, I do not believe in sharing who I voted for.   It is a personal decision for each of us and for me, one that I spent many hours praying about.   I had to seek my own heart and my own beliefs just like everyone else did.   I never appreciate anyone tellling me who I should or should not vote for.   We each have our own thoughts and our own gifts that we like to share with the world.  When attempting to change someone's mind or thoughts, it is like telling them that they aren't important.

And, that is never true.

There will be protests throughout the country on Friday.   Some I agree with and some I don't, but I will show them respect because they are sharing what they believe to be true in their own hearts. There were women that protested and earned each women in the United States the right to vote.   And, that is also important.  

On Friday, I will be spending a good part of my day in prayer.   It is important to me that we have this right here and I will use it for each person that lives in this great land.    I will pray for Donald Trump.   I will pray for Mike Pence.   I will pray for the protestors.   I will pray for all of the Nation.

I will pray for my family and I will pray for yours because:

I believe in you.

I believe in your rights.

I believe in our country.

God Bless You and God Bless America.