Guest Blog Spot: Patricia Fowler
An Attitude of Gratitude
My name is Patricia Fowler. My book is Turning a Blind Eye to Red Flags.
I want to take a minute to express my feelings about some things I have experienced over the years and about where I am today in my life. I must admit that I have been through a lot of trauma, hurt, and pain from a young age. Being a single mom of 4 is or was not easy, but I am grateful that I could do it.
When I look back over my life, I never thought I would be where I am today, just as a person, a mother, an entrepreneur, an author, a grandmother, and so much more. I could not have done or gotten through any of the things that I have without the help of God by my side. Life has not been easy for me, but I do not complain about things meant to take me out or cause me hardship.
I have learned to take the negative things that come at me in a very positive way because I realize that they happen to do one or two things. Teach me a lesson and/or use it to help someone else. As we go through life and grow through life, we must learn to take some good with the bad. Life is not all roses. It often takes something bad to happen in our lives to learn things, trust, and build up our faith and character.
Still, at the same time, it is humbling to know that you have survived some things that others have not and also that you have turned those bad things around for your good and now have helped someone else because of what you went through. I am the type of person that I am willing to help any and everyone because it's not always about me.
We have to think of others and put ourselves in their shoes sometimes to get an idea or grasp the feeling of what they are going through. I’m thankful that I have been equipped with the education and awareness to go out and help those suffering from things I have experienced in my past. Life is set up in ways that we have no idea of what we could accomplish when we put our minds to it and be dedicated to completing the task.
At this point in my life, it is all about how I can help someone else and prevent others from hurt and pain. It is my greatest achievement and gives me the most gratifying feeling of touching lives. Sometimes people are so blessed to have money, friends, family, and more, but they are unwilling to go that extra mile for someone else.
On the other hand, I look for opportunities to help others. It makes me so happy and so thankful to God that he would use somebody like me to pour into the lives of others. People take little things for granted in life and do not appreciate each moment and minute we have here on earth. Someone once asked me why I prayed over a piece of gum, and I explained to them that we are thankful for everything we get or have in life.
Just because it is a little thing like a piece of gum, it’s not too small for me to turn around and give thanks for it. I have had to learn how to come through my trials and tribulations, and I am very grateful today that I have made it through. My mother always taught me that helping others is a blessing, and even when we don’t have much, we can still share it with others. Showing how grateful you do not always have to do with money. It could be something as small as cooking dinner for someone or giving someone your couch to sleep on because they have not slept in days and are just so tired but can’t afford a hotel.
Being courteous can go a long way. I’m grateful that someone took the time to instill good morals and values in me. I appreciate the fact that I have had to struggle in life. When you have to struggle for things, you appreciate them just that much more because you put your hard work and effort into them. I don’t do things to be better than anyone besides myself. There are many days that I have to lift myself up as much as I enjoy doing it for others.
The encourager sometimes needs encouragement. As a mother and grandmother, I work hard to stay as active as possible to enjoy time with my little ones. Even after two knee surgeries, I can sit on the floor and play with them or chase them around and things like that. I surely enjoy going for long walks on a nice sunny day.
As an Author, it makes my heart smile to hear others talk about what they got from my books. It is a good feeling when I can give some of them out to young adults or women who have daughters to help them become aware and educated on the facts of domestic violence before they get to an age where kids don’t listen anymore. I love it when someone comes to me or calls me to ask questions about something they may be feeling related to domestic violence, but they're not sure. That’s why I educate myself and learn continually to be prepared for anyone in need.
When you basically come from nothing, you learn how to appreciate the little things, and I have learned how to do just that. Throughout my lifetime, I have learned that nothing is given to you, you work hard, and you appreciate your life in a way whether you think that you are doing good or bad at the moment. I am grateful for the many opportunities I have encountered in the last two years since covid-19 began.
From having covid severely to not knowing if I would make it out of that situation with my life. But when you have friends who believe in you and cover you in prayer when things are at their worst, and they stand alongside you through it all, that is an honor. I’m so appreciative of the true friends I have in my life who I can call my sisters. Not talking about my blood sister, but people who have been there with me and for me.
I could not have asked for better friends. I’m grateful for the connections I have made in business and life through my coaching camp, teachers, speakers, and all that have been a part of it from the day I joined the camp. I have made such progress and made major accomplishments in my life that I never thought I could achieve. I learned how to love myself more deeply than I have before because I learned who I truly am and how to love myself.
That takes some work when you’ve been torn down, dragged through the mud, and told negative things about yourself for years. When you break the cycle and lean on the one person who can help you no matter what, which is God, you are thankful in so many ways that it cannot even be explained in depth what he has done to turn my life around.
I used to complain that I wanted to do this and that, and now I am seeing that I am doing those things that I spoke of, that I prayed for and that I’m still praying for even after they have happened. Most of all, I would just like to say that it is better to be grateful for the little things and small beginnings because you will never know where you will end up or how you can accomplish things if you don’t take that step and realize that because one person helped you, your entire life has changed for the better and most certainly.
I am grateful for that so much that I can write this here today, but it still doesn’t adequately reflect the gratefulness that I feel inside of my heart for those who pour out to me, on me, and love on me in so many ways. The most honorable thing I could ever do is to say thank you to each and every person I have come across in the last three years of my life who has made an impact on me to be where I am today and on the path that I am looking to be moving forward within the future.
Join us Tomorrow, November 8th, 2022, at 6:30 pm MST for a wonderful interview on the Beacon of Light Podcast.
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