Donette,
You are doing a very good thing by looking at yourself like an outsider to see what is going on. It is only some people who can do that. Mostly we are so involved in our own struggles that we can't distance ourselves from it. The moment I can distance myself, even with my own thoughts, I can immediately see where I have negative thoughts and how they negatively impact on me. And then I can choose to think differently.
One thing I need to mention is that we have to remember that if we don't make things happen, life will just throw experiences at us, whether we want it or not. We can decide if we want to live like a hermit or do we want to be friendly and be a friend. We "should" not see ourselves as victims - in each and every situation we have a choice in how we want to respond or not. Even with this pain, we can decide to see the more positive side, which is not very easy to do, but possible.
Donette, this "sermon" was not meant for you specifically...
I like your attitude and way of doing things. Keep it up!
Take care
