Relax and enjoy

The world will wind you up into a tight little ball if you let it. Don't let it.
Relax and enjoy the ever-changing flow of being alive. There's no point in working yourself into a frenzy about anything.
The more uptight you are, the more mistakes you make. Relax, stop taking everything so seriously, and you'll find that you're vastly more effective.
Put a big, authentic and friendly smile on your face. Put some delightful positive thoughts in your mind.
The worst that could happen will almost certainly not happen. And even if it does, you'll find a way to handle it.
Live with passion and purpose while letting go of the tension and anxiety. Relax and enjoy every moment as it comes, and you'll be giving the world your very best.
-- Ralph Marston

So i think this says it all for 08! don't you a lot of things can be harder than they seem to be, so if we learn to just sit back and enjoy life then we can surely move better...

so how was your holiday? mines was extremely busy and (well i'll wait until the end)

so the weekend, Saturday, Sunday and Monday it was all about me and him shopping, shopping and more shopping...he had at least started i hadn't done anything...the weekend also marked the weekend that we met...we didn't do anything special or big, just hung out and enjoyed each others company...

i can admit at one point it was a bit much and i didn't know if we were going to make it through and then all of a sudden i just just STOPPED! i stopped worrying about it all, and just let things develop and be what they were going to be, because YES i OVER analyze EVERYTHING i mean everything, and it doesn't help that i have friends that do too...its not a bad thing, but it can be cumbersome to not just the other person, but for ME! and wouldn't you know it, that when i pray and let things go things turn around (i mean REALLY when will i ever learn to just let things just be...the more i put MY hands in things the more messed up they get) so i not only had a good time, we actually bonded and talked and had very open and honest much needed conversation and all because HE saw that somethings needed to be said...i didn't prompt it, i didn't ask for it, so i just sat and listened...as he admitted to things and it was like wow you get it, you really get it...wow...

so anywho, moving on...on Christmas day i was with my loving, yet always crazy family! i love my family, we ate breakfast and opened gifts and laughed and joked...it was absolutely awesome! i love being around my parents, especially on the holidays...my dad isn't getting any better health wise so times like these are precious...then i went to see my god-sons...who are too smart for their own good, 2 going on 5 years old, sharp! we had too much fun! then i chilled for a hot second got up headed to my aunt and uncles for dinner...same thing good food lots of fun...family love...it was GREAT!

until i got over heated AGAIN, all weekend when we were shopping i would get super hot and overheated, Sunday i almost passed out...so i got overheated AGAIN and they (meaning my aunts) took my blood pressure and it was 147/91...so i got it together and started driving home and decided that i needed to go to the er...and there it was 159/101...not good...i don't think i got the service i should have gotten although they did an EKG they should have also done a CT Scan (according to my aunt) because i had so much pressure in my head...but by yesterday morning when i got to the doctor's office my pressure was 124/88...still high but down...so what does that conclude to me...

its a wake up call...i keep saying imma stop stressing over things that i have no control over, well i MUST because stress will kill you if you let it...i keep saying i need to exercise, well i must because my health is definitely an issue and its obvious that i can't gain anymore weight, but more so than that i need to make a lifestyle change, i don't drink, i don't smoke...but i need to eat right and exercise and again NOT stress...and i MUST do it...

part of the problem, i must admit has been my hair...me and my hair, its been a long HARD road, but i love it being natural, its a LOT healthier this way, but that makes for hard times when trying to work out regularly...but i must begin to do so...like jac said, in her most recent blog, hair just posses so many dilemmas....maybe i'll just have to keep it braided up but i just got it cut into a choppy like bob style and its really cute....but CLEARLY my health is more important than a hair do...Sooooooooo....anywho moving forward

i must say even with the er visit my holiday was GREAT! i really bonded with my family and just enjoyed them and all the love we shared. i also really bonded with him...our first year wasn't like the first year that most people go through it was like a lot of figuring out and growth and seeing if this was really what we "thought" it was...

so now i move forward with my life, with looking at things and putting me and my health FIRST!a lot will remain the same but a LOT will change in 08...i just have to much to live for so its time that i live and let live...

LOVE,LAUGH,LEARN

Let life's richness flow
Accomplishment comes when you allow it. Fulfillment comes when you allow it.
Worry, resentment, anger, envy and fear all serve to prevent your best possibilities from being realized. The more you learn to let go of the negative influences, the more easily and naturally will the richness of life flow through you.
How many worthwhile and fulfilling experiences have you missed because you were worried about what others might think? How many precious days have you wasted by being filled with resentment or fear?
You have so many beautiful places to go. There are so many valuable and fulfilling things you can do.
Begin today to more faithfully follow those bright and shining purposes that are deep within you. Let the negative, limiting thoughts and perceptions fall quietly and uneventfully away from you as quickly as they come.
Open your spirit, and allow your most beautiful possibilities to come to life. Remember who you truly are, and let life's richness flow.
-- Ralph Marston

until the day

so i haven't been on here for a minute because you know i have been WORKING busting my butt...i even decided NOT to take my vacation because we have several deadlines that need to be met, so like i told my boss this morning "i am trying to make my mark"

life is good though you know...just gotta keep pushin that's all we can do, without struggle there is no progress without struggle you can't appreciate the golden times, feel me...sometimes we have to go through what we go through to appreciate the sunshine...

so you know everyday is everyday...we keep moving forward, we keep living, we keep loving, we keep giving of ourselves and of our hearts....

i am smiling ya'll i am HERE!

so until the day....

classic muppets

i don't know about you, but i LOVED LOVED LOVED the muppets when i was little
today a co-worker sent me these two clips and i fell out at mydesk!!! i mean fell out so i just had to share! have a good weekend...and live, love, laugh and LEARN!


Mahna Mahna


Oh Danny Boy

Morning Inspiration....

you know what i have been feeling down lately but you know what a good nights rest after washing your hair and just letting it do what it do (i look like the lion queen..lol)

you gotta get up and say you know what it is what it is...so i got dressed for this 60 degree weather (you know i'll be sick next week...LOL syke naw i covered up...) but i MUST say i am looking rather cute...i gotta a little swagger this morning...gray booties and all...

HELLO!

so let's give thanks today...something new but i am feeling inspired...

for life and to life (i started say that a while ago)
for my wonderful parents that are crazy as all get out but are my guidance and loves no matter what I do, they are always there for me
for my bestest who listens to me and all of my stuff, but how actually LISTENS to me NOW when i tell her something, she is actually getting it...and in turn reminds me to get it too
for all my sistah friends who are wonderfully different and special in their own ways and give me inspiration to just be me...they are truly wonderful ladies
for my blogger family for all your kind and inspiring words
for my brothers (biological and other) thank you for showing what a real man is...and that there are some good black men out here!
for my Kiamsha family and all of the love, for the kiamsha youth for giving back to me more than i give to you
for you, yes you...never last, never least, ups and downs, rights or wrongs, its me and you...its been a crazy year, but its almost a year...seems like i have known you forever, for for the strides that have been taken in the past month alone...

and since my girl Mary J's album drops next week 12/18/07...I wanted to give us all a little something to jam to this morning....


Have a Happy Hump Day...life in the grander scheme of things is always just fine

where is the comedy???

it seems like the one thing that makes my day hasn't happened in sometime and that's the comedy that tends to happen on the Metro...
man oh man, the things that one can see or hear on the train going to and from work, not to mention that i now have been going to Friendship Heights at least once (sometimes twice) a week for my allergy shot, and nada, nothing, zip!

no one has acted a fool on the train in a minute...i know i know its ignant for me to want to have my day fulfilled by the foolishness of others, but imma just be real, that gets me through my commute..

the closets i have been was when last week this bama sang and rapped the WHOLE train ride, OUT LOUD like he was at home in the shower somewhere...CLASSIC! and the bama couldn't sing and couldn't rap, but he was going for it you hear me...

then i told you guys yesterday about the make up man...SMH and you KNOW its a shame where you HAVE ON make up and you STILL look a hot mess...

see nothing...not even the least bit funny...

i have had more comedy come from my 3 year old nephew than these grown folks...

i mean really people get it together and make me laugh!

rAndomneSS

i guess i need to start coming up with titles for these, but for the most part these posts are just randomly what i am thinking at the time...

so this weekend was cool, my little BIG sis came home for her nephews 3rd birthday and my and my Miles (my own 3 year old nephew) went- needless to say we had fun...good food, laughing and joking, talking trash, catching up! (oh yea and there was plenty for the kids to do too) he was going to stay the night with me, but he wasn't feeling good so i took him home because i feel like sick children do best in their own beds, in their own homes, with their own parents (you know just like adults)

sunday was cool, me love is yet again getting ready to leave for an extended stay for business, so yesterday will be the last time i see him for a couple of weeks then he'll be off again...not saying that its easy, but you know nothing worth having is easy, you have to make things work, that's if you want them to. the past couple of weeks i think we have both been doing some real self and relationship evaluation. we have had to come to some hard conclusions about ourselves and what the reality is. which can be hard especially for two very strong willed people. so what is our reality. we love each other, we don't like each other at times, and we still have a lot of growing to do. we both want it to work, but there has been indeed a power struggle if you will. i can only speak for myself but part of my issue has been learning to grow with someone else and not losing myself. i don't know about you all, but for me who has been in a not so good relationship before, i want to let go and not be controlling or run things...but that takes a lot of trust and although i trust i also don't...why? because that means giving over control-so to keep a little bit of that i question, i question a lot actually, i have always been that way though...i was the typical "why" child you know...but that doesn't work necessarily in a relationship...to question everything all the time...yea not so much LOL

so i am learning to deal with my alpha male (yes he is indeed an alpha libra male SMH)
so with that i am now reading "liberation through submission: freedom for all relationships" it was recommended by one of my girls who is also married...its supposed allow anyone to relate on all levels and give practical spiritual advice on submission...so with that being said, its about me trying to take that ptractical advice and some other stuff and figure out who is TC, the strong lioness of HER-learning how to be a strong woman spritiually and the importance of submission in relationships in general and in love relationships (especially marriage since that is where i want to some day be) is the importance of this read...how do we get there to be able to relate, not lose self, and build together...not an easy task, but we'll see

another thing is i am learning that its hard to let go of some stuff...you can say something jokingly and think that its just that a joke, but the other person doesn't see it that way...we must always be mindful of others and their feelings...when someone says that they don't like something, even if it doesn't make sense to you, it makes sense to them so respect it...sounds simple enough but again taking others into consideration can often be a lot harder than we initially think

so Michael Vick got 23 months for dog fighting, on top of the 900K that he had to pay to care for the remaining dogs...can i say it doesn't make sense to me. 900K for dogs! now don't get me wrong, i love dogs, animals in general, but i grew up with dogs, so i am a dog lover...but 900K to take care of dogs and we have people living in the streets going hungry, homeless, babies are dying because they don't have food to eat! needless to say i believe that the 900K could have gone to something else, my opinion...i also won't go on about the fact that he 23 months for dog fighting when people are drunk driving and endangering lives and get probation or commit assault or other ha nous crimes and get less time, again my opinion...

i try to stay away from talking about stuff like this on my blog, but i guess i just wanted to say something...a lot of craziness is just happening and its sad

one of my close friends told me today that she really has had a tough year, i think we all have, she is going through the "finally letting go" process...you know when the relationship is over and its been over for a while but you start to feel angry again. it happens. you thought that you had moved on but in reality you just buried what was hurting, you thought that you had forgiven the person but really you hadn't. forgiveness i have come to understand is more so about you than the other person, when you forgive you let go you set that free and it allows YOU to move on from the hurt and the anger...people don't always act or turn out to be who WE want them to be...but that's okay. reality is that WE aren't what THEY want either half the time. its about learning and being okay with that. no one is perfect, and coming to terms with the role that YOU played in the relationship and facing YOURSELF can be the hardest part of the process...

why is it that its so hard for us to face ourselves? or face reality? it seems to be the underlining theme behind a lot of unnecessary drama and pain. if we would just face ourselves, our imperfections and figure out what we are okay with and what we aren't then we can move on and be "fine" with who we are....but you have got to face yourself. you have got to be open to knowing and understanding that there is ALWAYS opportunity for growth

so the guy on the train really had on "man makeup" last week...yes make-up SMH...well i guess...

i want everything and then nothing at all for the holiday...how about just some nice peace and quite and reflection time. that always seems to do me some good. i currently have no major plans and being that me love will be away, i am thinking that some much needed me time, will do me well as i transition into the next year...some things NEED to be left in 2007! so with that being said, time to just think and chill will help with the reflection-self evaluation process so that i can move forward

truth is i am not where i THOUGHT i would be at this point, not professionally, not financially, not emotionally, not spiritually, not relationship wise, NOTHING...

BUT reality is i am not where i was either, life happens and it doesn't always turn out how we thought that it would and the truth of the matter is that i am seeing that there is a lesson in all of this, so its time for me to work through the ups and downs and be alright with reality and be alright with what it is...truth is for the most part i am happy, i am growing in all aspects of my life, so it might not be where I THOUGHT it would be but its not about me or up to me...still learning a lot about faith...

still learning a lot about me

A dedication to my favorite Band...

Today is Frankie Beverly of Maze Ft. Frankly Beverly's 61st Birthday!

When I say i LOVE this band, i LOVE this band...below is one of my ALL TIME FAVORITES

Enjoy....

this is the reason i love music...it transcends, it has no color, no prejudices, its beats, rhythms, soul, heart, joy, pain...it is...it just is...

Truly great

Life is not always easy. And that is a major reason why it is so precious.
Many of life's best rewards are possible only because you must work your way through difficult challenges to get to them. If everything in life were easy, there would be no opportunity for real fulfillment.

If the only things you experienced were pleasure and comfort, it would be impossible for you to fully appreciate them. A life of total ease and a complete lack of challenge would be unbearably tedious.

When the next challenge comes your way, when the next obstacle blocks your progress, find it in yourself to be thankful. For the difficulties provide you with truly magnificent opportunities to create value, to find meaning and fulfillment in living.

The challenges enable you to give of yourself and to make a real difference. And that's something you desire at the deepest level.

Life is not always easy. And because of that, you have the opportunity to make it truly great.
-- Ralph Marston

so here is the deal right, when things come along that seem to be frustrating and upsetting, instead of harping on them, maybe if we begin to look at them as just another life lesson, something that we can learn from and move forward from, then maybe, just maybe it won't seem so bad...the challenges in life that make us question who we are, are those challenges that will help us move into the next level or phase of our adulthood...because lets face it, none of us are perfect and all of us have flaws, the sooner we realize that the better off we can be, because then we are open to understand or open to hear things about ourselves and open to new experiences and see life not as this big ugly monster that is trying to drain the ever living breath out of us, but for what it is and that's simply life...and as the song goes "life is what you make it" so embrace the challenges, embrace the disappointments and realize that what you think are disappointments can truly be blessings...life always has a way of working itself out, and day by day i begin to understand the meaning of faith and believing in Jehovah GOD and what HIS will will be...i am no where near where I thought i would be at this point in my life...but at the same time, day by day i am becoming and beginning to embrace this because quit honestly, its just not my time for certain things...as bad as I want them, its just not my time yet...clearly there is still some work that needs to be done...so off to the races we go...

live, laugh, love my people

letting go...

i think that letting go is the hardest thing that you can do in life...

letting go of media's perception of what beauty is

letting go of what your parents or others "think" is best of you

letting go of past hurts and past pains

letting go of the fact that you aren't really in control of your life

letting go of the "hopes" and the "dreams" and facing your realities, which can actually be a whole lot BETTER than what you thought life could really be

letting go of being angry, being mad, being sad

letting go of a relationship

letting go of being in control-

letting go of yourself and allowing yourself to just "be" to just be in the moment, be in the day, and stop worrying, stop stressing over things that you have no control over...

i find myself coming to the end of 07 and looking forward to 08, and saying to myself

"just let go"

life has a way of working itself out, and you can't force things to happen...

i have a tendency of over analyzing everything, you name it i over think it...

and you know what i am tired...i am tired of thinking all of the time...my brain, my mind, my spirit just needs a rest...

its time to let go...just let go and let life happen how its supposed to happen...

clearly i don't have the answers, clearly i don't even have an idea...so its time that i just turn things over and let things be...

so as the last month of the year works itself through and i pledge to revitalize my body, my mind and my spirit...and although i know that i have been raised and trained to be critical of mostly myself...i have decided

i am just simly letting go and letting life be what its gonna be