Month: March 2016

A Higher Power

“Just because what is going on in your life right now doesn’t feel good,doesn’t mean God is not working” by Joyce Meyer

cloud-raysThe day after Easter, many of you may have had time to share with family yesterday,go worship together,share a meal,and a few laughs as well. I decided i would be in that vast majority,and by that i mean some of the congregation that you see at church on Easter.One of the so called” obligatory” holidays that non-practicing ,but still religious people do,to still feel like “If i attend on these important days God will give me a pass on the others”. However from attendance standards anywhere, whether work or school, it matters how many times you are absent as so much the times you did happen to make it.You could do your best work when you are there,but the key word is WHEN.
I was baptized a Catholic,and even spent many years in the parochial school system,only to be lead away from this religious life as I became an adult.Now i never stopped believing in God and the beliefs i was taught,i just had an ever so busy life that i decided could not include worshiping on a regular basis ,which is the farthest thing from the truth.
When i attend church i go to my “home”church ,so it’s the church where i had been baptized and the parish where i attended school.So it’s familiar territory, where many of my friends and neighbors attend as well. Well ,let me just say that the sermon and soul stirring singing today,definitely called me back to my faith and made me see why in the face on any and all adversity in your life you need Him.”Even when you think you are finished, HE is not done with you yet”,this  was the resounding message from the priest as he read the homily  ,and the lyrics that were emphatically  and emotionally sung by the choir as communion was received .Today, for me ,was a chance to start over,as with everyday you are granted on this earth.To walk in my path not just with the people I have chosen to walk with me,but to walk with the Lord closer on this path to see what he truly has in store for me.We ( and when I say that i include myself) tend to think of God as if  he were a book, when things are going well or if we are busy, we may not get a chance to read our book,  we put it down with good intentions of getting right back to it, or just read it if we have a dilemma and need to find out that answer or get that solution to a problem.When in reality he should be the number one best selling, most read , highly acclaimed book that we just can’t tear yourselves away from.

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Save that money

“When you have money, think of the time you had none” Japanese Proverb

In this day and age ,everybody no matter what walk of life you may be from, is trying to save money.We all love a good sale, finding that great deal that was almost a steal.When we do find that deal, and it just so happens to be exactly what we looking for , we leave that store victorious like we left the arena and won the event for our respective districts(my Hunger Games fans will definitely get a chuckle here).

Now don’t get caught up in the foolery of buying more (especially if you have no need for it)just because of the sale price, because then you are still spending  unnecessary money instead of saving money. Now if it is an item that you do use,and have a sizable family, there are advantages to buying items in bulk, and why places like Costos and BJ Wholesalers fair rather well.

With all the technology we have today, most times there is no need to  even clip those coupons or even read that circular( that they still continue to throw on our welcome mat or in the general vicinity).There are a plethora of apps such as:Ibotta,RetailMeNot,Flipp,Retale, and Ebates just to name a few, but the list is quite extensive.

Coupons without the paper, just your trusty smartphone. Seniors take full advantage of any discounts(show your id if you have to), if you hold a professional license (show your i.d. as well) for a savings, our ever so humble veterans as well ,show your id and with great pride. We work way too hard for the money to just spend it frivolously, learn how to spend it wisely.Your pockets and pocketbooks will thank me later for this advice, and you got it for the best price ever ……FREE!

Spring Cleaning

“Letting go of some things from our past, allows us to grasp onto new things in our future”. –A Mrs Dee quote

Happy Spring my good and lovely people!

As the new season is now upon us, we may find ourselves getting ready to rid our closets and garages of those old things we don’t use anymore,  therefore cutting down on some of the clutter that is caused by those items we just can’t seem to part ways with, even though we haven’t used them in months or years(go figure…lol)

When we are taking this time to make life decisions about that broken chair that is worth saving if we could just find the leg, and about that designer coat that is probably about to resurface in the fashion world again if we just hold onto it a few more years.Spring cleaning is not just about things. It just may be time to get rid of some emotional clutter as well, and while we are on a cleaning frenzy, maybe even some people may need to be packed up and sold to the highest bidder.But if it eases the blow a little know that just because you have no need or purpose for these “items” in your life, they may be able to do someone else a world of good.

Make a donation, clean up, and clean out today so you can spring forward.

 

The Enemy Within:Self Sabotage

It can be amazing how the mind works.Beliefs that you hold in your subconscious mind can hinder you from success and happiness.The mind is a vey powerful tool.

Negativity from others can be expected sometimes, but when the majority of the negativity comes from yourself, it can be even more detrimental .We take the wind from beneath our own wings before we even have a chance to fly .Hopes and dreams never even get a chance to make it off the ground.

Behavior is considered self sabotaging when it creates problems within one’s self and therefore interferes with long standing goals.Prime examples of this mindset is our ever so infamous procrastination(i don’t have to do it RIGHT now,i’ll do it later approach),self medicating(abuse of drugs or alcohol–I need something to destress myself and create a diverson from the issue approach),comfort eating or  under eating , and even self injury as well.These behaviors linger in some of our lives because there is a lack of self confidence and self esteem. They all correlate with one another,because that is just how the mind operates.

But like with and any other hard times that we may go through in life (even if we are the main ones  putting ourselves though the ringer the most)this too shall pass and it can be overcome.You have to out smart the sabotaging behavior by changing your mindset.Changing your mindset and believing in it as well.Think positive and do positive.Nope, no long drawn out methods to the madness, it is just that simple.It can be as simple as postive affirmations during the course of the day, to creating the best love affair ever ………..with yourself. When you feel good about yourself it boosts your self esteem and you think more positive, and when we love ourselves(truly and deeply) we don’t even think twice about if what we are doing is wrong or right:we just do it……which is the opposite of procrastination.

Be willing to think more positive , and you will be able to get past the mental roadblock, that YOU were putting up. You will be able to get around it , and get to your happy place.

Music Therapy

Music is known to calm the savage beast, and the most savage of them all is mankind

“Some people have lives:some people have music” Author John Green

Music is the soundtrack to our lives.What we listen to can depend on how we are feeling, a moment that we are encountering, or just trying to evoke a memory. Music is an every growing and booming industry, a good portion of the success has moved away from people purchasing that vinyl 33 record, and is credited to the digital music streaming.All the music you want ,all genres, conveniently with all the portability you need.

Our selection of high energy fast paced tunes is just the mood modifier we may need when we are pushing through that gym workout, caught up in the music, we tend to feel less pain and fatigue.That sultry live jazz music playing , with the low lighting, can create a certain ambiance while you are dining and put you in a more intimate mood.

On a more therapeutic note, music can help aid with breakthroughs with people that have mental and developmental issues, and the elderly alzheimer patient.It can enhance higher brain function such as memory, concentration and attention.

So, that silly jingle from that darn commercial lingers in your head all day just because the advertisers paired it with right catchy melody.

Using Your Words

The beauty of a language relies on it’s sound and word arrangements.

Words can carry so much power and convey how we  truly feel. Because they carry so much weight, to effectively communicate we need to choose the words we say and better yet, how we say them.This is definitely a skill to be learned, and as with any skill to perfect it you must practice to become better at it.Effective communication is essential within many aspects of everyday life: the workplace, within the family structure,school,marriage.

Now people often times figure if they talk to someone there are communicating, however what is the content of your conversation? If you are just having the whole”surfacy” conversation or that ever so polite conversation, you may be talking but not saying so much.But depending on the person and relationship that may be fine and dandy.But when dealing with a more personal relationship there has to be a more in depth conversation to get to the subject at hand.

Another part of the process is being able to listen(which is just is important as talking)with and open ear and mind.Sometimes if we just take the time to truly listen, we can get the perspective of the other person and have a much better understanding of the issue.You still may agree to disagree, and that is fine, differences in opinions and views make the world an interesting place .

The whole art of verbal communication can never, or will ever be a lost form no matter how many texts or emails we can send….lol.