All posts tagged: blog

What to Say When You Talk to Yourself x Shad Helmstetter

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This is another book that was recommended to me, and I have to say I LOVED IT! The premise, for me, seemed very similar to that of the law of attraction, so to speak… but deeper. From start to finish, Helmstetter (Dr.) drills in his readers’ heads the importance of thinking good thoughts. The idea that drives this entire work is that your mind will work exactly the way you program it.. and the rest of you will follow. I’ll be honest, I’ve already adopted some of the practices shared, AND I’ve seen changes. There’s no doubt in my mind that as they become habitual, regular parts of my daily life, these changes will last just as long as I do here on earth. Plus, it’s helping me to believe in me and build my confidence. Nothing can stop me! Thanking JC for the referral, I’m paying it forward and recommending it to the rest of you! Happy Reading! 🙂

IDK.

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We’ve got all the pieces, why won’t they fit? We have a plethora of technological devices that enable connectivity, why don’t we connect… Like relate? I think abbreviations were supposed to work to our advantage, to offer simple ways of discussing concepts we already understood. When we learned the periodic table of elements, for example… But what good would it have done to know all of the abbreviations without having first learned the full names? We are working backwards, and it isn’t helping. We are living in an abbreviated society. . . One where kids don’t always learn to spell words because there are acronyms for everything; we text instead of calling… And may even text in the same room; we watch movies instead of reading books; we watch clips instead of reading full articles, we watch church online instead of fellowshipping in the Lord’s house, we have sex before we love… Let me not be high or mighty. Let me admit that I have been a culprit. I could claim victim, but who but …

Steal Like an Artist x Austin Kleon

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I’m not completely sure how I came across this book, but I’ve had it for a while now. Though I’d skimmed it a time or two, I never took the time to read it, cover to cover… that was a mistake! It’s a short, easy read, but it’s full with great content! What I love most about “Steal Like an Artist” is its ability to use seemingly contradictory ideas to make meaningful points. Kleon urges readers to be creative in their lives, even if it doesn’t mean being an artist. I love that he uses the notion “There’s nothing new under the sun” as truth first, as it comes from the Bible (Ecclesiastes 1:9)… but in addition, it motivates us to build upon the world around us. If you haven’t noticed, I’m all about the unconventional lifestyle! This books places unconventional thinking right at the center of practicality in a world full of conventional people. Give it a shot! Happy Reading!

In The No: “Out”

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Besides the time everyone stood at the edge of “a bridge” and decided to jump while you opted to turn around and take the stairs down instead, how often are you in the no? It’s so tempting to be in the know, aware of all that’s happening, not missing anything… Like when you were a kid and didn’t want to fall asleep while others were up around you. Being involved in the cyclic conversation about The Little Rascals that you’d had 132x before seemed necessary at the time; your friends wouldn’t joke about you being a “sleepyhead”; you didn’t get toothpaste on your face; but you had to beg your mom to stay home instead of waking for church the next morning… and since she wasn’t going for it, you struggled to keep your eyes open until snack time at children’s church. How much different is it now, as an adult? I’ve struggled a million times with being on the scene or not, and what each symbolized and truly meant to me. I enjoy music, I love …

Ready or not, here I come!

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You remember being a kid, rushing through the count to 10 just to say these words… You didn’t want to be at a disadvantage; you never gave the “hiders” a chance to get ready before shouting “HERE I COME!” That’s how you got out of the “seekers” chair, by throwing someone else off their game, by beating them to the punch, by taking away their chance to prepare! Life has a funny way of working; it throws you challenges and cheat codes, God gives favor, life seems unfair, there is sometimes mercy in the most merciless(seeming) situations. In life, we dangle somewhere between failure or success, so society says. Besides God, there are no constants. Life may count to ten sometimes, it may even count to 100, but it may also stop at 1. Either way you look at it, for anyone reading this, no matter what it seemed, life has continued working, ready or not. I am always planning ahead for something – birthdays, vacations, graduation(s), occupation(s), events, a hopeful wedding… most of us are. As we …

The Art of Non-Conformity x Chris Guillebeau

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Book of the week is one I came across thanks to my creative sister-friend, Diamond. After reading it, I immediately understood why it was so hard to try and separate her from it (I never succeeded, by the way). Cover to cover, it’s all about living unconventionally…  Chris Guillebeau found a way to put all of my racing thoughts into a logical, well respected text that has reached masses. The book challenges us to be self-starters, if we are discontent with the traditional life we are expected to live. The great thing about books is that they leave so much to be inferred. I|you could take this at face value alone, and gain a wealth of insight. There’d be no shame in that. I challenge you, however, to see how “The Art of Non-Conformity” matters to you! You may not want to start a business, but this book still has tons to offer you. Happy Reading!

Blackbird.

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So, I went to see “Beyond the Lights” with my sister this weekend (Hey Bri!). LOVED IT! I’m a sap, clearly… but the movie tells a story far beyond love; don’t worry, I won’t tell the movie, though I do suggest you go see it! “I always wonder why birds choose to stay in the same place when they can fly anywhere on the earth. Then I ask myself the same question.” – Harun Yahya Why would I let my dreams stay fantasies? If I can do anything in the world, why would I ever stop learning, growing?… Routine. Complacency. Fear of failure.  When we are young, we are taught that it’s “best” to get good grades in school so that we can get accepted into a good college, where we’ll get good grades, and find a job that will pay us fairly well… We’ll try to move up the ladder, and people will call it “loyalty”, while we boast good job security. When, however, do we question what else the world has to offer, and what …

Perfection•ism

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With the potential to drive greatness, or withhold it, perfectionism is often viewed as a neutral trait. I’m a perfectionist in many ways, I came to know it long ago, but never recognized how its manifestation limited me, until recently… And only at that point, did I take the plunge to conquer it. On Saturday, November 8, 2014, my friend (hi Ashley!) told me, “You’re sitting on your gifts 😟.” I opted to be a spectator at an event hosted by her church, where participants share their gifts in praise|worship (great event, by the way!). She’d asked me to dance in advance, but I had time constraints that wouldn’t allow me to choreograph and practice as much as I would have liked, so I politely offered a tentative yes, which I knew would likely be a “not this time.” At the event I mentioned having written a piece I could share, but I had every excuse for why I shouldn’twouldn’t: “I haven’t finalized it yet” or “I haven’t practiced reciting it” or “I’ve never delivered …

Art Jamzzzz DC!

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This isn’t current, it was almost a month ago, but it was fun nonetheless! And I was definitely living in the moment! Art Jamz DC offers a host of options for beginner to advanced artists in a fun, lively environment. I enjoyed every minute of it, from the wine (yum!) and artistry to the hilariously ratchet, but undeniably encouraging group of friends that created just behind me. Some would categorize me a creative; I love the arts, but as mentioned previously(on Instagram) “I don’t claim to be an amazing artist, but I am enamored with every stroke of a brush. It really is therapeutic… Great company is an incredible benefit, too. So today, I share this little bit of joy… It amazes me how being joyful truly encourages me to play a role in bringing the same [or an even greater] feeling to others.”

“Rose”

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Can the son not just melt your leaves into potpourri? Make the scent of your love last two steps closer to forever. Flowers are nice. But the 500 alarm and 1800 hours return home don’t afford me the 62 drips it takes to feed you, and keep your petals erect. Your needs and my time speak with different dialects. They’d frame it lack of trying that in just days you’re dying but I swear it ain’t neglect, so I’m asking. Please. Transform. ‘For a rose by any other name still smells as sweet.’ I beg the scent of your love to last closer to forever. Don’t deny the son’s rise. May He melt your leaves into potpourri.