holiday blahs

Holiday blues

It's common to feel the "holiday blues" during this time of year. It can be especially tough if you're away from family and friends. Here are some tips to help you manage your stress and make the holidays a bit more enjoyable:

Stay connected: Don't be afraid to reach out to family and friends through phone calls, text messages, emails or social media.

Get outside: Take a walk or enjoy some outdoor activities. The change of scenery can be a great mood booster.

Exercise: Exercise releases endorphins, which can give you an energy boost and help to keep your mood up.

Practice mindfulness: Spend some time meditating, journaling or simply reflecting on the positive moments of the day.

Seek support: Don't be afraid to reach out for help if you are feeling overwhelmed or depressed. Talking to a therapist or counselor can be a great way to manage your stress.

We hope these tips help you to make the most of the holiday season. Wishing you a happy and healthy holiday season!

Moods....

Well it's been a long time, focusing on career moves and finishing one goal and starting new beginnings. Smh, the world has taken a different shape now, pandemic, people all over the world speaking and expressing their minds. The unbalance in our society made worldwide headlines, racism, injustice it's amazing human kind still exist.  The only species on earth that is getting along are the animals, it's really something. The younger part of the society want change, they don't want to tolerate what the previous generations did, the excuses and roadblocks by the generations before us. I am interested in seeing how long the older generations keeps this up, if society keeps repeating the same mistakes. It will eventually keep revolving and doing the same thing over however I don't believe that the generation that's before us would entertain that I can see they want to write their own story. The digital age is increasing and those that don't get on board will get left behind, that's just facts that's inevitable that the society evolves will grow and if the rest of the world's growing around us we have to grow too we can no longer accept things the way they are because they don't have a face value anymore. The Earth she lets us know that I don't receive what you're doing as well or you're allowed to exist here but You Don't own me I help you live you don't help me live that is what's really scary mankind thinks it helps us exist. However Earth is helping man exist Earth provides a home for mankind the longer there is a battle among men over what is right and what is wrong Earth will continue to evolve until it's fulfilled its purpose and the universe of creation will have another stage which we probably won't be a part of maybe we will I don't know. I do know that the way the society looks and looks and balance it is in balanced we're greed and power takes toll on human beings and other living beings on the Earth one thing we all have to remember everything has an end it can process but it will end well who's going to be happy when it is we don't know but it'll end. So in the meantime we really shouldn't dwell on how the race ends but dwell on what's in front of us or how you're running the race or why you even running the race at all life will take us through different changes and stages one stage that I'm in life is seeking peace whenever I can find it I sometimes have peace just sitting still and imagining me and not the ocean and watching the water show me rebirth over and over. You know that part where the waves go out and they come back in and they take the sand and renew it they take some of it with it and bring some back. Many people don't watch the ocean they just go there for whatever else it offers but myself I seek peace in it I have yet to seek peace in going to looking at the mountains and trees only because they don't do anything the mountains just stay there I appreciate mountains more when I see the sunrise was sunsets. I appreciate mountains with snow on them I love the winter snow I can stand in the snow on the mountain and here absolutely nothing but gentle wind watch snow blow every now and then you see an animal but I can appreciate that to the fullest because I feel like even though the mountain stays still it brings life it grows it allows the snow to exist on it and when it melts if it doesn't know it still brings life the water carries the life somewhere else the weather is different in the mountains so it it changes life grows it discontinues and it grows so I can appreciate it from some point of view but my favorite. My favorite is the ocean I love watching the water wash away and bring in you and the birds they fly over the ocean and peace and harmony when they fly over the ocean there's no cars and buses and traffic and people it's just the water them and the sky so I can imagine that Joy they have their creatures are blessed to travel and don't have to take a test to go or experience squash quarters and all that other junk involved with traveling. So this is one of the post of moods and I like that cuz I can just randomly give it randomly put them there you know this is one of those moods. This one took a while to post I think I started typing this in September and I let it sit I didn't mess with it so I'm going to finish it because I still have that mood it's still there, it's still there. 

Short thoughts

Starting a new year with a new set of thoughts that is difficult to do. Life gets challenging and things become complicated when you are fighting against time. I was just thankful just to be alive another day and have those that love me surrounding me. Well one thing I have been taught is that people are just going to be people there's no going around anything or shortcuts in life although people think there is or isn't you're going to have to eventually work hard and put your focus where it belongs prioritize what you need in life and sometimes I means you have to let go of people and things that you were involved or dealt with before.

I think that is the hardest part for people, prioritizing and changing the path that we traveled before when you look around and it seemed like things got harder or more complicated. There is when the light comes on and you realize that you were the cause of it because you didn't make changes or move forward in life.

So as the year comes to an end and life tries to resume to some regular lifestyle and people get back on track, you now see things different, you see life as precious as it can be. After the pandemic, life is no longer taken for granted. Really it shouldn't have been taken for granted in the first place.

Revive it

Revive the blog..... Now or never...........

Okay well I haven't had a chance to get on this blog and fulfill its purpose, and I am. It's 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday August 3rd and I am sitting in the kitchen drinking a cup of tea and thinking about the post that I want to put on this particular site I have several in mind but I'm going to go spontaneous on this one. I recently discovered the power of social media and I have several platforms I'm constantly reviewing and researching information about people ,places and things and I must say the one that's getting targeted the most, I must say I am impressed with,  is tick tock because they seem to open up the platform. There are many that can use this platform whether it's for educational purposes, speech ,everyday living, encouragement all sorts of things available on this one platform. It amazes me how it's always under fire but it reaches a lot of people like all over the world. That's what impresses me about tik tok platforms and I'm not quite ready to post on tiktok yet because I'm working on a few other projects but I see it being fundamental. of course right now everything's about a lot of political issues and diverse issues I don't really want to cover too much of that unless I have an experience. Right now , I'm going to share, but I really want to go more to the center and I would like to cover things of more positivity I'm not saying that those issues aren't important and can't be positive. We see so much of it on the media stream that it's just getting to be choking so for me I want to share positive things that I come across. I am going to do that as well as my business blog I'll be working more with consumer and business owners talking about life after the pandemic. So this isn't going to be my way of giving back to the natural journey that I'm on in the world I'll be giving back and sharing with those in out there in the internet World using a data platform Google blogger. So that being said I'm going to finish my tea and go rest for a little bit and then get my fingers to type in more like texting for those who blog you know that it's so much more easier now you can do a lot more automated things you could be doing two things at one time I'm that person so I hope everyone have a good day it's the middle of the week so we ain't got too far to go to get to the weekend I'll chat with you guys later.

That time of year again..........

Well it's that time of year again, with all the chaos people struggle to find even a little bit of happiness. I went through the motions and then it was over, holiday events are like quick fixes where everyone smiles until their face hurts and then pray they don't snap on the next person who gets on their nerves. I call it a distraction, even though there are pleasant moments, like watching the expressions of little kids excited about holiday events.  I am guilty of loving holiday decor, funny to see people put them up too. I don't care for holiday madness, the rudeness, fighting in stores for items that really aren't on sale.  All year people are hungry and need clothing and housing, what's sad is no one cares until the holidays when b they can be seen giving. I don't know what's worse purple ignoring the poor until the holiday or giving crumbs to write it off at tax time.  Anyways, I think the holidays isolate people and don't really make everyone feel great. I guess it depends on how you look at it, for me I wish it did have something for everyone in it but it doesn't.  I am staying focused on my business plan, making every effort not to get caught up in the hoopla. Best wishes to those who do that you survive the season.

Relax and have that glass of wine..

Well I tried to stay on top of this, back in the saddle though, work load shifted now I will have time. This time I am relaxing doing a little reflecting on time I give to myself, thinking about those that have impacted my life this past year or two. I'm not going to lie it's be rough, I feel now as if I shorted myself out of some joy. I've been on a establish my self worth path, I have a very wonderful friend to thank for that insight. Funny, you can go through life thinking everything is great and it's not, wore out from doing for others, getting taken advantage of, exhausting it is, and now I see what is going, or I let it slip away. Well now I am at the beginning stage, taking it one day at a time, dealing with my regrets, trying to get past so much loss. I will do it but I will pay a bit hefty price. I lift my glass to those who got it together, very who knows their worth and are living life to the fullest.

Do you add to or take away from the environment your in?

Have you ever had a moment to sit and think about life, and wonder do you add to your environment in a positive way or do you take away the potential of nurturing your life span? Some of us don't even take a moment to enjoy nature let alone be aware that we shorten our life span with what we put in it, no I'm not talking about eating and exercise. I am referring to the mental and physical of our daily activities, fact is most believe that the human nature loves negativity and turmoil. We busy our lives with information on a now get it basis, no one checks if the source is valid, we have no regards to other people space, overcrowding has become the new norm. Time is no longer considered,we operate on a twenty-four hour time schedule, nothing closes, everything is available all the time.
No one slows down, you don't even smell the roses, are we dehumanizing or are we reprogramming our minds.
I recently did a self analysis, still working on it, I found out a a lot about myself some good and some bad, I knew I wanted to change my attitude towards life. I didn't just want to accept life is bad and everyone in it is wanting negative results for each other.

So that means I had to re-focus and change my thought process, one good thing that comes in handy is surrounding yourself with positive energy. Although its hard to find, it exist I had to start looking at the good in situations even if it hurt.

Then I started house cleaning, things that had no value to my progressing in life I let go. I also had to make up my mind that things I wanted for myself in life, decide to go and get them.  Begin a spiritual journey ,so I could meditate in thought. I also made the decision to say no more and not try to please everyone. 

Self Worth

When someone ask you do you know your worth? How do you answer? Many of us have never asked ourselves the question, we just hesitate and don't give it a thought. Self worth is effected as we grow older, people's opinions and attitudes toward us start determining how we see ourselves. We start to measure what we can do and who we will be by the measuring stick of society, that is not the way we should see ourselves.
I know for me I felt like the odds were always against me, being the oldest and experiencing new things first there was no one in front for me to measure by. All my life, I could remember the negative audience always cutting it short, telling me it can't happen, its impossible, etc. For me that was like putting gasoline to the fire, I would attempt and go hard at it because I was determined that I could achieve the impossible or improve at it in some sort of way. I had developed self love(when no one can love you like you) I wasn't arrogant but I wasn't the type to just accept other people's outcome for me. You have to trust your feelings about yourself so I quickly learned I had to make choices for me. I learned how to self analyze, which wasn't hard because I am a analytical person anyways, but learning how to constantly self analyze was hard and I didn't always do it. Building your self worth, you have to become your own cheering squad, remind yourself you matter, your number one. Prove to yourself by taking responsibility, owning up to the fact that you are in control of your attitude, your reactions, and your worth. You have to forgive yourself, responsibility also requires that you relinquish the need to use criticizing as a source of coping, criticizing alleviates the need to look at yourself and to change your own behavior. Put your energy into what you need to do to change your situation, one main suggestion is STOP TRYING TO PLEASE PEOPLE. I changed my thought process and started to take difficult scenarios and change them into opportunities, learning to value myself a lot more. Reaching that level wasn't easy, for some time I always put myself last, after awhile though you start to realize your self worth.

What happens now?

Well the world keeps going and our issues still exist some get resolved, some create new issues, and others get knocked to the bottom of the list. So what happens now? We exist in a survival mode only era, it almost seem like mankind has lost it love towards the human race. As the clock ticks creating life and sustaining it is no longer at the top of the list, death seems to be on the menu at all times, you yearn for some positive views. Although very few exist and then by the end of the message or article the person has expressed so many views you don't know what to choose from the negative seed has been planted. So what happens now? Joy, was one moment people yearned for and sharing it with others now you have to evaluate ones motive before getting on board. The times of people working together are few and usually a catastrophe brings people closer, there are others that were raised to help or think of others they just operate in the background. I try whenever possible to have a positive outlook, hope is still the source to many, take for instance racial incidents, senseless killings, political corruption, illegal activities that cost lots for many. When answering the question so what happens now? I try to think about what I could do to make a difference in a positive light and help change the way I do things. Happiness comes when I see the results have an outcome that helped or resolved whatever the situation was, not needing the recognition but enjoying the idea of doing something resulting as productive. No, life is not always a happy, kick your heels up journey, but you have to keep things in a positive prospective to have a healthy mindset. So I say to all those that like to complain and debate certain issues after all that energy you used ask yourself so what happens now? Especially, things concerning you directly, and even issues that are not directed towards you, changes would happen if we put time and effort into issues taking steps.We recognize the problem, so lets take the steps to approach and process solutions. I said solutions because some issues have branches that need to be solved to get to the source, because our world is not perfect it takes many positive mindsets to take things head on. My personal wish is for many to develop that mindset hoping the youth and those it will affect will follow suit, these are my personal thoughts when it comes to the demand for addressing and resolving issues we are presented with daily.

Education of our black youth......

I was reading articles forwarded to me about the black youth and education, and it saddened my heart. I didn't quite understand why we have so many issues with this problem when we were the leaders at the helm. I know some will get upset after they read this and some will feel like myself, and then there are those that will shrug and say nothing we can do. I don't understand why we have given up on educating our youth, why do we accept that label society has placed on them? Furthermore, why do we attack one another? As an educator myself , I see roadblocks for different cultures when it comes to learning, there is nothing that can't be overcome. I also have recognize that educators have become the sole source of educating our youth, that is very scary, growing up in a home with two parents. My mother was always encouraging the importance of education, and my father made sure it was done, neither of them wanted us to go the way they did, my mother finished high school, my father didn't he had to quit to help with his parent's farm. He felt it the most, a young black male trying to survive with limited education, and worked two jobs at once to establish himself. My mother although she had an education, learned that work wasn't that easy to find as a black woman other than the basic jobs that were already set aside for them to work.
She would say you have so much more opportunity than we did, use it don't lose it, and it wasn't easy because we faced adversity as well with educators constantly trying to encourage us to take what was given don't strive for more. I know the breakdown starts in the home first, people have to work a lot nowadays, children barely see their parents, children raising children, and society shows our youth what they should be based on their standards. Our race has become diluted and delusional, its as if we didn't grasp the basics to get off the ground and the more fight and conflict the more distraction, I'm not saying some issues are better to deal with than others. I am saying each of us holds a responsibility, to ourselves and each other, we no longer care and the youth believe they have found a quicker and easier way to be somebody.
Guess what? Well that way is where it stops, nothing produce, nothing stabilizes, nothing excels, the cycle repeats and eventually will terminate because nothing feeds it. I didn't want to end up like my parents I work very hard to achieve goals I set for myself, I'm not rich but I learned it can't be done just looking at it and you have to apply yourself to complete or excel beyond it. I tutor middle school age kids to high school and there is a remarkable difference in who really wants the education reward or who wants to accept their circumstances and not excel past their current state of mind.  I would hope we open our eyes and address the lack of education before now, but other distractions have become our focus.

To be continued.........

Holiday madness......Being the customer Part 2

Well as unusual as this sounds, I am up early that's what happens when you are surrounded by family that is over excited for the holidays I don't even remember sleeping. I spent the day with someone who waited until the last minute to shop, omg never again, I was so cranky and my feet hurt so bad. Whenever the person your with says" this my last stop, I got everything," and then come out that store and say " I forgot to get this." I say run, run like your life depended on it.  When you venture out in that Christmas shopping jungle, you better be ready so many people with one mission, I gotta finish my list at all cost. You know when you get to the places to shop and there is a shortage of parking spaces and then it becomes a survivor game, first come first serve.

 

Even though its the holiday's somehow people lose the good cheer and courtesy when it comes to parking and shopping, then you learn about the Grinch who stole Christmas lol. I also want to suggest bring extra bodies, extra arms are necessary to carry all those damn bags. I don't wait to last minute and if I do get in a rut I give cash or gift card. One store was so bad there was not enough walking room and I couldn't take it, no air to breath, even the staff disappeared from the floor.

You would think that discourages people from shopping but I believe people get desperate and would take the shelves if they made great gifts. I couldn't believe how many people were just heartless, and don't pick up something someone else wants omg your in for the fight of your life. Especially if its a popular item everyone is looking for, lol. Sometimes I wonder if the merchants just order enough to draw attention to themselves and then watch the people scrap like dogs and cats. Don't worry just when you thought you found the safe place to shop aka the shopping mall, wrong answer so wrong.

Although I have to hand it to the mall there is food courts and benches to sit down when your exhausted, then you wake up to reality that you have to go somewhere outside of the mall smh. You get that text that your favorite store has a huge sale and you can wrap it up and get the last items on the list. Well that's not a good idea, but at the time you don't think about it, everyone has heard about the sale. You go racing over there and then its on, like popcorn, people pushing and being aggressive, and no one cares about anything but the items they buy.

I only wished I had of quit when I felt that first headache coming on, instead I got talked into going to grab a bite to eat, smh, that was crazier. You don't realize the same people you have been out there with are also stopping and eating and just as irritated as you are. You know when to give up when your tired and you get to the item you want and its gone or not the right one you then say to yourself enough is enough. I am not going to another damn store, lol. By the time you get home all you want is something to drink, a glass of wine will do and you don't want to be bother with no one not even wrapping paper. You just Christmas to make its entrance and departure due to the commercial effects of it, so be safe and enjoy yourself and your family.

 

Holiday madness.......being the customer part 1

 

Well as the holiday's get started I observe the holiday madness... recently it was in the dining industry, and boy the level of tolerance in people is near to none. The restaurants with the highest rating with proper service outside the holiday season are even at the end of their wires, if you get to a restaurant and you receive excellent service you truly should enjoy it. The cashiers, hostess, waitress or waiters will either treat you great or give the best they have or you will get the worst service of your life. I will start with the quick bite to eat restaurants, working out in the public meeting with clients at offices and discussing things over lunch can be challenging. I usually let the client pick, mostly we agree on the same places but if we just want a sandwich and quick exchange looks on laptops we pick hot business sites like coffee shops, soup and sandwich places, some fast food places have acquired wifi to draw people like us end.

For the most part their service is what it is but, then the noise* level is off the chain or overcrowded*,and we don't stay long because of those factors. Holiday time the restaurant may not be as clean as it could be and then staff just want you to eat and go, I have been tickled by the behavior of some hostess who are responsible for those areas. The tables, trash bins, condiments and lids go haywire because customers are constantly requiring the hostess attention, by the time they get to their job duty well they are irritated and that polite behavior when your first walked in is gone.
Well I'm not going to leave out the family oriented restaurants the buffet joints and nice dinner places to bring the entire family. Those restaurants that the entertainment and bars with the good eats are no exemption, there you get the noise, overcrowding, prices (especially alcoholic drinks), service will be questionable, and  the food you have to make sure you order the right dish. Otherwise you will be sick all night, or wish you hadn't of eaten anything but sampler platter.

Basically you have to take a chance and pick a place to dine in between the shopping and running around, and don't be so quick to drop that cash on poor service or what doesn't please you. Well happy shopping and all that jazz and don't lose your cool in the midst of holiday frenzy.

THE HOLIDAY MOMENTS.......DO YOU DRIVE YOURSELF CRAZY?

Well do you? Drive yourself crazy trying to keep up with the holiday crazy moments, and not to mention the family and friends that just feast off holiday time. I know I wasn't going to fall into the whirlwind when I took a while to unpack decorations, and as much as I avoided it still had people drop in when they felt like it. I love Thanksgiving and Christmas, just mainly for the joy part, I don't care about the commercial, but there is always that one person or group that gets stuff going. What about the showstoppers, you know the people who need the most attention, no matter if they ruin everyone holiday. Oh yeah, everybody got one or two in their family or group of friends, I think the holiday time is when you get tested to the limit lol.  You really don't want to do certain things or be around certain ones but they keep coming like the plague, and your patience runs thin.  If it isn't the shopping that will drive you nuts its the going out in it period, if your like me don't buy anything ahead of time well...... I guess we get what we deserve. I guess I like the challenge of sales, and pricing items.

Sometimes you forget about shopping for others and start seeing the bargains next thing you know that gift you went to get for someone gets smaller or changed lol lol. Oh don't act like you haven't done it, everyone has at one point, and you didn't feel bad after you did it lol lol lol. I guess for me I try to find ways to relax, or get a moment to myself, I am a family person so it really irks me when people in the family are at odds with each. No one wants either persons around for fear of them breaking out in an argument. Either way I always am prepared I will have a bottle of wine chilling and bring one to you so we can have a glass and watch the festivities, and if you don't drink alcohol have your favorite drink with a dessert lol lol lol . They will get tired eventually, and start feeling stupid, and stop or go home. Lets not forget the gifts, that is a job in itself, how many regift? Well I don't for fear I might forget and give it back to the person that gave it to me, smh. However, some of the gifts are off the chain, I remember getting the snuggle blanket (still laughing at it), don't forget the chia pets, and fruitcakes, and clap on clap off  ish, Walgreen foot massagers that don't heat the water up, gingerbread house kits, sausage and cheese gift sets, surprise chocolate candy box, and the list goes on.