Getting back to February's them of Love. If you've been on Facebook in the last month or so, you've either written or tagged your friends to write their own "25 Things About Me" list. I've read quite a few and thoroughly enjoyed them but just couldn't find the time to think about and write my own.
Now that I've been tagged so many times, I must do my due diligence:
1. I have a constant fear of being unprepared - for life, for love and for success.
2. I wholeheartedly believe that the paparazzi should be outlawed.
3. Actualmente, hablo espanol muy bueno cuando necesario. (I actually speak Spanish really well when necessary.)
4. I've never loved anyone the way I love my current partner, Jamaal.
5. Breakfast is my favorite meal.
6. I sometimes sing in the car out loud and pretend that I'm in my own music video!
7. No matter how busy I am, I tend to feel as if I'm not doing enough.
8. I used to think my favorite "shade" was black but now I'm starting to think that my favorite color is purple.
9. My name is from the Bible and is technically spelled "S-h-e-m-a-i-a-h" and is actually a male name.
10. My favorite book is "Crime and Punishment" by Fyodor Dostoevsky.
11. I am extremely put off by people who don't say, "thank you."
12. At least once a week, I realize that I am turning into my mother!!!
13. I abhor (yes abhor) small animals that are bigger than they are supposed to be. Abhor not to be confused with loath; they literally make me nauseous. Oak Park tends to have larger than life squirrels and I've gagged when I've seen them.
14. No matter how my career shakes out, I want to write a book someday.
15. I do want children but being a parent scares me to death.
16. I think that fish are beautiful but most likely won't be able to own an aquarium. I had a fish in college that I loved and for some reason or another, it got sick. I would come home from class and tap the class and it wouldn't even swim. I couldn't bear the thought of coming home and finding it dead so I flushed it. :(
17. I am highly annoyed by people who don't use the 5x5 rule in Power Point (if you don't know what this is, you may be guilty). When Power Point hit the scene, it was introduced with a 5x5 rule. Power Point is a visual outline that prompts the presenter on their talking points. There should be no more than 5 bullet points on a slide with no more than 5 words in each line. If you have to put a book on a slide, make copies and distribute as a handout!
18. Although I am getting a Master's degree in Clinical Psychology, presumably to be a therapist, I don't think I am cut out for it. I am generally a very patient person. I have a variety of friends and am able to relate to them all differently but I am not able to truly connect in the therapeutic setting. I admire people who can though!!
19. Out of all my experiences with relationships, personally and professionally, (knock on wood) I believe my current relationship is very healthy.
20. Although I don't always have the time, I do love to cook.
21. My favorite book is "Thank You and You're Welcome" by Kanye West.
22. My most life changing experience was working for a month in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. The strength and endurance I saw in the people there changed my life.
23. Paper makes me nervous. Anything that I can maintain electronically, I do. I love to shred and keep paper at a minimum.
24. I haven't read an entire book (more than 50 pages) in 3 years - but I'm rectifying that now with "Angels and Demons" (in advance of the movie release in May)
25. I seriously don't think I could live without the Internet!
So there it is. 25 things are pretty intense - but here they are nonetheless! :)
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Vegas Baby!
It finally came! Time for me to take my annual trip to Las Vegas!!! But this year was a little different...
The Surprise: The surprise went off without a hitch and it was such a relief to be excited outwardly after keeping it a secret for a month!!
The Trip: The Good, The Bad and the Amazing
Worst picture ever!! Best drinks in the world- 4 words: 99 Cents Margarita Bar. We saw this sign and figured, "Those have to be the most watered down margaritas in the world." So when we went inside Bill's Casino and Gambling and saw the subtle droves of people heading for the bar, we thought, "99 cents, it couldn't hurt." While we were in line, we met a nice gentleman who informed us that we should get the "double." Good thinking considering we anticipated minimal alcohol in each drink. What we didn't know was that (1) the "regular" 99 cents margarita was stronger than the $8 margaritas we had been buying all day and (2) the "double" was no more than a scoop of frozen margarita mix that served as a base and they filled the rest of the cup with straight tequila - all for $2. Best thing ever!!
We're not huge gamblers, we toyed with some Blackjack and Roulette in the Pleasure Pit at PH (Planet Hollywood) and some slots here and there. Home to "The Lions", I always make a stop at the MGM Grand. One of my favorite Vegas bars, Centrifuge, is there as well and is good for a decent drink if you just need a place to relax.
The Bellagio was amazing in its all grandeur. The fountains are always a highlight. The indoor garden was Asian th
emed and gorgeous as usual with animal scenes made totally of flowers. The Bellagio is totally lavish and always makes me want to go to Europe.
The Backstory: Valentine's Day was February 14th, my six month anniversary with the love of my life, Jamaal, was February 16th and my sweetie's birthday was February 20th, not to mention it's been a hell of a winter. What a better way to celebrate all of these milestones than a trip to Sin City!!
The Catch: I had been to Vegas 2 times before with friends but Jamaal had never been. Anyone who knows him knows that he is one of the most calm, gentle, caring people that you'll ever meet. (But make no mistake, he is still very bad ass!) I wanted the trip to be special so I asked him to take his birthday off from work and planned it as a total surprise to him until 9 pm Thursday night, only 6 hours before we needed to be at the airport!!!!
The Surprise: The surprise went off without a hitch and it was such a relief to be excited outwardly after keeping it a secret for a month!!
The Trip: The Good, The Bad and the Amazing
The Flight
To get decent flight times and be somewhat fiscally responsible, I booked our flights on Southwest (which I had never flown on) - bad mistake. Unorganized, crowded and overbooked on the way and on the way back. You get what you pay for I guess. What is with the weird "groupings" and "positions"? Just assign seats!!! The only saving grace was the flight attendants on the way there who were very engaging, funny and attentive. They acknowledged first time flyers with humorous gift bags and the obvious bachelor parties who started the party way early. Unless it's an emergency, I am pretty sure, we won't be flying Southwest anymore.
To get decent flight times and be somewhat fiscally responsible, I booked our flights on Southwest (which I had never flown on) - bad mistake. Unorganized, crowded and overbooked on the way and on the way back. You get what you pay for I guess. What is with the weird "groupings" and "positions"? Just assign seats!!! The only saving grace was the flight attendants on the way there who were very engaging, funny and attentive. They acknowledged first time flyers with humorous gift bags and the obvious bachelor parties who started the party way early. Unless it's an emergency, I am pretty sure, we won't be flying Southwest anymore.
The Hotel
In a word: PHENOMENAL. We stayed at the Westin Casuarina, slightly off the strip and one of the only hotel/casinos in Vegas that is smoke-free. The staff there is more than hospitable - opening doors for you in and out of the hotel and anticipating all of your needs whether it's unlimited bottled water to save yourself from dehydration or taxi service that is readily available Lincoln Town Cars and Navigators to take you where you need to go.
The hotel room was a oasis as we were surrounded by white, soft greens and spas - very zen. The Hibiscus Spa located inside the hotel was out of this world, definitely a hidden gem. More bottled water, Starbucks Coffee and Tazo Tea and more towels than we knew what to do with. This is the view from our hotel (picture taken at dawn because we never went to sleep that night!)
In a word: PHENOMENAL. We stayed at the Westin Casuarina, slightly off the strip and one of the only hotel/casinos in Vegas that is smoke-free. The staff there is more than hospitable - opening doors for you in and out of the hotel and anticipating all of your needs whether it's unlimited bottled water to save yourself from dehydration or taxi service that is readily available Lincoln Town Cars and Navigators to take you where you need to go.
The hotel room was a oasis as we were surrounded by white, soft greens and spas - very zen. The Hibiscus Spa located inside the hotel was out of this world, definitely a hidden gem. More bottled water, Starbucks Coffee and Tazo Tea and more towels than we knew what to do with. This is the view from our hotel (picture taken at dawn because we never went to sleep that night!)Included in our hotel reservation was access to the sauna and steam room, robes, slippers, more bottled water, juice and 3 different varieties of trail mix to enjoy in their "Relaxation Rooms." The Relaxation Room (RR) consisted of soft lighting with chaises and couches for you to relax and enjoy the plethora of magazines or snuggle up with one of their chenille throws or just sit back in think about nothing. There was some light socializing and if the staff needed to speak with you in the RR, they whispered so as not to disturb you or the other guests. When I get a house, I want a Relaxation Room!!!!!!!!
The Food
Vegas isn't Vegas without the food!
Vegas isn't Vegas without the food!
We had lunch at the Oyster Bar at Penazzi located inside Harrah's Casino in honor of Jamaal's birthday. A die hard fan of seafood, specifically oysters, he was amazed at how fresh and abundant they were. The very nice chef, Rick T. from Brooklyn, was incredibly personable as he explained that they get their oysters from Washington State. I had their take on "Fish and Chips", whitefish that was battered, covered in potato chips and fried (unbelievable!) and we shared the crab cakes which fell apart on top of the salad because the crab meat was so huge!
If you're on the West Coast, no matter where you are, you have to go to Fatburger or In and Out Burger. I usually save my In and Out trips for L.A. so we opted for Fatburger. Fresh, delicious, well worth the $10, good people watching, too.
A horrible mistake on our part because it was close was the breakfast buffet inside Imperial Palace - uninspiring, fresh out of the can, school lunch-type items. Not good. :( Especially because there are really amazing buffets in Vegas like the one in Treasure Island now known as T.I.
Redemption came with All You Can Eat Sushi at Ah-Sin inside Paris Las Vegas. You choose your first 3 rolls and they bring you 2 thereafter until you are done. If you're into to sushi, you know 3 rolls will run you about $24 so it's a deal from the start.
The Drinks
Disclaimer: Jamaal and I are both of age to purchase and consume alcohol and did so responsibly. :)
Disclaimer: Jamaal and I are both of age to purchase and consume alcohol and did so responsibly. :)
Worst picture ever!! Best drinks in the world- 4 words: 99 Cents Margarita Bar. We saw this sign and figured, "Those have to be the most watered down margaritas in the world." So when we went inside Bill's Casino and Gambling and saw the subtle droves of people heading for the bar, we thought, "99 cents, it couldn't hurt." While we were in line, we met a nice gentleman who informed us that we should get the "double." Good thinking considering we anticipated minimal alcohol in each drink. What we didn't know was that (1) the "regular" 99 cents margarita was stronger than the $8 margaritas we had been buying all day and (2) the "double" was no more than a scoop of frozen margarita mix that served as a base and they filled the rest of the cup with straight tequila - all for $2. Best thing ever!! A Strip favorite is always Coyote Ugly in New York (you purchase your cup that comes filled with the frozen drink of your choice and if you keep the cup and bring it back, you only pay for a refill, extra shots only $2). After bringing my cup from Chicago, we had to go there and waited in line for about 20 minutes but it's totally worth it. Good flavor, good price.
The Casinos
We're not huge gamblers, we toyed with some Blackjack and Roulette in the Pleasure Pit at PH (Planet Hollywood) and some slots here and there. Home to "The Lions", I always make a stop at the MGM Grand. One of my favorite Vegas bars, Centrifuge, is there as well and is good for a decent drink if you just need a place to relax.
The Bellagio was amazing in its all grandeur. The fountains are always a highlight. The indoor garden was Asian th
emed and gorgeous as usual with animal scenes made totally of flowers. The Bellagio is totally lavish and always makes me want to go to Europe.In my opinion, one of the best hotels on the strip, The Wynn is unparallelled with those waterfalls. I could sit there all day. The hotel and casino and its restaurant choices are just lavish!! Sometimes tiring, as usual, Vegas was amazing and although it is somewhat surreal, it is nice to have a true escape. See you next year, Vegas! (or maybe even later this year!)
You can check out the rest of our Vegas photos on my Facebook page!
You can check out the rest of our Vegas photos on my Facebook page! Monday, February 9, 2009
Grammy Surprises - Post Grammy Night
You know I have thoughts about the Grammy's!! If you read my previous blog post, you know who my favorites are.
First off, Adele was phenomenal. I'm so happy for her. She is so adorable and crazy talented!! I expect many more wonderful things from her.
Lil Wayne was one of the best of the night. All of this work over the past year truly paid off. He commanded the stage and received the attention he deserved.
M.I.A. was the cutest mom I have ever seen. I knew that she was pregnant. I knew that her baby was due the day of the Grammy's and I also knew that she was performing pregnant. But she was very pregnant! Good for her to still perform and with tons of energy!
With 5 nominations, Jazmine Sullivan did not prove to be victorious to my disappointment. However, she has had a lot of momentum in the past few months and if your album is good enough to glean 5 nominations, you can only go up from there.
There were a lot of good surprises:
First off, Adele was phenomenal. I'm so happy for her. She is so adorable and crazy talented!! I expect many more wonderful things from her.
Lil Wayne was one of the best of the night. All of this work over the past year truly paid off. He commanded the stage and received the attention he deserved.
M.I.A. was the cutest mom I have ever seen. I knew that she was pregnant. I knew that her baby was due the day of the Grammy's and I also knew that she was performing pregnant. But she was very pregnant! Good for her to still perform and with tons of energy!
With 5 nominations, Jazmine Sullivan did not prove to be victorious to my disappointment. However, she has had a lot of momentum in the past few months and if your album is good enough to glean 5 nominations, you can only go up from there.
There were a lot of good surprises:
- Estelle and Kanye West's performance of "American Boy" for which they won a Grammy for. (I'm still not quite sure how I feel about Kanye's hair... but Estelle was adorable)
- Good to know that Blink 182 is getting back together!
- Although some of my favorites were eliminated in the process, I am not against the success that Robert Plant is receiving for his new endeavors.
- Green Day in all of their glory didn't look half bad to be approaching 40's.
- Daft Punk received 2 awards which speaks to their increased success on the dance music scene.
I cannot write about the Grammy's without discussing Coldplay. I'm as much of a Coldplay fan as the next person. I even have "Viva La Vida" but with all of the amazing music that has been released over the past year, there is no way that Coldplay should have won that many awards. I'm over it. (and their outfits were ridiculous) Now I'm really over it.
My highlight of the night was a culmination of my favorites with a performance of "Swagger Like Us" - M.I.A. in all of her pregnant glory, Jay-Z in its infinite hip hop wisdom, Kanye West my hip hop saviour, Lil Wayne the future of hip hop and T.I. the King of the South. (Sorry Ludacris) Hip hop at its best.
All in all I thought it was a well executed show that brought music's past and present together in a meaningful way.
Until next year,
S
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Transcendentalism at its best: My Love of Music (Pre-Grammy Night)
On the eve of the 2009 Grammy awards, it seems appropriate for me to discuss one of my life's loves (other than my current partner) : music.
I seriously can't imagine life without it. To say that I love it is putting it mildly because it is such an integral part of who I am. I've been thinking for some time about what specifically I wanted to blog about as it relates to music. As I was making breakfast this morning, I felt that I need some background noise and decided to watch Dave Chappelle's Block Party while I cooked. An oldie but goodie any day of the week if you are a hip hop fan.
The movie itself is a concert movie where Dave walks you through the steps he took to put this concert together in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn. Dave visited his hometown to recruit past neighbors (some with little to no exposure to hip hop) to attend the Block Party including the marching band from Central State University. Dave's premise for organizing the Party was that he wanted to create a concert composed of artists that he wanted to see and share that concert with the world.
For true hip hop fans, you could die after seeing this because it just doesn't get any better: Kanye West, Common, John Legend, Dead Prez, Talib Kwali, Mos Def, Big Daddy Kane, Erykah Badu, Cody Chestnutt, Jill Scott and The Fugees all backed up by the musical stylings of The Roots. Pure magic! I can't help but watch this movie with a smile the entire time because the respect and love that these artists have for each other is breathtaking.
While all seasoned veterans in the music industry in my book, I am continuously impressed with each new album that is released. With that being said, I am so excited about this year's Grammy nominations. Although I could go on for days about this, I won't. But I will share with you my Top 4 this year:
Adele - I was home on a Saturday morning cleaning when I decided to download some music from Ruckus. That day, the "artist to watch" was Adele. I wanted something new, it was free so I figured "why not?". I was almost moved to tears. The clarity of Adele's voice is unlike anything I've heard before. Her delivery presents a range of emotions that we can all relate to. I'm so glad that she is getting the recognition she deserves. Watch her performance of "Chasing Pavements" at the Grammy's. Trust me, she will be a legend.
M.I.A. - (Warning! Her website will give you motion sickness.) Over the past six months or so, I have fallen in love with music from the U.K. M.I.A. is no exception amongst the number of dance music goddesses hitting the U.S. scene (i.e. Kid Sister, Lady Gaga, etc.) Hailing from Sri Lanka, her music is as intoxicating as she is gorgeous and has caught the attention of rap mogul, Jay-Z, in a number of collaborations. Don't be to dazzled; she is incredibly intelligent and strong-willed and uses her music to tell her personal story and the story of other Tamils facing genocide. Watch her perform (pregnant!) on Grammy night with nominations for "Paper Planes" featured on Pineapple Express and Slumdog Millionaire.
Lil Wayne - I am a self-proclaimed Lil Wayne and I don't care who knows it! Admittedly, this was not the case until the release of his last album, Tha Carter III. Not to say that I didn't listen to his music before then, it did not speak to me the way this album did. If you're a true hip hop fan, you recognize real hip hop for what it is; and it's not always guns, drugs and disrespecting women. Hip hop, more specifically rap, is an expression of thoughts and feelings that must be captured that same way an author writes a novel. In this album, his metaphors are clever and fresh yet complex - all vital ingredients for a hip hop masterpiece. With nearly 10 years in the music industry already, 2009 proves to be another great year for him. Welcome to Wayne's World.
Jazmine Sullivan - As much as I love music, I am admittedly a music snob. I love a ballad just as much as the next person but it has to be quality. This is the approach I took with Jazmine. I had no problem downloading "Need U Bad" from iTunes but felt that it wouldn't go much further than that. Her album did pick up momentum but I still wasn't sold. On Thanksgiving, after numerous requests from him to listen to it, my uncle gave me a copy. Very unfortunately, I listened to it for the first time 1 week ago. Very unfortunate for me to have missed out on some of the most soulful, heartfelt music I've heard in a long time. After learning that Jazmine is only 21 and was the primary songwriter for her album, she is more than a force to be reckoned with.
Watch the Grammy's tomorrow night on CBS at 8/7 pm central. Check out your favorites at http://www.grammy.com/
I seriously can't imagine life without it. To say that I love it is putting it mildly because it is such an integral part of who I am. I've been thinking for some time about what specifically I wanted to blog about as it relates to music. As I was making breakfast this morning, I felt that I need some background noise and decided to watch Dave Chappelle's Block Party while I cooked. An oldie but goodie any day of the week if you are a hip hop fan.
The movie itself is a concert movie where Dave walks you through the steps he took to put this concert together in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn. Dave visited his hometown to recruit past neighbors (some with little to no exposure to hip hop) to attend the Block Party including the marching band from Central State University. Dave's premise for organizing the Party was that he wanted to create a concert composed of artists that he wanted to see and share that concert with the world.
For true hip hop fans, you could die after seeing this because it just doesn't get any better: Kanye West, Common, John Legend, Dead Prez, Talib Kwali, Mos Def, Big Daddy Kane, Erykah Badu, Cody Chestnutt, Jill Scott and The Fugees all backed up by the musical stylings of The Roots. Pure magic! I can't help but watch this movie with a smile the entire time because the respect and love that these artists have for each other is breathtaking.
While all seasoned veterans in the music industry in my book, I am continuously impressed with each new album that is released. With that being said, I am so excited about this year's Grammy nominations. Although I could go on for days about this, I won't. But I will share with you my Top 4 this year:
Adele - I was home on a Saturday morning cleaning when I decided to download some music from Ruckus. That day, the "artist to watch" was Adele. I wanted something new, it was free so I figured "why not?". I was almost moved to tears. The clarity of Adele's voice is unlike anything I've heard before. Her delivery presents a range of emotions that we can all relate to. I'm so glad that she is getting the recognition she deserves. Watch her performance of "Chasing Pavements" at the Grammy's. Trust me, she will be a legend.
M.I.A. - (Warning! Her website will give you motion sickness.) Over the past six months or so, I have fallen in love with music from the U.K. M.I.A. is no exception amongst the number of dance music goddesses hitting the U.S. scene (i.e. Kid Sister, Lady Gaga, etc.) Hailing from Sri Lanka, her music is as intoxicating as she is gorgeous and has caught the attention of rap mogul, Jay-Z, in a number of collaborations. Don't be to dazzled; she is incredibly intelligent and strong-willed and uses her music to tell her personal story and the story of other Tamils facing genocide. Watch her perform (pregnant!) on Grammy night with nominations for "Paper Planes" featured on Pineapple Express and Slumdog Millionaire.
Lil Wayne - I am a self-proclaimed Lil Wayne and I don't care who knows it! Admittedly, this was not the case until the release of his last album, Tha Carter III. Not to say that I didn't listen to his music before then, it did not speak to me the way this album did. If you're a true hip hop fan, you recognize real hip hop for what it is; and it's not always guns, drugs and disrespecting women. Hip hop, more specifically rap, is an expression of thoughts and feelings that must be captured that same way an author writes a novel. In this album, his metaphors are clever and fresh yet complex - all vital ingredients for a hip hop masterpiece. With nearly 10 years in the music industry already, 2009 proves to be another great year for him. Welcome to Wayne's World.
Jazmine Sullivan - As much as I love music, I am admittedly a music snob. I love a ballad just as much as the next person but it has to be quality. This is the approach I took with Jazmine. I had no problem downloading "Need U Bad" from iTunes but felt that it wouldn't go much further than that. Her album did pick up momentum but I still wasn't sold. On Thanksgiving, after numerous requests from him to listen to it, my uncle gave me a copy. Very unfortunately, I listened to it for the first time 1 week ago. Very unfortunate for me to have missed out on some of the most soulful, heartfelt music I've heard in a long time. After learning that Jazmine is only 21 and was the primary songwriter for her album, she is more than a force to be reckoned with.
Watch the Grammy's tomorrow night on CBS at 8/7 pm central. Check out your favorites at http://www.grammy.com/
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Insight on a Page: My Love of Writing
Sorry for the delay, it's been a quite a week!
In the spirit of February's theme of Love, I just wanted to share my love of writing with you. When I was a kid, I was all about reading: anything and everything all the time. Naturally, as I got older I started to understand the work that goes into writing these wonderful things to share with the world and developed a profound respect for the art of writing.
As a superfan of all of our available technology, I risk sounding like a hypocrite when I say, "People don't communicate personally anymore." Writing a letter, thank you note, poem, epic takes time and in a busy world, many of us feel that time is not a luxury that we can afford (myself included).
I can't even count how many times over the past few years that I've thought about journaling. I've bought journal after journal, lost them, used them for To-Do Lists, given them away as gifts yet never found the time to write a single word on the page. So you can imagine my undying excitement when blogs hit the scene, personal expression and technology: the perfect marriage!
Even after 2 years of grad school and working full-time on communications, you would think that I would have my fill of writing. But for me, herein lies the difference. Writing is like any other art form, meant to be a wonderful, complete personal expression, free of criticism and parameters. For me, no matter how passionate I have been about dissociative identity disorder or the psychological effects of domestic violence on women or my desire to get my thesis done, writing according to someone else's standards is not the same as writing for yourself.
Writing is one of those things that is contagious. I am absolutely thrilled with this blog because even if no one reads it, it is my personal forum to express myself. Writing has opened up creative channels that were previously closed to me. I am able to think clearer and my dreams are even more vivid. It's very magical.
So if no one but you reads it, write. Write when you're happy and when your day didn't go as planned. No one can edit your thoughts and feelings - and neither should you.
In the spirit of February's theme of Love, I just wanted to share my love of writing with you. When I was a kid, I was all about reading: anything and everything all the time. Naturally, as I got older I started to understand the work that goes into writing these wonderful things to share with the world and developed a profound respect for the art of writing.
As a superfan of all of our available technology, I risk sounding like a hypocrite when I say, "People don't communicate personally anymore." Writing a letter, thank you note, poem, epic takes time and in a busy world, many of us feel that time is not a luxury that we can afford (myself included).
I can't even count how many times over the past few years that I've thought about journaling. I've bought journal after journal, lost them, used them for To-Do Lists, given them away as gifts yet never found the time to write a single word on the page. So you can imagine my undying excitement when blogs hit the scene, personal expression and technology: the perfect marriage!
Even after 2 years of grad school and working full-time on communications, you would think that I would have my fill of writing. But for me, herein lies the difference. Writing is like any other art form, meant to be a wonderful, complete personal expression, free of criticism and parameters. For me, no matter how passionate I have been about dissociative identity disorder or the psychological effects of domestic violence on women or my desire to get my thesis done, writing according to someone else's standards is not the same as writing for yourself.
Writing is one of those things that is contagious. I am absolutely thrilled with this blog because even if no one reads it, it is my personal forum to express myself. Writing has opened up creative channels that were previously closed to me. I am able to think clearer and my dreams are even more vivid. It's very magical.
So if no one but you reads it, write. Write when you're happy and when your day didn't go as planned. No one can edit your thoughts and feelings - and neither should you.
You have to try this at home!
Happy Super Bowl! (Go Steelers!)
It's February 1st, Super Bowl Sunday for most and for those who have been following the blog, Day 6 of Positive Thinking. Days 1 and 2 were a little rocky but once I let go, stopped making excuses and just did it - something magical happened. Actually, several magical things happened - I actually got more things done, I could think clearer, time slowed down and I was actually able to appreciate what I had accomplished and believe that everything else would get done.
While mainly in jest, it was also scary when I realized how much time and energy it took to focus on all the things that I could not control or that weren't going my way. I've never really been sold on the opposites attract concept and my attempt to change my thinking has showed me a different side.
One of the things that I am blown away by is that the more positive I become, the more opportunities present themselves to eliminate negative energy. The more I'm laughing the less I'm crying. The more I'm smiling, the less I'm frowning. The more time I'm spending on accomplishing goals, the less I feel that I'm running out of time. Time is one of many things that cannot be recovered and it feels irresponsible to spend it focusing on things that aren't healthy. Although January is over (which is so weird), I will continue my personal journey to Positive Thinking.
That brings us to February. I have made the executive decision that February will be devoted to Love. Each blog post will focus on my experience with Love - people, places, things, new experiences, memories, etc. My goal this month will be to focus on love - giving it, receiving it, expressing it and cherishing it.
Now that the tone is set for the month, I will return to watching the Super Bowl (Go Steelers!) with my family, as I love them and they love me. The older I get the more I realize that no one will love you like your family.
See you tomorrow!
It's February 1st, Super Bowl Sunday for most and for those who have been following the blog, Day 6 of Positive Thinking. Days 1 and 2 were a little rocky but once I let go, stopped making excuses and just did it - something magical happened. Actually, several magical things happened - I actually got more things done, I could think clearer, time slowed down and I was actually able to appreciate what I had accomplished and believe that everything else would get done.
While mainly in jest, it was also scary when I realized how much time and energy it took to focus on all the things that I could not control or that weren't going my way. I've never really been sold on the opposites attract concept and my attempt to change my thinking has showed me a different side.
One of the things that I am blown away by is that the more positive I become, the more opportunities present themselves to eliminate negative energy. The more I'm laughing the less I'm crying. The more I'm smiling, the less I'm frowning. The more time I'm spending on accomplishing goals, the less I feel that I'm running out of time. Time is one of many things that cannot be recovered and it feels irresponsible to spend it focusing on things that aren't healthy. Although January is over (which is so weird), I will continue my personal journey to Positive Thinking.
That brings us to February. I have made the executive decision that February will be devoted to Love. Each blog post will focus on my experience with Love - people, places, things, new experiences, memories, etc. My goal this month will be to focus on love - giving it, receiving it, expressing it and cherishing it.
Now that the tone is set for the month, I will return to watching the Super Bowl (Go Steelers!) with my family, as I love them and they love me. The older I get the more I realize that no one will love you like your family.
See you tomorrow!
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