I'm Single and Thirsty

I'm Single

July 2nd. It's been EXACTLY 5 months since my relationship ended. The breakup that I thought was going to break me. For days and weeks after, I did not know how I was going to get through it. I could not believe I was single. I did not want to be single. I couldn't understand why God had allowed my relationship to fall apart. I cried and prayed and prayed and cried. Day by day, God worked on my heart. Now it's been 5 months, and I don't feel the same hurt and pain that I felt before. I never would have made it without God. I was holding on to that relationship and I was unable to heal. Once I realized "I'm single", I was able to move forward.

I'm Thirsty

July 2nd. It's been EXACTLY 1 month since I moved to San Antonio, Texas from Athens, Georgia. Since I've been in San Antonio, I realized that I'm now one of those single, thirsty women.  I know you're probably thinking "whaaaat? She actually admits to being thirsty?" Yes! I am thirsty.  According to Urban Dictionary 😊 thirsty means 1) too eager to get something or 2) desperate. Much like other singles, I am eager for love and affection. Or to be honest, I'm desperate for love and affection. I thought I was desperate for love from a man. I began to look in look in all the wrong places. However, I knew I was not in the right mental or emotional state to receive that love. I was tired of looking for fulfillment in one place and being disappointed.Then I was reminded of John 4:13-14 , Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life."

What This Means

 I was drinking the WRONG water! I realized that what I needed, no man could give it to me. No relationship could fill the void except a relationship with God. Yes, I'm a saved Christian. Baptized in Jesus' name and filled with the Holy Ghost. But I was thirsty for a deeper relationship with Christ. Since I've been in San Antonio, God has really been moving in my life. He has been speaking to me like never before. He has been giving me inspiration and so many great ideas. I am thankful to be feeling his presence so strongly. If you're feeling stressed, disappointed, angry, sad, you've probably been drinking the wrong water. I urge you to turn to Jesus and receive the living water.  His spirit will cause you to never be thirsty again and grant you eternal life.  I can proudly say, "I'm single and thirsty... for God's presence."

I pray that God blesses each of you who took the time to read this.

-Memoirs of Jazz

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Farewell to the Classic City

I was born and raised in Athens, Georgia. In 2012, I graduated from Clarke Central High School. I wanted to go to Georgia Southern to escape from the city of Athens. However, I decided that the best decision would be to stay in Athens and go to UGA... AND live at home.

I graduated cum laude from THE University of Georgia on May 13, 2016 with NO student loans. It felt absolutely wonderful. I wrote a blog "A Whole New World Awaits" about my post college plans. (Click here for link). On that day, I also got engaged to my, at the time, boyfriend. Life was good. I decided to stay in Athens and take a year off before grad school. So I accepted a position as Assistant Manager at Chick Fil A in the Tate Student Center on UGA's campus. It was a challenging yet rewarding position. In July 2016, I took another big step, and moved out of my parents house into my own little apartment. 2016 was the best year of my life. 

However, in February of 2017, my fiancé and I broke up. It was devastating to have a relationship like that end. We were best friends for three years and we loved each other very much. Of course, I took the breakup hard.  He was an amazing man and my favorite human being on the planet.  While I was with him, he taught me so much about life. As he exposed me to many different experiences, my mindset began to expand. His ambition and drive pushed me to free my creative being. I will be forever grateful to him and to God for allowing us to meet. 

All my life, I have felt that Athens was not the city for me. The breakup was the very last push to get me to realize I really wanted to move. After experiencing a loss like that, I became depressed. (Click here for link to my post about Depression). I was unhappy with everything in my life.  At the end of April 2017, I got the opportunity to go visit my older sister and her family. The hot weather and palm trees had me captivated as I had always wanted to live in Florida... But I was NOT in Florida. 

While I was there, my sister and I began to talk about how unhappy I was with my life. We talked about my job, my long years in Athens, and my ex. She said I should move to the city that she lived in. She offered to let me move in with her and her family, while I got settled into a new job and the city. I accepted without hesitating. The very next day, I put in my two weeks notice & it was official.

 At the end of May, I will be leaving behind the city of Athens after 22.8 years.  I will adopt a new home as I make the 15 hour drive to... San Antonio, Texas. ( #GoSpursGo )  I am excited beyond measure. Of course, I will miss my family and friends, but I am brimming with anticipation to see what God has in store for me. Farewell to the Classic City. 

Thanks & God Bless.

-MemoirsOfJazz

Mental Health Awareness

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Mental Health is a topic that is often neglected and downplayed. This post will focus on Depression. 

Depression is a very REAL disease. It is more than just sadness or being dissatisfied with your life. Depression feels like you are suffocated by hopelessness. You feel like you aren't good enough, smart enough, rich enough, attractive enough AND you feel there is no way to change those things. When you're depressed you have to drag yourself out of bed and talk yourself into doing everyday things. You feel like you're on autopilot and emotionally disconnected from the world. 

I have struggled with depression for a few years. I spoke briefly about it in my post "Why I Gave It All Away". (click here for the link). It is something that I have kept concealed because I feel that depression is so stigmatized. Many people do not understand unless they've experienced it. I don't want to be viewed differently or be pitied. So I have to overcompensate. I try to constantly smile, laugh and tell my corny jokes. 

Some days I am fine and can smile and function normally. However, on the worst days, I get a brain fog. I cannot think clearly. I cannot focus on anything.  I am anxious about anything and everything. All I want to do is sleep. I've slept 15 hours a day during my darkest day of depression. 

However, I am learning ways to deal with my depression without using medication. I use prayer, mediation, writing and exercise to relieve my stress, anxiety and feel better. If you are struggling with depression, I encourage you to find and outlet for your feelings.

Prayer is great. God promises to keep us in perfect peace if we keep our mind on Him (Isaiah 26:3). Meditation is also good. Mindfulness is the meditation practice that I enjoy most. Mindfulness focuses on the present and accepting thoughts without judgment. Writing is something that I enjoy. Poems, songs, blog posts, anything to get my feelings out. Exercise works wonders in reducing levels of stress and making me feel better. I workout 3-5 times a week for at least an hour. 

If you know someone who is depressed or you suspect they are, don't judge them. Try to be encouraging. Direct them to this blog post. Give them the space that they need. Help them feel loved and safe in spite of their situation. 

Thanks & God Bless. 

-MemoirsOfJazz 

A Whole New World Awaits

Today is May 13, 2016. Today I graduate from The University of Georgia. It's such a surreal feeling. The past four years of college have flown by. Graduating means that I get asked the infamous question, "So what are your plans for after college". That's a question that I have come to hate over the past couple of months. It's a constant reminder that I am not where I thought I would be in life. I thought that I would have everything together by the time I graduated college. I thought of college graduation as a magical event, where I would be transformed into adulthood & know my life's purpose. However, that hasn't been the case. 

So, here I am. The day of my college graduation. I still have not made a final decision on my next move. However, one thing is certain, I am taking time off before grad school because 1) I'm exhausted from undergrad & 2) I'm not quite sure what direction I want to go in. 

Even though I may feel a little disappointed in myself, one thing that keeps me going is the fact that A Whole New World Awaits. If you're familiar with the movie Aladdin, you'll know the theme  song is A Whole New World. Princess Jasmine & Aladdin sing that song together during the movie, commemorating all the wonderful things in store for them. Many of you are feeling how I am feeling in regards to your life. Maybe you aren't graduating college, but you're looking at where you are & not quite satisfied. You may have had dreams and goals, & now you're struggling to stay afloat. Don't get discouraged. Don't get so focused on the destination that you miss the scenic view among the way. Enjoy life wherever it is taking you. 

The scripture that aligns with "A Whole New World Awaits" is Job 8:7. "Your beginnings will seem humble, so prosperous will your future be." God has so much in store for me and wants to bless me abundantly. I have realized that college graduation isn't the end of it all. I don't have to make a decision right away. I still have time. Life outside of college will be exciting, adventurous, and maybe a little scary but it's a new chapter in which I am very much anticipating. So for those who are curious about my plans after graduation... I will be enjoying life because A Whole New World Awaits. 👑

Why I Gave It All Away

    There is exactly one month and one day  until I graduate from The University of Georgia . I am in awe of how time has flown by the past four years. My time at UGA was filled with achievements, broken dreams, and personal growth.On the outside looking in, it may seem as if I have it all. I'm smart, pretty, liked by most. However, one thing people don't see is the hurt and pain that I've experienced over the past year. Many would never guess that I experienced depression so deep that I once slept 12 hours in one day. Many don't know that I barely remember my 21st birthday. Not because I was so drunk, but because I felt so much emotional pain and was so deep in depression that I blocked out everything going on around me. The doctors tried to label me as _______, but I refused to accept that diagnosis.

       Then two weeks after my birthday, I had surgery on both of my legs. I was in excruciating pain for two weeks after that. My body was rejecting my pain medicine. I had to switch prescriptions several times, but no dosages would help my physical pain. Nothing eased the emotional pain either. However, I appeared to be handling it well becasuse I appeared happy. But inside I was breaking, so I decided to give it ALL away.1 Peter 5:7 , "Cast ALL your anxiety on Him (God) because He cares for you."

        So I gave Him all my worry, pain, doubts and frustrations. I realized that it was too much for me to handle alone. I had become bitter, hardened and unstable because of the many things going on in my life. The depression was just the manifestation of all my stress and anxiety.  But I had enough. So I gave it all away... to Jesus. Now I can say that the sum of what I have gained is greater than everything that I gave away. 2016 has been one of the best years of my life. I have a great support system and  a wonderful boyfriend. I am graduating Cum Laude. I have several job opportunities lined up for after graduation. I am happier, calmer and more confident. I gave it all away and I gained so much more.

     If you're weighed down by stress, pain, frustration or any negative emotion, I challenge you to not let it overwhelm you. Find an outlet, whether it be religion, a hobby or a sport. Don't keep those negative things in your life, be like me, GIVE IT ALL AWAY. 

.:JRSN:.

Wait for the Promise

So many of us are getting to the point in our lives where we are not content. Not necessarily unhappy, just not content. We feel as if we want more out of life. It's easy to become impatient and irritated  with everyone around us. It's not because we are going crazy. It's because God is getting ready to take us to the next level. He's getting ready to give us all the blessings that were promised to us. He won't allow us to be content in a place that we have outgrown.

This moment in our life is so important. We have to push through the discomfort. Keep strong and don't fall for every distraction that comes our way. We have to stay focused on our goals and God so that we can be in the right mindset to receive His promises.

Everything that God has promised to us is already ours we just have to set ourselves up to be in the position to receive those blessings. God tells us to WAIT for the promise. He doesn't tell us to settle. He doesn't tell us to lower our standards. He doesn't tell us not to expect greatness. He simply says wait for the promise. I encourage you all not to get weary, but stay prayed up and wait for the promise.

"And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me."

Acts 1:4 (KJV)

Dear Kobe Bryant

Dear Kobe Bryant,

We WON'T forget. 

We won't forget the one who as an 18 year old who proved he could play among the best. 

We won't forget the one who won the dunk contest and started in the All Star Game as a teenager. 
We won't forget the one who scored 30 points in one quarter, TWICE. 

We won't forget the one who made 36 game winning shots.
We won't forget the one who scored 81 points in one game. 
We won't forget the one who made two free throws that inspired a multitude of people. 

We won't forget the one who showed us what hard work and determination was.
We won't forget the one who had us awestruck as we watched history take place. 
We won't forget the one who not only played basketball, but lived, ate, slept and breathed basketball.  

We WON'T forget, because "Heroes come and go, but LEGENDS are forever."

5 NBA Championships

4x NBA All-Star Game MVP

3rd All-Time Scoring

2x USA Olympic Gold Medal Winner

1 Black Mamba

Love you always,

Mamba Supporters

Click here for Kobe's original letter "Dear Basketball"
Click here for a video of Kobe winning the slam dunk contest
Click here and here for videos of Kobe's 30 point quarter games
Click here for a video of Kobe's 36 game winning shots
Click here for a video of Kobe's 81 point game
Click here for a video of Kobe's 2 inspirational free throws

Guard Your Heart

"Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." - Proverbs 4:23
Proverbs is a book that's full of wisdom and advice to help us through life. We're instructed to guard our hearts. Too many times we open up our heart to someone that doesn't deserve it. Too many times we open our heart to a situation that is not worth it. When we become emotionally invested in something, we open ourselves up to a world of hurt. We must give our hearts to Jesus and allow him to be the keeper of our heart. Anything that doesn't line up with Jesus is not good for us. Jesus is and always will be the standard.

When it comes to relationships (romantic or platonic)  it is so important to guard your heart. When you become too invested too quickly, and things do not work out, it will be harder to get over. I recently got out of a relationship. After 10 months, it was over and all I could think  about was how much I invested. When it comes to love, we must take it slow. Songs of Solomon is a book all about romantic love. "I charge you... that ye not stir up, nor awake my love, till he please." -Songs of Solomon 2:7. This scriptures reminds us to wait on love & let it come naturally. 

While I'm sad about my relationship ending, I have to realize that God makes no mistakes. My last post was "The Bad That God Allows",  so I have to trust that God is working it out for my good. I will use this time of singleness to focus on my relationship with God, grow as a person and go after my goals. I will wait on God to send me the right person and until then I will guard my heart. 

-MemoirsOfJazz (MoJ) 

The Bad Things That God Allows

       It's funny because "bad things" happen and we get angry, we cry, we question God's plan and then we realize life goes on. We begin to find peace in a situation we never imagined that we would have to experience. We see the silver lining and understand that this "bad thing" was part of God's DIVINE plan for our life.

        As time goes on, we experience so many new opportunities brought about by this "bad thing". We reflect on the state of happiness we are now experiencing. God filled our heart with an overwhelming sense of peace. None of this would be possible unless this "bad thing" happened. 

       We cried when it rained because we disliked the dark clouds. However, once we dried our tears, we saw the beautiful flowers that bloomed from the rain. We were struck with a startling epiphany. We realize the grass is greener on the other side... of the storm. 

         We ask ourselves, "How can it be a bad thing, if it brought so much good? " God allows "bad things" to happen, to show His sovereignty. God allows "bad things" to happen, so that we will realize that He alone is in control. God allows "bad things" to happen, so that we can use our story to testify to others of His goodness.

Never forget Genesis 50:20 "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." 

-MemoirsOfJazz (MOJ) 

Don't Pray and Worry

       Don’t pray and worry. How many times have we heard that phrase? And if you haven’t heard it before, allow me to introduce you. :) We may have heard this phrase many times, but how many of us actually apply it to our lives? This phrase comes from the scripture, “Don’t worry about anything: instead, pray about everything.” (Philippians 4:6a) Oftentimes we find ourselves worrying about things. How am I going to pay for this? When am I going to be able to do that? Worrying about things you cannot control is pointless, because it does not change the situation. It only leads to frustration, bitterness and it drains your energy. Worrying about things you can control is
also pointless. Why waste time worrying, when you can go to God in prayer and He will help you overcome?
           Worrying makes the situation seem worse than it really is. Oftentimes we worry about something and then a few days or weeks down the road, we realize that things worked out just fine. Then we find something else to worry about. There has NEVER been a situation that God did not deliver you from. Think back to your worst situation. Did you die? NO. Did it break you? NO. “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them ALL.” (Psalms 34:19) I love this scripture. It is such a peaceful thing to reflect on.

         So before you start to get worried about finals, your job, your partner or just life in general, remember to pray. God is able and willing to help you through any situation. There is nothing too big or too little for God to handle. You don’t have to pray a long prayer. You can just say a simple one like, “Jesus, I’m trusting you to help me with this situation. Please take away my worry. Amen.”

 

-MoJ (MemoirsofJazz)

Get Over Yourself

Sometimes we miss out on our blessings because we are too picky. We give God a list of how we want our blessings to come. We have a "type" and "preference" but we fail to remember that our "type" was what BROKE our hearts and our "preference" led us astray.

We keep telling the Potter what His masterpiece WANTS, when He's trying to give us what we NEED. We keep giving specifics to what we think we want, and we're ignoring the blessings right in our face. We let our pride and prejudices keep us from great things. We try to make our lives look glamorous to other people but have we forgotten that God sees it all?

Maybe if we stop fronting, we will connect with those who God sent into our lives. Maybe if we stop trying to build up our image, we will realize there are so many people like us. If we reject others because of their failure to measure up, we give God (and others), a reason to reject us because of our shortcomings. If God accepts it, what makes us think we are too good to accept it?

We claim that we don't judge, but then we handpick the people who get "the pleasure" of talking to us. Do we not remember that ALL have sinned and come short of the glory of God? (Romans 3:23) Are we not aware that everyone has a purpose in the kingdom of God?

Don't be the person who keeps you from your OWN blessing. Get OVER Yourself.

.:JRSN:.

Forget People, Do YOU !!

Don’t let people put you in a box. People will try to say you’re only meant for one thing. People will try to say that one thing DEFINES you. People are WRONG.

Don’t let people limit you. People will try to reason with you and tell you that you’re being unrealistic. People will tell you that you’re “too young, too poor, too little.” People will tell you that you “aren't smart enough, aren't rich enough, aren't qualified enough." DON'T listen to them.

Don’t limit yourself by setting your goals too small to encompass your potential. You have to set goals big enough to cover all the things that you are capable of. Write down your goals and look at them often. Everything you need to be successful. YOUR definition of successful is within YOU.

You future depends on the goals you set today. If you want to get anywhere in life, you have to set goals and stick with them. Don’t let anyone talk you out of your goals. To be talked out of your goals is to be talked into a life full of MISERY. To be talked out of your goals is to be talked out of your DESTINY.

Remember, what’s for you is for you and it WILL be for you. So claim it. 

.:JRSN:. 

Write the Vision

It is so important to have a vision for our future. We must set goals and checkpoints of what we want to be doing and where we want to be 1 year, 5 years and 10 years from now.  Once we get a vision in our head, we should write it down. “And the Lord answered me, and said, write the vision, and make it plain...” Habakkuk 2:2. Once we write a detailed description of what we hope to accomplish we should put it somewhere where we can see it every day.

 When we have a vision, we become future orientated. We don’t make decisions based on where we are now. However, we make decisions that will help us get where we want to be. People who do not have a vision are present orientated. The decisions that they make are for their short term pleasure. They lack the foresight of the things they should be doing.

Everything we say and do should be to help us bring our vision to pass. We take advantage of every situation so that we can advance and get better. A lot of people say they have visions for their future but they do not act on those goals. “Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare.” –Old Proverb.

One of the things that separate the successful from the unsuccessful is sacrifice. So many people have all sorts of dreams and vision but they lack the discipline to sacrifice things that stand in their way. When you have a vision, you cannot do what everyone else does, when everyone else does it, how everyone else does it. When you have a vision, you must take a step back from everything and everybody and see what you need to eliminate from your life to get to where you want to be.

Don’t be one of those people who have big dreams but little discipline. Don’t look around wondering why everyone is advancing but you. Take control of your future. Write the Vision. 

.:JRSN:.

Year Twenty

Year twenty, God has brought me thus far,

Even though things were a little bizarre,

A change has come upon my life,

Receiving liberation from hurt and strife,

Take a look around, I’m not where I used to be,

When did I change into a better me?

Everything that happened, good and bad,

Nurtured me to appreciate the life I had,

Take a look around, I like the view, 

Year twenty, I don’t look like what I’ve been through 

.:JRSN:.

Looking

Looking around,

I see everyone is in pain,

Yet they smile,

But what is to gain?

Looking around,

I see everyone is in distress,

Hearts so heavy,

Who made this mess?

Looking within,

I’ve felt so much sorrow,

Cried so many tears,

Waiting for a better tomorrow,

Looking within,

This life can be rough,

I put walls up,

In my attempt to be tough,

Looking up,

I feel so much relief,

I know there’s hope,

It has replaced my grief

Looking up,

I see the light,

God made a way,

Out of this terrible plight

.:JRSN:.

Stop the Violence.

Our cities have been overtaken with violence, crime, and evil. We have to stand up for our cities. We have to overcome evil with good. Let go of grudges. Grudges lead to hate which is the root of violence. Love cancels out hate. And perfect love which comes from God cancels out fear ( 1 John 4:18 ).

We need to get back to loving and appreciating each other. We need to get back to praying for the protection of our loved ones. Tomorrow is NOT promised. So pray and love today. It’s time to turn [back] to God.  We have gotten so far away from Him and it shows through the violence and crime. 

These are OUR cities. We should not have to live in fear. We have a responsibility to ourselves, our families and our cities. Start praying for your city, family and friends. Look out for your neighbors. If you see it, it’s your responsibility. We can’t keep doing the same things with the same mindsets expecting different results.

These are OUR cities. If not us, then WHO? If not now, then WHEN? The violence and crime directly affects us! What else has to happen to get your attention? How much MORE can you take? If we do nothing, we LET violence, crime,and evil win. If we do nothing, we have NO right to complain. 

Know God, Know Peace. NO God, NO Peace.

.:JRSN:.

Responsibility

We need to start taking more responsibility for our own happiness. We cannot expect or depend on others to make us happy or keep us happy. We have to make it up in our mind every day to be happy. Happiness is a conscious decision. Bad things will happen. People will disappoint us. However, we have to choose to be happy and let nothing or no one take that away. Don’t look to others to make you happy because you will be disappointed.

One thing that I’ve learned over the years is that people change. Change is not always bad though, sometimes change is good. Sometimes change means growth. Sometimes we outgrow people and we have to leave them behind. Sometimes other people grow and they have to leave us behind. However, if we keep in mind that some people are only in our lives for a season and a lesson, then it will be easier to let them go. We will be less likely to let them dictate our happiness.

I saw a quote that said, “Make your anger so expensive that no one can afford it and make your happiness so cheap that people can almost get it free.” Take responsibility for your own happiness and share it with others. One smile can go a long way. A few kind words can make someone else’s day. Life is too short and too precious to go through it being unhappy. 

.:JRSN:.

5 Things We Do To Mess Up Our Lives

1.       We misinterpret people’s roles in our lives and vice versa.

      Sometimes God places people in our lives just to be our friend and encourage us or vice versa. However, we think that person is somebody who we’re supposed to be in a relationship with and we sabotage things by trying to make it romantic. The connection that we feel isn’t physical attraction, but it’s spiritual. Our spirit senses that their spirit can give us something beneficial and we don’t even know it. That’s how we miss out on good friendships and the blessings people can provide us, by trying to force it to something more and wondering why it doesn’t work.

2.       We don’t recognize our influence and the power of the tongue.

            It’s important to realize that everywhere we go, somebody is looking at us. (Not just God.) People are looking to us for approval and positive reinforcements, but our negative words bring people down. We may do this and not even realize it. We MUST realize that death and life are in the power of the tongue. (Proverbs 18:21) We MUST use our words to create and build people up, not destroy and tear people down.

3.       We let our flaws make us fearful.

      Everybody has that flaw (or two) that makes them hesitate sometimes. And if you say don’t, maybe your flaw is pride. We may not do something because we don’t think we are qualified enough. We think people won’t listen to us because of our flaws. However, we fail to realize that our flaws give us our character. Don’t let your flaws keep you from fulfilling your purpose. Sometimes we forget that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. (Psalm 139:14) If we didn’t have flaws, we would have no need for a perfect God. So use your “flaw” to bring you closer to God who is flawless.

4.       We let judgments of others keep us separate from them.

       Many of us are guilty of looking at someone and judging them. We may feel like we are better than them because of our accomplishments or their failures. We put ourselves on pedestals. We are so busy trying to teach people, that we don’t learn from them. How can you reach people unless you are amongst them? Remember even Jesus walked and talked with “sinners”. We need to bridge the gap between “those people” and realize that we all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)

5.       We let our expectations, keep us expecting more.

      Oftentimes, we are so concerned with what others can do for us that we don’t think about what we can do for others. We expect someone to think about us and text us first, when we are already thinking about them. We expect someone to make our day better and we haven’t made any effort to brighten anyone else’s day. Don't wait on 'someone', YOU are someone! “Be the change that you want to see in the world.” –Gandhi 

.:JRSN:.

Releasing Negativity

It’s hard to get better and make progress when we allow negativity to corrupt our minds. There are so many little things that we do to prevent ourselves from moving forward that we do not even notice or think about. We need to be careful what we allow entrance to our minds and hearts. Negativity yields negative results and positivity yields positive results. It does not get any simpler than that. About two weeks ago I felt led to deactivate my twitter account. I was just scrolling down my Timeline viewing people’s tweets when I thought about how much time I spend on twitter. An hour, a day, a week. There’s so much negativity on twitter; people complaining, cursing, and chasing material things. I realized that while I could not control what other people put out there, I could control what I allowed into my mind. Although, I miss looking on twitter and the humor that is on there, I don’t miss all the negativity and distractions it brought into my mind.

Since I have deactivated my account, I have had more time to do more productive, positive things. I can control what I allow into my mind and spend more time reading material that will foster growth and excellence within me. I spend more time studying and that has yielded great academic results. I’m off to the best start of any semester I have ever had. While I would not go as far to say I’m happier, I can say that I’m more at peace and not stressed out. I don’t have to consume all the drama from other people and I can focus on what I NEED to do to better myself. 

Everybody is different. Perhaps the negativity in your life isn't coming from twitter. You know yourself and you know the things that distract you from living life to the fullest and being who you were meant to be. Each day you should strive to make progress. Nothing stays the same. Either things get better or they get worse. I made the choice to let go of negativity and make strides towards getting. I challenge you to cut the negativity out of your lives, and see how stress-free you feel.

.:JRSN:.

Strength

Time flies. It's been exactly ten days since my last post. The last post I was in sort of a "I don't care about anything mood." I'm doing a little better now. I changed it, from not caring about anything to, just caring about positive things that are going to make me better. Remember, it is 2014 !!!  The year of being better. I have been trying to be a little better each day than I was the previous day. I have done that by being, "Slow to anger, Slow to speak." 

I don't have anything super inspirational or motivational or even funny to say. However, I will say that the time is now. If not now, then when? If not you, then who ? Who deserves it more than you? Who has been through all you've been through and obtained the strength you have? Only YOU. If you or I want anything this year (or any other year) then we have to stop making excuses and get serious. I was scrolling on twitter last week (like I often do, lol), I saw a tweet that someone had retweeted, it really spoke to me. It said, "Don't complain about it, If you allow it." This goes for anything in your life. If you can change something, anything in your life, change it. If you won't change it, then don't complain. Our problem, myself included, is that we have become too complacent. We let so much stuff slide. We say we want respect, then we allow people to take advantage of us. If we want something, we have the power, ability, and means to go after it and succeed. The only thing stopping you is you. You are your biggest enemy and your greatest friend.

.:JRSN:.