Check out the latest edition of ME! Newsletter. Featuring poet Sharday Cage and the #20GreatFF list. Did you make the list?

Lava Filled Capsule

So just under an hour ago, I sat here thinking about love. See love has always been here, but not always reciprocated at its highest ability by those I dated or those I cared for. In the past, I was always seen as the one who recognized my love for another first, whether it was a relationship or a friendship. You can say that this is also a present concern; however I will not say concern because I was made this way for a reason. I was made to love. Built to share my true feelings for those around. Placed on this planet to radiate the love in my bones that is bound to seep through my lips and to attach to the earlobe of the one I love. So friends, family, and loved ones, this is my, "Lava Filled Capsule."

Passion and love burns inside of me

For a love and caress that is only known by me

Recognize it

To a T

If I must

Loyal

Compassionate

With a sweet hint of trust

My body aches

For the one who is like I

Emotions on the table

And nose open wide

These emotions hold tight

To this lava filled capsule

This is not a test

A public service announcement

But something that is factual

I say with great emotion

My heart has been set for devotion

This path I will not stray

Because love will be here

Any day 

What Type of Energy Have You Been Giving Off?

Have you thought about this question lately: What type of energy have I been giving off?  I have asked myself that question a couple times this month.  The question occurred because  recently I had been extremely happy for some reason and my phone was constantly beeping with messages from friends I had not talked to in over four months.  I started to ask myself if my friends could feel my positive energy in society and responded to my happiness with “Hey girl!  How’s it going?  And what’s been up?”  Something was definitely going on and I needed to find out what. 

In thinking about positive and negative energy, I can honestly say that I have been on the spectrum of exhibiting both positive and negative energy levels; with the negative portion being attributed to obtaining my master’s degree last year.  My energy levels were usually positive; however in my pursuit for my master’s degree, I experienced negative energy to its fullest extent: I was constantly complaining, had my first tiff with a friend I had known for at least 10 years, and felt like I would never be able to write a 60 page paper in three months.  I believe that all of this stress was due to me completing my thesis project, working a full-time job, attending social functions, and other functions of my life that I wanted to maintain.  Though I was the creator of my own negative energy, I told myself to push through it and learn to deal with the detrimental state I was in, so I could learn how to cope with like situations in the future.

Often, when people exude positive energy, everyone wants to be around them.  It’s like a magnetic attraction that makes people joyful.  It makes like souls congregate and provide strength for one another.  It lets people see that all things are possible through strength and dedication.  These individuals may display a certain passion toward something, which is exuded in the way they treat people, the way they respond to certain situations, and the forces they allow to have dominion over them.  People who exemplify characteristics of negative energy are often avoided by others, especially the positive energy holders.  Negative energy tends to repel positive energy, which provides a feeling of discomfort, stress, and ambiguity.  While negative feelings cannot always be avoided, the way that we respond to them can.  You cannot always control the things that happen in your life; however you can control the way that you respond to them.

Take action today by understanding your negative feelings and dealing with them in a professional manner.

Where Creativity Resides...

Do you know where creativity lives?  Have you experienced such a realm that some have yet to understand?  Do you currently reside there?  Creativity lives in a place where passion eats away at your internal soul, shouting “let me out.”  It takes over your thought process and does not let anyone in because of the repercussions for getting off task.  Finding it is like locking yourself in a basement with only a pen, pad, and a comfortable sitting place.  Creativity tells you develop in a place where you can consume its nutrients, whether it is at breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Being creative sometimes means temporarily cutting yourself off from society.  Once your mind is in a place of development, you then submerge your whole being into the creative process.  It means to give up even the simple pleasures for a temporary time in creativity’s world; a world which only the creative know and learn to express themselves.  People can spend hours becoming one with creativity and refrain from letting go because it breaks the connection to the most creative expression.

Creativity resides in the darkest places, which may only need one light to shine.  It pushes immensely throughout the pores of the zealous.  It trickles down the checks of the devoted.  And it graces the ears of the receptive. 

Creativity lies within me.

Making Dreams Come True!

You cannot imagine how many times I have heard the words, “I just cannot do all that you do.” These are the words people state to me when they find out about my life and my current activities. Sometimes it is hard for me to relate to that statement because I have been very active for so long now and anything different would feel too strange. 

In me stepping back to take a look at my own life, I can start to see what others have stated for many years now. I want you to imagine being 29 years old, working a full-time job, going to school for your master’s, managing another full-time business, mentoring young ladies, writing books, promoting your books, and still trying to find time to relax and have fun. Well, that was exactly what I was doing just a few months ago. Seeing all those activities written down on paper makes even me say “Wow!” I honestly cannot believe that I participated in all of those activities and I am still active in most of them. Sometimes in life, people fail to realize or even see what others see, especially when they have become so accustomed to working hard. These hard workers are often seen as making dreams come true.

What does it mean to make a dream come true? And are you a dream seeker? Show me any person in this world and I will show you a dream he or she started, wanted to start, or have made come true. We have all had many dreams about doing something, being someone, or living a certain life. Sometimes, dreams come to us without us being well equipped with the necessary tools to extract the information from those dreams. We wake up, trying to hold onto a piece of that dream that seemed so real and would fade from our minds in a matter of moments. As the day progresses, we try to explain that same dream to others, but our minds are as cloudy as if we are Alec Baldwin in the movie The Shadow. You know what I have learned from moments as the one stated above? I have learned to keep a pen and pad next to my bed because I am not letting anymore opportunities slip through my fingertips. I have learned to develop my own dreams during a time I am awake and receptive to the information. I have also learned to develop a skill that exemplifies true passion and dedication. Making a dream come true means to live passionately in the era of which your dream lives. It means to work without acknowledging the concept of the word cannot because that word by no means exist. It means to do all which is necessary in order to accomplish your goals. We are all dream seekers and will always be. It is just that some of us have found methods to making their dreams come true, while others are in the beginning stages of making theirs come true

So what do I say to people that say “I just cannot do all that you do?” I say that you can. You just have to believe.

~Keep the dream alive

The Pilgrimage to Your True Self

I highly recommend that everyone takes a pilgrimage to find their true selves. We as people, often get mislead on our journey to ourselves when we open up over travels to scorners on the side of the road (The House by the Side of the Road). These scorners appear to have our best interest at heart, while attacking our castle from within. We have to know when it’s time to hit the eject button and let the scorners take their own journey to the truth.

GET TO KNOW YOURSELF
The journey to yourself is never easy because you have to get to know yourself in the process. In this process, you are more than likely going to find some attributes that you love about yourself and others that you just cannot stand. What would life be like without dealing with negative and positive characteristics of our personalities? I know firsthand that you have to take the bad experiences with the good, in order to have an overall perception of the situation. Remember that friends, family members, and others may have some insight about who they believe you are, but sometimes the person who you really are may not be the person people see. At times, we try to cover up our true intentions because we want to fit in and fear being hurt or taken advantage of.  Being hurt is not the best feeling in the world; however it does prepare you to learn to deal with many situations that may come your way.

CHANGE
After you have gained enough knowledge to truly know yourself, then you can make the decision to keep things the same or change them. When you make the decision to change things, this may include the way you react to things, activities you complete, the goals you set for yourself, and the people you associate yourself with. I have been told many times that a very passionate person should associate him or herself with like individuals who embody the same passion. This is a great suggestion. The thing about this is that you do not want to push everyone out of your life that lacks the same passion that you do. You can still have functioning relationships with others. You just have to realize that your conversations with these people will be different. A great example regarding this situation that I can think of is your choice of friends. You many have three friends that are totally different; however they bring certain things to your life that the other ones cannot. One person may be very social and loves to have fun. The second individual may be very reserved and passion focused. The third individual may be very financially savvy and knows what it takes to sustain and grow your finances. All three individuals are different; however they may definitely bring a variation of uniqueness to your life. The individual you want to stay away from is the one who takes from the relationship. Each person plays a vital role in a relationship, whether it is a friendship, a lover’s companionship, or a family relationship. Intuitively, you know the individuals who are just there for the ride. This is your chance to stop the bus, pull over, and let the unpaid customers know you have resigned from a position that has no return on your investment.

CONTINUE TO DEVELOP YOURSELF
Your journey to yourself is continuous. As you continue to embark on discovering yourself, you will have to realize that the journey to increasing your knowledge never ends. The journey is very similar to obtain a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a specialized field, such as Gerontology. In this area of study, practitioners are expected to continue their development by attending in-services, meetings, conferences, and completing other assignments to keep their knowledge up-to-date. Individuals have to be open-minded and be able to formulate their own thoughts. These characteristics will allow the journey taker to see more opportunities and be able to distinguish the ones that may need a little more development before committing his or her time and effort.  In implementing the steps above, remember to have fun while getting to know yourself.  You deserve it.

~Be passionate about your journey and travel at your own pace