Sounds Legit!

I had to vent a little and write something out to calm my nerves. This is me writing of the cusp, so I apologize if it has grammatical/mechanical errors, you get the gist. :)  Thanks!

WTF?  I swear people grow more and more ignorant by the minute. While I don’t typically allow things I see online to get a rise out of me, because, let’s face it, that’s a lot of grief, I am however moved to jot some notes and thoughts I have on this particular matter that’s got everyone in a tizzy.  There are these debates unfolding on social media around this teenage girl who gets ripped from her desk by a police officer, with excessive force.  Yes, it was excessive force, period.  If you saw it in the video, (unless of course it was shot in Hollywood in front of a green screen, which I’m sure there are people who believe that conspiracy), there’s no denying the obsessive force.  This type of force was absolutely the type of disciplinary action that’s not needed in the compounds of an academic institution. That’s just scratching the surface as to what went wrong here.  There are so many other issues with this scenario.  Since when do police officers answer calls from teachers and principals, who apparently have no control over their students, to come in and enforce the law?  I’m being somewhat elusive here, but you get the point. What law was being broken? There was a rule broken, yes.  The girl was a brat, no one is doubting that, I’d hope. However being a brat doesn’t mean you’re a criminal.  Nor do defiant high school kids who are acting out, constitute a call to law enforcement. This is absurdity in its finest.  All this incident did was add fuel to an already raging fire across the U.S., one in which is necessary to spotlight when valid and appropriate. Unfortunately, they’re plentiful. There are several justified and documented incidents, particularly of racial discrimination that had, beyond a doubt, needed more attention before now. And this story, of the high school girl ripped from the desk? This absolutely deserves disciplinary action and, yes, perhaps even some of the media’s attention, however it’s such a slippery slope.  The story and the comments in reference, quickly spin out of control with “everyone now hates cops/ the sky is falling” type of scenarios.  I feel as if it’s taking one large step backwards in the light of an already complicated and exhaustive debate on police brutality, especially in terms of race.   Listen, as many know, if it bleeds, it leads.  It doesn’t take a journalism major to know that the media highlights what’s important, and typically that’s the negative in the world.  You don’t get the feel good, cop saves a kitten out of tree story any more. However, with the advent of social media, there’s no reason why we, the common public, can’t highlight and emphasize goodwill stories.  I love seeing the stories of the cop holding the hand of a fragile, homeless guy or the cop who helps the elderly Muslim lady across the street. Unfortunately, these just don’t make the cut, as many people feel so compelled to make an exclamatory statement, even if it’s full of loopholes and ignorance.  I get it, it’s a tough time for law enforcement and, like many fields of work, and there are bad apples among good apples. However, the fact that many individuals deemed that excessive force the officer used as justified, that there in it of itself highlights a huge flaw in what’s going on in this country.   Further, people choose to exasperate the issue by posting these cute, little memes that say something along the lines of “the problem isn’t the police force, it’s bratty kids who need reality checks…” or my favorite, these links they share which lead to the most ridiculous articles on the web.  You know, those credible sources, (Mad World News?!? ) that have the ads down the side of their webpage that have links and pictures to go along with  “Obama is a terrorist” and “Judge Judy caught prostituting.” This. Is. Nonsense.  People should be ashamed of themselves for buying into this sort of tabloid diarrhea and trolling propaganda.  It’s mind boggling to me how this shit comes about.  People think it’s so red or blue, left or right, that they fail to see the issues on both side of coin.  They fail to put their own egos and ignorance aside to really look into what’s fact vs. fiction. People fail to have their own voice on the matter. Ultimately, people fail to see the bigger picture, period.  

Perspective

The thing is, I have three blogs currently in the works. All in which, I’m quite passionate about, topical and fulfilling in many different ways. The creativity and passion have really been pouring in lately.  However, it dawned on me today, that while I use composition for mostly therapeutic reasons, this in turn means my subject matter isn’t always the lightest.  I can rant all day about how disappointing the lions are (huge understatement), how I wish I didn’t have student loans or a rising credit card balance, or how I wish I had more time to write, however today I thought I would write off the cusp and dive into things that bring me joy.  I’m literally smiling ear to ear today, as many things seem to be falling into place around me.  Are things perfect? No. Things need work, trust me, however I’m doing the best I can and I’m forever grateful for my current position, after all, things could be oh so worse and I’m beyond blessed in more ways than one.  This past year has been such a wonderful learning lesson.  At times that subject matter was tough, at times I was more than happy to sit back and take notes.  Some days I aced it, some days I failed miserably, however tonight as I sit here and put pen to paper, fingers to keyboard, I’m overjoyed by all things that are going right because of the trials and tribulations I’ve incurred, not just this past year, but in my 29 years on this planet. 

I’ve learned, we’re flawed as humans, in terms of our mind and the unrelenting thoughts that flow in and out.  Unfortunately, far too often we focus on the negative instead of the happier thoughts, moments and things that shine through.  As I spend time, both physically and in reflection of family, friends and loved ones, I’m so thankful for where I am today and who I’m becoming as an individual.  I’m mentally stronger than I’ve ever been, I’m physically capable of more than I could have ever imagined and I continue to progress in all avenues of my being each and every day.  Thank you to the loved ones who have supported and encouraged me along my new appreciation and journey. Thank you to anyone who provided a listening ear when I needed it, whether you were my mom, a distant co-worker, or the grocery clerk, your compassion was/is appreciated more than you may ever know.  For those handful of individuals who really went above and beyond to stand by my side, you know who you are and I can never repay you for your loyalty and words of encouragement, thank you for being you, I couldn’t have done it without you.   

It turns out one year can tell you a lot and I’m so glad to be where I am now; positive and looking vibrantly into the future, stronger than I could have ever imagined. The place I was in last September compared to this September, couldn’t be any further from each other on the spectrum and boy am I glad that I’m finally able to trade those tears in for smiles. 

In concluding, I’ve composed a list of the things I’m most grateful for today, in no particular order:

Health, family, clean water, faith, those friends who are like family, coffee, Jo Jo, nature, senses, music, McDonald’s serving breakfast all day, friends, my home, being a godmother, freedom, decent cameras on cell phones, Christmas, my vehicle, Fall, good beer, mistakes, the color green, my education trust, sports, my job, math not being required for my degree, good co-workers, Thanksgiving, triumphs, lounging poolside, morals, online shopping, my bed, forgiveness, crockpots, Sandy, naps, education, the first snowfall, vacations, electricity, opportunity, time, teachers/mentors, experience, laughter and, last but not least, Mae Mae.  You’re a wonderfully, flawed human being like the rest of us, who has also proved to be authentic, caring and loving inside and out.  I thank God we’re now hand and hand in life’s pursuit, because it’s certainly catapulting us into one of the most beautiful and fruitful partnerships I could have ever imagined- And just to think, the best has yet to come. Xoxo.

  

Moving on

The more you know...

Farther vs. further

Farther and further both mean at a greater distance, and they are used interchangeably in this sense. In the United States, though, farther is more often used to refer to physical distances, and further more often refers to figurative and nonphysical distances. For example, we might say that one mountain is farther away than another, while we might say the price of a stock (a nonphysical thing) fell further today than yesterday. This is not a rule, however, and further is often used for physical distances. The distinction does not exist in the U.K. and elsewhere in the (British) Commonwealth of Nations, where further is preferred for all senses of the word and farther is rare.

Further has senses it does not share with farther. It works as an adjective meaning additional—e.g., “I have no further questions.” It works as an adverb meaning additionally—e.g., “He said he did not spend the money, and stated further that he had never even received it.” And it works as a verb meaning to advance (something)—e.g., “This website is meant to further understanding of 21st-century English.” Farther is not commonly used these ways.

The physical/nonphysical distinction in the U.S. extends to the superlatives farthest and furthest. Furthermore is an adverbial extension offurther and often bears replacement with the shorter word. The rare furthermost is sometimes used to mean farthest or furthest, and it likewise bears replacement with the shorter words.

Grammarist.com

Speak to me

“Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

This is terrific. While I'd be lying if I said I never fall victim to the gossip game, I'm such a huge advocate for practicing kindness, compassion and lightheartedness. The older I get, the more seemingly obvious this becomes.   It's a well known fact that if you want to truly see the character in an individual, look how they treat others; very true. However, I take that one step further and listen to how they speak about others- that my friend, truly speaks volumes. 

Time.... is on my side

There’s something to be said about time. Time is the only consistently moving thing in life and it’s precious beyond a doubt.  We’re only here on this planet for a limited amount of time, what are you doing with yours? Are you procrastinating more frequently than not?  Are you wasting away time with guilty pleasures like “reality” television, consuming junk food, sleeping the day away, consuming yourself in social media, overworking or perhaps spending too much time with those individuals/habits which are unworthy of your precious time?  I think it’s important, from time to time (no pun intended), to reevaluate how you’re spending your time.  Ask yourself, is this making me truly happy and is this aiding to my overall goals.  If not, have no fear, we’re all guilty of losing sight of what’s important from time to time, myself included.  Yet, at the end of the day, I’m learning to really utilize my time more efficiently and let go of the expectations that, I have myself or society has deemed important.  For the first time in a long time, I’m putting myself first and caring less and less of what others think.  I’m no longer compelled to impress anyone, make excuses and live in fear of the unknown.  Learning with experience and age, I’m really just now beginning to realize the type of person I am, where I want to go and what I want to spend my time doing.  I’ve joked to loved ones in the past, productivity makes me happy, which I have to admit is fairly accurate. There’s nothing I enjoy more than the whole “work hard/play hard” mentality.  My advice to you, find a happy median to life to make it all fit together.  Live in a place of harmony and happiness instead of merely stress and compliance, life’s too short to succumb to anything less than awesome. #Grateful  #Time 

Calculate

By all means, swim against the current- but know when it’s appropriate and know when to surrender.  One cannot swim upstream in a losing battle with inevitable outcomes. You’ll exhaust yourself trying. Believe in yourself and move on.  You’ve put up a valiant effort, nothing short of remarkable.  Now is the time, to just be.   

#carefree #grateful  #love

Cheers!

hello gorgeous

Thought for the day:

Be sure to take very, careful inventory of who you devote time and energy too.  People, thoughts and emotions have a tendency to misrepresent what’s really important and for that, you need to be diligent on weeding out the good from the bad. You owe no one person, thought or feeling anything, so be sure not to cater to the unnecessary.  Be you, be free, be happy.

Side note: working on some new stuff. Time is limited with such a busy schedule, however I’ll find better means to make it work. Just sorting out the kinks in my, oh so wonderful life.  I’m literally experiencing life and happiness, now I just have to sit down and jot it on paper to share with you wonderful 4 people who check my blog.  Peace, love, frogs. J

Very superstitious?

Superstitious? At a time, to a fault...

In celebration of yet another Friday the 13th quickly approaching, it got me thinking about my highly superstitious self throughout the years.  I've been avoiding broken mirrors, walking under ladders and any other widely recognized superstition you can think of for years.  I even began to enthuse my own superstitions when I was in school.  While some are painfully embarrassing, others were more common and included things like "lucky socks" for basketball games and purposefully telling myself I would fail tests, when I knew deep down I knew that wasn't the case.  Set your expectations extremely low and I guess you're never disappointed.

In any event, I'm happy to say that my superstitious ways have really subsided for the most part.  I have some moments but I'm happy to report I do leave my house on Friday the 13th, would happily stay on the 13th floor of a hotel, all while looking into an old broken compact mirror.

Truth

I wrote this late last night. It's my therapy, thanks for reading!

It happens when you least expect it; life that is. The good, the bad, the ugly and the beautiful all appear intermittently throughout your lifetime.  I’ve had the privilege of experiencing every end of the spectrum.  Yes, even the bad and the ugly serve their purpose and are meant to teach us valuable lessons that perhaps cannot be taught any other way.  After losing a parent and losing (in another sense) a partner I was once destined to marry, I can say with confidence and with firsthand experience that life can be unbearably hard.   Just when you think you have it all figured out, everything you’ve ever known can be altered in a heartbeat, literally. 

I lost my dad on January 9^th 2009.  I was 22 and could never have prepared myself for such a painful heartache and tremendous lost.  For those of you who have had the privilege of knowing my father, you know exactly what I mean.  There’s not a day that goes by I don’t think about my dad and I sure hope I’m making him smile in the clouds.

This past September I was faced with another sort of lost. After being together for well over a decade, my “high school sweetheart” and I closed, not a chapter, but rather a lengthy novel that has been wrote in great detail.  Just like any thrilling novel, our story contained an abundant amount of: love, dedication, trials, tribulations, despair and joy alike. There’s little I regret in terms of my time spent with him.  Despite multiple attempts to make it work, I think we were both faced with the harsh reality that life doesn’t necessarily always pan out the way you had envisioned it to, but the beautiful thing is learning that it’s okay. We’ve both since been learning more about ourselves than we could have ever imagined and it’s now time to move forward and start our own journeys. 

“When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.”

There are two avenues one can take when faced with hardships.  There’s the path of least resistance and then there’s the path of change and perseverance.  After wandering down both paths I’ve come to the realization that there’s really only one thing certain in life and that’s uncertainty.   You never truly know what’s in store for you on this short journey called life, however I’m continuing to learn that resistance is a disservice to time and most often things really do happen for a reason, whether you believe in that cornball statement or not, it’s my personal Truth.  Metaphorically speaking, the universe and higher powers at be ultimately hold the wheel, however it’s our responsibility to control the pedals.  Live life to its fullest, learn from past mistakes, believe in change, embrace the unknown and have faith that everything will be okay. 

For those friends and family, old and new, you know who you are, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your relentless support and love you’ve shared with me during my darkest moments.   

Call me corny and sappy, (I know it’s true), but please also don’t forget to call me humble, honest, kind and grateful for life and all of its wonderful experiences and possibilities.  Cheers!

Love, Lisa

Snowball

I was inspired to write this letter on a whim to someone special a few days ago.  I believe there's some real validity in this and thought I would share it (in part) on my blog. Happy & prosperous New Year! Muah!!

1-4-15   

Whether its relationships, friendships, hardships, family, career goals, education, etc… I wanted to share something with you.  I look up to Warren Buffet for many reasons, more than just his financial successes, he’s truly an innovator, philanthropist at the core and intelligent beyond belief.  His ideas and philosophies on life in general are really something wise to invest in.  When I was researching something a while back I came across the quote and it really stuck with me.  As a matter of fact, I have it on my fridge at home, not sure if you observed it, it reads:

“The snowball just happens if you’re in the right kind of snow, and that’s what happened with me.  I don’t just mean compounding money either.  It’s in terms of understanding the world and what kind of friends you accumulate.  You get to select over time, and you’ve got to be the kind of person that the snow wants to attach itself to. You’ve got to be your own wet snow, in effect. You’d better be picking up snow as you go along, because you’re not going to be getting back up to the top of the hill again.  That’s the way life works.”

Basically, if you look at life in terms of a snowball, you need to be sure that you’re gathering the right kind of snow.  Like attracts like, so as long as you remain optimistic, driven, and recognize what’s really in front of you, take those chances and see the opportunity in everything, I think success in all different aspects of life are inevitable. You can’t necessarily make a snowball out of dry/powder snow.  Sure you’ll pick up a little bit here or there, but eventually the snow falls off and you’re back to square one trying to rebuild that snowball.  Whether its friends, career moves, education, romantic partners or even just mere acquaintances, choose wisely.  The more time and effort you invest in people or things that don’t benefit you in the long run, the more you set yourself up for failure and negativity really does breed negativity. Sure, we’re all destined to make some mistakes along the way, but it’s how you pick yourself up and move forward that we truly begin to see ourselves and the beauty in everything around us. And at the end of the day, True success is not a destination but rather in the journey in which we embark upon; Perseverance in the truest sense. 

Further, I know the universe works in mysterious ways and never has then been so apparent to me than the last 6 months.  I too had some awful luck, for a lack of better words, and I now know that everything has occurred for a reason, something I’ve always believed in but is really apparent to me at this point in my life.  A wise person once told me that a pendulum can only swing so far left (bad), that eventually, slowly but surely, it starts to swing the right direction and happens for good/honest/humble people, like myself and I believe will hold true for you as well J

Have faith that you’re now on the up and up and don’t ever sell yourself short or settle for something that’s anything less than positive, genuine and beneficial to the universe’s master plan for you. I believe bright things may be on the horizon….