I’m just a small town girl, but I’ve got something say-

Normally I try to be polite, politically correct and put more thought in my words, but for the lack of humility everywhere, I’ll jump straight to the point.  There’s nonsense that’s ensuing all around us, for the hate spewing individuals whose antagonist ways have paved the way for bigots like Trump to make it as far as he has in the elections, I cannot standby and allow this self-fulfilling prophecy to put a nail in our Country’s (or worse) coffin.  I feel all we're assuring at this moment is that our Country is not great, but rather filled with hate. The system is corrupt, sure, but please put that aside and consider the consequences you’re putting on the table. If you are or considering voting for an individual who is trying to make the lives of certain individuals hell on earth, then by all means,  allow that to rest on your consciousness each night while I choose to look up to and follow individuals who truly made/continue to make a difference. Those from the past and future alike, who have enforced civil rights and provided justice for those in need, without having to tear other people down along the way. Where we are now, today, it’s becoming far more than civil rights issue, it’s come down to human rights and I refuse to entertain those who choose to treat other beings as though they were animals, criminals or worse.  The color of your skin, the God you worship, the love you choose to share, your nationality, embrace that shit. Be you, be real and know that there’s so much more love in the world than what you can see through the foggy lenses of the media, social media, your asshole neighbor and of course Trump.  Please, just don’t be a shitty person.  Choose love, laughter and be a proliferator of good vibes. Embrace different, the world’s far too vast and life is far too short to live a life anything short of positive.

In a time so dark..

A wise person knows retaliation is never the answer. Educate with love, knowledge and passion, from a place of good intent. Inform, don’t conform to societal pressures, social media’s constant harsh rhetoric nor the media’s agenda. Spreading peace and love in a world muffled by such hatred. Because tomorrow is never promised, I love you.

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” MLK

Slow down!

Yes, here I go talking about time again, but in a slightly different sense that was previously mentioned, hear me out:

Time is such a precious commodity.  It falls short often and yet passes by at the speed of light.  Thinking about how I have been really slacking on reading and writing, it came to me that I need to learn to delegate more time doing things I enjoy, and less time stressing over the little things in life.  Time suckers such as: laundry, things I can’t control, work, the past and how to equally spend time with those I love need to be put in check. Being a creature of habit, I get so caught up in routines that often I fall into these comfort zones where time is not only wasted, but at times ;) , it’s unfulfilling to me personally.  So- from this writing forward, I’d like to try to make a more consciences effort to put myself first.  It’s time to let go of people pleasing and do what I feel, in the moment, is right for me.  I believe there’s a fine line between overly caring of others wants, needs and expectations, and possessing selfish tendencies.  I’m confident, as I believe many of those I love would vouch for, I’m rather unselfish.  Therefore, if I choose to put myself first from time to time, that’s okay, as a matter of fact it’s necessary.  At the end of the day, I’ve always been such a huge advocate of that little saying, just because you’re busy, doesn’t mean you’re productive. I choose to be more productive in my own harmonious ways, that includes taking care of business, while also setting aside plenty of time for me.   Just in writing this I feel I have the affirmations needed to carry on, so here I go.  Thanks for reading, cheers!

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….

Immigration Checkpoints Challenging Freedom

Typical behavior for a woman in her twenties, I was driving the other day and listening to an insightful series on NPR.  That Saturday's segment was in reference to the ongoing debate/legality of immigration checkpoints here in the U.S. located near the southern borders.  Living far north of the Midwest region, I was not privy to this sort of practice and was a little taken back by what I heard.  For those of you unfamiliar like myself, allow me explain.  In regions near the southern boarder of the U.S. and Mexico, states like Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, etc.., you'll find various checkpoints located up and down the highways in an effort to, mainly, detain illegal immigrants.  The scene is familiar as most roadway checkpoints scenarios are concerned. Cones, officers in uniform and traffic signs set the stage for motorist to slow their vehicles and interact with commanding boarder control officers.  The officers ask a short series of questions, the main question being, "are you a U.S. citizen?"  Think TSA security checkpoints in the airport.  Though, as pointed out by the narrator, these motorists weren't at an airport, nor are they even remotely close to the boarder.  You see, these motorists are traveling roads 50+ miles north of the boarder.  If their proximity to the boarder is that far out, why exactly is boarder control, controlling interstates roadways so far north of an actual boarder?  Why stop 50 miles off the boarder, when we can have boarder checkpoints in states like Colorado or Iowa why we're at it.  Have these officers/government have nothing better to do?  Do these checkpoints really capture hard-pressing aliens or are they moreso a burden to the majority of legit U.S. citizens who succumb to the pressure of these roadway checkpoints to simply be told to "have a good day," upon their series of questioning.

Evidently some law abiding citizens have had just about enough of these seemingly unnecessary roadway checkpoints. The opposition points out that the checkpoints are unconstitutional and have zero regard to the 4th or 5th amendment, ignoring non-plausible searches and having to answer such questions that hold little merit for a "routine" checkpoint. And just who is getting the brunt of the hard hitting questioning subjected by boarder control officers, minorities of course; particularly those of Latino decent.  Not having personally been subjected to racial profiling, I have no experience as to what it must feel like to be subjected to discrimination.  Judgments based on one's appearance, various stereotypes and having to explain oneself that you're an U.S. citizen just on their way to work, sounds like the opposite of freedom. Extremely disheartening to say the least.  Such questioning and interrogation serves it's purpose in airports and on actual boarders, not in state 50 miles north.  Thankfully, in an effort to preserve some decency for those legal immigrants and the goodwill of the constitution, some citizens have chose to voice their dismay and stand up for their constitutional rights by simply ignoring the questions.

Located at https://www.checkpointusa.org/ you'll find information on those citizens who choose to stand up to these unnecessary immigration checkpoints.  The youtube links are located at the bottom and are worthy of some time to watch.  Motorists of all ethnicities, but primarily Caucasians and African Americans, take a stand against the officers and quickly flip the tables.  "Am I being detained," and "am I free to go" are the common rebuttals to the countless questions that the officers fire off at the motorists. The motorists are relentless and do not succumb to the pressure.  Most remain calm and relatively non-confrontational in an effort to preserve our nation's freedom and show distaste for such seemingly unimportant checkpoints.

And for those illegal immigrants that are detained inward, are few and far in between.  As a matter of fact, a majority of the detainees are actually drug or weapon violations.  Which of course has it's upside, but even at that, the officers are simply fishing for some sort of criminal activity and disguise it as these "immigration checkpoints," A little intrusive to say the least.

Lesson to be learned? Keep boarder control at boarders. Preserve the constitution and know, that as an U.S. citizen you have rights that should be upheld under any and all circumstances.  Be in the know and spread the word. Peace, love and harmony.

Thanksgiving 2014 #Caleb

Thanksgiving 2014 looks a little different than those of the past.  There's a missing face or two, a couple faces anew and friends of the past that are long overdue. So many reasons to be thankful in 2014, I'm indeed truly happy. 

#cheers 

At the gymnasium...

As a pretty avid gym goer, it never seizes to amaze me some of the shit I see and hear on a fairly regular basis.  I genuinely love exercise, I don’t particularly enjoy the antics I witness at the gym, not to mention the stale air of sweat and a bazillion germs and viruses lurking on every surface encountered.  Exercising outdoors is far more enjoyable than any day in the gym, but as it stands, I’ve never really been fond of working out outdoors during the cold months here in Michigan, so, to the gym I go. 

I’ve been attending the same gym since college, which has both its perks and downfalls.  In general, I enjoy my facility and most of my gripes about the gym would happen just about anywhere, even if I did choose to branch out to my local country club or Powerhouse gym. 

Gripe #1 – It’s not my social hour

When I go to the gym, I go to work. Please leave me be.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m as social as they come when you meet me out in a restaurant, bar or starbucks, but when I’m at the gym and I’m dripping with sweat and can barely catch my breath let alone hold a conversation, please let me get the most out of my hour in the gym so I can get the hell out of there.  Which leads me to my next gripe…

Gripe #2- The gym is not a fashion show

Women and their lulu lemon pants, matching track suits, hair down and neon everything make me giggle. Don’t get me wrong, I have a pretty sweet pair of white/neon kicks I enjoy, but I’m in no way, shape or form someone who puts much thought into their workout gear.  I’m the chick in an oversized cutoff t-shirt, standard black pants and her hair slicked back with sweat; in short, I’m not looking my best, therefore I’d rather not converse with anyone, let alone someone of the opposing sex.  Moreover…

Gripe #3- Creepy guys at the gym are the worst

Sometimes guys really do have no shame.  Listen dude, I can feel your eyes on my back (likely ass) and it really makes me uncomfortable.  However, it also motivates me to push harder, run faster and burn off more steam, so hey- I guess that’s a plus.  Guys that approach me at the gym to either compliment me or ask me for advice are a lot to take in.  I have a hard time taking compliments from women at the gym let alone the dude who just had to come over and say something.  Again, I look atrocious and really don’t see the appeal.  Even when I wore an engagement ring at the gym it didn't seem to deter men from approaching me at the most inopportune times.  I appreciate those men/women who genuinely appreciate something I had been doing, but all and all, a thumbs up is pretty sufficient and we can all go about our merry work out.

Gripe #4 – People who spectate

I’ll never understand the people who come to the gym and walk on a treadmill for 2 hours at a snail’s pace. I’m really beginning to wonder if some people really do frequent the gym for social hour or to meet new people.  I get it, whatever floats your boat, but I personally find it uncomfortable for those of us working hard and extremely counterintutive to your health and gym membership. I've heard we burn calories while sleeping, that may be another viable option...

Clearly, the gym can be a nuisance at times, however it certainly beats the alternative…  To help illustrate the amount of sweat that escapes my pores, please observe this pic of my workout bench I snapped last weekend. I tried telling you, I’m no joke in the gym J  

I'm Working on It!

I've been taking a little hiatus while I try to get my life back in order. Lots of changes are happening all around me and I'm attempting to go with the flow as best I can, though it hasn't presented me with much time to put pen to paper.  Stay tuned, I'll have some pretty good reads coming your way soon enough. I think it's safe to say I have lots of new inspiration and humor to share with this new chapter of my life. I can't make some of this shit up, so please check back friends, I think you'll find some enjoyment in my somewhat uncomfortable misery- new outlook on life. Love and be well!

Lisa

Embrace Life to Live

It’s a firm belief of mine that the greatest opportunities in life come from exploring the unknown.  Stepping outside of one’s comfort zone opens a world of possibility that might otherwise fall to the wayside out of sheer panic, fear or ignorance. Whether you’re exploring a new town, country, book, religion, social group, music genre, political belief or something new for dinner, I urge you to take that leap of faith and understand that chance and change are the truest testament of living.  People are complex and come from all different walks of life, therefore I think there’s perhaps nothing more rewarding in life than extending a helping hand to the unexpecting, conversing with someone from the other side of the tracks and really embracing those people or ideologies that are quite the contrary to your own. 

Wherever that foreign territory takes you, acknowledging the indifferences that cultivate through the complexity of life, we can begin to embrace those days and times everyone else seems to take for granted and we'll eventually come to understanding that life really is beautiful beyond your wildest dreams. Exploring the unknown is to live life to its fullest, a little carpe diem; if you will. So I urge you to be open to change and embrace the unknowns of the future.  March forward with an open mind, heart and always represent yourself from a place of compassion and pure interest. Who knows, perhaps after all is said and done the new people, ideas and/or culture may be just that thing you've been looking for all along.  Cheers!

Look! Agenda Setting theory at its Finest.

EBOLA! EBOLA! Cue, widespread panic...

All of this Ebola uproar takes me back to a little research piece I wrote my senior year of my undergrad at UM-F.  Thanks to the media, we're in prime agenda setting theory overload.  I'll share with you snippet of the paper below, you can quickly paint a visual of what's happening right now in society with the Ebola scare and what may be getting swept under the rug because of it. The CDC and other experts predict that more people in the U.S. will die in the next year of influenza or perhaps more alerting and something that's not being exploited as much as Ebola, the Enterovirus which has already taken 600+ lives whereas Ebola has taken the life of one individual and infected less than a handful of people since here in the U.S. So why is it we're focusing all of our time an energy on Ebola instead of some of the more alarming statistics of other health risks out there? Welcome to agenda setting theory, enjoy.

http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/dont-forget-flu

          The mass media has a profound effect on today’s society.  Citizens are being pushed, pulled and pointed in every which direction as to what’s deemed “newsworthy” or relevant from every such existing medium.  The media has a strikingly effective way of presenting ideas, offering opinions and ultimately setting the agenda as to what’s relevant.  “Water cooler” talk has drastically changed over the years to expand beyond the once important, life-altering news stories, to reflect a staggering number of political propaganda, continuous fiscal woes and the increasing phenomenon of seemingly irrelevant entertainment headlines.  In an effort to highlight the inequalities and influence passed on from the media’s agenda to public agenda, we’ll examine the agenda-setting theory and its involvement in media studies and its effect on society’s health and well-being issues.

Agenda-setting theory was popularized by researcher’s Maxwell McCombs and Donald Shaw in 1972. McCombs and Shaw were interested in the overwhelming influence of mass medias “…ability to transfer the salience of issues on their news agenda to public agenda”           ( Griffin ). Adding, society looks to media as to where their focus should be placed and why; “media assistance.” They note “We judge as important what the media judge as important,” - a statement that certainly drives home the agenda-setting hypothesis.

In an effort to best understand the agenda-setting theory, it’s important to look at some of the components of the theory. First and foremost, the theory can be identified as an objective approach. Essentially, the theory looks to uncover one truth, answering what is real.  With conducting experiments, focusing on unbiased observations and practical utility, we uncover what we already know and eventually can decipher what is good.

Furthermore, the theory is also noted as a socio-psychological tradition of communication studies. The tradition is based on interpersonal interaction, expression and influence. The problem within the communication lies within a situation that requires manipulation or perception, whether cognitively speaking or not. The socio-psychological tradition focuses on cause and effect and therefore the appropriate tradition to describe agenda-setting theory.

Expanding beyond the characteristics of objective approach and socio-psychological tradition of agenda-setting theory, it’s important to closely examine how exactly the theory functions and what it’s attempting to expose. Both McCombs and Shaw reference Bernard Cohen, a political scientist at the University of Wisconsin as stating “The press may not be successful much of the time in telling people what to think, but it is stunningly successful in telling its readers what to think about” ( Griffin ). One can see how prominent and influential this may be in politics and election processes, as countlessly noted within the theories examination. However, politics aside, theorists are able to draw on several applications of influence in the agenda-setting theory.  The first step is to make sense of the media’s agenda.

Media agenda refers to “The pattern of news coverage across major print and broadcast media as measured by the prominence and length of stories” ( Griffin ). Dependent on which form of media: print, broadcast, film, etc… certain positions, prominences and length of stories, quantifies the effectiveness and perceptions of the audience. In an article from the Malaysian Journal of Media Studies, author Amira Sariyati Firdaus notes the media’s role as “a very important agenda setter,” stating that “ideology” is the main influence on content, typically derived from the government.  Other, more minor influences on media agenda’s include influences from decision-makers or interest groups, who have policy making clout and also the journalists themselves with their values, biases and personalities that shape the stories or headlines ( Sariyati ). 

Additionally, the public agenda’s reflects “A composite index of media prominence revealed the following order of importance: foreign policy, law and order, fiscal policy, public welfare, and civil rights” ( Griffin ). The public agenda attempts to measure the issues and their importance by conducting public opinion surveys, surveys which McCombs and Shaw frequented in their research. “In the metaphorical language of the theory, the media’s agenda sets the public’s agenda” ( Tankard ).  

If the media’s agenda is the prominent agenda, it should come to no surprise that the audience is susceptible to the media’s ideologies, some individuals more than others. The media has the upper hand and definitely serves as gatekeepers, meaning they choose what the public sees or hears. Although, it’s to what extent each individual’s need for orientation occurs.  Deciphering between an individual’s high interest on an issue combined with high uncertainty on that issue, is reflective of their need for orientation ( Sariyati ).   In other words, the motivation factor of letting the media shape their thoughts, is also known as index of curiosity ( Griffin ).  For example, if one were getting ready board a cruise ship set to sail the Pacific and a warning came across the television of a new storm system developing in the Pacific Ocean, this would most likely cause a level of concern for that individual, for it’s of high relevance and high uncertainty.

Likewise, an increasingly noted factor arising amidst the agenda-setting theory is framing. Framing is “The selection of restricted number of thematically related attributes for inclusion on the media agenda when a particular object or issue is discussed” ( Griffin ). Noted mass communication scholar James Tankard adds that media frame suggests “the central organizing idea for news content that supplies a context and suggest what the issue is through the use of selection, emphasis, exclusion, and elaboration” ( Griffin ).  Essentially, media time and time again sets both the agenda and also transfers the salience of specific attributes belonging to the particular headlines of interest ( Griffin ). 

Further, “Frames are abstract notions that serve to organize or structure social meanings. Frames influence the perception of the news of the audience, this form of agenda-setting not only tells what to think about, but also how to think about it” ( “Framing” ).  Media has the power to frame particular topics in a way that’s favorable to one side or the other, particularly without showing biases, though they usually exist.  Further noted is the idea that the media often “…reflexively choose a conflict frame – who are the antagonists or opposing forces” 

( Tankard ).  Negative or positive slants of media coverage are consequences of framing

( Sariyati ). Framing is the subconscious, subtle molding of particular stories and headlines that media exposes to its seemingly vulnerable audience; planting seeds of relevance.

As illustrated, it’s evident that media holds immense power over society. Agenda-setting theory provides insight as to how commanding and transparent the media is when it comes to delivering information and highlighting what it deems as important, “newsworthy,” within the culture. With that said, it’s crucial media spend more time and attention aiming to highlight some of the ever pressing issues of health and well-being in today’s society.  What if we took the concept and characteristics of agenda-setting theory to focus on more positive and necessary applications of mass media? In a day and age where healthcare wavers on the brink of non-existence for many, it seems more important than ever to push personal wellbeing issues to the forefront and bring about the attention, prevention and information society desperately needs to live healthier, longer lives.

Hindsight is a beautiful thing, isn’t it?

Looking back on a tumultuous year, it’s easy to utter the following phrases and questions that run rapid through our heads: why do bad things happen to good people!? If it’s meant to be, it’ll be!? Everything happens for a reason?! Time heals all!? You’ll be better off for it?! The list of sappy and transparent Pinterest quotes go on and on….and I purposefully put question marks and exclamation points after each claim- for no one really knows why things happen the way they do, or how to possibly “fix” the sometimes non-repairable instances of life; no one physical being here on earth anyway. Rather life is bountiful series of events that cover all ends of the spectrum on any given day.  Happy moments, sad moments, funny moments, angry moments, you get the point.  Timing isn’t always our best friend when it comes to appropriateness or when seeking out realistic expectations.  We’re continuously left with more questions than answers and the unknown scares a lot of people, myself included. But why?  I read recently that worrying is betting against yourself, wow- that is true beyond belief. Worrying really is a waste of time.  So why do we so often look to the past or to the future for validation of where we’re meant to be in life at any given moment?  Why is it we give so much weight to the mistakes of the past and the anxieties of the future when just being present should be gratifying enough.  Congrats, you’re alive and reading this and therefore blessed far beyond belief. I know that doesn’t seem like a big fete, but it really is. Genuine tragedies happen every day to the most undeserving people for reasons unknown, while we may not understand why or how, we can count our blessings and be genuinely thankful for the countless times angels were watching over us during life’s never-ending mishaps we’ve bared witness to.  I am an optimist to a fault at times and I think the best thing one can do in times of uncertainty is to remain grounded, don’t over catastrophize the circumstance and practice gratitude daily.  Gratitude is such a therapeutic exercise to get into the habit of doing and I strongly recommend it to anyone out there in general, but also and especially to those who have had bad cards dealt their way more often than not recently. We have to experience the bad things in life so we can appreciate all of the great moments so much more. Mistakes happen.  We’re human therefore imperfect, however don’t forget to take accountability for those mistakes when necessary. Your actions have reactions and it’s important to acknowledge wrong doings, apologize, and then proceed. You’re responsible for your own emotions and don’t forget this includes happiness, which of course comes from within.  Embrace challenges, accept the unknown, let go of resentment and learn to live in the moment, minute by minute, hour to hour, day by day.  Feel a sense of calmness when you understand that, bad moments in life are lessons and once you understand the exercise, you can begin to let go, succumb to the universe and perhaps actually live. And for heaven’s sake- laugh. Gratitude, kindness and humor are perhaps the most important traits any one individual can possess for a truly rich life, traits I hope to continue to live by for eternity. Be well.  

Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habit.
Watch your habits; they become character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny
― Lao Tzu