Don't Be Discouraged, Its Not Over...This is the Beginning!

Peace and Blessings Bloggers! Happy New Year 2012! As we all contemplate and ponder on the past year events and current situation of the world's government we all tend to wonder with hopeful minds and hearts that things will get better. In my opinion, before a remedy can be conceived and accepted, we the people must first realize that the world system that we have been accustomed to, the only system we know, is BROKEN. What does this mean for us since we are not the officers of governement? What this means is that we need to plan the survival for ourselves and families differently. Now is the time to reflect and focus on QUALITY as opposed to QUANTITY. For many of us, this has always been a way of life. However there is a substantial amount of people in this country that have exhausted resources such as credit that our world system offers us and dictates to us that we must have if we want a home, a car, etc. So let's take a look at what is credit, really. My definition of credit is, "The ability to purchase goods and services with money that you do not have". So what does credit do for most of us? It creates "DEBT". And as you all know this is the fuel for the financial engines in this country. The very idea of credit is seductive to most people because it offers the idea and opportunity to obtain things that you desire at a moment in time when you do not have a plan for the said, "desires". This system of credit and scoring, which enables you the amount of credit you can obtain, is seriously broken and its based on the very theory of which makes this system work, and that theory is GREED! In this country GREED has become a living thing. Its like a microrganism that was alive in a test tube and has been fed in increments so much now to the point it has grown so much that is can no longer be contained or controlled. This not only exists for individuals but this is true for businesses as well, thus one of the reasons for our so-called job shortage. That's a whole other blog guys! So what can we do, we can not give up control. So let me explain, if you are person who earns an income (whether through employment or business ownership), now is the time to take control of your reactive impulses that lead to greed. People we need to focus on our quality of life by first asking yourself these questions, Here is a scenario, you are shopping for a new pair of shoes that you need, okay so let's think about it, you want them to be fashionable, fit appropriately (well some of you won't care about this). Set a budget for yourself before shopping, so you are now in the store and several options are appealing to you the differences being mostly price. So do you purchase a $1500 pair of shoes versus a $100 pair that both have the same attributes, however the $1500 pair are the hottest with regard to fashion and are beyond your budget, wherein the $100 pair are equally fashionable but are not the hottest name but are within your budget, what do you do? It's obvious and most of know what we should do, this is when that greed kicks in and what do most of do, if we exceed our budget and have credit available, we hit up the credit and there it is, the disease starts. We usually trick ourselves into believing that if we do not purchase the more expensive pair we are somehow depriving ourselves, and then the thought comes why be deprived. Stop people its a trick and these very tricks are literally played out so much thus one of the MAIN reasons for our broken system and it starts with you and I. Think QUALITY of life, spend your money wisely while conserving your cash funds also think of the environment as well, (again another blog post :-D) Is it really worth making financial sacrifices for the sake of soothing your ego??? So don't be discouraged, just because you may be in debt today, plan to get out of it, make it your focus and follow through. My dad used to always tell me that with a plan in mind and heart, there is no room for failure. Today marks the beginning of a new mind set, let's make an effort in this new year to put an end of our psychological and social confines, think free, be free. Peace and Blessings! Sista

Just Be Thankful!

Hello Bloggers! Holiday time is the time that most of us reflect on the events of the past year and start counting our blessings as well as planning for the future, next year. With our ever changing society it is important for all us, no matter what your economic status, employed, unemployed, student, housewife, etc. We need to reflect on our life situations and be thankful. For those of you that know someone or are that someone whose life is currently without the comforts of structure like a home or steady finances, I am going to say this to you the one thing this great country and I do say great even with all its flaws, it offers all citizens the opportunity for some assistance. In other words if you are hungry or homeless the one thing that this country is great for is providing services to accommodate your situation all you have to do is inquire, seek and you will find. For the rest of us that are the providers of these services via our earnings through taxes, we should also be thankful that we live in a society that does have systems in place to accommodate those that require survival services such as a home and food because the fact is you could oneday be in need of these services! There is so much to be thankful for and again it does not matter what your circumstances are but I am POSITIVE that if you took a good look into your circumstances you will find not just one reason to be thankful you will find many because the biggest truth be told is that your current situation or circumstance could always be worse than it is! So I say to you all, don't just wait to the holiday time to have this mind state and heart state of humbleness and being thankful, The goal should be to be this way EVERY DAY, EVERY WAKING MOMENT...BE CONSCIOUS...BE HUMBLE...BE THANKFUL...BE BLESSED!

Peace and Blessings!
Sista

The Debt Collection GAME...Keep Your Eyes Open!

Peace and Blessings Bloggers!

In these harsh economic times I felt compelled to enlighten you to what I call the "The Debt Collection Game". So let me start by introducing you to the players, the debt collectors and there are several type, there is the "Clearing House Companies", these companies buy old, unpaid debt or accounts receivable from companies that have written your debt off so to reconcile their books they sell your debt to a company that now can collect your debt on behalf of the company you owed. Then there are law firms that do the same thing, however the biggest player would be the foreign hackers. Not to sound stereotypical, but lets be honest, it is a known fact that there are a few major corporations that are based in the countries outside of the United States that target Americans with annoying phone calls repeatedly from what I call "disposable" cell phones. Basically they purchase a lot of cell phones that are rotated by target customer and then disposed of. Here's the scenario, this one strange number keeps calling your home stating that they are from XYZ Collections and if you don't respond promptly they threaten that they are going to call the local authorities. Some of them have your personal information, like your social security number, your address or even the names of your relatives. They will leave trails of your info on your voicemail in the same manner that you toss out bait to fish in a lake, then wait to see how many take the bait! People BEWARE! Here's some tips to remember NOT to do: 1) On social media sites, beware of the games and applications, these fun loving software apps have hidden files that take your personal information and sell it to marketers and advertisers 2) I know folks need money, however if you can help it, NEVER take out a payday loan. These loans have ridiculous interest as well as your information that is used obtain the loan is also sold. 3) Be careful when giving out your name, address and phone for store lists.

So I say folks be careful and selective with your information as gone are days of giving your name, address and birthday to a stranger, though you give the info freely it could become costly to you! Make sure that when you do give up your info that it is clearly in your best interests without any potential consequences !

Be Blessed and may your journey be peaceful!

Sista

Happy New Year 2011...RENEWAL TIME

Peace and Blessings Bloggers, You are here to see 2011, be thankful that GOD has allowed you to see a new year, another chance for renewal of your mind, body and spirit! I am not only thankful for a new year, I am thankful for everyday that I am allowed to awake as I know there is a purpose for my existence or else I would cease to exist. Though we all know that day is inevitable, and we are allowed another day to live, we MUST, I mean we MUST continually do the following:
1. LOVE YOURSELF: I know this is a broad statement but loving yourself is a lot simplier than you think. The first step to loving you is taking care of you through proper eating, exercise for a strong body. Learn and accept who you are spiritually and the first step to achieving this is simply knowing and accepting that...THERE IS SOMETHING GREATER THAN YOU. I won't too deep with the spiritual this is just a very first step for those that don't know. For those that do, you already now, this is just a reminder! Lastly and most importantly, you need to learn through practice, the controlling of your thoughts. Good Thoughts produce positive energy that manifest into real entities. To build a strong mind, surround yourself with people that are like you, shed the negative people and you will feel a weight lifted off of you. You become what you think. If you think negative you will become negative if you think positive you will become positive and attract those entities to you. Keep in mind it takes practice and you will stumble, but as you are allowed to see another day, just know you have another chance to get it right! If your mind can believe it, that's the proof that you can achieve it!
2. EVALUATE YOUR LIFE: I know everyone sets the infamous New Years Resoultions that are usually forgotten in a few weeks of simply falling back to what is comfortable or what has been repetively consistent in your life. Yes old habits are hard to break but if you desire change, you must take action. Ask yourself "AM I WHERE I WANT TO BE"? If not, then ask yourself,"WHERE DO YOU WANT TO BE" even if where you want to be seems to be far fetched and hard to reach. This may be true for the now, but we are focusing on the future. Last question, "HOW DO I GET THERE"? This is the start of your journey, the planning. If you expect good things to happen, start now by planning then preparing, just like you plan to go to work each morning in preparation for end result for all your hard work, the paycheck is the payoff, this is the same philosophy and it works, you already know this. Use it for your personal goals as well and you will be on the path to achieving a FULFILLED LIFE, isn't that what we all really want out of our lives?

May your journey be peacefully blessed!

Sista

Happy Kwanzaa 2010 - UMOJA (Unity)

PEACE and BLESSINGS Bloggers!

Today is the first day of KWANZAA and I pray that you all are encompassing today's principle UMOJA..(UNITY). UMOJA (UNITY) is a requirement for basic survival for the human race. Its not a principle that is easy to implement because people are complex and each person is uniquely individual with regard to their thought process and their values. Because of this UMOJA (UNITY) is difficult and requires effort from all for a common goal. We as people should emcompass the principle of UMOJA (UNITY) in our daily lives via our spirituality, via our families, via our friends or co-workers and neighbors. Just think of this scenario, if all the warnings we have heard regarding "END OF WORLD THEORIES", like the one most famously spoke of that is to occur in 2012, just think, what if it happened and that day is here, in your face and the world has lost all communication as we know, we have no electricity, no lights, no tv, no cell phones, no radio, nothing just us...PEOPLE. The principl of UMOJA (UNITY) would be REQUIRED for us, the people to survive, there is NO OTHER WAY. Start TODAY PEOPLE..THINK.

May Your Journey Be Peaceful...

Sista

Are you brainwashed?...Let's Find Out!

Peace Bloggers!

I am back, again! Missed you all and thank you for all the love, if I haven't got back to you I will soon! You know I don't appear unless I have something say, I have tons! But I am going to give it to you one post at a time, so stay tuned...
I want to give you another day in my life. For those of us who are or have worked in corporate, there is one thing that we all have experienced in our office culture at one time or another.....FEAR! Here's the typical corporate departmental scenario and I have names for them all, there's "Comic Relief" this is the person that is always looking for the fun in all work scenarios, when in fact this person is laughing to stop from either crying or freaking out so they utilize laughter as a form of therapy, which in fact, it actually does reduce stress. Then there is "Stoney", this is the serious person in the group that is quietly analyzing everyone and is the person in the group, you need not trust above all others, this person is the one that has the most ambition in the group and does not have a problem with throwing you under the bus just to get that promotion. This is the reason for their "stone face" and distant personality because they are selfish and only thinking of their progression. Then there is "Switch", this person will alternate their face from day to day or situation to situation. One moment they are the best team member and another moment they are the team's noted "slacker", theres no real logic to their behavior, so don't waste your time trying to rationalize either their loyalty or deceit, however one thing is for sure you can best believe that you will see both sides in intervals so be warned and more importantly never, ever trust this person because you just never know what day it is. Then lastly there is "Ole Faithful", this person is the one who actually likes what they do and because they like their work, they are very efficient and is always looking for ways to improve themselves. This is that person in the group that will fill in the gaps and cover for anyone at any time because the end game for them is purely success, they believe that success for the team is success for all so they will do all that is necessary to get to success. Now Ole Faithful, though they are in most cases the most reliable, proficient employee in the group will always seem to get the short end of the corporate ladder, its just like imagine a ladder that you are trying to climb and someone keeps pouring oil on the steps making it literally impossible to maintain your grip and balance in order to climb successfully. Another true statement about Ole Faithful is that they get stepped on all the time by the team and though they are conscious of the deceitful tricks, etc. they still manage to persevere focus and consistency. By now, I am sure that most of you can relate with all the above mentioned personality types and probably are dealing with at least one or two in your current work environment. In fact, one of these personalities may be you! Now to my point and question, what do you think all these personalities have in common, yes, the obvious...FEAR. Though all are different and choose to deal with their fear differently the basic, simple fact is that their fear is all based on one concept...LOSS OF COMFORT! They all are fighting to hold on to what they have and are also hopeful to the idea of prosperity. My point is that with the presence of fear we lose sight of what's really important in our life, our purpose, our very being. If you are so fortunate to be able to see a new day, there is the prospectus of hope, this hope can fueled for change but without purpose for your life outside of basic survival, you become brainwashed to Socio-Economic Slavery! Which is foundered on the theory of: YOU WORK, YOU EAT, YOU DON'T WORK, YOU DON'T EAT.these are all brainwashing techniques used for conformity and honestly WE ARE ALL VICTIMS, however, not all of us are brainwashed. And when I say brainwashed, I mean without any purpose to your existence. I know what I am saying is deep for some and completely understandable to others. Now ask yourself, are you brainwashed? If you believe that you are and I am sure most will not admit this to anyone, but truth is you cannot lie to yourself, so between you and me, I leave you with this..if you think that this analogy describes you or your thought process, just know that GOD WOKE YOU UP TODAY, SO TODAY YOU STILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO CHANGE THE WRONGS FROM YESTERDAY....KNOW HOPE!

May your journey be peaceful!

Sista

Twitterisms....Popularism or Therapy?

Peace and Blessings Bloggers!

It's been a minute and I have been very busy but I felt the need to blog about some of my encounters...another item in the day of my life...Let's talk about Twitter and tweeting as folks call it. Now first and foremost I want to put out there I have no issues with the concept of Twitter and I totally support freedom of speech via writing as I am a writer and this is what I do, my point is more centered around the whole reason why people "tweet". I did my own personal research on this subject, I registered and received a Twitter account and even installed an app on my blackberry so I send and view tweets anytime. I have to say that currently I have stopped tweeting because in the midst of all the activity of adding friends, following and posting tweets I realized something and this question came to mind in one word....WHY?

Now bloggers this is my own personal assessment in no way am I attacking Twitter or the people that use Twitter. So again, my analysis of "Why" prompted other thoughts and questions such as another "W" question, What is the purpose and Is there a purpose, after all any action has a reaction and it is all prompted initially with a purpose. So I started thinking about the folks that utilize Twitter the largest community consisting of celebrities. Celebrities have made Twitter a phenomenon, in fact its kind of funny because initially Twitter started out with everyday folk like you and I just writing our feelings, etc. and now celebrities have turned it into a popularity contest vetting the outcome and marking the celebrity's status as either an "A-Lister" or "D-Lister" all based on the amount of Twitter followers. And of course the media has taken this to an entire other level they now display Twitter stats at award ceremonies. What's even funnier to me is the fact that some celebrities will speak about Twitter in the sense like you or I would, explaining that they are just expressing themselves as they have the same amount of issues, etc. like everyone else in the world. Then you have those celebrities who have become infamous with their tweets to the point that they are literally offending people with their bird's eye view of race and culture. I am not going there, you all know who I am talking about! Then you have the obvious celebrities who make it crystal clear that they want and desire followers to build up their celebrity game.

So after my analysis which come from my own experiences using Twitter all I have to say is that Twitter, is a forum wherein people can express themselves freely via the written word, I totally applaud that because I am a writer and writing can be very therapeutic for your mind and spirit! Now to answer the "Why" question, in my opinion, why most people tweet in my opinion is for therapeutic reasons, to release a thought that they either they cannot express in an effective manner wherein one of the powers of the written word is that it is just there, there to be read by anyone at anytime as many times as one may want to, but the basic fact that it is there so the words which encompass a complete thought take on a life of their own. That's power! With regard to celebrities, they basically utilize the power in the same way we do with an added twist which enhances their celebrity, the very presence of their fame is allowed to live longer through the power of their words!

With all that said folks, I want you to think about this, the next time you follow a celebrity on Twitter or FaceBook, ask yourself why? So now, here's the scenario, you've asked yourself why and possibly answered why not, because you want to see wants going on with your favorite celebrity and you envision this person to be a really cool, down to earth person who may answer a tweet of yours and why not because they are on Twitter and it is really them, right? Okay so you are following this celebrity and tweeting to them however they never respond to you. Now you see that they respond to some folks, which are probably people they know or not, who really knows, but it doesn't matter because they have not responded to you. I ask how does that make you feel? Do you still want to follow these folks who are already famous and desires their fame to be escalated via all the many followers in this venue, your self included. Now ask yourself again why and then ask yourself what will I gain from this? I have your answers, absolutely nothing in fact I find that this action will only result in negative feelings for your expression in writing, which in fact takes away from why you are writing in the first place.

I honestly think that celebrities should give back something to that fan who may be on Twitter or Facebook that just wants to hear from them. However and as many of you know the excuse from most of them will be and in fact many of them post just this statement, "It is literally impossible for me to answer every tweet, so if I do not answer you do not become offended". I think that's a nice gesture but on the other hand if you put yourself out there like that you should stand and deliver with regard to the good bad and indifferent experiences you may encounter. I am not going to get started in on celebrities that would make this a longer blog entry than I had intended. There I go rambling again, for those of you that have read my blogs, that's just me, LOL.

So bloggers, these are my opinions but you have to admit I have presented you with some food for thought, think about it I would like to hear what your thoughts are so feel free to post a comment!

May your journeys be peacefully blessed!

Peace...

Sista