Living Proof

Have you ever spent time with someone who's just incredibly bitter at the world, that once you've separated from them, you kind of feel that same bitterness yourself? It definitely rubs off sometimes. There's a huge difference between someone who is going through terrible circumstances in life and someone who is just a chronic complainer of life in general. Everyone is to blame and they take no accountability for their actions whatsoever. And don't get me wrong, I'm no stranger when it comes to bitching about something or someone -- I just can't imagine doing this for no other reason than to start up a conversation about something... anything . For the most part, many people feel it's a funny thing to be bitter, especially those who twist it into a 'joking around' type of thing. And sometimes it is. But when does it come to the point when you realize that all you do is complain about other people? Or do you even notice it? I'm friends with ...

This is not my typical blog post you're used to reading. I'm basically just jotting down how I feel and what's been brewing inside my lil' ol' noggin. I've been thinking and thinking and thinking…and it's time to turn the 'thinking mode' off. I want to be free and not have to worry about anyone right now. I want to enjoy life with whomever I want - not whoever is here. I want to be around sincere people who don't criticize or judge the way I live. I want to be around those who are truly positive about life - people who will uplift me and not tear me down…or apart. So bear with me as I vent it all out today.  Breathe… Clearing your mind and heart and gaining some sort of perspective on life is truly one of the most important things everyone should do from time to time. Who's important? Who's important enough for your time? Choose your friends (and perhaps family members) wisely, because time is the key factor in whether or not y...

Little factoid: Did you know penguins mate for life? You could read all the psychology books in the world on relationships, but are you really reading about you and your significant other? It's so generalized with gray areas flooding the pages one by one, but sometimes you can get a small piece of wisdom through a select few articles. I was reading this one piece about "thinkers" and "feelers". Bear with me because most of this may apply to heterosexual couples, but in the same breath, I do believe there is a cross gender aspect to same sex couples. In other words, it's finding the difference between men and women, as well as the more 'masculine' same sex gender and their more 'feminine' mate. Although I consider both my wife and I to be more on the feminine side, Madelene definitely holds most of the "male genes" in our relationship, as far as behavioral and mannerisms go, yet she is all woman, and roars on occasion. Okay, wh...

Normally during this time of the year, especially with the long stretch of February, I'm no joy to be around. I'm depressed, grumpy, cranky, irritable, impatient----you get my drift. Last year, I cannot tell you how many times I almost checked myself into the funny farm, but this year was quite different, especially for a February. With that being said -- the holidays is a whole other can-o-beans because I'm just nutty around Christmas regardless. But February is my 'to-be-feared' month for those around me. As you've heard a million and one times before, I'm still on a very low carb diet, (Paleo) and doing things to boost my immunity and health, like eating egg yolks and not just egg whites to appease calorie/cholesterol intake. I started taking 3,000 IUs of vitamin D. I get my calcium and vitamin C through broccoli and steer away from fruit. I also take 1,000 mg of vitamin C (probably just expensive urine), but I find that it helps somewhat. If at all pos...

Sometimes people don't notice the little things that others do that make a huge difference in their lives, until they stop doing those "little things". Some people don't even notice the big things - almost bypassing them like a huge ship. I admit, I have taken many people in my life for granted and sometimes, I feel like some people take me for granted as well. It always works both ways. Appreciating everyone and their role in life is so important. Even something as simple as a phone call from a loved one can make all the difference. It doesn't matter how big or how small their 'monetary' jobs are --- their lot in life -- their ability to help others and make a difference is what matters the most. I remember the book, The Five People You Meet in Heaven  had a huge impact on me. It showed a man with a "small" job (in most of society's view) who played an enormous role in life. He had a purpose - a reason to be here with us -- because w...

Yesterday, I read something about "Blue Monday" - a phenomenon that occurs on January 6th (in some reports) or the 3rd Monday of January. The info was quite spotty. The main objective here is that "Blue Monday" is supposedly the saddest day of the year for many people. Most people hate Mondays regardless, but this one I found fascinating because if you think about it -- you can imagine after all the holiday hype, we're now faced with the long, dreaded winter days before the next big holiday: Easter & Passover and of course for the young spring chickens, spring break. In November, it goes up and up and up --- Thanksigiving --- up and up and up --- Black Friday --- up and up and up --- Christmas & Hanukkah --- up and up and up --- BANG - - New Year's Eve! After the big bang-pow festivities, it's now back to school, work, dread, short days, long nights and bitter cold days with a few blizzards in between. People need something to look forward t...

Have you ever felt like all your efforts were unseen and just invisible to everyone but yourself? Ever try to make people in your life happy but it just feels like you're hitting a brick wall over and over again? Then you start asking yourself, "Am I even happy?" A friend of mine wrote a really great post called, " Play Nice " which really spoke volumes on the laws of attraction. She writes, "The law of cause and effect where every action produces an equal and opposite reaction essentially states that there are consequences to our actions. We are the crafters of our own destiny and happiness and what we put out creates a kind of energy that will travel through the Universe and in a different form will come back to us." It sounds like this "law" should be foolproof, working on all levels of everything that's positive. My question is, are these theories and "laws" similar to ones in the Bible - "to control the masses" ...

As miserable as I can get sometimes, I do realize that every single thing happens for a reason and in order, lined up in God's will. This is something I truly believe. I don't believe in coincidences. I believe in serendipity and also, being at the right place at the right time + the wrong time in some cases. Life is strange. We curse God when we lose someone we love or when we fall into a deep and dark depression when things don't go our way, but to those who smile while walking through the trudge --- those are the people who truly inspire me.  Unanswered prayers are usually a blessing in disguise. While praying for something that's not  lined up in God's will -- I never realized how truly detrimental it would have been in my life if my prayers were answered. Hindsight 20/20. Have you ever noticed whenever there is a major tragedy or even a huge streak of luck, like winning the lotto or something --- some families tend to fall apart? In this case, I'm going to...

"Oh no! It's daylight again!" We all get down from time to time, it's normal. You feel sluggish, you don't want to get out of bed and your motivation is next to none. There are so many ingredients to depression that it's sometimes hard to pinpoint what's brewing. Whether circumstantial, chemical imbalance or SAD ( Seasonal Affective Disorder ), everybody deals with it one time or another. Usually, right after the holidays and all of the excitement, people are coming down from their 'high', which may explain why they're either grumpy or just downright gloomy. Then again, the holidays seem to bring many of us down as it is, which is strange because the holidays are supposed to be filled with "joy", but in many cases, not. With it being only six months on Christmas since I lost my Dad, I felt more numb than depressed. It felt strange. Every single member of my family brings in their own individual vibrant glow of their own, so when ...

The other day, I asked Mad, "Are you happy?" It was one of those trick questions where I wanted to see how she responds to it all - not necessarily, "Are you happy in our marriage" type of digging. I just wanted to know in general, was she "happy"...? She literally sprung up from the couch and said, "Of course! What's there to be unhappy about?" and then went on to the list of "happy little things" in our lives. I wasn't speaking about what we're grateful for, but merely an overall question about one's true happiness in life as a whole. They say happiness is a choice. Mad always tells me that words have power, but when you speak words that you think may bring those powerful 'happy' vibes over, is it more of wishful thinking -- like whatever you put out into the universe you'll get back type of mindset? Or is it a matter of believe it and receive it? Bear with me on this subject because it gets even more conf...

A friend of mine found me on Facebook the other day. We were catching up from years gone by. We went to high school together and even worked together for quite some time, but we never hung out or called one another like buddies for some reason. Now, as adults, we find ourselves in similar situations and lifestyles. I had no clue she was gay, and she didn’t know I was either. We both dated guys way back when, so it never occurred that we were both playing for the same team. There was one thing she said while flipping through my virtual photo albums on Facebook. “You really look happy, Deb.” Isn’t it funny how we glare at photos, assuming somebody’s life is ‘this way’, when sometimes, it can actually be a whole different story behind those pixels. Even with celebrities, they show their best faces, smiling, posing for the camera showing you their best side. God forbid a camera should catch me in the midst of a PMSing moment. People would definitely ask, “I wonder if she’s ok? I wonder i...

A close friend of mine had written a status message on her facebook account. Whether it was one of those ‘encrypted’ type of messages directed at a particular person, or just frustration in general, it got me thinking a lot about life. She wrote, “Apparently, an income of $75,000 a year can buy you happiness.” Oddly enough, her status message came at the right time, as I’m sitting at my counter in the kitchen sipping coffee, getting ready for the day and sifting through what other people are up to over on facebook. I left a comment. “I know a few people who exceed that & some of them are miserable souls. There’s a quote, ‘Happiness is not having what you want; it’s wanting what you have...’ author unknown.” As I’m typing away, I said to myself, “What a hypocrite I am. How can I ever give advice about this when I need it myself?” It’s good advice, but nonetheless, a hypocritical one as I thought about the previous day. Madelene and I occasionally drive around aimlessly hunting ...