Living Proof

For some people, expressing themselves is pretty easy. For others, it might be the hardest thing to do. A writer has to be vulnerable enough in order to grab the reader's attention. If the writing is somewhat surfaced, without any depth whatsoever -- (unless it's about technology or gaming types of genres) then you'll most likely lose your readers. People are looking for a commonality with other people. Most people who read my blog are very quiet about their own lives, so they jump onto my blog and realize that their life isn't so messy after all. There aren't a lot of people who have the courage to say, "Hey, I suffer from anxiety and depression," or "Hey, I love God but my life doesn't reflect a perfect Christian so much." Nobody's perfect. We're human and we all make mistakes. "Quiet people" don't want to be seen as "crazy" if they talk about mental health, and in most cases, they don't want to be seen...

A few minutes after the alarm went off, the sound of four tiny long-clawed paws scurried over to the front door. Lola needed to go outside. It also reminded me that I needed to get her nails cut. The cold air actually felt good. It probably woke me up from the tiny traces of carbon monoxide that somehow seeped in while I was in a deep slumber. Who knows. I don't trust those carbon monoxide detectors anyway, especially when my poorly zoned furnace chimney sits right besides my bedroom window. Nevertheless, the coffee would surely keep me awake for the long haul of the day. Black with a touch of organic maple syrup and a dash of cinnamon -- and my morning is seemingly brighter. I've always dreamt of this life -- this sort of regiment where I make the day's call -- not some mean boss in her fancy office with smiling photos of her family tree plastered every which way. My old structured life felt like a prison. All my creativity was tossed to the side, unless there was a bit ...

There are many books out there about relationships and heartache, 'how-to-be-happy' and 'beat-the-blues' type of self-help literature -- enough to blow your mind, but none seem to ever stick once you put the book down. It's like learning about a new diet. You read about it, go down the list of what foods to eat and which ones not to eat, and then a month later, the practice of this particular diet goes right down the drain. It's unrealistic. As humans, we create a pattern -- a habit -- a ritualistic type of behavior and persona for ourselves. Some say it's genetic, while others say it's not. Like a father who hits his kids just because his father did it to him as a child. Wouldn't he want to give his child the life he wished for himself? But, it's a pattern ingrained in the impressionable mind of a child. "This is OK to do." And as he grows up, he becomes what he thought was "good". He or she ends up doing the same thing...

There's always a little truth behind "just kidding". It's almost as if someone were to test you over and over again, but ended it with a "jk" or made it out to seem outrageously ridiculous. But the pattern still remains -- the constant joking around and tampering with "what if" -- what if you were to respond the way they wanted you to? Then it no longer becomes a joke. Or perhaps they're just getting it all out there to plant a seed in your mind, this way later on, you might think about what was said? I'm a big joker myself, but I draw the line with sexual innuendos or things that may offend the person a great deal. A "just kidding" doesn't suffice with stuff like that. Cultural Etiquette. I'll never forget my friend "Joseph" (we'll go with pseudo names for now) who had a few friends over his house. It was in the middle of February and we had just finished having a snowstorm. Since the roads were all...

If we're all striving to be a better person than we were yesterday, then what if yesterday was one of our best days? All of these redundant cliches, platitudes and inspirational quotes told by other people tend to make you feel all warm and fuzzy, but isn't it just a temporary fix to just say, "You're life is messed up, so just get your shit together." Due to my line of work, I network with a bunch of online marketing entrepreneurs, life coaches and seminar gurus -- the kind where you'll most likely never see them having a bad day -- kinda like my chihuahua -- all piss 'n vinegar and revvin' to go to new and exciting places. Words like, "journey", "goals", "achievement" and "success" are all used in order to make you feel as though you don't have those right now, so by listening to people rattle off these highly motivating words will somehow make you wanna jump right out of your chair and do something BIG...

It's strange how some things may appear as one way, when actually it's the total opposite. Speaking on a lesser scale -- I can offer you a cupcake and you'll say "no" when in fact, it's the one thing you've been craving all week. "No" can be a self-discipline type of mechanism that we use in order to better ourselves in some way. Even the word "love" can be a self-discipline type of mechanism. For instance, two people can be totally in love, but the relationship itself is very unhealthy for whatever reason. Sometimes, the words, "I hate you" is screamed out, when in fact the words, "I love you" still remains deep in the heart. I remember an ex of mine screamed out, "I hate you!!!" I was so shocked -- so hurt beyond words, that I could barely even respond. A few days later, I had to ask, "You hate me?" The words kept repeating themselves inside my mind. "I HATE YOU!" That's all I...

It's easy to say, "I'm Christian" and easier to talk the talk, but how much harder is it to actually walk the walk? We're all human and I truly believe that we are all connected on such a cosmic level that we don't even realize that even if we seem to fall out of that "Christian box", or {standard way of worshipping God} that nothing can ever separate us from God. But what if we get too sidetracked to the point of not receiving the gifts of God in the 'here and now'? I have learned so much this year in regards to how God works in my life. I noticed that I pray more when I'm struggling with something. I prayed endlessly hearing about my mother's cancer diagnosis. I prayed each time she went through radiation, chemo and all of those grueling operations and procedures to make it all better somehow. I prayed and prayed and prayed. I never prayed so much in my life. When I finally received an  answered  prayer that Mom was now cancer-fre...