Before I hit the streets to run these 13 mi, happy birthday to me!
I am finally 25. This really hit me when my parents called to bid me a great day at 4 this morning. Although I didn't answer, their intent was well received. They tried calling me at the time I was born. Sorry, I was knocked out!!
Reflecting on this last year, I realize that I am still a kid at heart. I'm not sure why I was rushing to complete undergrad and grad schools so fast. More now than ever, I find myself enjoying a great drink, partying and being around great company. I guess it's true when mom said, "You'll understand it later. Keep on living!" (Why was I so rebellious?) I say this because she would tell me to slow down and enjoy life. Perhaps I was on the fast-track because I felt the moment would slip away if I didn't cease the opportunities ... not sure.
While I find myself wanting to have a good time, I now have to be cognizant that I have a lot more obligations, proteges looking up to me and have to protect the advancement in my career. I'm super excited to be surrounded by great coworkers, an amazing boss, caring mentors, and patient friends - who are all my strongest advocates.
Going into the next quarter of a century, I definitely want to work on framing myself as humble, less shy and living on purpose.
Leaving you with this video...
Showing posts with label Life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Life. Show all posts
07 May 2011
08 February 2011
My mom said it best, "Ken, even if you have to stand alone, don't compromise your integrity." She left out the part that it would not be an easy task to do!
Last Friday, I experienced a situation that I was not expecting. It hit me in the face from nowhere. Some would even say it was minor. I had the opportunity to follow the lead or to stand up for what was right. In doing so, I am at so much peace that I decided to remove myself from the unexpected and ultimately keep my decorum in tact.
In life, it is the small things that say a lot about a person's character. Everyone has a unique personality, but when there is blatant disrespect towards another person, I have made a personal pledge that I won't stand by and idly watch ... unacceptable.
Moving from adolescent to young adult, I have to be an example and a mentor to those who are coming behind me. Definitely I have made some mistakes, did some regrettable things, placed myself in some compromising situations and even indulged in some risky behavior. Am I now a pope, priest or bishop? Absolutely not. But at this point in life, I have to make a conscious decision to move forward from old behavior and place myself on a path that is less destructive.
#Maturing
Last Friday, I experienced a situation that I was not expecting. It hit me in the face from nowhere. Some would even say it was minor. I had the opportunity to follow the lead or to stand up for what was right. In doing so, I am at so much peace that I decided to remove myself from the unexpected and ultimately keep my decorum in tact.
In life, it is the small things that say a lot about a person's character. Everyone has a unique personality, but when there is blatant disrespect towards another person, I have made a personal pledge that I won't stand by and idly watch ... unacceptable.
Moving from adolescent to young adult, I have to be an example and a mentor to those who are coming behind me. Definitely I have made some mistakes, did some regrettable things, placed myself in some compromising situations and even indulged in some risky behavior. Am I now a pope, priest or bishop? Absolutely not. But at this point in life, I have to make a conscious decision to move forward from old behavior and place myself on a path that is less destructive.
#Maturing
05 February 2011
Dear Ken,
My vices have a weird way of reminding me that I am human.
These few struggles get the best of me. No matter how well I convince myself that I won't engage, indulge or perform, I somehow find myself constantly entertaining. Sometimes I wonder if I actually have the will power to say no. In the midst of the tug or war, I lose focus on the pull and succumb to the pressure. It's equivalent to an addict who's fighting the hard fight of giving up drugs. Wait - but they are addictions. Not drugs, though!
No matter how much I want to surrender and have a yes, my flesh gets weak and says otherwise. No way am I making excuses to the constant falls; I just want to finally admit and accept the fact that I can no longer change this on my own. So much so, I've began to embrace and accept it as reality. Man, this is so weird.
When I want to follow forward, it seems like I push backwards. Every "Yes" has a way of turning into a "maybe" or "later". The "I won't do this no more" often results in a "I want more and I can't live without". I just need some help!
I've admitted, accepted ... I just need some action to fall forward.
My vices have a weird way of reminding me that I am human.
These few struggles get the best of me. No matter how well I convince myself that I won't engage, indulge or perform, I somehow find myself constantly entertaining. Sometimes I wonder if I actually have the will power to say no. In the midst of the tug or war, I lose focus on the pull and succumb to the pressure. It's equivalent to an addict who's fighting the hard fight of giving up drugs. Wait - but they are addictions. Not drugs, though!
No matter how much I want to surrender and have a yes, my flesh gets weak and says otherwise. No way am I making excuses to the constant falls; I just want to finally admit and accept the fact that I can no longer change this on my own. So much so, I've began to embrace and accept it as reality. Man, this is so weird.
When I want to follow forward, it seems like I push backwards. Every "Yes" has a way of turning into a "maybe" or "later". The "I won't do this no more" often results in a "I want more and I can't live without". I just need some help!
I've admitted, accepted ... I just need some action to fall forward.
09 January 2011
Dear Ken,
These past twenty-four years have been a roller coaster. It seems like each year, my passion and drive for life changes. At one point, I wanted to have a career in journalism and the next year, I fell in love with higher education. Now, there seems to be another desire. So much for having clear direction with Sallie Mae knocking at the front door!! I guess I'll frame the bachelor and master degrees and wait for future career opportunities.
On a side note - as I prepare to head off to church, I am recalling past memories. I wrote an entry to an acquaintance who claimed to be having a difficult time moving past an old friend. In my response, and what continues to resonate with me, I wrote: some memories are worth forgetting. I guess I'll cling to the very words that I shared with him. I'll post more about this later. Church is starting; I need to hop in the shower.
Happy Sunday!
These past twenty-four years have been a roller coaster. It seems like each year, my passion and drive for life changes. At one point, I wanted to have a career in journalism and the next year, I fell in love with higher education. Now, there seems to be another desire. So much for having clear direction with Sallie Mae knocking at the front door!! I guess I'll frame the bachelor and master degrees and wait for future career opportunities.
On a side note - as I prepare to head off to church, I am recalling past memories. I wrote an entry to an acquaintance who claimed to be having a difficult time moving past an old friend. In my response, and what continues to resonate with me, I wrote: some memories are worth forgetting. I guess I'll cling to the very words that I shared with him. I'll post more about this later. Church is starting; I need to hop in the shower.
Happy Sunday!
03 January 2011
My life is not my own!!
Dear Ken,
Three days into 2011, and I am going back to my first love. Wow. These three days have been extremely refreshing. I've longed to be back in this position with God. This is the most incredible feeling, ever. I didn't realize how far I had drifted away from Him. But I'm so glad that He didn't give up on me. Each day has been a test, but I have made a commitment that this year will be extremely different. Didn't realize that giving up some friendships would be difficult, but I promise - God is more important to me right now!
My life is not my own. To you I belong. I give myself to you.
Three days into 2011, and I am going back to my first love. Wow. These three days have been extremely refreshing. I've longed to be back in this position with God. This is the most incredible feeling, ever. I didn't realize how far I had drifted away from Him. But I'm so glad that He didn't give up on me. Each day has been a test, but I have made a commitment that this year will be extremely different. Didn't realize that giving up some friendships would be difficult, but I promise - God is more important to me right now!
My life is not my own. To you I belong. I give myself to you.
01 January 2011
Little to no time ... 11 targets
Dear Ken,
The past two weeks have been incredibly busy - shopping, entertaining and celebrating the holiday festivities. Most, if not all, of my energy has been exhausted.
I am not too big on making resolutions for the new year; however, this year, I came up with 11 targets that I hope to achieve, in no particular order:
-spend more time with family
-finish writing the book
-exercise/workout consistently
-less drinking
-narrow down educational goals
-progress in my career
-less partying
-strengthen relationship with God
-live without regrets
-open myself up to be loved :-)
-establish solid friendships & surround myself with positive influences and re-evaluate current friendships
The past two weeks have been incredibly busy - shopping, entertaining and celebrating the holiday festivities. Most, if not all, of my energy has been exhausted.
I am not too big on making resolutions for the new year; however, this year, I came up with 11 targets that I hope to achieve, in no particular order:
-spend more time with family
-finish writing the book
-exercise/workout consistently
-less drinking
-narrow down educational goals
-progress in my career
-less partying
-strengthen relationship with God
-live without regrets
-open myself up to be loved :-)
-establish solid friendships & surround myself with positive influences and re-evaluate current friendships
17 December 2010
04 December 2010
It's the principle of it!
I was standing at the checkout counter purchasing a gift card when an older guy approached. In a rather distracting tone he yelled at the cashier, “That machine didn’t give me my penny!” At that moment, I looked back and grinned, thinking he was joking. When the attendant ignored him, he got upset and repeated himself, “Lady … that machine right there didn’t give me my penny.” By then, I knew he was serious. So the cashier went into her pocket, obviously bothered, and handed the guy a penny.
As I walked out to my car, I jokingly asked the dude, “You wanted your penny, huh?” He said, “Yeah, man. It’s the principle of it. If they didn’t give me my penny, I wonder how many dollars they done took.” I laughed and went on my way.
When I got to work, I was telling a colleague what I had witnessed. At that point, I started dissecting what he had said. Ultimately, in the less-than-15-second conversation, I walked away thinking about the dangers of overlooking the small and simple stuff.
When does a situation become too big before we address it? Or when is it appropriate to turn a blind eye to something that appears minor?
Surely, most people do not turn back and ask for their penny. But how many times does the unhealthy relationship begin with a finger point to the head and then a push … eventually a slap and whatever else that follows?
Or when we recognize something is not right with our body, we acknowledge it, but do not seek the proper medical attention – only to find out later that the small pain was actually something greater than what we expected.
How about the first time Little Johnny cursed and we laughed it off … only to discover that the cursing turned into him becoming a Preschool bully, a juvenile delinquent by 15 and in prison for the rest of his life for capital murder?
It is the simple things, in life, that we overlook that could potentially cause the greatest harm. So while I laughed at the older guy checking out asking for his penny, I am able to laugh at myself for not really understanding what he meant when he said: “It’s the principle of it.”
16 November 2010
Simple lesson
Dear Ken,
I almost got got, yesterday!
United Airlines contacted me about setting up an account with their dividend mileage program. The agent over the phone sounded really convincing. She had me thinking "why the hell haven't I heard about this program?" You know - sorta like the frequent flyer miles with the other airlines.
I spoke with a colleague about how the program sounded too good to be true. She and I began researching on their website, but we couldn't find the information online. So I called United Airlines again. This time, the agent explained that one domestic roundtrip ticket would be roughly 25,000 miles, at minimum. At that point, I pulled out the calculator and started putting figures together. Bank of America gives 1 mile for every 2 dollars spent. So at that rate, I would need to spend $50,000 before I could ever redeem the miles. Being naive, I originally thought that the previous agent told me it would be mile-for-mile (ex. if from my place to ATL is 1,500 miles roundtrip, then I would need 1,500 miles in order to travel).
I couldn't believe I had fallen for something so crazy. I made a huge mistake. I signed up for the program without reading up on the rules, first!
#DearUnitedAirlines, y'all almost got me! Thanks for teaching me a lesson. I'll read the fine print next time. #That'sAll
I almost got got, yesterday!
United Airlines contacted me about setting up an account with their dividend mileage program. The agent over the phone sounded really convincing. She had me thinking "why the hell haven't I heard about this program?" You know - sorta like the frequent flyer miles with the other airlines.
I spoke with a colleague about how the program sounded too good to be true. She and I began researching on their website, but we couldn't find the information online. So I called United Airlines again. This time, the agent explained that one domestic roundtrip ticket would be roughly 25,000 miles, at minimum. At that point, I pulled out the calculator and started putting figures together. Bank of America gives 1 mile for every 2 dollars spent. So at that rate, I would need to spend $50,000 before I could ever redeem the miles. Being naive, I originally thought that the previous agent told me it would be mile-for-mile (ex. if from my place to ATL is 1,500 miles roundtrip, then I would need 1,500 miles in order to travel).
I couldn't believe I had fallen for something so crazy. I made a huge mistake. I signed up for the program without reading up on the rules, first!
#DearUnitedAirlines, y'all almost got me! Thanks for teaching me a lesson. I'll read the fine print next time. #That'sAll
11 November 2010
Dying daily!
Dear Ken,
I love having random moments.
Yesterday, a coworker and I were talking about something. Honestly, I can't even recall what the topic of conversation was about. However, in the midst of her speaking, she unintentionally gave me a wonderful reminder. In our 15-minute conversation, the only words I remember are: I die to sin daily. At that moment, I had a light bulb moment. It hit me. No matter how perfect I strive to be, I have to crucify the flesh on a continual basis.
#DearCoworker, Thank you for the reminder! #That'sAll
I love having random moments.
Yesterday, a coworker and I were talking about something. Honestly, I can't even recall what the topic of conversation was about. However, in the midst of her speaking, she unintentionally gave me a wonderful reminder. In our 15-minute conversation, the only words I remember are: I die to sin daily. At that moment, I had a light bulb moment. It hit me. No matter how perfect I strive to be, I have to crucify the flesh on a continual basis.
#DearCoworker, Thank you for the reminder! #That'sAll
08 November 2010
Of two minds
Dear Ken,
Today is one of those days. Lately, when I have been feeling some kind of way, I have refrained from writing about it. It is refreshing to remember how writing makes everything seems so peaceful and calm. Thankfully, nothing too major is happening; my drive and passion has just been temporarily exhausted. In moments like this, I have to pause and contemplate the next phases in my life. It is amazing and, yet, bittersweet to have awakening opportunities. The growing pains - not so much.
Looking back on life, I am overwhelmed with excitement of how each obstacle has built upon the next. During the period of uncertainty, I was confused, but after experiencing the unfortunates, it seems like everything fell in place. Kinda makes me think about the scripture "all things work together for the good..." You all know the rest.
Recently, things have not worked out as I have hoped. What do you do when you have a perfect plan or beautiful dream and it falls backwards? I'm telling you - it hasn't been easy. How about when you have to a tie a knot at the end of your rope and hold on to the last little bit of string that is left? Even harder!
Sometimes, it is extremely embarrassing to be completely transparent about life. But as I move from one year to the next, it seems like what I have once thought was difficult to talk about is rolling a lot smoother from my lips. For some strange reason, life has a way of making you face the truths of being strong and unsure, weak and bold, a success and having failures all at once.
So as I move from yesterday to today, I have to make a conscious effort to persevere in the face of setbacks and ambiguous moments. I have to reach deep and pull up the often forgotten strength to endure in times of weaknesses, and rely on the sometimes bruised faith to get me over these steep mountains. Oh for the love of challenges!
#LetsGo
14 October 2010
Amazing life lesson
Dear Ken,
On my last day to prepare before the half marathon, I learned a really incredible lesson.
I absolutely hate running on a treadmill. Spending what seems like an infinite amount of time running in place is dreadful. Leaving work close to the sun setting, I had no other choice. Running after dark is just too dangerous.
So what’s the lesson? It’s not that I was running and going nowhere, but it was the guy who ran next to me that caused me to reflect on life. Here’s what happened:
I was really running. It was about 45-minutes into my run on an incline of 2.0 and a speed of 6.0 when a guy approached the treadmill to the right of me. To his surprise, the treadmill had a “not in service” sign posted. To hide the embarrassment, he immediately went to the left of me – finding a very operable piece of equipment.
Watching Fox News, amazed at the smiles and triumphant attitudes of those 33 men in Chile who survived underground for 69 days, I was interrupted by a continuous thump. It was the dude to the left of me running for his life. Being curious, I glanced down at how fast he was running (because clearly he was keeping up too much noise). He was running at a speed of 7.4 on an incline of 0. By this time, I had been on the treadmill for about 45 minutes running at a nice pace – with energy left to burn.
Listening to the thumping noise was rather distracting. About 10 minutes into his run, I noticed the noise began to come to a halt. As he was exiting the treadmill, he said, “Wow, it looks like you’ve been running a good minute, and you’re still going … I’m exhausted.”
It wasn’t until he left that I began to contemplate what had occurred.
See – he ran about 10 minutes at a faster pace and a lower incline but got tired and gave up. Running slower, at a higher incline, I had enough strength to last way longer after he had left.
It hit me.
Often times in life, I look at the person next to me and see how fast they are excelling in their career, education or the like, and then I look back at myself and notice that I’m moving at a much slower pace. But in all honesty, the run taught me that it’s not how fast I go in life, but the fact that I am able to succeed at the level that I am on and endure until the finish.
I’m really looking forward to the race. I’m also looking forward to the next challenges in my life.
#RunningOn
On my last day to prepare before the half marathon, I learned a really incredible lesson.
I absolutely hate running on a treadmill. Spending what seems like an infinite amount of time running in place is dreadful. Leaving work close to the sun setting, I had no other choice. Running after dark is just too dangerous.
So what’s the lesson? It’s not that I was running and going nowhere, but it was the guy who ran next to me that caused me to reflect on life. Here’s what happened:
I was really running. It was about 45-minutes into my run on an incline of 2.0 and a speed of 6.0 when a guy approached the treadmill to the right of me. To his surprise, the treadmill had a “not in service” sign posted. To hide the embarrassment, he immediately went to the left of me – finding a very operable piece of equipment.
Watching Fox News, amazed at the smiles and triumphant attitudes of those 33 men in Chile who survived underground for 69 days, I was interrupted by a continuous thump. It was the dude to the left of me running for his life. Being curious, I glanced down at how fast he was running (because clearly he was keeping up too much noise). He was running at a speed of 7.4 on an incline of 0. By this time, I had been on the treadmill for about 45 minutes running at a nice pace – with energy left to burn.
Listening to the thumping noise was rather distracting. About 10 minutes into his run, I noticed the noise began to come to a halt. As he was exiting the treadmill, he said, “Wow, it looks like you’ve been running a good minute, and you’re still going … I’m exhausted.”
It wasn’t until he left that I began to contemplate what had occurred.
See – he ran about 10 minutes at a faster pace and a lower incline but got tired and gave up. Running slower, at a higher incline, I had enough strength to last way longer after he had left.
It hit me.
Often times in life, I look at the person next to me and see how fast they are excelling in their career, education or the like, and then I look back at myself and notice that I’m moving at a much slower pace. But in all honesty, the run taught me that it’s not how fast I go in life, but the fact that I am able to succeed at the level that I am on and endure until the finish.
I’m really looking forward to the race. I’m also looking forward to the next challenges in my life.
#RunningOn
17 June 2010
Morning Ramblings
When I should be in the bed, I'm up at 2:05 in the a-m blogging. Unable to sleep, I resort to the next best thing - the internet! Today was a great day. No major complaints. I was able to achieve everything that was scheduled on the "to-do list". Looking back, time went by way too fast.
Preparing for the days ahead, it seems like there is so much to do and so little time to get things done. My life now consists of studying for the LSAT, reading blogs, working, a little partying (okay - a little more than a little), tweeting, and working some more. I haven't even really had a telephone conversation with some of my good friends in a long time. My mom was complaining that I rarely come to visit and how a 5 minute drive-by would be incredibly special. Guess this weekend I'll stop over.
This dieting and working out thing is going great. I'm feeling 120% better as a result of going to the gym, doing cardio, weight lifting and some of the free classes. Changing the way I eat has been a challenge. I can't even dispute that sometimes I get so tempted to stop by a fast food restaurant and chow down. However, instead of forgoing the fast food altogether, I've place strict limitations on what I can eat and how often (maybe once every 2 weeks).
I'm starting to get sleepy, but I wouldn't dare close without mentioning that I'm getting ready to start back going out on dates. After almost 2 years of living the bachelor life, I think I'm a little more mature for the whole couple lifestyle. I've ran across some really interesting folks and some real problematic ones as well. Guess the weeding and sorting is about to begin. Oh, what are you all's thoughts of long-distance dating? Does it work? How far is too far? How often should those in the relationship commit to seeing each other? Just thinking...
Not proofreading. Good night/morning.
Preparing for the days ahead, it seems like there is so much to do and so little time to get things done. My life now consists of studying for the LSAT, reading blogs, working, a little partying (okay - a little more than a little), tweeting, and working some more. I haven't even really had a telephone conversation with some of my good friends in a long time. My mom was complaining that I rarely come to visit and how a 5 minute drive-by would be incredibly special. Guess this weekend I'll stop over.
This dieting and working out thing is going great. I'm feeling 120% better as a result of going to the gym, doing cardio, weight lifting and some of the free classes. Changing the way I eat has been a challenge. I can't even dispute that sometimes I get so tempted to stop by a fast food restaurant and chow down. However, instead of forgoing the fast food altogether, I've place strict limitations on what I can eat and how often (maybe once every 2 weeks).
I'm starting to get sleepy, but I wouldn't dare close without mentioning that I'm getting ready to start back going out on dates. After almost 2 years of living the bachelor life, I think I'm a little more mature for the whole couple lifestyle. I've ran across some really interesting folks and some real problematic ones as well. Guess the weeding and sorting is about to begin. Oh, what are you all's thoughts of long-distance dating? Does it work? How far is too far? How often should those in the relationship commit to seeing each other? Just thinking...
Not proofreading. Good night/morning.
22 January 2010
Busy week
Wow. This week has been extremely busy. Each time I turned the netbook or laptop on to begin a blog entry, within a minute, I hit the start and shut down button!
Even though I have a huge to-do list, or what I refer to as my "get-er-done list", life has a way of placing me in uncomfortable situations that ultimately prevents me from reaching the finish line. Through the madness and chaos of the daily routines, anything that appears out of the nowhere becomes a distraction.
Have you ever had a structure or specific way to achieve a goal, but either through unforeseen circumstances or procrastination, you did not accomplish what you set out to finish?
Well, as I pause for a brief moment to mobile blog while working out on the elliptical, I am most grateful for those distractions that catch me off guard. Without those interruptions, whether small or large, I would be less motivated to find the strength to survive these storms.
#imjustsaying
03 January 2010
Keeper of my Soul!
Looking back over the past few years, I can truly say that God has been incredible. There have been times where I did not understand why life treated me so hard or why I had to face difficult moments. The going through part is never easy. But when the trial is over, God always has a way of showing me the purpose of why I had to experience such inopportune circumstances. On the third day of the new year, I definitely want to purpose in my heart to seek His face, to learn more of Him and grow closer and closer to Him each day!
I can honestly admit that I am a long shot off from where He wants me. I sin on a daily basis. I have impure thoughts constantly. My conversations do not always include Him - often, it pertains to things that He frowns upon. Usually, I make the decision and consult Him after I have drowned myself. On a good week (notice I said good week :) ), I pray everyday! Okay - so let me tell you how often on a bad week - probably none. But on average, I pray about twice a week or when I can remember to do so. Not dwelling on the past too much, I can recall when my shower time was my worship time... oh how that has changed.
Nonetheless, as I grow older, I realize and recognize that I need God now more than ever. Without His daily touch, daily direction, daily understanding, daily manifestation, daily guide, daily voice -- I would be lost and without hope. Perhaps somewhere on the street corner, or on drugs or stripping or - But I thank Him that He loves me enough to keep me - even when I fail to thank Him or seek His face.
Yes, God, you are truly incredible!
I can honestly admit that I am a long shot off from where He wants me. I sin on a daily basis. I have impure thoughts constantly. My conversations do not always include Him - often, it pertains to things that He frowns upon. Usually, I make the decision and consult Him after I have drowned myself. On a good week (notice I said good week :) ), I pray everyday! Okay - so let me tell you how often on a bad week - probably none. But on average, I pray about twice a week or when I can remember to do so. Not dwelling on the past too much, I can recall when my shower time was my worship time... oh how that has changed.
Nonetheless, as I grow older, I realize and recognize that I need God now more than ever. Without His daily touch, daily direction, daily understanding, daily manifestation, daily guide, daily voice -- I would be lost and without hope. Perhaps somewhere on the street corner, or on drugs or stripping or - But I thank Him that He loves me enough to keep me - even when I fail to thank Him or seek His face.
Yes, God, you are truly incredible!
02 January 2010
Right within your reach
One thing that is uncertain about Texas is its weather! For the past week and a half, due to the constant changes in the temperature, I have felt horrible. The illness first came in the form of a major headache. Next, my tonsils began hurting. And for the past three days, this uncontrollable cough has taken over my body. Refusing to leave work and spend a day with my family physcian, I consulted with my friend who is a MD. He gave me a home remedy. Here is what is interesting...
A friend came over to visit and apparently, his Vaporizing Chest Rub fell out of his coat pocket onto the couch. Sure that the blue bottle with a flamboyantly colored top was not mine, I picked it up and placed it on the counter. I promise you - this bottle has been sitting in its current location prior to me getting sick. Because this bottle is right next to where I hang my keys, I passed this bottle each day of my illness.
Heeding to the instructions of my friend, he advised me to get a bottle of chest rub, among one other drug that I have been taking. Remembering that each day I passed up a weirdly colored bottle, it hit me. I had a light bulb moment. This whole time, I have been coughing, sneezing, and snorting – because the Theraflu and other drugs were not working. Last night, I applied the chest rub on my chest, in the corner of my ear, and I began coughing up the illness. The cough lasted an hour, but I am upset with myself for being too busy – going about my day without paying attention to the minor thing: this whole time, I walked right next to my solution.
As it turns out, this was the perfect lesson to begin the new year. This isolated example has taught me to be more aware of my surroundings. Often, opportunities are placed right within my reach, and it will be up to me to take the initiative and act on what is presented. Just like the bottle of chest rub that I passed each day, there are so many talented people who I come in contact with on a daily basis that could help me reach the goals that I have set out for myself. There are different resources that I unconsciously pass over. Because life is strategically arranged, in order for me to move to the next level, I will have to start looking for opportunities – even in the simple things. Perhaps, my answer is right within my reach.
Just as I seemingly stumbled into the medicine and overlooked it for a week, what encounters, people or resources have you turned a blind eye to?
A friend came over to visit and apparently, his Vaporizing Chest Rub fell out of his coat pocket onto the couch. Sure that the blue bottle with a flamboyantly colored top was not mine, I picked it up and placed it on the counter. I promise you - this bottle has been sitting in its current location prior to me getting sick. Because this bottle is right next to where I hang my keys, I passed this bottle each day of my illness.
Heeding to the instructions of my friend, he advised me to get a bottle of chest rub, among one other drug that I have been taking. Remembering that each day I passed up a weirdly colored bottle, it hit me. I had a light bulb moment. This whole time, I have been coughing, sneezing, and snorting – because the Theraflu and other drugs were not working. Last night, I applied the chest rub on my chest, in the corner of my ear, and I began coughing up the illness. The cough lasted an hour, but I am upset with myself for being too busy – going about my day without paying attention to the minor thing: this whole time, I walked right next to my solution.
As it turns out, this was the perfect lesson to begin the new year. This isolated example has taught me to be more aware of my surroundings. Often, opportunities are placed right within my reach, and it will be up to me to take the initiative and act on what is presented. Just like the bottle of chest rub that I passed each day, there are so many talented people who I come in contact with on a daily basis that could help me reach the goals that I have set out for myself. There are different resources that I unconsciously pass over. Because life is strategically arranged, in order for me to move to the next level, I will have to start looking for opportunities – even in the simple things. Perhaps, my answer is right within my reach.
Just as I seemingly stumbled into the medicine and overlooked it for a week, what encounters, people or resources have you turned a blind eye to?
27 August 2009
I didn't know my own strength
Struggles. Fear. Dilemmas. Vicissitudes. Problems. Failing. Difficulties. Situations. Issues. Weaknesses. Miseries. Pain. Hurt. Falling.
Life can sometime throw hardballs that will cause you to question your faith. Doubt starts to creep in, anger builds and giving up seems the easy way out. Challenge yourself to use the negatives as opportunities to start afresh. Tie a knot at the end of your rope, rewrite your strategy and crawl if you have to - to reach the finishing point. Don't break.
Check out song#7 at http://www.whitneyhouston.com/.
Life can sometime throw hardballs that will cause you to question your faith. Doubt starts to creep in, anger builds and giving up seems the easy way out. Challenge yourself to use the negatives as opportunities to start afresh. Tie a knot at the end of your rope, rewrite your strategy and crawl if you have to - to reach the finishing point. Don't break.
Check out song#7 at http://www.whitneyhouston.com/.
17 May 2009
Gratefulness
Yesterday, I took about an 8-hour sabbatical from life and her daily responsibilities; releasing me to rest and not think about the impending tasks that needs to be accomplished in the coming days. Thinking – it would be great to have a four day workweek and a three day weekend. I would like that! Having one to a day and a half to handle situations that cannot be resolved throughout the workday is challenging.
Right now, I am up and getting ready to head out to church. I am definitely reminded of God’s grace on a daily basis. Sometimes I get caught up in doing me; however, He quickly reminds me of His love when I am flaky and inconsistent. Getting caught up in wanting to have a successful career, continuing my education and overcoming insurmountable obstacles – usually brings me to my knees to give the honor to the Creator for shining on me.
Before I start a sermon ;), I need to head and shower. Church is in an hour. I'll leave you all with a YouTube video of Fantasia singing "Total Praise".
Have a great day, peeps!
*knockout*
Right now, I am up and getting ready to head out to church. I am definitely reminded of God’s grace on a daily basis. Sometimes I get caught up in doing me; however, He quickly reminds me of His love when I am flaky and inconsistent. Getting caught up in wanting to have a successful career, continuing my education and overcoming insurmountable obstacles – usually brings me to my knees to give the honor to the Creator for shining on me.
Before I start a sermon ;), I need to head and shower. Church is in an hour. I'll leave you all with a YouTube video of Fantasia singing "Total Praise".
Have a great day, peeps!
*knockout*
16 May 2009
what a life
Ahhh. Thank God for the weekend. Situations have been mounting, and I finally have time to take a break, relax and sort through some ambiguous opportunities. Life is so strange... seems like one day everything is all mapped out and the next, it'll leave you wondering if you need a backup plan to make it through. Honestly, these past few months have been extremely chaotic. Juggling work, school and friendships can be a tad bit demanding. So yeah - this weekend is well deserved!
So what's new with me? Currently, I'm trying to get some articles published on students matriculating through college with chronic illnesses; the challenges and struggles of the next generation. Researching the similarities and contrasting principles of this decade to previous ones is quite interesting, to say the least.
So relationships - ah, I didn't even know that word still existed. I'm slowly becoming a pessimist when it comes to finding a "ying to my yang". If I start elaborating on this, I'm afraid that I'll sound like an angry old man. So I'ma leave this one alone! :-) Nonetheless, I'm slowly starting to come around to this city. I'm having a sort of difficult time establishing solid friendships. This can be a task in itself.
Well, I am off to listen to some good ole Patti Labelle and catch up on my girl O.
*knockout*
So what's new with me? Currently, I'm trying to get some articles published on students matriculating through college with chronic illnesses; the challenges and struggles of the next generation. Researching the similarities and contrasting principles of this decade to previous ones is quite interesting, to say the least.
So relationships - ah, I didn't even know that word still existed. I'm slowly becoming a pessimist when it comes to finding a "ying to my yang". If I start elaborating on this, I'm afraid that I'll sound like an angry old man. So I'ma leave this one alone! :-) Nonetheless, I'm slowly starting to come around to this city. I'm having a sort of difficult time establishing solid friendships. This can be a task in itself.
Well, I am off to listen to some good ole Patti Labelle and catch up on my girl O.
*knockout*
25 February 2009
Texas Giant
About two years ago, a friend and I decided on taking a last minute trip to an amusement park. He was surprised when I told him that I had never been on the Texas Giant. With much anticipation, our first course of action when we arrived was to get on the big high-rise. Waiting in line, I remember my heart was beating so hard that it could have jumped out at any moment. The thought of going up over 140 feet in the air, on wood, was scary. Therefore, I asked to sit closer to the back.
The relevance of this ride in comparison to life is that often times, we have slow ups -- the challenges or situations that we avoid because they appear minor but eventually blow up in the end. Then, there are the fast downs -- when obstacles appear to be stacked on top of the other and the only alternatives that seems hopeful are: to quit, give up everything and walk away, throw a self-tantrum or to quit. Then, the side-to-sides are the opportunities that looks promising one day and then all of a sudden, swift change occurs without adequate notice. Finally, the rollercoaster was rather bumpy with heavy shakes. Hmmm. Sounds similar to life, right?
This proved to be one of the most interesting rides because when I got off the Texas Giant, I had a massive headache; one that I had never experienced before. The odd part is that the headache lasted for only a few minutes. The small pain that I felt then equates to natural struggles that appear hopeless in the moment, but once surviving what seems insurmountable, the growth, laughter and simple experience makes life all the more enjoyable. Now I'm thinking... I just can't wait until opening day on February 28th, so that I can hop onto the Texas Giant and experience in 3 minutes what life sometimes feel like.
*knockout*
The relevance of this ride in comparison to life is that often times, we have slow ups -- the challenges or situations that we avoid because they appear minor but eventually blow up in the end. Then, there are the fast downs -- when obstacles appear to be stacked on top of the other and the only alternatives that seems hopeful are: to quit, give up everything and walk away, throw a self-tantrum or to quit. Then, the side-to-sides are the opportunities that looks promising one day and then all of a sudden, swift change occurs without adequate notice. Finally, the rollercoaster was rather bumpy with heavy shakes. Hmmm. Sounds similar to life, right?
This proved to be one of the most interesting rides because when I got off the Texas Giant, I had a massive headache; one that I had never experienced before. The odd part is that the headache lasted for only a few minutes. The small pain that I felt then equates to natural struggles that appear hopeless in the moment, but once surviving what seems insurmountable, the growth, laughter and simple experience makes life all the more enjoyable. Now I'm thinking... I just can't wait until opening day on February 28th, so that I can hop onto the Texas Giant and experience in 3 minutes what life sometimes feel like.
*knockout*
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