History

Every one has a history and we sometimes share it with others who ask. But sometimes our history has a way of coming back and haunting us for the worse. Sure there are ways of making sure that doesn't happen but we know we can't stop it. Even countries have a history that we don't like to hear about but we read them instead. I recently got done with a book called A concise history of Brazil. And in the book they talked about how Brazil got started and how their government ran. Sure their government wasn't perfect but neither is ours here in the USA. People have a way of judging people's history without getting to know all of the facts first. I think if we all took the time to learn more about history and then judged we might be able to find that we can get along. It isn't hard to find out how your own history can affect your day to day life. You have to be able to mange it without going nuts in the processes. Right now my Grandmother is in the process of writing down her own history. She is doing this because I have asked her to share her stories and explain more about herself. And yes this is taking a long time but for me it will be worth it because I can read about her through her memories. History is what you make it and how you live it. Don't let it hurt you either.

Question of the day: How has your own personal history come back to haunt you?

Challenge of the day: Make history by doing something that makes a difference in the world.

Pets

I think having a pet as an only child has taught me to be more happy. When you have a pet you find that having some one to run to the door every day is nice. Plus did you know that having a pet helps lower stress? I have a cat named Salem and he has been such a joy in my family. He plays with us and he even lays on the arm rest of a chair next to me or my grandmother and "helps" us read. Sure he gets loud but that's only because he wants his food right then and there. He will even wait for my grandmother to change his box before he uses it again. He is the type of pet that is good for my family because when my mom comes home from work he purrs nice and soft for her that way all the stress she has just goes away. And our cat likes to have his armpits rubbed. Yes you read that correctly. He will roll on his back and lift his front legs in the air over his head and waits for you to rub his armpits. Cute I know. Anyway back to the subject at hand. When you have a pet you can talk to them about your day without them judging you or talking back. They are there to love you. I don't get way people hurt their pets. What did they do to deserve it? They did nothing! They are here to love us and play with us. Pets are not here to get hurt. I think people who do that don't deserve to have a cute dog or cat or any other pet. Be kind to your pet they only want you to be happy after a long day of work.

Question of the day: What kind of pet do you have? And if you wanted one what would you get?

Challenge of the day: Donate to your local pet shelter every time some one asks.

Health

When your health is on the line you should be able to make it right. For example, by eating right or by exercising. I have been trying to eat right but when you walk by doughnuts it's kind of hard not to want one. I think stress can be good for your health but at the same time you have to be careful with how you handle that stress. When you get to stressed out you can feel bad. I have found that you get anxiety. When you meditate you can let go of some of that stress but you have to learn how to handle it the right way. Drinking and smoking doesn't help because it's bad for you. Eating to much isn't good for you. You have to be able to find a happy medium. How do you ask? Well first, make a list of all things that are negative in your life. Then take another piece of paper and write all things that are positive. Now I want you to throw out the paper that has all the negative thoughts on it. Next I want you to put that list of positive things some where, where you can see it in the morning, afternoon, and evening. Keep looking at that list and see that your health is getting a little bit better. I hope you have great health all year long and into the next year. Peace be with you.

Question of the day: How have you changed your health?
Challenge of the day: Comment back on how health is both bad and good

Finding peace

Finding peace within one's life is not an easy task to accomplish. You have to be able to look at yourself and see what you want to change for the better. For me it's telling a guy that I am happily dating someone and no you can't have my number. Or telling a guy friend no you can't come over. I think finding peace with your past is also important because there are people who still hold on to it. And I am one of them. My boyfriend has told me to let it go and live for now. Well that theory is easy to do if you know how. I have tried to let go and not look back but it's not easy. Are there people out there with the same problem as me? I'm sure there is. But when do we say enough is enough? When do we say I will never look back again? Is it easy? Is it good for our minds and hearts? I don't know. But I want to be able to find peace without being a snob about it. For example, when you tell some one you have found peace they look at you like you are better then them or they don't believe you.  For some people finding peace is so easy that they never look back but for others it is so hard that they have trouble in their face. What is the secret to finding peace you ask? I will let you know when I find it. I guess it could be found in a good book or in music. But finding peace means you have to be OK with letting go completely. And I think that's OK. I will do it. But until then I am still looking for it.

Question of the day: When was the last time you found peace?
Challenge of the day: Let go of your past and move forward

Arguments

Arguments are apart of any relationship. We have to be able to pick the argument in question because either way things are going to be said that shouldn't. For example, if you bring up the past. That's just it leave the past alone. Or if you bring up something that the other person did last week. Things are going to be said and you have to be able to move past those hurtful things by calming down, going into separate corners, and then coming out of time out and talking about it in a calm voice. If you are a parent make sure you close the door or have the kids go to a room and close the door. We as humans always find something to argue about. But what happens when we argue? Well, like I said things are said that can and will be hurtful. But that shouldn't have to happen. If we all took a deep breath and counted to 10 then talked about it without yelling and swearing then things would get fixed a lot quicker. I see now point on yelling and pointing the finger at the other person. Sure it's OK to tell that person how you feel about it but you have to be willing to let the other person speak their piece as well. Arguments will always be there in life but you have to be able to step up and face them head on with out harsh words being said or violence.When arguments turn into violence no one wins that. We as a whole need to be able to keep the arguments in check in our minds. That way we can think about what we want to say before they can hurt that other person.  Just a few minutes ago my boyfriend and I got into an argument and we talked about it without the yelling and swearing. We took the to hear what the other person is saying and how they feel about it. I think it's important to talk about feelings during an argument because then both people can work on it together. But that's how I feel about it. So don't like arguments bring the two of you down. Use them as a building tool in life.

Question of the day: Have you ever gotten into a bad argument before?
Challenge of the day: Talk about your feelings to the other person without getting into an argument

Father's day

Father's Day is coming up quick and we all know that it is important to buy dad something. But when did father's day become so commercial?  I remember getting my dad a tie or socks or whatever and he liked it. But this time around what do I get my dad that isn't cheese. Well I could get him a superman action figure. Or batman. I don't know. I have found that as the years go on Father's day has kind of lost all meaning. I mean sure the theme is still there but what does Father's Day mean to people know? Is it supposed to be special or not? Do you feel obligated to get a card or not? As Father's day gets closer I still haven't gotten my dad anything. Does Father's day ever get old for some people? I don't know. But there are a lot of things that I don't know.

Question of the day: What does Father's Day mean to you?

Challenge of the day: Write a letter to your dad telling him how you feel

Dating

Dating can be rough and for some of us we get it right way to late. Dating is a game and we all play the dating game. For some people they win and for others they loose. So what do you do when we lose? We keep looking until we find the right one for us. Like my mom always told me. "Men are like shoes the next one could be your favorite until a new pair catches your eye." And I never really got it until now, when I met my current boyfriend. He is new to the dating game and now he is done because he met the one which is me. I found the one when he and I first met in school. But when you have been in the dating game for a long time it can be a very hard habit to break. You know you want out of the game because you have met the one but you some how keep getting pulled back in. I know how that feels. I feel like that every time my ex talks to me. But I always come out by being happy. Because I talk to my boyfriend about it and he is trying to help me out. So find a man who is willing to be there for you know matter what. But a man who is willing to stick it out until the end is very rare in this dating game. You have to look and you have to keep your head held high and your walls up until he or she shows up to save you. You never know when that right person will show up in your life after you stop playing the dating game. Ever wonder who made up the rules to this game we all love to play? Do they really need to be in play so to speak? Should we even make up our own rules? I often wonder why we have rules to this love life. When do the rules change? Do they ever change at all?

Question of the day? Does the dating game ever change at all?

Challenge of the day? Write down rules to live by and use them for good.

National Parks and Monuments

May I just say that visiting a National Park and Monuments are really cool and fun at the same time. For the past three days maybe two I have seen the Grand Canyon and a few others. And I have learned a lot about them. One of them was how we need to take care of the land around us. And one of the ways to do that is by picking up trash that doesn't belong on the ground. We should also reuse, reduce, and recycle. We should never take our planet for granted in any way. We have to keep our National Parks and Monuments clean and open so our future generations can see them and learn from them. So all I can say is go see our National Parks and Monuments.

Fitting in

We have all been at that point were we find out how we fit in. We never seem to realize that fitting in isn't cool anymore. I mean sure it was back in High School but now it seems like a lot more stress in our lives that we don't need.  No matter where you go you always want to fit in. But at the end of the day we see that no matter how hard we try we never can. We always feel out of place. I feel that way right now with the job I'm at. And my mom always tells me if you don't like it then try to make it work for you. I have no come to realize that I need to take that step and tell myself that there is something else out there for me to do. I can do whatever I put my mind to and if that means leaving a place that has to much going on for my mind to take in then so be it. I don't want to be unhappy with my work I want to be happy. Work stress is never good for anyone. And we all try to make it work for us but that never seems to work sometimes. I'm even trying to ignore the other co-worker that gets on my nerves. And yes I should let it go in one ear and out the other but that's not easy. You have the power to go to your boss and tell your boss how you feel without making it seem like your the crazy one. It always seems like our best isn't good enough. We are told day in and day out to just take a deep breath and focus. We've tried that now what? I say we take a vacation and tell our minds cool down for a little bit and then try again. We can be nice for so long before we explode. So how do we fit in? By not caring about how the other co-workers think. We need to show people that we as individuals can think for ourselves and that we can fit in without being rude or stuck up. So here is a rule to live by.

1) ALWAYS BE YOURSELF.

A good rule to live by.

Challenge of the day: 1) Comment back about what you think and 2) Try not to fit in
Question of the day: What does fitting in mean to you?

Thoughts

Thoughts are something that come and go in a person's mind each and every day and night. We sometimes get so consumed by these thoughts that we don't realize how much we have missed in the world. We rarely take time to stop and let go of these thoughts that keep our minds running at full speed. When we lose our train of thought we always seem to go back where we left off the last time. Thoughts can be helpful or hurtful it just depends on the thought that you have. We have to make sure that some thoughts are kept to yourself because you never know who might hear what you have to say. Choose your words carefully. Express your thoughts through something good like in a poem that way know one will know what you are trying to say. Each day some one either has a good thought or a bad one. I have found that when thoughts are used for good then good things will and can happen to you. But when you think bad thoughts bad things happen. So go with the good thoughts that will help you in the long run. Never let your thoughts decided how you should find work or some one to spend your life with.

Challenge of the day: Write down all the good thoughts and keep them and then write down the bad thoughts and burn them.

Question of the day: Can thoughts be harmful to your life?

Boyfriends

OK ladies here is the subject we all love to talk about. I think having a boyfriend can be a blessing and a curse because when you are dating a guy we have this feeling that comes over us and makes us want to make sure that he is taken care of before we take care of yourselves. But when is it OK to tell our guys take care of me now? All the time. When my feet hurt I ask my man to rub them for me and he does or he will rub my back. But then there are times where I look at him and think why did i say yes when he asked me out? But then that love shines through and i look at him and think that's why. When we look at our guy we want to make sure that they are happy with the way we look and carry ourselves. But at the same time we have to make sure we are happy at the same time. As a couple we need to put our pride aside and let love take over. When we talk to our man we need to tell him how we feel about a certain situation and we need to mean it. There are times when we need to treat our men like little kids. Here is another story. On Saturday I got mad at my boyfriend and told him to go into time out. And he did. See a little kid and I had to do the same thing yesterday. Boyfriends can be a pain but they can be sweet and kind at the same time. Mine buys me a rose every time he buys a lottery ticket. It means a lot when he tries and it should mean a lot to you when your man tries. Now matter how hard we try we can't change them and make them the way we want them to be. So ladies let's help our guys understand how we feel by talking to them and not arguing with them.

Challenge of the day: Write a love letter to your guy and let him read it
Question of the day: Do you think writing love letters are good or bad?

Change

Change is something that not everyone is ready for or able to handle.  Some people think that when a person changes for the better it's a joke. Well I'm going through that right now where I have to decide either I change for the better or I stay the same. When you want to make a change that can be for the better then you go for it. Don't let that moment pass you by. Sure people are going to look at you and ask you why but that's none of their business. When I told my friends that I wanted to change they laughed at me saying I couldn't do it. Well I did and I'm still learning how to change for the better. Sure it's going to take some time but in the end it will be worth it. Change isn't a bad thing. We humans think that when change happens it will either be good or bad. I think change is the way you make it in life. You have the opportunity to change your life some how in this world and some people don't take that when it comes knocking on their door. I think if change is at your door knocking then you should answer it and welcome it. And if the change is bad some how make it work for you that way you don't get upset over it. Make change work for you and only you. Or you can make it work for your family. Every one has to make that choose to change once in their lives and when you do that then you will see how much you needed that change.

Challenge of the day: Change something about yourself
Question of the day: Do you think change is possible.

Romance

Romance is something that needs to happen over time. I have found that romance can something of a big deal when you know how to do it the right way. You can't just jump right in on the first date. You need to take it slow. Get to know the person first. You never know what kind of person you are dating until you get to know them. There is a show on TV about teen moms and I watch that show and think they break up and have problems because they think they know that other person. But they really don't. Romance is something that needs to be able to grow and it has to be nurtured. When the time comes so will the romance. Love has to be first and you will see that romance in the next chapter of the relationship. I think that romance is important but at the same time it can't be rushed. Romance is like a fine wine. You can't drink it to fast. You have to enjoy it first with each sip. So take it slow with your romance.

Challenge of the day: How do you let the romance in your relationship grow?
Question of the day: Do you think romance is important?

Heartbreak

Heartbreak is something that we all try to avoid if possible. When we get to that point of heartbreak we find ourselves at the cross-road we want to run away from. So what do we do if we reach that cross-roads? We think of the easiest way possible for us to heal faster and not slower. Heartbreak is always going to be there waiting for us to mess up or waiting for some one to hurt us in the process. But we can pick ourselves us and we can fix our own broken hearts by going on a trip or by going shopping. There are many ways to heal this broken heart but we forget that sometimes we need to be able to heal without the pain of remembering why it got broken to begin with. When we forget it heals. For the first time in our lives we are able to look back and say I was able to heal on my own. But we also get help from people we never knew wanted to help in the first place. When I met my boyfriend he and I were just friends. We knew each other but we never really talked one on one. So one day I was upset and he walked up to me and sat down and we just talked. Well I talked he listened because he felt bad. When my ex and I broke up I sent him a text message and once again he let me talk about my feelings and my broken heart. He was able to fix it just by listening to what I had to say. He didn't even judge me about my feelings. He is trying to make sure that my heart doesn't get broken again. So maybe the answer is simple. We need to find some one who will just listen without judging us and hold us when we cry and not say a word. We need to be able to find that right one who will help us with our problems. Maybe with a little help from our hearts we can find the  one who will help heal our broken hearts for good.

Challenge of the day: Heal your own broken heart by taking care of yourself
Question of the day: How are you able to heal your broken heart?

Why?

Why is the question we always ask ourselves when nothing goes our way. We seem to always look for the answer when we are stuck in the famous Why question. At lunch today with my boyfriend I asked him the why question. His answer to my question was because I needed you in my life. My question was "Why me?" Sometimes we want the answer right after we ask ourselves this question and that is impossible because if we knew the answer in the first place we wouldn't be asking ourselves the question to begin with. So how do we keep ourselves from asking the "Why" question? Well there is no way that I know of. If there is then I would like to know how to keep myself from asking it as well. We can never be sure of how the answer will come to us. For some it comes to late or it comes right away. But sometimes it comes after we stop thinking about it. Being able to stop and think is a good way to kind of stale the question we keep asking each and every day. We will always ask ourselves why but at the end of the day isn't it obvious? As people we expect the answer to come quickly but when it doesn't we get upset and we move on. There is no shame on asking ourselves why do we do the things we do. So my question to you is this. When do we stop asking ourselves why?

Challenge of the day: For a month don't ask yourself the why question
Question of the day:  Do you ever ask yourself the why question at night?

Changes

Changes are something that can be easy or hard to make. We all want to change but when is it enough for us. As humans we think that change can be hurtful or helpful but it all depends on how you make that change and what you want to change. You can change the way you look but there are people who loved you the way you looked before. But that change has to be able to stick to you and your life. Change is never easy and it can effect those around you if you don't let them know. But there are those changes where you don't need to tell anybody and just do it. If you want to better yourself then just do it. Here in Florida there are a lot of changes each and every day. And it's always in the paper. If we don't make changes within the place we live we can not make changes to how we act. We have to be able to let the B.S. go and say enough is enough. We should also say I can make those changes and if no one likes it then oh well. We shouldn't be afraid of making changes that are good for us and the world. When we make changes we want to make sure that we do it when we know how to do it. We can't always make other people happy when we decide to make a change that might be good for us in the end.  We have to be able to take a step back and say to ourselves I need to make a change and I need to make that change now. We can't wait for some one to make the change for us we have to do that on our own. But if we do it on our own then people will ask us how we did it and why. So what do you say to some one who asks us why? You look at them with a straight face and say I did it because I can and I feel good about it. If the change makes you happy then you should make that change to benefit you and your lifestyle. So good luck with the changes you decide to make in your life. May it work out for you.

Challenge of the day: Make changes that help you with your lifestyle.
Question of the day: How have changes helped you?

Confusion

Confusion is something that makes people start to doubt what they know or knew. Sometimes people get so caught up in their confusion that they find themselves in this state that they don't know how to get out of it. It's use to confuse yourself but how did it get to the point where you don't know how to fix it or yourself? As people we need to be able to stop and think before we get more confused but then when we do that we get more confused. I have found that when you get confused about a situation that you don't know how to fix you can go to some one you trust and ask them to help. I never thought how much confusion there is in this world. Of course we as humans have to be smart enough to go through this world without being stuck on a confusing situation when we are faced with one. So when do you accept this confusion for what it really is a really dumb thing? We can only try to figure out how to make the problem work in our favor not the problems favor. We have to be able to say no to the problem when we have to pick which option works against us. Only then must we say I was able to figure out the confusion that I was facing and I can do it again. We will never know how to make confusion completely go away. So here's another toast. A toast to confusion. May we always continue to figure out how to fix the problems you throw at us.

Challenge of the day: When you get confused take a step back and breath
Question of the day: How bad does confusion get for you?

Clarity

Clarity is something that every one needs in their life. You may not know it at the time but you do. There are times when we have to stop and look at ourselves and say when do I get to relax without worrying about other people. It's easy to say I need time to myself but when you do get time to yourself what do you do? Well there are some people who make sure that the house work gets done or clothes get washed. But when do you just get to lay in bed without having to make sure the house is clean or the clothes are clean? All we seem to do is work. When we do get days off we need to go to the beach and just listen to the waves crashing against the shore. Or we need to have a movie marathon of your favorite movies. I watch TV until I get tired and then I get some sleep. We need to make sure our relationships have clarity as well because things can be said and they can be hurtful towards that person. When we don't express our thoughts to that person they can't help us fix it. But at the same time when is it OK not to express how we want our clarity? We need to make sure that the clarity is what we want in our lives because we never know how it will work with us at that moment in time. So what can we do to make sure we clarify ourselves and our lives? Well I hate to say it I don't have the answer to that question. I think it takes time to make sure you know what you want to say and do with your time. Clarity doesn't come over night this much I know. I also know that you need to be able to tell the difference between your world and the real world. You need to be able to stop and say I don't want to continue to push myself over the edge everything I do something wrong. But when you stop and meditate then the clarity shows up. I don't know when clarity will show up for me or you but if we work on it then one day we will be able to say I did it on my own. So here is a toast to clarity may it bring us want we hoped for.

Challenge of the day: Stop and think about what clarity means to you.
Question of the day: Does clarity help at all or is it fake?

When to let go of the past

Letting go of the past is never easy because we always think about it at one time or another. We think about it when we hear a song on the radio or when we see an old family photo. But how do we let go of the past when an ex is involved? I have found that the only way to let go is to not answer any text messages sent your way. Why let the pain back in when you want it to go away. The best advice I got was to not open the door for more pain and heartache. You never know how it will effect that person you are with at the time. Sure it is helpful when you tell that person because that way you both can help each other. When my ex texted me today I told me boyfriend about it and he called me and asked me what he wanted so I told him the truth. Was there any fighting or yelling between the two of us? No, because we both knew how to handle it. So I didn't text back. If you don't give that other person the power then you can live a happy life with the person you are with. Plus an ex should never be a friend. leave that person a lone and in the past. Sure all of this sounds like crap but you will find that it might be helpful to leave that ex alone. Sure you may want to text back is it worth it again? Do you really want your heart to get broken again? I know I wouldn't want that to happen to me. Plus my boyfriend would be every upset with me if I ever texted my ex back. Never get into a fight with your ex because that just tells them that you still have a thing for them when you really don't. Like I said before don't reply back to their text messages and then hopefully they will get the hint. And if they don't block their number. It worked for me.

Challenge of the day: Make a list of things that are different between your current and ex.
Question of the day: Should ex's become friends with you?

Comments

Comments are the words that can hurt or make some one feel good about themselves. We hear them every day at work or at home or any where. I think comments should be given when they are needed and when some one asks for it. I make sure to go through the comments to find the one that might help in any situation. Comments should never be hurtful but helpful. When some one gives you a mean comment what do you do? Well some say you should let it roll off your back and some say you should go tell the boss. So how do you handle it? Well you ignore it because it's not worth your job if you confront that person who made that comment. When comments are made you have to make sure that they don't bother you at all. Sure you can take them for what they are worth but in the end isn't you who makes the decision to follow with what they are? And who made it at the time? Like my boyfriend told me never let one bad comment ruin your day. Comments are supposed to be helpful or at least I think so. But in the real world they only hurt that person. So never take a comment head on because you never know how to interpret that comment that's been made. So what you do now with this is up to you.

Challenge of the day: When you get a comment towards you don't let it bother you.

Question of the day: Do you let comments get to you?

Finding the one

We all have that goal in life to finding the one. We know that person is out there but where? Sometimes that person is right in front of us. I met the one when I was at a technical school in Florida and I didn't know it at the time. So one year later I'm still with that person. Sometimes it takes us a while to figure out that what we want is not always there for us. We as humans must put aside our notions that the perfect person is out there. Not every one is perfect. We can help them be their full potential but at the end of the day we must make our standers not work against us. So when is it OK to let people know what we want out of a relationship? On a dating site maybe? Or how about when you are talking to your friends? Either way you have to make sure that you found the right one other wise you might be in trouble. So here is a quick story for you all. 54 years ago my grandparents met at work my grandmother wanted nothing to do with my grandfather. So she had coffee with him once and she still didn't fall in love with him. So 54 years later they are still married. I am the second oldest out of 5 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild. They have 3 daughters also. So you see even when you don't like that person at first they may end up being the one for you. Never give up on finding that one person that makes you feel good about yourself. I found the one and I know he did to. So good luck to finding the one.

Challenge of the day: Don't give up on love
Question of the day: Do you think the one is out there?  

Stress

When stress enters our lives we know or don't know how to handle it. We feel like we are falling out of the sky and we don't know how we are going to land. We think we might fall on our faces and we might not be able to get back up by ourselves. When we get stressed out we find ourselves in a world where we don't know if we will get over the stress. So what do we do in the mean time? Some of us drink, smoke, whatever. I talk to my boyfriend because I know he will make me feel better about whatever is bothering me at the time and then I cry I feel better then to. Naps are good as well. They say that if you have a pet your stress levels will go down because they greet you at the door and they make sure that you are OK. I have also tried reading a book when I am stressed and it does work because your mind gets into the book. I have heard that when you meditate you start to feel better about your world. So when can you say enough is enough to all the stress that hurts you in life? I think that a little stress is good but sometimes that little stress becomes to big to handle on your own and you need help trying to figure out how to handle it. So can you trust some one to help you with all of the stress? I'm sure there is some on who is trust worthy but you never know what that person might say to other people. I write how I feel in a journal and it goes away. So don't let stress get the better of you in this life.

Challenge of the day: How do you handle stress?
Question of the day: Can stress be good or bad?

Finding wisdom

Finding wisdom can be a very hard thing to do when we don't know where to look. For the fun of it I'm reading a text book about wisdom that I got from a school I went to. I am on chapter four right now and I've learned a lot of words that are new to me. But in this book it explains how we as humans are trying to find ourselves in this world. Is it possible that we go to these self-help books to gain more wisdom about ourselves or our lives? Is it possible that we are trying to balance both on one foot in this rat race as we like to call it. I have also read books from a Native American point of view and I loved it because it taught me how I need to be at peace with the world around me. They as say you grow older you gain more wisdom. I think it's because we want to continue to learn about things that are happening around us day-to-day. So can we gain wisdom as we grow older? Maybe we can. I would like to think that if we keep our minds sharp and educated we will. But if we don't we will lose what we have learned about life and it's history. Maybe we need to all stop and clear our minds from the bad stuff and let the good stuff in. Maybe there should be a day were every one types up as many letters as they can to people and then burn them. Wisdom comes from experience not by how you make a change in life. I have found that people who have wisdom know a lot about life because they saw many things happen in their life time. I try to talk to my grandparents as much as possible about what they think about the world today. If they don't share it how are we supposed to teach our children? So when I say finding wisdom find a person who as seen it all and share it with others.

Challenge of the day: Read about history and share it with others
Question of the day: Do you think wisdom is a good or bad thing?

Meditation

Meditation is a wonderful thing that helps people find their balance in this crazy world. I have heard that if you meditate at least once a day you will start to feel better about the world around you. Do I think this is true? I think it is. I have tried it once or twice but I never stuck to it. I think if you stick to it then you will notice a difference within yourself. But are there people out there would would sit in a quiet room for an hour maybe longer and meditate? What if your nose starts to itch? Can you move without some one giving you a dirty look? What if you have to go to the bathroom? You would think that it would be hard to do because you would or might get stiff in the knees or legs. I would have the urge to move just so my knees won't get stiff. Health wise I'm sure it helps bring stress levels down a lot. And it helps babies go to sleep during the day. Right now I'm listening to a 26 minute meditation music and I am typing this blog. So maybe it does help but only if you are doing something that makes you stop and think. I would love to be able to sit in a room and not be bothered by people and meditate all day. Or maybe half the day. I don't know. So what is it about mediation that is so great? Was it ever a craze? Is it in as the media calls it? Is it possible for some one like you or me to sit for an hour and just turn our phones off and clear our minds and let the stress melt off of us? I don't know. My mom tried it once and it didn't last to long. I have read books on how to meditate and how to do it the right way. I tried it but it didn't work for long. So good luck if you decided to meditate.

Challenge of the day: Meditate for one hour and write about how you felt afterwards
Question of the day: How long can you meditate?

Believe in yourself and each other

When it comes to believing in yourself and each other it can be hard because a lot depends on how you handle things in life. When you tell yourself that you can do it on your own you start to think it. A lot of people have this problem and I am one of them. But when it comes to believing in each other that can be like pushing a mountain with one hand. As a couple it is important to make sure that both of you are comfortable with each other and with the situation. If you can sit down and talk about what is bothering the of you without getting into a big fight then that means you have accomplished something big in the relationship. If you keep telling yourself that you can change a little thing with yourself then you accomplished something big within your own life. How hard is it really to make a small change in your life? I mean doesn't every one at least try? Well for some people it can be hard but for others it's easy. I am trying to make a small change but taking care of my skin more and my health. I never knew how it would feel to make this small change but now I see that it can be done with a little reminder and help. My boyfriend and I have come to realize that when we believe in each other we become more at ease with what we are doing in our lives. So how can people like he and i make sure we stay on this path of small change? We keep telling ourselves that we can do it. So keep up the small change craze and help those you love with the small change as well.

Challenge of the day: Make a list of small changes you want to make and follow them
Question of the day: Do you think small changes are possible?

Dancing

So we all think that we are good dancers and I'm sure that's true but if you think about we are good dancers in our own minds. When I dance all I do is jump around and get dizzy. Or I almost fall of the bed because I'm dancing to a song I like. So really it is fun but painful because you can hit a hall or step on some one's foot by mistake. None of my guy friends that I used to talk to in High School danced because it wasn't cool to them. Well that's fine with me but I still had a great time. Dancing is a way to let loose and have fun and not think about your crazy day at work or at home.The stress just seems to melt away from you. So the argument could also be said that it can help you release stress from every day life. When you dance you feel like the world is not there because afterwards you feel some what better until a new song comes on. When I dance to make sure it's to songs that I like and I want to make sure I can feel better afterwards. Weddings are fun because them every one thinks that they can dance after a few drinks. That's why when I get married my dance party is going to be at  my in-laws. That way no one can leave drunk. Dancing should never be done on the stairs or a wet floor because you can hurt yourself. I knew some one who did that. So dance people have fun but be smart about it at the same time.

Challenge of the day: Make a list of songs you like and just dance
Question of the day: How many songs do you like?

How to handle friends

Friends are a part of life that never gets easy. They have their options and they like to speak them. I have found that if you have a friend who doesn't like your boyfriend or your other friend then you some how deal with it in  your own way. So how do you deal with the back and forth between friends? You back out slowly and carefully. I have tried to handle friends with a scene of I don't know how to say it but I have told my friends to handle it in a mature way not like children. How is that that some times you are the adult trying to make peace with everything. When is it time to give up on helping them make peace with the ones they hate? I have told my friends that they have to handle their problems in a mature way and leave their friends out of their problems. If you have a problem go to your mom or dad or both. If you have a boyfriend or a girlfriend go to them. Just handle it in your own way. It can be hard to tell them how you feel because they won't like it but that's OK because that's how you feel. I had to do that and both of  my friends didn't like it. Oh well is what I have to say. You h ave to be able to know when to step back and do you. Friends come and go but family is always there to have your back. I never thought it would come down to just being me and boyfriend but that's OK because he and I are trying to stay away from the drama and we are trying to become a good couple. So how do you tell your friends that you don't care? You tell them.

Challenge of the day: If you are going through a rough time with friends tell them how YOU feel.
Question of the day: Do you wish like you could scream all day when your friends bother you?

How to better your relationship

When you want to better your relationship you have to make sure that the both of you are ready to make that step together. You can't make the other person change because you say so that's not how it works. You have to work together as a team to make sure that both of you are on the same page. My boyfriend and I are going through the same problems that all couples go through. I make sure to remind him that if I didn't care I would have left him a long time ago. And I still tell him that if he keeps hurting me I will leave. Now this isn't a very good way to make him understand where I'm coming from but at the same time that is the only way I can get him to listen to what I have to say. I have always told my boyfriend to leave our friends out of our problems and this is true because if you think about it they could make it worse for the both of you. Rules need to be put in place once the relationship starts. If you have rules then the two of you can make it work and fix it. Here are some steps that might help you understand what I'm coming from.

1) Make a list of rules that the two of you can follow
2) Talk it out and leave friends out of it
3) Never say hurtful things it only makes it worse
4) Be honest with each other
5) Always say I love you and I'm sorry

I hope these steps can help you. If you both are starting to think about ending it try a couples workbook and see how that helps the two of you reconnect. Don't give up on it just yet.

Challenge of the day: Sit down with your boyfriend/girlfriend and just talk about general stuff
Question of the day: Do you think a relationship can be fixed?

Gossip

Gossip. Something that the world revolves around. We as humans need gossip like we need air. But when does it seem like gossip has become more important then our own needs and wants? I have found that gossip is like watching TV with your friends. In other words we crave it. We buy so many gossip magazines that we forget that we live in a world with more important issues. What is it going to take for people to understand that as a whole we need to change the world in a positive way then in a negative way? When I see a magazine with gossip on the front page it makes me want to gag. Who cares that this celebrity is doing or that one. Who cares? I want to change the world were gossip doesn't happen but that is just in fantasy land. I can and will admit that I can gossip but there is a time and a place for it and work is not one of them. Gossip hurts people's feelings and it can get them every upset. I don't talk to my friends because of this. I only talked to one friend today and I told her how I felt about this whole thing between her and her ex. My boyfriend and I just don't want to deal with it anymore. At the end of the day it just might cause you to lose some sleep over it. Plus some of it could be a complete lie. In that case you should and need to take a step back from it and tell yourself not to get involved at that point. Talking about it is only going to make it worse and some one could get mad over it. Since when was it OK to start making gossip more than it should be? Why can't we as a whole leave things alone? Why can't we just say enough is enough? Why drag things on for so long? I don't see any point in it at all. Do you? Should we take a break from gossip at all? Yes.

Challenge of the day: For one month don't buy any gossip magazines and don't gossip about other people.
Question of the day: Would you be willing to stop gossiping about people?

How to mend a broken heart

They say time heals all wounds but some how I find that hard to believe because when you get a broken heart you find that the only person you can trust is you. Sure you have family and friends but what do you do if no one wants to hear it? I say make something that expresses how you feel and hang it up somewhere for every one to see. I have read a self-help book just so I can fix my broken heart. Every one coupes with things differently. I have found that when you work on it yourself it can either be good or bad. I had help but in the end it took a long time to fix it. I'm not saying that you should listen to everyone what I'm saying is do the things you love to do without being questioned about it. Or go on a cruise for two weeks. Do something different. I went to Sea World here in Orlando, FL for the day and I felt a little bit better. But do what you want to do I'm just giving an example. A friend of mine called me one day and told me her problems and I told her that she had to move on because thinking about it wasn't good for her. I think that if you think about for more than a week then you need to find something that will make you forget about that bad thing. Your heart is important so take good care of it. Your health is important as well. Never put yourself or your heart through so much stress. A little stress is good but to much of it can be very bad for your health. So here are some steps to try to mend your broken heart.

1) Listen to the songs of the 80's you will be amazed. It works for me
2) Go on a trip for two weeks. You will feel better
3) Write a poem about how you feel
4) Dance on your bed to one song from The Who
5) Make a list of words that will make you feel better
6) Go out with friends after a long week at work

I hope some if not all of these things help.

Challenge of the day: Write these steps down and add more and just do them
Question of the day: How do you mend a broken heart?

Decorating

Decorating is something that can be good for people. I say that because some times we all need a change. It helps when you know what you want and how you want it. But it also helps if you know what your idea is and how you want it to look. Right now I'm in the process of trying to redecorate my boyfriend's room. Key word trying. I got one wall done and that's it. I think decorating is something that should clear the mind and help people tape into their creative side. I think decorating is a good way to express oneself. In life you have to be able to express yourself without feeling bad and that's why you have decorate yourself and where you live. I have always wanted to decorate my room the way I want to and I just might do that. I think decorating is a good way to be able to have fun with what you have in front of you.

Challenge of the day: Find a room a make your own
Question of the day: If you could redecorate something what would it be

Ex-boyfriends vs Ex-friends

OK so we have all been there the ex-boyfriend or ex-friend. What is a person to do when you are stuck in the middle and have to chose between the two? Well you do what any person who do don't chose. I know it sounds bad but if you think it about that's two less people you have to worry about in life. Like I used to tell my friends your health is what's important not their feelings. Sure it's OK to have feelings but where do they get you? Either into trouble or into a state of sadness. Not every one is going to like the decisions you make but it's your life not theirs. They have no right to tell you what to do. Yes, they can give you advice but it's up to you to take it or leave it. Either way some one is going to get their feelings hurt. And it's going to be yours. Having an ex-boyfriend is OK as long as he respects your personal space. And the same goes for the ex-friend. I think the only time it's OK to talk about them is when you have a journal. I keep all of my thoughts in it. I don't think it's fair to end a relationship just because some one doesn't chose between the people who care and the person you date. It shouldn't be that bad but it is. What I don't get is how some one looks at you with a straight face and tells you that you have to pick. In my case it was over the phone. But in the end he made that decision for me. So which is worse the ex-boyfriend or the ex-friend? I say both because you never know what they might say or do to you.

Challenge of the day: Write a letter to your ex-boyfriend and ex-friend and tell them how you feel without sending it. Just ripe it up into tiny pieces.

Question of the day: Do you have an ex-friend?

Start overs

Start overs I hear they are possible but can it be done? My friend has decided to start over with her life. She is now in a school with dorms and learning to become a nurse. I'm glad for her because she needed a start over. So I guess it is possible but you have to be willing to start over. Meaning you have to be able to decide either or not if you want to start over on something in your life. I have always wondered how it would feel to have that option of starting over. I guess I realized that when I met my boyfriend who I have been dating for 11 months. I have come to realize that I can start over with my love life. He has taught me that it is possible to start over with love. I often wondered what people want to start over with. Is it love? Work? What is it that makes people want to start over? I guess the only person that knows that is that person. I have read books where they teach you how to start over but can it happen? I guess it can. What do you think. Can you learn how to start over? And how long will it take you to start over again? I would love to learn how but I think it is possible to make that change on your own. Sure you can ask for help but at the end of the day can a book help you learn how to start over.

Challenge of the day: Make a list of things that you want to fix or start over on and see what happens when you do
Question of the day: Is it possible to start over on love?

How to love yourself

Loving yourself can sound weird but some how it can be possible. I have a hard time doing this because when I look at  myself in a mirror I don't see a pretty person. But it helps when you have some one who cares about your feelings. I am trying to tell myself that I do have worth. How can you do the same? Well it's easy. In my last blog I wrote down steps for you all to try and I will tell you to stick with it. So here are some more steps that you can try.

1) Tell yourself every day that you have worth
2) Don't give up on yourself or life
3) Go on a vacation just by yourself and have fun with it
4) Don't call yourself bad names
5) Always look at yourself in a good way

Now I know that these sound stupid but some how I think these might work. You just have to work on them everyday. It will be hard trust me I know but you can do it. I am still working on this and it can be hard because you will have days were you will feel bad about the way you look and then there will be days where you feel great. I'm trying to have more days that are great and that is the key to all of this. Have more great days. I hope that when you try to follow these steps you will see how much of a difference it will make.

Challenge of the day: Tell yourself that you can make yet another difference
Question of the day: How will you change the world?

Communication

I have found that in most relationships communication is or was never there in the beginning of said relationship. I think it is very important to have communication in a relationship because both of you need to be able to talk about things that are bothering you. It is or can be bad for the both of you in the end. Not all relationships are going to start out perfect. Sure some of them do but in the end something happens and it gets broken. If couples took the time to fix their relationships in a good way cheating and all this other stuff wouldn't be happening. It's all about trust and communication. My boyfriend and I have both decided that we need to talk about what is bothering us. Sure I'm the one doing most of the talking because his ex never did any of this with him. I'm trying to show him that it's OK to talk about what is on your mind. Sure he and I have our ups and downs what couple doesn't but he and I are getting to the point where we are losing that communication and we might get a workbook that will help us out with our relationship. He and I have tried everything but we keep forgetting the most important thing. Communication. Like my grandmother says if you don't use it you lose it. And that is so true. He and I aren't perfect but we are trying to fix it as a team. Sure you could go see a couple's counselor but that would cost a lot of money. Here are some easy steps for you and your partner.

1) Talk about your feelings when you are upset
2) Listen to what the other person has to say before you interrupt.
3) Talk don't yell
4) Go into separate rooms then come out and talk it out.
5)Never go to bed angry
6) Be loving to the other person
and the last one is.......
7) ALWAYS SAY YOUR SORRY!!!

I hope these help all of you out.

Challenge of the day: Find a workbook that the two of you can do and stick to it.
Question of the day: How important is communication to you?

Taking care of one's self

I have found that if you take care of yourself you will feel better about yourself. I have been trying to take care of myself by washing my face and making sure that my skin is healthy as well. I know its not easy to  do that all the time but I'm trying to make sure that I'm some what healthy. I used to look in the mirror and tell myself that I look horrible and I would always put myself down. And that wasn't good no one should do that to themselves. I have found that if you keep telling yourself you can do it then you will find more confidence. And that is the key to being happy and taking care of yourself. All you have to do is make a list of words that mean something to you and print them. The next step is to put that list some where, where you can see it every morning and repeat those words to yourself. Then you will start to believe them and you will feel better. That was one way another way is to go out after work every night and walk around the block and you will feel some what better with that. But the thing with that is you have to do it every night. Drink more water! Write down steps that are easy for you to do and then just do them. I have a list and I will share it with you.

1) Tell myself that I am pretty
2) Write in my journal every night
3) Talk about what I'm feeling with my boyfriend
4)  Eat more healthy foods (or at least try to)
5) Take better care of my skin

Well that's my list. I might add more. If you make a list then you can take one more step into taking care of yourself. Not every one takes good care of themselves.

Challenge of the day: Make a list of things you can do to take better care of yourself and make a list of words that mean something to you.
Question of the day: Do you think it's important to take care of yourself?

What in the world?!

We all  have those moments where you say to ourselves what in the world. Well I can tell you I have had a moment like that. You see a friend of mine was going through a rough time with her ex. Well what happened was they broke up and then started going back out. The reason why they broke up in the first place was because he cheated on her. Now you would think that would be a good reason to stay away from him right? WRONG!!!!! Anyway they started going back out. And once again there were problems from the start. They would always fight over the dumbest thing ever. So the breaking point was when she shared a photo of him over Facebook. Well he didn't like that at all. So he got mad at her and started cursing her out over Facebook. Well she didn't like that. Sadly I was the one she called and she told me about it. Well you would think if some one told you not to call them for a week you would do it because you don't know if they are joking or not. Well that happened as well. Now they aren't speaking and neither are the other two people she was friends with. So basically four people aren't speaking to each other. This is what I told a friend of mine to tell my friend April's ex. "Grow up act like an adult. Facebook should never be used to start or end a fight. What happens between the two of you should stay that way. Never bring other people into it." I said some other things but I can't remember. Now if you are like me you would say the same thing. So I told April the same thing and she wasn't happy about it. So I told her that's how my boyfriend and I feel about all of this. Anyway needless to stay she might be mad at me. Do I care? Not really because I'm trying to take care of myself and I'm trying to help my family and the same thing goes for my boyfriend. Now what would you have done in this situation? You probably would have done the same thing. So thank you all for being so understanding to this story.

Challenge of the day: Was there a time when you had to stop something bad from happening?
Question of the day: If you could end a fight right now how would you handle it like an adult?

Pictures

Like the saying goes a picture is worth a thousand words. And that is true but a picture can also bring some good and some bad memories to it. I had photos of my ex from high school and I threw them out because I didn't want to be reminded of the pain I went through with him. But at the same time I have photos of when I was growing up. I look at those and I see happy times. Each photo is worth something. I know there are some of you who look at a photo and say "what was I thinking wearing that?" Trust me I have thought the same thing. I will look at a photo of myself and go what was I thinking or I look fat. Each person says that all the time. But when we show other people they tell us how we look good in that photo. I think it is important to remember that when we take that photo that same photo is telling us how much we had at the time when it was taken. So really we shouldn't have to be concerned how we looked at the time. When we look at a family photo we see how much we have changed over the years. I think it is important to have a family photo taken because you will want to be able to look back on that photo and see how much your kids have grown. I'm still hoping that my boyfriend's family gets a new family photo taken because I know I will be apart of that special day. I think photos should be kept as a reminder that life is some thing to remember people by. Because you never know when you might want to take a walk down memory lane.

Challenge of the day: Gather as many photos as you can and put them all on a poster board and laminate it. As a reminder of life.

Question of the day: What moment in life would you capture with a camera?

Music

Music has a way to make people feel good about their day. I started listening to classic rock when I was in middle school and to this day I still listen to it. I am 23 years old and I have seen Styx twice, REO Speedwagon twice, Night Ranger twice, Foreigner, and Journey. And my list is growing still. I think people who listen to music have a huge list of favorite songs that they like. I think I have two page list of favorite songs. Every time I hear a song that i like I have to sing along with it. Like right now I'm singing to a song that I like. I think music is the key to life. If every one just took the time to listen to their favorite songs then they will have a good day. This morning I listened to The Who Baba O'Riley and I felt better the rest of the morning. Music makes the difference in lives. If there were no sad songs then people wouldn't be able to cry to them. If there were no love songs when what would couples slow dance too? Music is the bridge that brings people together. We all need to take time to listen to our own play list every day. On the way home from any where and away from home. When I listen to my favorite song I jump on my bed and dance to it until the song is over. Then I feel so much better about day. I think even the bad singers should sing along with their favorite songs. I think it is so amazing how a song can make some one feel bad or better about something. I love music. It has such a presence in life. I want to dance the night away to my favorite song until I can't dance any more. I bet it does the same for you.

Challenge of the day: Listen to your favorite songs and dance to them for no reason
Question of the day: What is your favorite song and why?