Challenges

I have started a reading challenge for myself. I just started yesterday. Today is day 2 of my challenge. So far I am doing well. See the challenge is for me to finish my books to read list and so far I have a lot of things crossed off that list. Once that is done my next challenge is going to be to read all the books that I have bought. I think I can do it. As I am writing this I am thinking about how so many people challenge themselves to something in their lives. I think challenges can be a good thing if you are smart. Sure there have been challenges that are just plain stupid, but we can do good things if we try. It should be interesting to see how long it takes for me to finish this challenge. What do you think of challenges? I have never seen a challenge that was meant to make people think or make people make a good change. I was thinking about making a shirt that was going to boycott Sea World and see how many people take up this challenge. I never thought that I would think about making a shirt that was to boycott Sea World. So now I am thinking about two challenges. I know I won't get a response but it would be fun to see what people think of challenges. Maybe there is a reason why people hardly do challenges. I think it's because people don't know what is going to happen once they start one. I think also think it's because people want to but don't have the time or think they are silly to begin with. I hope that people start making challenges that they can do and feel good about it. So good luck to those who are going to start a challenge. Please let me know how it is going.

Question of the day: What do you think about challenges?

Challenge of the day: Start one challenge that sounds good to you and let me know about it please.

Finding peace

Finding peace is something that everyone tries to do. Even I am trying to find peace within my life. I read once called Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert and I learned that finding peace is something that you have to learn to find by learning more about yourself and what you like. She discovered her inner peace by traveling and by meditating. I am finding it by reading and learning to meditating and redecorating. But when do you find that inner peace? And when is it enough for you? I don't have all the answers but I can tell you that finding inner peace is something that I hope to achieve in my life. I love the fact that finding peace is something that I think everyone should find it. I think our world leaders should really find this time and age. For example, if you find peace how long do you hold on to it? Is finding peace in the arms of the one you love? Or is it in what you love doing? Who knows only you do. I hope that every one finds their peace and I hope to hear how you found it and what steps you took to keep it.

Question of the day: How did you find your inner peace?

Challenge of the day:  Write back and tell me how you found the steps to get to your inner peace.

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?