You wake up to your regular “Good Morning” text from the usual: may be your BFF, could be your kid, mom dukes, or that pretend-to-be significant other.  You reply back with the common and expected Good Morning.
You finally open your eyes and sigh at the realization that it is now time to get yourself up and together and face the world’s music today, no matter how fast or slow the melody is.  You even demand from yourself today that you will have a great attitude which in turn will produce a great day.

You say your prayers to the Most High and proceed.

You are now ready to face the world after you post on all your social media your positive thoughts for the day.
Before you get to work, you get that phone call which starts the negative path.

You get to work, your boss is being extra, you have some coworkers that you can’t stand the site of, some coworkers that can’t stand the site of you. You also try to overlook all of this and be productive, but then your day wouldn’t be complete without the circulating drama of the day.
Before lunchtime, your positivity has taken a setback, and you are now looking for the energy you started with.

And if you are like most that is of age to read this, you have at least a parent, grandparent, aunt, or other caretaker that you are now giving advice to or that may be in need of a helping hand.
You are trying your best to follow the word you heard on this past Sunday at church, but even some of the actions of the church now have you evaluating the worth of tithe giving and fellowship every Sunday.  You notice that even while sitting in the church, there is gossipers, liars, cheaters, and other sinners carrying out there sins right in your face at the same time you are trying to receive a blessing of good word.

You gather with family, only to hear about who did what to Joe Blow and how aunt Vickie is not speaking to Keiysha because she owes her son-in-law 7.50.  Your alleged best friend invites you out to a night of partying and drinking, even though she knows you are trying to cut back on your alcohol intake and settle down.

Road rage, traffic jams, baby mamma drama, rent’s due, car problems, kid’s working your nerves, parents sick, doctor putting you on meds, you’ve gained 5 lbs., you have no help at home, job doesn’t pay enough, taxes are high and everything else is low!
How do you keep your self in the “positive” so your well-being doesn’t go into the “negative”?

Reality check first.  Face the fact that you cannot change others or their circumstances.  You can only give a good word of encouragement and pray.
Don’t sweat the small stuff.  And I repeat, don’t sweat the small stuff.  So many things that you cannot change, you cannot change.  So how doesn’t worrying about them or dwelling on them help? It can only help you to an early grave.
You cannot make traffic go away. So why get worked up about it.  Instead, use this time to think of pleasant things such as where you would like to take your next vacation.  Even if you know you do not have the money, just dream.  This process retrains your brain and gives you a way to turn a negative into a positive.
When you start to get annoyed by family & friends, and even your job,  just stop and imagine them not being there anymore.  While yes, they all are a pain at times, but just think of how boring and lonely and hard life would be if you had no family, no friends and no job.
Your first thought may be, “Oh, I don’t need so & so.”  And maybe at the end of the day, that person just may be someone or something that produces negativity in your life. Simple answer.  Get rid of it.  Don’t keep complaining about it, do something about it.  Confront the situation or leave the situation.
Holding on to drama and negative vibes can have a very bad effect on your body and dampen your spirits.  It can change your outlook on life, not to mention it can have you in the hospital or possibly suffering from depression.

No! Don’t put yourself through this.

You should respect yourself and your worth.  Put no one before you and your needs.  Yes your job may need you, your kids may need you.  But if you continue to live for everyone else, your days will be numbered.  It is wonderful that you want to move up at your place of employment.  It is always a good feeling at the end of the day to feel as though you have accomplished everything you set out to do in respect to your kids and your obligations. If you want a cookie, everyone sells them.  Good for you.  Now.
When do you accomplish what YOU want to do in life or just for the day?
How often does the people that need things from you give to you?
Exactly.  You will find that you will always have people and things depending on you.  And that’s normal.

But in order to stay positively functioning, you have to make time for those things you like, love and desire.  Big or small.
If you have a hobby, or want to visit someplace or someone, do it.  If you want to sit at home and do nothing all day, it is perfectly fine and guess what?  No one will die upon you resting your body and mind.
Life requires us to work hard and play harder.  But there was another part of that quote that got left off…..rest.  Both before and after working hard and playing harder.
Lastly,  invite others into your positive energy.  Be a leader and not a follower.  Lead that negative energy from others into your positive energy.  One of two things will happen.  They will respect and accept your energy and be encouraged to take part, or they will be pessimistic and walk away.  Either way, you win.

Take charge of your life.  Don’t let others dictate who you are.  If you don’t want to be a part of negativity, let it be known and live your life in such a way that others have no doubt as to who you are.
Engage in more positive ways of thinking, even if they are unrealistic at that moment.
Retrain your way of thinking as it will show in your actions.
Rest. Pray. And stop trying to keep up with the Joneses aka the media.
Reconnect with nature and smile, as these things are just about the only things left that are free.

You meet and you're glad to see she looks like her photos! You're out having a great time she is having fun in the moment and everything is great! We're both laughing, dancing, smiling having a great time because you have made her feel comfortable, secure and happy!  Everything is going as you had hoped, you get a little kiss or a BIG kiss or something more....you say goodnight and part ways. The next day comes & it's like "everything was bad", naughty. Can't do that again! What happened? ..BAD GIRL! Did you get reprimanded by your friends or daughters? I'm confused, I'm still trying to figuring this dating thing out, it is not an easy task....Any tips? Please help by commenting. Stay tuned for Round 3.......

A very touchy subject, that affects more people than you know.

Some events are known to cause anxiety.  But everyones level of anxiety and how their body deals with change and events in life are different. Yes, this we all know.
However, for the millions of you who suffer from more severe anxiety and panic, there is more to it.  

Anxiety and Panic is the result of how your body reacts to something. Anything. Everything.

​If you are like me, your first experience with panic felt as though you were having a heart attack (as though we know what that feels like).  
Anxiety and panic go hand in hand and is one of the most common, yet most difficult sicknesses to explain from the standpoint of the person actually having a moment of anxiety or panic.  It is difficult for you to tell someone how your heart is racing and your negative thoughts are racing and how you are afraid to do this, need to do that, can’t breathe, need company or want to get away from all these people immediately.
So, it is already a difficult thing to experience, but even more troubling to try to explain.  But to add to it, it is almost IMPOSSIBLE for someone who does not experience these feelings to understand.  
This within itself can cause an even greater amount of anxiety.  Trying to figure out if you are going crazy, how long will this feeling last, will it ever go away, feeling lonely or depressed, not knowing how to tell your family or friends what you go through in fear they will just laugh at you or brush it off.  Restlessness, visits to the doctor, and even medication and therapy you may be considering.
Don’t worry! You are not alone and there are many things you can do to decrease anxiety and panic.  But first, you have to understand the origin of it.
You should also know that there is never a one solution that works for everyone.  This goes for any situation.  So do not worry if you try things and they do not work.  The key thing is to keep trying and realize it is a struggle for many, but there is a bright side and you will see it.
9 times out of 10, anxiety occurs as a result of some life event.  Could be big. Could be small.  Doesn’t matter.  In my opinion and experience though, there are a few different parts of this that are not talked about much.
Although these unfortunate things can occur as a result of a life changing event, say such as someone close to you dying, or having a baby, marriage or divorce…there is also something else to consider that contributes to the origin or anxiety and panic.
The condition of the mind and body at the time that a life-changing event occurs has a lot to do with how the body will react to that event.
Like say for instance,  if you have a vitamin deficiency, or your body is dehydrated or brain is malnourished at the time this event happens, there is a good chance that you will suffer from future anxiety and/or panic.  
At the end of the day, panic disorders are in short, a chemical imbalance.  That chemical is serotonin.  When you are already depriving your body and brain of the necessary nutrients needed, you cannot be surprised when your brain doesn’t cooperate.
This is one of the reasons why doctors try medications as the only thing this does is attempt to restore balance to serotonin levels.
However, before you run off to your doctor and let them experiment on you with various medications, here are a few things you can try to restore the chemical imbalance naturally and safely.

1. Become Aware.  Know that while, yes, you are going through tough times, this too shall pass.
2. Be observant.  Pay attention to things that make your anxiety worse or better.
3. Become knowledgeable. Explore information from your doctor, family, and friends.  Don’t be afraid to talk about how you feel or even research it on your own.
4. Exercise! Yes. Exercise is one of the best things you can do to reduce or eliminate stress.  This doesn’t mean you have to go run a marathon.  Walk around the house, the neighborhood.
5. Pay attention to what you eat!  Yes- you need your veggies, fruits and so forth.  This does not mean you can’t enjoy ice cream and chips, but do these things in moderation.
6. Drink water!!!!!!   You will be amazed at what water can do.  There are too many benefits of water in relation to the body to name at this time.  If you do nothing else, increase your water intake and you will notice the benefits immediately.
7. Avoid caffeine and stimulants.
8. Breathe.  Practice breathing from your diaphragm.  It will help you in those instances were you are at the height of panic and need to calm down.  Breathe in slowly with your mouth closed while counting to 4. Hold while slowly counting to 7. Then breathe out while slowly counting to 8.
9. Enjoy life. Laugh, love, smile.  Even if you do not feel like it.  
10. Get outside of the house and absorb some natural vitamin D from the sun’s energy. 
11. Listen to music. Whatever your preference is. 
12. Meditate & Pray. You will need a spiritual outlet to control and guide you through those things you feel you have lost control over.

You wake up to your regular “Good Morning” text from the usual: may be your BFF, could be your kid, mom dukes, or that pretend-to-be significant other.  You reply back with the common and expected Good Morning.

You finally open your eyes and sigh at the realization that it is now time to get yourself up and together and face the world’s music today, no matter how fast or slow the melody is.  You even demand from yourself today that you will have a great attitude which in turn will produce a great day.

You say your prayers to the Most High and proceed.

You are now ready to face the world after you post on all your social media your positive thoughts for the day.
Before you get to work, you get that phone call which starts the negative path.

You get to work, your boss is being extra, you have some coworkers that you can’t stand the site of, some coworkers that can’t stand the site of you. You also try to overlook all of this and be productive, but then your day wouldn’t be complete without the circulating drama of the day.

Before lunchtime, your positivity has taken a setback, and you are now looking for the energy you started with.  
And if you are like most that is of age to read this, you have at least a parent, grandparent, aunt, or other caretaker that you are now giving advice to or that may be in need of a helping hand.

You are trying your best to follow the word you heard on this past Sunday at church, but even some of the actions of the church now have you evaluating the worth of tithe giving and fellowship every Sunday.  You notice that even while sitting in the church, there is gossipers, liars, cheaters, and other sinners carrying out there sins right in your face at the same time you are trying to receive a blessing of good word.

You gather with family, only to hear about who did what to Joe Blow and how aunt Vickie is not speaking to Keiysha because she owes her son-in-law 7.50.  Your alleged best friend invites you out to a night of partying and drinking, even though she knows you are trying to cut back on your alcohol intake and settle down.

Road rage, traffic jams, baby mamma drama, rent’s due, car problems, kid’s working your nerves, parents sick, doctor putting you on meds, you’ve gained 5 lbs., you have no help at home, job doesn’t pay enough, taxes are high and everything else is low!

How do you keep your self in the “positive” so your well-being doesn’t go into the “negative”?

Reality check first.  Face the fact that you cannot change others or their circumstances.  You can only give a good word of encouragement and pray. 

Don’t sweat the small stuff.  And I repeat, don’t sweat the small stuff.  So many things that you cannot change, you cannot change.  So how doesn’t worrying about them or dwelling on them help? It can only help you to an early grave.
You cannot make traffic go away. So why get worked up about it.  Instead, use this time to think of pleasant things such as where you would like to take your next vacation.  Even if you know you do not have the money, just dream.  This process retrains your brain and gives you a way to turn a negative into a positive.

When you start to get annoyed by family & friends, and even your job,  just stop and imagine them not being there anymore.  While yes, they all are a pain at times, but just think of how boring and lonely and hard life would be if you had no family, no friends and no job.

Your first thought may be, “Oh, I don’t need so & so.”  And maybe at the end of the day, that person just may be someone or something that produces negativity in your life. Simple answer.  Get rid of it.  Don’t keep complaining about it, do something about it.  Confront the situation or leave the situation.

Holding on to drama and negative vibes can have a very bad effect on your body and dampen your spirits.  It can change your outlook on life, not to mention it can have you in the hospital or possibly suffering from depression.

No! Don’t put yourself through this.

You should respect yourself and your worth.  Put no one before you and your needs.  Yes your job may need you, your kids may need you.  But if you continue to live for everyone else, your days will be numbered.  It is wonderful that you want to move up at your place of employment.  It is always a good feeling at the end of the day to feel as though you have accomplished everything you set out to do in respect to your kids and your obligations. If you want a cookie, everyone sells them.  Good for you.  Now.
When do you accomplish what YOU want to do in life or just for the day?

How often does the people that need things from you give to you?

Exactly.  You will find that you will always have people and things depending on you.  And that’s normal.

But in order to stay positively functioning, you have to make time for those things you like, love and desire.  Big or small.  

If you have a hobby, or want to visit someplace or someone, do it.  If you want to sit at home and do nothing all day, it is perfectly fine and guess what?  No one will die upon you resting your body and mind.

While life requires us to work hard and play harder.  There was another part of that quote that got left off…..rest.  Both before and after working hard and playing harder.

Lastly,  invite others into your positive energy.  Be a leader and not a follower.  Lead that negative energy from others into your positive energy.  One of two things will happen.  They will respect and accept your energy and be encouraged to take part, or they will be pessimistic and walk away.  Either way, you win.  

Take charge of your life.  Don’t let others dictate who you are.  If you don’t want to be a part of negativity, let it be known and live your life in such a way that others have no doubt as to who you are.  
Engage in more positive ways of thinking, even if they are unrealistic at that moment.
Retrain your way of thinking as it will show in your actions.
Rest. Pray. And stop trying to keep up with the Joneses aka the media.
Reconnect with nature and smile, as these things are just about the only things left that are free.

  Did you know that some of the most prominent and most successful businesses are either managed or started by black women?
  Outside of the stereotypical statements that have always been in circulation about the negative attitudes and outlooks of the black woman, it has to be blasted at this time about the positive effects the black woman has in the workforce and in the world.

   What makes the black woman so different from any other race or gender?  Her drive.  Her passion.  Her inherited gift of patience and direct way of dealing with stress and hardship.

   The black woman is born with the necessary tools to nurture her children without sparing the rod or spoiling the child.  The black woman knows how to allow her man to feel like a man while at the same time being his backbone in the midst of him doing so.
  While everyone plays an important role in the various parts of this world, women—unlike men—are in a constant juggle with life and the important elements that allows a household and workplace to proceed without fail.  We think in our sleep.  We dream about our next task in the morning in respect to preparing kids for school, making sure our men leave the house pleased with last night’s sexual encounter, pondering on what to cook tonight.  We hope by the time we get to work, we will have eaten something and we are not about to face the never ending headaches of work.  Then the thoughts of our physical being, spiritual connections and rank in this world set in.  As woman, we have been known to overthink, be control freaks and to over analyze.  These same factors that are used against us also have a reverse effect in the workforce in that we use these same qualities to solve problems at work and allow us to become leaders that are very detail-oriented.

   Thus, the workforce is no different.  Not to bash or put down anyone else of a different status, but do your homework and you will find that black women have been the backbone for not only their men, but also some of the most successful businesses to ever exist.
   Some of the more obvious names we tend to think of when it comes to successful black women are names such as Oprah Winfrey, Michelle Obama and Beyoncé Knowles.  But there are many other successful black women that contribute to the overall makeup of the world as we know it.  Among these strong women include, but are not limited to:

• Rosalind Brewer, President and CEO of Sam’s Club/ WalMart Stores of US
• Joyce Banda, Former President of Malawi (1st Female President)
• Ertharin Cousin, Executive Director of World Food Programme of the United Nations
• Helen Gayle, President & CEO of CARE in the US
• Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Coordinating Minister of the Economy & Minister of Finance in Nigeria

…just to name a few.

So I was speaking with one of my younger brothers the other day when he brought what I thought to be a very intriguing concept to my attention that I never thought was possible. 

Of course, I am one of the many parents that struggle with the headaches and blessings of having a teenage child(ren).

So in the midst of me ranting and raving about my 18 year old’s concept of his future in general, my brother, being younger than I but older than my son, sends my mind into overload with information that I never once considered.

He, meaning my little brother, was simultaneously telling me about his own way of thinking and how he feels that college is not for everyone. I added on my musically inclined perception of how young artist nowadays sit back at home, create beats, add lyrics or a hook, and produce a hit in a matter of minutes.

My brother said, exactly….so what makes you think that such a brain of this capacity, one that can produce hits so quickly, would want to slow themselves down with college and learn slow, get results from college slow and so forth and so on.

He then hit me with the statement that the new millennials want instant gratification for their instant productions of work.

Wow!

I’ve never once looked at the situation this way.  I was the parent who almost died and went to heaven (or hell) when my son confronted me with the smack in my face of not wanting to go to college. I mean I was thinking like….WTH?!

But, in most instances, just as you have to work in a relationship involving the opposite sex, you also have to work and compromise in situations involving your children.   You have to understand they are not you.  They do not have the same interest at heart.  Your passion is not their passion.

Ironically, at the same time of me fussing my children out for not wanting to go to college, I am sitting back staring at my student loan statement.  A bill that may live longer than myself.  

The hardest thing to do in this new millennial phase is to adjust and hop on board with the beliefs and actions of today’s society.  

While you may not agree with any of it, you have to live in this new age of change.

So what can you do?

Talk. But listen more.  Accept. And understand the world you live in is all about change.  Take into consideration what your parents and grandparents used to say about you and your lifestyle.  They always reminded you of how times are changing and that the music they used to listen to was of more value than yours.  Life had more worth then versus now.

So it is the same concept.

Accept change and realize that in this day and age, success is defined differently.  Quantity sometimes outweighs quality because quality as we used to know it has changed.

The new millennials want instant gratification because they instantly produce the work.  Staying in school for 4 years to learn something they can learn on YouTube in 30 minutes concludes to many this is a waste of time.

   GSD...what is it? Glycogen Storage Disease is a rare birth defect in which your liver is missing a gene. This disease is near and dear to my heart, my grandson Zachary was born with this missing gene. 1 in 100,000 children worldwide (1 in 20,000 in Mexico) will be born with this debilitating disease. It is caused by both parents of an individual with an auto-somal recessive condition each carry one copy of the mutated gene, but they typically do not show signs and symptoms of the condition until your child shows signs of "not growing", usually by the 5-6 month check-up. What occurs is the liver stores any sugar that the body does not use which in turn will enlarge the liver and cause problems to other organs.
   The "medicine" for this disease to keep the child alive is.... are you ready... "cornstarch"! It is mixed with water & ingested or given though a G-tube every 2-3 hours. The reason cornstarch is so effective is that it is a very thick liquid  (typically used as a gravy thickener) and it takes 2-3 hours for the body to digest it (it breaks down at the same rate as the body uses it). This dose repeated every 2 to 3 hours, 24/7, 365 in order to keep their glucose level stable, This life-saving natural starch is the lifeline for a GSD patient.
   There is hope on the horizon! This disease has been cured in Maltese dogs! (GSD type Ia occurs naturally in this breed). Without treatment, all of the dogs die within hours of birth. Even with medical therapy, no dog with the disease had survived for more than 4 weeks when this work started and now they are all alive and doing well.
   We are very excited to be starting human trials soon to cure this dreadful disease.
Sadly, this rare disease has no Government funding to find a cure because the numbers are so low. We, the families & friends create fund-raising events to bring awareness to GSD.
If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation please click the button below. 
Thank you from all GSD people looking forward to a more normal life!
​ Watch the leading researchers' presentation!

It begins with a physical attraction. This tends to be a negative for me because I am not photogenic. But the big killer is online sites require you post your AGE! Who wants to date a 50 something year old? I've been told I look 45 and of course I'd prefer that number. I have made contact with a handful of women in the past 4 months only to be ignored by them after chatting or setting up a date, they just disappear. It's also difficult because women 45+ are smarter, independent and wiser from their previous relationships, and most have careers and say they don't need a man (do they?). A couple of things that turn me off is they post their profile pics with their pets, I don't want to date their pets! (99% have pets). Also they post pics with 2 or more ppl, now how can I tell which one is you? And they make it clear, "not looking for a hook-up", but are they? Most women want long term relationships but as we know that takes time, but how much time? Remember girls, we are a male specie, so...maybe loosen up a bit! tick tock...tick tock...