Wednesday, October 31, 2012

New Name

Why I  Ride is gone since the focus on my blog  has fully become affirming you and it's still Not About Me


Change is often hard to accept: a new home, friends move  on, employment changes,etc but new things abound each day all around us

Sandy has forced change on people in the upper East coast

Fall has set us here in South East Florida: I put on a sweater today!

We can dislike change or embrace it but it will happen so welcome it, embrace it and claim it as YOURS
















Tuesday, October 30, 2012

It's Affirming


 If you've noticed I haven't blogged here for a few days. Not due to lack of interest or topics but in a wonderful way like you, I've been busy and that's AFFIRMING.

Two nights ago I got to see the Miami Ballet Company perform "Fire & Ice"
Watching the human spirit tell a story on stage with such finesse was AFFIRMING

Last week, the man my sister was dating passed and at his funeral, 100's of his motorcycle friends led a funeral parade that will be remembered and that's AFFIRMING.

In 8 days I head away from the Sunshine State to checkout two universities where I plan on finishing off my next degree and that's AFFIRMING

This past weekend, a former employer and friend planed and put forth another dynamic wedding and his company and blog is blooming  That's totally AFFIRMING (http://thewedplanners.com/)

Just 20 days from today I along with 500 other SMART friends will journey from Miami to Key West to raise funds for people with HIV/AIDS and that too, with YOUR help is AFFIRMING



Tell me reader, what's AFFIRMING in your life?  Use the link on the right side of this page to tell me.



https://www.thesmartride.org/8/pledge/pages/223/

Saturday, October 20, 2012

Patterns of Life

I believe we become to know people by two means: Their history and their patterns


I see people who help others as kind with a pattern of caring



No Day Like Today

Besides a song from "RENT"  this simple phrase is one I try to live by

"No day like today, there's only yes"

Yesterday will never come back, tomorrow isn't even promised so I live for today

Not to say I don't recall what I've done or where I've been or plan for  a future

I just don't dwell on either


Thursday, October 18, 2012

Reach

The greatest danger for most of us is not that we aim too high and we miss it, but we aim too low and reach it



Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Much Like Pippen

I am {In Love} with a song, one song in particular. It's from a musical (hard to guess, right?)  Quidam from Cirque du Solei.

The world is yours, not mine Quidam.
Your dreams are yours.
You may have touched the stars but they weren't moved
If you reach for me, I may not choose to  hold your hand.
I might smile or turn away

An ordinary man, Quidam
I'm everyman
I'm anyman

Oh that song touches me, it's my life and perhaps yours, too
Dear reader, you may hardly know me but trust me, hardship has known my doorstep: near death, broken bones, a crushed heart, yet I reach and touch the stars.

You are my stars - and I am yours.  We feel each others pain, share each others joys and smile sometimes turning away.

We are every person, you and I and Quidam




We, you and I can touch the stars by helping others








Sunday, October 14, 2012

Mea Culpa

Apologizing doesn't mean you're right or wrong, it just means you value your relationship more than your ego




Thursday, October 11, 2012

Think Big

SMALL MINDS ARE THE FIRST TO CONDEMN GREAT IDEAS"



Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Toy Phone

It's so easy to get wrapped up in "the busy" and by that I mean, work & school, etc.

How humbling is it to see life from the point of view of a child?

We all were kids (and some of us still are)

Take time to listen to some and you may learn





Monday, October 8, 2012

Get UnStuck

"The difference between people who have a bad day and those who get "STUCK IN A RUT" is learning what to do when you feel that way." 

                                   ~Chalene Johnson



Sunday, October 7, 2012

Are you waiting for change and nothing changes?

Change yourself!!  If we/I do the opposite of everything done yesterday...

Go ahead & flip life on it's head

                    - Inspired by Oliver Douglas


                                             

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Open Mind

I do my best to look at all sides of an argument and I mean all sides, not the so called "two sides" since there can be more than two points of view

My religion fills me & I accept others: we're all on some kind of like minded path

Your workout routine, food choices may not be the same as mine & I embrace that.


Thursday, October 4, 2012

Everyone Has A Past

Everyone has a past and a future it depends on how you want your future


Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Off from the Races

Bullying seems to be not just a buzz word but something we here in the USA hear more & more about. People are put down for looks, sexual orientation, race etc.

How about we, you and I find that good in people?  Look beyond color, age, body size and those labels that come so easy.  Sure as little kids playing we seldom cared about who we played with at first: it took time to actually SEE differences

I admit that I grew up in a homogeneous environment. Mostly white families on tree lined streets.  My very first encounter with a Hispanic man was  Carlos L from Columbia. We were in second grade home room and thankfully lived exactly 8 houses away on the same block.  Oh the great smells of home cooking from  that house still linger in my mind.  Carlos and I became instant friends since we both were the same age and lived on the same street.

He ate at my families house as often as I did his.  We didn't care that he wasn't white like me or nor I as brown as he. We were just kids on the block

When was it I first heard the word "Spic?"  Who cares since Carlos wasn't "one of them," he was a friend.

In junior high school I met more kids of different races.  High school was more, much more diversified.  I'm thankful my own Boy Scout Troop wasn't all guys like me. Besides Carlos, I met Randy, Tyrone and others. We all wore the same khaki uniform.

I do my best to look beyond labels on people.  A race, a back ground, an age or ability is not how i see others.  I see the people who seem to be new to the USA on my block now and I wave "Hi" as I ride my bike past them on the way to work.

This mostly Haitian neighborhood is OURS and I'm not racing through it

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

One More Thing

When does "enough is enough" come to play?  Ending a relationship, changing a carer  moving across town or across the country WILL happen to each of us.

Relationships of friendships change.  I know I'm not best friends with Randy, the kid who lived next door to my family when I was not yet 5 years old.

Despite rekindling people on Facebook  my high school friends are not the same: We don't hang out after class, go to 'the mall' etc.

Change is the only constant in our lives so I've learned to embrace it. I know I'm NOT the same person I was just 8 years ago when living in Chicago I had my "wild times."   Heck in the the two years after my move to Ft Lauderdale, I know I've changed jobs already, dated people I PRAY I wont see again and started two small business that didn't fly (lets see how my #3 goes) and I'm back in school

Where are YOUR changes.  I know just in starting this blog, I'm inspired to do more, be more affirming, read more Louis Hay for example.

I'll try to avoid the Colombo concept and stop for "One more thing" and just see the good in others, be the good for others and share that love, agape love for you.