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We all make mistakes, but mistakes are not the end of the world. I have to remind myself that everyday. As long as you honestly and earnestly attempt to fix the problem that you created you do not have to hang your head in shame. I am very hard on myself about mistakes, but I am realizing that I am only hurting myself. Fear, doubt, and discouragement all begin to accumulate when you debase yourself over an error. Whatever it is, try to fix it. If you try your hardest and still can't fix it, don't kill yourself. There is tomorrow. Redeem yourself by learning from that mistake. You can prepare yourself for another tough situation. Encourage yourself and believe that you can move on from your mistakes. You can get over them. It may not be easy, but you can do it.
"Sometimes you have to encourage yourself.
Sometimes you have to speak victory during the test.
And no matter how you feel, speak the word and you will be healed;
speak over yourself, encourage yourself in the Lord." - Donald Lawrence -
The secret of getting things done is to act. So what are you waiting for? This is the time to get things done. Whatever it is that you want to accomplish (losing weight, having more faith, getting a new job, being more punctual, etc), you are able to do it. The first step in the process of changing is deciding that you really want to change. Changing your situation is a lot easier when you really believe that your situation needs to change. You aren't going to dedicate yourself totally to something that you don't really want to do. Your mindset can be one of the biggest obstacles on the road to change. Once you makeup in your mind what is most important to you, you can't help but to act because it's in your heart. You can do it!
"If you believe in yourself enough and know what you want/ You're gonna make it happen" - Mariah Carey -
Wow so I didn't want another week to go by without posting something but unfortunately I'm fresh out of ideas so instead of Blogging about something deep and spiritual I've decided to share with you a poem I wrote for a creative writing class i took a year ago. We were told to find a news article and write a poetic response to what we read. I hope you enjoy it....
The Value of A DollarWhat is price of life and who decides it?At what point do we cease to be people and begin to be numbers on a page?What do you tell the wife of a dying man?How do you cut off the life of a person by election?Today democrats are angry and republicans are frothing at the mouthToday independents are shouting in the streetsBut those feelings and actions mean nothing to Francisco Felix who today learned he was dyingThe problem with this knowledge was that he also knew that all his chances of survival were diminished by a vote and erased by the stroke of a penYou see, today his state decided that when you put money and lives on a scale money always wins outBut I would not have you be angryI don’t wish to see fingers pointed or blame laidBecause though these things might provide a salve for our conscienceThey do not give Mark Price back his life nor does it give Francisco Felix back his dignity and humanitySo instead, take this as a sign of the timesRealize this battle is not only fought today but dailyAnd that this decision was not made todaybut at the moment when the value of a dollar became our God.Today's Freshism: "Let us more and more insist on raising funds of love, of kindness, of understanding, of peace. Money will come if we seek first the Kingdom of God - the rest will be given." -Mother Teresa
Quote Courtesy of: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/money.html#ixzz1i4zlAtgz -
VS.
Lately, I have been looking for some seriously cheap but completely legal ways of obtaining music. With iTunes increasing the price on MP3s, I have had find a cost-effective alternative that did not include piracy. There are options like Last.fm and Pandora that allow you to listen to music free all day with limited customization. This was OK for a while, but it is like radio. You can select the station, but you have no control over what it actually plays. One day I was listening to Marsha Ambrosius radio on Pandora, and they played "Gifts" by Ray J. All I could say was "heck to the no!" After that, my quest began for another option that would allow me to discover new music but be able to listen to familiar sounds anytime that I wanted. This is where Rhapsody and Spotify come in. They are digital music subscription services that lets stream music online and via mobile devices.
Both companies share basic features. You can listen online (you have to use Facebook to listen to Spotify online) or you can download a computer app (Rhapsody doesn't have an app for Mac). You can download apps for iPhone, Blackberry and Android. You can also listen to music offline. Both have a large music library, however Rhapsody is much larger because it's older. They both also allow you to make custom channels based on your music genre preferences. Rhapsody has a feature similar to Pandora, where you can make a custom station based on specific artists. The major difference is what each subscription type allows you to do. Both companies offer at least one membership type that costs $9.99 a month. You can be a free member of Spotify. You can listen to all the music that you want with ads via the computer app or Facebook. With Rhapsody, you have to be a subscribed member to listen to full songs. If you don't mind the advertisements, then Spotify is a great option. Rhapsody is great if you don't mind jumping right into a subscription. You can download music files directly to your cellphone, iPhone or iPod via the mobile app.
I am currently using the free trial of Rhapsody Premier Plus. I love the fact that you can download music to your computer or cell phone without purchasing it. That allows you to listen to music offline. If you want to burn music to a CD, you have to pay for the tracks. However, you can still have your music on the go, even if you choose not to purchase the songs and if you aren't near an internet connection. I really like Spotify and have the app on my PC, Mac and Android phone. However, the deal breaker for me with Spotify is that it forces you to log-in with Facebook. One of Spotify's claims to fame is that it allows you to share music seamlessy with friends online. However, I don't like apps that make you give them your Facebook info and that post automatically to your page. I created a fake Facebook account just for Spotify.
If you are going to pay for the subscription, then I suggest Rhapsody. Rhapsody has a bigger library and more customization and download options. If you just want to listen to music, then go with Spotify. You don't have to pay to listen and it does make it easy to share music with friends (if you care about that). Give them both a try and see what you think.
Do you use Spotify, Rhapsody or another music service? Let us know below. -
How do you guys feel about open relationships?
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Merry Christmas. God Bless.I LOVE Christmas. Gifts and shopping mean absolutely nothing to me. I love it because it is a time that encourages family bonding. I know people say "well, why do you have to wait for one day of the year to show love, yada yada yada yah?" Sadly, some people do wait until Christmas to show that they care, but that isn't everyone's ambition. That surely isn't mine. The other day my grandmother (whose birthday happens to be on Christmas), she said that she decorates her house because she wants to give someone hope. She wants them to see the lights and feel encouraged about life. Christmas day is designated as the day that Jesus Christ was born.
Although, no one really knows the date that he was born, if someone decides to read the Bible because they saw a nativity scene, then a good thing has been done. I love God and I love my family, so having a break from stuff that would distract me from God and family is nice. I don't want gifts for Christmas. Well, I don't want retail gifts for Christmas. The gifts that mean most to me are listening to my grandmother tell stories from gaining another year of wisdom, preventing the little boys in my life from knocking over the tree and other decorations, and helping my mother deck the halls with boughs of holly. We don't really use holly, we use shiny shiny garland, but it's all still great. I will be spending Christmas morning in church, then we are having a surprise birthday party for my grandmother.
How will you be spending Christmas?
(P.S. I know this is really different from my ususal posts, but I really love this time of year.) -
Get up! /'Cause you can't stop /Get Up! /Got a lot to do /24 hours almost gone /Get Up! /Don't sit there /Get Up! /If you wanna get there /Clocks don't stop and time won't wait - Get Up by Mary Mary
Long time no see. Sorry for that indefinite hiatus, but I had a major epiphany. How can I provide tips on how to keep your life on track, when mine is all over the place? The key to being productive is simply doing what you know you have to do. In some areas I was on it, but sadly I had fallen off in a lot of other areas. Today, however, I am back. In my best Method Man voice "KA-BOOM, guess who stepped in the room?" The empowered 23-year-old, who is ready to live life the way she wants to live it. Getting to where you want to be, means doing the things that you need to do to get there. Sacrifices have to be made to get to the places that you want to be. It has taken a series of back-to-back events for me to realize that I can't rush the path to accomplish my goals. Sometimes you have to stand out in the cold for hours to get where you need to go because your nice and cozy car decided to break down. Sometimes you have to let go of the things that you want because they are hindering you from obtaining the things that you really need. The determination and faith that you have in reaching your goal will only make you a strong person on so many level.
I am a type of person who has a tendency to fret the small stuff. I am realizing that STUFF HAPPENS! There are too many little things to get upset over. I will never be happy, if I beat myself up over every minute detail. When stuff happens, you find a way to resolve it or just let it go. Too much life is wasted when you make mountains out of mole hills. Take a deep breath, and then move on. Mary Mary said it best, get up there is a lot to do. Clocks don't stop and time does not wait.
What are you waiting for?
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Xmas shopping for the stylish is not always easy, so here is a little list I put together to give you a few ideas.The items used as examples in the wishlist below are a little - who am I kidding? - way above my usual price points but they make for a good guide. To find more practically priced products before you go out on a shopping spree, google a description of the item you're looking for and browse price ranges and stores where they are sold. You can also use Polyvore or ShopStyle as a tool in finding things similar to these. Happy shopping!
Enza Costa v neck tee, €99
Cameo drape jacket, £75
Alexander McQueen elastic waist pants, £570
Heel booties, $120
Paul Smith Black Label faux fur scarve, £70
Silver Jingle Bell Ornaments | Holiday Decor from Rain Collection |..., $30
