Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Penny For Your Thoughts? I Have a Dollar

There's something about a good comment that further pushes a writer, to well, write. Aside from our personal drive and aspirations, feedback always either propels us further forward or makes us sit still-depending on how much backbone we possess.

Referring to my last post, Snake Bites, I received an anonymous comment that for some reason, sort of stunned me, or made me think or maybe just made me blank for a moment. A moment that for some time, I've truly needed.

I haven't been writing with the frequency that I once used to, that's a fact. Being 24, trying to establish a career and who knows what the hell else, dealing with a "9 to 5", losing it, a recent miscarriage, the Ex-Significant, the current All-Star..well, I'm usually pretty spent. So what was once upon a time where I wrote here in The New Jack near as a religious practice & received a host of comments I couldn't keep up with-is no longer. My views, subscribers and readership has died down as I've neglected myself and this being my usually only form of expression.

When I do get a comment, nowadays, it truly alerts my attention.

The comment from this stranger in my mind poises them as an invisible EMT. As injured as I feel I am, covered in "snake bites" if you will, some stranger gave me their thoughts, in turn making me think...positively-even if just for that blank moment. There's always a paramedic in the ambulance encouraging the injured that they're "going to make it" or "we're almost at the hospital, you're gonna be fine".

Well this strangers comment is serving that purpose.
I could say in cliche, "penny for your thoughts?" but apparently I've just received a full dollar.
And with the power of purchase, who would turn down a dollar over a penny?

Hello,

Not sure how I ventured across your blog but I have & though I am nothing more than anonymous, I have found myself feeling the urge to reply.

During the course of my visit today, I have read several of your postings & while I could very well be incorrect in my interpretations - I have only the words you've written by which to go off of - to me the picture that is painted onto the canvas of a stranger is that of a sensitive soul who takes a lot to heart, while trying to maintain an outward appearance which runs to the opposite. If I am wrong in that deduction than please by all means disregard me as yet another random soul who fails at psychology.

In this life the most important lessons - & often the hardest - to be learned will always come from those closest to you. Just as you learn the meaning of love & affection from family, you will also discover the multiple levels of disappointment & heartbreak from those whom you've chosen to invest yourself. Regarding the negative, it is a natural response when faced with the level of emotional abuse that you apparently have endured from someone who claimed to care, that you would in some form or fashion attempt to hold yourself responsible for their transgressions & question your self-worth. After all if you hadn't somehow failed in your role as a woman than your "Ex-Significant " wouldn't have run around on you, right?

Natural reaction surely, but is it correct…?? - The obvious answer is "No" but the reasoning behind such thoughts merits further discussion -

It sometimes bears reminding that taking a step back from a situation when you begin to feel overwhelmed amongst the muck & mire will often help to propel one to the proper solution. If you remove subjectivity from the equation - difficult as it may be - you see that this great wide world is made up of all sorts of people. There are doctors who donate their time to fix cleft palates in the 3rd world & then there are those who scam Medicare. There are Lawyers who champion the underprivileged & too many who chase ambulances with $$$ signs reflected in their eyes. Parents who raise their children to be upstanding citizens & those who lead their children down the road of thuggary/vice. People who back their words of affection with like action & people who lie/manipulate with no regard to others feelings in order to further their own agendas. And there is also an articulate blogger with a wounded heart who rages against herself & a beautiful woman risen from the ashen remains left by a lesson fed her against her will; strengthened by the knowledge that she persevered in the face of such adversity.

I'm going to bookmark this site & check back in a few days, allow you to read my comments & decide for yourself whether or not you might have any interest in sharing some dialogue with an anonymous such as myself, who has been there.

I wish you the best of luck in your journey & will simply leave off with on elast thought…

The intial harm never can be antcipated but once an individual has caused you that pain, they can not hurt you further unless you provide them with the leeway to do so.

Monday, February 21, 2011

Snake Bites

"When you get bit by a snake, you're supposed to suck the poison out. That's what I had to do. Suck all the poison out of my life"-Lindsay Lohan as Cady in Mean Girls

It's true though...

I have so much to say about all the poison that I've been so focused in late 2010 with removing. I had a set back, and stopped sucking out the venom in temporary happiness with positive developments in my life. Slowly, the venom has been spreading back across my veins because I thought I got rid of it all and started ignoring what was left over.

It's 2011. It's true, it's a new and better year for me. However, I'm not operating how I once was in keeping that positivity because I'm realizing that some poisons of 2010 and even 2009 still exist.

The Ex-Significant still wants to come back. I'm beyond in love with the All-Star, and the All-Star and I are blissfully in love, have been, with adult and mutual understandings on the state of affairs of our "relationship". Only we understand each other and our mutual plans and though I don't necessarily need other people to understand "us" because we do and that's all that matters, it wouldn't hurt if I had friends I could turn to about "us". Not to express anything negative, just wishing I had friends who could open their hearts and minds and truly hear what I have to say and understand "us".
More importantly, I'm realizing day by day how much the Ex-Significant still plays a role in my life-negatively. It influences issues, brought on by me with the All-Star, it influences my heart-negatively in terms of belief.
For example, dating the Ex-Significant for as long as I did and all the things he's put me through..I've come to realize that I started to believe that this is just what relationships are. You, the woman, love said man..you're dedicated and what not, and the man cheats-repeatedly, and you just continue on your "merry" way. As it's not "expected" that a man will be faithful to one woman for the rest of his life. It hasn't been until recent in depth conversations with the All-Star that I've realized how fucked up my perception has become from dating one person.
The issue is..........I still can't shake these beliefs. No matter how much the All-Star, friends, you name it, try to drill it into my head that its NOT normal for people to cheat, lie, abuse you etc. I'm not sure what it is but it doesn't stick with me. I feel as if, I'm going to get married one day and my husband, whoever he may be, is not going to come home to me every night for the rest of his life and its something that I just have to accept. If I don't, I'm going to spend my life looking for a man that doesn't exist.
Now, I could easily say to myself-"well, you've already been proven wrong in your time of dating the All-Star, and its factual and you have literal proof" but as much as that's so, the work of the Ex-Significant keeps returning to my brain. I don't take what any man says to me seriously, it's not a bias towards the All-Star because we're dating, its all men. I feel like as a woman, I have to just accept these things because they'll happen sooner or later regardless of what man I'm with.

I didn't realize that the snake bites of the Ex-Significant were so deep.....nearly two years later deep. But, they are.

His "works" affect my every belief, they weigh me down and distort my self esteem. I feel empty and worthless. I raise myself in positivity and then I get shocked with a past memory or some negative mistreatment from him that speaks to my mind and says "you were treated this way, because you weren't good enough...and soon enough, no matter who it is the All-Star or someone else will do the same to you because its not them, its you". All of these feelings despite that there is no ammunition from the All-Star, there really isnt. Nor is there from the invisible men that I haven't met yet.
My new boss invokes panic attacks in me by construing the same beliefs-that I'm not good enough and that I need to get my "fucking shit done".
Another bite, another snake in my life, and more poison.

And the poison has taken over my body so much so that nearly two weeks ago, I tried to commit suicide, overwhelmed with venom.

So, here I am.
Swollen, with pain, venom coursing through my veins and trying to find a way to suck the poison out. Just like Cady said: "When you get bit by a snake, you're supposed to suck the poison out. That's what I had to do. Suck all the poison out of my life" I know that's what I have to do to continue to move forward in positivity, but, I'm genuinely stuck. The pain I still feel from the Ex-Significant's work is still hard, when he calls and apologies incessantly and tries to work things out and I stand back and realize-"you've fucked me up-for the current man, for the next man and I may not ever keep a man because you've fucked me up"

I don't feel worth anything because I'm so filled with venom..and I need to suck the poison out. I need to suck all the poison out of my life, I just don't know how to handle multiple snake bites and so much poison in my system all at once.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Class. Intelligence. Adulthood

I've been seeing some tweets and facebook statuses that I have to politely admit are getting on my last nerve. I think it's just that they literally DON'T make sense.
If one is an adult, must we announce "On my grown shit! Ya'll catch up" or "Handling my business cause I'm GROWN son! Get your money up!!"?

Are these SENSIBLE announcements?

I think the severe LACK of adulthood that people are not realizing they ACTUALLY POSSESS in saying these phrases is what irks me. Immensely.

This is what I have to say about all these varied statuses:

Class. Intelligence. Adult behavior..these things don't need a mouthpiece..especially from you.
These behaviors speak for themselves. If you have class, it will show; if you're an adult don't announce you're on your grown and if you're intelligent your words will dazzle us.

Monday, January 17, 2011

The Thing About Turning 25

The thing about turning 25 this year is simple:

At this point in the game, I've realized the kid I was, the person I currently am and the woman I insist on becoming.


I've realized that between 20-24 that I didn't know anything as much as I was convinced I did. I took pleasure in being wild and reckless without seeing the bigger picture. I would deal with the consequences when they inevitably arrived.

Not so much anymore..
Or, not at all even...

And at nearly 25 years old, this, I've realized is all that matters:
My desires have changed.
Positivity is of primary concern.
Think before you act before you leap.
Speak the desires of your heart unto The Lord thy God.
Dreams come true. And those that don't, is the Lord setting you UP not BACK.
We each have the power to change the world.
We each have the power to change ourselves.
Your heart, physically and spiritually is the most important thing you own on this Earth. Talk to yourself the RIGHT way.
The Lord will wipe away your anxieties if you just...talk to Him.
Proverbs 18:20-21: The power of life and death is in the tongue...
Don't depress and discourage YOURSELF.
Listen to your mother.
God will always reveal the true friends that exist in your life..and you don't need 500 of them, you just need 5 TRUE ones.
Meditate.
Meditate on you and on the Lord.
What foods you put in your mouth ARE important..you can't do the work of the Lord if you have no physical body to work WITH.
Pray...every...single...day...
Laugh
You and Jesus have sole authority over YOUR life...its yours and simultaneously belongs to Him..only.
Be kind, even when it hurts.
I made plans that I never committed to, or never made realistic, concrete plans to begin with to actually follow. So, plan and pray. And pray some more.
Seek the Lord first above all things..and everything else will truly be okay.

I've always approached the age of 25 with horror and fear that I'm officially "old" and with 3 months until I hit that number, it's no longer a fear. I look forward to it. I look forward to becoming wiser. I look forward to the Lord's protection. It may have taken me the last 5 years to come into my own..but I'm looking forward to it.
And looking forward to more lessons to be learned.

Resolutions of 2011

If you make only one resolution this year, let it be to live boldly. You control this moment: Rather than cautiously test the water, dive straight into life with freeing abandon. Imagine the person you want to be and the life you want to live, then simply commit to them. Believe in yourself. Embrace your beauty. Discover a new passion. And whatever you do, wherever you go, don't be afraid to make a splash.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

SFLN + Kate Spade





Available here

Virginia is for Fashion Lovers





From: http://virginiaisforfashionlovers.blogspot.com/

Stand In Love

Stand in love. no matter what is coming at you. dont let others bad attitudes affect you. lead by example. love by example. Stand in love.
- Tricia Huffman

Thursday, December 9, 2010

What?

What do I need? What do I like? What do I want? What makes me happy? We must ask ourselves; if you don't know, no one can know for you

Monday, December 6, 2010

So much change, such little time

I've had a couple things to write, but either haven't been presented with time or able to just plain old convey my thoughts. I think I'm moved into the territory of the weight of my thoughts truly being my own.

Everything you want, everything you think of is controlled by you. My in depth re-connection with Jesus has re-established my feelings on all these things. In the last two months I've realized how much of a negative person I've become in the last three years and how I let the feelings, behaviors and thoughts of others overrule my own thoughts, feelings and behaviors. I also realize the depth in which I exhibited no self control. Especially in the mental department. My thoughts and feelings have been..erratic. I used to be so tailored in the art of planning, and thinking things through and having order and after a few life events, I just let everything including myself be..chaotic. I developed severe stress patterns resulting in high level panic attacks all because I haven't in three years practiced controlling my thoughts. MY thoughts.
In the last two months..baby gone, losing the All-Star, still job hunting etc I've actually used all my spare time and even non-spare time to slow my thought process down. Entirely.
When I feel anxious, I stop. Review what is going on, what is the source of my anxiety, and make a plan as to how to attack it IF it can be attacked. If not, move forward and seek in prayer for a positive resolve. I've been doing this same problem solving, thought-controlling process when I'm anxious, saddened, angered, feeling worthless..any feeling or state of emotion that isn't a positive one. I've also truly elevated into a state of gratitude that I never looked at that in the loss of child I could've lost my own life in the process, but I didn't because God is with me. At all times. I truly, have nothing to complain about. People make mistakes, and shit happens but I've spent so much time..three whole years trying to make things happen WITH other people instead of focusing on making things happen for myself.

I realized how silly and misguided I've been for such a long time.

My greatest fear has been to be ALONE, so I stayed in a truly detrimental relationship with the Ex-Significant for all that time. I wound up finding and experiencing true love with the All-Star but just for the timing to not be right. To wind up ALONE, to truly, truly realize that I'm not alone and never have been. God has been and is with me.


I don't feel the anxiety in severe droves that I used to and experience 1-3 panic attacks per day. I'm down to 1 per week...if that, and short lasting. There's a comfort and freedom in realizing that you're not alone, never have been and never will be. It's the poison of the mind that roots deep to convince you of otherwise. So though in the physical sense that I'm "alone" I don't feel alone for a minute.
There's a freedom in realizing that all my decisions are truly that of my own and that as a standing adult I have to answer to no one but myself. The All-Star and I aren't on negative terms, and if I see it fit that I want to go out to dinner with him then it's my prerogative. No one's feelings and opinions are relevant. I'm going to do as I see fit anyway, because only I and God know what's best for me. If I'm working in a retail position because that's whats available to me at this time, doesn't make me any lesser of a person because I may not be able to afford the luxuries that I used to, or go out as much or even at all.

I've been spending a better amount of time with my parents..especially my mom, who for years her and I have always had a terrible relationship. Things have been going so much smoother. Give and take. In losing something so great, as a child, I always said my heart is never going to beat the same again..and it doesn't. I think about it often, but my heart beats differently when I see my mother. I understand her better. I understand ME on a whole new playing field. I know how to decipher what I want versus what I don't want. If I can't make these decisions for me, then how would I be able to make them when my mother becomes elderly and needs me and going forward for a baby that will need me to make executive decisions 24/7? My heart beats with passion for what I want and what I want solely. What I want for my family, what I want to see myself with...not just in the physical, but in the mental. How I want to evolve as a woman of class and grace. I want to take cooking classes, and learn to cook not just the cuisine of my nationality but all foods, I want to practice Ashtanga yoga for physical strength but also its mental principles, and pole dancing for the hell and fun of it. I want to root myself in self-sufficiency and worldliness. I want to learn more about African-American history..and Jamaican history. I want to become saavy with a wrench and screwdriver, so I don't have to incessantly call upon a man-whether it be my father, brother, uncle or some significant other to install my own shit. I want to be able to put something together and stand back and tall and say "I did that". No one the fuck else, "I did that". I want to learn about wines and pottery. Finance and home fixtures. I want, I want, I want.
And finally, I will have. I will create.

I repeatedly said 2010 has taken the cake for being the sole worst year of my life..a continuation of drama, pain and problems from 2007 and 2009 especially. The majority of year has been negative only because of my outlook. I never realized that when you workout through pain, you gain muscle. I've made it to my breakthrough point. Not breakdown, but breakthrough. All this has been preparation from God. Now I want and hunger for ME. And all this muscle I've gained, I finally see the definition I've sought after and I can finally put it to good use starting in 2011, and for the rest of my life.

Friday, November 5, 2010

Figuring Out the Self

I've spent a lot of time since my last post meditating, praying and figuring things out for my life. I've started to put an insane level of focus on myself.

Almost hourly, prayer has become a routine, whether I've been suffering from anxiety or not. What's been the best part of the meditation and high level of prayer, is that I'm truly realizing more and more about myself on a daily basis. If not even at some points an hourly basis. I've realized how severe my anxiety is and how much I hate it. I've realized that it's truly stemming from fear of the unknown-what people might say to me in a confrontation, people's reactions etc. The physical symptoms of my anxiety actually create MORE feelings of anxiety manifesting it further.

I've realized that cleaning and organizing calms me down in a great way. Some people when they're stressed or anxious feel this relief in exercise, I truly feel it in cleaning and organizing. I've realized that I am a true stress eater..when I'm depressed and sad as I have been I possess no appetite whatsoever, but when I'm anxious specifically I feel a hunger that isn't satisfied when it should be. Prayer and listening to church sermons immediately lifts my anxiety. It lifts it so quickly that it's almost comparable to taking an emergency injection that just breaks the skin and rushes through the blood stream. So let's re-phrase that, Jesus lifts my anxiety.

I'm taking slow comfort in being by myself and learning what I like, what I dislike, changing things that I want to change in myself, etc. I'm taking more care of my physical body..actually paying attention to it. Things that I was always "too rushed" to do, I'm doing for myself while asking God to shower me in His peace, love, poise, grace and glory. I thought that this was the worst thing I could ever be doing..being alone, taking the time to focus on myself...Hell, I've had wild tantrums over how much I don't want to be alone and focus on myself. This actually is a good thing..it's a necessary thing.

I feel as if I have it figured all out but I know I still need to take things slowly..take things one day at a time as I have been, continue to be routed in prayer and making small positive changes. I think about the baby regularly......
But somehow, have been okay enough to not cry so much when I think of her, and what she would've been. I'm not sure if you can miss something that you didn't fully have..but I miss her. I miss looking forward to knowing what she would've looked like, and I miss her moving inside me..

But...one day at a time..
Looking at this entry, I know my thoughts are choppy.. it feels like my mind is all over the place while I'm trying to write and not putting things in a flowing form but as chaotic as it may seem, one thing I'm sure of is that I have peace. Or I'm on my way to fully receiving peace. I'm slowly feeling more love and abundance than I've ever felt. I'm coming into realizing the truth behind when people tell you they love you, what forms that love versus care come in, what I deserve as a woman and what I don't deserve as just a human being.

The thing I deserve the most, is the manifestation of peace.