Connections are the link The link that binds Binds 2 places or two things What things and places?
The gap between resentment and love Bridging the gap between the two takes what? Connections
Resentment is coming down really fast Over the edge the water cascades down The bridge there as a buffer Mediating between resentment and love
Once love is conquered Renewed love starts to flow Water under the bridge moves Just as fast it tides below
Communication bridging connection The bridge of communication leads to understanding Understanding opens hearts wide and far Once hearts are open; the bridge leads to loving-kindness
Flowy Water Under the Bridge is written in response to the picture prompt.
Children are a blessing. Seeing how they grow up and take their first steps, their first words. The feeling is indescribable. They grow and prosper with love, care, emotional and financial support.
The video message titled, Whose Baby Is It, is about those parents who feel like they should not financially support their child. Instead, use government benefits before taking responsibility.
Write in and share what your thoughts are on the subject. Do you think the system should be used and abused or should those absent parents step up with child support?
Video Message- Whose Baby Is It
Thank you for stopping by and your continued support.
Procrastination is something that we have all done at some point in our lives. It is that putting off of something that we need to do. But why? The cause can be many.
Don’t procrastinate. Why put off until tomorrow what you can do today?
What does procrastination mean?
The act of delaying or postponing something.
Why do we do it?
Fear– we put off doing things because we are afraid that we might get it wrong. We might fear being made fun of if we do something and we make a mistake. Making a mistake is not the end of the world. No one is perfect so we cannot expect to never make a mistake in life.
Not knowing what to do– If we are faced with something that we need to do, we might not know what to do or how to do it. Therefore, we hesitate or stall. Being unsure of the necessary steps can hold us back. At this point, we might consider gathering information and then making a move.
Unimportant– When the task is not important to us, we figure why the rush. No need to act on it immediately. It can wait until later. We might view it as unimportant because we do not want to do it.
Lack of managing time– We know we have to be somewhere on a certain day and we need to prepare. We wait until the night before. This puts us in the mode of damage control. Because we did not give ourselves enough time to prepare, we are now trying to compensate for the work we did not do beforehand.
How can we get over the procrastination hurdle?
Complete tasks in stages– If we know we have 6 days to prepare for a meeting or presentation. Break the project down into increments each day, so that it is manageable and less overwhelming.
Rethink the way we prioritize– Look at the tasks at hand in a different way. If you usually wait until the 25th hour, rethink it. Start on tasks a few days earlier. Tell yourself that this is something that must be done, so get an early jump on it. Start right away when you realize that this is something that is unavoidable.
Schedule specific time– Set aside an hour or two each day or once a week so that you can work on the specific task. This way, you already know that on Mondays and Thursdays from 10:00am-11:00am, is set aside specifically for the task. Put it on your calendar or white board so that it is in sight. This is your reminder so there is no excuse to miss a deadline.
Get rid of distractions– Distractions like playing video games, watching TV or “doom scrolling” on the internet can be major distractions. These things get in the way and cause us to waste time when we could be working on our task. Maybe we can do the task first and then if we want to do those other things, we can put those “distractions” off until after we have done the work.
Can you think of a time when you let procrastination take over? It can get in the way of real progress at times. Making us feel like we cannot accomplish things when we constantly put things off. It is not too late though. If we recognize the signs and rethink it, we can certainly do it!
The attached article, The Game of Life; Are You Playing Offense or Defense? is also about how we manage things in life. It might provide some insight and give information about how we can do things differently. Check it out.
Remnants of hot summer days Remain in my heart Days of double dutch, tag Jacks, dodge ball, have made a depart Lessons of friendship, community Acceptance, family and humility Still lovingly lingering Hardships, trials of life Showing no immunity Gratitude, compassion, thankfulness Rising steadily
Remnants of Childhood was written in response to the W3 #164 prompt.
Life is a series of learning experiences, events and emotions. In this video message, I talk about choosing to have a good day when you may not be in the best of moods. If you have absolutely no reason to be ill, ask yourself why. This might be a good time to talk to yourself and talk yourself into a better disposition.
(Previously recorded on June 20, 2025) Video Message- Why Have a Bad Day
Vinyl albums- Public Enemy, Duke Ellington, McFadden & Whitehead
Music is a universal language. Jazz, rhythm and blues, rap, gospel, house, soul, rock and roll, disco and go-go. Some of these styles of music are a fusion from multiple genres. While some don’t want to admit that, just read the credits and you will discover. Groups that you thought might have been considered a “black” group, have some origins from other cultures.
Nonetheless, June is Black Music Month or African American Appreciation Month. President Jimmy Carter declared it in 1979. However, it wasn’t until 1998 that it was officially acknowledged.
Music has a way of getting a message across in song. Some people use it as a way to express their feelings. A way to release and purge. Music also brings about feelings of happiness. Others use it as a way to promote consciousness or bring awareness to the injustices going on in the world. Music has a way of uniting and bringing people together, no matter where you come from. It is so uplifting to hear the right song and it gets you singing along or dancing.
It amazes me how much music has changed over the years. New styles and artists emerge. Languages change too. Meaning the way artists enunciate in their music, sometimes you can’t understand a word. Some songs sound like the chorus is just on repeat and not many lyrics to it.
The one thing that I noticed is that songs in today’s time are much shorter. Back in my day, songs were an average of 8-12 minutes. Today, songs are averaging less than 5 minutes. To me, that is a snippet! Oh well, what do I know right?! Music can make you dance, cry, sing, smile and so on.
Tears of Understanding- A poem about judgments and cultivating relationships. Building relationships with people can sometimes be hindered by unfair judgments. We can avoid assumptions about each other by taking the time to have a conversation or simply asking a question.
Tears of Understanding- A Poem video message
Please don't misunderstand what's that you hear yeah, smothered tears tears tears
Please don't misunderstand not being heard, but seen instead seeing me me me
Please don't misunderstand seeing me is not my clothes not my hair and definitely not my face nah nah nah
Please understand my brotha, my sista Black woman I am Boricua I am
My complexion mine your complexion yours my inflection mine mine mine your perplexion yours yours yours
Please understand you will never understand the whys, I give benefit of doubt because it was not given to me
Underestimated Misjudged Misunderstood Even hated
Please understand my silence, my strength to the underlying slick tongue the slick tongue that takes jabs at my person
Please understand, no overstand my shoes you cannot walk in they were not made for you your shoes not made for me
Even still, you hold your truth I hold mine, the same but different tears tears tears, of not sadness
Tears for you you you Judgments you hold for me are really for you you you Understand?!
The affirmation for this morning is choose happiness and have a good day.
Yesterday is gone and today is here. Whatever happened yesterday, don’t let it weigh you down today. It was in the past and is now behind you. Now is the time to look up and look at today and ahead. We can choose to be happy. We can choose to have a good day. You decide on the fate of the day you want to have.
Trying new things does wonders for the brain. It helps us to grow and challenges us to break out of the comfort zone. Adding new skills helps to keep our brain sharp. Also, it can be scary to try something new.
All kinds of thoughts go through your mind. You question, can I really do this? Why do I even think I can do this? Am I crazy, I can’t do this. Be careful not to talk yourself out of it. If you are thinking about changing your mind about trying something new. Just ask yourself, what is the worst that can happen?
If you succeed, great! If you fail, at least you know and can say that you at least tried. The failure is only when we do not try. Discovering whether or not we can do something is valuable information.
What happens when you learn something new
A feeling of accomplishment that you were able to do something you thought that you could not
You gain knowledge that you can use for the future
It opens new opportunities and sparks new interests
You can overcome fear and release that doubt in yourself
It helps our mental health by boosting your brainpower
Improves self-esteem
Things to try to give your brain that work
Drive a new way to and/or from work. Change your route so that you don’t have the same route home. If you know where all the potholes are and it is second nature, it numbs the brain right?! It requires no brainpower, where is the fun in that. A new route will require the brain to be more alert, and it will require you to think about where you are going
Learn a new language. This is fun and your brain will thank you. You get to have new conversations and make new connections. Even if you do not become fluent in a new language you have learned a new skill
Like to dance? Try to learn a new dance. It makes you smile, it is exercise and improves mood. Join a dance class if there are any in your area. Also, check out the many videos on the internet and try these at home too.
Try crossword puzzles and jigsaw puzzles as well. These give the brain practice too. Playing cards is another way to help boost memory.
Conclusion
As you can see, you don’t have to try something that is outrageous or outlandish. Start with something on a small scale then expand it to as big as you want. The important thing is to enjoy yourself and expand your brainpower.
The video message is about showing humility when blessings come our way. Be humble and grateful for all your blessings. Boasting and bragging is not the way. Just as quickly as God blesses us, he can taketh away. Celebrate and be happy for others the same as you would want them to be happy for you in return.
If this message resonates with you, please share with someone who you think may like the message as well. If it is on your heart, please leave a comment on how this message has changed you in some way or given a new perspective.
Video Message- He Can Take It Away
Thank you for watching! Stay well and be blessed! 🙏💖
Taking those pieces and Remnants from life's experiences And using it for New purpose in life's journey Shapes the way Forward and forges Opportunities for growth Rebirth of the mind and soul Makes room for the body to Adhere to its natural order To fall in line with the trio In which all alignment Originates and keeps everything Nice and smooth
Thank you for watching! I have attached a previous article titled, Canopy of Protection. Where Do You Find Peace? Hopefully, you can find something that will help you if you need calmness in your life. As always, thank you for reading🙏💕😊
Do you get back to an old hobby? Maybe do the things that once made you feel most alive. The list below are some things that come to mind. Can you relate to any of these?
Saying no and not being a people pleaser
Taking time out for self care
Checking in on how you are feeling, really
Being intentional about nurturing relationships
We have to be connected with ourselves before we can begin to connect with others in a meaningful way. ☺️
The way we think about money determines how we move in life. If you feel that you should spend every dollar you make maybe it is time to change your attitude. Prices are skyrocketing on just about everything and this trend does not seem to be slowing down. Spending for housing, food, education and definitely commerce with the tariffs being assessed, puts a strain on finances.
With that in mind, it never hurts to have some kind of financial cushion. Do you save every time you get paid? If so, then you are heading in the right direction. What about investing? This one is a little tricky. It depends on whether or not you are willing to risk financial loses, along with returns.
Are you a chronic spender? Purchasing things that you don’t really need but want, just because you have money. Spending this way leaves you vulnerable in times of an emergency. If you spend, spend, spend and have no savings, try to work on putting something aside. Some people feel that they worked for their money, so why save it.
Ways to Save
Start small- save a reasonable portion every paycheck. It doesn’t have to be the same amount each time or a significant amount. Something that is comfortable enough for you to set aside. Whatever your starting amount is, work your way up each time in increments.
Open an interest-bearing account – this method ensures that your money will grow over time.
Direct deposit- if your employer offers direct deposit, have the amount you want to save come out of your check automatically and into a savings account. This way, you don’t have that money in your hand, but it will go directly into the account where you can monitor the growth.
Pay yourself- do not forget to pay yourself. You work for your money, so don’t forget to keep some for yourself too.
Investing- consult with a financial advisor about your level of risk before making any investments in stocks, bond, annuities, etc.
401-K, Roth IRA- these are more long-term investments. The earlier you start on this the more you will have at retirement for those golden years.
The best way to ease financial stress is to first create a safety net. If you know that you have money set aside, you will not be so overwhelmed and stressed when those emergencies arise.
Living paycheck to paycheck is a reality for some people. A shift in attitude can turn that around. Start to budget your money and eliminate things that you don’t need. Before making a purchase, stop to ask yourself if this is a necessary expense.
The tax return refund is often a missed opportunity. Use the refund for saving and put it towards your safety net/emergency fund. Instead of spending it before you get it, put the money aside. At least, most of it. You would be surprised how this can jump start your savings journey.
Look for other ways to cut back on your spending. Little things add up and quickly. Start to keep track of your daily spending for two weeks. Review it and see where you can cut unnecessary spending. The economy is so uncertain in today’s time. If banks are unfavorable to you, do what works best for you to find alternative means of saving.
Yes, it takes work to change our financial situation. Attitude is the ingredient to making the change we want to see. No one else can do this for us. Start small and build from today. You can do it!
