Is FB/Twitter consuming Your Life?

As busy as we all are these days we can only find time to stay connected to one another via quick meetings or social networks. We mainly stay in touch with each other via social networks. The opportunity to stay in touch with family and friends is at the touch of a finger as of now we can access the sites through our cell phones. We not only stay in touch with our close family/friends but we also use the sites as a business tool to market ourselves. The sites can also be used to portray a different you, you can be a good guy instead of a bad guy, etc (let your imagination wonder here).

I recently went to a networking event here in Atlanta and when I asked a young lady if she had either FB/twitter her response was “No, I don’t have either one of those because I found myself being too concerned about other people lives. I would find myself comparing MY LIFE to THEIR LIFE and wondering why I wasn’t that happy or why those things weren’t happening to ME”.  I told her that just because people post they are smelling roses doesn’t mean they aren’t smelling sh*t. According to what you post people will LOVE, HATE, ENVY or draw their own assumption about you.  Life is what it is and we all know sometimes it can be rough. People are going to pick and chose to post what they want and you should be fine with that and move on with your life. After talking more with her she agreed, besides the type of business the young lady was interested in doing I think social networking would help her.

After having that conversation with her I researched how social networks affect people. What I learned is people are affected by their surroundings (the power of attraction), yes even through social networking!! The emotions or dealing of others can affect your living in some way, meaning either you want to help in some way or you wish you lived that way.  The example was given that “I’m happier if my friends are happy and so on”.  I personally have 436 friends on my FB page and not all of them are my close friends, but they all have some sort of tie to me. It doesn’t matter if I met them just once they are there. Although I don’t visit the site as much as I use to I still visit it just to post something post worthy.  I once in the blue delete my pages to cease myself from reading other peoples world and focus on mine, I however never compared my life with any ones else’s or made assumptions about their life. I could however understand where the young lady was coming from.

~If your overwhelmed set yourself free..there is no better place you’ll rather be~

Ms. Bank$

Being Realistic isn't that difficult after all

 Being REALISTIC is one of the most difficult things for some people, whether it’s in your personal or professional life. At the end of the year we go out and set these “New Year Resolutions” and everybody is all in for the “New Year, New ME” bid but they have not began prior to the ending of the year to set small milestones to bring them into the New Year with a fresh start or the beginning stages to a fresh start. In our day to day life we set goals but we aren’t being specific enough with the details for us to achieve it. Everyone has a vision but the vision has to broken down before the complete picture comes together. Stay on your path, everyone will not know where you’re going with what you’re doing but believe in yourself, most of all be realistic. I’ve jotted down 4 major components of being realistic:

                                               ·        knowing what you want 
                                               ·        being specific, not vague
                                               ·        not procrastinating
                                               ·        being determined


Many of us pretend all is good and its just BAD, living in utter disbelief that we are in debt, that our home is broken, or that bad decisions in general have been made. However, from any situation be able to take from it how you got there, what you got out of it, and what you will do in the future to ensure you don’t end up in that place again. No matter if its people or things be REALISTIC about it, them and your situation. I myself am learning to be realistic and while some of it is of no easy task, it's a lesson well learned and I can now teach my daughters the benefit of being realistic and making levelheaded decisions.


As a conversation piece tell me: How many of you feel like you’re still on the “New Year, New Me” path or how many have stuck to your NYR?? What was it you weren't being realistic about? What have you found to be some of your struggles? How are you now being more realistic?

~Live by expressing awareness of things as they really are…be Realistic~

Ms. Banks
 

Confidence can be mistaken....

The poet in ME! ......

I am just me, full of CONFIDENCE but what you see is Cockiness and Boughieness

So what if I walk with my head up high, looking up to the sky it helps my day go by, I’ve been told of the greatness I poses, it helps 2 uplift my CONFIDENCE, which u have mistaken for Cockiness and Boughieness

My attitude is one of no other, I'm a lady, a lover, refusing to be utterly damaged by your words, because I have CONFIDENCE which u have mistaken for Cockiness and Boughieness

That talk and walk that I walk, it's my essence, in which u lack, so u mistake my CONFIDENCE for Cockiness and Boughieness

Yes, I am strong, single and independent, all over my body language screams out a loud "WHATEVER AND FUCK YOU!!", its the lionesses roar of CONFIDENCE which u have mistaken for Cockiness and Boughieness

Not a diss 2 any dudes, but I'll do what u do if not better in a pair of high heels, I got ya'll actin' like chic's, sayin' look at this Bitch here, standing in a crowd of men, I am the feminine form of CONFIDENCE, which u have mistaken for Cockiness and Boughieness

When I step into a room I bring with me something, u look u say she acting all funny, which is not the case, I just have something that u lack honey, "CONFIDENCE" which u have mistaken for Cockiness and Boughieness

Not 2 say there is anything wrong with being all 3 because at any given moment that's what I can be, however you will need 2 identify which is me before u come at me directly, for u may mistake my CONFIDENCE for Cockiness and Boughieness

~Ms. Banks~ 2008

The Pursuit of Happiness

"Happiness is a state of mind or feeling characterized by contentment, love, satisfaction, pleasure, or joy". Happiness is usually associated with positive emotions or actives, such as relationships, employment, health, optimism, it is also associated with religion. Happiness isn't always a given for most it is challenging, at times even difficult to come by. After reading more about happiness I found that happiness seems to be greater in that of the older generation than of the younger generation. The younger generation happens to be under more stress & pressure, having anxiety, depression and financial problems. The older generation have lived their lives and learned valuable lessons to ensure that they are happy. This made me realize that making a "mistake" or "failing" (per say) is just a lesson to help you get closer to happiness. During the pursuit of happiness it can take sacrifice, leaving people, losing things, maybe even shutting out the world just to get right. The question is what defines HAPPINESS to you? What will it take for you to be HAPPY? Are you willing to start take those steps towards being HAPPY? HOW BAD DO YOU WANT TO BE HAPPY?
Everyone answer to what happiness is will be different, so judge not.

As I reflect on the things that make me happy, none of those things are tangible items. However, there was a time when my tangible things made me extremely happy, then I finally realized those things can be taken away, maybe they were even some type of shield. Anywho, lesson learned TANGIBLE things do NOT EQUAL HAPPINESS! Sometimes my happiness came from making others HAPPY. I struggled with my definition or reasoning of HAPPINESS for a minute, took me sometime, I secluded myself but I got the gist of it. I gave up things, distant myself from some people, just to re-evaluate, prioritize, mastermind & then go after mine! My happiness comes solely from BEING, being a Mom, being a Daughter, being a Sister, being a Aunt, being a Cousin, being a Friend, being with God, keeping my faith, remaining fearless & believing in MYSELF. I have jumped over plenty of hurdles in my life and for some of them happiness only last for moments. I've been enjoying equating my happiness to just being, so you'll always catch a smile on my face, sometimes it's just in my eyes. Oh and besides just being, I'm OPTIMISTIC (always have been, always will be).

I tell my mini-story to say, find your happiness, be in pursuit of it! I challenge you!! It's 39 days into the New Year, you still have time to be HAPPY! Take a moment think about it, re-evaluate, prioritize and move forward. No matter what it is that makes you happy be willing to do what it takes to get there. Happiness is NOT GIVEN. *If you like comment below give a part of what makes you Happy and what happiness means to you! *



~Anytime there is struggle there is preparation for what is about to come~ Lisa "Left Eye" Lopez



*Ms. Banks*