tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85190933864274802532024-02-08T02:17:34.929-08:00Miss Opinionated: Letting Go of GoneAs I journey into introspection..."When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are then challenged to change ourselves."Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01699995723430939438noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8519093386427480253.post-35072137936609576442016-02-09T13:06:00.001-08:002016-02-09T13:06:07.307-08:00Letting go of 2015<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Sometimes it's necessary to take a step back in order to move forward. As time rolls on, it's important to know that no matter where we are, we've come from some place else.<br />
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I will also be taking these valuable lessons into 2016...<br />
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1) Don't get caught up in things that don't matter and especially with things that will not likely ever matter. Like another person's choice of words, for example. Many times, when we argue with others, we are arguing the same principle from different perspectives using different words or different experiences. Therefore, many times when we argue, we do so redundantly. It is important to be mindful of this because being understood naturally comes with a certain level of comfort. So if we misunderstand when we are being understood, we cause ourselves unnecessary grief. Understand? Lol.</div>
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2) Wait to be asked for personal advice. Often times, when a person is going through a particular situation - especially if it is something we've already conquered on our own journey - it is easy to fall into giving advice without being asked. This can cause resentment at worst and a useless prattling at best. It's better to allow individuals to grow at their own pace. Because that's the only pace that each of us can grow at. This is particularly hard to accept when someone we care about is in the habit of engaging in reckless behavior that can cause harm to themselves or the people around them. While it is perfectly acceptable to be a deterrent in such cases when the occasion calls for it, it is also important to accept that that person will not change until the time comes in their life when they are ready for change. There's no way around that. Good advice on deaf ears is nothing more than useless advice.</div>
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3) Be silent, be still. Maya Angelou's infamous last tweet was; "Listen to yourself. And in that quietude you might hear the voice of God."</div>
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4) Don't be afraid to face failure. This is something I struggle with. But I spend a tremendous amount of time meditating on it still. It plays into our nature of personal accountability. Most of us have dreams, goals and aspirations. And sometimes, we fail to meet deadlines. That's life. Missing a deadline is a tough pill to swallow but it's not the end of the world. We can't let go of something that we refuse to accept.</div>
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5) Don't wait for what's done in the dark to come to light. Take control of the shadows.</div>
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6) We receive unto ourselves as we are. February of 2016 will make 5 years that I've been on my personal journey of introspection. One life lesson that I'm working on embracing - that I will perhaps spend the remainder of my existence here on earth accepting - is that I alone am responsible for my existence. The circumstances surrounding my existence and the consequences of all of my actions are my sole responsibility. I often speak of personal accountability, and day by day I am learning that it can be deeper and more controversial than simply said. Its very tempting, possibly because it is sometimes easy, to pass the blame of negative things to others. But when all is said and done, we have the freedom to choose. Choice is a very powerful entitlement. Everything we are and everything we do begins with a choice including how we play the hand we're dealt in life.</div>
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Life hasn't gotten any easier or simpler these past few years. And I'm learning more day by day that easier and better are two different things. Somedays, looking inside myself is a struggle. And I sometimes wonder if the time will I ever come when I don't cringe at some things I find there. But that's fine. There are things that appear to not have evolved and there are also things that appear to have vanished completely. And as I reflect on time, I realise--that without having realised--the caos that was once inside of me, became peace.</div>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>You may also like to read:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://nevydames.blogspot.com/2013/12/letting-go-of-2013.html" target="_blank">Letting go of 2013</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://nevydames.blogspot.com/2014/12/letting-go-of-2014.html" target="_blank">Letting go of 2014</a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://nevydames.blogspot.com/2014/07/letting-go-of-silence.html" target="_blank">Letting go of Silence</a></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01699995723430939438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8519093386427480253.post-50327583749355679042014-12-31T10:02:00.001-08:002015-01-04T17:31:44.555-08:00LETTING GO OF 2014<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MqiDKFiX_Pc/VKQ59FNURYI/AAAAAAAACRw/FlU1zmFIV1Q/s1600/nevydames%2B(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MqiDKFiX_Pc/VKQ59FNURYI/AAAAAAAACRw/FlU1zmFIV1Q/s1600/nevydames%2B(2).JPG" height="320" title="nevydames.blogspot.com" width="240" /></a>A few weeks ago, I thought about this blog. Earlier in the year I had promised myself
that I would make it an annual thing.
But this past year was a bit rough and I found myself seriously
wondering; ‘did I learn anything this year?’ There is always a lesson in life but sometimes we have to
remember to stop and let it sink in…</div>
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This coming year, I anticipate some significant changes to
take place not just in my life but also around my life. I would be lying if I said that I was totally
prepared. In a way, it’s very scary
knowing that things will change. It’s
scary not knowing how much more you can take.
But over the past few years I learned that the only real courage comes
from facing our own fears. That moment
when you realize that things weren’t as scary as you imagined or that you
weren’t as weak as you thought you would be, is priceless. </div>
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I will also be taking these valuable lessons from 2014 to
2015:</div>
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<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">1.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">There is always a lesson in life, but sometimes
we have to remember to stop and let it sink in. (Yes, I just said that.)</span></div>
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<a name='more'></a>2. Meditation is a journey. It’s not something to do in my spare time. In
2014 I’ve learned that reflection is more powerful than imagination. One of the most difficult meditation tasks
that I’ve had is to reflect on myself within, and not through the eyes. Life is better lived from the inside out than
it is from the outside in. My favorite
quote for the year is;<br />
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<i>“All that we are is the result of
what we have thought. The mind is
everything. What we think, we become.” ~ Buddha</i></div>
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3. There’s a reason why some say that patience is
the greatest virtue that a man can possess!
It’s certainly not easy to achieve.
And in 2014, one thing that I’ve learnt very well is how to be
IMPATIENT! Lol. None the less, all
things in time, and everything in its place.
Some things take longer to come but desire can never be fulfilled with
impatience. It’s very easy to lose
ourselves in a moment. On a more
positive note; in seeking patience, I’ve learned to live with anger. Yes, I said live with. Anger is an emotion just as every other
emotion that builds inside of us and moves with the changes around us. Like love, we can choose to suppress it or dispel
it, but it will always be there to grow again.
How we choose to dispel it is a more complex question of character. Some flowers take longer to bloom. And that’s perfectly acceptable. The lesson is simply to keep moving forward.</div>
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4. Accept all things as they are and not as you
wish them to be. All things - as I am - are
forever changing. I don’t hold myself in
contempt for changing so I should not hold anyone else in contempt for
changing. We choose our own paths, and
make our own destiny. Love others, for
their change.</div>
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5. Friendship is the greatest illusion of
humankind. There have been a lot of ups
and downs in 2014 surrounding this ‘friendship’ thing. At some point I began to ask myself, “Does it
even matter?” No, it doesn’t. People, for the most part, are all the
same. We all have good days and bad
days. We all have things we like, things we love and things we simply don’t
care for. We all have ideals and some
(hopefully most) of us have standards.
The thing that we do wrong with friendship is set expectations of other
people. Friendship, like love, should be
unconditional. There will be days when people walk out of your life
unexpectedly, but there are also days when people walk into your life
unexpectedly. If we’re all headed in the
same direction, nothing says we have to take the same path to get there. Even if we’re not headed in the same
direction, nothing says we can’t walk a while together. You want friends who make you feel good –
your friends want friends who make them feel good. The other person is not always the one who’s
wrong, sometimes you are. We can only control
what we put out there, not anyone else.
The lesson; that’s life, deal with it.</div>
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6. With respect to lesson #5: ‘Haters’ is the second greatest illusion of
humankind! Lol. That’s life, deal with
it!</div>
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7. Don’t make excuses. Recognize your wrong doing. Acknowledge your wrong doing. Apologize for your wrong doing. Accept criticism for your wrong doing. It makes you wiser.</div>
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8. Don’t be ashamed to rise to someone else’s
expectations…but never fall to them.
Pride is a savory virtue, there’s no harm in appeasing the positive
visions of another person’s heart. It
makes you stronger.</div>
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9. Bond with others. Allow others to bond with you. Two minds are
wiser than one…and two hearts are stronger than one.</div>
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10. God is real.</div>
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As I continue, forward always, the journey is not always
easy. Some days I feel lost and
confused. Other days I look back and
wonder what if I had chosen otherwise?
But each day, no matter how dark and weary it had been I remind myself
to never give up on me. Happiness is not
a goal, it’s a result. It is the result
of doing what I know is best for me without expecting anything in return. Positivity comes from within. Not everyone will accept well what is
positive in me. People will always
expect for other people to be a reflection of who they are. But there remains a sacred empowerment in
introspection that I’m simply not willing to let go of. </div>
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One circle is complete so another one can begin as we roll
on into infinity. </div>
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Love</div>
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Laugh </div>
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Share</div>
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Live</div>
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Cheers to 2015!</div>
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You may also like to read <a href="http://nevydames.blogspot.com/2013/12/letting-go-of-2013.html" target="_blank">Letting Go of 2013</a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01699995723430939438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8519093386427480253.post-17749828895236047032014-12-24T06:25:00.000-08:002014-12-24T06:26:45.345-08:00Happy Holiday<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Here's to wishing all those who celebrate in the Christmas holiday; a very happy and prosperous holiday!</div>
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Here's to those who do not celebrate in the Christmas holiday; may the warmth and cheer of the season fill you none the less!</div>
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Here's to those who hold sacred, the birth of The Christ; may his spirit be with you as he fills your lives!</div>
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May we all have the heart to love and the words to care, regardless of our belief.</div>
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May we remember to be our brother's keeper</div>
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and may we learn together that compassion has no season.</div>
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May we learn together, to give of ourselves while asking nothing in return</div>
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so that we may better understand selflessness.</div>
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May we learn to see the humor in all the silly things around us.</div>
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But more importantly, may we learn to laugh at ourselves.</div>
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And may we continue to defend those who cannot defend themselves.</div>
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If you move by faith, be blessed.</div>
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If you move by fate, good luck.</div>
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If you march to your own drum, be safe.</div>
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May your hearts overflow like your glasses as you celebrate!</div>
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May your home be stuffed like your turkey!</div>
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And may your memories be as sweet as your cookies!</div>
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Happy Holiday to all!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01699995723430939438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8519093386427480253.post-36169540901268398782014-12-18T18:58:00.000-08:002014-12-19T06:38:12.558-08:00Where Strength Lies<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
My life is such that I often wonder how some people would get by without me. When its broken, I fix it. When its empty, I fill it. I carry the weight and take the responsibility when things go wrong. I do so silently without asking anything in return because I've learned to accept that some people simply don't know how to do it on their own.<br />
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This is my love: I don't say, I do.<br />
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But sometimes the strong isn't always so strong and sometimes the brave isn't always so fearless. It angers me sometimes that if I were to die today or tomorrow, these people would weep over my grave. But I am here, now, today, in this moment, where my name is called mostly when I'm needed. And my biggest fear is that tomorrow, I may not care so much to stand in someone else's shadow. That's when they start to hate you...I've seen it many times.<br />
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No matter how much pride you have, always recognise who is on your side. People get so caught up in the sound of words that they weigh them carelessly. When we go to battle, we face forward. But when the smoke clears and your enemy is no longer before you; look behind you. So the next time you fight and loose, you'll understand better exactly what it is you've lost.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Follow <complete id="goog_1308762294"><a href="http://twitter.com/nevydames" target="_blank">@NevyDames</a> on Twitter</complete></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01699995723430939438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8519093386427480253.post-79926660641606312022014-10-21T06:07:00.001-07:002014-10-21T06:15:22.634-07:00Rebirth<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rebirth</td></tr>
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Few things in human existence trump the majesty and prestige
of birth. New life is a wondrous gift
that can not (or should not) be neither compared to, nor compromised with any
other aspect of life. <br />
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The birth of a
child is like the pursuit of happiness: we know what to expect, we know how to
prepare, but somehow the grandeur of what new life truly is never really fills
us until we arrive at that very moment.
With happiness, we first choose to be happy. We then pursue what makes us happy. Then one day – although we were expecting it
– the grandeur of happiness suddenly fills us up, and simultaneously, shakes us
to our very core! True happiness
rejuvenates our existence. And new life
redefines <a href="http://nevydames.blogspot.com/2014/07/our-featured-presentation-meaning-of.html" target="_blank">the meaning of life</a>.</div>
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Throughout our lives, we make decisions and pursue interests
with the sole intent on growing the contentment that is inside of us. When we do this, we often come to find that
one of the most difficult things to do in such a fast pace world is to slow
down and take a breath. More so, when we
are able to steal such a moment to ourselves and to breathe a slow and careful
breath, it only serves to make us wonder; what really is the meaning of this
life? </div>
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Every man has a heart. Inside of every man’s heart is
life. And every life has many purposes. We have a purpose in our careers; in our
social status; in our social welfare and in the lives of the people who live
around us. Every choice we make is made
for the reason of defining that purpose.
And each time we are able to distinguish our purpose; we breathe just a
little bit easier, and wonder just a little bit less. We fall into a place of contentment - a place
that is not unlike the spectacle of birth or the acquisition of happiness. We fall into a space that takes our breath
away.<br />
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***Essay from the series "<a href="http://nevydames.blogspot.com/2014/07/our-featured-presentation-meaning-of.html" target="_blank">The Meaning of Life</a>" produced by <a href="http://thepublicblogger.com/" target="_blank">The Public Blogger</a>***</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Follow <a href="http://twitter.com/nevydames" target="_blank">@NevyDames</a> on Twitter</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01699995723430939438noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8519093386427480253.post-67354345384610290452014-09-18T07:20:00.000-07:002014-10-15T08:32:52.015-07:00MY PERFECT PERFECT <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--32kqytybRw/VDU_gaoO1rI/AAAAAAAACJU/sXOm-A383l4/s1600/perfect.neavada.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="http://nevydames.blogspot.com" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--32kqytybRw/VDU_gaoO1rI/AAAAAAAACJU/sXOm-A383l4/s1600/perfect.neavada.JPG" height="200" title="Perfect - Miss Opinionated: Letting Go of Gone" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Signage for perfect</td></tr>
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No one's perfect. But why not try to be?</div>
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To be flawed in theory means that we possess characteristics that prevent perfection. Perfection, theoretically, is to exist without flaw. And, again theoretically, we are all imperfect because we are <br />
human. Theoretically. Realistically, however, we are imperfect because we do not strive for perfection. We don't strive for it because, for the most part, we believe that no person should be or is capable of becoming perfect.<br />
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The fact that we are able to recognize our flaws shows that we are aware of our perfect selves. But defining perfection may be a more complicated problem. Most of us live by some standard of morality - it may be religious, political, spiritual, scientific or some other cosmopolitan view. Our personal convictions, more often than not, also often matches that of other individuals in our communities. While community mindedness has it's usefulness in personal development, when it comes to making conscious decisions, it has the potential to become self destructive. What I may view as perfect, others may beg to differ. And with so many definitions of standards, morality and perfection to start with, whose ideologies can be trusted? So in a sense, when we adopt the principal that 'no one is perfect,' what we are really doing, is refusing to give effort. <br />
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<b>My perfect, is effort.</b><br />
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Conditioning the mind to believe that it is acceptable to be imperfect is the same as conditioning the mind to believe that perfection is unacceptable.</div>
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Why do we like to shy away from perfection? For the most part, fear, shame and the fear of being shamed. Or in other words...we lack conviction. Fear causes us to hide our core desires when we are certain that our communities will not accept them. Shame happens when we recognize that our actions were unacceptable - not by someone else's standard, but by our own standards. Generally, anything that is deemed unacceptable is shamed. We are harsher judges of ourselves than we are of other people. So the only thing that really keeps us from perfection, is ourselves.<br />
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Ironically; the first step in changing anything is changing the way we think about it and admittedly; it is rather daunting to think of changing the way we think of things that we hardly ever think of to start with. Personally, I like to start with a question.<br />
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Question is: What does perfect really mean to you?<br />
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<i>"All that we are is the result of what we have thought.</i></div>
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<i>The mind is everything.</i></div>
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<i>What we think, we become."</i></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Follow <a href="http://twitter.com/nevydames" target="_blank">@NevyDames</a> on twitter.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01699995723430939438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8519093386427480253.post-28744969495551114752014-09-16T08:29:00.000-07:002016-02-09T13:04:53.716-08:00FINDING BALANCE<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>"…a disposition to behave in the right manner and as a mean between extremes of deficiency and excess, which are vices…" ~ </i>Official definition of Aristotle's theory of virtue </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">[Musings]</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>We find that the purpose of desire is to find fulfilment. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>If greed is a vice, then how could pleasure be called a virtue? </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>And the sacchariferous climax of fulfillment—however brief, however fleeting—can also be easily mistaken for happiness. So what is virtue?</i></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--ctXJiEGD2g/VBhXLuS5XCI/AAAAAAAACGc/YG35b9suAnM/s1600/nevydamesfindingbalance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--ctXJiEGD2g/VBhXLuS5XCI/AAAAAAAACGc/YG35b9suAnM/s1600/nevydamesfindingbalance.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>There is an absolute power, above that of human existence. Whether it is a god or anything else; our existence pivots at this median. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>It is a point that we can neither reach nor change because its purpose is balance and therefore, it must remain constant. </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>For the need of pleasure and fulfilment, we cannot judge ourselves...</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>because we will not know how to find the balance between the virtue and the vice.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Love is a mean to bring value and purpose to our lives. That purpose defines more than what we are, but also what we can become. When we lose something we love, our reaction is indicative of the way we love. When life remains the same, then perhaps we did not love afterall. If life becomes better, then maybe we loved ourself more. But when we lose what we love, and are broken until the earth moves beneath our feet and we forget that there is purpose in all things; then we know that we have given our heart in whole, and we have loved unconditionally. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><a href="http://nevydames.blogspot.com/2014/07/our-featured-presentation-meaning-of.html" target="_blank">The meaning of life</a> can not be defined as one thing by one definition. The meaning of life is relative...it is relative to the purpose of that life. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Purpose is a journey. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>What makes a journey matter most is the path we choose to take. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Sometimes we give ourselves purpose and other times, purpose is given to us. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>But if we are unable to center our existence - or to find balance - then we may never understand purpose.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">When we choose to serve only ourselves, selfishly, living for fulfilment and pleasure; then vices become our virtue. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">When we choose to put our faith in a god, then through this god, should our love for mankind be known -- because the love of god is in the people of god. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">If we chose to serve others in whole, and selflessly, not regarding god or ourselves; our vice will again be our virtue, because we choose to live for the things around us and ignore the things inside of us.</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Human carnal desires consist of comfort, validation, knowledge and power.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>The <b>purpose</b> of a life's is to learn that as I am, so too is my brother in humanity.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>So what I deserve, all of mankind deserves as well.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>To find comfort, we must learn discomfort.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>To be validated, we must learn to validate others.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>To find knowledge, we must accept that we do not know.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>And to gain power, we must learn the servitude of submission.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>When we find our center -- the median between the vice and the virtue -- there we will also find the meaning of life.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Follow <a href="http://twitter.com/nevydames" target="_blank">@NevyDames</a> on Twitter</span></b></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01699995723430939438noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8519093386427480253.post-55822514265781052802014-08-19T10:01:00.001-07:002014-09-16T08:37:19.533-07:00Why All the Noise, Ferguson MO?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eZc_cWOknvQ/U_N-8aGondI/AAAAAAAACFY/QzfPAyshBxU/s1600/nevydamesferguson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="http://nevydames.blogspot.com" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eZc_cWOknvQ/U_N-8aGondI/AAAAAAAACFY/QzfPAyshBxU/s1600/nevydamesferguson.jpg" height="214" title="Ferguson Riots - Miss Opinionated" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px; text-align: center;">Courtesy of <a href="http://thestar.com/">thestar.com</a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 20.22222328186035px;">For lack of a more dignified way to ask the question:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 20.22222328186035px;" /><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 20.22222328186035px;"><b>What exactly is the POINT in all this protesting over Michael Brown's death?</b></span><br style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 20.22222328186035px;" /><br style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 20.22222328186035px;" /><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 20.22222328186035px;">Twelve nights now and I haven't seen anyone step forward to organize and lead these protests - not to push a black agenda or any agenda at all. The world is watching Ferguson Missouri right now and presumably the people are hoping to break down racial barriers in law enforcement. Presumably they want to see more blacks on the police force and in public office. </span></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 20.22222328186035px;" /><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 20.22222328186035px;" /><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 20.22222328186035px;">HOWEVER; no demands have been made...no one has called out the black president of the United States who remains neutral and unpassionate through it all (facebook posts don't count unless the President is on your friend list)...no one has called for black people across America to stand in solidarity with the people of Ferguson...the black civil rights leaders are asking for calm...no one is using this opportunity to really push an agenda -- not for civil rights, racial equality, a stop to police brutality...nothing!</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 20.22222328186035px;" /><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 20.22222328186035px;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 20.22222328186035px;">But isn't now the perfect time?</span><br style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 20.22222328186035px;" /><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 20.22222328186035px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 20.22222328186035px;" /><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 20.22222328186035px;">People are coming from all over to protest in Ferguson and I fear that at the end of the day, some mediocre policies will be changed or implemented to pacify the people...but what change will really come for black America? The people of Ferguson has gained the world's attention with their loud cries but it's time for the crying to subside and time for talking to begin. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 20.22222328186035px;">People from all around are ready to stand in support of the people of Ferguson, but the problem is...</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">PEOPLE OF FERGUSON MISSOURI...YOU HAVE TO TELL US WHAT YOU WANT!!</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Follow <a href="http://twitter.com/nevydames" target="_blank">@NevyDames</a> on Twitter</span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01699995723430939438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8519093386427480253.post-72553229247774806062014-07-28T08:02:00.002-07:002014-09-16T08:40:14.799-07:00The Meaning of Life series finale<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: small;">As "The Meaning of Life" ends, I find a new beginning. </span><span style="font-size: small;">Once again I would like to say my sincerest thank you to Mr. Person for inviting my participation on this project, it has been a wonderful and learning experience; one that I am certain will help me to grow as a blogger in time to come. </span></h1>
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Our Featured Presentation: The Meaning of Life series finale</h1>
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The Neighborhood @ <a href="http://thepublicblogger.com/">thepublicblogger.com</a> Proudly Presents</h3>
<div style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px !important; padding: 8px 0px; text-align: center;">
Our Featured Presentation: The Meaning of Life series finale</div>
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<em>the calm written by Kelly Lewis of <a href="http://klewismusings.wordpress.com/" sl-processed="1" target="_blank" title="kellys wandering mind"><strong>Kelly’s Wandering Mind</strong></a>, Los Angeles, California<br />
set design by Kendall F. Person and Rick Daddario<br />
visual artist Rick Daddario of <a href="http://19planets.wordpress.com/" sl-processed="1" target="_blank" title="19Planets"><strong>19 Planets Art</strong></a>, Kailua, Hawaii<br />
soundtrack <a href="https://soundcloud.com/ke3n0" sl-processed="1" target="_blank" title="soundcloud"><strong>Without You</strong></a> by Kennan Rucker, mid Missouri<br />
<strong><a href="https://soundcloud.com/renan-javier" sl-processed="1" target="_blank" title="soundcloud">Exodus: Gods and Kings</a></strong>, by Renan Javier, Vancouver, British Columbia</em><em><strong><a href="https://soundcloud.com/jeremy-harrell-music" sl-processed="1" target="_blank" title="soundcloud">Walk On</a></strong> by Jeremy Harrell, Chesapeake, Virginia</em><em>the program, Neavada Dames, <strong><a href="http://nevydames.blogspot.com/" sl-processed="1" target="_blank" title="letting go of gone">Miss Opinionated: Letting Go of Gone</a></strong>, Nassau, Bahamas</em></div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px !important; padding: 8px 0px; text-align: center;">
<strong><em>written, edited & produced by Kendall F. Person, thepublicblogger</em></strong><br />
<strong><em>Sacramento, California</em></strong><br />
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<a href="http://thepublicblogger.com/2014/07/13/our-featured-presentation-the-meaning-of-life-2/" sl-processed="1" target="_blank" title="thepublicblogger"><em><span style="color: black;">The Meaning of Life</span></em></a><br />
<a href="http://thepublicblogger.com/2014/07/20/our-featured-presentation-the-meaning-of-life-continues/" sl-processed="1" target="_blank" title="thepublicblogger"><em><span style="color: black;">The Meaning of Life continues</span></em></a><br />
<a href="http://thepublicblogger.com/2014/07/25/the-pre-show-do-we-know-it-all/" sl-processed="1" target="_blank" title="thepublicblogger"><em><span style="color: black;">the-pre show: Do We Know it All?</span></em></a><br />
<em><a href="http://archivedblogger.wordpress.com/2014/07/18/press-release-vippublicarts-education-community-invite-the-neighborhoods-innovative-collaborations-simply-dazzle/" sl-processed="1" target="_blank" title="backstage">Press Release & Public Invitation</a><a href="http://archivedblogger.wordpress.com/2014/07/10/invisible-force-the-seamless-marketing-two-entities-as-one/" sl-processed="1" target="_blank" title="backstage">Collaborating Artists Party</a></em></div>
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<em>Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself…</em><br />
<em>Restrain from passing biased judgments</em><br />
<em>Erase the hate through self-induction</em><br />
<em>In a time of need, assert oneself </em><br />
<em>Offer peace rather than destruction </em></div>
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<em>Construct meaningful connections</em><br />
<em>You are gifted to live and explore</em><br />
<em>Support your brother, step to the fore</em><br />
<em>Appreciate all have imperfections</em><br />
<em>The meaning of life will be restored</em></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lmQa-ZjBXbM/U9ZjyL8NbLI/AAAAAAAAB74/6NcZN5sUsxM/s1600/alife.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lmQa-ZjBXbM/U9ZjyL8NbLI/AAAAAAAAB74/6NcZN5sUsxM/s1600/alife.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rick Daddario</td></tr>
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<em><a href="http://thepublicblogger.com/2014/07/27/our-featured-presentation-the-meaning-of-life-series-finale/" target="_blank">Continue to full production>>>>></a> </em></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01699995723430939438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8519093386427480253.post-29458421788956662982014-07-21T07:46:00.000-07:002014-09-16T08:42:34.481-07:00Our Featured Presentation: The Meaning of Life continues<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Second Installment</h4>
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<a href="http://bit.ly/tpbfeature" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">(View First Installment)</span></a></div>
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The Neighborhood @ <a href="http://thepublicblogger.com/">thepublicblogger.com</a> is Proud to Present…..</h4>
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Our Featured Presentation: The Meaning of Life continues</h4>
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<em>forward <em>written by Neavada Dames, <strong><a href="http://nevydames.blogspot.com/" sl-processed="1" target="_blank" title="Letting Go of Gone">Miss Opinionated: Letting Go of Gone</a></strong>, Bahamas</em></em><em>soundtrack by<strong><a href="http://thepublicblogger.com/category/ivysoul-2/" sl-processed="1" target="_blank" title="Ivysoul Robinson"> IvySoul Robinson</a></strong>, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania</em><br />
<em>set design by Rick Daddario & Kendall F. Person</em><br />
<em>visual artist <strong><a href="http://www.rickdaddario.com/" sl-processed="1" target="_blank" title="Rick Daddario Art">Rick Daddario Art</a></strong>, Hawaii, USA</em><br />
<em><em>intermission written by Kelly Lewis of <strong><a href="http://klewismusings.wordpress.com/tag/los-angeles/" sl-processed="1" target="_blank" title="Kelly's Wandering Mind">Kelly’s Wandering Mind</a></strong>, Los Angeles, California</em></em></div>
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<em>written, edited & produced by </em><br />
<strong><em><a href="http://thepublicblogger.com/" target="_blank">Kendall F. Person, thepublicblogger</a></em></strong><br />
<em>Sacramento, California</em><br />
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<strong>Forward</strong></div>
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<i>Few things in human existence trump the majesty and prestige of birth. New life is a wondrous gift that cannot be neither compared to, nor compromised with any other aspect of life. The birth of a child is like the pursuit of happiness: we know what to expect, we know how to prepare, but somehow the grandeur of what new life truly is never really grabs us until we come to that very moment.</i></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CdKhmmDivI0/U80mIwt1VoI/AAAAAAAAB6I/bnpzkpeBUSc/s1600/rickart6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CdKhmmDivI0/U80mIwt1VoI/AAAAAAAAB6I/bnpzkpeBUSc/s1600/rickart6.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></span></a><i>Throughout our lives, we make decisions and pursue interests with the sole intent of growing the contentment that is inside of us. We often find, that one of the most difficult things to do in such a fast pace world is to slow down and take a breath. When we are unable to steal such a moment to ourselves, it only serves to make us wonder; what really is the meaning of life?</i></div>
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<i>Every man has a heart. Inside of every man’s heart is life. And every life has many purposes. We have a purpose in the duty of our careers; in our social status; in our social welfare and in the lives of the people who live around us. Every choice we make is made for the reason of defining that purpose. In our pursuit we become conscious, just, empowered, protective and righteous. And each time we are able to distinguish the intricacy of our purpose; we breathe just a little bit easier, and wonder just a little bit less. We fall into a place of contentment – a place that is not unlike the spectacle of birth or the acquisition of happiness. When life has meaning, we fall into a truth that takes our breath away.</i></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01699995723430939438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8519093386427480253.post-58033365381178575032014-07-14T13:45:00.000-07:002014-09-16T09:11:44.900-07:00Our Featured Presentation: The Meaning of Life<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px !important;">I would like to say a sincere thank you to Mr. Kendall F. Person for the graciousness of his invite to participate in one of his always spell binding productions! This marks the first blog </span><span style="line-height: 20px;">collaboration</span><span style="line-height: 20px !important;"> that I'm involved with and I could not have been more content with any other artist!</span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #351c75;">I hope you all enjoy!</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><b><u>Our Featured Presentation: The Meaning of Life</u></b></span></span></h2>
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<em>prologue written by Kelly Lewis of <strong><a href="http://klewismusings.wordpress.com/tag/los-angeles/" sl-processed="1" style="color: #222222;" target="_blank" title="Kelly's Wandering Mind">Kelly’s Wandering Mind</a></strong>, Los Angeles, California</em><br />
<em>soundtrack by <strong><a href="https://soundcloud.com/vvsbudfiq" sl-processed="1" style="color: #222222;" target="_blank" title="soundcloud">VVS Stone & Bud Da Bishop</a></strong>, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania</em><br />
<em>set design by Kelly Lewis & Kendall F. Person</em><br />
<em>visual artist <strong><a href="http://www.rickdaddario.com/" sl-processed="1" style="color: #222222;" target="_blank" title="Rick Daddario Art">Rick Daddario Art</a></strong>, Hawaii, USA</em><br />
<em>Interlude written by Neavada Dames, <strong><a href="http://nevydames.blogspot.com/" sl-processed="1" style="color: #346ba4;" target="_blank" title="Letting Go of Gone">Miss Opinionated: Letting Go of Gone</a></strong>, Bahamas</em></div>
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<em>written, edited & produced by </em><br />
<strong><em><a href="http://thepublicblogger.com/" target="_blank">Kendall F. Person, thepublicblogger</a></em></strong><br />
<em>Sacramento, California</em></div>
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<strong><em>Prologue</em></strong></div>
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<em>Unto this world a new child is born…</em><br />
<em>Into a culture stricken with madness</em><br />
<em>That is strained by infinite sadness</em><br />
<em>The baby cries out loud when it is torn</em><br />
<em>From its mother’s womb of blackness</em></div>
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<em>Out of its protection and comfort</em><br />
<em>The child shrieks at the sudden rejection</em><br />
<em>Life-line severed, a vital connection<br />Removed, the child suffers in discomfort</em><br />
<em>Incessant cries appeased through affection</em></div>
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<em>Nurtured by two devoted parents</em><br />
<em>Naively infecting an open mind</em><br />
<em>With handed down beliefs over time</em><br />
<em>Practiced sophisticated appearance</em><br />
<em>All innocence stripped, a vile crime </em></div>
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<em>Affected by inherent fate</em><br />
<em>All purity is lost with childhood</em><br />
<em>Preparing the stage for manhood</em><br />
<em>Opening only the designated gates</em><br />
<em>Failing to see or honor brotherhood</em></div>
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<em>Believing all things are possible</em><br />
<em>Stepping on and over others</em><br />
<em>Conserving an evil culture</em><br />
<em>Through faith nothing is impossible</em><br />
<em>Desperate for acceptance he suffers</em></div>
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<em>Distraught with grief he makes a confession</em><br />
<em>That defies the righteous path selected</em><br />
<em>Seeking his truth while preserving respect</em><br />
<em>Finds value in human connections<br />Coveting real purpose with acceptance</em></div>
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<i><u><a href="http://thepublicblogger.com/2014/07/13/our-featured-presentation-the-meaning-of-life-2/" target="_blank">Continue to full production >>>></a></u></i></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01699995723430939438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8519093386427480253.post-51373361088879776102014-07-04T07:58:00.000-07:002014-09-18T07:22:08.912-07:00DEFINING GOD<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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An ode to all the hearts we meet as we journey to discover The Meaning of Life!</div>
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Once upon a time; God was - or so I assume.</div>
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But today, maybe he is...maybe he isn't - evidently.</div>
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How does one define life?</div>
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How does one define God?</div>
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How does one define life without God?</div>
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God, biblically, is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. </div>
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To me, he is the universe, love and life itself. </div>
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Which means, to me, that whatever our purpose in life is, we must know God to define it. </div>
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And to know God we must know humanity, because we are made in the image of God. </div>
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Which would mean also that everything that we are is God. </div>
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So the way to know him is also in knowing ourselves. </div>
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Which in turn would mean that a life without God is nothing. </div>
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And the face of God is every face we see. </div>
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So how can we love God who is beyond us, and not love our brother who is beside us?</div>
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This is...if God is.</div>
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If God is not...then what is life? What is love? What is infinity?</div>
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Easily defined...is easily found...easily found is easily lost.</div>
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But the human element is not easily defined.</div>
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Yet...easily lost.</div>
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And yet again...not easily found.</div>
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So how do we define God?</div>
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We must first define life.</div>
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Or perhaps; we first define God and then we define life...<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Follow <a href="http://twitter.com/nevydames" target="_blank">@NevyDames</a> on twitter</b></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01699995723430939438noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8519093386427480253.post-44165463025504511662014-07-03T12:41:00.000-07:002016-02-09T13:04:32.987-08:00LETTING GO OF SILENCE<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Even with my closest friends and confidants, I do not like to lay my emotions on the line or wear my heart on my sleeve, so to speak. I have been hurt many times. Beaten, broken, let down and disregarded more times and in more ways than I care to recount in full. But I still believe in love, I still believe in humanity and I still believe in the beauty that we rarely see around us. I believe in these things because despite all the ugly I've seen in my life I've also seen the beauty. The people closest to me will tell you that I am a straightforward and rational person with little tolerance for frivolous things. This is how I protect my heart - my heart being the gentle pieces of me that break so easily - my defence mechanism is logic and reasoning.</div>
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I started blogging as a way of dealing with a very tough heartbreak that I've had. I needed to say things. Not intimate details of my life - not anything particular at all. Just things really. Because there's something about silence. There's something about the feeling you get when you say things and no one listens. I often imagine that it would be the same as if you were floating in the middle of an ocean on a calm day; the surface placid as glass; the sun beaming down; the waters coolly caressing your tired body. Then you scream so loud and so long that it begins to hurt. And you see yourself screaming and you feel yourself screaming, but you can't hear yourself screaming. And although you know that no one else is there to hear you, the thing that really hurts the most is that you can't hear yourself screaming. And somehow ahead of the fear of being lost at sea for all eternity; there lives a fear that the silence will kill you.</div>
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My older brother passed away two years ago this summer. The pain and loneliness of that loss was <i>almost</i> too much to bare. There was hardly anyone to talk to about it - my family was hurting too, and it seemed every time I brought it up the conversations quickly turned into a back and forth about who missed him most - so that became frivolous. My friends, for the most part, simply didn't know what to say. And I quickly began to feel burdened by even the thought of sharing my pain; so I let it go. The average person on the street always made pointless remarks..."It's gonna be ok." "Worst things could happen." "Dying is a part of living." <br />
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<i>Did you know that the worst advice that you can give a person who has a problem, is anything cliche? There is a trove of truth in cliches but still no sincerity. I've grown to despise them these past two years.</i></div>
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I started wondering what the point of life is if I; a woman with few friends, two children and nothing much else in this life; could be so unworthy to God that He would take such a big part of me so easily. When others have so much to give; why would He take from me the little that I had? I tried to convince myself that God had a special plan. That He was preparing me for the greatest victory of my life. That He would never put more on me than I could bare. I tell myself this constantly but I can't say honestly that I believe it. I've had to fight so many battles and if no one else, my brother was the one who fought beside me.</div>
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I was depressed and my life started to fall apart. Other troubles started to appear - on top of the troubles that were there before my brother passed. People started walking out. The person that I was dating at the time told me plainly that my life was just too much for him to deal with. I became even more depressed.</div>
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One day I was just sitting there, staring blindly into space without thinking of anything. And I looked at my children and I imagined their life without me - because I sincerely wanted to die. I wasn't happy with what I saw and it made me realize that these children were my purpose in life. I looked at the darkness, the pain and the emptiness in my heart and I knew that that pain was nothing compared to what it would be if I were to lose one of them. And I knew also that I would suffer this pain a thousand times before I let one of my babies suffer it once. I realized then that what I feel for them and what I felt for my brother is love, <b>unconditionally</b>. It cannot die.<br />
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And from this knowing...my journey began...<br />
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<b><u>What inspired this post</u></b> is a private message that I received in response to something I recently posted in social media. Recently, I've been trying my best to be unshrouded because I believe that nakedness helps to rebuild a broken heart. How so?...Because I no longer waste effort, energy and time stacking skeletons into my closet. It's part of my journey in becoming a better person. I was asked the question; <i>'what do you know about struggle.'</i> That made me smile. Funny thing is, everything that I write is written from a point of struggle. Everything that I talk about; I've been through. Writing is my way of facing down the demons that are ever present in my life. I've made the choice to not allow the things that have hurt me in the past continue to hurt me now or in the future. Secrets are powerful. And so I lay my past bare so that it has no power over me. I refrain from assuming the secrets of others. I never read words and see only black and white. Because I imagine that every mind and every heart is so simply complicated...just like mine.</div>
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I know what it feels like to be lost and confused.<br />
I understand what the sister felt like who longed only to touch the hem of Christ's garment. It is <b>not</b> an empowering feeling nor a glorious one. It is a feeling of desperation. It is an unholy and undesirable feeling. The kind of feeling you get when you are no longer able to define your existence. The kind of feeling you get when your only hope comes from believing that some how, there must be hope.<br />
And I know what it feels like to have the need to say something - anything - to someone - anyone - who is willing to listen - not a pretend kind of listen, but a real and heartfelt listen.<br />
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But what I've come to learn is that I can't wait for someone to listen. <br />
What I've come to learn is the wisdom in the words of Maya Angelou...<br />
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<b>"Listen to yourself, and in that quietude, you might hear the voice of God."</b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Email NevyDames@gmail.com</b></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01699995723430939438noreply@blogger.com0Nassau, The Bahamas25.06 -77.34500000000002724.944281999999998 -77.507048500000025 25.175718 -77.18295150000003tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8519093386427480253.post-36559213672829585192014-06-13T07:34:00.000-07:002014-08-02T08:30:09.403-07:00TRUTH IS<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-682plsdETgM/U5sKGoKIx6I/AAAAAAAAB1g/0e5W74zYUGU/s1600/nevydames.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="miss opinionated" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-682plsdETgM/U5sKGoKIx6I/AAAAAAAAB1g/0e5W74zYUGU/s1600/nevydames.JPG" height="200" title="nevydames.blogspot.com" width="145" /></a><b>"The truth does not hurt, it simply sets us free."</b></div>
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Sitting here thinking of the many voices in my head - of all the things I want to say - and I realize that the best choice I have ever made in my life is to grow...</div>
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<i>Truth is constant. It is the unchanging result of circumstance. It can be argued, altered or hidden but it will always remain the same. Regardless of what we add, it will be no more - regardless of what we remove, it will be no less. And whether we choose to accept it or deny it, it will always define us as it is.</i></div>
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I look at my life and find contentment that I am moving forward and truly learning moment by moment how to let go of the things that have held me down for so long. I remember several years ago a friend of mine had advised me that I need to find a way out of the <i>rut</i> that was my life at the time. I was insulted. As far as I was concerned back then, I couldn't help where I was. Life was simply a struggle for me. I never asked for hardship. Well, life is still a struggle. But I realize now that there is a difference in not wanting to fail and not allowing myself to fail.</div>
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Through my journey of introspection, one of the most valuable lessons that I have learned is that the value in truth is immeasurable. We do not always like the truth and we do not always believe the truth. But in truth there is to be found a glory that cannot be defined with comfort nor courtesy. There is no point in moving forward without truth.</div>
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Truth is, my life is more unsavory today than it was back when I received said advice but with one major difference: I understand the world more in truth than I had that day. I don't know how far the day is when I am able to say that I've let go of everything that hurts me. But today I can say, I'm truthfully ready to try.</div>
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I am free!</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Follow <a href="http://twitter.com/nevydames" target="_blank">@NevyDames</a> on Twitter</span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01699995723430939438noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8519093386427480253.post-80980073118655955032014-05-26T12:54:00.000-07:002014-09-17T10:14:51.484-07:00PAINFULLY STILL<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It's one of those moments where everything is perfectly still.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And you listen carefully to the sound of your breath, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">To see if it may be your last one. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It doesn't matter which way is up or which way is down. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It doesn't matter which way you go when you move. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What's important is that you begin to move again. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Because somehow, your heart has been frozen </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And it needs to beat again. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It's important that you breathe again.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Because everything is so perfectly still...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">You just don't know if you'll ever live again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01699995723430939438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8519093386427480253.post-77879685326692511692014-05-16T07:21:00.000-07:002014-05-16T08:23:04.385-07:00EASY LOVE<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Somehow I realize that the easiest love of all </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Is to not love at all</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But to reserve my heart for me and be selfish</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">To not give anything</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Not expect anything</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">To not hope or have faith</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The easiest love is to just let time be</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">To not try for much</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">To not strive for much</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">To be willing to sacrifice anything that anyone else has</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Somehow I realize that the easiest love is best for me</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Better to live without doubt</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Live without spite or jealousy or mistrust</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">To live without need</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Without desire</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">To exist perfectly</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And flawlessly</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">According to me</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">To live without love is to be free.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Free of heart break</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Free of pain</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Free of desperation</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Somehow I realize that maybe love</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Was simply not meant for me</span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Follow <a href="http://twitter.com/nevydames" target="_blank">@NevyDames</a> on twitter</span></span></o:p></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01699995723430939438noreply@blogger.com0Nassau, The Bahamas25.06 -77.34500000000002724.944903999999998 -77.506361500000025 25.175096 -77.183638500000029tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8519093386427480253.post-59576401365327698082014-04-17T08:46:00.000-07:002014-05-16T06:51:16.687-07:00MY WEIGHT IN GOLD<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This morning, a feature at <a href="http://msn.com/">MSN.com</a> is <a href="http://wonderwall.msn.com/tv/how-tv-shows-hide-star-pregnancies-28779.gallery#!wallState=0__%2Ftv%2Fhow-tv-shows-hide-star-pregnancies-28779.gallery%3FphotoId%3D136729" target="_blank">HOW TV SHOWS HIDE STAR PREGNANCIES</a>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As I scroll through the article, I am humored not only by
some of the gimmicks but also by the fact that with certain shows; like Sex In
The City, Friends and Seinfeld; I’ve actually been a fan long enough to
remember the times when the leading ladies were preggers. </span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.eonline.com/news/532782/kerry-washington-opens-up-about-hiding-her-pregnancy-on-scandal" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M3d_csCIb24/U0_xYBEAl3I/AAAAAAAABvc/uvu4AHjbTIU/s1600/rs_560x415-140411161122-1024.bagwine.cm.41114_copy.jpg" height="146" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Kerry Washington "Scandal"</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Bx5ZCZxZ6DA/U0_yfX5uW9I/AAAAAAAABvw/n_hSd4hytqc/s1600/bubble-dress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Bx5ZCZxZ6DA/U0_yfX5uW9I/AAAAAAAABvw/n_hSd4hytqc/s1600/bubble-dress.jpg" height="178" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Sarah Jessica Parker "Sex in the City"</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But alas, as it often does, my mind began to wonder toward
past experiences and—of course—extraneous circumstance…</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The women that were featured in this particular article are
all well know and well liked and although in many instances their pregnancies
did not fit their ‘<b><i>character</i></b>’, they were none the less embraced by their adoring
fans. But for the average professional
woman, it rarely works that way. In
terms of our careers, pregnancies are often viewed as unsavory set
backs—particularly the maternity leave period.
Our dependability and efficiency are automatically questioned. And pregnancy, in allot of cases becomes a
scapegoat for not performing at our optimum.
But if multimillion dollar studios can work around a pregnancy; for an
employee whose performance is 100% about being visible; what separates these
women from the average woman? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In our society, we allow allot of bad habits to fester. By bad habits I mean habits that only allow
us to damage ourselves and others. One
habit in particular is holding individuals to variable standards dependent upon
social and economic status. If we know
that for every cause there is an effect; then it can be determined that where
we allow an elite few to remain unaccountable; the effect will always fall to
the average person. The average person;
ironically; has less to be accountable for by way of social and economic
status. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So what is the cost of accountability among us? Apparently…nothing. As a society, accountability means nothing to
us. We are reputation hoarders. </span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Reputation is a public
perception of an individual. It
represents how well an individual embodies ‘general principals.’</i> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Somehow, it never bothers us that our standards are
seriously lacking and we ‘generally’ apply principals to other people’s lives
that we ‘generally’ don’t understand.
For example, why is it such a scandalous affair when a woman turns up
preggers? Were we not made to be the
givers of life? And why would we rather
praise and uplift someone who is already beyond our reach by way of their
social status; before we uplift our brothers and sisters who are standing right
next to us? Why are we not worth it to
ourselves?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It’s not worth it to hold someone to any standard by which
they do not hold themselves. We all err
in judgment from time to time. It
continues to perplex me that we live in a society where although no one wants
to be held accountable for their past indiscretions, we never hesitate to
ridicule others. Our ‘principal’ is to
hide who we are because of who we are not.
We teach ourselves to live silently in shame but still praise the prideless
acts of others. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>I digress to say that</b><i>:
I realize that some of you are often inattentive toward the philosophies of ethics and
virtue. Baring that in mind, I
personally do not hold any celebrity to any standard what so ever as I firmly
believe that there are much more important matters that my thoughts can be
preoccupied with, such as; the people who walk beside me. I use celebrities as an example as opposed to trying to encourage people to see things that they would otherwise refuse to acknowledge. <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>My glory is more than what I make of me - my glory is what I
can make others make of me.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Follow </span></b></span><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u><a href="http://twitter.com/nevydames" target="_blank">@nevydames</a></u> on Twitter</span></b></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01699995723430939438noreply@blogger.com0Nassau, The Bahamas25.06 -77.34500000000002724.944281999999998 -77.507048500000025 25.175718 -77.18295150000003tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8519093386427480253.post-71601960118286901882014-04-11T12:11:00.000-07:002014-05-16T06:51:49.569-07:00THE SNAKE<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Sitting under a tree, deep in thought on a quiet morning, I
heard a rustling noise above me. I’m
accustomed to birds playing in the tree so I paid it no mind. Much to my surprise, moments later, something
falls out of the tree onto my back. I
hear it land onto the wooden bench with a ‘thud.’ I jumped up—startled—and turned around
expecting to see an injured bird. Much
to my surprise, and horror, I found instead a snake!</div>
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<i>Now, not to be
misleading, there are <a href="http://www.bnt.bs/_m1818/Snakes-of-The-Bahamas" target="_blank">no poisonous snake species currently known in The <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bahamas</st1:place></st1:country-region></a>. The snake was a racer. Racers eat lizards, frogs, mice, other
insects or even smaller snake species.
They are commonly referred to locally as garden snakes, because it’s not
uncommon to find them hiding among leafy, low laying plants; particularly
during the spring and summer months.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Cua9aK3pSEA/U0g7rSoyGyI/AAAAAAAABuo/zgbFBVt6rfU/s1600/download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Cua9aK3pSEA/U0g7rSoyGyI/AAAAAAAABuo/zgbFBVt6rfU/s1600/download.jpg" height="133" width="200" /></a></div>
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None the less; I’ve never been fond of nor fascinated with
snakes and I was sufficiently frightened.
Apparently, so was the usually docile, two foot critter; as he opened
his toothless jaws to hiss his warnings at me!
I didn’t dare move. After a
moments’ long stare-down, he dropped to his belly and slithered away. It took me another moment or two to compose
myself. And I had to move away from the
grassy area in an attempt to gather my sanity.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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As my heart rate slowed, I began to think of the encounter
with my new found slimy friend in terms of life…</div>
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Sometimes, we find ourselves at a place in life where we do
not necessarily need to be, but still, we make no effort to be elsewhere. If this is true in my life, then the same can
be said for the snake as well. I’m
certain that it was not the snake’s intention to fall out of the tree onto his
most fearsome predator. And although—I
would assume that if the snake had a brain—he knew that he was incapable of
harming me; while I, on the other hand, could easily destroy him; he still
choose to threaten me. This is the
nature of many people that we encounter in our lives…</div>
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Few people who challenge us have the ability to make or
break us. Those who do have the ability
rarely pay us any mind at all; we are of no threat and no resourcefulness and therefore of no significance to them. Yet, often times when we are challenged—because
these snakes, who have no place in our lives to begin with, raise their heads
and hiss menacingly at us—we conceit to them.
We give undeserving people power over us.</div>
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There are times in life, when it is necessary
to be aggressive or to defend our positions aggressively. People do not challenge our courage, they
test our fears. The more fearful we are,
the less courageous we become; but courage is not possible without
acknowledging our fears. To be foolhardy
is no less a vice than to be a coward.
But if we allow others to determine this for us, then the reward of
virtue will be lost to us. </div>
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Strength is not a measure of how well we can fight and win,
it’s more so a measure of how wisely we pick our battles.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Follow <a href="http://twitter.com/nevydames" target="_blank">@nevydames</a> on Twitter</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01699995723430939438noreply@blogger.com2Nassau, The Bahamas25.06 -77.34500000000002724.944281999999998 -77.507048500000025 25.175718 -77.18295150000003tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8519093386427480253.post-87509102241384072732014-03-28T06:30:00.000-07:002014-05-16T06:52:21.623-07:00WHEN ARE WE SILENT<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Allot of times, complete strangers would approach me, proceed to telling me their personal dilemmas, and ask for my advice. I couldn't honestly guess why this happens to me so often. Truth be told, I'm not a very good advice giver. I
rarely "say the right thing." I
often just bellow what I think is most appropriate in relation to a person’s
given situations. I find it challenging to generalize conclusions based
on personal circumstance and I have a very serious disposition with cloaking
reality.<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
I can't
decide if it's a selfish way of thinking that leads me to believe that when
such things happen, the universe is trying to teach me a lesson. Or, it may also be that I just have one of
‘those’ faces and it’s purely coincidental that I happen to be around when a
person needs someone to talk to.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
In a
sense, it scares me when people do this.
I think that this fear is caused mostly by my inhibited character. For me, personally, to randomly tell a person
with whom I’m familiar—much less a complete stranger—my personal problems, I
would have to feel very desperate about solving them. I understand that some people have little to
no inhabitations regarding their personal life, but in whole, the concept is
very difficult for me to grasp. None the
less, advice seekers seem to flock to me.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://thedailyneuron.com/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MwlkaoGDgQE/UzV3mB70oiI/AAAAAAAABqs/TTOtVoSCyx4/s1600/nightowl.jpg" height="141" title="http://thedailyneuron.com" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">via The Daily Neuron</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
I’m
often, in my head reminded of a proverbial poem:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<i>“A wise old owl once lived in an oak.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<i>The more he heard, the less he spoke.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<i>The less he spoke, the more he heard.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<i>Shouldn’t we all be like that wise old bird?”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
But
sometimes, life will throw us a curve ball…to keep us on our toes, I suppose…<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
Recently,
I witnessed something that I’m certain I was not meant to see… a fairly nasty quarrel
between lovers. I had gone out to find a
quiet place to sit and think but much to my surprise these lovers were in
search of a secluded place to gnaw each other to pieces that night. The exchanges between them were enough to
make me cringe with the bitter sting of insult.
In my mind I was thinking; <i>‘how do
you reconcile with your lover after these things have been said?’</i> Even out of anger, we truly ought to
carefully consider the things we say to people for whom we claim to care. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
At the
end of it all, the gentleman walked away from the argument—a wise decision. They never noticed me sitting there, as they
were so enthralled in the business of destroying each other’s ego. But here’s the kicker…turns out…one of the
parties involved is an associate of mine…<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
After
they took off (in separate directions) I reasoned with myself as to whether or
not I should say ‘something’ to this person.
I wondered if I should call and ask if they were ‘okay’ and reveal to
them that I had heard their argument. Of
course, by my way of thinking, it would be foolish to ask a person in such a
situation if they were ‘okay’ because clearly they’re not. From that moment to this, I wondered if I
should reach out. I wonder that if I do
reach out, what I should say to them. I
wonder if by acknowledging that I had overheard their conversation, this would
make my associate uncomfortable around me.
(It certainly has not made me uncomfortable; Lovers quarrel all the
time, right?)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
But to
add to the ferocious argument; the next morning I visited my face book page and
found notifications for updates to my associate’s business page, which,
according to the time stamp, were made just after four a.m. that morning. And so now my mind also begs the question;
what’s really going on with people when they’re up at three or four o’clock in
the morning posting memes and liking statuses?
Could it be that insomnia is taking the blame for things he’s not
responsible for?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
All in
all, I can’t bring myself to a conclusion:
it’s perfectly acceptable to me to impose my brashly realistic
ideologies and perspectives on people when they ask…but what do I do when they
don’t?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Follow me on Twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/nevydames" target="_blank">@nevydames</a></b></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01699995723430939438noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8519093386427480253.post-54592649768571401482014-03-24T09:32:00.001-07:002014-05-16T06:52:51.721-07:00STRAIGHT ON GAY PRIDE<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ruqTZH01o7M/UzBBnHVah0I/AAAAAAAABqM/SZz5G9rV6UQ/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ruqTZH01o7M/UzBBnHVah0I/AAAAAAAABqM/SZz5G9rV6UQ/s1600/images.jpg" height="200" width="98" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With the cries for LGBT rights steadily on the rise,
unsurprisingly, the newest movement in popular culture is “Straight Pride.” As I ingest the arguments from both sides of
the fence I can’t help but wonder: In a
so called modern and progressive world; why does <i>any</i> human have to fight to be
considered equal to another?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Why exactly, are we up in arms about the rights and freedom
of homosexuals?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Unless I’m mistaken, equal rights for the LGBT community do
not mean that it’s no longer acceptable to be straight. Just as black rights never meant that it was
no longer acceptable to be white. We
live in a free world. In order to
maintain freedom, it is essential that every individual is held in equality
against all others in accordance with the law.
The law is not a matter of personal convictions. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Personally, I believe that it is natural in the eyes of the
God whom I serve for a man to be paired with a woman. I don’t agree with the notion of being open
to same sex relations or to cross gender living. But that’s a matter of my personal conviction. The same freedoms which allow me the right to
stand up and state my conviction should be allowed also to persons of
“alternate” lifestyles. The same
legislation that allow me—a black woman in a free society—the liberty of living
as I choose, should also be applied to my kinsmen and countrymen alike. And that’s all the fight for LGBT rights is
about; freedom and equality. It’s not
about morale, religion or any other personal belief. It’s not a question of whether or not God
will destroy the world if we allow gay people to become constitutionally equal
to straight people—our hatred and discourse with each other has already
destroyed it enough, I think.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And I do take it with great humor that so called Christians
are often among the strongest opponents of gay rights—Christians are after all,
another once minority group who were persecuted for their belief. In many ways in our so called modern society,
they still are. I find it difficult to
comprehend how a Christian person can cast the proverbial stones of judgment
against another person because they differ by conviction. But I suppose as the saying goes; we must never forget where we come from. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Underneath it all, gay people are just people. Just as black people are just people and
women and children are just people and Christians, Muslims and Jews are all just
people. God asks that as individuals, we let our light
shine so that all can see. He never
instructed us to tell others where to shine their light. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Or in other words--as the urban kids would probably say;
“worry ‘bout yaself.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our duty in this life is to serve God through others, not
ourselves. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The same hell that will hold unrighteous gays will also hold
unrighteous straights…and fallen saints.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Gay rights have nothing to do with principal—it’s a matter
of law. Plain and simple. On principal and morale, we will always
remain separated, and there’s no harm in that.
But the fight for freedom is about creating a world where every man,
woman and child can live without fear of expressing their own personal desires. I find it apropos to mention that the freedom of mankind is built continuously upon the backs of those who dare to fight for it. But how long will mankind need to fight for the right to be of mankind?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am a straight person who believes in God Almighty (The God of Abraham and the creator of this world) and I am saying this because I believe that it must be said. While I may choose to not stand in the street and fight with gays
for gay rights, I certainly hold no conviction to stand against them; nor do I
comprehend the intention of those who choose to do so.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Follow me on twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/nevydames" target="_blank">@nevydames</a></span></b></div>
</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01699995723430939438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8519093386427480253.post-37348779970199326412014-03-10T11:58:00.000-07:002014-05-16T06:53:22.906-07:00I ASKED GOD...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I asked God for the strength to face the adversities
in my life—He supplied me with more adversities because I am not yet as strong
as I can be.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I asked God for the courage to face the challenges in
my life—He supplied me with more challenges because I am not yet as brave as I
can be.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I asked God to give me the faith to always believe
that He alone can save me—He gave me the wisdom to know that there are times
when I must save myself.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I asked God to teach me the value of every moment and
every breath—He called away those whom I have loved.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I asked God for someone to talk to—He sent me no one,
so that I may learn to speak with Him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I asked God to carry me through my hard times—He
reminded me of where I’ve come from then showed me again where I am now.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I cried to God to please lift my burdens—He did not.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">And I remembered that God will never put more on me
than I can bear.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">And so I rejoice—even in sorrow—because I know now
that where there is darkness, there can be light. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Psalms 46:1<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">God is my refuge and my strength, a very present help
in the time of trouble.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">#TGFL</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Follow me on Twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/nevydames" target="_blank">@nevydames</a></span></b></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01699995723430939438noreply@blogger.com2Nassau, The Bahamas25.06 -77.34500000000002724.944903999999998 -77.506361500000025 25.175096 -77.183638500000029tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8519093386427480253.post-64030304839215724842014-02-27T10:39:00.000-08:002014-05-16T06:54:01.015-07:00DRUNK IN WHAT? (Mild language)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
Perspective…as in: What you sippin on?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Perspective is a very serious thing. In order to maintain balance in a healthy
mind, we need to understand how to weigh perspective.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
‘<i>Popular culture</i>’
is not really my stick. Even still, in a
recent forum I almost got tricked into defending (gasps) Beyonce. Loll. I’m
not even a fan of hers…anymore. But here
was this <i>guy</i>, making the most
uncalled for and unnecessarily derogatory comments to the point that I actually
felt insulted as a woman and a mother to be in his virtual presence. I have a hard time deciding whether or not people honestly believe that the media is the primary source of moral decay in our society. Personally, I believe that humankind is the cause for the moral decay of society. In my view, it doesn’t matter what band wagon
you jump on…a band wagon is a band wagon. And the fact that you have to wait for someone else to form an opinion
(i.e. a band wagon) before you decide to have one is of no greater value than
not having an opinion at all. I believe
that when a person stands up for something, at the very least, we should try to
make sense of our conviction. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f2yzxJdVhVk/Uw99-O-P3MI/AAAAAAAAArQ/qcri5yF011Q/s1600/beyonce-drunk-in-love-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f2yzxJdVhVk/Uw99-O-P3MI/AAAAAAAAArQ/qcri5yF011Q/s1600/beyonce-drunk-in-love-4.jpg" height="177" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now, about Beyonce’s last album; yes, it was nasty as
hell. Yes, the messages she convey with
her lyrics as well as in her videos, <u>as a matter of principal</u>, are inappropriate for a <i>respectable</i> lady, wife and mother to publicize. Of course, that’s argumentative depending
upon one’s personal <b>perspective</b> of
respectability. But at the end of the day,
the woman is an entertainer…she’s out there trying to make some money. It doesn't matter if she's wrong or right; sex sells. The odd thing about consumerism is that you
can’t force a person to buy something that they’re not willing to pay for. Some people are slaves to popular culture while others are intent on being slaves to opposing popular culture. There's no such truth as a lesser of two evils.<br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Reality check</b>: Is it Beyonce’s
fault, that as a mother I don’t have the cognizance to explain to my daughters
that she is not a <i>respectable</i> role
model? Or that if they go out on these streets trying to get drunk in love,
they’re sure to get something else? No. <b>That’s my fail as a parent</b>. Is it Beyonce’s fault that there are females
in our society who feel that because Beyonce say it in her song or do it in her
video that means it must be right to do it in real life? Is it her fault that these females don’t
understand that if you live in the bottoms but you try your hardest to imitate
the top influencer of hip hop media, you come out looking like…some type of
ratchet? No. We can’t blame Beyonce because grown ass
women don’t know how to act.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Beyonce doesn’t hold herself accountable for the imbeciles who imitate her in real life and she makes no apologies for the things she does or says. <b>So what’s the point in trying to hold someone to a standard of principal that they do not have?</b> There are many entertainers out there whose lives and behaviors can be appreciated as positive role models. But we don’t pay much attention to those people because they can’t booty shake the way she does and we want our money’s worth! Further to that, she doesn’t offer herself as a positive role model (<i>that’s argumentative depending on your </i><b>perspective</b><i> of positivism</i>) and that’s her damned choice—just like it’s every consumer’s choice to support her by buying her brand, or not. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It seriously humors me the way some women (generally
speaking) respond to Beyonce. They imitate
her to the tee…they’re on the streets with the remi and in the club with the
freak um dress on, they praise her lyricism (however shallow) and defend her
every move, they try to dance like her, they try to walk like her, they want a
relationship like B and J, they want to be the Bonnie to somebody’s Clyde, they
want to be all drunk in love and shit like that. But somehow, it always escapes these females
that Beyonce Knowles is actually married to Shawn Carter. Like…in real life…she’s not faking that…she’s
married. Why aren’t these women out
there trying to <b><u>imitate that</u></b>? Do they not realize that Beyonce can get as
nasty as she want on the beach with her husband while their kid is at home with
the nanny…but that act doesn't have quite the same affect when you out there doing the
same thing with a different random man? <<<<i>That’s not a judgment</i>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bottom line is; <b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>We can’t blame other
people for our lack of perspective</b>. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>We can’t blame other
people for our lack of perspective</b>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>We can’t blame other
people for our lack of perspective</b>. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s really not Beyonce’s fault that she’s smart enough to
know how to tax the sheeple. If you see
yourself as a person with principals and standards that don’t match up to what
someone else exhibits, then you’re well within your right to disassociate
yourself from them. And it’s not about
being better than other people; it’s about learning to stand on your own two
feet. It doesn’t matter what kind of
person you choose to be in life; my choices will forever reflect my own value
and not anyone else’s. But when you
stand by something make sure that it’s what you stand for. And if you don’t have the nerve to do that
then you shouldn’t have the nerve to tell me to not judge you…because from my
perspective, you look some kind a stupid. <<< <i>NOW I’m judging you!!</i> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BtRzzcKLy24/Uw9952cv6XI/AAAAAAAAArE/Ehu18Onl-K0/s1600/beyonce_knowles_06nasty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BtRzzcKLy24/Uw9952cv6XI/AAAAAAAAArE/Ehu18Onl-K0/s1600/beyonce_knowles_06nasty.jpg" height="320" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
I’m just saying!<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Follow me on Twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/nevydames" target="_blank">@nevydames</a></b></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01699995723430939438noreply@blogger.com5Nassau, The Bahamas25.06 -77.34500000000002724.944903999999998 -77.506361500000025 25.175096 -77.183638500000029tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8519093386427480253.post-65489178146056698232014-02-18T14:05:00.000-08:002014-05-16T06:54:39.542-07:00The Wise Seek Peace<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PgzNrDM1L4U/UwPYxLGpWKI/AAAAAAAAApU/_gT6VjGU0JY/s1600/war.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PgzNrDM1L4U/UwPYxLGpWKI/AAAAAAAAApU/_gT6VjGU0JY/s1600/war.jpg" height="217" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
The wise seek peace.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
The wealthy seek riches.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
The poor seek favor.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
The desperate seek hope.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
And for as far as humankind cannot purge himself of
humanity;</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
They seek forth in selfishness.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
The wise and the wealthy, </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
They inveigle the poor and the desperate to fight their wars.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
The wise will say to the desperate; </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i>‘There is a time for
everything, now is the time for war!’<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
While the wealthy will say to the poor; </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i>‘We must fight for
what we want, now is the time for war!’<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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And for as far as the heart of a worrier cannot purge itself
of courage;</div>
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They set out for war in selfishness.</div>
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In battle, entwined, each with the other;</div>
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Each one fails to find himself.</div>
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And behold the poor, who has become a poor fool at war;</div>
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The desperate becomes his animal.</div>
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While the wise hide cowardly from their own chaos</div>
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The wealthy scourge, as pigs do, for gold in their filth.</div>
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And for as far as war itself is darkness;</div>
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Not one will find peace in the other.</div>
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No kind words will either speak</div>
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No sword will yield for strong nor weak</div>
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And when each converge on sorrow’s peek</div>
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Fixed in war they steady keep</div>
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Without the servile ways of peace</div>
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That which was sewn will then be reaped</div>
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And when no one stands to set them free</div>
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Their foolish ways they then repeat.</div>
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The wise seek peace.</div>
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The wealthy seek riches.</div>
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The poor seek favor.</div>
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The desperate seek hope.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Follow me on twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/nevydames" target="_blank">@nevydames</a></b></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01699995723430939438noreply@blogger.com1Nassau, The Bahamas25.06 -77.34500000000002724.944903999999998 -77.506361500000025 25.175096 -77.183638500000029tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8519093386427480253.post-14176347678800826662014-02-10T13:44:00.001-08:002014-02-17T14:11:01.143-08:00A NOTE FROM THE DESK OF THE VALENTINE GRINCH<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Woe_nCygLss/Uvk_wfIzY0I/AAAAAAAAApA/_tDKQJFH_kQ/s1600/iloveyou.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Woe_nCygLss/Uvk_wfIzY0I/AAAAAAAAApA/_tDKQJFH_kQ/s1600/iloveyou.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
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What a wonderful time of year!</div>
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A time to celebrate love and lovers and for the few
traditional among us, a time to celebrate the works of good ole St. Valentine!...</div>
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<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Unless of course, you’re me, the Grinch of Valentines Day...</span></span></h2>
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In which case…you despise the notion entirely!</div>
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But instead of boring you with an insightful prose on how superfluous and ridiculous this non-holiday is, I would instead like to take the time to share with you the little
known story of the origin of the Valentines day bear—which is something most
people probably never think about on account of the fact that no one really cares. </div>
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<br /></div>
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You see, the tale began a long, long time ago; in a land
far, far away, where things that might have happened may have happened; or were probably never really probable; but it never even mattered… </div>
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It was the beginning of the year, near the end of winter – and
at the precipice of the dawning of spring!
In a cave or cavern somewhere, that no one can prove existed, we find a pair of darling lovers had spent a long, cold winter wrapped up in each others warmth—mostly
because they had a morbid fear of going out doors and freezing to death. For the same reason, they decided not to point out each to the other that they were gaining weight. They agreed that exclusively for this time of year, they would refer to each other's girth as 'cuddly.' So for three months, the lady bear inhaled
her mate’s odors, picked up his trash from the floor and scrubbed his filthy
socks that he had gone an entire week without changing. And as she had done so, she lividly grumbled
and complained in a tone as nagging as the raging winter itself! He had bothered to take a bath precisely the
amount of times that she had bothered to wash her hair…approximately every two
weeks…well, it was very cold after all!</div>
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So entwined in their mutual disgust of the existence of the other they were,
that their still beating hearts began to symbolically emerge from their chest
and declare in writing that; ‘for me to have endured this harsh winter locked
away with the despicable likes of you, surely the only plausible explanation must be that “I LOVE YOU.”’ (Of course,
overtime, that expression was condensed, summarized, and/or manipulated in a
misleading sort of way to suit the perspective of the interpretator.) Then, just when
they thought that their heads would explode due to over consumption of chocolate
(I guess that was all they could find to forage that year) they looked up at the
calendar and saw that it was February the 14<sup>th</sup>. In that fateful and magical moment, they were reminded that no
matter how asphyxiated they had become by their lover’s morning breath, they
would, in just a few days be free to run as wild as the blooming of spring itself!</div>
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The male bear (because he was the one 'in charge') decided to call that day Valentines day, saying that it was symbolic of the most gruesome love triangle ever: "you, me and us." It reminded the lovers that there was
always hope…of escaping the metaphoric jaws of death. So they decided to mark the occasion by
having the male bear purchase an expensive piece of jewelry for the female
bear…because she had a va-j-j; and he didn’t!
Which really wasn’t her fault at all!
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The end!...True story too!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01699995723430939438noreply@blogger.com0Nassau, The Bahamas25.06 -77.34500000000002724.944903999999998 -77.506361500000025 25.175096 -77.183638500000029tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8519093386427480253.post-46372181060607292222014-01-22T06:58:00.001-08:002014-03-24T13:07:03.171-07:00The Ambivalence of Truth & Reality<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">...As told ambiguously by an optimistic hermit of pessimisms... </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8FfTXcbaLHY/Ut_SvkFhfiI/AAAAAAAAAok/AChRjGfJXqw/s1600/thinker_toilet.jpg"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8FfTXcbaLHY/Ut_SvkFhfiI/AAAAAAAAAoo/e3UfyBumr6k/s1600/thinker_toilet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8FfTXcbaLHY/Ut_SvkFhfiI/AAAAAAAAAoo/e3UfyBumr6k/s1600/thinker_toilet.jpg" height="176" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Conventional wisdom teaches us that we don’t have to make our own mistakes to learn. Every waking moment is an opportunity to<span class="apple-converted-space"> absorb </span>someone<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>else’s<span class="apple-converted-space"> disarticulations, </span>miscalculations, misjudgments or miscalculated lack of articulated judgment. And yes, it’s perfectly acceptable to learn from other people’s mistakes…unless of course<i>…</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>”You think you’re better than others”…? </i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I take it with good humor, that people use this expression so frequently. Whether they use it correctly or not; is an entirely different subject.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Our most humanly and incredulous nature leads us to believe that our biggest critics (aka. my haters—another subject on its own) will never know what it’s like ‘to walk a mile in my shoes.’ Meaning, that they will never understand the challenges I face. </span></div>
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> Wouldn’t it be lovely though?...To see our ‘enemies’ broken by our conquests? To know with certainty that only few can<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>actually</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>walk this less beaten path? Well, at least, that’s according to he who<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>clearly<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></i>walks the path! Naturally of course, no one knows suffering like those whom have suffered. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">‘He who feels it knows’…?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But to see your enemies crumble under the weight of your struggles, your pain, your hardship, your sufferings…And to hear them say in the end; ‘<i>You did better than most.’</i> To know with certainty that; ‘<i>I am stronger.</i>’ (Not better of course—because only egocentric<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>narks<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>believe themselves better than others.) But to know that though equal to all men, I have found victory in my approach, without becoming beyond reproach! I wonder...For someone else to walk in your shoes? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>And wouldn’t it be incredibly fortuitous too…if they were able to wear your shoes more<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>graciously<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>than you?!</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Well at any cost, that journey begins with first learning to walk in someone else’s shoes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Every life is a journey. Perhaps it would bode well to first consider that if you have no desire to walk in someone else’s shoes, it would be entirely preposterous to expect that anyone will have the desire to walk; even within the boundaries of imagination; in yours. And perhaps it would be well also to consider that, in the beginning, you refused to learn from other people’s mistakes. So why should anyone give thought to the miles you’ve walked and the shoes you’ve worn while walking them?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>‘The world is a cycle’…?</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We can’t control the way other people behave, what they think or the things they say. But we have absolute control of our own actions, our own thoughts and our own words. And the way we fashion the world around us, will determine<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>the world we live in</i>. But there is a great separation among men. Although, separation is nothing to be feared or objected to. It exists as a result of the power of choice. To expect that all men and all things can be equal one must also be willing to accept the absence of choice. But of course, I expect that we would all like to remain free to ruin our own lives…pardon me...I<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>meant<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>to say; make our own mistakes. Right?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>‘To thy own self, be true.’…?? </i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Life requires balance—an equal acknowledgement of the things you agree with and the things you do not…including other people’s opinions and other people's opinions of you. And including all things you invoke in yourself and all things you detest in others. But certainly as surely as you have your own opinions, others will have theirs as well. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>‘We should accept </i>(everyone)<i> for who they are.’…?<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Consider that the person you consider your biggest enemy (aka your hater) may in fact be your greatest ally. Just be mindful of the things he says above the reason he says them or (most importantly) the way in which he says them. It is after all, ultimately our own emotion that will leave us feeling despised. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And instead of waiting for someone to walk a mile in your shoes, try walking a mile in theirs…you may be surprised at how far you will get—or not.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">‘<i>Don’t knock it until you try it’</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>The moral of the story:</b> “When you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it…change the way you think about it.” <i>Double entendre!</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">PS. If you detest any other person’s lifestyle or behavior (which most of us do), then you really shouldn’t hold another person in contempt for detesting your own lifestyle or behavior…unless of course<i>…”<b>You think you’re better than others.</b>”</i></span></div>
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