The life of being you

As people we look for guides on how to do things and what to do. We even go as far as to look up the “Lifestyles” we think we should be living in order to get to where we want to be. Everyone shares their experience of how they got to where they are today and that inspires us. For some people who come across these experiences they may use it as a guide to assist them in their endeavors. Some may even take it to heart and feel they have to do this in order to achieve their goals. I have done this myself because I know where I want to be. Just a tedious climb that I was slipping on the side of the mountain from by trial and error. Of course that is the essence of being vigorous we want to try everything. Nothing wrong with trying anything new but doing all the steps someone else has done may very well not work for you. Relax and breath but most of all think about you because this may very well help you.

The aspect of a “Lifestyle” is in the name itself: Life. But more importantly your life. There is no such thing as a lifestyle rule book or even a handbook on what you should be doing or how you should be living day to day. Things just don’t work out like that and we all know that life throws the most random of curve balls our way at the opportune moments. As an artist, dancer, writer, chef and all other professions of creativity we have to spend time, money, effort, blood, sweat, tears and even sore muscles to fuel our passions to present to the world. To get there some try schooling, others go through the profession from a 9-5 style job, the rest of us it starts as a hobby that turns into a passion. Just as there are many different fields under one label  there are many different ways of achieving your goals but it all comes down to you. Taking into consideration your limits, your comfort zones and your “dry/lazy spells” is also important when you try to build yourself into becoming a much more passionate person. In the end your passion should never become a job or a chore because if it does it is no longer something you have passion for. In essence everything will cease for your creativity. If you don’t want that take the time to breathe and do some me time in order to get back on track.

Take a moment to list the things you do in your daily life now. This shows what is going on that you do constantly without fail. To get to where we want to be we have to give and take somewhere along the line. You can’t get there without effort and attempt. I won’t say try because try is like being so-so or it being a wish or thought. Attempt is an actual action you are working on currently or have worked on so don’t think, just do. Most of your list you do without fail. It is a daily routine you do without thinking and comes naturally. In other words a comfort zone. Everyone gets into this routine and this is where we start to get lazy in life. Well to get to our goals we have to come out of our comforts and move forward. Not all at once mind you because that not only causes a mental fatigue and panic but it can also put your body in a state of shock by overdoing your limits. If you have pets and/or children they will be in your list and you should always make time for them. This not only helps create a much better family environment but when you actually work you are at ease and it is quieter for you to work. If you are sponsored by a company you have to work with that company and do what is required under your allotted time. Look at your list and circle what you spend the most time doing and define why you do it.

There should be something you are willing to cut back an hour off of and add something new to your list. Taking the time to juggle everything will be a challenge for a while but to keep not only our bodies stimulated we have to keep our minds stimulated so changing up the comfort zone will help as well. Right now I sit way too much and I am damaging my health along with role playing constantly. My attempts will be to give art an hour, walk an hour, and chant/meditate for an hour. I remove an hour from chatting, gaming, role playing and sitting. Doing this give and take method I am opening up doors and challenges for myself to get things to become more natural for me. A walk outside can stimulate my mind with ideas from using the 5 senses and elements. My meditation and chanting will help clear my busy mind which fills with negative thoughts, doubts and frustrations. I don’t draw as much as I used to unless I get that idea itch I have to do or study when I am stumped. A little a day goes a very long way. Even if I make a random doddle I can say I sketched for an hour which is important for me to obtain my goal.

This is reshaping your lifestyle from routine to excitement. Getting out of our comforts is a little scary because it is foreign to us. Doing them opens our minds up, allows our souls to experience more and our hearts to feel excited. The important thing is shaping this new lifestyle a bit at a time around you and no one else. the Artist lifestyle should be renamed to your lifestyle because overall a lifestyle is all about you and how you live. Some are hermits and cast society out of their lives. Others are party animals and spend little time getting anywhere. What works for you will make you happier in as a result you will produce something better which helps you get closer to your goals. Remember just because someone did something else and it worked for them doesn’t mean it will work for you. Shape things around you and form it into something that works. One day when other upcoming creative people search the web they will find your lifestyle break through and use you as inspiration.

Lead. Inspire. Create. Enjoy. Live.

The Priority of Health

Today is a short life experience I actually would like to share. We all go through it at some point and tend to push this on the back burner pretty often due to many reasons. One common reason I heard was from a coworker today when a manager told her this job should be her Priority. Even beginning work at 4am and being half tired I knew this was wrong. Your Kids, if you have any, should come first. But your top of the list Priority should be your health. Yup I am sure some of you gasped at the H word there. Yes I said it, Your health should be on the top of your list with a few other things I will not mention.

This is a very common one we always tend to push off to the side and ignore. Well I am like you and do this myself. Not as often as I used to but today showed me that I need to take better care of myself. Today is the worst day out of the year for Retailers because of the competition on the one National Holiday every Spendee glorifies: Black Friday. (Sorry shopaholics but Cyber Mondays tend to have much greater deals) Today I had to run around the store and work in all departments along with attempting to complete tasks which seem impossible. Going to work at 4 in the morning is fairly routine. But running around for the full 8 hour shift however is not. So you can imagine once I got off how sore my feet were.

Had to wait on my paycheck and have to walk 2-3 miles to cash it. Normally the walk isn’t bad but I can say that when I normally don’t run around for 8 hours trying not to get yelled at for not being able to complete impossible tasks. Today seemed like one of those non cool days. As I was walking I actually tripped and fell to the ground. Now I normally don’t fall and even when I do I never fall completely to the ground. Well today seemed more like my klutz day of sorts. My ankle rolled and I banged my knee on the sidewalk along with the side of my arm. Stung a bit but really didn’t hurt. I tripped over a partial crushed water bottle that I didn’t see. In my mind to make it laughable the water bottle was out to get me for some reason even though I recycle. But I should have taken that as a sign.

Now the trek home is pretty far from this location and I almost tripped a second time but I didn’t go down. My ankle rolled and corrected in time as to avoid another side walk plunge. But this was due to uneven ground. The rest of the walk my legs slow just a bit and that is when I figured my body was tired from this mornings list of impossibles. Half way home I had to pick up something to drink in order to make it home. Dehydration had kicked in when I made it back to the area of the store. Once home my body feels like lead and is tired but taking a nap is hard for me since I can never stay asleep. (If you have younger siblings you know this feeling all too well) My allergies are a little flared due to the rapid weather change and having to walk through the dust in a construction zone. Now my knee hurts if I bend it too far.

As you can see today was making me more of a punching bag thanks to over demands of a job and fatigue. Our health, as I mentioned before, is always taking a back burner. We don’t do it intentionally, Well most of us don’t anyways. But if we don’t take care of ourselves we won’t be able to continue doing great outdoor activities like soccer, walking, swimming and such. We can’t look our best for that amazing dinner date or that job interview we must nail. Even our own health affects our family. Like your husband/wife can feel some of your pain and they worry about you. Kids will ask questions. Even friends will point out if something is wrong.

Our health is everything including our life lines. Taking better care of ourselves starts with sleep. We need it and even if I do it often for work days 3-4 hours is not enough no matter your age. Workaholics this applies to you as well. You may feel fine but your body will cause you to work slower, be sluggish or even lock up like mines did a bit today. Second is water, we have to drink it. You have enhanced water and even flavors to add to water from Mio, Store Brands, and Crystal Light to name a few. You don’t have to drink plain water if you dislike the taste but you must continue to have water. Water is vital for our bodies it helps our bodies replenish and resist the elements a bit better. Please don’t see this as a chore but more so as an awareness we all must take into consideration.  All priority lists will differ but health should be somewhere on your top list.

Take care of your health to live a long, active and beautiful healthy life~

The Me Inside is not the me Outside

I woke up this morning looking at my lover and groaned displeased
But when my lover stirred and looked at me I smiled happily and said, “Good Morning!”

But the me inside was not the me outside.

As I made my coffee this morning I rubbed my head wondering how I accumulated so much financial stress.
My lover kissed me on the cheek and asked if I was alright. “Yeah I’m fine.” I said with a smile.
The me inside is disagreeing with the me outside.

I eat my breakfast in order to be strong for school.
My brother plays with my pigtails. My sister teases me but I love my family.
I smile and say, “Daddy be okay.” and continue eating.
The me on the inside is pure like the outside.

My sister so happy and lucky
I hate the life of a child as they see nothing wrong.
My family is odd and yet I accept it despite the world not liking it.
Broken households and messed up decisions as if I am the cause of it.
“Ready for school?” I was asked yet I made no response as I grabbed my bag to go.
The me on the inside shuns everyone on the outside.

So my brother is a dick and my sister is just small and innocent.
Parents always stressing and denying me what I want.
Pout all day but nothing happens. Ask for money but I have to end up taking it anyways.
Why is it I have this side no one seems to understand?
“Let’s just go already.” I said in an annoyed tone.
The me on the outside was nothing like me on the inside.

My life is just perfect in every shape or form
Nothing goes wrong I am spoiled at my calling
What more do I need besides whatever I don’t have.
Beauty of the world,
Glamorous word invented just for me
I am what people want to be and despite having everything…
I feel so empty and alone
Oh well smile on as they say the world is my stage
The me of beauty on the outside is nothing like the me on the inside

I dislike the way the world stereotypes me because of my race
They group me with everyone else
Yet all I dislike I am getting
Do I truly dislike these things?
What am I doing? Who am I right now?
I am doing this to fit in or is this me?
Me inside is confused with the me outside.

People always asking me if I am fine.
I dislike repeating myself
Day to day living is a constant grind
Why am I even living at all?
Great…another question which is always the same.
“I’m fine” I reply without looking at the person who asked.
This has become meaningless..
The me on the inside is trapped by the me on the outside.

I want to scream and shout but I feel trapped in a box that seems small like me.
This bubble society has created about me and my family. Just because others like me do things doesn’t mean I do them too.
So much anger and hatred I don’t know what to do.
Listening to the influences has confused me I just want to break free.
This personal bubble has become my suffocating death machine.
My materialistic ways have corrupted my hands.
But I clasp them tightly anyways as I continue to harm someone close to me.
What happened to my innocence my pureness of life.
Stress, frustrations this has all accumulated over time and yet no one seems to care.
Why must I be in this position why am I here?

This is not me
This is not who I am
This is not what I want to be portrayed among the wolves of this concrete land.
Even if I dig deep no one would care
the world would shun me and hate me
Why am I so different?
I just go with the flow of things.
I am screaming, I am crying
I am in so much pain.
This is not me at all how can I even show who I am in this blandless place?

All of a sudden in my darkest point of life.
In the corner I see my youngest self crying, afraid and scared.
Is this me? It can’t be…
Yet tears roll down my cheeks just like theirs.
Such a tiny voice and yet I feel compelled to help.
“I can’t hear you..” Is all I say in a soft voice.
“Speak louder.” I say in a normal tone but the tears don’t stop until I reach my younger reflection and wipe them away.
“You were me. Happy and carefree.
But something happened along the way. I don’t know why.
You shut me out and let them in. Is this what it means the world is a cruel place?
We lost a lot along the way and gained a few yet you are sad and lonely only I understand you.
Will you let me back in? Will you let me be? Who cares what they say about you because you are not a bully.
Yes sometimes I don’t know any better but I have to learn. Once my parents are gone there is no one to hold my hand.
I have to get up and stand and be me. The flow doesn’t make me love on cue or tells me that I am doomed without having the clothes it shows.
I want to be me. I want to be happy but you have to let me return here so we can walk together.”

My heart ached and my tears had slowed.
This fraction of me struck quite a cord.
I look at my hand and sigh,
“The me inside is nothing like the me outside.” I say in a low voice as a small hand touches my heart once more.
“Then lets change it together and make it one once more.”

Over time I changed
Found friends who accepted me and helped me fight my loneliness deep within.
I never knew so much joy could lay there deep inside.
I am now touching and healing others
The me on the inside was shining through to the me on the outside.

I have pride in what I am mixed with
despite the way society views me due to what I am
I tell people I am me and proud of what I am doing.
I am changing peoples views of society into having them only look at me.
I am a person, an individual who does their own thing.
I can not correct all the wrongs of society but I can sure try.
Tutoring and helping out where ever I can
Creating a positive light
Finally the me inside is breaking through to the me outside.

My perfect world was shattered yet I have no clue what to do
I am scared I lost many things I felt were important to me.
What is going on?
I look around and finally have a break through when someone comes into my life.
Someone so loving and kind.
Money…we need to survive?
I think I get it now.
I want to see the world for what it is not what I was tossed into.
Show me how things are so I am no longer blind.
The me on the outside is finally learning about the me on the inside.

My mind is twisted and yet I was influenced.
It almost cost me a ticket to the slammer.
Something needs to change before I get worse.
Help is there.
Looking for more to understand my problems.
Now I finally see light.
This takes a lot of time
Takes patience to tear down these walls and become better.
I am no longer causing harm but changing to become a light for others.
Me me of light on the outside is finally shining through to the me on the inside.

Whatever was how I always responded.
I cared about nothing but me since I am important.
I suddenly lose a part of me I never knew I cared about.
Maybe it was deep inside I never noticed it before.
After the loss I finally realize I was being selfish.
A wake up call before I destroy myself and others around me.
I need to learn and change.
This burning desire is new to me.
The caring me on the inside is seeping through to the outside.

Stress piles up and so does the problems from before.
As I wake up I realize I am in a hospital bed counting my blessings.
“Stress nearly killed him.” was all I heard and that is not what I need.
Months of meds and rehab I decide on a change.
To hell with this stress and society’s gridlock of pain.
I look at other outlets and decide to do a dream.
It is a slow and strenuous climb but we will survive. The me today is finally laughing and smiling happy and free
The me on the inside is finally me on the outside.

So tired of the lies and of the fake identity
I no longer know what to do or why everything is horribly wrong.
What is this I fear?
But this light has come to me. It’s so warm and loving.
I truly love what I have and everything in my life.
Just have a few bumps in my road that seem to bother me.
Relax, lets talk it out.
I work on each problem one by one as they come along.
Things progress to be easier the more I face them.
The me on the inside has finally relaxed the me on the outside.

The child of the inside
No longer in the shadows
No longer crying in the corner
No longer in pain
Is now smiling in my serene paradise
Very happy, filled with warmth and joy
With a clear voice I hear,
“You came to see me and changed completely.
Finally the Me on the inside is shining brightly through to the me on the outside.”

By: Mystic Flamer

Unlocking Passion (Part 5)

The Key to the Hidden Lock

This is the final segment of the Unlocking Passion. If you have never read the series but it would be best to do so. I am just an ordinary person just like you and trying to help others find their passions and turn them into Careers. Unlocking Passion 1, 2, 3, and 4. Try the system and you may just discover things about yourself you never knew existed.

So finally we made it to your hidden lock and you want to open that giant door but you have no keys.You went through so many trials and you tried to do so many things to find your passion to change into a career. So what’s the key? I want you to take 3 guesses as to what the key is. Figure it out yet? It’s you! Now I am sure you are looking pretty confused. Sit real fast before I let you walk through your personal door.

We have the most important and at times the most dangerous tool within our bodies which is the brain. A good majority of the time we tend to hold ourselves back with just about everything. This goes with our passions and even our learning abilities. When we want to move into something not common to society thoughts ruin our chances of chasing the dream. Society is another major influence that bends our keys to believe that it is not the “in” thing for the moment. We always listen to the outsides instead of being happy for ourselves so when we come to our many doors our keys don’t look like keys at all.

Only you hold the inner keys to your unlimited potential and only you can unlock your own doors. Nothing is ever easy but if we determine to find more about ourselves and uncover more potential then I hope this program helped you a bit. Now keep in mind it is never too late to go to school. It is never to late to chase a dream. You live your life for you and no one else. Now Imagine your door and imagine your key to that door. You have come this far don’t fear the doors. They are there for you for a reason. Only you hold yourself back from opening them. Now if you feel you are ready go. I want you to explore more passions and create a career. Create happiness for you and help others along the way.

This concludes the Unlocking Passion Segment. I hope this helped you discover more about yourself and that you finally can move forward. Good luck and I would love to hear how this helped you and what Passions you have uncovered. Keep in mind it is okay to be nervous but don’t let it or society tell you that you can’t. Go and discover what only you can do with your personal keys.

Unlocking Passion (part 2)

Butterfly Lovers: Performed by BeiBei

Welcome everyone to part 2 of Unlocking Passion. If you haven’t read part 1: Unlocking Passion (part 1) then please take the time to do that one first. These are exercises and creative thought processes to help people find their passions in life and make them more than just passions. I am not a teacher just another person with passions giving my personal insight that has helped me move forward to happiness. Now for those continuing with the series let us do a brief recap of one! First it was recalling our first childhood dreams of what we wanted to become as kids. Went into our teen years and did the same. We discovered that the list changed and some became refined. This is a very normal process but it also got us to explore other options such as what we held on to and what we changed completely. Then we explored degree choices we wanted to obtain and lastly taking a deep reflection of our current work space. 

Lord of the Rings: Elven Music and Melodies

Well now that we recapped we shall explore the next segments of this Passion. I want you to grab that list you made last week and I want you to study it. Keep all your Passions in mind because we will revisit them again. Now the list I asked you to make about work I want you to take a good look at it and think about it. If you have not made it please take the time out to do so. At my current employment I enjoy these key qualities: The main people I work with, Including a few managers, sometimes the people I encounter, the fact I am helping people look for something and seeing them leave happy. Now for me I am in retail so my list will always remain short. Looking at your list you should come up with some questions. Why you like this quality the most does not count as one. Why? It is too broad of a question which in turn gives too broad of an answer. Almost like finding a needle in the haystack sort of metaphor. You want to pinpoint the said quality because this is what will help you with building a support network for your Passion.

Something like this should be asked per quality: Who is it that you love working with the most? What makes this person approachable? What is one word you could use to describe said person? The deeper the question the more intuned the answer. These key triggers are what helps you find the people you want the most to work with you and traits you should always carry when talking to clients. To protect identities I am not going to name people I actually work with but I will name their traits. Person A: Always makes me laugh to keep spirits high when the workload tends to make me depressed at times. Person B: Understands when things are too overbearing and despite being a manager they always help out while managing their own tasks. Person C: Always teaches me something new since company policies change very frequently. Person D: Looks for guidance and yet gives challenges that help me see things in a different light. Customers who actually know what they want tend to ask questions about said product and sometimes teach me something new about it as far as other uses. Many customers tend to be somber but the ones who smile back and chat even for a little tend to be happier people and brighten my day as I brighten theirs. Helping others is something my grandparents and my mother embedded into me at a young age. When you help someone you make the world smile even if it is for a moment. One smile leads to another and in turn more smile back.

Fantasy Music Compilation #3

Make your list yet? Please do not worry if the list is small or if this is not a strong suit and ‘I don’t know’ seems to be the common answer. We are human and sometimes we do like something without even knowing why. It is a subconscious occurrence and the ‘like’ has a far deeper meaning than we know of at the moment. As I was told likes are the easiest descriptions we can give and it usually tends to make us smile. Now look at your meanings and what do you see that stands out? For mine, in the order, is as follows: Laughter, Understanding, Learning something New, Challenges, Knowledge, Happiness, and Helpfulness. To some people this list may seem irrelevant and to others not as important but these are qualities I love to carry with me all the time. Save this list and we will come back to it later. 

Now we will think of something that tends to boil our blood as a figure of speech. What qualities about your current ob seem to piss you off or upset you a lot. It can be small or it could be major but it has to be something that you would love to see change. I will answer why in a little bit but make your list. Being asked to handle one task and believing there is a time table to have one massive task done before tackling another. Rudeness, which is very common among our higher level managers, not just to me and other employees but to our customers as well. Trash customers leave throughout the store. Customers opening packages and destroying items. Children running around unsupervised and something happens. Now majority of the times I have noticed our negatives will very much outweigh the positives. Now again no broad questioning you have to pinpoint what it is you don’t like about said quality. This is important because this is what follows many around and don’t know it. But we will get into that soon. My peeves are as follows: Time tables, Rudeness, Uncleanliness, Property Damage, and Endangerment.

Alright we have out list of positive traits and negative traits. Now I want you to go back to your Passion List and select just one for now and I want you to imagine you are finally working your dream career. I won’t call it a job because a job is just for money purposes with no attachment or passion to it. A Career is a passion you love to do no matter the hour or your current condition. So being in this career job lets say you put out a survey to your clients and your positive traits are all mentioned. So Sally loves the fact that we meet and we can laugh and have a great time together. As I work on her image she gets to see all the works in progress and she and I can discuss changes to make the image look more appealing. Sharing the knowledge of why I changed a rose into a lily or swapped the colors of the vase to make this work much more in harmony is important because I want to have this client return. But to me I don’t want to see you as just a client I want to see you as a good friend who supports me and loves my works.

Positive qualities are just that. Positive auras that emit from us when we feel great and people around us react to it. Now lets say in the comment section of what should change lists all your negative qualities or your pet peeves list. Sally may love my art but my time to see her may be inconvenient for her. So I need to learn to be more flexible with making time available around her schedule. I may not be a rude person but I come off a bit standoffish or how I respond is rude. Even what I say, although may not be meant, came off as rude. Now I would never leave trash at someones house but I might have said something to Sally that may have seemed like her input was nothing but trash. The negative traits make us feel bad right? That is what it is supposed to do when you point out flaws and with sincere hurt comes sincere change.

Now this leads us to our part 2 Changing Negatives into Positives! No matter where you work every job has positives and negatives. If you can’t find a negative in said job then you aren’t looking and you are just blindly following. Everyone has a peeve and most companies tend to work that peeve although not intentional. Now looking at the list you may very well be thinking I don’t do these hings at all but I deal with it every day. Well a part of us actually do this every day although it is not the same. We have to change ourselves to see this change occur around us. Now lets take my Time Table peeve. At my current location I can have 8 pushing arts of items that need to be placed back on the floor in order to be sold. Most managers, at least those who don’t do the amount of work you do daily, will give you a time limit to put said items away. Lets say I was told to finish in 1 hour and a half with 8 baskets. Most of the time we try to remain positive and state we can do this. But the basket contains small items like pens, pencils, folders and individual markers. you technically have 8 baskets of small items compared to it being toss pillows and bed sets.

Celtic Music – Legend

Despite them wanting me to get this done in their allotted time I have no help and more push baskets are brought making my work load past the amount the manager wrote before hand. I maybe a little sick but deny to miss work because I need the money. Now when the manager returns they are upset because I managed to only get 2-3 baskets out of the area and yet have so much to do when I should have been done. Flexibility is apparently not there along with other factors but I make it known to a manager that I can trust about my situation and when I have a coaching I saved myself from getting into trouble. When I constantly inform someone that I am far more comfortable with about my time table I was given and what the load actually is the flexibility becomes visible and they work with me to help ensure that said manager understands that I am doing the best I can alone and that other things come up. When i work in said department I am no longer given a time table but, “Please do the best that you can while here.” I changed my negative into a positive. 

Now you maybe looking at this and you might be slightly confused. Here is where positives work hand in hand with a negative to eliminate the problem and boost your morale. My negative is the time table and my positive was a manger who is far more understanding and someone I can trust. I talked to this manager privately and told them my situation where they in turned talked to the manager who gave me the time table to where they removed said time table so I can focus on placing all items in their correct locations and help the customers without worry of being in trouble.

Any negative can be changed into a positive. Now although I have done this my new challenge is I don’t work fast enough. This is the cycle we all face. We are presented with a challenge and we have the 2 options available. We either figure out the problem and break through or we run from it completely. This Karmaic Cycle is what everyone faces. If you run it will return and it will be harder to solve. But if you try and figure it out, with or without help, you can change this problem, negative trait, into a positive one. This is not always an easy thing to do so please keep that in mind. It is never meant to be easy it is meant to be a growing experience because when you grow you will know what you need to do. 

So what does this have to do with your Passion? Everything! When you see your passion as a career that you love no matter what you want to make sure it grows and that you succeed correct? Where we are currently is the consequence of past actions and how we move into what we want we must conquer what is in front of us now. What challenges you face now can be over come but it is up to you to see what needs to be changed. It is a challenge that is hard to see at first this is why I had you do your current job with positive and negative traits.

I want you all to be aware that everything even careers have their high and low points. All positive and negative is around us but you have to know what to do when it happens in your career. Passions again will come and go. Some fade and others become finely tuned. When you know how to approach your negative traits now they won’t be so problematic later. Look at your list of Passions currently and I want you to make a positive trait and negative trait  branch for your top 3-5 passions. You don’t have to list everything for each one but at least 3 would be a good start. In part 3 we will start to formulate the Passions into a deeper level.