Let go of dying relationships

I water my "lucky" bamboo plant every day at work. All three bamboo culms get the same amount of water but for some reason that one little culm is slowly dying. As a sat at my desk today and looked at my bamboo plant in frustration I started to reflect on a past relationships in my life that was dying no matter how much I showered it with my love. 

Just like my bamboo plant, I couldn't understand why this relationship was dying.

I had to have faith that God was intentionally removing this person from my life because He knew they were blocking my destiny.

I had to learn to let go.

I had to accept that there was nothing I could do to save this relationship. 

Once I accepted this the confusion and frustration I felt slowly faded, while joy and happiness took its place.  

Are you holding on to someone that God is trying to remove from your life? If you are, I hope this will help you let go. 

Side note: Thank God I receive my blessings from Jesus and my good fortune doesn't depend on the life of this plant!

Walk with Him.

My family & I went to Thatch Hill in Jamaica last weekend. The road to get their was unpaved, rocky, very narrow and the rough ride felt like it was going to last forever. When we finally arrived to the top of this hill, we were in awe.  

The ambiance was peaceful, 

the vegetation was beautiful, 

the river water was so clear. 

Everything about this place was amazing.

Sometimes situations in life seem the same way. The journey seems long, rocky and you can't imagine your current situation getting better. But when you walk with Jesus and let him guide your steps, no matter how hard the journey may seem, he will get you through. He will bring you to a place better than you could have ever imagined.

Walk with Him.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

The Signs of An Introvert

I recently came across this Huffington Post article, "23 Signs You're Secretly An Introvert" by Carolyn Gregoire that sums up my personality so well!

There are so many misconception of the introvert.

For the majority of my adolescent life I struggled with my introverted personality traits because society made me feel as if I had a problem. I hated small talk, I was always being told by adults to "come out of my shell" and teachers often scolded me for not participating in class. 

Small talk seemed annoying, phony and cumbersome so I avoided it. My avoidance resulted in people viewing me as unfriendly or shy person, but I wasn't.  My character was misjudged all because people didn't understanding my disinterest in frivolous conversation. My biggest battle was class participation. Remember the the student in your class that would raise their hand before the teacher finished asking a questions, then once he/she was called on said "uuummmmmmm" because they didn't completely process the answer in their mind, but just had to be heard? I was the complete opposite! I knew the question and the answer before the teacher even asked, but voicing the answer was difficult for me. 

Ok, maybe I exaggerated a bit, I didn't know the question before it was asked. :-) 

My parents, both extroverts didn't understand me and made the connection in their minds that because I didn't speak up in class, I couldn't stand up for myself. They feared for my safety, my ability to deal with peer pressure and my leadership skills. I am glad to say that being an introvert did not stop me from standing up for myself or being a leader.

Here's the list of 23 telltale signs of an introvert that the article noted:

The ones that apply to me most are underlined.

1. You find small talk incredibly cumbersome. 

2. You go to parties -– but not to meet people. 

3. You often feel alone in a crowd. 

4. Networking makes you feel like a phony. 

5. You've been called "too intense." I rather discuss and put my energy into things that matter. Don't take offense offense if I'm not interested in your celebrity gossip and petty drama. 

6. You're easily distracted. 

7. Downtime doesn't feel unproductive to you. I need this to survive! 

8. Giving a talk in front of 500 people is less stressful than having to mingle with those people afterwards. 

9. When you get on the subway, you sit at the end of the bench -– not in the middle. 

10. You start to shut down after you've been active for too long. 

11. You're in a relationship with an extrovert. All of my closet friends are "outties". 

12. You'd rather be an expert at one thing than try to do everything. 

13. You actively avoid any shows that might involve audience participation. 

14. You screen all your calls -- even from friends. I just want to take this time to thank my friends & family for no longer taking this personal and accepting it. 

15. You notice details that others don't. 

16. You have a constantly running inner monologue. Nonstop! 

17. You have low blood pressure. Had no idea there was a connection, until now. 

18. You've been called an “old soul” -– since your 20s. 

19. You don't feel "high" from your surroundings 

20. You look at the big picture.  

21. You've been told to “come out of your shell.” My childhood struggle! 

22. You’re a writer. From my thoughts,to  this blog, my diary, my goals, my life plans, letters, my to-do list... I write everything! 

23. You alternate between phases of work and solitude, and periods of social activity.

 
Just know- we THE INTROVERTS can be social; leaders; & great communicators. We just focus on the inner world of thoughts and ideas, we think before we speak, and we recharge off alone time.

There's nothing wrong with being the "quiet" type.

Brian Williams Raps "Rapper's Delight"

I can't even imagine the work that was put into merging these clips and making this video! But THANK YOU to the creator for making me laugh hysterically! 

And at 1 minute and 8 seconds I almost fell out of my chair! "Say whaaaat?"

SUPER BOWL XLVIII Microsoft commercial

I was in Jamaica during Super Bowl XLVIII. Luckily, Ocean's 11 in Ocho Rios was having a Super Bowl watch party. They had a huge projector screen television set up and several flat screens playing the game. The food and drinks were delicious too!

I was surprised to see so many Jamaicans, men and women, following American football since soccer (known as football in Jamaica and most Caribbean and Central American counties) and cricket are the two most popular sports in Jamaican.

Besides the actual game, the Super Bowl is all about the halftime show and the commercials. Unfortunately, while in Jamaica I was unable to view the commercials being aired in the USA. One of the first things I did when I returned was search Google for this year's commercials. MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE commercial (from the commercials I did get a chance to view) was the Microsoft commercial. It touched every part of my core. I appreciate the positive connection Microsoft made with technology and people. They didn't only focus on Microsoft's technology but they still tied in their brand, which is GREAT marketing. In the twentieth-century many people complain about how technology makes people lazy, hinders research and education and communication skills. It was nice seeing the positive side of technology; how it unites people and how it has advanced medicine.

I am an Apple user, but this commercial made me want to throw my MacBook, iPad and iPhone away!

Side note: I must add although my team the NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS didn't make it to the Super Bowl this year, I am satisfied with the Seahawks victory! A Manning loss is definitely a Patriots WIN!

Photo credit: @seahawks Instagram

Other Super Bowl XLVIII Highlights

Bruno Mars' halftime performance was great! 

Here it is if you missed it.

Video credit: youtube.com

Seahawks quarterback, Russell Wilson is now the second Black quarterback to win a Super Bowl.

Congratulations to him on on making history!

Photo credit: newsone.com