Simone

The Poor Cry Out

Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor
Will also cry himself and not be heard.
Proverbs 21:13

There I was trying as quickly as possible and as covertly as possible trying to eat my fried eggs. It did not matter that a big chunk had fallen on the ground and quite without shame I quickly scooped it up and ate- do not judge it was too big a piece to leave there. So I had finished the eggs and was about to destroy a piece of bulla ( rich Jamaican cake made with molasses and spiced with ginger and nutmeg, sometimes dark-colored and other times light-colored ), when a man approached with a dog jumping around his feet. I was so taken by the playful nature of the dog, that I asked him if it belonged to him and he confirmed this. He looked a bit hesitant and asked if the dog being there was bothering me to which I said no. He sat and I returned to my job of the bulla destruction. Suddenly he asked me if I was a christian, and I said yes – I figured it must be the hairstyle. He then asked me a question no one had ever asked me – well not a completely stranger – he asked, “can you pray for me?”

Silhouette Photo of Person Standing Near Beach

First, that killed my appetite, which was a bit shocking – I love bulla! Because I had not expected it I hesitated, but I was also intrigued by his request. What could have caused a healthy look young man to make such a request of a stranger. I asked him what was the problem; I saw that he was at first hesitant to do so, but as we could not proceed without me knowing the why – yes I am very stubborn – he did so. He told me that he was behind on his rent by three months and the landlady was about to throw him out. He told me of a friend – not a friend – who would help him for a price that was too high and of his son who he needed to get some groceries for because he really did not have the money to buy food. Well I thought, “I will have to do my best”, I have to pray for him. As I prayed, the words came and as the words came I heard this big strong man crying. No silent tears running down his cheeks but when I finished praying and opened my eyes, it was a proper ugly cry. And at that moment I was reminded that there are persons we walk with everyday and whom we talk to, who smile with us, and are suffering.

His burden was too heavy to continue to carry and so he sought someone, even for a moment to help him to carry it by interceding to God on his behalf. After I had eaten that fallen piece of egg, I did wonder about germs. However, after my encounter with that man I realize that for some people germs are the least of their concerns. For some the line between them and complete despair has become so blurred that all they can do is cry out.

The Danger Lies Within

“It’s amazing what we keep hidden from others.”
― James Morris, What Lies Within

Here’s a wild thought: in the story of the Garden of Eden the serpent tempts Eve who in turn convinces Adam to eat the forbidden fruit. It’s the serpent’s fault for tempting them in the first place right? Well what if a large portion of the blame lies with those who gave in to the temptation. I mean we have been taught to hate the serpent and revile it for its place in the fall of man from grace. However, what if we look at it this way: by reviling the serpent we negate the blame unto him and in a way use the crutch of human imperfection to mitigate the role of both in their fall.

Image result for the danger lies within memes

Sometimes we do the same and do not realize or choose to ignore that we do. We try to fight the enemy: the ones who undermine us, those people who, “have it in for us”. When really, we have so many faults, they create bigger problems than any problem our “enemies” can cause. We take a break from feeling any guilt that we did or are doing something wrong in all the mess we may find ourselves in . We latch on to the victim mentality and we run with it. After all it’s not our fault that we are so good and everyone else is so so bad! And it feels good doesn’t it, when we know our failure is not because we did something wrong? It was that “bad mind friend”, that “no good person” who would not let us win! Meanwhile, many with this mentality sit and wait for the proof that yes, the world has it in for us ; I got up and the sun was not shinning and the traffic was just terrible, life surely wants me to fail.

And I could find more examples with the many excuses made and blaming being spewed everywhere. But one day when we realize how toxic we can be, we are suddenly devastated by how blind we have been to this side of ourselves – not really. Some even choose to live in denial, finding it easier to hide behind the victim mentality, rather than acknowledging our faults. But we never hide from the truth and will one day need to acknowledge and be honest about our role in what is taking place in our lives. The problem is not that we make mistakes, the problem is when we do not acknowledge that we have a major role in the mistakes made. After all, you have to ask yourself if God was more angry at Adam and Eve for eating the fruit or for lying about it, even with the evidence of them wearing those fig leaves.

You Have Permission

“Who gave fire permission to burn?”
― Marty Rubin

Have you ever found yourself in a corner because you had to make a decision and you are sweating like a pig because it felt like your enter existence depended on that decision? Having made that decision did you then regret it days, months or even years later? If you have and you now cannot trust yourself to make the right decisions, you are not alone. Making decisions are hard, especially when you feel it will impact your life forever. When we make missteps, we may feel so traumatized that we become paralyzed with fear, when we have to make much more profound choices in the future. But today we are giving ourselves all the permission we need.

We will give ourselves the permission to make the decisions that are right. By doing this we will also let go of our need to please, he, she and the old lady. Let’s empower ourselves by not allowing others to be our judge and executor, but, give ourselves the right to put our own stamp and seal of approval on our lives. So give your approval for when you will start doing what you love and no one can take the happiness that this will bring. And if you are doing something you love, it’s easier to give yourself permission to fail – and you will. But with failure comes the opportunity for growth and change. So, give yourself the permission to change any and everything about you when ever you have to. Because when you change you open yourself to having new experiences and going places you never imaged you would go. Bu,t make sure when you get there you also give yourself permission to just do nothing for a while before giving yourself the permission to take a stab at something new.

But most importantly, give yourself the permission to be happy by living the life you want and being the best you can be while doing so. Remember, nobody else will.

It’s In The Details

“Details matter, it’s worth waiting to get it right.”
― Steve Jobs

You may look at a proposal, a plan or an offer and think, ” wow what a great plan/offer!” Your mind is blown and you are ready to get started and then disaster strikes. You never took the time to think it through, never did the proper investigations, never asked the right questions. If you had, you would have realized that it made no sense.

I remember when I was unemployed and I had student loan to repay and the payments were due. I was a bit desperate. How would I get a job to pay for the loan and feed myself? Then a seeming angel – but really a devil – appeared and offered the answer to my prayer. What ended up happening was that I lost money I could not afford to lose and spent an entire day waiting in a place I had no place being. That day was my lucky day, because I was so blinded by desperation that I could have ended up in a much worse situation. Looking back I thank God it was not worse, that I was only scammed and lived to tell the tale of my folly. I also learned a hard lesson: not everything is as it appears and not everyone means you well.

Sadly, it’s a lesson I have not fully learned and at this point I am getting really frustrated with my stubborn shortsightedness. However, I realize more the importance of asking questions when something doesn’t feel right or, sounds too good to be true. No one can make your dreams come true – they are not God nor do most help without self-gain. When you feel desperate that is the time you need to ask the tough questions and to whip out your magnifying glass, a microscope even, to see what lies beneath the surface. Because what’s beneath the surface might shock you into the reality of what you could be committing to. Let’s hope that we are not too desperate to accept the truth. But whether or not you take that leap, look how deep you may end up; then whatever happens after that is yours to own.

Blue, Purple, And Black Abstract Painting

You Are Yourself…

“The snow goose need not bathe to make itself white. Neither need you do anything but be yourself.”
― Lao Tzu

For you before the onset of the Monday morning blues…

Wake up everyday and jump into your skin and don’t think about what the naysayers say. Feel the wind as it caresses your skin, breathe in and out and keep it moving. Unfold this way and that and never give in to the judgement passed on by others.

Love what you see when you look in the mirror and roar instead of purr, and never let anyone draw a picture of your life. The proof is in the pudding so make sure you’re doing the baking. When it’s time up, make sure it’s the time you set but also make sure to use your own clock and make your own calendar too!

The box is not it. You do not belong in a place you do not fit, create a space for your shape. The image projected is the one designed and you and your creator know the code to the patent. It’s a code that is iron clad.

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You want to do cartwheels? You want to bend down low? While you’re at it play sightings ( Jamaican game which involves the use of a juice box stuffed with paper that is thrown at the persons in the middle who have to avoid all throws. If you get hit, you’re out) and avoid the worries and fears of what people will think, say and do; just be you. If you find yourself boxed in then be the bull inna pen ( made a circle around a person (the bull) and they would try to escape in any way. It also taught us how to push towards our goals especially if it’s just people in the way ) and break free. Never get caught in a game of stuckie ( this game taught the importance of not allowing another person to touch you, else you’re stuck ); never let anyone touch your essence; they can try but they will never catch you. Run faster and make it to your home base.

Keep your head above the water of despair and keep doing the necessary gymnastics and when you’re tired remember:

They can’t keep a good man down
Always keep a smile when they want me to frown
Keep the vibes and I stood my grounds
They will never ever take my crown
Who Jah bless I say no man curse
Things gettin’ better when they thought it would be worst…
Sizzla

It’s all in how you see the glass… or just move it completely and put what you have already seen so others can see it too. Sometimes it’s good to follow “yuh mind” and do what feels right. Even if no one else agrees because they can’t get a thing out of it. If the zone is making you dizzy, it was never a comfort, so get out of it. Make no excuses for your inability to stand your ground and for not steering yourself right where you need to be. Sweep aside the stuff that doesn’t matter and grab what does. There is no power in “I can’t” and “I wont” so toss them in the garbage; there is power in “I can” and “I will” so use them to fuel your journey.

You can never hear this too many times; your destiny lies in being yourself so forget about anyone else and just be.

Brown Thank You Card on Pink and Blue Small Bottle

No More Negative Talk

“If you plant junk, don’t expect to harvest jewels.”
― Luke Taylor

“ Tomorrow is still in the making so plant good seeds…”
― Sam Owen, 500 Relationships And Life Quotes: Bite-Sized Advice For Busy People

We have to be careful with the words we use to ourselves and to others. So here is another reminder – maybe the hundredth you have seen so far – about why your words are so powerful:

Some frogs were travelling through the woods one day. Two of them fell into a deep pit. When the other frogs saw, they told them there was no hope for them. They ignored what the others were saying and tried to jump out of the pit. The frogs at the top of the pit continued to say that they should just give up. They would never make it out. Eventually, the one of the frogs listened, and gave up and fell to his death. But the other frog continued to jump as hard as he could. Again the frogs shouted at him, “stop the pain and just die.” But as they continued to shout, he jumped even harder. Until finally he made it out. When he got out, the other frogs asked, “didn’t you hear us?” The frog explained that he was deaf. He thought they had been encouraging him.

From the story above it should be clear that our words have the power to encourage or discourage others; to make them continue to fight until the end or to give up and the first sign of trouble. Negative words have the power to kill dreams and take away our happiness. But somehow the words that we tell ourselves can do the most damage. If you never have a kind word for yourself, if you are never satisfied with what you have done so far, what you possess or where you are at in your life then you have already lost. when all we see are the grey skies and not the silver lining, then we begin to project our negative outlook on people we come in contact with. However the sad thing is, before we spread our negative words to others, we have already poisoned our spirit.

So let us agree today and moving forward, we will truly leave ALL negative words and thoughts behind…

Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
And those who love it will eat its fruit.
Proverbs 18:21

Dr. Masaru Emoto’s Water Experiment

Pink Carnations — **Speak Life with your words!**

High or Low

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:1

It is the end of the week and many, myself included, are looking forward to the weekend. If you happen to look back on the week, I am sure that there were highs and lows. Maybe there was something that made you so happy that you have still not come off the f the high and maybe something interrupted that happiness to plunge you into despair. Or maybe nothing really happened and the gains you hoped to make did not materialize. Maybe, even though it is the end of the week – and pay day – you just have nothing to celebrate. Or so you think. Life is about the highs and the lows and there is so way of avoiding them; they will come with or without your say so. However, when they do we have to take them in stride carry on.

If we experience mostly lows for a time, we carry on because we know that just around the corner are moments of highs that will make the lows worthwhile. We always hope for the rainbow at the end of the storm. So let’s hope that wherever we find ourselves at the end of another week will be based on the hope of better things to come…

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