“The ride-share service Lyft announced Tuesday that passengers can now round up their fare to the next dollar and donate the difference to Chance the Rapper’s fund to support Chicago Public Schools. The New Chance Arts and Literature Fund, devoted to creating and expanding Chicago arts education programs, is the first local organization Lyft is supporting through the “round up and donate” feature.”
It’s easy to say, “Don’t stress” but if we don’t understand how to put this into practice in our everyday life, this is a command that is not so easy to obey. That’s why I’ve been exercising practical ways not to stress so much (because there’s no such thing as not stressing…stressing is natural…we just overdo it).
Sometimes we don’t know we are stressing. This is not good because what you don’t recognize, you can’t change. No worries though, I got you covered.
Here are 5 Clues you’re stressing out:
One clue that you are stressed about something is if you can’t stop thinking about it. When you are going over a situation in your head repeatedly. You micromanage every possible scenario on how something can go wrong. You give it so much energy that you even have mental conversations with yourself on what could happen, what did happen, how it happened and even new ways it could have happened. You go to bed thinking about it and wake up thinking about it.
If this is you, you are stressing out and I am going to need you to chill.
If you find yourself looking for the flaw in things, you have a problem. Unlike being faced with a situation, you’re looking for one. Every single action is met with your own private investigation. The slightest issue is background checked for “possible” mistakes and mishaps. You even start to bring up old stuff, calculating how that situation and this one is connected.
If you’re constantly critiquing yourself or something/someone else, looking for problems that don’t nor have probably ever existed, you are stressing out and I am going to need you to just chill.
What we think about will eventually come out of our mouths. If you find yourself complaining about every single itty bitty thing, you are stressed. You know that tone. When the inflation in your voice rises and the sentence begins with “but” or “why come” a whine is coming on. If all you focus on is problems you won’t see solutions. If you must complain all the time, you’re stressing yourself out and I am going to need you to chill.
This one is a lot more subtle than the others and is the cousin to overanalyzing. If you are having mental conversations about what you think other people are thinking and what they are saying, you are stressing. If you’re trying to find motive where it doesn’t exist, you are stressed because you’re worried about what others think and their reactions so you make up stuff. This is dangerous. Eventually, you will have convinced yourself you “know” what that person is thinking and start to interact with them based on the fictitious person in your head as if that’s who the person really is. You’ll start to look at everything they do based on the version of them in your head.
If you’re imagining what people must think or what they must be saying, you’re stressing and could push people away if your illusions ever reach the surface. Never assume you know what people are thinking. That’s what communication is for.
And oh yes, I am going to need you to chill.
It’s sometimes hard to see things about ourselves without someone pointing them out to us. This is when we need the help of family, friends, and people who truly care. You know, the ones who tell us exactly how it is… straight, no chaser. So, if someone says you’re stressed and your first response is to deny it or come up with excuses, that’s a big fat red flag that you probably are stressed out…
…and we’re going to need you to chill.
Take the time every now and again to step back and to refresh parts of your soul that no one sees. Stay in your studies and send up prayers and meditation to quench the thirst of questions that no man can answer. Everyone laughs at faith until desperation strolls into our lives wearing a smirk and holding a sickle in his right hand. He is here to reap and leave the malnourished one empty. Everyone believes in something when the catastrophe ensues and no one is laughing any longer. Don’t be like those laughing at creation and yet calling on a god when things go wrong. Keep yourself full of hope and expectation no person can touch. Exercise both your body and your mind and it’ll work wonders for you in the end. Read books and study to nourish that beautiful mind of yours so no one makes a prey of you through philosophy and deceit. Sing, dance, praise and laugh like the crazy person you are. How dare you cloak yourself in positive vibes and radiate a smile brighter than the sun? Only if you keep yourself filled with light can you shine. Take these sips of nourishment to sustain you so that in the daily grind that is your life, while you’re busy surviving, you do not forget to live.
It has been a while so I thought I’d take these few hours I have here to update you all. I have been and still am to an extent out of the loop. Life pretty much happened.
That said, pull up a chair! Which would you prefer? Coffee? Tea? Water? I also have Almond Milk. I’ll go grab the cups while you take a seat on the sofa.
*Walks into the Kitchen, grabs drinks. Walks back into the living room*
I’ll just sit this on the oversized coaster here. There you go. Comfortable? Good. Let’s begin.
In the meantime, you can read Keep Yourself Full free when you sign up to join my Advanced Review Team. CLICK HERE to join. I’ll be sending the team’s copy over to read in the near future. To learn more about this book, see a previous post HERE.
(*I am looking for serious readers only for the ARC Team. Anyone who proves inactive (offering me no feedback) will be removed from the list so please be sure you have the time to invest in this before you sign up. *)
Chat Soon.
Check out James Fant’s review of Renaissance. Thanks James for taking the time to leave a review. Glad you enjoyed the read.
Hey, guys! How have you been? I missed you so much and many thanks to those of you who have reached out to me during my time away to make sure I was OK. I appreciate you.
I’ve been wonderful and though I’ve only been gone a few weeks, that time is so much longer in blog days :-).
And I am scheduled for more traveling this weekend.
While I managed to stay away from Facebook, Twitter, this blog and my email until this past Saturday, I broke my Insta-silence when, while walking down the streets of Chicago with my sister, someone recognized me. At first, I was going to just walk away but I noticed the woman was trying to pronounce my name. I finished it for her.
“e-see-lee-yah.”
“I have your book!” said the woman.
“Really? Wow.”
“I follow you on Facebook.”
“Really?”
And so we chatted it up, took a picture, and she missed her bus. It was a wonderful feeling and very inspiring.
If you need to take a break from blogging, writing, or whatever, it’s OK. We will still be here when you get back. You may even grow in the process. It’s all about recharging and Keeping Yourself Full which leads me to my next bit of news…
“To Heal the Hurting, Lift the Fallen, and Restore the Broken.”
About this Book:
KEEP YOURSELF FULL is a short book of spiritual rejuvenation to keep you charged and YOUR reminder that life is about more than just surviving, but making the greatest impact you can while you are here. It is about caring about something greater than yourself. There’s only one problem:
We’ve heard it all before: “Hurt people, hurt people.” When people are limited and insecure and hurting they pass this energy onto others. When you are low yourself, when you’re not full, you unconsciously send out the same kind of energy and you begin to treat others how you feel about yourself.
Empowering others is great but first, you must be empowered. Sharing is wonderful but you cannot serve from an empty vessel. In every instance, you must come first since you cannot give what you don’t already own. Only after you have loved yourself can you love others.
Keeping Yourself Full is about investing in your own well-being first so that you can be of service to others. It is a building process that reveals little by little our purpose as we overcome ourselves.
You will not always be motivated and anyone who says that is not being real. There is a time for everything, even war. The fact remains that you will not always be peaceful and everyday ain’t beautiful.
Everything people do and say is not a reflection of you. When we rid ourselves of these kinds of burdens, we break free.
You can be happy today, but without a shift in perspective, this happiness will not last.
Healthy self-care nourishes the quality of our life and is necessary for stopping the cycle of depression, abuse, and suicide.
You cannot serve from an empty vessel. You must keep yourself full.
OK, looks like we are going through with this thing!!
First thing’s first, I am getting a logo made. Something simple but nice which I’ll outsource from Fiverr. BUT, if any of you do logos for free, like, let me know. I am not trying to spend a whole bunch of money. I love you but I am not rich so, like, help a sista out.
The Authors in the running so far have been hand-picked from the books I’ve read, reviewed, and awarded 5-stars going back to 2015 on this blog. Naturally, I can be the only judge since I have read and reviewed all of these books.
To add your name to this list, register your book HERE for review consideration. (I am reaching my limit and will be closing the registry very soon! Don’t wait.)
All reviewed books count whether I bought it or not so if your book is on sale I can also purchase it. If your book is currently 99 cents or free, let me know so I can grab it.
Let me know. If I agree to read your book, review it and award the read 5-stars, you are automatically drafted into the contest.
Currently, my 5-star authors are:
Christa Wojo. for “SICK”
Alexander McCabe for “A Tale of Three Cities”
Linda G. Hill for “All Good Stories”
Anna Kopp for “Rise of the Chosen: Lifeblood Series Book 1 ”
JL Hunt for “Beautiful Boy, Beautiful Girl”
Stevie Turner for “Waiting in the Wings”
Gigi Sedlmayer for “Talon Come Fly with Me”
Deborah Ann Dykeman for “To Thee I’m Wed”
Pamela D. Beverly for “The Love Labyrinth”
JA Owenby for “The Truth She Knew (The Truth Series Book One)”
James Fant for “Coed”
Again, we are only in the preliminary stages of this event so I don’t have much information yet (you’re helping me with that, right?) Briefly, here’s what’s going on:
Now, I am going back to brainstorming. As you all know, I am getting ready to go on vacation but when I return, I’ll have all the details laid out as to how this event will run and when.
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