Tag: rant

Have we talked about the little things?

~ NewBeginnings ~ Leave a comment

Whoop! its a double whammy weekend! You all are blessed with back-to-back posts! Who even am I right now!? lol

Idk what it is, maybe Mercury heading into the microwave again!? But by 8:20am PST on a Sunday, I was reminded how important the little things are.

From driving to Hermosa for breakfast then getting my Bees Knees from HiFi – every small moment hit me, in not all the good ways, lol. I mean, the realizations aren’t bad.. for example – as I am driving, I am thinking about finding new local spots in TX.. and then having a moment of, well, when I moved to SoCal, I felt the same way. I only “like” these places bc they are somewhat comfortable. And I say somewhat, bc it’s more the people – and a person forgot to tell me schedules had changed. So I drove for no reason if you will, bc I can get a better experience 3min from my current apartment.

Now I will say that, this normally wouldn’t bother me as much as it did bc whatever, stuff happens all the time. But I think in this moment it was just reminding me that people matter, not necessarily the places. Bc then I head back towards home, and stop by my local coffee shop since caffeine is needed on this packing day.. and I realize who’s working. And to clarify, these people aren’t terrible, lol, but I am in need of a certain experience today especially after having a misstep already this morning. So when I didn’t see “my people” I walked out and went across the street to a cafe where I know no one. And as simple as this situation may seem, it made a difference. My coffee is bomb, and it actually put a smile on my face bc the latte art is always on point there too. And then I started thinking.. why am I trying so hard to accept the mediocre? Why am I trying to do things a certain way, or only go to certain places bc I’m leaving? These people don’t care! lol I mean, ok there’s prob a small moment of awww – you were a great local, but other than that, these people be living their lives without me.

All together, as I got back in my car and headed “home” I just felt like I had to remind myself: This chapter is closing, stop trying to hold on to things that essentially, don’t matter. Bc just like this morning experience, I have dealt with these let downs so many times, but I felt they were just small inconveniences. When now looking at the big picture, they should have been signs of how inadequate living in the SoBay has actually been for me, especially the last couple of years. No wonder I’ve felt lonely. No wonder I never felt like a part of something. I was holding on to the big moments and orchestrated nights out. Holding on to when people came to visit and I could show them the “good parts”.

I have no regrets on how long I stayed here, the last year alone allowed me to meet one of my favorite people, and honestly, depending on what you believe in, I coulda met them anyway in some other way! lol. But these small things are hitting me more now. It’s like when you are finally in a good place after a bad breakup and you see things so clearly now, and wonder how you missed all the red flags. All those little things.

Brings me back to that conversation with my best friend – Its about the Wednesday nights. The small, “insignificant”, moments, that you think don’t matter.. they matter so much more than we realize.

And maybe I was so inclined to write this today (more like vent, to be honest, lol) on a whim, bc you know how much I love to remind y’all about these things! And like most epiphanies, I can’t be the only one with open eyes having these moments, and looking for reassurance. So if this helps any of you see things a little differently, or helps with a decision, or just a reminder to never go a day with bad coffee ever again, lol, then my job is done ❤

cheers, xoxo

4.14

~ NewBeginnings ~ Leave a comment

I literally had a whole post about emotions and heartache, and I saved the draft. I stopped bc I realized, what am I even trying to accomplish here? Share my thoughts? My emotions?

It’s a gloomy, rainy day today, and the slowdown is much appreciated, especially for my writing. My saved piece talked about my acceptance of “caring too much” and learning that it is not a weakness. It talked about the hurt I’m feeling at the moment – and that’s where I stopped. Because, I literally said out loud – why am I assuming this is a closed chapter? Pages are still in the works, changes can still be made at any given moment. There are drafts still in the editors box. And while the chapter could essentially close tomorrow, it is still not complete.

I’ve had so many ideas this past month on a new post, and sadly didn’t note them down, but I think today my goal for myself, and whoever reads this, is to remind you that although situations may feel difficult, hurtful even, or confusing, it doesn’t mean its over. And while that may sound like there is more to wade through, I mean it more as a moment of hope in that clarity will come, or the outcome you hoped for has even bigger plans.

There is a fine line of beginnings and endings, and sometimes I wonder if things really end, or if the story just changes. Like, I have a big move coming up, and how I feel about this, is similar on how I felt as I was grieving death these past few years. When someone leaves, nothing really changes – time still moves, people are still waking up, going to work, doing all the things. Nothing ended, maybe only the presence of that person, but still, sometimes even that presence remains. So in this move I am preparing for, I thought about the village where I spend the majority of my days in, the beach, and my walks/runs. None of this will change when I leave – life will continue on. New locals will emerge at the cafe, a new person will occupy “my seat” at the local bar, and the story of the village will continue – better yet, so will mine. They just become two different stories now, the ven diagram of stories expands – like a spin off series if you will. Just another new beginning versus viewing something as an ending.

So these emotions I am moving through do not necessarily mean an end and a beginning, but maybe just an edit in the story. And as the quote above indicates, even edits just create a new idea in the storyline. As this thought continues to ruminate in my brain, honestly I found a little hope. Amazing what tippy-tapping on a screen can do for morale, lol.

If you spent time on this little brain spew, I hope you found some hope too. If something is going on that may feel confusing or if you’re struggling with “ending” and “beginning” maybe reframing it as a new story or an edit helps. Now, as we know, I still hold strong with letting things go that no longer serve you – and maybe even if that is the case, and something must be “let go”, the feeling doesn’t need to feel so hard. It can be softer, it may not alleviate the pain or hurt overnight, but can help recreate your vision of tomorrow, and create openness for you to welcome your new story. ❤

(I did not edit this before posting, so no grammar judging, lol)

till next time, xoxo

Maybe these Eclipses are for reals

~ NewBeginnings ~ Leave a comment

Not sure if many of you are aware, but I am an avid science nerd. I love the planets, and stars, and movements in the ether. And I truly believe God created all things with purpose. The Moon affects the tides, and I don’t believe that’s just coincidence. So I do believe our Universe and the Heavens affect our being. “If the Stars were made to Worship, so will I”

That little prologue brings me to today. Therapy was very much needed yesterday after a tough week. It was quite an emotional rollercoaster. My last connection to CA (and my best friend) is moving east on a new adventure. And my soul-sister just found out she got a promotion. In between that, I’m home, fighting with my Landlord about painters who gave me an eye roll bc I did not know how to speak Español (and of course couldn’t explain that I was not offending their ancestors, but that I am, in fact, of Asian-American decent. *now I AM eye rolling) ANYWAY, on top of this, it seems I have fallen into crush mode for someone I shouldn’t right now, and I just got back from a 2-week work/play hiatus that was more work-travel than play.

Needless to say, the past month has been busy all around. And yesterdays conversation consisted of me crying about: I am officially alone – all these things are happening AROUND me, but not TO me. I did NOT want to be the last one left in CA. What am I supposed to do with myself for the next 9-mo?! There is nothing left for me here, other than the ocean.

And my therapist said something to me, that I don’t think she’s ever said: “Well maybe you aren’t supposed to DO anything right now – maybe this is your time to wait it out. Sit, be still, and LET it all happen around you.” And not that I haven’t heard those words ever, but she also said: “You are a DO-er, you’re constantly moving, making things happen, this can be a time to rest. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you like this, questioning, and frustrated. YOU know it’s OK, NOT to be ok.” And there, she isn’t wrong. I AM constantly moving and shaking, and not sleeping, and taking in every tiny breath life has to offer. We also talked about my control issues, and this is where it’s hardest for me to “rest”. Because to me, if so much is happening around me, I MUST be doing SOMETHING – bc I can’t let life control ME.. Additionally, she made a valid point in that I have been working on myself for close to 9 years now, always DOING something in the name of emotional and mental progress, and where I am, may be a crossroads. We talked about why I moved to CA in the first place and what I got out of it. And her conclusion to that part of the conversation was: “Sounds like you did everything you were set out to do. Maybe this is closed chapter. Maybe it IS time for change, even sooner than later.”

I live for others, and rarely let myself be sad. And right now, I am sad. I am sad that nothing is happening for me, right now. I am sad that I feel lonely, and if one y’all tell me me.. oh stoppp you’re not ALONE. imma tell you to throw yourself in the ocean, bc at this moment, the loneliness is unbearable. I know I’m not ALONE. but being alone is different from feeling lonely. The things and people that are important to me, feel so far away. And I have come to realize there is not one person out there who puts me into their equation of choices in life. While I’m sitting here, being like well, if I move here, what will happen to Sally!? (I don’t have a Sally in my life, lol, just an example) So no, you don’t understand how I feel, bc you are not me, nor have experienced the life I have lived. I digress, my point is that I’m trying to let myself be sad. Sometimes, even though there is something good in a day, the day is still not good. And that is ok.

Which brings us back to Eclipses – Eclipse season in the world of Spirituality is a time of milestones and change. Many aspects of life and emotion “end” allowing New Beginnings to unfold. And with this final Eclipse in Taurus this weekend, another theme that has been constant is the allowance of the universe to unfold around you, and have clear eyes once the dust settles. I.e. New Beginnings.

So maybe I am in the middle of some turbulence which is causing this emotional distress. I want to believe there is something on the other side, and that I will move out of this loneliness era and finally feel like I am a part of something. Anything. I’ll even take a book club at this point. lol

Per usual, this was a mini-rant that was all over the place, but to conclude my thoughts: If anyone else out there is feeling similarly stuck, or questioning a lot of things right now, let’s blame it on Eclipse Season. And next week, as we enter a new Era, I hope for everyone that the crumple of emotions flatten out, and you’re able to see a little more clearly what your scribble needed to become an art piece. ❤

much love to y’all out there, xoxo

unedited thoughts of late

~ NewBeginnings ~ Leave a comment

I feel like there has been a lot of letting go the past year or so.

Letting go of friendships, family, and I guess relationships in general. As well as the past, ideas, emotions, and other aspects of life and myself, that were holding me back from living. With letting go of people, comes the letting go of their presence and past connections. Connections, that no longer support me, serve me, or give me joy. << It’s the “no longer serve me” that is important here. I say this because, I lost two loved ones last year, and both their spirits still serve me and support me, and give me peace.

However, there are moments, (some times many moments) that happen daily, where we realize we have outgrown a situation, a person, a feeling. This year has been a big year of finding myself, and relearning not to be afraid of life. And no matter where the days have sent me, for me, it’s the people who kept me going. I used to be so proud of being independent, strong, singular. Me. I’m going to take care of myself. Me. Just me. This year I realized I need people, but differently than I thought. I’m not as strong as I thought I was. I don’t always want to be independent. There is a difference between independence and being alone. I just ended up alone. And not just alone, but lonely. << This right here, was very hard for me to admit, and it still is. I never want(ed) people thinking I’m needy, dramatic, or worse yet, thinking I’m faking it.

But recent events have reminded me that sometimes we are so focused on certain things, people, emotions even, that are just “available” and in front of us, that we put our effort into them. Because why not right? They are there ready for the taking. But rather, we should be taking a breath, find some sort of grounding, and remember the ones, and the feelings, that in fact, still serve us, and light our soul. A team Jeremiah vs Team Conrad, metaphor for life, if you will lol.

As much as I love flowers, it’s this example of what people actually offer me, that I need to carry with me as I navigate this life through the good and bad. Am I just getting tangible things from people or am I getting *moments*, substance beyond the day, that can surpass the heavens?

I guess my point in all this, that probably could have been stated in a sentence, lol, is that not all people or feelings will serve you. Keep close the ones, although not always in front of you everyday, that stand the test of time. Not bring back the past to you, but from wherever they begin, they can follow you to the end. Let go of what no longer serves you, let the hard emotions pass, and let these people help you understand the difference.

A Harvard study did find, that positive relationships keep us happier, healthier, and help us live longer. So be mindful of your village however large or small. I am blessed to have had certain people by my “side” the past few weeks, and they reminded me that it’s ok to let the others go. Honestly, some of these people surprised me, while others confirmed some thoughts I had. But in all, I will forever be grateful to those who continue to show up when I need them, and learning through them that it’s ok to outgrow the ones who don’t.

Take care of yourselves friends, and pay attention to those who are part of your universe not just those in your front yard.

till next time, cheers,

I’m not popular

~ NewBeginnings ~ Leave a comment

And neither are some of my opinions, but I just have a hard time understanding how we are in 2023 and still so unaccepting. In light of Pride Month and Juneteenth ahead, and well, the slew of hate against Drag Shows recently, I question a lot of things with this country and wonder how those who argue over “keeping things they way they were”, or “back in my day”, refuse to acknowledge all the progress they accept on a daily basis.

Don’t people understand that if “things stayed the way they were” we wouldn’t have this damn country. We were built from many things, and rebellion, different values/ideas, and different cultures are all part of that. We wanted a new land so we could live “freely”. So why would we deny freedoms or the people themselves who think and live differently? Why are we not wondering or asking them what they know that we don’t know?

I’m sure there were people who thought airplanes were witchcraft at one point. I mean, how many mid 80s/90s kids heard that the internet was the devils work bc it was opening up information we “shouldn’t know about”. Yet now those same people who shunned the internet, now use it as their form of “news”. And post on platforms on said internet to keep in touch with friends, all while posting their opinions on the media-driven “news” they read about. << ok maybe that last point might be the devils work, lol.

In that same sense, I know people will read this and come at me with plenty of OPINIONS (not facts) on why Drag Queens are bad, Gays are bad, and why History should not be dissected. Well, I stand by my last post – Be Curious, not Judgemental. Those of us who have no problem with lifestyles we don’t understand, are curious. We ask questions, we don’t judge. In that same sentiment, those who are finding gaps and inconsistencies in our history, were again, curious. Because as I also noted in my last post: Ignorance may be bliss.. but it is still Ignorance.

These same people who choose ignorance and judgement, fight the same battle and complain against those that question their opinion. And I get it, judgement should not be coming from any side, however, those unaccepting of change, rarely realize that they feel attacked because more times than not, they fight with opinions, not facts. It’s possible they are trying to hold on to whatever “bliss” they have left from some mental model from childhood without realizing the only constant in life is change.

Even in a small town where things may change less, there is still change. How am I so sure about that? Because there are babies born every single day. A child alone, creates change in this universe – first in its home within its family, then as it grows and learns, school or no school, they will develop ideas and dreams, and questions. Why do you think that small town storyline in movies/books even exist? Gotta leave this farm for the “big city”. Why? Because each of these main characters wanted to LEARN MORE AND EXPERIENCE SOMETHING NEW. Because they realized ignorance may be bliss.. BUT, lol, ignorance is STILL ignorance. They wanted to understand what was outside their bubble.

I digress slightly, but my point is, before I start demanding that people return their cell phones and computers, and cars even, can y’all just take a moment to realize that change is eminent? Whether that’s an evolution of mind or culture change is constant. And instead of arguing as to why we must celebrate LGBTQIA+ or Juneteenth, (its bc both scenarios involve a portion of our population that has either been oppressed and/or denied truth just FYI) maybe be curious instead. I myself didn’t know what Juneteenth was up until 2-3 yr ago. But I was curious, so I learned. Lets throw another quote out there before this ends, lol, “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone”. How ’bout go to a Drag Show and ask questions, you have a gay co-worker? Ask questions. I want to believe they will appreciate that more than your judgement. I have a Jewish co-worker that I worked closely with back in the day, he appreciated all my “stupid” questions. I asked questions to learn so I could understand the culture. And let me tell you, I asked a lot of questions – Yes, I was even one of those people who asked if Jews celebrate Thanksgiving *face_palm. Point is, I was being curious, I took a moment to learn, to understand. And one year, he thanked me because although sometimes annoying, he was glad that I at least asked. I also think it was the same year I was the only person who gave him a Hanukkah card, and for that, he was also grateful.

So before y’all come at me, maybe ask a question first. And if you throw Jesus into this, mus I remind you that anyone in any religion can pull a line from a bible or other religious word to cover their OPINION. But FACT is, most religions, moral of their story is 1) believe in the Lord and worship them 2) don’t be an asshole to your neighbors. i.e. you can hate the sin, but not the sinner. The Lord loved sinners. We are supposed to love not judge. In this case of religion, we are supposed to spread His word, not take others words away. Don’t make me bring in excerpts of “casting the first stone” to start backing myself up, lol.

Anyway, I haven’t put controversial thoughts on here in awhile, and a great thing about this country is free speech. So lets remember why we are great – Indivisible with Liberty and Justice FOR ALL. ❤

till next time, be kind, be curious, not judgemental.

xoxo

wheres miranda when i need her (unedited)

~ NewBeginnings ~ Leave a comment

Sex & the City – Season 2 Episode 10

One of my absolute favorite episodes because it truly explains how women are (many times) punished for their success. I know I’ve blogged about this concept before, but in the midst of Tswift’s The Man, and just my recent experiences, I was compelled to write about another sleeve of this double standard.

I go to a local bar.. it’s my very own Cheers.. everyone knows my name. I tip well, and have made some.. acquaintances, if you will. What fascinates me though, is even though I tip rather well (20-50% depending on the day) I do not get the same respect or treatment as male regulars. And mind you, I’ve been, and still am, a regular at many places, but this place in particular, I notice the difference.

Maybe because the type of bar it is? Maybe because the the traffic that comes through? I don’t know, but what I DO know is, when it’s busy I am patient and understanding, and I don’t let the busyness deter me from tipping well or taking it personal. But I also always notice other regulars who frequent this place.. almost all of whom are male.. are still always taken care of in a timely manner.

Now, don’t get me wrong.. women are different personality-wise by nature.. but is that any reason to take advantage of those qualities? I know for a fact I make the same, if not more, than many of those men who frequent this place, but yet, my dollar is undermined by the fact that I’m a female. Even by female staff no less!

Why does society hate successful women? Why must I BE understanding if I’m served after a man? Even fellow women can’t stand successful women! *face_palm* No one questions the man who shows up every night to have a cocktail and sits at the bar for a few hours, yet I receive looks and questions of why I’m there so often. This then turns into “jokes” which in turn just shows that women aren’t allowed to “act” like men.

HOW ABOUT WE JUST ACT LIKE PEOPLE. PEOPLE WHO HAVE STRESSFUL JOBS THAT MAKE THEM WANT TO DRINK.

I understand this post is slightly 2-fold: treatment and success. But many times it comes hand-in-hand. This even more frustrates me that I am constantly judged for both.

I don’t think there’s much moral to this story due to the fact that my situation, and the situations of other successful women won’t change overnight. But I guess use this as a reminder of inequality and societal stigma that is sadly still ingrained even in this new generation of “activists” and “free thinkers”.

It costs nothing to be kind.

✌🏻

that time i was smarter than my smart phone

~ NewBeginnings ~ Leave a comment

July 14th was a very special day, it was a Sunday. I actually can’t even type that with a straight face. Thinking about it makes me laugh.. and cry.. and cry some more, lol. The night of the 14th I had one of the worst anxiety attacks I’ve had in a long time. I had the worst dream, waking up at like 3am literally soaked in my own sweat. So bad, that I had to get out of bed and change.

Long story short, after some wild txt, social media insanity, work needs and an adjustment of my schedule, I turned my phone off from Tuesday, the 16th at 2pm until Sunday, the 28th at 12pm. Not only was this quite a learning experience, but also a bucket of realizations.

Some major points:

  • Time and directions
  • Honesty
  • Priorities
  • **How you feel about yourself never changes

Time and Directions. If I’m being honest, this was really the only downfall of the two weeks, haha. I never realized how much I needed a watch (totally bought myself a watch 😉 ). But really, I’d always wanted one anyway.. and this solidified a reason to purchase. Traffic more than directions was my other issue here. If you know me at all, you know that the minute I go anywhere once, I will find it again. Will I get lost in the process? Possibly, but I will still make it without directions. It really only matters when trying to find somewhere I’ve never been.. three times I had to either print or write down some google maps madness, lol. But the checking of traffic.. man, having to consider a worse-case scenario every time I travel wastes a little time, and sometimes, it still made me late.

Honesty. One of my fav servers said to me (paraphrasing): “that’s scary, it’s one thing to tell the truth, it’s another to be honest.” As we continued conversation, turns out people are afraid of honesty yet want the truth. <<insert.confused.emoji.here>>

Honesty: Expressing your feelings and opinions accurately.
Truth: Accurate representation of reality. (Facts)

Exhibit A: Truth – no I don’t remember your name

Exhibit B: Honesty – no I don’t remember your name because I wasn’t interested in remembering it

This was the hardest. Because in life, I’ll guestimate 99% of us use our phones as a barrier to people we don’t want to interact with in public – in the waiting room at the Dr office, the bus, the train, at the bar waiting for friends.. etc. I go out alone all the time, especially to my regular locations. But going to a bar alone as a woman, even in 2019, is THE.WORST. I never win. I either talk just to be polite, ruining my own time, or I use my phone as an excuse and get berated by men because of it. Without a phone, and having my anxiety higher than normal, I had no choice but to finally be honest with people. I actually told a guy I was not interested in his conversation and that he could still talk, but I didn’t care. That one actually went well. Another however, (from the exhibit above) pretty much tried to make me feel bad because I didn’t remember him from 4 months ago. FOUR MONTHS. Although I wished I was a little more honest with that one, lol, it ended with him practically yelling at me and calling me a terrible person.

Overall I didn’t hate the experience though. I appreciated having to learn how to talk to people again, and being conscious of explanation. Even though most of the experiences probably increased my anxiety, lol, in the end I felt better putting my emotions out there so I didn’t have to deal with these people again if I didn’t want to. Fakeness doesn’t look good on me.

Priorities. Just as these random people I don’t care to be friends with, or anything else for that matter, reminded me about what was important, I also learned how important I was to others. And I guess this could all be relative, this “important” idea. Because most people didn’t know my phone was off until it was “too late” if you will. It was interesting to see though, people that did freak out a little who noticed I had “disappeared” and those I never heard from. Either way, the whole point was to escape for a while. But I did tell some people, work for example, so they didn’t think I was being rude. I told my brother and sister-in-law, and my besties. Others found out as the days were going either because someone would mention it or I had to explain myself. So if there were any emergencies, everyone knew to either email me or message me on one particular social media. That was the thing too, I realized social media meant nothing to me. I will talk about that a little more as I close out this post.

But in deciding who to tell, and who “didn’t matter” was strange. Because some people I wanted to tell, not like they don’t matter, but some people are just noise. And I’m also not saying it’s all bad noise.. but noise all the same. My trainer for example, texts me all the time to see how I’m doing, and that’s fine, but the thing is, why do I feel the NEED to respond? It’s not “important”. But my anxiety always makes me feel obligated to respond to everything all the time at that moment. So I learned not to respond to messages other than those I needed, like making plans, confirming locations, letting people know I got home safe.

This also reminded me of 2 things: how sad our society is, but also how much love is out there.

The nights I went out I saw both examples. One night I went to a show at the House of Blues. A bunch of fans were there of course, but it was amazing how many people were literally just filming, or live streaming the entire freakin set with their phones. Like, get out of my way so I can jump around, sing along, and SEE the band. I don’t want to look at your phone all night, and it’s sad that this is how you experience life RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU. But on the other hand, I was at the bar one night, and I had nothing to do at that point but people watch. I looked around and I felt like I was in the opening credits of Love Actually. “If you look for it, I’ve got a sneaky feeling you’ll find that love actually is all around.” -HG. Seriously, It was like slo-mo watching people NOT on their phones, talking, laughing, genuinely enjoying their time with people. You could see first dates, some hoping they were on dates, and many friends just getting together.

Priorities. Would you rather live your life in the moment, or through a screen? Do you live for experiences, or just for the IG? And again, priorities are really a relative idea, because what is important is different to all of us, but the question is, are you putting the things that give you life priority? The things, people, experiences, that make you smile. Or are you constantly putting tasks, or negative energy first? Work over family, “old” friends over good friends, or an ex over a new possibility? This was an eye opener for me because I no longer had something to distract me.

How You Feel About Yourself. One thing is for sure.. no matter phone off or on.. the way you feel about yourself will not change. Like I mentioned before, social media wasn’t my problem. We are constantly looking for a reason to why we view ourselves the way we do.. not saying that social media doesn’t play a part with all the “fake news” but no matter what you look at everyday, or read.. when you get home, alone in your room, the only thing you compare yourself to is what you were yesterday.. or 3 years ago.. At least for me, those fitness models don’t make me feel bad about about myself, a picture from 5yr ago makes me feel bad about myself.. getting (or even not getting) txt and messages from all the wrong people don’t make me sad, my insecurities make me sad. I am the only thing I can control, and I am the only person who can change me.

This was the largest epiphany of the two weeks. As much as we distract ourselves from “reality” through our phones, we forget it’s how we react to reality that causes most of our problems.

annie

Mental health and all, we still create our means to our ends. And I’m not going to tell any of you to turn your phones off for two weeks, but I will say this:

Whatever you use as a distraction, phone, Netflix, computer, social media, etc.. just remember what it is, and what it should be. Technology was created to help society, use it for that. Skyping with your favorite people who live in another state, being able to see vaca pics from your bestie while she is away, keeping up with your nieces’ and nephews’ 852493740 activities and sporting events so you can keep being a proud auntie/uncle. Try NOT to use it for distraction. Talk to people, be honest with them. In a society filled with messages of accepting others, live it, don’t just talk about it. Change happens with action not talk.

And there it is. Action. I came to a point in my mental health where I realized I needed to take action. As drastic or not as turning off a phone may be, I needed to do something for me. I needed to take care of myself, I needed to remember that you can’t fill from an empty cup. I may live with this the rest of my life, but for what I can control, I know I can “escape” and the world will still turn, and I will still have another chance tomorrow.

I mean, I’m also not going to say don’t turn your phone off for two weeks, because realizing how amazing and scary it was, definitely was eye opening. From feeling free, to being scared that I might get into a car accident and can’t call for help – like all things, there was good and bad. And learning to cope with both was helpful in realizing how much I can control myself, and my reactions.

So remember my friends, take care of yourselves, whether conventional or crazy. Do you boo. And also remember it’s people who are important, not the devices you use communicate with them.

 

❤

 

 

hit me like a hurricane

~ NewBeginnings ~ Leave a comment

I’m alive!

I honestly can’t believe how long it has been since my last post. For those who are still out there following me, and those who have been reading recently, a very big THANK YOU, to you!

I have been traveling A LOT, especially this year. Most for fun, one due to a family death, but all sending me across the country nonetheless. As we all know, if you have read any posts on this page, I have anxiety and depression. And with all the travel, and death, and well, life.. I hadn’t had time to see my therapist. After my last trip, an actual vacation! I finally saw my lovely Dr. and verbally vomited a lot of what was held in, the past 6 months. There were some weird dreams I had, and a lot of emotions needing to be discussed.

One thing we always work on is meditation. I’m terrible at this. I think it’s a little weird if I’m gonna be honest, but I know it helps. One thing my therapist always tells me, is that no one is perfect at meditation, it’s not supposed to be “perfected”. Because my mind is constantly running at 435948732 miles an hour, I always seem to wander off or lose track, and not that I have to be but I always feel bad, or like I’m failing. Positive note is that my therapist also always says that’s what meditation is, working on coming back to center. So the thing is, if I’m wandering and NOT coming back to center.. then there’s an issue. But the constant work of coming back to center is the work I need to be doing.

Point of this preface is that last night, I was trying to meditate. Per usual, my brain had me going in 78 directions and I’m having conversations that don’t exist with people who have no idea about the way I feel.. etc.. But in my ramblings to myself, 2 topics came to mind:

  1. I was talking something out about the “good & bad”. But then caught myself saying: but why does there always have to be “bad”? Why can’t it be “good & opportunistic”? Because in every, and I mean EVERY “bad” there is always a good. No matter how far off or morbid, or partially insane the idea may be, there is always a good. Now, I’m not discounting the pain and/or struggle we may have when things go wrong, or even when we lose a loved one.. but there is still, and always will be, a silver lining.
  2. Heartbreak. I’m sure somewhere in my internal conversations these two topics somehow merged, but heartbreak in a separate sense fascinated me for some time. Because as most of you know, I LOVE, love. Because love moves mountains, saves lives, brings people together, and in it’s purest form is nothing but contentment.

And this my friends is where my post has led me today. I was thinking about people I care about and the concept of love again.. that Love is: 1 Corinthians: 13. Not that I’m trying to make y’all read the bible, but point is that Love is pure, and all that is good.

Love is not Lust. Love is not obsession. Love is not fear. Love is not expectation. Love is not sex. Love is not attractiveness. Love is not flirting. Love is not pain. I can go on, but lastly, heartbreak has nothing to do with love.

Those items noted above are in and of themselves things, feelings, and separate entities of life that create emotion, sometimes pain, confusion, conflict, and questions.

Love, in and of itself, is the only thing that makes all those above disappear. Love itself is pure optimism, peace, and answers.

A few months back, I was talking to my best friend about love and heartbreak, and how we wouldn’t be who we are without the experiences we have had. And we talked about other people we knew some who have, and possibly have NOT had these same experiences. The conversation turned to: you can’t understand love, or life even, if you have not experienced heartbreak. Never in a million years did I think I would ever say.. FALSE.

I thought about that last night, while “trying” lol, to meditate. I have been heartbroken 4 times. You always remember those times people. They are terrible times. 3 times from the hands of men, and one time from my own. Broke my own damn heart.

And let me tell you. Heartbreak, or heartache is nothing, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING I wish upon ANYONE. I used to think: “Can’t wait till someone breaks his heart/breaks her heart.. then they will know/understand……..”

NO. I don’t care what you have done to me in this world. I wish this emotion, or life episode, on NO ONE. Just thinking about it, I fell into a small hole remembering what that felt like. And at the time people would say, “Well you loved him.” Yes. Past Tense. Because I realized, if you become heartbroken, it was not true love. It was possibly something else. Lust, sex, obsession, expectation, friendship even (that involved expectation).. but not love.

Heartbreak literally throws you under a bus. An unmoving one. It’s suffocating. It is the true definition of depression. There is a hole, an empty space in your stomach. You can literally feel it. It’s like a daily stomachache. The hole in your heart is similar, but strangely enough not as painful. Maybe because it knows it wasn’t love.

But this pit in your stomach.. not only does that hurt, your head hurts, your muscles hurt, your joints hurt. You definitely do not want to get out of bed. You sleep for days. The crying.. OH THE CRYING. I’m telling you, it is unbearably painful. Every part of your being hurts. It hurts to laugh, it hurts to think. You think you are going crazy. Not only the physical pain.. but seriously how can your emotions hurt too?! How, I tell you!?

I can literally re-feel it right now. Once it happens I don’t think that memory will ever leave, maybe because it’s a reminder to be better next time and work to NOT get to that place again. Remember, not all breakups lead to heartbreak/ache, so to be conscious of that can help alleviate any future breakup/relationship issues.

In that context, to finish this off – I was talking to a friend before I finished editing this, and he mentioned in his last few relationships that he kind of set himself up to sort of expect a breakup. Not that he didn’t hope for longevity, but understanding reality he just realized that if the relationship did end, then it was nothing “unexpected”. Me, being the over-thinker that I am, internally questioned: Was this just a typical “guy” set up into relationships? Did this take away from the validity of the relationship? Is this the new wave of not allowing yourself to be vulnerable and not fully putting yourself into the relationship? Or did this just answer my idea of working to NOT get into a place of heartbreak?

Either way, emotions have no definitive answer because they are felt, but one thing is for certain – Love that is real and pure does not create pain. Pain is a separate and individual emotion. Relationships are not black and white, but heartbreak/ache (or at least the memory of it) is forever.

Be mindful of how your relationships are, whether romantically, or friendship. Friends can break hearts too you know, and Love is meant to grow, not diminish.

Lastly, if you’ve never felt heartbreak, spread love to more people. You have a gift, and I hope you always feel that goodness.

❤

 

 

 

 

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~ NewBeginnings ~ Leave a comment

I felt compelled to write tonight.

Maybe because it’s been a while? Also maybe because ideas and emotions always flow through my brain when I’m depressed or anxious because that’s what causes the issue in the first place, amiright?! Just casually sitting here, creating unrealistic life scenarios all day and thinking the world is out to get me. #nobigs

Therapy has been tough recently. Not “tough” as in difficult per say, but tough emotionally. Don’t get me wrong, I know that’s the point. To shake up unresolved emotions and get them out. It’s a process, a daily challenge. And like 80% of this worlds population, I have issues.

  1. Control issues (where this comes from is a novel, so let’s not go there today)
  2. When I begin to “feel” not in control of life, I panic and ultimately become a very difficult person. I snap, I’m rude, I’m a super bitch, and then I ignore the world for a minute to “make a point” (<< seriously I’m a crazy person) and then when my point isn’t understood I get angry again and sort of create situations of self-sabotage in order to try and “control” something or someone.. see #1

One thing I do rather well is fight with people in order to inflict emotion. I tell myself I’m just challenging their thought process, but no, I know I’m just fighting. Because for some ungodly reason, fighting still equates emotion for me. I lived many a life where fighting = caring. Now, I KNOW this is not true. Fighting does not equal caring. But it’s still in there somewhere, and needs to release. I actually didn’t realize how bad this was until recently.

Because I realized.. the person I keep “trying” (I’m not quite succeeding more than just making myself mad and becoming disappointed in myself) to fight with, isn’t “fighting” back. And when the words (verbatim btw): “I’m just waiting for you to tell me to shut the fuck up!” came out of my mouth, it hit me, very, very, very.. VERY hard.

Why. Why must someone need to fight back? Why am I even doing this? Why do I think this will change anything? I mean, through all my therapy and self-realization I do know the answers here.. but I think my “why” is more like.. Why is that emotion still inside me?

I thought I got rid of it. I thought I had come to a point of clarity, using a LOT of practice I might add, in letting things go. Letting the hurt and painful emotions go. I keep ignoring those calls from the past.. why do they keep calling?!

The worst is that I am hardest on myself. Because just as I talked about this yesterday with a wonderful person.. the only thing I can control is myself.. what I do, and more specifically what I put or don’t put in my body. So let’s play What Year is it?! And let’s go back to 1999 and stop eating! Because I can control that. Now I understand I need to consume nutrients in order to function, so I do take care of that in a sense, so I don’t pass out. And please no one yell at me, because I also KNOW this is not healthy by any means, and I will eventually find myself in trouble. If you come at me trying to feed me, I’ll punch you in the throat. (Do we need to revisit my “fighting” issues? lol) I am just sharing a story that I’m sure many can relate to in some form or fashion. And really for me, and again, I KNOW this isn’t a great remedy, but if I “punish” myself, I can hurt no one else.

For those who know me, know I am a kind, giving, loving, positive even! person by nature. So many people are shocked when they find out I go to therapy because they have no clue the trauma I had to deal with to just get to this point.

So anyway, to not spiral too deep, I will say this: Thank you to those who are patient with me. Thank you to those who understand (or at least try to) my pain and can help talk me through things. Thank you to those for just reading this and seeing me as a person who is just trying to live their best life and not just post all that is wonderful. Although, I could totally post about Kate & Pete foreverrrrrr ❤ lol

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Thank you, and thank you to those who are going through this too because you are not alone, you are strong, and you help me too when I read your stories..

 

Everyday is a new day.

Cheers, xoxo

 

 

 

it’s not me.. it’s you.

~ NewBeginnings ~ Leave a comment

Here’s a little story that I dedicate to all the “Debbie Downers” out there.

Those who know even a little bit about me, know that I can be a hardcore, CAPITAL – B, bold, italic, underlined, BITCH. I cut people out of my life, I fight for what I believe is to be true << true is the key word here. But sometimes I just like to fight. I’ve made terrible decisions in my day, and have paid my dues many times over thanks to Karma. As people, we are not perfect. I have learned to accept this in others, yet it still baffles me why the majority are still hung up on this thing called perfection. You know “perfection” is a relative term right?

Anywhoo other things that people know about me is that I have anxiety and depression. It hinders many a day, and from April thru June, there were days I never even left my bed, aside from the one forceful pull out to get food because I didn’t really feel like causing my own sad death. One.meal.a.day, people.

One last fun thing to mention is that even if you’ve just had one awkward conversation with me, you’ll also know that I wear my heart on my sleeve. I am loyal to a fault. And the best thing I do, is that I provide too much information too soon. I have factual evidence regarding this dating back to, at least, 2000/2001, lol. (one day I’ll write a story about that Filene’s break room conversation, thank you always, Patrick 😉 ) I just love learning about people and showing that I care. I love creating deep conversations, for the sake of learning, and to understand people better. More than anything, I never want others to feel that I am not being truthful so I try and give of myself as best I can.

Point is – with my good, there is my bad – or maybe it can be seen as, with my bad, there is my good. The funny thing about these “faults” of mine is that even through my darkest of days, my bitchiest of attitudes, I somehow have a feeling of realistic positivity. Some might say it’s a choice, I choose realistic positivity. So here’s the hilarious thing – more people can’t stand me when I’m positive (especially during “imperfect” times) vs when I’m negative. Misery really does love company. More so, I then get these people who think I have this perfect little life, see this post. Even more hilarious is when I do post some darker things, like anxiety, depression, emotional distress, and coping with loss, people then think I’m just looking for attention. I can’t win. Hence, it’s not Me, it’s YOU.

I almost always have a sense of realistic-positivity (almost, because again, I’m not perfect). But because I’m not an idiot, or I’d like to think I’m not at least, lol, I get that all positivity can’t come to fruition (realism 🙂 ), however, you can always choose to focus on the pieces that can.

Example: I am sick – I have been sick 3 times this year, and this recent one is going on about 6 weeks. I get sick because I have high stress. My stress turns into anxiety, and sometimes if I fall, it then becomes depression. I am on a bunch of meds at the moment, including an inhaler to try and get me better this time around. I was pretty down on myself Friday, and felt it even more yesterday. All I wanted to do was go to the beach and stare at the ocean before the world woke up. Little did I remember, there was a 10k race happening, roads were closed and parking was all taken. This made me even more sad. It wasn’t even 8am. 😦 I decided to just go to breakfast since I was out, that way I could also take my 7, yes SEVEN pills that I needed to take that morning.

I got home by about 9:30am. Honestly, I was frustrated. On a “bad day” I literally would have just gone back to bed and pout. But I told myself, “I can go tomorrow, I’ll get up even earlier and beat them all to the sand” (realistic-positivity). Since I was home, I decided to read a Class Action Settlement letter that I got in the mail while I was away on vacation. It was for a faulty part on my car and I realized I am part of it, and can submit a claim. I pull out all my invoices and realize that my shop did the SAME.EXACT.SERVICE in February AND recently in July. I was like: wha? I paid an extra 1k on this?! Was there a problem with the first one!? This made me upset – the day was already sad, was it getting worse? I called my shop half angry, yet half patient, to see what they would say. I was finally connected to one of the guys who I always deal with, and he found my two invoices. He apologized profusely and is refunding me the double charge. Because either way, if there was an issue, they never should have charged me twice. And I am still eligible for this claim, so in the end, I could get all my thousands back for the original replacement!

Kid you not, I hung up the phone, and started to laugh. I looked up at the cosmos and literally almost started to cry. My exact words to my sister-in-law were: “Seriously, this is such a weird emotional moment of depression and hope lol.”

But also seriously – This is what gratefulness and a little bit of positivity can get you. With every bad, dark day, we have a good day. With every terrible experience, we have an amazing one. It’s life’s balance. Because again, none of us are perfect. We make mistakes, we are mean sometimes, but we can also choose to be kind. We can choose to love, and we can choose to keep the light inside us through all our storms. Our imperfect moments may come around, but our “perfect” moments are close behind. I truly believe my small bout of hope and positivity helped with this karmic circle.

So call me crazy, call me obnoxious, call me whatever you please, but I would rather believe there is something better, a new beginning, if you will 😉 to look forward to – than to accept pain and suffering, or something as simple as assuming a whole day is ruined. All negativity does is keep us from enjoying fully the best moments we encounter because we are always waiting for the backhand.

But all you have to do is turn your head forward, and you’ll miss getting slapped. 😉

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Stay positive, my friends. It’s not easy, I understand, but it has a WAY better outcome than negativity. I have seen with my own eyes that what you give will always be what you receive. And with all the crap Iv’e dealt with the past few months, I’m just happy that my good energies seem to be making their way back to me.

 

❤