Guilty Pleasures

Giving up something can be difficult. Whether it be a bad habit, a bad relationship or just something you love that you over indulge in, it requires major self-control and discipline. Last month I participated in a religious observance known as Lent which is a time where we fast for forty days prior to Easter. Lent is a special time of prayer, penance, sacrifice and good works in preparation of the celebration of Easter. You are to sacrifice something during this time that you take pleasure in. This year I was going through a tough time in my life. I was partaking in a lot of activities that involved partying and alcohol in hopes of comfort. I decided that for Lent I would give up drinking. This included liquor, beer, wine, wine coolers etc. Any types of spirited beverages would be forbidden! It takes 30 days to break a habit, was I able to do it?

The Semicolon Project - You are the Author

Happy Tuesday loves! Hope everyone's week is off to a great start. I recently became aware of a movement called "The Semicolon Project" which was inspiring to me. It doesn't seem to be very popular yet but the word is spreading. The idea is to promote public awareness in the support of the fight against suicides and self harm in teens. My younger cousin, who is in her teens, posted a picture of her wrist on a popular social network called Instagram with the ; symbol drawn on it in support of this cause so I decided to look into it. This is quickly spreading on other social network sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr from what I have seen. Many have taken it to the extreme to get the symbol tattooed on their body. The mission states that "April 16th, all who self harm, are suicidal, depressed, unhappy, have anxiety, has a broken heart, or have lost a loved one, draw a semicolon on your wrist. Semicolons represent a sentence the author could have ended but chose not to. You're the author, the sentence is your life." It's a mark, Lewis Thomas has said, that offers "a pleasant little feeling of expectancy; there is more to come."

A Woman On A Mission

Reflection is a very soothing concept and with some extra time on my hands I’ve been able to do a lot of this lately. I have been able to analyze certain situations and come up with ways to resolve issues. Sometimes in order to correct something you have to humble yourself by putting your pride aside and admitting your own faults. You have to realize that everything in life is not about you and being selfish will only leave you with the first part of that word, “self”. There may be things that you still need to work on and accomplish but you cannot neglect everything else in your life at the same time. Life goes on whether you are ready or not and the last thing you want to do is be left behind.

Don't Block Your Blessings

Let’s think about all the stressors in our lives. What brings on stress and how is it controlled? When I sit and think about this, the answer is simple. We, ourselves bring on most of our own stress. Dont blame your boss for your bad day because work was pilling up or the traffic for making you late. You control the outcome of your life and your feelings. How you deal with what is handed to you can be the difference between a horrible day and a happy one.

Chapter 2

Wow, two weeks has passed since my last post! A lot can happen in that time and trust me it has. I can FINALLY say I’ve made it to chapter 2! It’s crazy; I never saw my mood changing this quickly at all. I have finally rid myself of most of the negativity that was sucking the life out of me. I’m back!!! Well, almost lol. I’m not going to lie and say I am totally on to my next level but I am definitely on my way to happiness. Everyone has already seen a change. “That’s the Andy we know!” I can honestly say I feel good.

2/9 - A Year in Review

Today is a special day to me. No need to explain but the one who knows shares this day as well. It’s been a long year, lots of ups, plenty of downs. I made new friends, found love and lost myself a little on the way. No regrets though because at one time everything I experienced was something that made me happy at one point in time. Like my tattoo says, “Never a failure, always a lesson”. The past is where you learn the lesson, the future is where you apply it.

Aspire to Inspire

Happy Tuesday loves!!! Its February, which happens to be one of my favorite months other than June, for obvious reasons if you know me personally lol! Black History and Valentines Day!! Whoop! In some cases that could be a good or a bad thing lol but this year its positive. Lots of good things happened to me in the month of February. I met someone new a year ago that changed my life, its definitely been a roller coaster ride I must say. I’m excited about this month and this year actually. Lots of changes and opportunities ahead!!

Wants vs. Needs

I know I’m mad late but I just recently really got on the Weeknds album. I’ve had it sitting in my Dropbox for a few months but haven’t really listened to it lol. I absolutely love it and listen to it everyday. It’s so chill and it’s great to vibe to. My friends think its depressing but I still rock with it.

Chapter 1

First of all I would like to wish all of my lovely Soror’s a Happy Founder’s Day!!! 105 years of greatness and service to all mankind. I love my sisters with all my heart. From the outside looking in you will never understand and from the inside looking out, it can never be explained. They have helped me in so many ways.

Beginning My Healing Process

In reading my horoscopes the past two days they have pretty much been dead on. I’m not big on these, never have been, but I read them and was like damn! So just to kind of share my feelings, I’ve posted them below….