Communication is not Torture: It's What Dreams are Made of

One time, in Jr. High, I entered the Educational Fair dramatic recitation division.

"I Have a Dream" was my chosen piece.

  I remember feeling such passion as I recited those powerful words.  Two teachers became so emotional that they actually cried. It was such an educational experience for me to feel the unbelievable power that words can have on human emotion.  We all have personal experiences that come to mind when someone else speaks of mistreatment or pain.  Most of us have enough empathy to feel at least a small portion of the discontent that is felt by another when explained in detail.  Words are powerful.  

   Lack of verbal communication almost always creates problems that could be avoided if people could and would use appropriate words to convey feelings. Some people are afraid to speak up and state how they feel. Communication doesn't come easily for everyone, and sometimes one must put effort into learning how to communicate effectively. 

    Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. understood the power of words. He realized the importance of conveying his message with chosen words that would evoke emotion in the hearts of the audience.

    I had the privilege of being chosen to recite his speech again that evening for an audience of family members and visitors. I won a medal for that entry, but I really earned so much more personally. Words can be weapons, or they can be combined into a melodious flow of emotions. 

Don't Forget to Re-fuel

I was asked today, “Why don't you write your blog anymore?”

So, why don't I?

This whole adulthood thing seems to try to zap all the creativity right out of us.   The daily grind of life becomes a boring routine. All of the daily, routine chaos of life causes us to forget to make a little time for ourselves to reflect on everything.  

I am just as guilty of being too busy to remember that my inner creative soul needs a little therapy from time to time. I forget that nourishing my imagination re-fuels my passion for life. I forget.

I forget who I really am sometimes. Surely I'm not the only one.

It seems that I have forgotten that I can be my own best therapy. Most of us lose sight of our own true selves when huge changes are dropped on us. I think most of us know what helps us the most,  but we forget about ourselves. We forget that in order to continue the passion that fuels our inner beings towards reaching our goals, we must care for ourselves as much as we care for others.

Click here for 10 Relaxing games you can play.

We have to do that by investing in ourselves the time & effort in order to feel replenished. Writing replenishes me somehow.  I have known that since I was young, but the joys of adulting have clouded my awareness of it. If you don't know what that source is for you, whether it be music, reading, fishing, or whatever, you should spend a little time on self-discovery. Your efforts will be rewarded.

So, my friend, thank you for asking that simple question which provoked a much deeper level of self-examination than you had intended.  

Facebook is a Luxury

Happy Saturday! My thoughts for the day:

We all should stop and really see Facebook for what it is. It's a luxury. It's supposed to provide entertainment by connecting us to others around the world.  The Internet is this huge advantage we have over so many who don't have any access at all.

I played Farmville back in the day. I've spent my own fair share of time playing Candy Crush and Pogo. "Back in my day" we didn't have a way to block game requests. It's funny if you read the last sentence to yourself in that little old person voice.


I'm almost 39. Thirty Nine. Only 39, in 8 days.  I'm not old.  I grew up in the 1980s in an entirely different world. We currently live in a version of what the future always looked like in sci-fi movies I watched back then. It's frightening a little when I really think about it. I heard on the news today that Smart TVs are always listening due to voice control being on. Anyone could hack into your home and listen. When did all of this become so real?

Click here to see "Shiny, Happy, People" because, well, it's happy.

I grew up in the middle of the national forest in Missouri. I remember dialing 4 digits to call my great-grandma. She lived up the road (she still lives there). My cousins and I explored outside and were gone until dark. We played Atari, Uno, dominoes, Scrabble, Monopoly, and The Game of Life. “We” is the key word here. Do people really have face-to-face conversations anymore?

It seems to me that a lot of people are just waiting for something to offend them so they can post an even more offensive reply that creates controversy. So many drama queens. I have an 8 year old daughter, so I know something about that.

I know people post about their personal businesses. I post about mine as well. I won’t unfollow someone just because they use this platform to advertise a small business.  That’s the luxury of Facebook.  We’re informed about products or services that can make our lives better in some way, without having to search for them.  We are able to buy from people we know and support their families.

I realized quite a while ago that I could make Facebook as positive as I want. I follow people who 90% of the time post something positive or funny.  I’ve decreased the amount of drama that shows up in my news feed. Facebook is a luxury. It’s entertainment.  I refuse to be an adult bully just because someone has a different view, belief, or background.  I do occasionally read the angry, irrational comments for entertainment,  but never let them get to me. I am amazed at how intolerant people are of the views of others.

I have chosen to surround myself with positive people.  I try to control the outside information that is entering my body and mind. Controlling the negative is a necessity at this point. I love the whole #livehappy movement, which is dedicated to the idea that small acts of kindness can change the world.  I believe that.  I choose the luxury of Facebook to promote happiness and respect. Humans should really be able to respect opinions and beliefs that differ from their own. We live in the reality of what sci-fi was 30 years ago, but apparently have already forgotten how much of a luxury that is.

The Blank Page

     One day you'll wake up and everything will look different.  The colors will appear brighter.  The future will contain hope. The morning will feel fresh and alive within your soul.

     That's the day you'll learn to laugh again, a real laugh that isn't shadowed by the darkness of despair.  That is the morning you will have truly released what once was the center of your world.      That morning,  the air will refresh you.  The dew will dampen your eyes, but in the form of sweet release.  That moment will be your new beginning,  your realization that holding on will only cause more trauma.  That is the morning you will have finally finished writing the previous chapter of your life. The new page will be fresh and blank, ready for you to begin the new journey of filling it with beautiful new memories and amazing stories.
     That morning when you open your eyes,  you will breathe deeply and exhale the pain that has been attached to every part of your heart and soul as you remove the last tiny chain attached to your raw emotions. Those emotions will become stale, and you will let them continue to harden into the story of the previous chapter of your life.
     On that morning you will smile a real smile, a smile that is not forced to hide guilt or regret.  The exuberant colors of the morning will come alive and sparkle within your heart and soul and shine through your eyes for the rest of the world to see.

     When you awaken on that morning, do not allow yourself to look back to the previous chapter.  Begin to fill the empty page with hope and excitement.
     Someday you can re-read  that chapter so you can fully realize the impact those moments had, but not yet.
                         📚📚📚📚
      You already know what the last chapter taught you. That is the reason the colors are so brilliant on that beautiful morning of hope. And that is the reason you will transfer the bold colors to the fresh, empty pages. You will realize that you know. You will be more self-aware. And you will embrace the opportunity to create a better story filled with vivid imagery in which the colors will always sparkle brightly.... through the love and hope in your eyes.     ~♡Pamela Brush♡

Fat Girls Can't Run, Can They? Part 1

Last Sunday I actually wanted to run. I am positive that is not a feeling I have ever had before. I have wanted to run to something, away from something, behind something - you get the picture- but never have I wanted to run for the simple reason of just running to run.

I am a fat girl, a size 16. Please understand I use the word fat for what it is. A descriptive word. I am not offended by a mere adjective.  Twenty years ago that word crushed me, but it doesn't anymore.  Ask any toddler with the new-found skill to innocently describe people as they are. I am fat, not chunky, fluffy, squishy (well I am a little of that! Ha!) or any of the other "less offensive" adjectives. I don't get upset about words like that anymore. I am who I am.

That being said, I have always thought that I could not run. I have never been one to "run for fun." That phrase doesn't even make sense.  I have never believed that those words should ever be used together.

Society and media have shown me since I was young that fat people aren't supposed to run. Fat people aren't supposed to do a lot of things. Fat people aren't supposed to exercise in public. They are not supposed to eat unhealthy foods in public. They are not really supposed to eat in public at all. Fat people aren't supposed to wear clothes that are very revealing.

 Fat girls are not supposed to wear string bikinis (just kidding! I don't think I should wear string bikinis either-  just checking to see if you're paying attention 😁) Fat people aren't supposed to do so many things. Especially running.

But here I am on day 12 of the 30 day running streak challenge.  Society has always taught me that I am not supposed to run. Maybe it's because I've always been overweight. Maybe it's because I was blessed by becoming top-heavy at the age of 12. Maybe it's because I've never had the self-confidence due to being overweight and the cruelty of others that comes with that.  Maybe it's because  I developed excruciating back pain at 27 and had back surgery at 30. Don't get me wrong; I'm not unhealthy but I'm definitely not fit.  

Yet after watching a co-worker and other friends on social media, I decided I could run a mile every day for 30 days, or at least work up to that.  Guess what happened!  On day 8 I was able to jog one mile without stopping.  Me! The one who fell and severely sprained her ankle a few years ago.  The same one who has neuropathy in the right leg from years of a pinched sciatic nerve.  Me- the one who has never been thin- the one who is a size 16. Me- who I can now call a runner.

I have begun to look forward to my run each day.  I feel like the personal development that my home- based business wants me to do to make myself a better version of me is giving me strength.  I am better able to use negative energy as fuel toward pursuing a positive goal.  EHT has cleared my brain fog.  I have always been one who has difficulty staying on task or topic.  Since I began taking EHT about 5 months ago, my brain has become better organized.  It's a drug free supplement that contains a caffeine-free molecule from coffee.  BSCG certified drug free, and discovered in Princeton labs by Dr. Stock.  Watch a 2 minute video here that explains the science: EHT- Anti-Aging for the Brain  It has helped me focus on and stick to a goal.  I have been able to quiet that inner voice of doubt that always tells me I will never reach my goal.  My thinking comes from that Slight Edge philosophy that little things we do every day seem insignificant, but over time they all add up.

This has not been an easy road so far.  The first four days of the challenge I was barely able to descend or climb stairs.  I did it anyway and avoided the elevator.

 I have been ill the last few days.  Throbbing headache, fever, and ear pain accompanied the general feeling of malaise.  I ran anyway, or did what I could, still completing at least a mile.  I am not even halfway there yet.  I hear thunder outside as I type.  Bring on the challenge!

Check out the site for more info about EHT.

Husbands are like Pancakes

Husbands are like What?

     For the readers that don't know me very well, I have worked at a hospital for a little over 10 years now.  My inner being has been permanently impressed upon by many people I have met through those years.  

     Most of those have been elderly or middle aged, and the wealth of history and wisdom I have had before my eyes always amazes me.  Along with the history and wisdom, some of those unforgettable people have left me with their own advice that has been learned through their years.  

  An elderly female patient told me one time,"husbands are like pancakes."      Immediately my brain began to search for ways that husbands are similar to pancakes.  Ummm?  Hmmm.  That is the great part of working with elderly patients.  They make your brain think in ways it wouldn't normally think.  

   Then she explained.  This sweet lady had been married once before.  She was extremely happy with her second marriage, which was the complete opposite of the first one.

    "Husbands are like pancakes," she said.  "You never keep the first one.  They are usually flat or uneven."   And I immediately understood & laughed and laughed.  Truth isn't always painful.  Sometimes it's just hilarious.  

Start Preparing for the Wedding

     Here we are on Friday.  The weeks fly by and soon the time for wedding bells has arrived- wedding bells that have thousands of photos secretly attached to them.  Those same photos will be around a lot longer than we will.

   Whether you are the bride-to-be, the groom, the mother of the bride or groom, the father, bridesmaid, or anyone else in the wedding party, start preparing now.  

  No needles, nothing to roll into your skin.  No harmful chemicals....Did I mention no harmful chemicals?
    You don't get a second chance for original wedding photos (at least not with the same person :)).  

Don't be the manic bride!

While looking through free clip art I found this one called "manic bride," & I thought about how perfect it is in relation to this topic.  We all become manic & frantic when we realize how quickly the date is approaching, and how quickly we will be the center of attention.  Even if we are not the bride, when we haven't taken the time to prepare we start thinking about all of the eyes that will be on us..
    And all that crazy you see in the eyes of "manic bride" becomes your own perception of reality.  Look at what you can do for yourself to prepare!

Real Results Videos- Hear from someone in your age range.

Start working on those legs!  Exercise can only do so much!

When you have spent a lifetime doing things for others, this is the least you can do for yourself.  

Get rid of the appearance of all that saggy skin.  Gravity is real.

Make pictures memorable, but for all the right reasons.

 I am so thankful Nerium found me.  Here is one more:

The pic on the left was taken in May of 2015.  The pic on the right was taken August 2016.

I use these things every day.  The earth has many more accidental discoveries waiting for us.