“I found My Smile Again”.

Me too D’Angelo. Me.Too. LOL

Miss me? Um, well…did you at least miss Michael Archer, aka D’Angelo? LOL

There is sooooo much going on in the world today and in our individual lives. Over the last few weeks, I’ve suffered a wicked case of “tennis elbow”, pinkeye, the “revisitation” of pinkeye, and some other flare-up (can I call it a flare-up if it only happened once?) that still has me a bit shaky. Add to that what’s happening politically and economically (I’ll be lucky if I still have $4.01 in my 401K. And NO - I haven’t checked. LOL). Times like this can make a smile hard to come by.

Thankfully, I’m buoyed by something much deeper, much more entrenched…something “soul deep, spirit wide”. That “something” includes an amazing network of friends who make it so easy for me to just be. That “something” includes the most irreverent email/text message at the silliest time. A running joke about pictures that has me conjuring up ways to oblige. Dinner with FavCus#1 & #2 - great conversation, lots of laughs. And those infamous “Buttery Nipples”. Or were they “Slippery Nipples”? Either way? Yummmmm!! And…more please. LOL A phone call that include a cascade of giggles and kids talking over themselves.

Anywho, I could go on. In spite of all that’s swirling around me, it is such a blessing to have “found my smile again”….no matter what the source. I thank you all.

It is a beautiful thang indeed.

Enjoy the music!

Here’s to you finding YOUR smile again…

Live DELICIOUSLY!
*~* MsJayy *~*

Love this song - from the sentiments to the energy. Definitely gets me fired U-P!

We are 90 days away from a new year. 90 days.

Some will say that time will pass so quickly. Maybe. Doesn’t matter. Time is ALWAYS going to do what it’s supposed to do. The question is: What are YOU going to do? How are YOU going to move forward in the 90 days? What will you accomplish? What will you let go of? How will you position yourself for a bigger, brighter, more delicious tomorrow?

90 days may not *seem* like a lot but….we can accomplish so much in that time span.

How do we move forward in the next 90 days? How do we maximize our time, energy, focus?

1. BREATHE. Realize that it is okay to take 5 minutes out of your day (ok…take 5 minutes 3X/day…AM, Noon, PM) to just slow down, to stop, to simply catch your breathe and get your bearings. A few deep breathes feels almost like a prayer to me.

2. BE CLEAR. BE INTENTIONAL. Who are you? What are your goals? Why are they important to you? What are you willing to do to accomplish them? (READY OR NO - JUST DO IT! Oh, um…just a little note to myself. *wink*) What are you ready to let go of? What does moving forward look like to you? Are your goals S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely)?

3. PLAN. Always bring and operate from your A-game, from Plan A. Plan B? Make Plan A work.

4. ASSESS & ADJUST. Life happens. Constantly. There is no shame in adjusting your gameplan as life moves around us - there are things we have no control over. Tweaking the plan isn’t a sign of failure or a reason to give up, in or out. Keep pushing.
ESPECIALLY if we take the time to get clear about who we are, who we want to be, how we want to show up in our lives (and the lives of others), where we’re headed

5. REMINDERS. Remind yourself DAILY of what you want to accomplish and why. Whether it’s a statement you carry around with your, a picture, etc. Imagine yourself early in the day on December 31st (I LOVE that date!! LOL) taking a few minutes to reflect on the success you’ve achieved in the last 90 days. Imagine yourself having even more to celebrate because you met those goals as the clock strikes midnite and we slip into a new year.

I may revisit this post soon. Many more thoughts running through my mind but a Sista is sleepy and 5:30am comes quick. Maybe I’ll share some things that are on my 90-Day plan this weekend.

90-Days. Invest your time, energy, and focus wisely.

Get up!
*~* MsJayy*~*

I love the souful sound of Anthony Hamilton’s voice. That rough edginess that he comes back and smooths out with the choir-boy side of his vocals.

I fell headfirst in a pile of Anthony Hamilton vocals Sunday. That’s what I get for watching “American Gangster” again Saturday night. LOL This song kept playing over and over in my mind and so, when I got up to flesh out a few more scenes in my novel-in-progress, this song made the perfect backdrop.

Then…um…well…my mind got caught up in the soft edges of a dream I had last night. And…well…um…that’s probably all you need to know ’bout dat.

The “feel me” part reminded me that I wrote a poem a while back that spoke of “feeling you”. And so, I pair it here with Hamilton’s song.

Enjoy!

feeling you

in case you’re wondering
i’m…feeling you…

…in a mighty way….

ways that have me wanting to slip into your ear
whisper fresh poetry to you while you sleep
tuck my words into your subconscious
smiling shyly whenever you trip over a piece of me

ways that has me wanting to crawl into your mind
curl up with your thoughts
feel the ripple of them
stir me in ways that are physically impossible
until i’m laying at the base of your brain
in a mindgasm that leaves me wet, spent and…craving new thoughts

ways that grow not only my heart but my mind and my spirit
breathing easily knowing that, today, you are my forever
walking deeper into the life i was destined to lead
with you, my beautiful tour guide and traveling companion
finally understanding what it means to truly enjoy the journey

ways that paint me brave enough
to actually be the woman you see with your heart
the woman your spirit craves
your friend, your lover, your peace, your sanctuary….
your soul’s compliment

yeah…in case you’re wondering…

i’m…feeling….you

…in a mighty way

© Jackie Young ~ 2008