Broken Promises, Empty Pockets

These days in the recession as they so call it, have been nothing but a blur to most and most certainly crazy for others.

Banks raising interest on credit cards, charging overdraft fees for every single time your check deposited the day after of 30 minutes after closing.
Your cell provider making things more complicated while giving you the runaround wasting your time, money, and patience.

Where do we go when there are no more walls to lean against? No sidewalks or stoops to sit down on? No breathing room for me, or for you?

The problem in today's world is greed and well...a little more greed.
Our country became greedy, causing us to do the same almost as far as material things, and then bad bets lost credibility to our so called glorious system. We in turn lost our own credibility to keep a good reputation with wealth.

No one is fooled by these thieves. But we sank in and fooled ourselves.
Put things off, just like they wanted us to.
They made a bet with our money, lost it, and we are now paying for it.
Then we made the same bets, lost, and cried about it.

Banks all over have had system errors, causing you to waste your cellphone minutes to stay on the line for half hour. What about the only phone you could possibly have, the prepaid?
Then there's the few of us who knew the system well enough to use a land line, but at one time and one time only had to use the pre paid or cell phone to make the call and wasted 30 - 45 minutes just waiting for an answer to a possible overdraft fee or charge incurred for no reason, or bank error.

No matter how you look at this, we are in for a run.
No marathons here. Call it the treadmill that malfunctioned and wont turn off, and its going too fast for you to jump off and get to the plug.......
Exactly..


Savings are down.
Prices are up.
Morale is low.
Depression is high.

What do we do?

We do what we always do.

Devise a plan. Stick to it for a week. Switch it up to keep things shaking, and then find yourself against the pillows on the biggest couch to breathe and relax.

or..

Devise a plan, screw the plan, come up with a million dollar scheme and drain into a bigger hole, or possibly build a mound. How far could you take your efforts?

Point is. Everything's going down, but don't give up.
Fight for your money earned.
Start this new year with a plan that you know IS achievable.
Hook it up.
Run.
Bring your water bottle, too.
This time we ride the road.
Nature's original path.


And that's Real Talk.

Friend or Foe

You can go back and forth in your head about the haters and the fakers and the whoever.
Thinking back to Jay-Z's song "Friend or Foe" you really begin to see the clear view. We all go through the same things.

People come and go.
People pretend.
Some don't wont show.

Some who you never thought were even your friends, are closer than those you honestly thought were.


A quote from a reader...

"the goal in life shouldn't be to try and have as many friends as possible..

it should be finding good ppl..

ppl who wont f*ck u over..

ppl who will go out and beyond of their way for you."

People this is as true as the sky is the color it seems to be to you.
Remember each person who hurts you. You don't have to get them back, that'll happen regardless whether your there or not so be sure you don't get it back again just for being there, let it sort itself out.

The point is to know who will be there for the long run, not for the time being.
Those who might seem to wanna help you but only want to help themselves.

Be in mind, some don;t know right or wrong as far as what you see it, doesn't mean you have to compromise your morals. Be yourself. Follow your heart. Leave the excess baggage behind, no matter how much you wanted to bring it along. It just wasn't meant to be. Everything that is... will be. Promise.

And that's Real Talk.

The world spinning out of focus

Today we remember the days when things used to be simple.
Things were easier to maintain.
Life was fast, but not to the point where we forgot where the time went.
These days are short, but worth every second of every minute of every hour.

I beg you all to take a look at the years prior through photos, notes, crafts, or anything you have.
See where you've been.
What did you do different?
Who or What was the main focus?
What have you accomplished compared to this year?
Do you feel the same?
What are your plans for next year?

Finding Your Calling

We all work the same jobs, doing the same things on a daily.
What about those dreams we used to have about trying new things?
Moneys a little low so the spending on newer education is something you like to put on the back burner for the time being.
Not everything costs an entire degree.
Night schools allow you to have the same access to some of the same jobs that require degrees.
For instance, a technical certification.
You are certified to do the same job, if not better because of the intense training for only that field and not so much rounded on other ones that have nothing to do with your program.

How about Do-It-Yourself?
Did you know a good portion of people these days learn tricks of the trade through online courses?
What about articles that caught your interest?
No one says you need a degree, but it does open many more doors than not having one.
Some fields can't be taught.
Art, creativity, etc.
No matter the topic, there are basic grounds for everything unless you made it up last night.
Even being a photographer or painter, there are certain rules that will better you later on for all your rebellious ways about going around the system.

Believe me, the system is a pain but it is worth to know the basics.
Fundamentals will carry you much further than just humping on the boat and going full speed.

It's never too late to carry out your dreams.
If you want to be a rock star, get rid of the stage fright.
If you need music, but you have the lyrics... find a good band who needs direction.
Everything and anything is possible. Well flying cars aren't here yet, but they will be.

Some things you might have given up on, but it's never too late to get started.
No matter the age; young or old, there is still time to move onto something else.
The mind is too big despite it's size.
We only use a small percentage of its capacity.
If you want to learn how to juggle fire, now would be the time to start learning to juggle some tennis balls and slowly moving onto tennis balls on fire. Just hopefully not too soon, anything can happen with fire.

So do what you have to do, time is on the go and never stops for anyone.

Be everything you wished for, and start managing your way to become successful at it.

Time is borrowed and we never know what can happen so get on the move.

You don't have to be stuck anywhere. All you need is the motivation and spirit to get you moving.

Doing is a lot harder than talking about it.
Who says you have to leap?
Today focus on just finding out about the steps you can take to go somewhere else in your career path or mindset.
All it takes is a few words to get you hooked, and a few moves to get you out there.

The mind is the most powerful tool.
You can do anything.

And that's Real Talk.

The beginning

Since way back when you think back to when things were 10000 times easier.
What happened?
You either grew up or there's something in the milk....or both.

There's not doubt that the people of today versus the people of yesterday are a lot more exhausted than necessary.
This is due to increase in stress, money issues, stuff in our foods (there's a reason why the dollar menu exists), and certainly the issue of the insecure world where everything depends on the MTV or magazines.

Naturally, back then none of this existed so you depended on yourself and your remedies to take you through any BS you can come up with.

Today's society is based on the outside appearance. Not everyone, just mostly everyone.
Yet, we're still tired. Everyone's trying to make something out of themselves, or are just doing whatever to pass the time.

People are a lot more secretive, too.
Even with facebook, twitter, etc.
Everyone wants everyone to know their business, but yet none of it all at the same time.

Shame is at an all time low, yet you would think that would be a good thing.
It's neither here nor there.

Being tired is basically the biggest problem today.
How can you spend money on the economy when you're spending it on everything else?
How can you save when you're spending too much?
How can you think when everything else is on your mind?

Unfortunately, you can't fix things over night.
You can't become a great athlete just because you put on your sneakers finally.

Everything is hard work.
Saving money is hard work.
Feeding and clothing your children is hard work.
Getting through your day at times is hard work.
Stress is a negative component to your daily move.
Stress is easily piled up if you think too much, when its not creative thinking.

They say you are your worst enemy.
It's true.
No matter how many fights you get into, break-ups you endure, or even quick gains or losses you watch happen before your very eyes; at the end of the day, you still gotta see tomorrow and deal with your personality and hidden negatives.

Money is a huge factor to all stress.
Money can make or break a man's thought process.
Money can cause you to sit out of things you didn't want to.
Habits are also controlled by money.

Point is, if you're tired its probably because you're depressed from money, life, kids, significant other, etc.

Money is still the center of all evil, but it will make sure you can get by until tomorrow and thereafter.
The man wants his doe too so don;t forget that part.
Every little you get, the man wants his cut.
Don't like it?
Stay broke.
What else could you do with your day without money?
Could you eat without any surplus in your fridge?
Could you go out to the store when it's more than 5 miles away and your legs aren't so hot?
Could you call someone, when your cellphone bill's 175 overdue?
Could you play scrabble? Did you forget you threw that out when you did spring cleaning?

All in all, you got to start making changes.
Eat less Mickie D's, eat more deli cuts and fruits and veggies.
(Reminder: Fruits and veggies contain a lot of water...you will stop feeling so hungry after a few carrots or grapes..if not..drink some more water)
Save up your money. All those trips to the gas station, convenience store for cigarettes, and dollar menu's add up.

When was the last time you took a look at your budget?
Not so healthy.
Almost like the way you feel, except your wallet is starting to want to sleep too.


And that's Real Talk.

Eyes on the Prize

For being such a ice breaker between working on Monday and the relaxation you endured on Saturday, today out of all days is the day to finish what you started whirl still having time or the delivery of Chinese and kicking the feet up to a good movie.
So much possible on a Sunday. Not once have I ever heard of a really bad Sunday. Sundays are meant for heavy sleep, deep relaxation, or just spend time with yourself and/or loved ones.
Don't get too crazy on a Sunday. Monday is definitely coming with a bang.
This week we can be sure to reflect on our past where we were a year ago and how we stood compared to how we stand this year.
I feel as if many among this world have been dealing with their problems harder and harder while there are still others too young or too old to be bothered. Makes you wish you were young again, not sure if I'd like to speed up the aging process.

There is still so much to do in this life of ours. Goals have yet to be met.
Today, however, is still the day to relax and take it upon yourself to just relax. Have a drink, some food, and some TV or magazine/newspaper.

The world never stops, doesn't mean you can't stop to smell some roses and just kick the sneakers off.

And that's Real Talk.

Cycling

We sit around thinking about what's going to happen to us next.

Some of us have so much going on we wonder if it'll ever end.
But this is that cycle we know or have heard about.
Life is a continuous cycle. It starts and stops, but never shuts down.

Some days we wish were over, some we wish would never end.
We ride the roads until they stop, but then we turn to a new direction.
Roads end, paths are endless.

A road is defined by the concrete visible to the eye. Beyond it are "no trespassing" signs and such.
Some will cross those lines, others will respect them.
Breaking rules require a lot from each of us, usually never recommended but sometimes we just have to. And the end result to most of these things are beautiful. Some tragic.
The cycle keeps going, however. The cycle brings us back and forth from place to place.
Call it karma. Call it whatever.

We keep going and going and where do we actually end up? Usually where we started.
Life is tricky, but you eventually learn the ropes and remind yourself or learn how to handle the exact same situations after they come to you over and over.

Some stay in front of the mirror wondering what's wrong with them. Others refuse to accept the things they do that are wrong.

Regardless of anything in this life, we learn, we live, and we love and lose.
This life of ours is not about winning. If it were, it'd be boring.
All of our sorrows, pains, and regrets turn into powerful things in the future.
Think about every thing that makes you angry, you eventually one day will turn to someone else and express the same emotion for them to feel the same way towards you as you did earlier for someone else. The cycle.

Sacrifices are usually a huge part of things. You want something bad enough you will do anything to get it. For others, we have to give those up because of how it'll affect us later with the emotions of another.

You forget about cheating, or you just cheat anyways.
You forget about lying to someone, or you lie anyways and somehow get lied to.

Sometimes you notice that when you do the right thing, the wrong thing happens to you.

My suggestion to this, is to wait. Wait until you see the final end result of the situation. It's not over. You'll know when its over.

For those who think they never get their opinion voiced, why do you care so much. There are plenty of other people who are asking you personally. If they take all the credit, at least you know THEY know who deserves it.

A humble person doesn't need to know who gets the credit. The humble person accepts life as it is and in return is satisfied with letting another day be made of its use. In the end it's not about the credit.
When was the last time you sat around and gave thanks to George Washington Carver for making peanut butter? Possible but doubtful.
Be humble. Don;t worry so much about other people's opinions. Don't let your own opinion be mixed up with another's view. A good heart, will remain a good heart. A bad heart or one on the verge, will remain black until a light reveals its true identity. And that in the end is on that person. No one else. A little bit of love and care from family and friends never hurts either. But we all know it's never enough on the inside.

So let everything go. Live life. Forget the nay-sayers.

You have nothing to regret. For those who have been cheated from things that meant the world to them, be patient.

Like a wise person once said, "the truth always comes out."

And that's Real Talk.