Top 5…Dead of Alive

No, we aren’t talking Hip hop artist.

A reoccurring theme in the realm of self evolution is the ideology that you are the sum of the five people you spend the most time with. Just by coming across this quick youtube video made me take quick mental inventory of the friend list and make the needed adjustments. No shade ladies and gentlemen, it’s only up from here.

Happy Days Are Here Again?

The day is cold. The sun is shinning but the warmest thing in my studio apartment is the sugarless coffee on my desk and beat of my heart. I should be working, but the calls have momentarily stopped and I have a moment to share my thoughts with the two of you who read this blog…because why the fuck not. If you are anything like me, your mornings usually begin with a million thoughts fighting for priority in a day with endless possibility. The trash needs to be taken out, my cholesterol is high and my car should really be paid off before I agree to all of this travel. After meditation and playing with my incense it dawns on me that life could always be this way. What way am I referring to you ask? The way it is now…whatever that may be. Let’s revisit my existential crisis and a question as old as time itself: Are you happy?

What is happiness anyway? Most 30 somethings my age are running in the rat race and falling into more debt, trying to convince themselves they are living a good life. I don’t think there is anything wrong with that if you don’t. It all just makes me wonder about the alternatives and what life would look like for us to truly be happy within. Remember when we were young and passionate with hopes and dreams under our pillows? What a time. Remember wanting to be an astronaut when you grew up? Remember paper dolls and soccer tournaments? What do your hobbies look like these days? Through a glass dimly I remembered I LOVE reading, writing, and painting but have made zero time to include these things in my busy schedule. I love being outdoors and it wasn’t freezing on Monday, so I went for a walk on my lunch break. Good times. After all: all work and no play makes Jewel a sad girl, or so they say. Do you prioritize the things that make you look good on paper over your own mental health and freedom; for example, the high paying job, the returning to school for the 800th time etc? Do those work related accomplishments make you happy?

I’m a self proclaimed guru in stating the obvious, so I encourage you to take a moment and reflect on what makes you happy. Shit, consider what your life would look like to be truly happy. I’m just getting started in the spirit of “seize the day, free your mind” and all that jazz. Take this as your sign to breakout of the routines that are killing your joy and get happy…whatever that looks like.

Just Maybe

Somewhere along the way, someone convinced you that you werent enough

Maybe you forgot who you are
Maybe you dont know the power you possess or who you are created to be

Maybe you gave someone permission to put you on the back burner
Maybe you think you deserve leftovers…

You Dont

And the moment you embrace yourself, in all that you are…
Thats the day the world will open up for you

The Concert Bring Back!

Alas, the year is off to an OK start with some concert line ups on the horizon. I remember my yester years and the ghosts of cancelled concerts past. R.I.P. to my Tame Impala tickets, and that rained out Third Eye Blind show at Merriweather. Who could forget the Foo Fighters concerts that are sold out before you can click the link. I cant imagine life without dodging resale tickets, long bathroom lines, overpriced beer and swaying to the soundtracks of my adolescence. Unfortunately, the last few years have taken a toll on my live music experiences. When I did get out, I was double masked and prayerful. This year, my confidence is up and I will be doing the same. First on the list for me is The 3 Chambers Tour with Raekwon, Gza and Ghostface at Baltimore Soundstage! Wu Tang Forever! What’s first on your concert bring back lineup?

Make sure you are staying safe when you’re out and use your intuition at some of these venues. I’ll be posting other live music news as the year continues. Happy Concert Hunting!

[Thoughts] Is Everything Dead…Again?

Greetings from the apocalypse…again. If you are reading this, the hyperbolic umbrella corporation hasnt wiped us all from civilization just yet. Covid is still hanging around and has done damage in more ways than imaginable. Unfortunately, we lost some loved ones, of whom are irreplaceable. We’ve lost some Mom and Pop local businesses during the pandemic. We’ve lost our empathy towards others. This is a safe space, for you and I, reader. Lets talk about the death of it all. The death of empathy. The death of privacy. The death of optimism. The death of our hopes and dreams as we know it. Or…not?

In 2022, there are those that see the glass half empty. There are those that see a glass half full. There are those that dont even see a fucking glass at this point. I salute you, all of you. Let us consider…this one last hurrah, that all is not lost. What if hope is on the other side of the horizon, the one we forgot to look for? What if healthy, maskless, mouth breathers live on in our imagination? What if we have the courage to see them into existence? Are we brave enough to dream of a simple smokers cough in walmart, yet again; no more pearl clutching the inevitable?!

Let us rise up and take heart. We are stronger than we think. Let this serve as a declaration of life and the ability to overcome anything. Hang in there baby!

[Article] Habit vs. Addiction| Alvernia Online

Ah, February…that wonderful month where you get to reevalute your new years resolutions and breaking bad habits. I was having a discussion with my sister earlier today about addictions. She referred to certain behaviors as habits and not addictions. It made me wonder if I had confused the two over time, or hadn’t given habits much credit. Of course, this discussion sparked a rabbit hole journey I’m now knee deep into. Check out this article from Alvernia, and let me know your thoughts and opinions on habits vs addictions.

https://online.alvernia.edu/articles/habit-vs-addiction/

Hello, Please

Welcome back, reader friends.
How’s it been? I see you’ve gotten a bit older. A smidge taller. We could re cap the last year or just pick up in an entirely new arena.Would you like that?

Who blogs anymore anyway? Times are a changing, I see.
Well shit, what are you into these days?
I’m all over the place myself. Lets say we meet up again soon and really catch up. Stay Safe in these covid streets.Tah Tah for now.
-Jewel