isn't she lovely?

the last day of 2011. what a year it has been. i can't say it's been my worst year at all. actually, a person who was once close to me said his years kept getting better and better. the 20s better than the teens, the 30s better than the 20s and so on. now, i've had some set backs, but overall my years keep positively progressing. in that spirit, i have created 5 resolutions or as i like to call them life changers as resolutions tend to last no longer than the season. so, here they are ....

"get busy living, or get busy dying," andy defresne, the shawshank redemption

patience is something i've struggled with my whole life. when i was a kiddo, i was always looking toward the next big event - the next birthday, the next christmas, the next school year. when i encountered puberty, i was excited to reach an acceptable dating age, then driving age and later drinking age. a few years down the road, i became anxious about getting a bachelor's degree, a master's degree, a m-r-s. degree, and a m-o-m degree.

and then i stopped. i stopped rushing. i stopping worrying. i stopped anticipating. all i was doing was speeding through my whole life hurrying to the next big thing. i stopped. and i started living.

i believe we all have a predetermined amount of time on this earth. and our lives are not dvrs. there are no convenient rewind or pause buttons. and our time doesn't always correspond with the time of our loved ones.

so, today, i relish in every moment. i appreciate a child i hear laughing. i am thankful for the quiet times in solitude at home. i carefully listen to stories passionately shared by coworkers. i reverently pray for my friends and family. i savor the defining (and simplistic) moments with my niece - whether we're having a scoop of ice cream together, or i'm watching the expression on her face when she realizes she has two aunts - me and trina!

life truly is short. but it's also quick if you're constantly rushing to the next "first down" in the game of life. so, slow down and smell the roses today and everyday.

as many of you know, i have embarked on the road to minimalism. i am spending more time focusing on developing meaningful relationships and finding inner contentment than purchasing a bunch of things that only provide temporary happiness.

as with most things in my life, i have to take baby steps to complete the task at hand. one of my first steps - unsubscribing from all those darn coupon website emails. every day my email inbox was inundated with emails from groupon - one from fort worth and one from dallas, living social and all of the local area publications that have embarked of this revenue-generating scheme.

i just had to say no. is "couponing" bad? no, it can actually save you tons of money. however, in my opinon, groupon is just like group think. because many people are "biting" at these offers and many more companies are advertising on sites like this, you think it must be good. everyone can't be wrong. but sometimes, everyone is.

these sites survive on the basic principles of advertising.

1. there's something wrong with you, and you need fixing. so buy this ___________ (insert your favorite beauty treatment here: teeth whitening, eye surgery, waxing, etc.) treatment, and you'll be one step closer to perfection.

2. immediate call to action - you must buy this deal now or miss out forever.

3. all of your friends are doing it (the deal is on!), so you should too!

but the truth of the matter is i didn't need any of those services or products. i am ok just as i am. the savings were not that great in return for the service i got because the service provider was so overwhelmed with redemptions. and who cares if all the cool kids are doing it? we, as a culture, should embrace and celebrate the individuality and uniqueness of people.

so, in my quest of ridding the clutter in my life; i disengaged from the coupon/money-saving frenzy. and you know what? i don't even miss the emails. i actually hadn't even thought about groupon until i noticed an advertisement on cnn.com's webiste today. i guess the ad was effective for brand awareness, but it didn't move me to the desired action. instead it motivated me to write! so, thank you, but no thank you. here's to a clutter-free life (and inbox!)

the past few days have not proved to be good pr for a few black men in the spotlight.

herman cain
i am not sure if he actually did what all has been alleged, but i do think where there's smoke there's fire. i know he's not in the same political party, but he should have learned from jesse jackson. you have got to keep your nose clean if you're going to join the political race. it's a dirty one! and most african americans know we have to pay the black tax*. i'm not a member of any political party. i typically vote on the issues. however, i am an obama supporter. but it sure would have been historical to have two black men running against each other. oh well. such is life.

bishop eddie long
anyone who knows me knows i completely despise people who hurt children, the elderly or animals. the fact that long settled with these accusers speaks volumes to me. and now, it appears as though his wife is leaving him. this saddens me so. the breakdown of a family and the recent allegations of abuse against children in the recent weeks. what is the world coming to, really?

it looks like for the time being these guys are being judged by the "color of their skin and the content of their character."

*the black tax is commonly referred to in the african american community as having to do twice as much to reap half the benefits when compared to our caucasian counterparts.

if i am brutally honest with myself, i totally dropped the blog on blogging at this site. i started back in the summer of 2004 and was pretty faithful for several years. (i didn't post one single time in 2010!) then like an 80s hairstyle, i just dropped my blog. but (like most most things - e.g., bell bottom pants), i've come back around in hopes to be an even better blogger, writer, thought leader (like flare leg pants).
several months ago, one of my facebook friends shared an article from the minimalists blog. from that simple share i clicked and my mind was exposed to the world of minimalism. without sounding too dramatic, that one click truly changed my life. i realized that my life was (and sometimes still is) too consumed with superficial things that can't sustain my happiness, my joy. almost simultaneously, i started attending a wonderful bible study through the recommendation of a co-worker. and from that simple recommendation, my spiritual life has been greatly enhanced. these two events have truly changed my life. as ted mosby, a character on how i met your mother, said, "there's a lot of little reasons why the big things in our lives happen."
so, emotionally - where am i? i am not so consumed with finding a life partner anymore. i am not over-driven with making a certain dollar figure or attaining a certain job title. i am not concerned with having a specific type of car or owning a large home. now, i am more concerned with spending quality time with those i care about, developing more meaningful relationships. i'm more concerned with who's in my house rather than how large it is. i'm more concerned with dwelling in the house of God and developing a mature relationship with him.
what has motivated me? many things, and i am motivated to share them via this blog. as i mentioned before, the blog and the bible study were also moving. finally, i was particularly enlightened by, minimalism: essential essays by joshua fields millburn and ryan nicodemus. i will later share some lessons learned from their compilation.
why don't you join me as i being my blog journey again, resurrect my writing and shed light on what has made (and kept) me joyful?