Don’t Settle For Less

Even though you are grieving the loss of the one you love, do not settle for less.

When people know you have lost someone near and dear to your heart the evil comes out in them.

Often times people stalk ones who have lost loved ones because they feel they are weak and can be taken advantage of. Be very careful who you open up to and allow inside your heart!

Protect your heart.

Take Your Life Back

The new year is almost here and it’s the perfect time to take charge of our lives.

Evict all negative thoughts, actions & dreams, and replace them with positive ones. It’s the right time to realize the things we’ve been so passionate about and make them happen.

Remembering our struggles is not a bad thing as long as we don’t relive them but using the past struggles as a stepping stone to a brighter future will make us strive much harder because we don’t want to go back down that rabbit hole again.

Take charge, stand strong and take your life back.

Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance

New York Times bestseller, pioneering psychologist Angela Duckworth shows anyone striving to succeed—be it parents, students, educators, athletes, or business people—that the secret to outstanding achievement is not talent but a special blend of passion and persistence she calls “grit.” 

If you haven’t read this book by Angela Duckworth, believe me, it is a fantastic read!

A friend allowed me to read it and I was highly impressed with this woman’s strategy.

 

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Poem: Cherry Blossoms

So beautiful as far as the eye can see

Most definitely the place I’d love to be.

More lovely than one could ever imagine

Knees & legs hurting, I’m breathing like a dragon.

Scent overwhelming but in a good way, trying to keep up, I begin to sway.

Leg’s giving out but much more to see, as I continue walking through this mystical scene.

Bees buzzing, butterflies fluttering, worms slurped up by birds without traces.

Taking it all in, held bondage by its beauty, I continue to be enthralled by this captivating oasis.

We make it to the end as I breathe in that good ass prana but go home right now?

Nope, I don’t wanna.

Written by: Jasmine D. Parker
12/27/17

The Power of Friendship – A Poem

Standing on the dock after collecting flat rocks the size of the palm of our hands.

Facing the water at a slight angle, and trying to capture the right stand.

Lowering our hand at the release, to ensure the skipping is better we then throw

out and down at the same time, with a hiss.

Two great friends trying to master this technique with the quick snap of our wrist.

Each stone bouncing off the water spinning faster & faster with a slight twist.

The Power of Friendship becomes much clearer at the time we release our rocks.

Facing one another, laughing so hard each almost sliding off the dock.

Friendships can help us develop & become better people.

Spending time with one another vulnerable, consistent, positive & equal.

Friends bring to the table good conversation, loyalty & understanding.

They share happiness, disappointments, frustrations, jealousy and sadness.

The love between friends is like no other, they may not be family.

But the bond is so strong like they were born from the same mother.

Jasmine D. Parker ©

Poem: “The Power of Friendship”

Standing on the dock after collecting flat rocks about the size of the palm of our hand.
Facing the water at a slight angle, and trying to capture the right stand.

Lowering our hand at the release, to ensure the skipping is better we then throw out and down at the same time, with a hiss.

Two great friends trying to master this technique with the quick snap of our wrist.

Each stone bouncing off the water spinning faster & faster with a slight twist.

The Power of Friendship becomes much clearer at the time we release our rocks.

Facing one another, laughing so hard each almost sliding off the dock.

Friendships can help us develop & become better people.

Spending time with one another vulnerable, consistent, positive & equal.

Friends bring to the table good conversation, loyalty & understanding.
They share happiness, disappointments, sadness, frustrations & jealousy.

The love between friends is like no other, they may not be family.

But the bond is so strong like they were born from the same mother.

Written by: Jasmine D. Parker
12/26/17

Writing A Grief Letter

WRITING A GRIEF LETTER:
For those of us who have suffered the loss of someone we love. Something that truly helps with the healing and/or coping process is to write a Grief Letter.

Share with family/friends what we need right now. As we work through our grief, our needs will change.

When we let people know just how to help us, they appreciate it and it takes the guesswork out of serving us.

When we don’t open up and tell people what we need, we run the risk of not being cared for and/or receiving unwanted assistance.

During Grief’s dark, turbulent journey it means so much to be surrounded by people who have nothing but our best interest at heart!

My heart and love goes out to each of you during this holiday season and always!

Grief Is The Last Act Of Love

Grieving and/or mourning the death of a loved one is a normal process.

We shed tears of love and express all of the many reasons why we didn’t want to see our loved one leave this world without us.

Our love might be considered selfish but through that unimaginable, unconditional love, we express our emotions through the grieving process.

This process allows us to shed tears, reminisce about the past and go through boxes of cherished heirlooms that may have been tucked away.

This process called Grief can sometimes cause one to feel angry at our Father for taking our loved one away, not realizing or failing to remember at that time that the deceased was God’s first; our father brought them into our lives for a reason.

I know for myself, why God brought my second husband into my life.

I was married before to a man who was a Wolf in sheep’s clothing.

After almost 10 years together, I had had enough and left, but not before our marriage had taken a violent turn for the worst.

I moved with my two sons who were not his biological children and settled in another city.

Needless to say, several years later I met the amazing man whom would become my second husband and we started dating and fell in love and a year later we were married. It was a beautiful relationship

My husband was a truck driver by trade and would drive over the road or cross country.

One day he sat me down and ask me if I would take a break from working and travel with him. I didn’t agree at first but he pursued me that it would be an adventure that I would never forget and it was!

To make a long story short. Our life together was amazing and short of being a storybook romance cut short by his sudden death.

I learned from being with this man that all men aren’t violent, mean and love demeaning women. There are truly wonderful men in the world whom you can trust to have your best interest at heart. My husband taught me so much and his love allowed my heart to soften again. Through his love and goodness towards me, I was able through my faith to forgive the first husband for all he put me through and forgive myself as well.

When my husband suffered a massive heart attack and passed away, my whole world as I know it changed.

My grieving process was a long one.

I cried uncontrollably, I cried myself to sleep many nights, I slept with the clothes he was wearing at the time of his death beside my bed. He was cremated, so his ashes were on my bedside table for a long time.

My husband and I shared with one another the love we made and it was a good love.

The love we have for the people we lose is a love so strong that our grief truly is the last act of love we have to give them.

Three Days

We have three days left and Christmas will finally be here.

For some, this countdown is much better than the “Apollo” countdown into space. There are others whom may not feel this way due to the fact that they are dealing with anxiety and/or depression.

The holidays can be quite stressful. There are so many things one may try to add to their to-do list, but often times that list gets much too long to conquer on our own.

This causes stress, due to the fact that we are still trying to satisfy people on our jobs, juggling our personal lives plus all of the many additives that are introduced into our daily lives.

BREATHE IN THEN EXHALE.

I have found that Meditation is very relaxing and help me with my stress and anxiety.

Listening to some soft music helps ease stress and anxiety as well.

We can’t do anything but embrace these next three days and lift our heads up and be grateful to be alive!