This post is for anyone who has ever had issues with their self worth. I write this because of the world that we live in. A world that is consumed with the superficial worth of human beings. We are constantly bombarded with images of what society views as "beautiful," from magazines, television, and all types of media. The more we grow, the more we are becoming obsessed with our flaws.
I want everyone who reads this to understand one thing; God loves you and knows that you are special. He knows how special you are and now it's up to you to realize how beautiful and special you truly are. Embrace your flaws. I view my flaws as factors that make me unique. My flaws make me different from everyone that I come across. My flaws make me realize how special I really am. If God loves me despite my many shortcomings, the least I can do is embrace all that makes me who I am. I choose to look at myself through God's eyes. He knows how many hairs I have on my head. That makes me realize how important I am to Him. He would not care to know such information, if He didn't care for me and love me so. With that being said, there's no point in looking at yourself through the superficial eyes of society. If you do, you will never live up to those impossible standards and pointless expectations. Love yourself for what you are, just like God does.
You know the saying, "time flies when you're having fun." Well, the saying is somewhat accurate but so very wrong at the same time. Time flies, whether you are having fun or not. People only say time flies when you're having fun because happiness brings such joy but seems so fleeting. Before you know it the moment of happiness and elation comes to an end, and the sudden realization of resolution makes people somewhat introspective. However, the regrets and satisfactions that come from contemplation can and should steer you in the right direction; that direction is forward. Time does not go backwards, nor does it stand still. It is a perpetual driving force and wake up call to take advantage of the gift that is constant, and that is the present. With that being said, I will take advantage of the blessing of life and thank God for giving me an opportunity to grow and to understand the significance of now.
Now will one day become the past. Now is also the future that is soon to be. However, I do not dwell on the past that could have been or focus on the future that is yet to come. I live in the now, because the present is the best gift of all.
Life is full of obstacles and challenges; Some are brought on by our own decisions and some seem to come out of nowhere. One thing that can only help is positivity. Having a life that is filled with hope rather than constant thoughts of pessimism can only fuel perseverance and growth. It is important to look at life as "glass half full" instead of "glass half empty." These figures of speech, sayings, cliches, metaphors, whatever you want to call them are used often because of the truth behind their essence. They might seem melodramatic but the simplicity behind the message is compelling, as well as influential. With that being said, I hate using these phrases. However, that doesn't mean that I don't realize the wisdom behind the messages that they convey. "Glass half full/glass half empty" is one of the most commonly used metaphors and all that it focuses on is positivity or pessimism. Life is full of so many stories about heartache, suffering, pain, and despair. Unfortunately, the stories filled with joy, triumphs, and overcoming adversity are few and far between. The relative disproportion of bad versus good stories is deplorable. It's creating a generation full of pessimists, who only look at life as "glass half empty." Personally, I prefer to look at life as an optimist, despite all the negativity that surrounds me in this world. I'm not naive to think that positive thinking can help me avoid troubles that we all deal with, but it will help me live a life that is filled with hope. I have hope through my faith. If a person doesn't have hope, that person doesn't have God in their life. You know how I look at life. How do YOU view life?
This is the last post that will be directly related to my class. It's been a great experience. I had a wonderful professor, as well as great classmates. It was a true pleasure to have been a part of a class that offered nothing but unconditional support. Unfortunately, all things must come to an end. This is a cessation of a specific part of each and every one of our academic lives. However, life will still go on. Once something comes to an end it is up to us as individuals to embark on a new endeavor. Avoid stagnation, it is a self-destructive state of mind that we must fight at all costs. It is important to continue moving forward. A door closes behind us, leading to a pathway with an abundance of options in front of us. Examine all the possibilities and sacrifices that must be made in order to take on new challenges. Do not become overwhelmed by the multitude of hurdles or options. Keep moving forward and kick down the obstacles that lead to your goals. Move forward with a clear purpose and your goals will be realized. We all enter unaware of our place within a specific environment, but preparation, focus, and perseverance will allow us to exit with a sense of confidence and accomplishment. Change is a part of life and we must embrace the challenges that come along with endings that bring forth new beginnings.
Whenever the word strength is mentioned, most people instantly think of physical power. However, true strength is not measured by the amount of weight that we can lift. We present strength with our actions. Strength is revealed through our determination. We exhibit strength through our persistence. Strength is demonstrated by our faith. True strength is displayed during times of difficulty. We all go through trials and tribulations and that is when true strength is measured. It is measured in the manner in which we carry ourselves during times of hardship. We are not as strong as we would like to think. I know that I am not. I can not handle everything on my own. God knows I've tried. There are certain situations that call for the help of others. Honestly, asking for help is a true sign of strength. Some might say that asking for help is displaying anything but strength. On the contrary, strength is measured by our willingness to admit our weaknesses. By the strength that we gain because of our weaknesses. Strength is measured during those moments filled with pain, tears, and doubt. The moments when you are vulnerable and alone. The moments when everything seems to go wrong.
I must rely on God. He does not put me in situations that I can not bear. He gives me hope when life seems bleak. He gives me strength when I am weak.
Psalm 46:1 - God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.
Philippians 4:13 - For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
My blog originated in the primordial ooze that is the internet. It was conceived as a mandatory obligation that had to be met, but soon became my guide through the depths of the unknown. I hesitantly approached the darkness with caution. The fear of the unknown was like walking into a swamp filled with unnerving sounds. I was consumed with the sense that someone or something was watching my every move. Each step that I took was filled with apprehension. As I stopped the sounds stopped. The steps I took were accompanied by a renewed sense of tension and a cacophony of dreadful wails. I looked around as I stepped closer and closer to that sense of dread that was filling me. Enveloped by the dark unknown, I walked with my arms in front of me and my feet exploring every step ahead. I shuffled along with caution and trepidation. Hoping to avoid everything that I ever feared, my hands became my sense of vision. I used my fingertips to navigate through all of the obstacles that I was facing, as well as the unforeseen hurdles that I was sure to encounter. The environment seemed to awaken as I walked further into the gloomy haze. I walked slowly but surely, thinking that I would find a way out of this madness. I told myself that persistence would pay off, but all I did was walk further into the unknown. I have been walking for two months now, and I don't see myself getting out. I have finally accepted the fact that I am one of them. I am a being that has been symbiotically absorbed into the environment. I realize that I am no longer a visitor walking in the dark. I am no longer lost.
Looking past imperfections and flaws is not easy, despite our own personal deficiencies and shortcomings. Embracing and loving people's flaws is so much more important than most people realize, or care to admit. It is easy to love someone for their good qualities but loving people because of their nagging habits and idiosyncrasies is true devotion and love. I misinterpreted and over analyzed so much in my life that I became a pseudo psychologist who was just looking for reasons to stay away. I was afraid of being committed to anything: school, work, women, or God. Basically, I was driven by ego, pride, and selfishness. Finally, at the age of 30, I became a man who embraced the importance of reciprocal, unequivocal love. All of the mistakes I made as a youth serve as lessons that continue to make incremental differences in my life. God works in his way and his way only. I learn lessons from examples and experiences in my life that I never forgot. However, there is a time and place for those experiences to manifest into life-altering principles. God works in mysterious ways but he always has a foundation as to how those experiences will affect us. There are things that we deal with everyday that mold us into the people that we are and the people that we will become.
I learned to understand the importance of loving each person for what they are, not for what I think or hope they are. Each person is unique; However, our differences truly allow us to realize our abundant similarities. We have all dealt with individual obstacles and traveled different paths in life. The roads might be different but our destinations are the same.
Here is a song called "The Abusing of the Rib" from Atmosphere that I thought of when I wrote this post:
(Lyrics) I wanna follow the footprints across my lover's stomach I wanna call out her name before I plummet I wish I had a map of the terrain so I could step around the landmines Avoid the beasts under the bed that bring their bad times I wanna find this here so-called treasure The pleasure, the trinkets, the never-ending weekends Acknowledging that I'm still just a piece of the sequence But seein' these different footprints got me needin' to show my weakness The time-line, the time zones, I cross them with my eyes closed Memorized the landmarks and learned the cycles The weather patterns, how the seasons affect the East and the West of each region learned the cycles Forget about the fact that many trails have been tracked Maybe it's a plus that there's a path If this was some uncharted land I'd have to be a smarter man willing to travel the farthest to unravel the harvest and natural resources are unlimited exploration only requires some desire and initiative take your time and find the right way to climb it ain't safe to play games with natures mind
If I could show you, you would never leave it (never) And if I could show you, you would never leave it (never) And if I could show you, you would never leave it (never) And if I could show you, you would never leave it (never) And if I could show you, you would never leave it (never) And If I could show you, you would never leave me
I wanna ride a train up my lover's arm Destination the brain and climb out and find out what's going on Cut through trees and ride through rocks And synchronize the universal sundial to my watch I've seen a lot But not quite as much as her To top it off the memory and her imagination blur I know she's been put through hell I can feel it And I know she's touched heaven as well Trying to steal it It came on and it taught her the song Strung her along and it caught her when that guard was gone Now to the break of dawn she wants to feel that fix And all the family and friends is trying to seal them lips I'm not dumb I can hear that train come from miles away I'm setting obstacles to stop the arrival Gonna blow up the iron and wood road From what I understood those be the orifice of her survival My recital Yet another tantrum Because she's highly excitable Swinging moods at random No happy endings always off to a bad start Addictive Voyeurism to the trackmarks...
And if I could show you, you would never leave it, (never, nah) And if I could show you, you would never leave it, (never) And if I could show you, yo, you would never leave it, (never) And if I could show you, yo,you would never leave it, (never) And if I could show you ......(fading).....
Time management is a wonderful thing. That is, if you have the slightest idea of how to implement it. Time management can result in seeming like you are prepared, dedicated, focused, and somewhat intelligent. Applying time management skills to everyday life has a way of making you seem like you have it together. On the other hand, bad time management seems to make things more serious. Improper time management makes people seem unprepared, rushed, and somewhat lost. Now, I'm not saying that that is the case. I'm just saying that it seems like it. Waiting until the last minute gives me a rush but it also brings some unnecessary gray hairs. Recently, I've been pretty good with time management. However, this week was straight out of the Twilight Zone. Everything seemed "off" and I have been unable to get on track. I just do not feel like I am myself this week. I have two projects due today, as well as two exams, and a obligatory post on my blog (this is it). I don't like waiting until the last minute. That was one reason as to why I underachieved in school when I was younger, and I refuse to fall back on my bad study habits. I guess we all have those moments when everything is out of whack. With that being said, I have to get things done right and in a timely manner because you just never know what will come up. After all, this is life and it doesn't always work out as planned, despite our best laid plans. I guess the bad timing of this past week can only help me improve my time management.
Life is full of joy and hardship, good times and bad times, laughter and despair, and triumphs and failures. The Wire is an American drama that combines all of these characteristics in an unparalleled manner. Its five season run on HBO displayed writing, character development, and story telling at its absolute best. Each season focused on main plots and subplots of previous seasons. However, one thing that never changed was the main character, the city of Baltimore.
The first season focused on the inner city and the cat and mouse game between the police and the local drug dealers, the Barksdale crew.
The second season sheds light on the destruction of the middle-class by centering the story around the dock workers and the ever decreasing employment opportunities available.
Politics, whether governmental or organizational (police department) was the key plot in the third season.
By the time the fourth season rolled around most of the characters were fleshed out. However, the emergence of four kids brought the show to a whole new level, by way of focusing on the inadequacies of the school system.
Finally, season five deals with the media and the manipulative nature of the business. Story fabrications and the ways in which the "powers that be" find a story to be "news worthy" are addressed. I love being entertained by dramatic, gripping, and realistic stories and The Wire delivers in every possible way. If you enjoy stories that focus on characters and reality, then this is the show for you. I implore you to take a chance on this show and all that if offers. As in life, there will be moments that make you angry, sad, pessimistic, and discouraged with all that goes on in society. However, there will be moments that make you smile, laugh and hopeful in seeing the good amid so much tragedy. Go out and experience the greatness that is The Wire, you surely will not be disappointed. In fact, you will be glad that you got a chance to experience such a powerful story.
Plagiarism is a very dirty word in the writing community. It can be viewed as fraudulent, unethical, dishonest, as well as some other words that can not be used on this blog. Whichever word you decide to use, it's invariably going to be negative. The books, stories, novels, and biographies are the end-results. However, most people don't think about the hard work that goes into writing. Preparation, research, and constant revisions are a few of the many facets of writing that often go unnoticed. And, as with any profession, there are regulations that must be followed.Citing sources is a simple and vital step that ALWAYS needs to be fulfilled. Citing displays responsibility and professionalism, by way of crediting appropriate sources and authors."Giving credit where credit is due", is a oft-used phrase that sums up the necessity of citing sources perfectly.
Now, I just hope that I don't get accused of plagiarism for not properly citing the quoted material above.
Never in my wildest dreams did I ever consider starting my own blog. However, it has been a pleasant experience. Apparently, I'm now a part of a larger writing community, called the blog-o-sphere. Honestly, I don't feel like I'm part of a larger writing community. I feel like I'm this lone microscopic spec within the far reaches of the internet. The only people that will come across my blog are classmates, family, friends, and people that somehow stumbled upon my blog because of an obvious mistake. Nevertheless, I am dedicated to maintaining the spirit of my blog. Being able to post random thoughts and irrelevant information gives me a sense of satisfaction and joy. I think that everyone on this planet needs to take the time to laugh and learn. That is what I will attempt to bring to my blog. I will try to make people laugh by my unique (weird), humorous (hopefully), and my informative but irrelevant posts. I know that I am far from being a polished writer but I will approach my blog with posts that represent my writing as an analogy of myself. I will strive for proper context, spelling, and grammar, which is my dedication to do things the right way. However, the subject matter will be humorous, quirky, and disproportionately informative, which allows me to keep things on the lighter side . There is a time and place to be serious and formal but I will always look for ways to relish the many joys that life has to offer in a casual manner. I'm like a guy that wears a nice suit with a pair of sneakers.
My sister was looking for a document a couple of days ago and she came across countless pictures of me when I was a young boy. I looked through the pictures and they were within a specific age range. The pictures were of me as an infant up until about 12 years of age. It was then that I realized something. I was a ghost for about 15 plus years. There is no record that I even existed, if you go by pictures. I was never a fan of taking pictures. I felt awkward smiling for pictures. I always had that face that said, "Come on take the picture already, I don't want to hold this face for too long." (God forbid they had the old cameras and they had to wind up the film just to take another picture.) It was like a moment of bad acting for me. Granted, I love life and I have a smile on my face most of the time but taking pictures made me feel like I was in a momentary state of suspended animation. Those 15+ years of pictorial anonymity was like a vacation. No more sudden smiles and saying "cheese" for me. Well, my family speaks Spanish so it was probably "siiiii" instead of "cheese". Anyway, I'm writing this rant because I took a picture to post on my blog profile. It brought back all the memories of poses and awkward smiles that I had to go through. I guess I lucked out in one photo-related aspect. Luckily, I never had a family picture taken where the whole family is looking slightly to the left, as if there is something so interesting that everyone happened to look "over there" at the same exact time.
Better yet, I'm glad that my family wasn't as creative as this family was with there "wonderful" idea.
I think I might have a problem. I have way too many pairs of sneakers and I'm currently hell bent on getting as many pairs of Asics Onitsuka Tigers as I can. That doesn't necessarily make sense because I have to maintain a strict budget because of bills and responsibilities. However, I don't completely understand why my obsessive nature kicks in (no pun intended) when it does and it's only with sneakers. It might be due to the fact that I am a 31 year old man going on 15. I like to consider myself a relatively mature individual but I have the mentality of a teenager at times (most times). I have over 40 pairs of sneakers and only 3 pairs of shoes. I see them and I realize how much of a kid I really am. Better yet, they are examples of the mentality that I try to maintain. (At least that's how I try to rationalize my obsession). I think that all the sneakers that I have are reminders to preserve a youthful exuberance, which includes an active life and having a bright outlook on all the things that I will soon come across. Like a child with his whole life ahead of him, it is important to keep positive expectations for the future. These particular sneakers are simple yet full of vibrant colors and they are a reflection of what I want in life. I greatly enjoy the simple things like spending time with family, learning and experiencing new things, and strengthening my relationship with GOD. Taking part in these simple blessings will always allow me to have a bright and hopeful outlook on life with nothing but gratitude. You know what? I thought my obsession with sneakers was a problem, looking at it now, I'm seeing it more as a possible solution. Who am I kidding? I'm just trying to justify my sneaker addiction.
I was speaking with a friend today (Gomez) and I remembered a conversation we had a while ago about dreams. We were discussing how people dreamed before the invention of television and how it might have distorted our individual creative thought process and perspective. I wonder how tribes that live in the depths of the jungles dreams vary from ours. Is it possible that there dreams are more indicative of true creativity and imagination than ours? Are our dreams strictly variations of what we've seen on television or what we have witnessed? Or am I just over-analyzing for the sake of this post? Just a random thought that popped into my head. See, that's why I named the blog Dennis' Random Ramblings.
I guess I should start off by introducing myself. My name is Dennis and I am 31 years old. I was born in Tela, Honduras, raised in Brooklyn, NY and currently live in Lawrenceville, GA. I am a New York Mets fan and a fan of the New York Giants. I am full of useless information, that's why I decided to name this blog Dennis' Random Ramblings. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that I would start my own blog. I guess you can never say never when it comes to things you really don't think about. In this blog I hope to pass along information and observations that will probably have no importance or significance in your lives but it'll hopefully make you say "I never knew that", "that's interesting", or "Wow, this guy has way too much time on his hands". I'm just getting started so you will have to give me some time to add anything substantial to my blog (I still find it weird typing "my blog"). Anyway, I hope that my initial post has aroused some sort of interest in the minds of the curious. Take care and I'll "speak" to you soon.
