Lost of Inspiration: My Plans of Making a Better Life

So as you can see I took my website down for about a month, it wasn’t because I didn’t want to write but because I just didn’t feel like writing.  I just wasn’t inspired to write anything, anything good that is.  I let my life take on a hectic turn of events and being unorganized.  I was so focused on upcoming events that are short-term happiness that I took my focus away from something that could possibly be an awesome hobby for me.

So with that being said I have refocused my attention to my happiness and in the process try to find my true purpose of my life.  I want my life to be wonderful and more blissful than what it already has.  Crazy I know wanting more happiness and enjoyment of time with family, it’s crazy to even think about it and even trying to accomplish it may seem impossible.  But it really isn’t.  Similar to those that I have met that smoke their problems away, don’t seem to care about many troubles of the world nor the small ones that plague so many lives and cause so much destruction and stress.  No I’m not saying that I will smoke or start smoking for that matter or even turn to other drugs but I can take the same approach to accomplishing a more lax lifestyle.  As the great song by Lil Duval says, “I’m living my best life.”  I am truly happy at the way things have turned out for me so far.  And I definitely can’t wait to see what comes up ahead.

But my steps at getting towards that happiness is simple so far and I’m still working out some kinks of course.  But it all starts with my health.  The things that I put into my body have to be of benefit to me in the essence of my survival and longevity.  I’m not saying that I am vegan or a vegetarian, but the concepts of eating healthy and more natural foods is definitely a journey on its own.  Also, if I am eating correctly as well as my family then working out is also essential to make sure my body and mind is in tune with the universe.  I am still working on syncing everything together but I love the experience so far.

Next, it’s getting my plans together for the remainder of my life.  Things that I want to do, places that I want to see, and people I want to meet.  And not to mention the life experiences I will get to experience.  Once you start meditating and getting your mind-body and soul together the outside world is not so scary nor is it a bother on nonsense and frivolous things.  Such as, bills, money worries, worldly desires, and amongst other things.

Finally, getting my spiritual body is a journey that I have been struggling with for years now.  Making sure that I am on the right path is crucial to myself, family, and those that I positively affect around me.  Even the negative energy that I may give off unknowingly has to be kept in check at all times.  Knowing when you are in a bad mood can allow evil spirits to enter and be released to those around you and have a negative effect.

So making sure my body inside and out it taken care of, making sure that my life is less stressful and beneficial, and lastly making sure my spiritual mind-body and soul in check.  It’s all apart of my plan to make sure my life is non regretful and fulfilled with happiness.

Black Parent’s Fear: Raising a Child in America Part 2

It’s a beautiful day today, maybe we should have a cookout in the park.  My 6’3″ husband with his sexy dark chocolate skin and shoulder length dreads put our more handsome dark almond son in his seat.  I pack the food and everything we would need into our car nevermind the make and model, it shouldn’t be important.  Or should it?  Because I’m also slightly tall standing at 5’7″ with almond long legs.  I know that beautiful bundle of joy that I carried for 40 weeks is a target.  I can’t help but fear for him every time he is out of my sight.  Just like I know my husband’s mother probably shouldn’t worry about both of her tall sons but in the back of her mind she does.  It’s strange to me know knowing the biggest fear I had in life was having a son.  And even though I can’t live without him the fears and anxiety I have about his future is very real.

Everyday I turn on my phone and there it is on my social media timelines about someone being attacked or killed for the color of their skin.  All because of the assumption that the opposite race had of them.  What has become of America?  Has it always been this violent and we as people didn’t have much light shed on it because of social media?  Is it a curse and a blessing to have so much information at our fingertips?  But what if we didn’t have the resources?  Would the danger still be this real or we just more oblivious to it?  I can’t help but wonder is there a better place in the world to raise a brown skin family?

No I don’t want my son living in a world where so much hatred exist for other human beings as if no one’s life matters but our own.  He’s a toddler now and everyday I question my thoughts on how to explain race issues and when.  When would it be a good time to sit my handsome son down and explain to him what is going on in this world and to be mindful of his surroundings at all times?  Questions such as, should I wait till he experiences this issue or will that be too late for his precious life.  The mere thought of living life without my child or worst having to bury him before my time is up is horrifying.  No parent should have to worry about these things at any point in their lives.  Only the thoughts of proms, graduations, weddings, and every other exciting milestone should be in a parents thought.  The fact that I have anxiety attacks that send me to my knees in pray whenever my husband leaves the house is no good for my health nor thoughts.  But this is America.

I know if I constantly think in this way then I have allowed those who try to insert fear and supremacy into people’s lives win.  But if I don’t think about the possibilities then I am just as a fool who thinks that nothing bad could happen to them.  I do believe in law of attraction, therefore, I do think about old age and prosperity anytime those evil thoughts creep into my mind.  I also think about alternatives to those horrible events to the point that I pray instantly and think of a better outcome.   So all hope is not lost and I know that my son will have a better future in America but for those that have and will go through tragedy.  There is always a light at the end of the tunnel you just have to keep moving.

 

Thanks…SimplyBetty101

Listen DON’T Touch My Hair: It Is Not an Object of Wonder

Why is it that industry is so fascinated with my (brown-skinned person) hair?  Do I come up to you and ask can I touch your hair whenever I want?  No, so please stop asking to touch mine.  There is this current phenomenon going on where people of color are embracing their natural hair texture.  And it’s not saying that relaxed or processed hair is bad.  Well, it sort of, it’s bad for colored-person hair texture.  I mean all those chemicals just damage the hair sometimes to the point of no repair.  Now, I don’t think it’s a bad thing that people want to embrace that beautiful boldness.  In fact, I love it especially when it is styled so forward ethnic.  Yes, I just made that term up.  But really let’s think about the history of why colored people process their hair in the first place.

It all began back in slavery days, yeap I went there, see people of colored didn’t have hair salons and/or days where they could just take off and get their hair done.  Not to mention that there were no combs specifically made for their hair texture.  So what did they do to combat this blatant disrespect of care for hair?  Braids and headdresses/wraps.  That’s right on the one-off day that colored people had they either got their hair braided or they just simply wrapped their hair up during the week.  Then came a period where it was slight-ish relaxed we got our hair straighten.  Okay, I won’t beat around the bush after slavery when people of color were actually freed.  Which in this case Juneteenth, not 4th of July for Independence day, no actual June, 19, 1865.  Juneteenth, also known as Juneteenth Independence Day or Freedom Day, is an American holiday where the announcement of slavery was abolished in the U.S. to those of colored.  Even though the Emancipation Proclamation was issued and signed 2 years prior.

Anyways, during this time people of color had more time on their hands to actually care for their hair which is why Sarah Breedlove also known as Madam C.J. Walker made a fortune on hair products.  Besides it could not have been before that because she wasn’t born until 1867.  Now that the history section is out-of-the-way, we can get back to colored people hair of the 2000s.  Well, kinda, see it is also known that Jim Crow laws and other harsh treatments were presented during this time period and in order for colored people to fit in and be accepted more they had to do something about their hair.  Wearing the natural hair texture was not going to work and be presentable in the workforce.  So, straighten and processed hair came into play.  But now that times have changed drastically and colored people no longer want to wear their hair in such a damaged state anymore.  Companies and businesses are now trying to conform to the new norm because the last thing that a big corporation or even a small one wants is a major lawsuit that says the they are discriminatory towards people of color.  We have already seen it all over the news for some corporations, such as the military that didn’t allow females to wear Afros, braids, dreads, and other ethnic hairstyles.  Or a school that prohibited females to prom for braids because it went against dress code.  Places of business are now starting to conform the way they look at hair and I for one am Loving it.  Though I am not much of a hairstylist and I can do simple maintenance to my hair.

So why is society so bent out of shape of people of colored wearing our natural hair texture.  Even though it is known that people of color built this country on the orders of others.  And though this is not a hate blog about those times.  Why is it so hard to move on from those discriminatory ways?  What harm does it really have to wear natural hair.  It’s not like it’s going to take someone hostage or start talking like a living baby.  If I have to change my hair for a company then there should also be standards for those for majority controlling party.  Such as, disrespect and blatant disregard for a human is not an okay policy and catering to a specific color of race is not humane.  Basically or simply put, treat others of all race and ethnic backgrounds the way you would want to be treated.  So HELL NO you cannot touch my hair, it is not an object of wonder.  It is just simply hair, the same thing that grows on your body.  Besides, I don’t know where your hands have been, if they are cleaned, and most importantly I said no.

 

SimplyBetty101

Why Women Struggle to Lose Weight

If you are like me and you struggle to lose weight around the midsection, then you know it is annoying.  Especially, when your spouse is either working out less or the same amount as you.  And somehow they are losing weight at a fast pace while you barely see the scale move.  I too have been suffering from the dilemma all summer.  So I came across an article written on Dr. Axe website called, “9 Reasons Why Women Struggle to Lose Weight + Solutions.”  This has helped me a lot so maybe it can help you.

 

Reasons why women struggle to lose weight - Dr. Axe

Full article can be read at https://draxe.com/reasons-why-women-struggle-lose-weight-and-weight-loss-tips/

 

Healthy Lifestyle Goals

So since 2015, before I was pregnant, I was on this new health kick where if I workout hard then I could eat whatever I wanted.  And for a while that worked until I got pregnant.  Now before I was pregnant I weighed a solid 150 lbs. and dropped down to 140 lbs.  But oh when I went in to delivery I was an even 200 lbs.  Now that is a lot for myself since my biggest size was a 10 in juniors.  Now some of you may be thinking that 200 lbs is not so bad but if you have seen any pictures of me then you know that 200 lbs was a far cry from the 110 lbs my freshman year of college.

Since I was active and working out before I was pregnant and a little while pregnant, I thought, first baby my body would just snap back into place like I had seen some of my friends.  WRONG!!!!!! My body and genetics is completely different from my friends.  See once I had my baby I only dropped 20 lbs.  Yeap, just a measly 20 lbs.  So I thought well maybe I just have to give it some time.  Nope that didn’t work either over 6 months had past and not a single pound was dropped.  So I came up with a weekly goal and a plan.  Though I have been working on this lifestyle and tweaking things here and there I am determined to get down to 150 lbs before my birthday in November.  So wish me luck….

  1. Workout at least 5 times a week
  2. Healthier meals (no wings) (ok at least not every week)
  3. Motivation and consistency is key
  4. Don’t lose faith, progress is slow and the reward is awesome
  5. Make it a friends and family thing (this will push you even more and make you competitive)
  6. Keep progress reports and change things if results are not showing in 2 weeks time
  7. And you are not alone…..
  8. Love yourself in whatever stage
  9. No shortcuts (plastic surgery) – maybe a breast lift
  10. And I ran out of things to say LOL….enjoy

Thanks for reading…. SimplyBetty101

In Home Dinner Date….

12 oz. Ribeye Steak seasoned with Kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic

Spring salad with bleu cheese salad mix with creamy ceasar dressing

Brown rice made with velveeta cheese, spinach, mushrooms, and sharp cheddar cheese

Hawaiian roll

Protein Smoothie

So in my current protein smoothie, that I make after workouts consist of…

1 scoop of Chocolate Raw Organic Protein from Garden of Life (Link Below and also sold at H-E-B)
2 small organic bananas
1 gala apple
10 oz. of Dark Chocolate Almond Milk by Silk (so far Kroger is the only place I found store wise, link below)
https://amzn.to/2J8MhSR — Amazon link
Ice is optional

Blend altogether in your cheap or expensive blender and BAAM…delicious and nutritious smoothie

Protein powder is to my liking and use with caution if you are allergic to chocolate…this is my protein smoothie that I drink and I am not a dietitian. I created this smoothie for my needs of food supplement, repair and build of muscles.

Comment below with some of your suggestions….Thanks SimplyBetty101

Random Thought…JUMP and Take the RISK

Why are you so scared to jump? Starting something new isn’t going to be easy and you may not have the support that you are used to. But ask yourself these questions

1. What can you sacrifice?
2. Can you live with that decision?
3. What scares you about this decision?
4. Is it worth your happiness for the rest of your life/ is the decision based on the betterment for you?

Yes, taking a leap of faith on yourself to pursue something that has always been a dream is scary and maybe dangerous. But do you want to be one of those people who always wondered what life would’ve been like? Or do you want to say I tried and conquered. Or maybe you didn’t conquer but it took you on a different route to satisfaction. No one can decide your life but yourself. And yes you may lose those you hold and cherish, but if they cannot support or understand, did they really cherish you? Don’t be surprise if those you look up such as family, best friend, or even ideals walk away or discourage you. Everything will come full circle and life will proceed with or without them. Look even if you’re doing things to help others, wouldn’t you be in a better position to help those if you were happy?

Think about it….SimplyBetty101

Suggested Reading

Exhaustion: Mental, Physical, and Emotional Toll

Exhaustion can set in when you least expect it and be an inconvenience. If you have been running on excitement and adrenaline for the past couple of hours, days, weeks, or whatever your time span is. Once that excitement wears off and your mood starts to change so does your energy. And that’s when exhaustion sets in.

It’s not easy to predict or prepare for when your busy and only thinking of the happy ending. But what we don’t take into account is the actual time it takes to get to that happy ending. For example, how many times have you planned something to the second of how its suppose to go rather it’s a party or you’re getting ready for one and things don’t go as plan. Or you end up being late because something got thrown off. Whatever the reason time was not on your side. Same for exhaustion.

You can be running and running on whatever energy that is getting the job done and then… BOOM. Time shows up and you’re out of it. Or if you did get it all done enjoying it will either never come or come later after you have recouped from the exhaustion. I know people say pace yourself and don’t rush. But when you live in a time sensitive world not much can be paced.

Now of course, most of us would just take something before that feeling of sit down kicks in. Like an energy drink, coffee, or for you illegal or maybe legal users something like a recreational drug can help. I know you have seen the caffeine pills sold at the gas stations by the register. But if we are always hyped up on adrenaline then there is something that can make us sit down. If you haven’t figured it out yet, here’s a clue the name is in the title. Yeap, good old friend exhaustion again. See even if you’re hyped up on caffeine to help keep you going, unfortunately we are not Energizer bunnies. Ladies and gents your body will crash. Some in an okay stable way at home or close and the others in an ambulance. See your mind might be ready but there is only so much the body can take. And believe me when it breaks it breaks people to a full fledge halt.

So be mindful of your limits because exhaustion can come in any form. Rather its physical, mental, or even spiritual it will take you out and force you to rest. Even if you’re not ready or don’t want to. Just make sure you’re paying attention to your needs and not just your wants. Thanks… SimplyBetty101