Tag: life

Life is creation Love is existence. Time the catalyst.

Published on by Tosha Michelle5 Comments

 

I have my moments of boisterous and loud behavior,

usually, when I am angry or excited over the prospect

of chocolate, or a new book, but mostly I prefer to live

a reflective quiet existence.  I freely give my time and

resources and often share more than I should. I

sometimes find myself over extended. I love to analyze

things to death. I am a classic over thinker, digging and

examining issues, putting myself in the heart of

difficult situations.  It makes for an interesting life.

but I feel strongly that love should be given freely

and without fear, or expectations.

I truly believe we are not alone in this world. 

Everything is alive.  Everything is conscious.

Everyone is our friend. We are all part of the

universe; we are one and it’s up to us to make the world

a better place. Life is in us and all around us. 

“The really important kind of freedom involves

attention and awareness and discipline, and being able

truly to care about other people and to sacrifice for

them over and over in myriad petty, unsexy ways every

day.”

-David Foster Wallace.

“The world we are experiencing today is the result of

our collective consciousness, and if we want a new

world, each of us must start taking responsibility for

helping create it.”

—Rosemary Fillmore Rhea

Sage Wisdom (cough. cough) by Yours Truly

Published on by Tosha Michelle5 Comments

1. On the days you can’t seem to please anyone, please yourself.

2. Everyone has baggage. It’s just that some of ours comes in a carry on while others comes in a tank of a suitcase.

3. You can never change a man so don’t even try. Love him as he is and save your energy for more important endeavors: like eating Godiva, shopping, and hiding his body.

4. Justice may be for all, but seldom is.

5. Childbirth is a walk in the park compared to child rearing.

6. Less fear. More action.

7. Music can soothe the soul unless it is hip hop; then I just want to brain someone.

8. When in Hot Topic, be sure to distinguish between the door and glass window before charging toward what you think is the exit. Trust me, your head will thank you. Also, take along a friend and children who will actaully stop you from the aforementioned instead of laughing at you like you are the funniest thing since Bridesmaids, the movie. OK, never mind that film was terrible, but you get the point.

9. Unsolicited advice is rarely appreciated unless the person you are giving it to is hammered at the time.

10. Wearing freakishly high heels to a standing room only concert is never a good idea; just ask my feet.

11.. Kindness is more important than having the last word unless, you are dealing with a jerk; then go ahead get in the last dig:)

12. Money does not buy happiness, but it can buy a boatload of chocolate.

13. Love, not time, heals all wounds.

14. Bitterness and resentment will destroy your soul. Let it go!

15. I can’t help how I feel, but I can help how I act on my feelings.

16. Accept and value yourself. This will bring you happiness. Embrace the good and the bad. I think we will always care what others think of us. But the key it to stop worrying about it and live our lives on our terms. Love the ones who matter. Leave out the rest.

17. It’s not what you say, it is what you do. So carry a big stick. I know Huh???

18. No matter how much you care, some people are just A-holes.

19. If you are a celebrity, sadly, you can get away with pretty much anything.

20. Southern girls do it better. Note, I am not sure what “it” is, but trust me, we do it better!

21. Sweet tea goes with anything.

22. Cats only want attention when you are sleeping, reading, writing a paper, or doing chores.

23. By the way, my cat is a rock star.

24. Reading is fundamental, but math will get you the high paying jobs.

25. There is beauty in imperfection.

26. Growth only comes through change; or eating tons of chocolate.

27. Everyday you should reach out and touch someone, just be prepared to be slapped.

28. It is more important to be lovable than loved.

29. In order to get along with your obnoxious, elitist, know it all of an neighbor, pretend they’re someone else’s.

30. Robert Frost was right, “Life goes on.”

Sweet Tea Musings

Published on by Tosha Michelle4 Comments

In every life there’s always a moment

Where we lose ourselves

And the gray takes over.

Colorized in shades of black and blue
there are times

Where all we see is a haze of yellow
and we find ourselves
Basking in the warmth of assurance.

A mirage of transcendental tones,
Self and not self

Doership and discipleship
we wrestle with reality and myth.
Creating distinctions in the labyrinth of our minds,
Painting on a canvas

Of the ridiculous and sublime
Ruminating upon

Thoughts of power,

Fate and choice
Salted, peppered, and sprinkled,

With philosophical introspection,
of purple, green and dazzling shades of

The Existential who?
The seas, the sky,

Me, myself

And I,
Creating, defining,

Defying, perplexing,

Pondering, wondering,

Wandering oxygen becomes fire

With red being the only hue.

-Tosha Michelle Woody

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Beauty and the Self Conscious Beast.

Published on by Tosha Michelle2 Comments

 

Imperfection and flaws are beautiful no matter how strange or dysfunctional they may be. We all strive for perfection, but it is an unattainable, elusive dream . OK, unless you are Timothy Olyphant! Hubba, friggin hubba. 

390_1timothy_olyphant_2

But I digress….

We all have things we would like to change about ourselves. Learning to accept that we are perfectly imperfect is the key to peace of mind and giving our mirrors a much needed reprieve.  Let’s own our flaws and make them fabulous. Idiosyncrasies should be embraced. How boring life would be without them?

We women especially put so much effort, into our hair, makeup and dress, setting such a high standard by comparing ourselves to others when we should just learn to love ourselves for who we are, flaws and all. Those flaws are what make us uniquely us. Let’s learn to be confident in our insecurities. Our fears do not define our worth, nor naysayers out to cast their stones. Let’s declare our independence from self doubt.  Remember, under all those gorgeous dresses, lovely hats, and winning smile, even Kate Middleton probably has some really quirky qualities about her, like drinking milk straight from the cartoon, or something deranged like that.

 

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Less Fear…More Action.

Published on by Tosha Michelle7 Comments

Society’s greatest ill is apathy and the cost of that indifference is losing touch with our humanity.  It’s not enough to just observe. We have to do more, expect more and be more.  Being submissive is not an option when it comes to economical, social, environmental and political issues. Our voices matter. Our actions count.

Don’t just observe. Get involved.  Don’t just think. Do. Don’t just exist. Live.

 

 Apathy

 

Apathy your momentous

Tune lulls us to sleep.

In our somber slumber

Dreaming dreamless dreams.

 

Solace is found in a mind-

Numbing hypnotic sound.

In our cationic state

There is no hope, no pain.

Only blissful unawareness.

 

In our hibernation

We are safe from-

Addiction,

War,

Famine,

Genocide,

Poverty,

Racism.

They don’t exist

In our drowsy bliss.

 

Silent and unaware

We doze on as the world

Spins Madly on

Raging on

Warring on.

 

We lay lost;

Entranced in the

Sublime banality of

A shadow of leafless,

Fruitless trees.

 

-TMW

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 “The rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man are threatened.”
― John F. Kennedy

 

The Tangled Web-My Journey to the Center of the Internet

Published on by Tosha Michelle6 Comments

My darling friend Jane wrote a web log about her experiences on the internet last week. It is a must read.  You can find it here. 

 

http://jerphila.wordpress.com/

 

Her musings have inspired me to write about my own internet saga.  Let me set the stage for you.  The year was 1999 and I was still very much a baby, at least emotionally. You see, I had always led a cloistered and sheltered life, a relativity happy life. Blessed in many ways. . It’s as if I had stepped right out of an Austen novel However, this was a difficult year for me, the hardest of my life in fact. This was the year I walked straight into a Bronte narrative, Emily’s not Charlotte’s.  I was struggling both emotionally and physically. My situation made me a hot mess of crazy (as oppose to my usual quirky mess of nutty) My emotions were all over the place and the quarter life crisis was in full swing.  Good times, y’all.

 Have I set this up enough? Do you get the picture? Imagine “All About Eve” meets “Brian’s Song”. It was the year of my discontent that I discovered the web and all its mysteries. I was like a kid in a candy store, a very innocent and fragile kid.  The internet opened up a whole new world for me and I met some really interesting characters. One would become a lifelong friend and to this day is like a sister to me. The other came into my life for a season to guide and teach me some valuable lessons about myself and the world at large. Lessons that took awhile to take hold, I’m nothing if not stubborn. This person taught me to be real with myself, to be honest.  They helped me find parts that were lost, they showed me parts I had hidden away, they exposed things I did not wish to look at yet needed to and they encouraged me to believe in myself.  Through their support, I learned to stand on my own two feet and found my voice. I learned I had more courage than I thought and discovered an inner strength I never knew I possessed. I learned to appreciate what I have and to live life to the fullest with no regrets, no excuses and no looking back. They also taught me how to let go of fear, guilt, anger, and the hot mess crazy side of myself. On a trivial note, it was from them that I acquired my love for “The Princess Bride”

 

Both these people were my anchors and life lines. They helped me reconnect with my authentic self and discover new levels and depths to my personality. Of course they had to put up with a lot of drama and angst too.  I will forever be grateful for their support. I will always remember their kindness and how they were a catalyst for major changes in my life. All for the better. 

 

It was also through the internet that I met my friends, Jane, Niles, and Mr. Lovely himself Colin. These relationships have morphed into real life. What a blessing.  I am forever indebted to Jane for always being a sounding board, my soul sister and partner in crime. She makes me laugh and amazes me with her tenacity and spunk. She’s beautiful inside and out and the ying to my yang. Niles is my brother from another mother and my eternal introverted bibliophile buddy. He’s a quiet, gentle soul full of knowledge and kindness. Then there Colin he is my mentor and a myriad of the mystic and profound. It is through him that I have learned so much about humanity.  He inspired me to become an advocate, to do more, expect more and be more. Of course there was also the eccentric and magnetic Dr. Suglia but that’s a blog in and of itself.

 

I suppose with any good, there is always the bad. Sometimes the angels become the demons. I have had my fair share of bad experiences on-line. These have occurred over the last few years. I had a cyber stalker. This person created a fake page and used my name and pictures. They wrote horrible things on it. They also tormented my mother. Nobody messes with my mama. GRR! It was absurd and ridiculous. Thankfully, we had a good friend who was able to help us deal with the situation and put an end to it.

I have also come across a few users who prey on kindness. You know the type of people who have an agenda and seek you out to use and then discard. They suck you into their twisted game of deception all under the guise of friendship. Scamming and scheming is all they know.  These people are masters of deception, wolves in sheep’s clothing.  They appear sweet and unassuming but much like the holly at Christmas they are poison They leave behind only carnage in their wake.   They take hot crazy mess to a whole new and terrifying level.

My Granny always taught me to make sunshine out of rain. In some ways even the negatives are positives because through these experiences I have become more enlightened. I’m not the same gullible, sheltered waif I once was. My eyes are wide open. The girl that longed to see the best in people is still alive in me.  I hope I never lose touch with her, her childlike exuberant sustains me. She’s just older, wiser and more in tune with the ways of the world.

I’ll end my saga by saying the internet is a paradox full of wonder and lackluster. It can be the great equalizer and the great enabler.  I love it tremendously and abhor it whole heartily.  It will never take the place of reading a good book, a walk in the sunshine, a glass of sweet tea, traveling the globe, a warm hug, or spending time with those we love. But, it can be a place to connect, communicate, learn, create advocate and be entertained.

Oh and watch adorable cat videos. Meow!

 

 -The End

“You can’t stop the future You can’t rewind the past The only way to learn the secret …is to press play.”

Published on by Tosha Michelle2 Comments

 Change is an organic thing that that happens every minute, everyday, and everywhere. We as people are not meant to stay static.  We may grow up but we should never stop maturing and expanding our hearts and minds.   We shouldn’t be held captive by the past or how people perceive us. We create and radiate our own unique way of being.

In some ways we are always changing but yet staying the same.  When I look back at the me from yesteryear, I still see the same quirky, awkward, random, sentimental girl.  I also see a woman who has a wealth of experience, who has endured illness, heartache and loss, but also experienced wonderful life altering adventures. My journey has taken me out of my comfort zone and into a world of growth and enlightenment. It doesn’t hurt that I have been blessed with the love and unwavering support of family and friends. These people teach me so much every day.

I still process information the same way, but experience has altered the way I interpret that information.  Every day, reveals a new layer of character, the years are teaching me and molding me into a better version of myself.  I embrace getting older and look forward to one day being a, “wise old soul”. Emerson said “As we grow old the beauty steals inward” What a beautiful sentiment.

 A work in process is what I will always be.. I’m still evolving. I hope that never changes, even as I change..  However, I know what I stand for and who I am.  Uncertainty has no place in my inner world.  It’s a gift where decisions become easier, temptations become less, and confidence grows stronger.  

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“For what it’s worth: it’s never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same; there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you’re proud of. If you find that you’re not, I hope you have the courage to start all over again.”
― Eric Roth, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button screenplay