Blast From The Past

Sometimes, life gets super busy that you hardly have time for yourself let alone the people that you care about. But at the same time, I'm a firm believer that if you care about someone, you'll go out of your way to make time for them. As of late, I had some time to reach out and catch up with some people I haven't seen in a while...like months, even years. It's super nice and for me, really brought things back down to earth being able to meet up with old friends, old flames and just catch up, chill and converse. It's dope seeing what people are up to and how people have changed or stayed the same. Whether it's like physical changes or changes to their personality, attitude or situation...I love seeing the growth and the change in people. I think with social media, it definitely makes it easier to see what people are up to...oh this person changed their hair, got a new job, has kids now, whatever whatever. But not everyone is on social media like that and not everyone has like a blog (lol) for example that you can read and see what they're up to and how much they've changed. Kinda plays into how it's been super nice to be able to catch up with people I haven't seen in a while. For one, it's like a stroll down memory lane...you think about the old times, you reminisce about your shared memories and you have a good time. It's cool cuz you'll always share the bonds and the memories with those people and for some people...your relationship stays the same. There's some people that I don't get to see often, but when I do it's all love and it's like we're kids or teenagers all over again chopping it up and having a good time. It's funny talking to my friends about people from high school for example and how some people after high school or university make a conscious decision to cut everyone off from their past and like 'start anew'. And I remember my friend telling me about one girl specifically who was like oh...you still keep in contact with people from high school? I guess you don't know how to move on lol. Now I never wanna be like that...I mean obvs its awkward seeing some people from back in the day, especially if you never really talked to them, but for the most part...it's pretty dope bumping into old people even if you shared really small moments with them like a class, a project, a locker, whatever it is. So yeah, that's just a little thought I had today cuz I've been bumping into a lot of familiar faces as of late and also reaching out to old friends...till next time...DEUCES.

Hit Or Miss

This is just a healthy reminder to myself and maybe a refresher for you...that not everybody's gonna f with you, not everyone's gonna dig your vibe, not everyone's gonna mess with you and not everyone's gonna like you...and that's perfectly fine. If you remember the show Recess, TJ finds out there's this one kid that doesn't like him and he goes to endless lengths to make this dude like him...bake him brownies, buy him toys and stuff and at the end of the episode the dude's like it's nothing personal, I just don't like you. And that's kinda how life is too...not everyone's gonna f with you and I think I used to be someone who really got triggered by that kinda stuff. I'd be like, oh well why, what can I do to change that and stuff. Now, I'm kinda like you know what...it is what it is. Same thing with the blog...everything that I put on this blog is me, it's a reflection and representation of me, my life and my experiences...but I've grown to learn, accept and understand that not everyone f's with the blog. Some people might think it's hella corny, lame or just me seeking attention...it is what it is and people are gonna feel how they wanna feel regardless of what you say or do. I entitled this 'hit or miss' cuz I've always been an on the fence kinda guy, someone who likes to see both sides and not really rock the boat. But as of late I've been trying to be more straight up and firm with my stances. I think you can still see both sides fairly while still choosing one. As for the blog...I've learned to appreciate and celebrate the people that really do dig the blog, I mean why waste your time on negative energy...where does that really get you? Just a short little thing I wanted to share with you, but moreso remind myself of as I write this out. Till next time, peace.

The Art Of Letting Go

The Art Of Being Lowkey

The Art Of Surprise

The Art Of Listening

First off, if you wanna read the other 'Art Of' posts, they'll be linked above. To be honest, this is something I haven't really figured out and still struggle with to this day, so I'm not too sure why I find myself writing this post lol. I looked up 'how to let go' on google and stumbled on a dope article on a site where people write about literally anything and everything, it's pretty cool, again I'll link it below. I' a really bad hoarder like I've mentioned before, that probably plays into why I'm so bad at letting things and letting people go. Simply put, you can't move onto something new if you're still holding onto something old. Easy enough to comprehend, but much more difficult to put to practice. I mean when it's something or someone of significant importance and meaning it's kinda hard to just let it go like it's nothing. But sometimes, when something or someone has reached their expiration date, fulfilled their use/purpose in your life and can't really offer/do much more for you, it's time to let go and move on. Holding on is one of if not the biggest thing stopping you from moving on. I told you I was reading an article and it talked about letting go being something challenging, scary and painful if it's something you feel you're not ready to let go of. It's especially worse when your heart and your mind are telling you 2 different things...a struggle I'm sure many of us face when it comes to making important decisions.


“Letting go is releasing all doubt, worry, and fear about a situation, person or outcome. It's releasing anything that disrupts your happiness and no longer serves you on your journey. Letting go is a choice to decide that you will no longer ruminate on tbings that are out of your control, and focuss on what you can control, instead.”

Going back tot he last post about choosing happiness, sometimes you have to let go of things/people that you care about or are important but ultimately harmful to you. Pretty sure we all can attest to finding joy or pleasure in something or someone we know isn't good for us but rather harmful. “Letting go creates space for fresh beginnings.” Y'all know I'm in the process of moving and in the process I had to go through a lot of my old clothes and throw away a lot of them, it created so much space for all my other stuff and all the new stuff that I'll probably end up buying in the future. Similarly, going back to my first point, you can't move on to something new until you've let go of the old. One of the points they mentioned in the article is the idea of 'getting it all out'. What that means is to express your emotions, to physically get it out. Whether that means writing it down, talking to something or whatever. It helps you process it, it makes it real and it also helps with stress release. Keeping everything bottled up is the worst thing you can do because eventually, it all comes spilling out. It's important to find what works for you and how you choose to get it all out. Friends, family, therapist or maybe someone with an unbiased opinion who can assess whatever you're going through and respond accordingly. After getting it all out comes acceptance. I kinda had to really sit and take a look at myself in the mirror when I read this part. Especially when I got to the part that said;


“we don't always get that closure we think we ought to have...fully accepting the situation as it is without constantly wishing it would be different is really the only way to getting on the road to being okay.”


The last idea in the article was to 'stay present'. Sounds simple enough, to be in the present and to enjoy and embrace it. It's easy to get so caught up in the past and what was that you totally neglect what's right in front of you...new opportunities, new beginnings, new chapters and much more. The best illustration I can leave you with is what I heard when I was a kid doing track and field. First of all, I was never fast lol but when you're running they tell you not to look back because it slows you down, as much as you want to see where the other racers are and how close or far they are away from you, when you look back it slows you down. That's kinda where I wanna leave this at...that whatever you're holding on to, ask yourself is it doing more help or harm to your happiness, has it fulfilled it's purpose in your journey and is it just simply time to let go and move on.


“Believe in God like the sun up in the sky,
science can tell us how but it can't tell us why.
I seen a baby cry then seconds later she laughed,
the beauty of life, the pain never lasts.”
J. Cole – The Badness

https://medium.com/personal-growth/to-anyone-who-struggles-with-letting-go-ed5bf12fb1e6

Choose Happiness - An Encouragement From My Mom At Work

So there's this lady at work that when I first met, I absolutely hated lol. Those who know me can attest to this, she was super annoying, loud and overly aggressive. But the more I talked to her, the more I realized we had a lot in common and the more I grew to enjoy being around her and talking to her. She's literally like my mom at work. She's always asking how I'm doing, if I've been going to church (she goes to the same one) and if I've been eating right lol. One time I actually told her I'm like you know, at work I kinda look at you like my mom and she like hugged me and was like haha I kinda see you as a son too...in her loud asian accent lol. So anyways, we were talking about like work and school and life and she was like honestly, follow you heart, do what makes you happy. Every time I see her she's always super happy and joyful and she's always like yeah because my hope and my joy comes from God and I'm like well damn lol. I honestly didn't have the heart to tell her I haven't been going to church as of late. I told her about how I'm going back to school and was feeling really nervous and anxious and she's like hey...be strong, be confident...you have to if you want to succeed in life. She told me how she was thinking of going back to school too...how work was finally getting to her, how nothing's changed in almost a year and she's not really happy anymore. She's like I spoke to our manager and he was like how come no one at this store smiles and she's like that's cuz you guys don't really care about us and the environment is horrible lol, yeah she said that to him lol she's hella blunt like that. But yeah, I told her how I'm going part time, how I've been unhappy for a while and she's maybe it's the right time to move on...as long as whatever you do end up choosing to do, you love it and it makes you happy.

This kinda leads me to the second part of the post...this idea of choosing happiness, even if that means change. Sometimes when I'm at work doing random stuff...I'm like man, this place is so depressing...literally there's nothing joyful about work...maybe when a little kid falls or a customer does something stupid I'll chuckle...my coworkers are the only dope aspect of work...and that's just socializing tbh lol. I just feel like I've exhausted my time here and the feeling I had when I first started working compared to now is drastically different, it's just time to move on...but in any situation, there always comes a time where you have to either make a change or move on. Think about being in a relationship...if it's not going anywhere, if it's not making you happy, maybe it's time to move on. There should be some sort of end goal, it shouldn't be just dicking around together for years and years, that's a waste of time. That's kinda the mindset I've been in lately...choose happiness, do what makes you happy and if you are in a situation where you're unhappy, change it or leave. Feel like that's applicable in so many aspects...friends, relationships, jobs. Sometimes people stay cuz it's comfortable, cuz it's been such a long time...that's just straight up unhealthy. Comfort is a good thing, but too much comfort makes you feel complacent, it makes you feel stagnant, like nothings moving, like nothing's going on. So I mean even with school comin gup, I was super stressed, nervous and anxious at first...but the more I thought about it...it's kinda a good thing. My friends were like well it makes sense to feel that way cuz you've been outta school for a year or two...once you get back into the swing of things it won't be so bad. And I mean looking long term and looking at the bigger picture, the whole point of school is so it'll set me up in the future with hopefully something I can see myself doing for the rest of my life. Something that will give me some sort of enjoyment. That's one of the biggest things I've learned about myself at my current work place...the importance of happiness, doesn't matter how much you're getting paid or whatever...I can't imagine getting up every single day and going to a place or doing things you hate for 8 hours a day for the rest of your life...the minute you open your eyes, frick...the moment you walk into work, damn it...I'm not tryna live like that...if you can, more power to you but I think I really need to find some sort of enjoyment or purpose in my work otherwise why am I here...if the only motivation is money I feel like I'll never truly be satisfied y'feel? But yeah, I've had a lot on my mind and on my plate this past month with moving and everything going on...which explains the longer posts as of late...but hey, some people dig it, some people want shorter posts, some people want girl posts, some people want motivation/inspiration, some people want funny stories...you can't please everybody, just gotta keep doing you and whatever comes comes. I'll see you soon.

An Update On Life...

First of all, excuse me if this post is all over the place because it most likely will be. It's just all my thoughts jumbled together and regurgitated onto this 'update' post. So I ran across an old friend at a wedding and he dapped me, looked at me and said really softly "yo man, you might not know it but I read all your posts and I stay up to date with the blog, keep it up." It was super weird at first cuz I never know what to do, say or how to react when the blog comes up in conversations LOL, I'm awkward like that. But if you're reading this, I appreciate it, truly. I also had a conversation that same day with this girl I kinda know and she was like ohhh yeah I've been on your blog a bunch of times...you write about relationships and girls right? LOOOOL I was like pffffttt NO, I'm not a one trick pony LOL. But the more I think about it, there are a lot of posts about girls and relationships lol...and I feel like I've touched on it before lol, it's easy to write about, it's what was important at the time and they make good stories and content lol. I went to New York recently and that was super fun, vacation is always dope, but I think it was less about vacation this time and more about just getting away from work cuz work can literally be so mentally, physically and emotionally exhausting lol. But shout out to my coworkers one time cuz they made the trip super dope. Speaking of work tho...I had a thought flash across my mind that whenever I decide to quit (or if I get fired) the blog post is gonna be soooo fire LOL. I joked to my friend I'm like EVERYONE'S secrets getting revealed and true feelings definitely coming out haha. On that note, I've also been at this current place for a year...which is crazy to think about that it's been so long, seeing so many people come and go and seeing how far I've come, but more so how much I've changed...in all aspects. I was looking at my arm the other day and it dawned on me that before working at Uniqlo...I only had a few tattoos on my forearm area and how I'm pretty much close to a half sleeve LOL...crazy how things change. I also made the big decision to go back to school...yep, that's right...applied, got in, accepted and paid the deposit...so it's really happening folks, ya boy's going back to school for another 2 years...knock on wood this is something I can see myself doing for the rest of my life. I'm also in the process of moving as well, which btw is literally THE most stressful thing of life, I can't imagine how stressed my parents are...I could literally go on and on about just this singular topic, but I won't to spare you the boredom...but moving is such a hassle because there's so many moving parts (no pun intended). I honestly just can't wait to get it all over with and have that feeling of home being an actual home cuz right now it's literally hard to find anywhere to just catch my breath and gather my thoughts, let alone have some personal space. Looking back at 2019...man a lot happened, I did a lot of exploring, soul searching, experimenting and self reflecting. I guess that kinda happens as you get older. Going back to the blog tho...it's funny cuz I had a couple friends tell me like yo man, I can see you being like a youtuber or a vlogger or some kind LOL, my boy was like people really gravitate to you and your personality cuz you're easy to talk to and get along with (I hope so too). I had a conversation with a friend and he was like yo how long's the blog been going on for (this is a friend I've known since like elementary school) and I was like 9 years bro, going on 10. And he's like that's dope that you're so committed and invested in this. To which I replied, yeah but I dunno how long I can realistically keep this up for...like do I wanna be a grown ass man, married with kids, writing on my blog like “oh well so today my son did this, or today my wife really got on my nerves.” And he said...why not? This blog is a representation of you and your transformation that it's only right it changes as you change into adulthood, it'll be dope is what he said...thinking about it more, it would be pretty cool. But of course I'd wanna keep my privacy to a certain extent, wouldn't wanna be like maaaaaannnnn my wife did this and it pissed me off...then she reads it and I end up sleeping on the couch LOL. On that note...lemme tell you that I know it feels like I haven't been focusing on the blog...and to a certain extent yeah there just hasn't been much time even tho I have so many topic ideas and posts on my phone...but the gears have been moving...there's a lot of things I've been trying to get done and plan for. A million views used to seem like such a pipe dream, but suddenly it looks hella realistic...and of course, the blog's TEN YEAR ANNIVERSARY is coming up...you heard that right...come December the blog is gonna turn 10...and BEST BELIEVE I'm doing my best to plan a bunch of dope things for that, I'm super excited for what's to come with the blog and with life...a lot of changes and a lot of things in general...it's looking up for the home stretch of 2019...it's also gonna be hella weird to tell people it's the year 2020...that sounds way too futuristic lol, on that note...if you made it this far, you should probably find something more productive to do with your time lol just kidding, thanks...see you soon.