VernetteOutLoud

More! More! More!

More More More

According to the law of diminishing returns, no matter how satisfying my first slice of tiramisu might have been, it’s highly unlikely that if I have another slice, that I’ll be equally fulfilled the second time around. I say, I defy the law of diminishing returns every time.

Going back for seconds is more than just that second helping of Tiramisu…which by the way is totally allowed. It’s not just about food. As I explore this More/Less theme I’m realizing I’m a creature of habit, I find something I like and I have it or do it as many times as I can because it makes me happy. HELL YES! I’ll take more happiness any day.

Here’s my “Yes please, I’ll have some more” list:

1. Tiramisu. On my recent trip to NYC we had lunch at The Cheesecake Factory on a lovely Thursday afternoon and guess what…I had my dessert for lunch. And it was AWESOME!!!

2. Spin. Obviously. If I’m having Tiramisu for lunch I mean really…I gotta burn those calories.

3. On that Spin note…more of those feel-good endorphins that you get from a great workout. So I’ll have some more Yoga, Cardio Kick and Zumba please.

4. Mistakes. Scratch that…Mistakes I learn from.

5. Adventures. Being spontaneous and doing things that make take me out of my comfort zone.

6. Living in the now and loving in the present. I’m on a quest to be the Happiest Woman Alive. Yeah! I like the sound of that.

7. Random acts of kindness.

8. Friday runaways to a random Caribbean island.

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I’m participating in BlogHer’s NaBloPoMo Challenge for the month of December:

NaBloPoMo_MoreLess

You can read some awesome entries here: NaBloPoMo December.

What glass?

Each of us tends to think we see things as they are, that we are objective. But this is not the case. We see the world not as it is, but as we are – or, as we are conditioned to see it.
– Stephen covey

People say, optimists are the only ones who are disappointed and while I was growing up, my mother would drum into my head, “to always leave room for disappointment.” This was her way of keeping it real.

People will disappoint you and things wont always go the way you planned. Makes me remember that “to always leave room for disappointment.” was never more fitting than the last Christmas I saw my father in the flesh; he was already pretty much absent by then but he came to see us some days before the actual holiday and promised to be back to take us toy shopping on Christmas Eve. He never showed up. Ever. After.

Daddy issues aside…some might say that this was a pretty pessimistic thing to teach a child but as I got older, I understood what my mother was trying to do in her own way. She was trying to teach me how to let go of the outcome or not get too attached to “what might be”. You set the bar high, give it your all and then you let go. If at first your don’t succeed, regroup and try again. And hey, if you don’t want to try again…that’s cool too, because you gave it your best shot the first time around. It was a valuable lesson to learn and one I try to remember as I live each day.

There is no glass
Glass half-full…glass half-empty…I’m learning that for me to win at this life, I have to strive for the best, give it my all, have fun along the way and let go of the rest. I think my mama raised an optimist who escaped the Matrix…There is no glass…

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I’m participating in BlogHer’s NaBloPoMo Challenge for the month of December:

NaBloPoMo_MoreLess

You can read some awesome entries here: NaBloPoMo December.

Gratitude

Been a while since I’ve published a post and I’m grateful to have had you lovely people finding my blog and reading despite this space being dormant for over a month.

As 2013 winds down, I’m clearing out the cobwebs and starting December with a GRATITUDE post. God is working in my life and I must share. I don’t always understand why things happen but I keep learning from my experiences and moving forward.

“Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” – 1 Thessalonians 5:18

I’m grateful for another day of life. Not the bullshit version, where it’s all unicorns and glitter…nope…I’m grateful for those “shit happens” lessons, those “evil exists in this world” lessons and so we shouldn’t take LIFE..oxygen for granted. When you get to see another day…when you get another chance to try again…BE GRATEFUL, then get up and DO SOMETHING!

I’m grateful for my One Word which has impacted my life significantly this year. Truth has been the foundation upon which I built, rebuilt and created new relationships this year. This meant I lost relationships which weren’t in alignment with my new focus and I have never felt freer. No regrets.

I’m grateful for my Cohort Of Awesome. You enrich my life every.single.day. You make me better. I see you. I appreciate you. I have learned from my sister-in-law what an indomitable spirit truly means, from my sister I’ve learned that 6 not 3 times the charm and that nothing is too much when your dream is on the line. And Ingrid, we’ve been friends since we were 5…you know the real me and still you continue to support and encourage me. These three are pillars of light in my COA…attention must be paid.

I’m grateful for my heart-open approach to love. There was a time in my life when I tried valiantly to hide that part of me. There was a time when I tried being cynical because I didn’t feel safe revealing the real me. That was a sad, dark and lonely time. I’ve learned…the hard way, that this is not who I am. That is not who I was created to be. Someone said to me recently that when I love, I love with all of me…and I felt seen. I’m grateful for all the love I get to have in my life. I’m grateful that I get to share my love and that I get to BE LOVE.

And finally, I’m grateful for YOU. Sawubona. This is an African Zulu greeting, pronounced Sow-bow-nah, it means “I see you”, I see your personality, I see your humanity, I see your potential, I see your presence, I see your dignity and I respect and appreciate all that I see. The response is “Yebo Sawubona” which means “yes I see you too.” Because this blog is a dialogue between you and me. When you find this heart expression of mine and it resonates with you…we see each other. Thus, Sawubona now becomes an invitation to participate in each other’s life and for this I thank you for reading and allowing me this moment to be part of your journey.

I’m trying NaBloPoMo December and this month’s theme is More/Less. I think this is a fitting way to close 2013. I want more gratitude. I want more thanksgiving and less fussing, complaining and worry and fear. You can look out for posts over the course of the month as I explore this theme.

Now I wanna hear from you. What are you grateful for? What has been happening in your life that you are learning from? Please share below.

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I’m participating in BlogHer’s NaBloPoMo Challenge for the month of December:

NaBloPoMo_MoreLess

You can read some awesome entries here: NaBloPoMo December.

What really grinds my gears

GRRRRR!!!!

GRRRRR!!!!

I fell by the way side with NaBloPoMo last week. And over the weekend I vowed to start this week with a bang! I had a great post queued and everything. Then my effing shitty internet service messed up and my post never got published because apparently it never got scheduled because of the crappy connection I had yesterday.

I got home from a long day at work and I’ve been trying ever since to get a good connection and nothing doing. AAAAND I paid my bill and everything. I’m not even going to bother to post what I had planned because now it doesn’t even matter.

So NaBloPoMo…when was the last time I was truly angry???

TONIGHT!!!

*whoooooo saaaah*

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I’m participating in BlogHer’s NaBloPoMo Challenge for the month of August:

NaBloPoMo August

You can check out other entries here: NaBloPoMo August

Too hot to handle

Got MILK?

Got MILK?

p.s. I’m pretty sure I suck at NaBloPoMo!
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I’m participating in BlogHer’s NaBloPoMo Challenge for the month of August:

NaBloPoMo August

You can check out other entries here: NaBloPoMo August

Would you want to be known as hot?