Legacy, Story, and quotes from Two Ladies

     Recently, your humble blogger was at an event in which one of the speakers mentioned an intriguing acronym for the word "legacy". The speaker, Minister Mary D. Edwards, posited the following for the word:

Leaving
Every
Generation
A
Chronicle of
You

She went on to define chronicle as story.  It got yours truly to thinking: What's in a story?  What makes an individual's story worthy to leave for following generations? A quote from a certain celebrity (Yes, it's Janelle Monae) might pull it all together :

Your voice can shape a community and move a community forward

What's your legacy?

Lessons from a Plant

Introducing Stronàe Robinson-Van Haver, the latest addition to your humble blogger's workspace. Though a relative novice to plant maintenance,  yours truly decided to bring some foliage into a rather nondescript situation.  The experience maintaining this plant thus far has reiterated a few life lessons :

1) You get what you put in. 

Out of fear that Ms. Stronàe would dry out, there was a point in time where your humble blogger ended up watering her more than necessary (Read: once a week instead of the usual two weeks ). As a result,  one of the leaves died. It made me think about how the results one gets in life reflects the amount and type of energy put in. 

2) Patience 

Keeping a plant is an exercise in patience. It will grow and show its need for sustenance in its own time, not yours.  Correlated to this is

3)Selflessness 

Given my aforementioned novice status in keeping plants, it has been a great help to have a coworker knowledgeable in this arena.  It reinforced the idea that one can't always trust their own judgment,  but seek the help of others when necessary. In addition, it reiterated that there are outside forces that guide life and they have to be heeded and trusted.

Until next time, 

May the (Beauty) Force be with you

In honor of Star Wars: The Force Awakens opening day,  your humble blogger decided to rock the Cover Girl limited Star Wars lipstick in Gold #40. What makes this line awesome is its smooth feel and application, from its shea butter base. As for this particular shade, it stands out without overpowering. To give this a more neutral look, the Cover girl Lip Perfection liner in smoky. What better way to channel the force while still looking good?

The (Not-So) Great Leap Forward

     It's easy to want to do a total overhaul when wanting to make a life change. Indeed, sometimes, life can call for it. However, there are some instances where small steps may be more helpful. This is especially so when drastic measures give rise to anxiety. it goes without saying what the consequences are for trying to make any lasting improvements in such a state.

     With the year winding down and New Years resolutions making time drawing near, reflecting on small steps that can be made toward a particular goal would be worth consideration.  While change is good, lasting positive change is even better. To paraphrase a wise saying, eating an elephant starts with one bite.

Just Breathe-Pt. 2.

It's throwback time again!  For this post, it will be about the use of breath in song.  To recap, your humble blogger posted about it here. There's another song to add to the list. *drumroll*

Je Cours by Stromae
(video curtesy of Dapastudio You Tube)

The translation of the title is "I run". In apropos fashion, the sound of a runner breathing can be heard during the chorus. An English translation of the song can be found here . In light of the lyrics, it's easy to see how the use of breath in the song can give a deeper sense of what is being conveyed.

Happy listening!

Review- Pierre Toussaint: A Biography

A couple  of years ago,  your humble blogger shared the story of Venerable Pierre Toussaint. Speaking of, here's a link to the original post for your reading pleasure:

http://missranadee.blogspot.com/2013/02/introducing-venerable-pierre-toussaint.html?m=1

Recently,  out of interest of learning more of the potential saint ,  an Amazon search resulted in the purchase of his biography by Arthur Jones. Lively and thoughtfully written,  Jones illuminates the life of a truly unsung hero and the world he lived in. While the original post linked to a great description of Toussaint 's story, Jones ' biography fully demonstrates why his life should serve as an inspiration to all.

Welcome to the Future

Balancing
Tipping
Elevating to the next level
Classic Men
And Electric Ladies
Have you party and ponder
Or ponder then party
As a movement is created 
Bearing voices of the unheard
Chasing vision, not fame
uniting 
Leaving no one behind
While catching those with both eyes closed 
Off guard