Wednesday, March 31, 2010

The World Is Ending, Now What?


After almost 2 weeks of dealing with constant requests for following up and sorting out, from 8:30-5:00 Mon-Fri, I have come to one conclusion

Everything is a crisis.

I'm not the first person to have a take on this topic and I won't be the last, but here is the thing, by the time you read this you will probably have at least 5 crises of your own that you just now remembered because you read this (depending on how you look at things of course). In the past few days I have realised that we as humans have tried to do what the Lord himself would not, give us more than we can bear.

The last couple of posts I have written have really been from the control-freak aspect of myself which I have no doubt some of you share as well. And for good reason. However, it is from that very standpoint of being controlling, that I write this.

Ever since a major life-changing experience (not near-death I might add), I have realised that despite our very best intentions that we really can never do more than is humanly possible, yet we condemn ourselves to feeling daunted. So you may find yourself like Chicken Little today because the world is ending; what will you do?

While this world "ends" I have decided to exist from another. A whimsical world, invisible to others but where I may exist within some semblance of order and control, while maintaining my own peace of mind.

It is the bubble.

It is for the most intents and purposes impenetrable. It helps me to realize the more urgent "crises" from those less so and I may continue with what has become a consistent process of resolution.

I may seem crazy for saying this, but while I'm this bubble, with the madness that does and will persist, I am ironically, the only one who is not *chuckle*

Peace & Love
-Keeta :)

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Finally I See



I don't think I've ever written anything along these lines but I thought I would share this with my faithful few; one of my favourite pieces.

Feel free to leave comments, as always :)


Finally I See

Long since have I been blind
Many things
Distant memories
Like dusty bats hidden at the back of caves
Long unexplored

When I saw
It was through closed eyes
And with curious fingers
Which spoke to lips
While he responded through same

And I knew it was not to be
Simply one dilated pupil to another
But his deep chords to my eardrums
And my breath to the skin of strong shoulders

While we interchanged
Between bear and honey
For suspended moments in time
And through closed eyes
Things clearer


Finally I see

20.07.09


Peace & Love
-Keeta :)

6 Steps To Feeling Daunted



Daunted. The word itself makes me wonder, if its a state that humans should even be able to experience. However, depending on your level of control-freakedness (pardon my constructed words) you very often or very rarely feel daunted.

Though I am prone to be very high-strung (something which in itself I am working on), I am very rarely daunted. Surprising even to me, considering... *chuckle* But in the past 2 weeks, I have been presented with a most daunting situation in the form of a new permanent assignment at work. So what to do? Put tail between legs, back out the room, run away like a maniac screaming? Well all of these things did cross my mind, however, I am no 'soffaz' (for the non-Jamaican folks, that means 'timid' in this context). The Browning got testicular fortitude, (in other words 'balls') so I took a moment to be truly and completely daunted (believe it or not you need to do that) and then I started to wrap my mind around things and applied the only control I could to the situation...

So here are a few suggestions for what to do when you feel daunted:
1. Tried and true words, DO NOT PANIC. You will only perpetuate that state. So keep calm, or get calm (if you are not predisposed to this) (u know what works for you) and move to step 2

2. Assess the situation. Now you can't really do this unless you are sufficiently calm and preferably not in the situation-causing environment. Once you do this...

3. Make your mental list i.e. What do I need to do? This is usually specific to the situation, however quite often the first thing you may need to do is get more information. Figure out the best person to get this from. Many times, it is our PERCEPTION of a situation that frightens us or causes apprehension and this is usually different from the REALITY to varying degrees.

4. If you've gotten the information you need, and good advice about how to proceed, surround yourself with things and people that will give and allow for you to keep up your positive energy. These will go a long way.

5. Realise that whatever it is that is making you the feel this way, can't last forever and nothing is set in stone. Being adaptable is a significant part of the 'battle'.

6. KEEP YOUR CHIN UP. Whether you're a star or a larger constellation, once you give some adequate thought-time to the situation, you would have done half of what you need to get through your resolution process.

Remember that being daunted will happen and like most things, will depend on how you react and adapt. Easier said than done, but like Alice from the newly released Alice in Wonderland (go see it; it is ideal considering this topic *wink*) has shown us impossible things are often quite opposite, so embrace your "muchness" and you'll be fine.

Peace & Love
-Keeta :)

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

The Simple Art of Reinvention


Hello my lovelies. It has been awhile since I've written a post. However, I have not been absent for fickle reasons. There has been a lot happening in these last few months and with them many ideas have run through my mind about what other small bit of wisdom I could impart to my readers and even to myself. Because, what is the point of experience after all if not to learn and grow.

A not-so-novel but no less epiphany causing thought hit me the other day. I heard someone say "I need to reinvent myself". Now in the literal sense this is not possible, you can't very well go back into the womb after all, however, when you think about how simple, and at the same time how complex, reinvention can be you realise that you owe it to yourself to do this.

Now, you might be thinking that I am suggesting a dramatic makeover (like Stacy and Clinton on TLCs "What-Not-To-Wear") however, I am referring to actions which, though related to Stacy and Clinton, are even simpler and take far less time. In fact some of these same things are things which you may do quite frequently (a haircut, wearing brighter colours etc.) but in order to consider them as reinvention it will require a change in your perspective. Essentially you need to appreciate actions as a chance to make things better.

Firstly it is important to think of reinvention, not necessarily as an act which will cause you to completely change direction in your life, but as something which will give a further push in the direction in which you are heading (provided it is a good one). What do I mean?
For example, when something that you may use everyday such as your cell phone stops working and you get it fixed, the feeling that things are moving along and you're back in your old groove is a part of that perspective to which I referred above. The broken part of you may be a small habit you've been trying to break, such as waking up late. Once you put the effort in changing your behaviour to "fix" your problem, and see the results (getting to work/school on time and being more productive), you will experience that feeling of new-found perspective.

Reinvention also refers to packaging yourself differently so you can appreciate yourself more. Take for example a friend of mine, Ms. V, who has spent the last few months working tirelessly to achieve additional physical fabulosity in the form of a smaller self. She has always been a beautiful woman, both inside and out, but after her achievement of losing weight she decided that it was time to take something good and make it better, by chopping off her hair. Now Jamaican people hate when persons with long hair have a drastic haircut and she was apprehensive about doing it but the results were amazing. And even if the haircut didn't come out as expected, the time she spent discovering what looks would work for her while the hair grew back would allow for her to gain even newer perspective. Even more important, is the fact that even though it was just a haircut, it gave her a little extra oomph.

And here is where a drastic change may also be beneficial as well. If you've always wondered if there is something you could be doing but aspects of yourself are holding you back from it, figure out what is the very first thing you will need to make this better. You'd be surprised to know that quite often you can start yourself off without any money, but simply armed with some information (which with the advent of the Internet is that much easier to obtain).

The simplicity of making a few small changes always adds new perspective to how you can change and make things better for yourself.

The trick is to start small and expand.

Peace & Love
-Keeta :)

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Peace in Her Prayers


We sat in grass
Brown like her feet
She with her limes and me with sweets
Neither having peace
But for the other.

We saw things past
In things that are
While we waited
Looking within, while reaching above
For more

Her whispered prayers
Carried like the leaves we didn't trap
On soft winds to sunsets
Till they came back
Answering her with promises of better things.

I wrote this for the then-new year 2009. I reminded myself of it today for the days left of this year and those to come in the new one.

Peace and Love
-Keeta :)


A Little Thought



There are times in life when you may lose yourself, but allow the memories of what has been to give you the light to remind you where you've been and where you are. Then you move forward.

Peace & Love
-Keeta :)

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Standing me at my worst for the best


Its been a while and I apologize. There are times when life takes up so much breathing room that you are unable to indulge in the things that allow you to exhale, such as blogging for instance. And though my breath is still somewhat bated at the moment, I have decided to exhale a little, so that I may 1. retain my sanity and 2. speak about something that has been on my mind lately (as usual).

I was on Twitter, as I have taken to doing numerous times throughout the day (since technology has afforded me with the means for such luxuries) and I saw a tweet (aka post for u non-Twitter folks) from one of my long-time friends (she's rhytswell on Twitter if u want to follow her. Fabulous girl.). The tweet was a quote from Marilyn Monroe that has been on mind since I read it. It said: "...if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best". I had to chuckle because she said it just like I would probably have said something like that (love a woman with some spunk) and that statement summed up how I've been feeling in the last few weeks.

Have you ever really sat and thought about the people who can handle you at your worst and how they stick with you through the worst times? The people who see you at breaking point and know that they don't have to say anything they just have to be there, who know and understand that sometimes what may seem like anger is simply frustration, who accept your vices and even appreciate some of them.

When the dust settles and my guard doesn't have to be up and my smile and peace-of-mind return, these persons deserve all of that and so much more. Because like anything worthwhile, it was there in the good and bad times. So the persons reading this, you know yourselves and I want you to know that I am grateful for you and I will do like Anita Baker said and give you the best I got because you deserve it.

For my fabulous readers, make sure you recognize and appreciate the fabulous people you have in your life, because sometimes they're the only duct tape or staples to keep you together when everything is crumbling.

Peace and Love (and I promise not to stay away for so long again *grin*)
-Keeta :)

(For CR, MFFN, JM, JR xoxox)