• The Complexities of Life

    Mind Your Business

    The Recovering Pessimist: "Mind Your Business" -- Worrying about yourself and yourself only is crucial for your well-being. If that appears hard to do, try it. | www.therecoveringpessimist.me #amwriting #recoveringpessimist #optimisticpessimistMinding your business is one of those life mantras that you can never be reminded of enough. I figured what’s one more reminder right?

    We’re surrounded by other people’s business, whether it’s intended for us to know about it or not. For the most part, you manage to avoid it. Other times, you can’t because folks bring their issues/problems/concerns to your emotional doorstep and leave them there for you to sort through.

    It’s emotionally and physically draining & on top of that, you don’t know what to do about the mess left on your emotional doorstep. I usually experience two things during this process.

    One, you want to help because you want the best for those involved. Nothing wrong with that. Two, you need to stay out of it. No matter how much you may care about those involved, getting involved is going to do harm to you and your well-being.

    [tweetshare tweet=”Minding your business is good for your well-being. If you don’t already do it, try it and report back.” username=”2n$28p1ijG!jkr6qAqbM5JM&XPcH%QfD:1:0″]

    Until next time,

    MsWalton

     

  • The Recovering Pessimist | How I Maintain My Peace of Mind | www.therecoveringpessimist.me | #amwriting #recoveringpessimist #optimisticpessimist
    The Complexities of Life

    How I Maintain My Peace of Mind

    I’ve spent the last half of my 30s cultivating and maintaining my peace of mind. With all of the chaos happening around us (hello panorama, aka pandemic) I have a special appreciation for it.

    Maintaining my peace of mind is simple.

    So simple that when you find out what it is, you may roll your eyes at me.

    Don’t believe me?

    Here’s how I maintain my peace of mind:

    I mind my business.

    I don’t like having my peace disturbed, so if you leave your sh!t, chaos, etc. on my doorstep, I’ll have questions. those questions make your sh!t, chaos, etc. my business. And if you don’t want me to be involved, keep it away from me. Simple as that.

    Until next time,

    Joy

  • The Recovering Pessimist: Keep It To Yourself -- Some folks treat social media like confessional, and wonder why folks talk about their business. If you don't want people to tell your business, don't share it. | www.therecoveringpessimist.me #amwriting #recoveringpessimist #optimisticpessimist
    The Complexities of Life

    Keep It To Yourself

    This post was inspired by those who have a tendency to “tell too much of the church’s business” on social media. I swear social media has turned into confessional for some folks. It reminds me of The Truman Show. So much of their lives are shared online that you start to feel that they believe social media IS their life.

    Katt Williams/Giphy.com

    If you’re an oversharer, regardless of the medium, come close. I want to make sure you read the following statement:

    Everyone doesn’t need to know your every move, even if it’s good.

    Why?

    First, everyone on your friend’s list doesn’t always have your best interest in mind. You’re living your life, sharing your highlights and memories. Then one day, you post an update that isn’t so upbeat. For example, your relationship status went from “In A Relationship” to “Single”. What happens right after you post that update?

    The same folks on your friend’s list start speculating. You then feel a way about folks being in your business. Then again, nobody would be in your business if you didn’t share your business.

    [tweetshare tweet=”Be aware of who you’re sharing what with. There are wolves in sheep’s clothing, both in-person and on social media.” username=”2n$28p1ijG!jkr6qAqbM5JM&XPcH%QfD:1:0″]

    In the end, your well-being is worth more than likes.

    Until next time,

    MsWalton

  • The Complexities of Life

    Your Blueprint Isn’t My Life

    The Recovering Pessimist: Your Blueprint Isn't My Life. -- Folks love to tell you how to live your life. Those folks need to mind their business. | www.therecoveringpessimist.me #amwriting #recoveringpessimist #optimisticpessimistFolks love to tell you how to live your life according to their blueprint.

    “By the time you reach (insert age here), you should be doing (insert list of what they feel you should be doing here).” 

    “You want to do WHAT as a career? There’s no job stability in that.”

    “You’re always broke. What are you spending your money on?” 

    When I used to answer their questions, my answers were never good enough. They responded by telling me that I need to get a job with stability, then settle down with a “good” man and have some babies.

    *sighs loudly*

     None of my accomplishments were good enough. When I graduated college, they criticized my major. When I moved to my dream apartment, they asked why I was wasting so much money in rent. They don’t understand why I drink almond milk or prefer to buy organic.

    *rolls eyes*

    To top it off, all of the meddlers are quick to tell me to “be happy”. Seriously?? You want me to be happy?? How am I supposed to accomplish happiness if I’m living a life that someone else wants me to live?

    The Recovering Pessimist: Your Blueprint Isn't My Life -- People love telling you how to live your life. Meanwhile, they're lives are in shambles. | www.therecoveringpessimist.me #amwriting #recoveringpessimist #optimisticpessimist

    I had to sit a few people down for a “Come to Jesus” meeting. They needed to know AND understand that they’re opinions are just that..opinions. In addition, those opinions have ZERO influence on my life. They didn’t take it well. Can’t say I was surprised. On the bright side, they haven’t uttered a peep to me since.

    [bctt tweet=”You don’t have to support the path I’m on, but what you won’t do is insert your opinion. “]

    If folks can’t support you without inserting their opinions, that’s cool. Tell them to step to the side, watch you move through life, and take notes. snaps fingers

     

  • Public Service Announcement

    Public Service Announcement: Mind Ya Business

    The Recovering Pessimist: Public Service Announcement: Mind Ya Business -- Worry about your own life. | www.therecoveringpessimist.me #amwriting #recoveringpessimist
    Image via Giphy.

    Recently, I observed a conversation between two men. Whatever they were talking about appeared to be interesting. They were talking with their hands and laughing quite a bit. They kind of made me wish I was a bit closer so I could eavesdrop (I know I’m not the only one that does that).

    In the midst of their conversation, the woman behind them decided to insert herself into the conversation.

    The Recovering Pessimist: Public Service Announcement: Mind Ya Business -- Nosey folks don't realize how rude they are. | www.therecoveringpessimist.me #amwriting #recoveringpessimist
    Image via Giphy.com

    I kid you not, Nosey Nadine turned her dirty neck around (yes, her neck was dirty) and started talking. Clearly puzzled, the two men just stared at each other. After a brief pause one of the men informed Nosey Nadine that nobody asked her for her two cents.

    The Recovering Pessimist: Public Service Announcement: Mind Ya Business -- Mind your business and watch your life prosper. | www.therecoveringpessmist.me #amwriting #recoveringpessimist #optimisticpessimist
    Image via Giphy.com

    I’m flabbergasted. You insert YOURSELF into MY conversation, then have the audacity to get upset when I tell you to mind your business?? If you have the time to butt into my business, I hope your business is in order. The time and energy you spend being nosey is time and energy you could devote to your own life.

    [tweetshare tweet=”Mind ya business and watch your life prosper.” username=”2n$28p1ijG!jkr6qAqbM5JM&XPcH%QfD:1:0″]

  • Blogging

    Mind Mapping with MindMeister

    I’ve started planning for 2015 in theory, but I’ve struggled with execution. Usually, I  wrote my goals, wants, and wishes down in a Word document. I forget about it as soon as I close the document. Hard to stay focused when your goals are hidden in a file.

    The other day, I read a blog post by Britni Danielle about mapping out your goals. Talk about being right on time…whew! So I grabbed an erasable pen and some printer paper and got to work.

    My original mind map. Pardon my handwriting.
    My original mind map. Pardon my handwriting.

    There’s something freeing about putting everything on paper. Not keyboard to screen, pen to paper. As much as I love being “connected”, I enjoyed actually having to write something out. I don’t do that often.

    Excited about my idea map, I texted Amber to share my glee. She sends me the link to MindMeister. It’s the online version of your DIY mind maps. Just when I thought the internet couldn’t get any better, once again, Amber proves me wrong.

    Some Highlights About MindMeister:

    • There’s a demo version. Many of the options are unavailable in the demo version unless you sign up for free.
    •  You can create up to 3 minds maps. There are also 3 paid account options (personal, pro, and business).
    • Mind maps can be exported into formats such as Word docs and  PDFs.
    • Not only is it available on web, you there’s also an app, which is available for iOS and Android!!

    I created an account and after spending about an hour playing around with the app, I created this:

    My mind map courtesy of MindMeister.
    My mind map courtesy of MindMeister.

     

    It’s definitely worth looking into if you want to make your mind maps look nice. If you check out MindMeister, let me know what you think!

  • Blogging

    My Favorite Blogging Tools (Part 2)

    The Recovering Pessimist: My Favorite Blogging Tools Part 2 -- Later and Canva are included in this edition of my favorite blogging tools. | www.therecoveringpessimist.me #amwriting #recoveringpessimist #optimisticpessimistOne of my favorite things as a blogger is that I’m constantly learning something. These websites, apps, tools, etc. manage to make blogging a bit easier as time goes on. With this edition (click here for Part 1), I wanted to share things that save me time and frustration. Enjoy!

     

    Later

    I kid you not, this is one of the BEST websites/apps I’ve discovered so far this year. I got frustrated with having to manually share my blog posts to Instagram. It might not sound that annoying, but when you have a lot going on during the day, it’s very easy to forget to do it.

    After several hours and Google searches, I ran across Later. It’s an app (available for Android and iOS) and a website that provides a free option for you to use. It’s really easy to use Later. I upload the photo I want to share, write a caption for it, then schedule a day/time for it to post to Instagram.

    [pjc_slideshow slide_type=”later-com”]

    But there’s a slight catch.

    Later won’t physically share the post to Instagram for you. What Later will do is send you a reminder notification via the app to your phone. From the notification, Later automatically directs you to the Instagram app to post it. It saves me a lot of time because I can pre-write the captions/hashtags and all I need to do from there is upload it.

    Even with the slight catch, Later is definitely worth checking out. If you decide to test Later out, let me know what you think. I’d love to hear about your experience.

    Canva

    I don’t remember how I learned about Canva, but I’m forever grateful to be in the know. Canva allows you to create graphics for all kinds of uses (e.g., social media, ebooks, business cards, etc.). Many of Canva’s elements are free (others cost $1). Canva does have an app, however, it’s only available for iPad. Bummer for my fellow Android lovers.

    Posts are automatically saved (with the option to undo) & can be downloaded as images or PDFs. Pretty awesome.

    [pjc_slideshow slide_type=”canva”]

    I use Canva to create all the Wisdom Wednesday posts from 2014-present. I recently discovered that many use Canva to create printables. I’m determined to learn how to do this. If you use Canva to create printables, how was your experience?

    Pinterest

    I briefly mentioned Pinterest during Part 1, but I didn’t give it the attention it deserves. Joining Pinterest has saved me a lot of time and energy from researching blogging/writing issues.

    Bravo Pinterest, bravo.

    Some of my favorite Pinterest accounts include byRegina, Spruce Rd., Think Creative Collective, Melyssa Griffin, Erika Madden, and XO Sarah. I frequent these six Pinterest pages the most when I’m looking for information about business/blogging/writing.

    I hope you enjoyed reading Part 2 of the My Favorite Blogging Tools series. If you have favorites that you want to share, tell me about them in the comments. I love learning about new tools that can make a little less stressful.

    Until next time,

    MsWalton

  • Love, Dating, & Relationships,  Public Service Announcement

    Public Service Announcement: Approach Peter Pan with Caution

    Responsibility comes with adulthood. For the most part, the majority of adults handle their business. On the other end of the spectrum there are those who refuse to grow up. Similar to Peter Pan, these men are socially immature and devoid of responsibility. Date them at your own risk.

    Shit is real on Single Island. With so much to deal with already, who the hell wants to date a man-child? Who deemed that combo sexy?

    Why are these men like this?

    Allow me to offer my thoughts. The one man-child I encountered had an ex who viewed him as pitiful, resulting in a level of coddling that I find disgusting. Unfortunately in this case, the actions of one woman become a mess for the next one. So much for paying it forward right?

    Now that you’ve been informed (or reminded), if recognize Peter Pan-like characteristics in a man, RUN!!!! The only person that can help him with his issues is a licensed professional.

    This has been a public service announcement from Single Island.