Doing what you Love

After looking at the numerous scandals taking place in our nation - with my past company AIG, to Morgan Stanley, to Goldmann Sachs, Freddie Mac, and Merryl Linch, I am thanking God tonight that I don't work for a corporate scandal of a company. I work for a company who cares for people. Why did I move to Kansas City? Yes, I have good friends here. Yes, its affordable as hell. Yes, I hate the south and every bible belt republican raised there and the west coast is too expensive, and east coast people have sticks up their asses. But hey - let's be real-- the weather here is crraazzzy and I'm half way across the country from my parents. The truth is, I moved to Kansas City because I wanted to be excited to get up in the morning - because I wanted to have power and make decisions that I could physically SEE the results of those decisions all over the country, and that, as corny as it may sound, that I could enrich peoples lives.

THAT is what a job is all about. No, not a job, a lifestyle. Let's face it. We spend 50 hours a week in our respective careers. That's more time than with family, friends, or acquantances. I talk to almost all of my peers who just graduated from college, and I'd say about 80% of them are unhappy or meagerly satisfied with their jobs. What is that!?! WHAT, my friends, is a lifestyle, without a life? What is a lifestyle with a job where you don't feel like you are needed, appreciated, and compensated for your efforts??

Then I have the only 20%. Those who think that working towards a masters degree or doctorate is a solve for the lifestyle that they currently have. I'm trying so hard to understand that decision and respect that. But Firstly, more than half of the top executives in companies do not have masters degrees, MBAs, nor law degrees (if you need facts, go to The Economist magazine, Forbes magazine or other because the stats are clearly stated). In order to do what you love, in order to enjoy the lifestyle you have, why not dive into your goals instead of deriding them by avoiding the real world and sitting in a classroom to add up more student loans in order to attain that goal!?!? Instead, live for today. Tomorrow is never promised. In order to help the crisis that our nation is facing with our economy, we must take action by using our talents NOW in society rather than later.

The Key to the successful career and lifestyle is building relationships. They key is loving what you do each and every single day. I seriously praise God that I love my job. I praise God that I made the right decision to move somewhere for my career, and not for my support group. I praise God that because of these decisions, I am happier than I've been in a very, very long time.

Before thinking about your money, your degrees, your friends or family -- think about what your career is going to stand for. Are you helping people every single day?? Are you doing something that you feel has integrity? And ask yourself tomorrow when you are getting up at 5:45am, ***are you happy?***

Because if you're not -- you won't be happy until you retire. Retirement is not a promise these days! Seize the day now!! We are now adults. We now are fully responsible for our futures. If we're not happy now, NOW is the time to take action and work on God's plan for us. Obama can't do it for us. Neither can Mccain. Neither can our parents. Our friends. Neither can Our location.

Go ahead. Ask yourself.

What is this world coming to?

What is this world coming to?? That's the question I ask myself everyday. It's crazy. People are fighting for gas. The news is saying some people can't make it to work, because they have no gas. The economy is bad. I'm worried about a lot of things, honestly...way too many to name. I'm excited for this election, but I wonder if even a new president can help us get out of the mess we're in. Everyone just seems so confused. Check this video out up above. It's crazy.

-Raye

Quote of the Day: Live The Question

Have patience with everything that remains unsolved in your heart. Try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books written in a foreign language. Do not now look for the answers. They cannot now be given to you because you could not live them. It is a question of experiencing everything. At present you need to live the question. Perhaps you will gradually, without even noticing it, find yourself experiencing the answer, some distant day.
~rainer maria rilke

Quote of the Day: Celebrate

"Celebrate-- Some see it in the mythic or mystical- others make it happen in more ordinary ways- and really, a reason can be found most anywhere- because to celebrate is simply to affirm the human spirit- to say yes to life- our capacity for enjoying, our concern about changing- how does one begin to celebrate? By finding bright nuggets of joy in the everyday- then hoarding them, squirreling them away to draw on when days get lean- by being positive and by having a magnum of hope. Celebrate, because, in the end, to celebrate is to survive." 

Quote of the Day

"If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this your have the power to revoke at any moment."
-Marcus Aurelius

Quote of the Day

"Whatever it is, if it doesn't make you happy, walk away, give it away to someone else who wants it. Let it be their next dream; let it flee from you. Then you have room to grow, to allow magnificent things to fill the vacuum of those seemingly empty places. When you hold onto yesterday, when you hold onto dead and dying adventures, you have no room in your box for greatness."

- Unknown

Stressed Out.....

In the words of TI, Wasssssssup Was Happenin? Raye here in the building AGAIN! Crazy day I've had, thanks to me. Ive been stressed out all week for various reasons, but today, today I hit an all time stress high for the week. I couldn't even finish my workout this morning. I'm in the 2nd week of this workout I'm doing to lose some of the fat around my stomach, which has always been a problem area for me. In 7 weeks, i'll let u know how it goes. ANYWAYS, so yea, I couldn't finish my workout. My stomach was hurting. I lost my appetite, and I was pissed off. When I get stressed, my mind races a million times a minute. My mom worries about my stress, actually because it def raises my anxiety levels, which I've had problems with in the past (it runs in the fam). My grandpa's in the hospital, I miss my fam a bunch, and some other situation has had me stressed out all week....maybe i'll explain on a later date...maybe. All I know is, it's crazy how we let past storms rain down on today's sunshine....just completely let it overshadow all the sun rays beamin down from the sky. That's what I've been doing this past week. Thanks to momma Davis' words of encouragement, I'm feeling better. I constantly have to keep telling myself, let the past be the past. I have to learn how to enjoy today. My mom is amazing. Idk what I'd do w/out her.

I'm sittin here, waitin on my homegirl to come pick me up for a night out with the chics, watchin The Insider. WTF is up with this chic who is supposedly selling her virginity, then using the money to pay for college?!?! I mean, I aint one to judge, cuz Lord knows I have no room, and NO I haven't sold my body...DAMN, but seriously?! Dang, that was 1 hell of a run on sentence. I'm just sayin though, WTF?!

And then Palin....idk, the Republicans have me speechless. 1 thing that does bother me is that why is everyone trippin about Palin's daughter's pregnancy and her baby daddy? WTF does her personal life have to do with her role as potential vice president? By no means am I voting Republican, but Palin is def doing her thing. She's a woman who's showing other woman that you can have it all if you put your mind to it....SUCCESS and FAMILY. The thing that's crazy is that, yea people are talking about how her 17 yr. Old daughter is preggars and what not. Can you imagine if Obama's daughter was preggars....the ENTIRE republican party would be in a COMPLETE uproar....and you know it. He's black AND his daughter is fitting into the stereotype. WTF?! Lol...crazy. Because it's Palin, its bad, but not AS bad.

Another thing that blows my mind about the Republican party...is it not crazy that there are something like 27 million Americans in poverty?? And we're supposed to be one of the richest countries in the world...right? I mean we gotta do better. Yes, I was born into a family who isn't starvin, but by no means RICH. Yes, I've had the blessing to have 2 parents (married for over 30 yrs...ballin) to support, guide, and love me unconditionally. It's not just about me though, it really isn't. And it's not just about you either. What about the others who don't have what I have. Do they deserve to live through generations and generations of poverty?? Nah cuzzzz....NOPE! I mean there are so many other aspects that go along with that, but that'd take days to write. OBAMA.....and not just cuz he's colored.

In the meantime ima enjoy this weekend with the girls and pray to God that my stress levels will decrease. It's the worst feeling ever. You know what would make my week end so much better??? My Colts beating the Vikings this week. ;-) If we start the season off 0-2............
...you know what?? I don't even wanna think about that!

Index and the middle finger....
-Raye