LOOK HERE TRICK: Happiness vs. Joy

Just the other day, I was talking with a friend I haven’t seen in like 7 or 8 years. It’s been a long time. As our conversation progressed, she began to say some things that really made me think. If I was to quote the great Myra Smith, I believed she said “........The difference between being happy and having joy is happiness is temporary until things go wrong. Joy is when the worst can happen and you still lift hands up to God with a genuine smile and say Thank You God For Another Beautiful Day.” You know something, she is totally right. We, as a people, spend so much time looking for Happiness, that we forget what life is all about. How many times have you felt down and out about something, until you realized that what you were mad at was not important at all. Even I have been guilty of that. We have to realize that Happiness comes in things that are temporary. Whether it’s something materialistic or an infatuation with someone who you really don’t like, these things only make you happy for a short period of time. But, the great thing about Joy is that it makes you feel good for a lifetime. Just the thought that you are living or the thought that you get a chance to do something you love should give you enough aspiration to enjoy life. We take the little things for granted every day. God didn’t have to put us on this Earth to begin with. But, what do we do to repay him? We continue to search for Happiness when it’s all around us. Some of you may say, those things can’t make me happy. Have you ever tried them? Instead, you go out and look for a good time by doing things that make you feel worse than how you felt before. You will never find true Joy in that alcohol bottle, with those many people you sleep with on a daily basis, in drugs, or in a club. You will only find Joy in permanent things like your family and friends, your faith, or your environment. Take the time out to smell the coffee. Instead of worrying about how someone feels about you, go and make you feel good. Do something that you enjoy doing (that’s legal). You will never find Joy until you find yourself. You have to live with you every day. This life would be pitiful if you just continue to hate yourself. It’s called self-esteem for a reason. Don’t let anyone affect how you feel about you. Those people can only do 2 things for you and that’s either make you temporally happy or forever mad at yourself. And anyways, why keep those kinds of people in your life. That’s you looking for happiness again when you should be looking for Joy in true friends. True friends bring you Joy because they are always by your side through thick and thin. They will never leave your side and they will accept you for who you are. So in conclusion, ask yourself whether you want to be happy or filled with Joy. You might answer with Joy, but you may be living a life for happiness. Until you find Joy, you will never truly be happy.

LOOK HERE TRICK: Why I Am the Way I Am

I just wanted to write this blog to clear up any misconceptions about me. I am very aware that a lot of people have different thoughts about me ranging from good to bad. So, to the people who have either neutral or negative thoughts about me, I can’t blame you for thinking that way. I know I’m not the easiest person to get to know. To some people, I come off as shy, quiet, reserved, and monotone. But, to other people, I come off as exuberant, witty, full of jokes, and very talkative. All I can say concerning this is that I do everything for a reason. Take it how you want to.

The reason I may come off as shy and quiet to the new people in my life stems from my upbringing. Let me ask you this question. Have you ever been talked about or laughed at for doing the right thing? This has happened to me quite often in my childhood. As many of you know, my father is a preacher and my mother is a missionary for the Church of God in Christ. I have been brought to live a life that is holy and acceptable toward Christ. That’s not to say I’m perfect because we all make mistakes from time to time. I fight my personal demons on a daily basis. But this is just to say I don’t do certain things. I don’t smoke, drink, go to clubs and parties, curse, or part take in fornication. But that’s not the reason I’m quiet. The reason I’m quiet is because many people have talked about for the way I act. I have been constantly persecuted by people and I have held my peace for the longest. So, as a child, I would just close my mouth and say nothing to avoid giving people a reason to talk about me. I don’t care what people say, words have power and they can hurt from time to time. Very few people know how it feels to have people try to make you curse by trying to get you to say such words as Garbage or Astronaut. Some people can be so cruel. That makes it hard to trust people and that’s why I’m kinda quiet when I meet new people.

Well, this quiet conditioning has stayed with me up to now by me closing my mouth for so long. Now I know plenty of you are saying “People will always say things, you just have to look past that.” The problem is that most of the people who would say some of these cruel things to me were my so-called friends. All I could to is just smile and pass it off. But, deep inside, this stuff eats me up on a daily basis. What most people don’t know about me is that All of my friends are 150% different from me. That’s why I believe that none of my friends consider me their best friend. Again, I can he you people say “People are going to be different, that’s how God made people.” But, most of you can admit that you and your best friend, ride or die partner have some similar qualities. I can’t say I have that type of friend in my life right now. Now, that’s not to say my friends are horrible people because they are wonderful people and I love them to death. But, I’m just stating the facts and if they look back at it, they can find the truth in my statement.

As for some of the weird statements I have made on my Facebook status, I just want to say this. When I said that I was tired of being lied to and that some of my friends have decided to kick me out of their lives, I was sending direct shots at one particular person. Chances are that person will not read this post because they are too busy trying to keep a cool status with people who will eventually bring that person down. I will not reveal that person’s name because unlike that person, I actually care for the people who help me get to where I’m at. I don’t want to go too far into the situation, but I do want to say this. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. When people tell me that they are going to do something, I expect them to do it or at least give me an explanation as to why they didn’t do it. It doesn’t feel good when the only time a person calls you is when they need something. I’ve been used enough in high school, and I’m not about to go that route again. I expected this from other people, but not from you.

So to the new people I’ve met this past year or to the people I’ve met but very seldom get to see you face, this is me in a nutshell. I know this isn’t everything. So, if you want to know more, just ask. I may come off as shy and disinterested, but I’m not. I’m actually a cool person once you get to know me. And if there are any other questions, I will gladly answer them in my next blog.

LOOK HERE TRICK: Are You Living Life 2 The Fullest?

I would like to start off by apologizing to everyone. The reason I haven’t been posting topics was because of the growing strains of college. But, I’m back on my grind at least for today. So bare with me.

So, let me ask you a simple question. Are you living life to the fullest? Now, I know many of you are scratching your head and are saying of course I’m living life to the fullest. But, I believe that only 5% of the people who actually will read this post are living their lives to the fullest. To further prove my point, please allow yourself to do this for me. Think of a time when you had the most fun in your life. Now, think of something that would have made it any better. Okay, so you have thought of the most fun you ever had and you have thought about something that would have made it better. If the time you thought of involved being at a club, drinking, smoking, have sex with someone you didn’t know, talking about someone, or anything else that involves something that is morally wrong, you are not living your life to the fullest. You have bought into this lie that society has fed you. You want to know what that lie is? Society has told you that life is short and the only way to have fun is to do something that you will regret. Yes, that’s the lie. But you wanna know something? Life is longggggg!!!! The average person lives to be 70 years old. 70 years is a long time. It’s true that we don’t know when we are going to die. But, you can control some of the factors that contribute to an early and untimed death by controlling what you eat and the people you hang with. But, to stay on topic, the things you do will catch up with you. Also, as a society, we have gotten lazy when it comes to thinking of new ways to have fun. It seems like the only way you can enjoy yourself is by consuming alcohol and jumping around like a fool. Where is the creativity? How come we can’t use our time better and do things more constructively. Even if you believe that life is short, this is not the time to do things that will eventually cause harm to you or any other person. I would at least like to live a life where I’m remembered for the good things I have done to help people. Life is what you make it. A party is not always fun when you do it every single night. Try to switch it up some. Enjoy a nice dinner with a couple of friends. Go to a movie with someone. Take in an art show. It may be boring, but at least you can have fun with your friends by making fun of the art show. There is so much to do if you live life long enough. Why waste it doing the same things that will eventually kill you. Make better decisions to ensure that you are living life to the fullest. So, don’t let your life go to waste. Be creative, invent something, let you mind go to work. Don’t just be remembered as a person who can drink a lot and dance with the best of them. Be remembered as a great all around person who had the ability to affect change.

LOOK HERE TRICK: So What If He Chooses Ivory Over Ebony!!!!!!!!!!!

Now, I know I'm about to make every black girl mad with this post. But with the way I am feeling right now, I could care less. There is a really big problem with our society. Race is the determining factor for too much in our lives. Why is it that when black women see a successful black man in a relationship with a white woman, they get mad. Most of the time, those same black women never really liked that successful black man in the first place. Listen to this story and see if it sounds familiar. Imagine yourself in high school, back in the day. Do you remember the type of men that you liked at that time. Well, if you don't let me refresh your memory. Let's start with the 6'4' basketball player who was the pimp of the school. He could get any woman he wanted because of his jumpshot and his killer looks. He was the One, wasn't he. Or was he. What you fail to remember is that his GPA was lower than a midget's self esteem when talking to a supermodel. Ok, let's look at the fake thug who never went to class that you loved so much. The only reason why you couldn't get enough of him was because of the rumor you heard about the "size" of a certain part of his body. Well, let's look at the short guy who was the one of the smartest guys in your class and had a major crush on you. He was respectful to everyone and was a just a good guy. Oh wait, you never liked that guy. He was always too soft or he lacked that special "umph" that you have always wanted. You would just use his affection for you to your advantage in order to boost your GPA. Well, lets forget that for a second and fast forward 10 years from that point in your life. Imagine yourself seeing those same guys 10 years from your high school graduation. Well it seems the basketball player is doing well for himself. He has a job working at a local factory for minimal wage. Oh, by the way he has 4 children by 4 different women. Well surely the thug is doing better. But wait, it seems that he is in jail for 20 years for armed robbery and attemped murder after trying to rob a bank for extra money. Surely if the basketball player and the thug are having a hard life, the scholar who was short can't be doing any better. You keep that thought in your mind until you see the scholar. He is living better than well off. The man has 3 luxury cars, a yacht, a lake beside his house, and an estate worth over 20 million dollars. Now, you can see yourself as his woman until you see his wife. It's a white girl. You start to get mad and begin to curse at the top of your lung. Well let me tell you this. You had your chance and blew it. He didn't choose that white girl because he was successful and felt that the only person he could share his wealth with was a white girl and not a black girl. No, he chose her because she probably took a liken to him before the wealth. Some black women fail to look at the potential of man, because he doesn't fit their description of a perfect man at that time. Sometimes the "now" can be deceiving. Thier future could be a total waste. Anyway, black men who date white girls do not hate black women. They just like the idea of the opposite sex having some type of affection for them. Everyone likes to be liked and if the tables were turned, you would do the same thing. At the end of the day, there is one major similarity between black people and white people. And it is that were all are people. The white and black skin color is nothing but skin color. In God's eyes, He sees us as the same type of person. That successful black man doesn't owe anything to his race by marrying a black girl that he doesn't like. Don't blame him, blame yourself for not being appealing enough for him. Sometimes you can't control your affections toward another person. That's life and you just have to live with it.

LOOK HERE TRICK: LSU Is A Legit National Champion?

With the days that continue to pass after LSU has won the BCS National Championship, many questions cross the media's mind about the legitimacy of their championship. Can you really call them a legit National Champion? Well lets look at the facts. They lost two games in triple overtime to bowl teams. They beat six bowl teams in the regular season with four of them winning their respective bowl. And the biggest point of all is that they won the most toughest conference, the SEC. I know you may say that they lost two games, but what about the other two teams that a lot of people consider, Georgia and USC. Georgia caught on fire at the end of the year and everybody says that LSU didn't have to play Georgia and that's why they are national champs. Well, look at it on the flip side. Georgia didn't have to play LSU and maybe that's the reason they won six straight. And since we don't have a playoff system, it would be hard to crown someone the best team in the land when they are not the best team in their own conference. They had a chance, but didn't take advantage against Tennessee. USC, on the other hand, didn't play a bowl team until the eighth game of the season, which they lost. And don't give me this crap about them not being healthy the whole season. Newsflash, you will get hurt if you play in a contact sport. Everyone had players off their team who couldn't play in a lot of their games. That's football. Since they have so many great players, they should have been able to beat a Stanford team, who had a back-up quarterback making his first ever start, at home. And since we want to start using injuries as an excuse, lets put Oregon in the National Championship. Sure LSU got lucky when West Virginia and Missouri lost. But if it wasn't for Arizona beating Arizona State, USC wouldn't have won the PAC-10 and would be in the same situation as Georgia. To take it a step further, if Dennis Dixon didn't get hurt we probably wouldn't be talking about any of these three teams. Things happen when you least expect. Since there isn't a playoff system, you have to go with the system that is put in place. LSU won the game and therefore they should be known as the legit National Champion. By the way, please answer this question for me. Why is it that everytime LSU wins the BCS National Championship game, the media wants to crown USC as the real National Champion. Everyone acts like USC has more talent on the field than LSU. USC has a lot of talent, but they are not better than LSU. Currently, there are 31 players from USC in the NFL. You want to know how many players are currently in the NFL are from LSU, 35. Check the records. The talent is not that much different. So to assume that USC would beat LSU would be crazy. Let LSU have their championship and work on improving the current system we have.

Poetry Tuesday

Trick I Wish You Would

Trick I wish you would

Try to burn my clothes

I've had enough of your evil ways

And quit poking me on my nose

Trick I wish you would

Kick me out of my own house

I'm the one who pays the bills

While you sit quiet like a mouse

Trick I wish you would

Try to slash my tires

I paid too much money for them

You wanna-be Michael Myers

Time is out for all of these games

I would hit you if I could

But since the police have rules against that

Trick I just wish you would

LOOK HERE TRICK: A Thug In College???????????????

Let me start off by saying that it is impossible for you to be a thug in college. Yes, I said it. Little 5'4 me said that you can't be a thug in college. If you have a problem with me saying it, you know where to find me. College is not a place for thugs anyway. I'm not even sure if real thugs have time for a setting like college. I'm just saying with the drug game, pimp game, and rap game, is there enough time for a thug to learn about the different ways to make money legally. That's a lot on a person's agenda. And don't be fooled by the many people you see, imitating the so called "Thug Life." They are just wannabes begging for attention and street credibilility. I don't know why it's cool to be like a thug anyway. You tell me. I like to classify these types of people into two categories: The Poser and The Groupie. The Poser is a thug wannabe to the tenth power. Everything about him seems to imitate the lastest rap videos on BET Rap City. His pants hang lower than everyone elses. Every third word out of his mouth is a curse word. He is always a pimp in his mind even though the majority of the girls that actually like him don't look good enough to take to a dog fight (shout out to Michael Vick). His idea of a good time is smoking and drinking until he can not walk or until he forgets his name. And he always has a joke that is not funny, but you laugh in order to feed his ego. The Groupie is the person or people who are always around the poser. He believes that the Poser has a life to die for. He always wants to be around the Poser and constantly neglects his real friends and loved ones for chance at a cheap thrill. Everytime you see The Poser, you see The Groupie. The Groupie is infatuated by the number of women who like The Poser. He fails to see quality over quantity when it comes to those women. He makes bad decisions when it comes to his life because he wants to live through The Poser. The Groupie mainly poses like The Poser. Now, I know you are asking yourself, how does he know so much about the two types of fake thugs when he is not a real thug. Well, let me tell you this. I am friends with both types of fake thugs. I have stood beside both and broken bread with both of them. That's how I know the difference. And let me tell you this, it makes me sick when I see where their lives are headed because of the actions that they normally do. I know you are asking, why don't you tell them about themselves. I can only do so much. So, as you can see, the many people you see on campus seem to be thugs, are just mere fakes. In the coming years, both types will have to make decision about their lives. Either they will have to get their life together and finally realize how fake they were or drop out of school and accept mediocrity in their life with nothing much to look forward to.