A Mind is a Terrible Thing to WASTE!

As I am sitting here the day after Christmas; I was thinking what should I talk about today. I was talking to my niece's about the importance of Education and when I say this I want to talk about it from clearly an objectional stand point. When I speak about education. I'm not talking just college. I am speaking in general. The post is entitled "A Mind Is A Terrible thing to Waste"! If you were born before 1985 then you will remember that slogan; that was in campaigns across the nation. I thought that this was appropriate being as tho alot of people are going thru some tough times and they are looking to move up the corporate latter, Increase there money and personally succeed. Most people when it comes to learning something want it for free and grant it you can go to the public library and get a great education but why not get an education from someone who has proven and times tested results. There are avenues that you can take that can lead you to spend time with people who are personally succeeding and that's where you want to be!!!! We can all recieve an education and have someone, professor, teacher, as well as some courses that give us theory of how this and that works. Theory is good but with theory there is no exact measure as to how this or that subject may work or doesn't work! If we were to take it from a scientific stand point where based on an observation we can figure out that this exact rule or regulation will yield a certain result. What is better than recieving and education from someone who has actually done and proved what they've done works? So that is what it's like by find a mentor or a friend who is in the field that you want to be in and see what it is that they did to become successful. Oddly enough because you would be competition for them they may not be readily willing to offer that information!!!! So Don't be surprised however there are people that are out there!

We often times fail to realize that education is not free; nor should a secondary lesson be free especially if the person you are working side by side with and they are teaching you their niche' there is gonna be an investment on your part I think it's only fair. So with that being said if you want better; You have to invest in yourself and your education! I write this blog to motivate people to want more for themselves. We are all Covered in Greatness, but we must take and make the first move to change our lives. If we sit and wish on a star; what we want for ourselves will never happen. Sometimes the first step is accepting that you don't know and find someway to gain that knowledge. Be open and when the opportunity comes take it! Opportunity comes more than once in a lifetime but if you never take the opportunity you lose out! So hence the reason they say it comes once in a lifetime!

"Exceling in life sometimes means investing in SELF"
~Meegan L. Peebles

Embrace life in a child like manner!

I had a conversation with my 3 year old niece Aaliyah tonight.

She lights my life up every single solitary time I talk to her. She has just a vibrant personality and at three she is one of the smartest young ladies I know. I talked to her tonight about what "Santa" was to bring her. You could hear the excitement in her voice before I could even get the question completely out. She was clearly speaking and then with so much anticipation and excitement the next few words that were muttered were filled with so much life; I couldnt understand. She said, "Swhiwwwm dawls, Bugz bunny treats, Superuber blah blah blah"! She was so excited and I am sure she knew what she was getting and I on the other hand had absolutely know idea what she had just said but was excited for her all the more. I was so happy to speak with her because I get to see her on Christmas and the entire family but I love to see her because she is just a bouncing and excited joy. I decided that I wanted to talk about this topic for a bit I was already super happy but once on and off the phone with her I became estactic.

This topic I hold dear to my heart because after life smacks us down a bit, we take a beating, people seem to get over on us, use and abuse us, we work so hard and have so little and then we have dreams when we start out on this journey called "Life" and somewhere along the way we lose our Fervor. WE JUST SEEM TO GIVE UP, WHY IS THAT? Life of course will have many ups and downs but at the end of they day it is how you approach whatever challenges you are dealing with at the moment. If we stopped for a second and treated life with child like fervor; Imagine the possibilities that the Universe would bring to our lives. We hold on to so much because we lose focus for what we want, need and desire because of this. You can't let monkey wrenches, potholes, thunderstorms to stop you and get in your way. You gotta keep on dancing! When we approach life with a child-like view we see the world as we should and we start to believe in ourselves again. Remember when you were a child? Remember when you could do anything that you put your mind to? What makes you think you can't still do that? I wanna tell you give it a try one day. I want you to think about something you've long been passionate about and give it a try; but this time try it with childlike wonder! YOU WILL BE AMAZED AT THE OUTCOME!

Concrete Jungle: Where you come from Doesn't Matter!

Each and Everyday you awake you should be grateful. There are times we question the Why's, When and How! The fact that you are here at this very moment; means that you were suppossed to be reading this at this specific time for a reason. Many of my readers are very intuned to music, Correct? So you guys know that song by Alicia Keys and Jay-Z "Empire State of Mind"? That is the song that inspired this post. Everyone; everywhere seems to be going thru some sort of struggle and lack. However that is a temporary state of mind. We must remember where we came from so we can know exactly where it is We wanna go! Now you may just wanna move from the location you live to a better one, You may wanna lose weight, You may want to start over; maybe you are coming out of a bad relationship or situation, You may need New Scenery, You might wanna go back to school and further your education, You may want to start a business, You may want to become a better person and work on yourself. Whatever the case maybe you have to start with a plan. Something in your mind got you to where you are at this very moment; This moment where nothing matters except for change! So what are you going to do to change and see the results? Most people make new years resolutions and by the second or third week they are back to their old habits and yes Old habits do die hard. However with the focus and resilience of making it happen than you can KILL old habits. The first thing you may want to do is right down all the pro's and con's of your current situation and how you want to change it, Once that is done you can brainstorm on ways to execute this plan, Next is to write a time frame down of the when you wanna see this goal come to fruition.

Often times we down ourselves or beat ourselves up because we feel we don't deserve these things, generationally know one else did it so why should you?, You come from the bad side of town, You don't have the expertise or education, You come from a single parent household, You grew up in a dysfunctional household, You come from a rural part in the south, You had a mother or father or drugs, You were abused, neglected, You were made fun of by others in school and the list goes on. Whatever the case maybe that was your situation IT WAS NOT WHO YOU ARE! You decide that! WE all have a story to tell and we all have to embrace it and than let it go. So no matter where you come from...IT DOESN'T MATTER..AS LONG AS YOU KNOW WHERE YOU ARE GOING!!!

Only The Strong Survive!

I know how often this old adage is used "Only The Strong Survive", No matter how much we may hate to hear this. The fact of the matter it is TRUE. What have we all been thru in life? No one knows what your story is unless you tell it on the mountain top. However when you tell your story make sure you look for the silver lining. What that means is look from which you came? Meaning where were you and where are you now? Think about the things that you have been thru and be a testimony for someone else. Really at the the end of the day that is what it's about and What I mean by that is even though this is your personal journey in life and success is truly what each individual person deems it to be. The world is a place where we are suppose to have respect for our fellow brothers and sisters and sometimes we get jaded because we are so set on our path we forget that sharing what you been thru may hit home for someone else. So much that you inspire them to work on themselves. That is POWERFUL!

Each individual person has a duty to help someone. Don't believe that heh? Well let me get you to critically think for a second. How many of my readers have children? I know what you are going to say; Meegan "I am supposed to help my child"! Yes you are but not everyone is responsible either! With that being said How many times have you so your child struggle but every once in a while you step in to show them the way? If you helped them every single solitary time they would never learn however, if you never stepped in How would they learn? Deep right? When you do that you set up a chain of events to take place. That child learns what they are supposed to but then they also see that when you help someone both of you achieve a since of peace! You teach them that Yes Only the Strong Survive; However how cold would this place people if you didnt have people who care? I leave you with this; Sometimes it is in our best interest to just allow life to happen for each person. However Imagine the difference you make when you show what you went thru and then show where you are and how being Strong got you to where you are!!!

Food For Thought

So Today was having a conversation with a Facebook buddy of mine and we always have these deep conversations. He was talking about his family and I talked about daily happenings. In that conversation we came across the topic "food for thought"! I would like to ask my fellow readers and followers what does that signify for you? As time progressed I thought about how many times I have tried to show someone the way or tried to give someone a second shot. All to realize it wasn't my place to show them the way. That each and everyone of us has a fair shot to make things happen or change for the better. Now with that being said; everyone you come across you would think that they want to change their lives but how many of them have the tenacity to do so? Furthermore, You can tell someone all day long how much they need to change or what their flaws are. By the way it is very easy to see the flaws in others before we identify them in ourselves! I'm not saying that ANY OF MY READERS HAVE FLAWS!!! Oh No!!!

Im actually stating what seems to have been true for me on many occasions as well as a mirror reflection of people I've come into contact with at times. I don't discount anyone I can actually learn a thing or two so I always stay open minded there may be something I missed over in myself that I may need to tweak! We can all learn from each other if we are willing to be open!

When it comes to people we love and care about we want them to see the best in themselves; When the time is right they will or won't see. I am learning it is not always our jobs to show up for people. You can feed them the necessary knowledge and give them bread and food for spirit but it is up to them to except what is given! So when there is a need to guide someone never stop guiding; however being to forceful will only push them away. When the person is ready the pathway will open up or as a great philospher Buddha once said " When the Student is Ready; The Teacher will appear".

Sesa Woruban: A Start to a New Day

West African Wisdom: Adinkra Symbols & Meanings



SESA WO SUBAN
"Change or transform your character "
symbol of life transformation

This symbol combines two separate adinkra symbols, the "Morning Star" which can mean a new start to the day, placed inside the wheel, representing rotation or independent movement.



Have you ever set out with the intention to do something really great? Was the vision so large that you could taste it? You knew exactly what you wanted to do and then bam reality set in at all the work it was going to take and somehow, someway you were back at square one.

Well fellow bloggers, followers and new comers we all have experienced the excitement of something new and me (myself) has experienced this.

However, as time has gone on I can certainly look back and say that for changes of have made they are evident and the ones where I took no precedence over my OWN LIFE; Nothing changed and things stayed the same.

I decided to entitle this post Sesa Woruban which is an Adinkra symbol representing "A Start to a New day". This means so much to me and many others in the sense that we are our biggest defeaters and biggest cheerleaders. We can either defeat the purpose or uplift ourselves by the way we think and if it be negative or positive that is what you are. A start to a new day is very personal for me. I have overcome many things in my life and if I allowed lack of self worth, low self esteem, Abuse, neglect, homelessness and all of the other horrible things I have endured to hold me back. I would not be Who I am today. We go through things in life as a lesson to make us better! So everyday is a NEW day and should be used as such; You can take that knowing that you can start from now and in that moment you can Change your life.

Live Your Life!

Today seems to be a day of Universal Enlightenment and todays tonality is live on your own terms. Yes we all have jobs we wish we could ditch but they serve a purpose and that purpose is to pay the bills, take care of our children, ourselves and our famlies. In todays economic climate some of our jobs are barely doing that. However the mere fact that you get up early in the morning to go to work regardless of the circumstance you have beat out about 40 percent of the population. I believe we all have a purpose and no matter big nor small we have a duty to fulfill this. We must challenge ourselves to be great and mediocrity should never take up residence in our minds,souls, spirit and being!

Now I want all of you to be prepared for looks,stares, the people we love most will turn out to be sometimes our worst critics; they will be ruthless, critize you and will even tell you u are crazy. Stay steadfast in your motives and stay focused bcause remember this is about YOU and NO ONE ELSE! Sometimes in our lives we look to the ones we love friends and family alike to justify us and our opinions and our pursuits. I have always gone by this one thing: You get one life and at the end of the day there are know do overs! So with that being said you will have Haters because there are people who are gonna hate you for being you, For doing what you want and because they don't have the Heart or The Courage to go forward in their own pursuits. So they will try to break you down...Do not be discouraged. One of the first ways you can began to live your life on your own terms is to:

1.Get a Journal now you don't have to run out and find something that is all fancy unless you want and be creative. You can call this Journal whatever you want! U can also grab a regular composition book!
2.Go to a place where u get absolute serenity if you don't have a place like this now maybe is the time to think about creating one? If you don't have this sacred place you can also make nature your best friend. I find the most serenity in the park when I can't make it to the beach! Once u create or find a place sacred to you and don't forget your journal and your pen. I want you to take some tiime to clear away the days clutter and this is the moment you meditate and it doesn't need to be fancy.
3.Take a few deep breaths in to center yourself and quiet your mind. This is known as a simple meditation technique! If you wanna know more about meditating google: Kundalini Yoga this form of meditation can change your life!
4.Ask your Higher self what am I passionate about? What are some of the things I really get an enjoyment out of? Always ask yourself open ended questions therefore this leaves room for your mind and body to flow.
5.If you find you are having a hard time list some of your hobbies and extracurricular activities, write a list of great things about yourself that you love and now comes the hard part because a personal assessment takes a bit of us being incredibly honest with ourselves even some parts that have room to improve WE MUST ACCEPT them for what they are and allow whatever it is to come to the forefront so YOU can work on bettering yourself. In this exercise, you can revisit this several times til you feel you have reached the answer and sometimes it may not come right away but trust and believe that once the creative juices start to flow The Universe will bring you in touch with yourself in a way that will BLOW YOUR MIND. THINGS will start to happen to you, you will end up in situations that will lead you to either meet someone that will guide you or lead you down a path to your destiny!

5.Remember in order to get there your mind has got to be open in order for divinity to come into your life! With that being said this is the time for you to surround yourself with people who are Motivated, Healthy Mentally and Emotionally, Mature, Abundant, Positive, Happy, Joyful and Successful. Enroll in Self development classes whether its online or in a physical classroom setting, read books from other successful people. This is a list of books I personally keep in my library so its at my disposal:


These are my personal Favorites:

How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie.
Getting Things Done (GTD) by David Allen.
Zen To Done (ZTD) by Leo Babauta *Ebook*
The Greatest Salesman in the World by Og Mandino
7 Strategies for Wealth & Happiness: Power Ideas from America’s Foremost Business Philosopher , by Jim Rohn
10 Simple Solutions to Stress: How to Tame Tension And Start Enjoying Your Life , by Claire Michaels Wheeler
180 climbing the two ladders to inner strength & outer freedom , by Rob White
Antipatterns: Identification, Refactoring, and Management (Auerbach Series on Applied Software Engineering)
Attitude 101: What Every Leader Needs to Know (101 Series) , by John Maxwell
Awaken the Giant Within : How to Take Immediate Control of Your Mental, Emotional, Physical and Financial Destiny! , by Tony Robbins
Be All You Can Be: A Challenge to Stretch Your God-Given Potential , by John Maxwell
Be the Hero: Three Powerful Ways to Overcome Challenges in Work and Life , by Noah Blumenthal
Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking
Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School , by John Medina
Character Strengths and Virtues: A Handbook and Classification , by Chris Peterson and Martin Seligman
Choices That Change Lives: 15 Ways to Find More Purpose, Meaning, and Joy
Coping with Difficult Bosses
Crucial Confrontations: Tools for talking about broken promises, violated expectations, and bad behavior
Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High
Dealing with People You Can’t Stand: How to Bring Out the Best in People at Their Worst
Developing the Leader Within You , by John Maxwell
egonomics: What Makes Ego Our Greatest Asset (or Most Expensive Liability) , by David Marcum
Emotional Capitalists: The New Leaders , by Martyn Newman
Emotional Intelligence: 10th Anniversary Edition; Why It Can Matter More Than IQ
Fat,Forty,Fired: One Man’s Frank,Funny,and Inspiring Account of Losing His Job and Finding His Life , by Nigel Marsh
Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy Revised and Updated
For Men Only: A Straightforward Guide to the Inner Lives of Women , by Shaunti Christine Feldhahn
For Women Only: What You Need to Know about the Inner Lives of Men , by Shaunti Christine Feldhahn
Forgiveness Is a Choice: A Step-By-Step Process for Resolving Anger and Restoring Hope (Apa Lifetools) , by Robert D. Enright
Get Them On Your Side
Getting Results the Agile Way: A Personal Results System for Work and Life , by J.D. Meier
Getting Rich Your Own Way: Achieve All Your Financial Goals Faster Than You Ever Thought Possible , by Brian Tracy
Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity , by David Allen
Go Put Your Strengths to Work: 6 Powerful Steps to Achieve Outstanding Performance
Goal-Free Living: How to Have the Life You Want NOW!
Goals!: How to Get Everything You Want — Faster Than You Ever Thought Possible , by Brian Tracy
How Full Is Your Bucket? Positive Strategies for Work and Life , by Tom Rath
How Successful People Think: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life , by John Maxwell
How to Communicate: The Ultimate Guide to Improving Your Personal and Professional Relationships , by Martha Davis
How to Have a Beautiful Mind , by Edward de Bono
How To Win Friends and Influence People , by Dale Carnegie
Is Your Genius at Work?: 4 Key Questions to Ask Before Your Next Career Move , by Dick Richards
Learn to Relax : A Practical Guide to Easing Tension and Conquering Stress , by Mike George
Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life
Lifescripts: What to Say to Get What You Want in Life’s Toughest Situations
Lifetypes
Living an Extraordinary Life , by Robert White
Living At The Next Level Insight For Reaching Your Dreams , by John Maxwell
Managing Your Mind: The Mental Fitness Guide
Masters of Networking: Building Relationships for Your Pocketbook and Soul
Maximum Achievement: Strategies and Skills That Will Unlock Your Hidden Powers to SucceedOptimal Thinking: How to Be Your Best Self
Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus: The Classic Guide to Understanding the Opposite Sex
Mind Hacks: Tips & Tricks for Using Your Brain
Mind Magic
Mind Performance Hacks: Tips & Tools for Overclocking Your Brain
Napoleon Hill’s Keys to Success: The 17 Principles of Personal Achievement , by Napoleon Hill
Now, Discover Your Strengths
Overachievement: The New Science of Working Less to Accomplish More
Personal Development for Smart People: The Conscious Pursuit of Personal Growth , by Steve Pavlina
Personal Village, How to Have People in Your Life by Choice, Not Chance , by Marvin Thomas
Power Thinking: How the Way You Think Can Change the Way You Lead , by John N. Mangieri
Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money-That the Poor and the Middle Class Do Not! , by Robert T. Kiyosaki
Screw It, Let’s Do It: Lessons In Life (Quick Reads)
Secrets of a Buccaneer-Scholar: How Self-Education and the Pursuit of Passion Can Lead to a Lifetime of Success , by James Bach
Self-Discipline in 10 Days: How to Go from Thinking to Doing , by Theodore Bryant
Should I Stay Or Go? : How Controlled Separation (CS) Can Save Your Marriage , by Lee Raffel
Simple Zen: A Guide to Living Moment by Moment (Simple Series)
Six Thinking HatsSmart Questions: Learn to Ask the Right Questions for Powerful Results
Social Intelligence: The New Science of Human Relationships
Sources of Power: How People Make Decisions
StrengthsFinder 2.0: A New and Upgraded Edition of the Online Test from Gallup’s Now, Discover Your Strengths
Success 101 , by John Maxwell
Tactics: The Art and Science of Success , by Edward de Bono
The 4-Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat-Loss, Incredible Sex, and Becoming Superhuman , by Tim Ferris
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
The 8th Habit Personal Workbook: Strategies to Take You from Effectiveness to Greatness
The 80/20 Individual: How to Build on the 20% of What You do Best
Art of Living: The Classical Mannual on Virtue, Happiness, and Effectiveness (Plus) , by Epictetus
The Art of Talking to Anyone: Essential People Skills for Success in Any Situation , by Rosalie Maggio
The Art of Worldly Wisdom , by Willis Barnstone
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin , by Benjamin Franklin
The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick) , by Seth Godin
The Emotional Energy Factor: The Secrets High-Energy People Use to Beat Emotional Fatigue
The Exceptional Presenter: A Proven Formula to Open Up and Own the Room , by Timothy J. Koegel
The Likeability Factor: How to Boost Your L-Factor and Achieve Your Life’s Dreams , by Tim Sanders
The Magic of Thinking Big , by David J. Schwartz
The Memory Book: The Classic Guide to Improving Your Memory at Work, at School, and at Play , by Harry Lorayne
The Now Habit: A Strategic Program for Overcoming Procrastination and Enjoying Guilt-Free Play , by Neil A. Fiore
The Power of Focus: What the Worlds Greatest Achievers Know about The Secret of Financial Freedom and Success
The Power of Focus: What the Worlds Greatest Achievers Know about The Secret of Financial Freedom and Success , by Jack Canfield
The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal
The Power of Intuition: How to Use Your Gut Feelings to Make Better Decisions at Work
The Power of Less: The Fine Art of Limiting Yourself to the Essential…in Business and in Life , by Leo Babauta
The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment , by Eckhart Tolle
The Seven Sins of Memory: How the Mind Forgets and Remembers
The Success Journey: The Process of Living Your Dreams , by John Maxwell
The Success Principles(TM): How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be , by Jack Canfield
The Winning Attitude Your Key To Personal Success , by John Maxwell
Think and Grow Rich: The Landmark Bestseller–Now Revised and Updated for the 21st Century , by Napolean Hill
Thinkertoys: A Handbook of Creative-Thinking Techniques (2nd Edition)
Unleash the Warrior Within: Develop the Focus, Discipline, Confidence, and Courage You Need to Achieve Unlimited Goals , by Richard J. Machowicz
Unlimited Power : The New Science Of Personal Achievement , by Tony Robbins
Verbal Judo: The Gentle Art of Persuasion , by George J. Thompson PhD
What You Can Change and What You Can’t: The Complete Guide to Successful Self-Improvement , by Martin Seligman
Who Are You and What Do You Want?
Your Road Map for Success: You Can Get There from Here , by John Maxwell

6.Make sure you sign your email to one online positive Quote site. So you can receive daily emails with positive affirmations and positive insights from successful people, Sign up for a few seminars for personal development, find a personal mentor that fits the description of a successful individual reference above for a few qualities of a Successful person. You may already know what your lifes purpose is and that's great but if you are like the other 98 percent of the population know YOU are reading this blog for a reason and Yes you are at the right place at the right time.

With these few things to get you started you are on your way to Living your life on your Own terms! I will see you at destination Live Your Life! See YOU at the Top!Ashe'