Inspiration With Words

I know why the caged bird sings by Maya Angelou

A free bird leaps on the back
Of the wind and floats downstream
Till the current ends and dips his wing
In the orange suns rays
And dares to claim the sky.

But a BIRD that stalks down his narrow cage
Can seldom see through his bars of rage
His wings are clipped and his feet are tied
So he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings with a fearful trill
Of things unknown but longed for still
And his tune is heard on the distant hill for
The caged bird sings of freedom.

The free bird thinks of another breeze
And the trade winds soft through
The sighing trees
And the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright
Lawn and he names the sky his own.

But a caged BIRD stands on the grave of dreams
His shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
His wings are clipped and his feet are tied
So he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings with
A fearful trill of things unknown
But longed for still and his
Tune is heard on the distant hill
For the caged bird sings of freedom.

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Someone else's words can bring about change and renewal to one's mind. If you breakdown and analyze the meaning of each line, you may even come across an epiphany about your own life. That's kind of what this poem did for me the first time I read it around 8 years ago. I vowed from then on not to be a caged bird; I wanted to be the free one. Perhaps I owe my free spirited, always on 10 personality to this poem.Who knows what kind of person I would be had I not been so deeply touched and inspired by Maya Angelou's words. It was so major to me that it changed my thought process, as well as my life. I may not ever be as profound and as popular as her, but if I make an impression on the brain of at least one person then I am living my dreams, and I'm not the caged bird who merely sings.

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Fearlessness (The Short Version)

Fear is a powerful thing. It can take control over your life and bring you to a place you don't want to be. Often times people are so afraid of success, they allow their fear to push them instead of allowing their dreams to lead them. Once you graduate high school it kind of hits you that you are in the real world and that anything can happen. Don't think about how many things can go wrong in your life, think about how many things will go right. Being afraid is normal, but sometimes you have to control that type of emotion, otherwise you will act on it. No one wants to be lead by a person who is visibly scared and intimidated. Be fearless, take life by the horns, and conquer the world!

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Happy World Humanitarian Day!

I hope we can all take something away from this day by helping others and find a way to incorporate it into our everyday lives. Giving back to our community shouldn't be just a once in a year thing. Like I said in one of the blog posts from last week, think of how you want to be remembered and leave your footprint for people to think about you after you have left this world. So here's some inspiring stuff to go along with World Humanitarian Day. The song is called "I Was Here" by Beyonce, one of my favorite artists, and it's actually the theme song for WHD. It holds a touching and powerful message of leaving a legacy and wanting to be remembered by what you have done for others. I hope it inspires you to do more as it does to me.

"I want to say I lived each day, until I die And know that I meant something in, somebody's life The hearts I have touched, will be the proof that I leave That I made a difference, and this world will see"

=D

Shine Your Light!

So when I was in 8th grade I was in a musical called Godspell. It was about Bible stories that took place in a modern day middle school. We song at least a dozen songs that I can't recall, but there is one that I remember and still sing in my head to this day called "Light of The World". The reason why that is because the song teaches a valuable lesson, and it's still, and always will be, relevant to my life. The lyrics, "let your light so shine before men...so that they might know some kindness again", appeal to me and make me aware of myself and what kind of energy I'm putting out to other people. When others see that you are genuinely happy it becomes infectious, just like laughing. They see you are enjoying life, and if your life can be as good as it seems, then their life can be just as good. They will start to focus more on the positive things and less on the things that are wrong. On the other hand, if you are miserable, chances are you're making everyone else around you even more miserable. Even if you try to hide it, you may still give off a bad vibe. Misery loves company, and their are some people in this world who want people to feel just as bad as they do about their lives. However, being happy is a choice. We are the ones that decide if we are going to have either an amazing day or an awful day. Once people see you in control of your happiness then they are less likely going to try to steer you in the opposite direction. So if someone says or does something that makes you feel bad, don't give them power and allow them to take your joy. Some days your joy is all that you have, and if you allow them to take that then you will be left with nothing. So instead of that, just make your positivity stronger than their negativity. It will either rub off on them or stop them from rubbing off on you. Now I work in retail, and I know that everyone can't be in a great mood 100% of the time. Life is not a fairy tale, and things will upset us. However, if we choose not to dwell on negative things and not let uncontrollable circumstances get in the way of our positive mindset, then we are making a conscious decision to be happy. As a result, other people will see your light shine, and they will eventually follow suit.

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Leave Your Mark

When you die how do you want to be remembered? What's the legacy you want to leave behind? Most people die and are forgotten about, while others live on forever because their lives have made a major impact on someone. I bet when Marilyn Monroe died she never thought that she would still be an icon. Even Picasso's artwork didn't even become popular until after his death. They knew they would leave a legacy, and the way they lived their lives made it possible. So how do you want people to remember you after you leave this world? If you don't care then just continue to live the way you're living now. However, if you do want the world to remember you then you have to do something memorable. Break world records if you're an athlete. Start a fortune 500 company if you're an entrepreneur. Just do something so that people recognize your goodness and continue to recognize it after you have long gone from this life. I know it seems impossible to try to leave your mark so that the entire world will see it, but you have to start somewhere if you want to be great. First influence those around you, and take it from their. How will you leave your mark?

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Ponder on This!

This year has gone by so fast! We are more than halfway through 2012, and most of us have broken many of the resolutions that we made when the year first began. The first problem that I have with this is that some people only set goals for the new year, which happens only once every 365 days. The other thing that bothers me is why do a lot of people set, somewhat reasonable, goals for themselves and then give up shortly after? So you start off really excited at the beginning of the year and make all of these plans, and by February or March you've fell off the bandwagon with no plans to return until next January? That doesn't make any sense at all! It doesn't matter if you've set goals and have failed at attempting to reach them, you have got to give yourself a fighting chance by trying it again before the next new year comes around. I know that I haven't kept my new year's promise to myself by going to the gym everyday like I was in the beginning of the year; however, I still have my gym membership and I plan to rehash my resolution to get back into shape. I've realized even though summer is over that it's still not too late to work out and get ready for winter. So back to the gym I go. Now everyone's goal may not be as simple as mine, but that's still not a reason to completely push it aside and give up on yourself. Challenge yourself to resurrect the goals that you had set for yourself at the start of this year, and make sure that you reach them before this year is over. Ponder on that, and then put that thought into action. What do you have to lose?

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Brand New From Sleep is 4 Suckers

Talking about upgrading your t-shirt game this season? Well that's exactly what we're going to help you accomplish at Sleep is 4 Suckers! We have some brand new, unique designs that will be available for purchase as soon as next week! In addition to that, our highly anticipated iPad cases will be making their grand debut later on this month. So whether its t-shirts, hoodies, or iPhone and iPad cases, Sleep is 4 Suckers has got what you need. Log onto our website and order your stuff today!

New "Sleeping Pill" T-shirt (available August 17th)

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Elevator Please!

One day I saw a couple that were waiting for an elevator to come and take them to their floor at a hotel I was staying at. Now they were together so I assumed they were going to the same floor; however, the guy got impatient and started huffing and puffing and pushing the button (as if it makes the lift come any faster). So, after no results, he decides that he has had enough and turns to take the stairs to his desired floor. Well as soon as he leaves, the elevator comes and his girlfriend just shakes her head and walks through the doors. I knew what she was thinking by the look on her face, If only that impatient idiot had waited a second longer. I looked at her and we just giggled at the silly, impatient move her boyfriend had just made. It takes us all of 7 seconds to get to the fifth floor and, go figure, her honey had not made it up the 5 flights of stairs. A little while later he appears out of the stairwell frustrated and even more irritable than before because she's standing there tapping her feet and looking at an imaginary watch. So here I am shaking my head, and suddenly it hits me! I realize how much a part that patience will play in my success. I don't want to be like that guy and waste my time because I'm too impatient to wait for the right opportunities, especially when I know that I am on the right path!

There are always two choices to every action we decide to take. We can either do things the easy way or the hard way. Some of us are stubborn and don't want to listen or think things completely through, and we end up doing more than we have to, and it takes longer to see the results that we want. It's just like what the guy in the elevator did. Although, he ended up where he wanted to be, he wasn't too thrilled about all the unnecessary extraness he had to do just to get there. Instead of being fast (like my mother calls it), he could've gotten the same results had he just been a little bit more patient. This happens to everyone because sometimes we are so tired of waiting for our breakthrough that we give up and try to take things in our own hands. Little do we know, if we just decide to stick it out a little while longer then we would get our blessings sooner rather than later.

On the other hand, there is a difference between taking the easy way and taking the easy way out. You see, the woman, after waiting for what seemed to be an eternity, didn't walk away from the situation altogether by deciding to scrap the plans of going upstairs. She got on the elevator lift because she knew she had made plans to get to the fifth floor to her hotel room. So compared to her partner she just simply chose the easier route. The important thing to remember is that she still put in work because she waited. Therefore, if you know that you are doing the right thing, but you still haven't seen the results, don't stop what you're doing because you don't believe it will ever come to you. Be patient and keep putting in hard work, or else you won't be there when the elevator doors finally open up for you. You will be somewhere between the 1st and 5th floor WALKING your way up to your success instead of riding.

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I'm Grateful.

Did you ever think of what your life would be like if you didn't have the things that you have? For instance, say that you were homeless or had no food to eat. How would that make you feel? Did you realize there are millions of people in this world who don't have the luxury of good tasting, hot food? Just the thought of that makes me value everything that I have, even if its not what I want. We take for granted a lot of things, like going to the grocery store just because you're hungry--some people can only afford to go once a month, if even that. Yet, still we complain if someone buys the wrong brand of organic milk! If you think that's bad then just remember that someone somewhere else in the world has it even worse than you. Think about the genocide in Rwanda (if you don't know what I'm talking about just watch the movie Hotel Rwanda). Be grateful that you don't have to fear for your life just because of your ethnic background. That's enough to make me stop complaining about what I don't have and start being overly gracious for the things I do have. Besides, going through a struggle and being without will make you stronger in the long run. You will appreciate and have a better outlook on life.

 In addition, World Humanitarian Day is almost here (August 19th). I challenge everyone who reads this post to find a way to give back to your world and help someone somewhere by the time August 19th comes around. In place of our normal Sleep is 4 Suckers link I will post a link to where you can go to get involved in this year's World Humanitarian Day. Do some good and be blessed.

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Click on the links below (or copy and paste into your browser) to learn more about World Humanitarian Day, raise awareness, and find ways to help.

http://www.whd-iwashere.org/

http://www.un.org/en/events/humanitarianday/

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Sunday Inspiration

One thing was said to me today without any explanation or reason behind it, and I thought I'd share it with you. Interpret and meditate on it this week, and imagine yourself doing it. See exactly how far your imagination will take you!

 

WALK. RUN.. SOAR...and don't stop until you get there!

Thanks to You Night Crawlers!

Let's hear it for team #sleepis4suckers and all of the people who supported us by tuning into this blog everyday! Because of you guys we have had the most views for the month of July than we have ever had! Continue to support us by reading our posts everyday, and we will continue to give you awesome reads and inspirations. Tell a friend to tell a friend to tell a friend, and we can all grow together! Thank you again you all.


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Hello Self. It's Nice to Meet You.

Getting to know yourself is a very important, yet, fulfilling part of life. It's mandatory in terms of personal growth because how do you expect to grow if you don't know your self as a person? Furthermore, how do you expect other people to perceive you well if you are unaware of how to perceive yourself? Now, I can't tell you how to get to know yourself, but I can tell you to be aware of the things you do and the choices you make. Take mental notes on your likes and dislikes, find out what ticks you off, and learn your personal boundaries. However you decide to get to know yourself, keep in mind that only you can rightfully perceive you. Never ask anyone else who they think you are because it's just their opinion. They don't know you well enough to judge you (even though they may beg to differ). At the end of the day it's your life, and you can live it however you like. Just follow your heart and listen to your soul.

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How could I post a blog about getting to know yourself without posting a link for a cheesy personality test?! This one is pretty legit and very interesting. It's not meant to be used to diagnose any type of personality disorder, so don't take the results to heart. I just posted it for fun. Click here to take the Narcissistic Personality Invetory test. Bueno Suerte!

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The Unconventional

Have you ever had a dream that was so unrealistic that it was going to take more than ordinary measures to reach it? You can't do what everyone else your age is doing because ordinary just won't do it for you. This blog is for the people who decided that a college degree is not enough. It's for those of you who want to be singers, rappers, models, artists, and writers. This is for us-- the people who have to hustle hard and find, plow, and pave our own road to success. It's an unconventional path, yes, but it is not impossible. My intentions of writing this is not to deter anyone from going to college. Sleep is 4 Suckers encourages everyone to get as much of an education as they possibly can. However, for one reason or another, everyone isn't able to get a secondary education to obtain a degree. On the contrary, that doesn't automatically mean that success won't come. It will just take 100 more times the hard work and effort to end up in the place that you most desire. Sometimes it can get a little scary because even if you do know what you want to do, you may not know how to get it. On top of that, you may have people hounding you about when you're going to start or go back to school, and that is very annoying, especially if they make you feel like you're a loser at life because you're not attending a university. Sometimes I wish that I was just a regular person who wanted to do something normal like be a nurse or a banker. I'm envious of my peers that attend a university because, for the most part, they have a clear and concise plan laid out for them of how they can be successful. That's something that I don't have. I have to rely on my work ethic, drive, and faith. From the outside that doesn't seem like much, but when put into action and real life situations, those three things can take your further than you can imagine. Having these kind of aspirations are scary because you never know how it will turn out. Its going to take a lot of hard work, and you may have to leave some things up to chance. It's a difficult journey, which is why its the road less traveled. However, being the optimist that I am, I believe that if it is meant to be it will be as long as you are doing all you can to make it happen. Just stay encouraged, don't doubt yourself, and never give up. Hard work NEVER returns void.

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