When one door opens…..

Rejection.  GASP.  Yes, I have said it.  Rejection.  It seems like such a harsh word, right?  We have all experienced this from one time to another and maybe we see this as a negative.  I dare to challenge you to look at it in a positive light.

When we are rejected in a business proposition, a relationship, a meeting or a date, we might have feelings of insecurity.  We might feel offended, vulnerable…or otherwise hurt.  We shouldn’t be feeling any of the above really!  We should seek peace and solace that there is a GREATER reason that door has shut.  I struggled with this concept for a very long time.  I still struggle with it too.  It’s a human thing.

I think if you realized how many times in a day one could be rejected and how that rejection shapes the post actions of yourself you might just find that things are not as bad as they seem.  Rejection is apart of life after all.

In my experience, when I find a “love interest” that I am into, but their vibes scream otherwise it is hard to accept.  Why don’t they like me?  Why do I ALWAYS do this?  It must be me….why do I am I always doing this?  Well did you ever stop and think–It’s not you, it’s them…I have found this is usually the case.  They are the ones that are going through whatever it is they are and that is OK!  It is OK that they aren’t into you.  Would you really want someone who wasn’t 100% all about you anyways?  My answer is no.

It is our journey.  It is our path as much as it is theirs.  The person doing the rejecting may just not be there yet in his/her journey and it is better to learn to accept and love them regardless.  You don’t just stop being you because you have been rejected–you embrace yourself even more so.  Be you ever more!  Show others that rejection doesn’t own you!  Rejection sometimes provides the motivation to get from where you are to where you want to be!  Allow it to work positively and always keep looking up.  God will always provide something bigger and better if you allow it to happen.

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Part 2: Lemon Cake

Please, if you are confused, refer back to my previous post of Lemon Cake.  🙂

Long story short, I had a dream about one of my dearest friend’s wedding reception.  Mars was darling!  Needless to say, everything went so well and the happy bride and her husband not only cut every rug in the place…but never stopped smiling or having fun!  I was unable to go to the Wedding itself due to my cousin’s graduation party.  It was the best happy medium I could find.  Unlike my dream, I did have lemon cake (what are the odds!) and there was plenty to go around!  I was not late either and in fact, I was 1/2 hour early!  I was so nervous about that, but it all worked great!

I think my dreams are serving as a warning for me.  Leave on time.  Plan ahead.  Beware of “cute men” I mean, cough cough, CON-MEN.  Keep your wits about you.  Know where you are at and be aware of those around you.  Last night, was just one more example.

Standing in the check out line at Target, I got asked out on a date.  My reaction?  “No I am sorry, I have a steady boyfriend.”  Cool, calm, and collected.  He then announces, “…everyone has someone and I have not been on a date in 11 years!  It has been since May 11, 2001!”  I proceeded, first not making eye contact and second, “…well stop focusing on it so much and she will come.  You have to be patient!”   (What I really wanted to say is well you are being ridiculous crazy man!!?!)    Then, I quickly gathered my things and went directly to my car.  Weird, right?  He was buying mops and cleaning supplies too.  Screams serial killer to me!  CatMan was neither impressed or fooled.  I was shocked at the fact that just happened.  Oh well.  Thank you Sticky Buns Dream for saving me from something that could have been potentially a really bad situation!

http://www.kctimes.org/articles.aspx?articleid=1058&kcedtn=1002

Still trying to figure out this one right now.  2 days ago I had a dream about a family I know.  They live about an hour away and I was having a conversation with her husband at their house.  I have never actually been to their house.  Her husband just had this “proud papa” glow about him and he told me that their son was going to be a pilot in the Armed Forces.  It wasn’t Army like him, but something else.  It was interesting, but that was all I remembered.  After telling my friend, the beautiful wife in this situation, about it she said that their son was getting bored with his job and they keep trying to work around it!  This will not last forever.  She said he might be better served in that sort of job versus what he is doing.  Hmmm….wonder what this could bring…any thoughts?

What dreams have you had lately?  Anything good??

❤ CatMan

Interesting Advertising…Enjoy the Silence

First thing you might notice:  theme change.  Comments are welcomed!  AND oh the other good news, I have made it to 100!!!  YAY!  Yes one hundred silly!  No joke…BLOG POSTS not AGE!  Geesh!  And got a Twitter account.  I think I felt your jaws just drop…FOLLOW ME @ BanditMetRoses

Well today I was talking to a good buddy of mine today regarding advertising.  Advertisers are getting more and more clever in the way things are presented to their “followers” or maybe just potential customers.  Take for an instance this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIu5B3Fsstg.  Notice anything interesting about it?  Go ahead watch it again….do you really think that this happened?  Or was this person hired to demonstrate the “GoPro” brand?  Cool, huh?

This is the “GoPro” sponsored highlight reel from Summer X-Games 17: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkgMXkayvQk.  Since it was sponsored, you don’t really feel like it is a traditional advertising method which come across more boring and blah.  This one seemingly isn’t so forced because it allows the story of the athlete and just seeing a “trick through their eyes” as intriguing!  It makes you want to see how they do it.  Next component is “why”  they do it!  One can build a segment literally just like that!  In a snap!  And guess what?  They didn’t put a commercial in there once!  So you got all the info and exposure to the ad with out the annoying “Billy Bob Jo here!  We can vid-E-O tape you doing trick after trick with our BRAND NEW GoPro….yada yada yada…”  It’s invasive!  So, advertising people had to get much smarter and “invite” the consumer to learn more!  Inviting is better because then if it’s too much you have control over how much is too much.

Image from: http://www.mansibhatia.com/2010/05/silence/

This is one tactic they use to continue to reach out to their consumers.  In today’s market place, a business’ success is based on how much they engage with their consumers balanced with ROI (return on investment).  AKA Spend money to make money.  This can be said with any field, line of work, or product.  How do they find that out?  Well they test it!

Take you as an example.  Take your blog for a second and think about the ways you engage your readers?  What do you find other’s actually are interested in or maybe what AREN’T they interested in?  What is your “target” for readers?  Why do you write what you write?  What’s your message?  Well did you just realize that this blog is now an extension of you?  You are actually advertising for YOU through your blog.  The whole point is to gain followers and find like-minded people….right?  It can help you find a community of support and friends.  You might not do it for money or anything, but pure pleasure yet, it is still advertising YOUR thoughts, YOUR frustrations, and YOUR life or your stories.

Interesting how advertising happens everyday without a second glance or notice.  Are we becoming numb to “over stimulation”?  I think that is part of it.  I also think we are so quick to put so much out “there” for people that we forget to have a personal life.  There is no filter to the information provided!  You might be saying defensively, “But I still have time to do all my chores, feed the kids, and run them to soccer practice…”  I understand that 100%.  But do you have time for relaxing?  For peace to infiltrate your mind and heart?  If you do, then BRAVO to you!  Balancing all of that is awesome!  We need balance…

 

One of my favorite quotes:  “We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness.  God is the friend of silence.  See how nature – trees, flowers, grass – grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence…We need silence to be able to touch souls.”  Mother Teresa

 

Here is just an example of a second approach that is even better.  By recognizing love and good in a physical sense of others…isn’t that a novel idea?   Silence carries a negative connotation.  We think because we aren’t doing something going a mile and a half a minute, things aren’t right.  But, it is in silence to which creativity is alive!  Now my challenge to my followers is this, how can we translate that to the online world?   How can we see through the noise and see the good?   How do YOU test this to see if it works?  I want to know how you find the silence in this constant stream of “tweet tweet”  Seems like quite the paradox doesn’t it….well that’s why it’s a challenge!  What are your thoughts?

❤ The CatMan

A dose of Silence and a Goose Egg

We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature – trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence… We need silence to be able to touch souls.
Mother Teresa

Image from: http://images.search.yahoo.com/slideshows;_ylt=A0PDoTHuOgNOk1MAQSeJzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTJ0dmZydWVmBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNzc2h3BHNsawNpbWcEcG9zAzMEaXQDRgRvYmppZANmbGlja3IuMTIzNDU2LmYzYmMxNDJkZGMzOTQ5MzkzNmVhMDJiOTM5M2ZmZTY2BGRwb3MDMg--?stype=F&sid=flickr.123456.f3bc142ddc39493936ea02b9393ffe66&b=1&p=silence&fr=yfp-t-701&back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3Fei%3DUTF-8%26p%3Dsilence

What have you noticed in the silence today?   Have you had a moment to breathe?  To savor God’s presence?  To observe all that is good?  To notice a difference in perspective on a situation?  To make a decision?  To learn a little deeper understanding?

Yesterday, my sister (Cream Puff) and I were horsing around and she threw a plastic bottle at my head!  It was pretty funny and I must admit that I started it all.  But her reciprocating was drilling my head resulting in a goose egg!   A nice tender spot.  Also this night did not end with this madness but, as soon as my other sister (Jamocha Shake) got home with her boyfriend (The Ox).   They were just sitting and talking on her bed and then Cream Puff and I snuck in and attacked.

We were all laying as follows, closest to the wall on right side: Cream Puff, Jamocha Shake, The Ox, and me.  I was just on the edge and I hit Jamocha Shake and she didn’t punch hard as much as she fully extended her arm.  In return, I lost my balance and fell right off the bed laughing!  Of course, Jamocha has the highest bed too.  We all were crying we were laughing so hard….The Ox was the only one that asked if I was OK (for the record!)

The next morning, a small bruise appeared on the forehead, a hurting hip, and a butt that felt bruised.  Oh but it was a great laugh!   🙂  Never a dull moment with family!

OH and Nomad is going to be an uncle!  How awesome is that???  YAY!

xoxo
CatMan

Indian Outlaw…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwPrcuo_cUE

So the question of the night (now mind you I was driving when I made this stunning observation) but, listen to the song posted above this comment.  What is wrong with this picture?  OK, Tim McGraw…you are a country cowboy who “fought” the Indians back in the day….I hardly think you are an Indian Outlaw.  It just made me laugh.  Country songs can sometimes be silly.  I dare you to listen to any lyrics of any song and actually listen to what it is saying.  You might ask the following questions (to yourself that is):  ‘wow, does this make sense?’, ‘…is this english?’, ‘what the heck is a shorty?’, ‘why blame it on the a-ach-ach-cohol?’, or ‘hmm…I wonder if heaven is really a place on earth, you think?’  Whatever song, I am sure you will realize why society is the way it is upon realizing how dumb most songs really are.

Wednesday night,  I was able to go on a nice long walk with Special K.  It has been so long since I could hang with my dear sweet friend!  She is so near and dear to my heart.  We spent the whole first mile catching up and the second lap about me giving her advice on a situation.  She was such a trooper.  She is so much like how I was, so innocent, naive, and just over all very adamant on an approach with a situation regarding a certain mutual friend.  It was kind of funny because we were fake kicking each other and we were swatting at each other’s arms as though we were getting snooty.  (This is one of the reason’s why I love being with Special K)  Her and I carry so much energy and sometimes we just need to release it by being loud and obnoxious.  I get that, so that is just what we did.  She has such a mental challenge ahead of her.  After our walk we went and got coffee and just talked.  We have the kind of relationship to which we can share whatever is on our mind without thinking twice and we are all loving and all forgiving of one another’s faults.  I love her just the way she is.  🙂

Nomad and I are currently simultaneously functioning doing our own thing while being under the same roof.  Yep, I am visiting him and my friends in Indy.  It is a great thing.  We have spent the whole day together just being dorks.  When I got home from an evening Confession, which if you don’t know what I am talking about….they best description is when you spill your guts to someone because you have to just get it out of your mind and off your chest.  You say your sorry and then you feel 10,000,000% better!  Then I finished my prayerful meditation and came home.  Nomad decided he wanted to go fishing.  I started working on some things for work and getting prepped for this trade conference I am attending.  It has been a spiritual day, a wonder-filled day, a beautiful day.  We had perfect weather.  God is so good.

Image by: http://www.self.com/beauty/2009/10/best-beauty-trends

When you least expect it, a rainbow is shown lifting you up from your winter funk.  Someone says something to you that comes so unexpectedly, catches you off guard, and totally makes your day.  Sometimes someone just needs to shout at the top of their lungs just how good they have it before they believe that life is truly good.  It took Special K calling me today telling me of how she was on cloud 9 because she was able to help impact someone’s life.  She was truly joyful and for that very reason, I too was even more joyful.

What can you do to make someone’s day today?  What are you thankful for?  SMILE for me my dear readers!  Life is hard but, not all bad!  Hang in there!!

XOXO
The CatMan

FIRE! FIRE! FIRE!

OK so today’s status=happy!  I just ordered room service and it looks delicious!  I finished eating it and not three seconds later the darn fire alarm goes off!  BAM!  Just like that I shove my boots on, grab my room key and run down to get myself to the lobby.  When I got to the lobby, I first asked if this was for real.  It was but, not actually for a fire….just a water pipe.  (THANK GOODNESS!)

Courtesy of http://www.bostonherald.com/blogs/sports/rap_sheet/index.php/2009/11/22/reprimands-and-fire-alarms-busy-morning-huh/

There have been many firsts this trip for me.  Since I have not had my bag all week I have been forced to wash my undies and socks in the sink of my hotel.  I blew them dry with a hair dryer.  check.  I also have sparked and met so many wonderful people in such a foreign place.  I have had many of spiritual experiences that I could not have had anywhere else.  I am so blessed.  I got to bond with some wonderful women that I would have never met had I not got stranded.  I ordered ROOM SERVICE!  Yes, that was a first.  I talked with some gentlemen around the bar about politics and morals and that was definitely a first!  AND most of all I fended for myself.  I made it and I did it.  I busted out of my sheltered shell and I had a great few days vacation!  I was placed here with a bigger purpose.  Bigger than me for sure.

Now I enjoy my coffee.  Relaxing and listening to Spoon.  Here have a tastes courtesy of http://www.youtube.com:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaqWSGenyE0.

I now understand a few things that I would have never understood before if I had not just gone thru what I did.  There are many people who are bright souls.  Listen to your instinct and be kind to everyone.  You never know what is up in their world. You always will be blessed with kindness if you give and recognize kindness.  Recognize as equal as you do the GOOD, the BAD as well and rebuke it.  For it is when you recognize and rebuke the evil that you are able overcome and have a deeper understanding of where you stand and ultimately love.

Courtesy of: http://www.britannica.com/blogs/2008/11/catherine-the-great-the-enlightened-empress-remembered-from-my-“regal-twelve”-art-series/

Today I recognize my roots.  I am grounded.  I am beautiful and I am me.  Nothing about that is anything less than wonderful and amazing.  I want to be in good light so that I might touch more people’s lives in a POSITIVE way.  I love those who surround me with light and love and for those who don’t…you are still in my heart.  🙂

“Everything at this very moment is beautiful.  Everything right at this moment is turned from chaos to peace.  I recognize I am only human but thru listening to my instinct, my heart and soul and most of you almighty God my life will continue to forever change into light and of love.  Grant me with wisdom and understanding toward all of those that come in and out of my life and that I might not know of their situation.”

THE CatMan

PS enjoy the other blogs included with these pics!  (even more interesting-ness)