Divorce Stress Is Real: Gayle King’s Story Hits Hard  Gayle at the Met Gala 2026 Listen below now or on your favorite streaming platform ! In the list of life's most stressful events, divorce ranks second, right behind the death of a spouse. Now, everything that leads up to that can ramp up the stress meter. In Gayle King’s case, catching her husband cheating red-handed definitely ramped things up a bit. She recently shared during her appearance on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast that she got home and caught her husband fresh out of the shower with someone she thought was a friend.  Not only was Gayle King dealing with the shock of this man, William Bumpus, cheating, but she also had to learn that it was with another person she had some level of trust. They had been married for 11 years and, eventually, they did end up getting a divorce. What got her through that ordeal was reaching out to friends and having people to lean on. Of course, she talked about immediately calling her B...

Today is a good day to talk about our joys! Talk happiness. The world is sad enough  Without your woe. No path is wholly rough.  ― Ella Wheeler Wilcox Listen below now or on your favorite streaming platform !   Today is a good day to be positive. I am not talking about ignoring our problems or propagating toxic positivity. I am talking about thinking of the good things in life, having a different perspective and practicing gratitude.  I do love that quote from Ella Wheeler Wilcox because she is basically saying yeah life is rough but it’s not only rough. There are moments of joy and happiness that will carve out for ourselves. We have a habit of talking about our woes and pushing our woes. That’s why click bait is so popular because it tugs on our emotions and the more negative the better.  Talking about our problems is our greatest addiction. Break the habit. Talk about our joys. — Rita Schiano I really like to vent. No. I feel like I need to vent sometim...

Optimal Response to Stress and Anxiety The first step to managing stress is getting to know yourself. Start the process by reflecting on what your values are and how they tie into your life. - Litevi Listen below now or on your favorite streaming platform ! I like to think of myself as your stress well curator. I look for helpful stress management tips and tools to add to your toolkit so you don’t have to. However, it never fails that when I search for stress-related articles, gloom and doom always pop up. To get the helpful information, I first have to sift through all the results that tell us how awful stress is and that it will kill you. Sheesh! We get it. Stress, left unchecked, can cause problems, but if you learn how to manage the inevitable stress that will occur in life, you can thrive.  One way to improve your stress response is to focus on your values. Alice Boyes, Ph. D. contributed a great article to Psychology Today that highlights how your values can help you handle...

Lil Wayne is the same person who is slowly killing himself with drugs and alcohol.  Lil Wayne is the same person who said he did not want to have any more children with Black women because he wants his daughters to have "good hair." Lil Wayne is the same person who was baffled, befuddled and utterly at a lost for congruent, sense-making words when asked about the Black Lives Matter Movement.  Why in God's round, green earth is anyone asking his opinion about George Floyd's murder? I am utterly baffled. This man is a national artist talking about, "What am I gonna do after that?" He said, "I'll pray for you." He basically confessed that he is not interested in doing anything for anyone. Why does anyone still stan for this man? He does not care about the culture. He used us to come up and now that he is up, he is a lap dog. He is an agent of destruction in what's supposed to be his own community. If you want to know what self-hate looks like,...

In this moment, there is plenty of time. In this moment, you are precisely as you should be. In this moment, there is infinite possibility. ― Victoria Moran Carpe Diem. There seems to be nothing more cliche than this phrase and the sentiment it is used to convey. Seize the day. Time waits for no one. Live in the moment. Even the Bible promotes living in the moment. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Mathew 6:34 When something becomes overused, I ask myself why? What made this concept so popular to the point of exhaustion? Maybe we have not exhausted it enough. It seems that people like to talk about living in the moment or quote related sayings about it but fail to execute it. I can understand the difficulty in executing something that seems more conceptual than anything. Live in the moment and do not worry about tomorrow. How can we not? It does not seem possible in the way this society is set...

Words make you think a thought. Music makes you feel a feeling. A song makes you feel a thought. -E. Y. Harburg I love to post about the songs that I am listening to because that is one of the things that I use to help manage my day, life, mental stability, and stress 😜. Music is an easy tool to have in your stress management toolbox. Janet Jackson has put out so many great albums that I thought I would take a listen to one of my favorites. Janet Jackson All for You Janet Jackson's All for You album was released on April 24, 2001. That's a whole teenage adult ago. Much has happened over the last 18 years but this album is still fire. I do think the album did not get as many accolades as her previous releases. The album has a little bit of something for everyone. It has sexy (Love Scene, Would you Mind), dance (Doesn't Really Matter), hurt (Truth), fun (All for You) and pissed off (Trust A Try, Son Of a Gun). My favorite dance track is Doesn't Really Matter...

“Stress is caused by being 'here' but wanting to be 'there'.” ― Eckhart Tolle And there is nothing wrong with that. There are many different reasons why stress exists in our lives. The most popular message about stress is that it is bad for you. I do not want to completely contradict that but angle our notions from a different perspective. Unmanaged stress can lead to chronic stress which tends to contribute to unhealthy conditions in our lives. The stress we regularly experience is not necessarily bad. It is a part of our lives. Stress is what happens when we have to shift our thinking and go in a new direction. Stress happens when we have to meet a deadline. Stress happens when we have to run for our lives or plan for a dinner party. Can you imagine life without a little bit of stress? I am already a master procrastinator, and without the energy I get from my stress reactions, I may sit on my butt forever and never put my plans into motion. I love Tolle...

Don’t Catch Misery Miserable people want to spread their misery. Don’t catch that shit. It is really like a disease that craves to attach itself to unsuspecting innocents. Sometimes the carriers are not even aware of their infection. These people live in this negative, ugly space and when they talk the message is usually gloom and doom.   Gerd Altmann  from  Pixabay   There is a difference between a negative person by personality and a person who finds themselves in such a stressful situation that all they can do is focus on the frustrating aspects of their life. Both can change but both will take hard work. The former has to be willing to look deep within himself and assess where this pessimism is rooted. The latter has to really step back and look at her current situation, how she got there, and what she can do to change it, all while making an active effort to be grateful and observe the good that remains in her life. While these folks are workin...

The hardest thing you can do is smile when you are ill, in pain, or depressed. But this no-cost remedy is a necessary first half-step if you are to start on the road to recovery. - Allen Klein Painted satelite 😊taken by Denise Augustus An unexpected smile is a gift for the mind and soul. Research has shown that smiling (whether forced or genuine) has many beneficial effects on our bodies. Smiling can boost your mood, immune system  and help relieve stress. Smiling cost nothing at all and is so good for us. I am always amazed how people can smile and laugh even at the toughest times in their lives. I remember being in the hospital, feeling like crap because I was in pain and a good friend would come to visit and make me smile or laugh even when it hurt to do so. I would say, "Please, don't make me laugh. It hurts," all while giggling and appreciating this momentary relief. What little do we know is that it is not momentary. The effects of that visit and the smil...

Comfort you deceive me relishing in my lull Captivated, I do not move forward Listen to the Podcast Comfort is something we all seek in our lives. Honestly, who wants to be uncomfortable? I sure do not. Unfortunately, comfort can be the worst thing for us sometimes. Our body requires a delicate balance to maintain our daily living. Healthwise if anything is out of whack too much for too long, we will find ourselves falling ill. Consequently, we may physically interpret comfort as maintaining equilibrium. However, even in our comfort, we can physically throw parts of ourselves out of whack.                Maintaining balance or equilibrium is not a static thing. I like to think of it as a quest in which we are always moving towards a goal, making adjustments, jumping through hoops. Think of our goal towards equilibrium like the game Temple Run (I know, I am taking it back). This is what is constantly...

Look within. Within is the fountain of good, and it will ever bubble up, if thou wilt ever dig. -Marcus Aurelius I have to remind myself to stop and look within. I discuss meditation and mindfulness living quite a bit because they are easy to miss. I can easily get caught up in the daily activities of life and go without self-reflection. Sometimes we get caught up in doing or going or moving that we miss the moments necessary to regain balance. Take a minute or two or five to stop and look within yourself, even if it is just to study your breath and feel the energy of your being flow through you. Sometimes that is all we may need.

Stress is a Curse? “To achieve great things, two things are needed: a plan and not quite enough time.” ― Leonard Bernstein I read an article and the opening line was describing how stress is the curse of the 21 st century. Really? If stress is a curse then so is living. Stress is unavoidable. Stress is a part of life; it is a necessary part of life. Stress is many things but a curse is not one of them. Stress is a driving force to get us from one state to the next. Stress is the reaction we have to stimulants in our lives. Think of it as generating the fuel we need to get through whatever situation we are dealing with.  The message that I want to convey is that we must use our stress energy. We must be mindful of what is going on in our lives and address it in a constructive, forward motion manner. If we use the energy, transform the energy then we have taken control of our stress levels and not allowed it to control us. What we want to avoid is allowing our stress...

You can read the blog or listen to the podcast if you rather. I forgot to highlight the song in the beginning. It's Love Lies by Khalid featuring Normani. Love this song. Check it out. Night School, a production by Kevin Hart and Will Packer, starring Kevin Hart, Tiffany Haddish,  Taram Killam, Ramano Malco, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Rib Riggle and Fat Joe is going on its second weekend and theaters; and although the critics are murdering it with low ratings, I have to say it is worth the watch. It was actually funnier than I expected and the source of the comedy was mostly from the supporting cast which, in my opinion, makes for a more well rounded comedy film. It was a combination of overtly funny jokes and satire. I actually think more people of color will get some of the underlying jokes and jabs a little more. But there was something for everyone. It is a comedy so of course some aspects where predictable. This was not billed as some thematic masterpiece. Tiffany Hadd...

Mariah Carey tells you to GTFO with her new single. I came across this song quite accidentally and I am glad I did. I have always enjoyed most of Mimi's music releases and am happy that she is still working on her passion. Let us be honest, at over 500 million net worth, she really does not have to. However, it is good to see her still exercising her creative outlet. In GTFO she is talking about a love gone wrong and no longer putting up with the mess. Sometimes we have to stand up for ourselves and get rid of the situation that is taking our joy or making things more stressful than they need to be. Sometimes that is a relationship gone bad, a negative person, someone who is filled with drama, or even a situation of our own creation whether at home, work, or wherever. We have to know that we are worthy for better and just GTFO of that situation. The energy that we allow in our lives should resonate life waves, not negativity. There is enough of that in the world alrea...

When walking walk. When eating eat. – Zen Proverb Multi-tasking is a great skill to have. We see articles and suggestions about the best way to multi-task all over. However, new research is suggesting that maybe multitasking is not such a great thing after all. In recent years articles published on NPR and various business magazines as well as health website tell a different story about multitasking on the health, brain and productivity. Multitasking is not all it is cracked up to be and it can show in your work and overall wellbeing. I find when I am multitasking that I feel rushed. I do not feel that I am giving it my best. Imagine when you are having a conversation with someone and something on the television catches your attention. What happens to the person that was speaking? Whatever they are saying tends to fade away, doesn’t it? All of a sudden, few seconds later, you have to ask them to repeat themselves or pretend like you were paying attention to every word they s...

Stress is a sneaky little bugger. It can start off as a great motivator but left unchecked and unmanaged it can lead to chronic stress that we may not even be aware of. We end up reacting to the consequence such as increased health problems, shorter tolerance and even trouble with relationships. It is important that we manage stress and are aware of it's affect at all levels. When we have an awareness we can then work on improving situations in our life that will help to relieve stress. Good friends are just one of the things that can help combat the negative impact of stress on one's life. Web MD and other research sources site multiple benefits to a good friendships. Friends can be great motivators for healthy behavior. Positive and happy friends are infectious. Fellowship with friends help fight off depression. Keep in mind thought this is not about toxic people. Toxic "friends" can drain you and add even more stress. Be mindful of the people in your circle. B...

Most recently, I found that I was spending a little too much time on social media as if they were life links. Although they may seem like the keys to life they should not be the most significant aspects on my tree of life. I took a few weeks off from my most used social media platforms, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Not a fake break, when we say we are taking a break but sneak back on a little less and never really did leave. I took a real break, deleting the apps off my phone and logging out from the internet for a solid two weeks. I was off for a third but I cheated a bit by logging back on line. I ultimately am planning my full return because I was no more productive in life than I was prior to taking this break. I have downloaded Twitter back on my phone. I will later do Instagram and I am not really rushing to get the Facebook app back although I have logged on over the internet. While off, I found it so easy to engage in other ways to fill up the now free social media ti...

Life seems to go on without effort when I am filled with music. - George Eliot Just a reminder that music is a great stress reliever.  Older Posts Live Lite with Music Music Label

Dancing is music made visible -George Balachine I have gone back to the gym and having a hot workout playlist goes hand and hand. Check out this little Caribbean gem. Dejaypat put together a hot compilation of Haiti carnival tracks. Get up and get moving!

I get by with a little help from my friends. - John Lennon Tyrese Gibson is having a public melt down. I am not going to post the video but if you do a search, you will easily find several postings of it. It seems that he has been having a slow melt down for quite some time now and it is a serious testament to the importance of having a support system and taking care of our selves and well being.  People have been commenting about why is a grown man crying. Please there should be nothing wrong with this. Men need to release their emotions as well. He is going through a tough time and cannot keep it bottled in. I think the main issue is why is he doing it all over social media. I understand that he is in the public eye and has been going back an forth with his fans and enemies in this arena for a while; however, in his time of need (whether self induced or not) he turns to the cold, brutal place of social media?  Where are his friends? We need those people that...