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...

Goodness is the only investment that never fails. -Henry David Thoreau

Affirmation: I  am surrounded by love and kindness .I have enough to share.

Keep smiling. Keep laughing. Bring healing to your soul. Always laugh when you can. It is cheap medicine. - Lord Byron

Netflix pulled a Beyonce last night and without any promotions, prior marketing or fanfare dropped a movie. The latest installment of JJ Abram's Cloverfield franchise, Cloverfield Paradox. This latest science fiction foray into JJ Abrams' twisted world stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Ava Hamilton, David Oyelowo as Kiel, Daniel Brühl as Schmidt, John Ortiz as Monk Acosta, Chris O'Dowd as Mundy, Zhang Ziyi as Tam, and Elizabeth Debicki as Mina Jensen. Do you have to watch the previous two installments to understand Cloverfield Paradox? No, not really. However, I definitely recommend you watch the first one. The second one was really a look into human behavior and resilience but it is not at all necessary to watch. Instead focus on watching Cloverfield ; it will be more impactful to know what was going happening on the planet while the space crew was dealing with their issues. It definitely adds more to the intrigue, mystery, and suspense of it all. Things I loved: Just ...

Jumanji starring  Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart and Jack Black has been out for over a month and has so far grossed over 750 million dollars.  I enjoyed Kevin Hart and Jack Black the most. Dwayne Johnson was good in his character but not really a stand out. I enjoyed the story line and that the characters had some depth to them which without it would have made the movie less interesting. Spencer, played by the Rock was the best written character. He showed the most growth while not being obnoxious and staying true to the essence of himself. Fortunately, I do not have anything bad to say about the film except that my niece  was not a fan because she found it to be a little too hokey.  The film seemed to have just the right amount of comic relief and intent mixed with just the right amount of action and explanation that did not leave me wanting to make a bathroom run. I liked how they tied it into the original Jumanji as well. This was just a fun time. The acti...

Reaching  to touch you when  you are not there causes  this yearning pain and yet I reach  out still  - Wanda M. Toby

A reminder to breathe. An article from www.sciencealert.com highlights a study that suggest Just Looking at Photos of Nature Could Be Enough to Lower Your Work Stress Levels . High lights: "A new study has found that just looking at still images of nature is enough 'natural' stimulus to lower our stress levels." "When participants viewed the natural images in the experiment, their stress levels lowered, thanks to the activation of their parasympathetic nervous system – which controls certain rest functions."

Working and being productive is a very important aspect of our lives. It is the way most of use make a living that in turn supports our lifestyle and keeps a roof over our heads and food in our stomachs. Keeping a job helps us to meet out daily needs and therefore keep our stress levels down because we do not have to worry too much about maintaining our basic needs. Work also helps with our self-esteem and self confidence. We feel that we are being productive and contributing to the world around us. Work, as satisfying as it can be, can also be a cause of stress. This article, Leaving Work Stress at Work gives some quick tips on how to deal with work stress when we are away from work. - Create a productive and safe work environment - Listen to music on the way home - Listen to an audio book or something that makes you happy - Take the long way home and avoid rush hour traffice. No need to rush. - Stop thinking about work and focus on anything that keeps you in the present mo...