He Said, She Said ... Social Media

" ... the point of social media is to be social, interact with others."

W. Tisdale III,  Healthy Black Men Dot Org

He Wrote, She Wrote... Positive Energy

"But rather, when I talk about positive energy I'm referring to the optimism, trust, enthusiasm, love, purpose, joy, passion, and spirit to live, work, and perform at a higher level; to build and lead successful teams; to overcome adversity in life and at work; to share contagious energy with employees, colleagues, and customers; to bring out the best in others and in yourself; and to overcome all the negative people (whom I call energy vampires) and negative situations that threaten to sabotage your health, family, team, and success." Jon Gordon ~ The Energy Bus

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Joy & Sunshine

Literally and Figuratively Literally

Little MrTramueL laughed the whole weekend hearing my family call me by my childhood nickname.

Watching my neices and nephew grow, learn and delight.

My sisters as care givers.

Watching the happiness it brings my mom & dad of having everyone together in the same place.

Increasing from immediate to extended family, cousins, significant others and friends joined us this year.

The sun shining on my face, the sound of the ocean.

The stillness, calm and presence of thought provided by God to recognize all the joy and sunshine in my life.

Figuratively

I may have been the only one to hear the storm last night. A storm cleared the way for joy and sunshine at the beach today.

Storms don't last forever.

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A Note About Connections

Note(s)

Not So Random Observation About Everything #1

Saturday  provided an opportunity for me to shift Seeking His Information For Transformation … I lost my wallet with checks, cash & cards inside. I’m pretty adept at staying positive when negativity approaches but fail over analyzing the situation searching for a lesson. The energy I emitted must have automatically or instinctively drawn others to me. Read My energy was not spent on the loss or of feeling sorry but looking for a lesson; God is trying to tell me something? … the items can be replaced and the act of losing them would prove to be irrelevant days later. I told two people that day, two that I trust. What they provided were words of encouragement, and space for me to pull up my strength.

Concerning connections and energy … I received an instant message from my sister in faith and a text message from The TramueL Formerly Known As two days later. I had not spoken with either about losing my wallet.

Of The TramueL Formerly Known As

… Our relationship is absolutely unique, just like everyone else. Her concern is usually shown by commenting on my shortcomings so to receive the following message was proof positive of a positive connection.

“Good morning, jus woke up with u on mind. Everything ok?”

Of My Sister In Faith

… I can’t explain how important this person is to me, she keeps me grounded in faith and she counsels from the word of God.  Her greeting made my heart smile.

"There are just some people you love and distance never separates you and because you are on my heart it only means that you are on God's heart."

C.S. Lewis often referred to this human connection as “kindred soul” people seeking the same truth or more specific, care about the same truth. We should all have someone with an S on their chest. Your friends should not want you to stay as you are but encourage you to seek growth, be all you can be.

~ Brian

He Said, She Said … SHIFT

“ … I’m going to ask you to SHIFT (Seeking His Information For Transformation) ;0) The enemy would want you to focus on what you lost to rob you of the joy of being thankful for another day. In all things give thanks! It’s not option it’s a command. Thanksgiving drives the enemy away because he can’t stand praise. It is a weapon that allows the enemy to back up off you.”

~ Terri B.

The Lost Art of A Greeting

3

Random Observation About Nothing #1

High on my list of annoyances are failing to acknowledge folks or over thinking an acknowledgement. I’m not sure what is more annoying; Someone looking down at their phone, looking at their watch, eyes down at their feet all to avoid making eye contact and part their lips to speak  or speaking to a woman and she receives it as an attempt to lay horizontally while making animal noises.

To help those that seem detached from common courtesy and in most cases common sense, I’ve included a list of ways to respond when you see folks that you interact with on a daily basis. I wouldn’t encourage these behaviors on the city streets.

Make Eye ContactSmile with your eyes

The Fabled Nod of AcknowledgementUp down or Down up, your choice

The ComplimentBe sincere, even if you have to fake it

The WaveWhatever you do be a man or woman about it, no transference

The SmileNothing is more inviting than a nice set of teeth & a warm mouth

The Hug and or KissNo air kissing READ: Women only, I prefer my kiss on the lips & keep your booty close on the hug, which leads to the …

The Booty SmackBad Boy Baby #TakeThatTakeThat

Mr. “Holla when you see me” TramueL

Photo Credit: Richard Clarkson

Brainwashed By Tom Burrell

Brainwashed by Tom Burrell

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thought provoking, capable of starting a social revolution. Mr. Burrell goes beyond exposing the problems infecting our mental psyche by providing us with the why; Why we feel, think and believe the myth's, stereotypes and generalizations presented to us. Brainwashed provides many teaching moments. For me the BIGgest take away is to not become overly attached to an idea, thought, phrase or image; Because someone or something you trust says it, writes it or prints it doesn't make it real. Remain somewhat skeptical from time to time.

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RE:Post ... In To Me See

A common theme this week among friends; Relationship(s), The Chase & Defining Roles ... my personal thoughts were of not missing the responsibility or accountability of being in a relationship but missing intimacy. I remembered this post & I haven't written in a while so it's relative ... two birds, one stone.  ~Brian Originally Posted May 16, 2010 @ 9:29 P.M.

I ran all up on a book the other day, ‘cause it was sexy! I mean this book had a “tramp stamp” in the small of it’s back that drove me crazy! As I spit my game, trying to get it’s math I realized that it was very interesting how she broke down intimacy.

“The Seven Levels of Intimacy: The Art of Loving and the Joy of Being Loved” By Matthew Kelly

The book breaks down the process of revealing our authentic selves while our “representative” takes a step to the back.

Before you go back to Twittering, Facebooking or picking your nose, this is not a book review. If you wanna know more my brotha’s and sistah’s, you’ve got to buy your own! I ordered a hardback copy from Amazon for under $10en. 99. The book itself was $Free.99 but with shipping & handling the BIG A got me.

Whether consciously or subconsciously we all have our own personal levels of connection or “In-To-Me-See”

Like: “You like me!, You really like me!” … Butterflies, text messages, emails, parking outside their homes in a friends car so they don’t see you, talking & laughing for hours learning each others personality.

Love: Love is “like” to the ‘umptenth power, moving from a physical reaction to a chemical reaction. {Remember? From Seeing Clearly … Physical vs Chemical: in a physical reaction two substances are mixed or ground together without being transformed, meaning both can be recovered from such a mixture in their original state. A chemical reaction, on the other hand, produces an entirely new substance, one that is very different from either of the reactants and does not easily yield the original substances back again.} Science! This is the move from the growing in your groin (Lust) to dreams of you growing old together tweezing each others nose & ear hairs.

Trust: We all have our own definition of trust, but let’s be clear, at this level it is not that high-school game of who cheated on who. You should feel trust … it’s about protection, feeling secure knowing that someone will protect your heart.

Respect: R.E.S.P.E.C.T.  … Find out what it means to me. Another word with broad interpretations, levels and degrees. To me It is about understanding each others value, value as a woman, man, human being who drinks water and breathes air, never wanting to disappoint or have that value depreciate.

Honor: This is the deal closer, a virtual badge signifying your commitment. Ultimate understanding of who we both really are. Accepting & protecting all of the like, love, trust and r.e.s.p.e.c.t. that we have for each other.

There are many others I’m sure that could be added, however, this is my list … you’ve got to tell me yours. What are your levels of connection?

P.S. While you are working on that can someone tell me why we stopped using “Obey” in wedding vows? I think if we add it back in there women won’t be so out of pocket, so beside themselves.

Word,

Mr.”You promised to obey, now go in there and fix me a sandwich” TramueL

Intel® The Museum of Me

This is pretty cool, if you are a narcissists.

Create and explore a visual archive of your social life.

The music is full of amsomeness ... "Tiny Piano" (Nijiko) by Takagi Masakatsu

Nijiko.mp3 Listen on Posterous

Can You Hear Me Now? by Dyson

Can You Hear Me Now? by Dyson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Great compilation of Dyson's "Truths" ... hammering out basic principles, effectively communicated in a thought provoking way.

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He Wrote, She Wrote... Pleasure

"... pleasure is deep. What matters most is not the world as it appears to our senses. Rather, the enjoyment we get from something derives from what we think that thing is." ~ Paul Bloom, How Pleasure Works: The New Science of Why We Like What We Like

He Wrote, She Wrote ... Brainwashed

"No matter how much she understood why her man couldn't protect her, the unnatural code of survival seeded subliminal contempt: You didn't protect me. You can't protect me. I have to protect myself!" by Tom Burrell

Practical Intelligence: The Art and Science of Common Sense ~ Karl Albrecht

Practical Intelligence: The Art and Science of Common Sense by Karl Albrecht

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Work and Play. Karl's approach to encouraging us to think "inside" the box to apply critical thinking, practically is written with a balance of childlike and adult behavior. The use of language skills to discuss, deduce and judge so that we may reason logically and accurately. Science! Yes, science is true ... don't be misled by facts.

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Harlem Is Nowhere: A Journey To The Mecca of Black America ~ Sharifa Rhodes-Pitts

Harlem is Nowhere: A Journey to the Mecca of Black America by Sharifa Rhodes-Pitts

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Great read, very colorful. It was if I stepped back in time, I appreciate the "overheard" conversation style of the book. Current copy was borrowed, it is strong enough that I will purchase my own.

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Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self ~ Danielle Evans

Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self by Danielle Evans

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A well put together series of completely unique short stories, a perfect way for me to refine and broaden my emotional palette. The common theme to me was about choices and how our environment; immediate and extended effects us. Family and community are often the BIGgest deterrent when faced with insecurities about ourselves. I appreciate that Danielle didn't write only about girls and women, she tells the stories of brothers and fathers.

Another take away for me is that she tells the Black perspective in a non stereotypical way, presenting an intelligent Black experience.

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I Blame "The Fall"

Men are often afraid to admit that it's much more than sex keeping us in a relationship there is a deeper hunger, for which sex is merely a symptom. There is a hunger for joy, a hunger for unconditional affirmation, a hunger, in the end for love.

~ Dyson

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Harlem Sweeties

Have you dug the spill   

Of Sugar Hill?

Cast your gims

On this sepia thrill:   

Brown sugar lassie,   

Caramel treat,   

Honey-gold baby   

Sweet enough to eat.   

Peach-skinned girlie,   

Coffee and cream,   

Chocolate darling   

Out of a dream.   

Walnut tinted

Or cocoa brown,   

Pomegranate-lipped   

Pride of the town.   

Rich cream-colored   

To plum-tinted black,   

Feminine sweetness   

In Harlem’s no lack.   

Glow of the quince   

To blush of the rose.   

Persimmon bronze   

To cinnamon toes.   

Blackberry cordial,   

Virginia Dare wine—

All those sweet colors   

Flavor Harlem of mine!   

Walnut or cocoa,   

Let me repeat:

Caramel, brown sugar,   

A chocolate treat.   

Molasses taffy,

Coffee and cream,   

Licorice, clove, cinnamon   

To a honey-brown dream.   

Ginger, wine-gold,   

Persimmon, blackberry,

All through the spectrum

Harlem girls vary—

So if you want to know beauty’s   

Rainbow-sweet thrill,

Stroll down luscious,

Delicious, 

fine

 Sugar Hill.

~

Langston Hughes

God Never Blinks

God Never Blinks: 50 Lessons for Life's Little Detours by Regina Brett My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Don't think ... Feel. This book will help you do so. Amazing, heartfelt stories {personal, true life} stories that you are able to relate to. Draw upon the experience, pain and endurance to help you move through "life's little detours"

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He Said, She Said ... Shade(s)

"... I don't see the men bitching about this dude lighter than me and I hate myself for it! I think all of us Black women ought to be locked in a room with a bunch of racist bastards and see if they'll treat any shade better than the other."

~ Ms.Nikks

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