gossip doesn't deserve a capital g...

Oh my, did you hear about...

Since the premature death of Whitney Houston, there has been so much gossip going on concerning the details of her death and the behavior of everyone around her,  I decided to finish a blog I started a while back on the subject of "gossip". It seemed to me this was the perfect time. 

I think there is a large segment of the media that loves these kinds of tragedies, they are assured of a captive audience for many days past the initial incident. There is however in my opinion,  a fine line to be walked when covering these stories. Having been a fan of Whitney, I found myself tuning in more than what is normal for me. I was truly sickened by the sadness of her story, the once vital young woman who sang praises in the choir, thrilled millions with her amazing voice, rose to the pinnacle of the music field earning fame, fortune and untold numbers of fans, had succumbed to the pitfall of many musicians, singers and stars before her. Drugs, alcohol and death.

What is it about fame and fortune that destroys so many that it is bestowed upon? Is there an unseen flaw in the genius that delivers such talent? Is the pressure to remain on top too much to handle? It would seem that with beauty, talent, fame and fortune, one would be thrilled to get out of bed everyday and live their lives to the fullest! Why is it we see so many of them choose the dark recesses of addiction in one form or another? For us who struggle to keep afloat in this life and do everything we can to remain positive and looking forward to a better tomorrow, it's a hard reality to understand. But the truth is, money, fame, talent and beauty don't guarantee happiness, joy and a life free of trials. It also doesn't take away addiction, depression and other issues that plague us all. 

I wish there was someway they could understand how precious their lives are and how much most of their fans want to see them succeed. I wish they could understand how many people are truly encouraged, touched and blessed by the talents they share.  

I also wish, people weren't so happy to see someone fall. I wish people didn't like to say things like, "they had it coming" and "they deserved what they got"... I wish people would look deeper and try to understand that under the talent, and the polished exterior is a person who still deals with feelings of insecurity, with the fear of failing, and with the responsibility of providing income for so many around them. I wish people weren't so quick to gossip about the problems of others... 

I think it is okay to talk about it, even good. It's good for all of us to examine our society and our expectations of those in the public eye. For some reason we have the idea that if someone has fame and fortune they shouldn't have the problems the rest of us endure. But the reality of this life is we are all fragile, we are all in need of grace and mercy. We all need each other's strengths and encouragement. We all need kindness and words filled with love, truth and wisdom. None of us benefit from cruel, insensitive gossip. Words hurt, words devastate and  words cause deep wounds. I think of Whitney's daughter, Bobby Christina and wonder how much pain she must be feeling and how much it is compounded by the cruel and untrue words being said about her mom, her dad, her life and her family. 

Use your words wisely friends, refrain from gossip that tears down and brings pain. Instead use your words to build up, encourage, restore and heal. Spread words that bring joy to the lost, the sick and the brokenhearted...

"Gossip is a sort of smoke that comes from the dirty tobacco-pipes of those who diffuse it: it proves nothing but the bad taste of the smoker". George Eliot


 "Gossip is the opiate of the oppressed". Erica Jong


"Ah, well, the truth is always one thing, but in a way it's the other thing, the gossip, that counts. It shows where people's hearts lie". Paul Scott

WHY AM I SO HAPPY???

I guess I'm just having a good day... maybe the stars are all lined up right or I'm just chemically stable. Whatever it is, I'll take it! I should be laying on the floor pounding my fists and crying but instead I have this great feeling that everything is gonna be alright. I just want to dress up put on my best heels and go out on the town!


In a nutshell; I'm unemployed, basically broke, need to pay rent, car payment, insurance, phone bill, cable bill and some groceries would be nice, how come I think I'm going to come out on top of this thing?

I was at the unemployment office the other day, (still a rookie at this unemployment thing) but the gentleman helping me showed me this PP presentation (no doubt to try and stop the flow of tears rolling down my face) detailing the unemployment rates from 2007 to present, as the unemployment gets worse the US Map grows darker, it was very dark at the end... pretty heavy visual! I must say it made me feel a little better about not having a job right now, but it also made me feel like there just has to be a way around this economic mess we are in! I'm not sure what the solution is, but for me I think it's going to involve a lot of "self employment". Now I'm just thinking of all the different ways I can promote, market & make money on myself, my talents & skills... somehow I think it's gonna work, so I'm just going to keep dressing up & wearing my best shoes & getting it over on this shitty little situation I find myself in right now... Things are going to turn around, I just know it,  I got a feeling! 
I'll keep you posted! 
XOXO The Hungry Heart!

Listen To Your Heart

Valentines Day is all about matters of the heart, Fluttery heart things that make us lightheaded and swoon over a certain someone, heartfelt things that drive us and energize us. Tender hearted things that teach us compassion, gratitude and humility. Deep desires of the heart that focus us and lead us on untold journeys. If you want to know your lot in life, listen to your heart. If you want to know what to pursue in life, listen to your heart. IF you listen close enough, your heart will verify your passion, your talents and your gifts. If you want to know your purpose don't ignore the desires of your heart and don't hide or ignore your gifts and talents, instead discover them and pursue them with a vengence. If your heart hungers after a specific thing, understand it and develope it into your life's work. Then and only them will you find satisfaction and rewards in what you are doing. Then and only then will you be fullfilling what you were created to do here in this life! Happy Valentines Day from "The Hungry Heart"

HOW'S YOUR APPEARANCE?

I think appearance is important and I guess I always have. I mean you only have one chance to make a first impression, and it is proven that first impressions do count. Appearance is so much more than the clothes you wear, it's the way you carry youself, the body language you project it is your visual projection of how you view yourself. Have you ever stopped to think what your appearance says about you? If you just meet yourself what would you think? Would you think you were a party girl, business woman, soccer mom or maybe a stick in the mud? Do you project not only your fashion sense, but also your love of life and your interests? Do you let your health, humor, joy & passions be seen in your appearance? When was the last time you took a long hard look in the mirror? I've heard people say that mirrors are for "the vain" and they never look into them. I don't buy it. Mirrors are very reflective and usually don't lie, (unless of course you are in a dressing room and they make you look slimmer, which I don't always mind) but most often I think people don't want to see what's looking back at them.

I'm going to challenge myself and you to take some long looks in the mirror these next few weeks. Observe how you look on different occassions. Are you putting out the image you think you are? Do your clothes, your grooming and your body reflect how you care for, think about and view yourself? If you are seeing something that doesn't seem right, use it as a catalyst to change that which you don't like. Are you taking care of yourself as well as you can? Are you putting forth the image that shows you in your best light and reveals the true you?

I believe, most often, our appearance is an outer reflection of our inner beliefs. Ah yes, there is another place that our appearance is looked at. God correctly says that man looks at the outward appearance, but, the Lord looks on the heart. So how can we see the appearance of our heart? Where do we find a mirror to look at our heart and see what God sees? The bible says, "My words shall express the uprightness of my heart, and my lips shall speak what they know with utter sincerity". Job 33:3

So humm, I guess that means that maybe a tape recorder would be the best way to see our heart. Words are powerful, words can alter lives in ways that are too numerous to list. What do your words say about you? If you taped all the words you uttered for a week what would you think about yourself? Would you be pleased or do you think you would cringe?

So now, let's add to that challenge to take a long look at our outer appearance; to also take a close listen to the words that come out of our mouth. Are they edifying, postive, grateful and used for good or the opposite? Maybe a good thing to do this year would be to strive for balance with our inner appearance and our outer appearance. Live with love, joy & purpose. Try it and let me know how it goes! Much Love, The Hungry Heart

Psalm 19:14 "May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing unto you, O Lord my rock and my redeemer".

Don't Give Your Power Away

Okay, well maybe we don't have the "superpowers" as in super heros, but we all have "Power" that is both unique & shared. We share many kinds of power in our life. Each of us has the power in our lives to choose the way we live, the way we eat, they way we look at life, ie, "our attitude"; we have the power to choose the kind of people we associate with and the the things we allow into our heads, hearts and souls.

We each also have been given special "powers" unique to us. They may come in the form of talents, gifts and many other attributes. The responsibility each of us have to ourselves is to understand what we have been given and find the ways to use them to our best advantage. Don't waste time wishing you had what someone else has or worrying that you don't have what it takes to succeed in this life, because you do. Everyone of us have been given the tools and power we need to leave our special mark in this world. The best way to find what it is, is to look inside our hearts. Find your passion find what you love and there you will find your direction and your power. Don't follow another's direction and don't waste your power or give it over to someone else. It is your's, and it is what will give you the success and joy you desire in this world!

Romans 12:6 We have different gifts according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving then serve; if it is teaching then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is to show mercy then do it cheerfully!

2011 as I see it...

This is a photo of the LG "life is good" billboard

in Times Square. The idea of this billboard is to

be an interactive Billboard, used for good news, 

happy  thoughts  and  general  uplifting stories.

I like this idea and think for every down thing I

post I need to counter-act it with an up post!

We'll see how it goes, feel free to call me out on

it if you find I'm getting lopsided! -The Hungry Heart