Saturday, April 4, 2015

Life giver or Life sucker

Good evening everyone,

I recently had a great conversation with a friend of mine and I noticed that this person was walking on clouds, smiling, and having the best day in a long time. I casually asked, "what has got you in such a good mood".  My friend told me, that they figured out the key to life.  What?!?!?! The key to life, please share.

To paraphrase, my friend said they figured out the importance of having "life givers" in their life rather than "life suckers".

Can you say, "FREAKING GENIUS" !!!!???!!!!


So......what the hell does that mean....life giver vs life sucker

Well, let me break it down in my own terms.  I apologize to the friend who dropped this li'l gem on me in case I don't state it as eloquently.

Essentially, if we divide people into two categories regarding how they approach life, we have those that give, add, or contribute to the quality of their life, the life of their friends and acquaintances, and to life in general. Then there is the second group,  those who suck the life from their friends, suck the life from those who they casually come into contact with, and those who seem to try to bring down anyone who may be feeling positive at any giving time.

If you look at your own life, I'm sure you can easily identify people that fit into one of these two categories.  The key is this, if you surround yourself with "Life Givers" your life will be that much more enriched and filled with smiles, laughter, happiness, empathy, and overall feelings of positivity. It is when we surround ourselves with the "life suckers", or even allow one malignant "life sucker" to enter our world, that life all of a sudden can appear darker, more limited, less pleasant, and can have you changing the way that YOU see the world around you, and can ultimately change how you treat others.

First question, who would you rather spend time with? Givers or Suckers??

Second question, how do you want to see the world around you? Full of optimism, possibilities, and happiness or dismal, negative, and fraught with problems??

Third, how do you want to go about your days? Smiling, helping others, seeing the goodness in people or Frowning with a persistent RBF or RDF (Resting Bitch Face or Resting Dick Face), feeling that the world is against you, and being depressed??

I know how I answer those questions, all you have to do is ask yourself.

If you are like me, you should make all attempts to surround yourselves with positivity, Bring on the Life Givers!!! I want to have reasons to smile, I want to be positive more often than not, I want to spread smiles, laughter, and good karma.  I want people's lives to be enriched by being around me. I want to feel like things are not so bad no matter how bad things may seem.  I want the energy that life givers tend to impart.  I'll go even further, I want to be considered a life giver as well!! I mean, hey, Pay it forward right??

All I'm saying is that in this world of soooooooo much negativity (see previous post) we need to try to increase the chances that every day we are blessed enough to live on this earth, that we spend those days happy.  Life is way too short and I know how I want to spend my heartbeats (again, see previous posts).  By surrounding myself with those who give life through their actions, words, work ethic, and overall approach toward life, I hope to limit the negativity that I, and virtually anyone can encounter onany and all days of the week.

If you are a life sucker, you are probably reading this shaking your head with a frown on your face. That's ok to me.... To each their own. If you find yourself in that category, I ask you to take a step back, consider what has been written and see if changing to a Life Giver is something you would like to do.  It is not that hard, just remember how blessed you are for being above ground and upright (there are plenty of people who would probably be happy just with those two things), remember how blessed you are to be able to see the words on the screen (blind people would probably trade anything to be able to see), remember how lucky you are to be able to understand what you are reading, how lucky you are to have the motor skills to scroll down the screen, you get the idea.  All these blessings surround us and if you stop to appreciate them, and NOT take them for granted then , you are on the path to becoming a "life giver".  When you look at life this way, it makes you more appreciative of the little things and that is a great start to becoming someone who can enrich and positively affect the lives of others.


Our time on this earth is limited, that is one of the guarantees of life, so why not try to make it a fun ride on this planet?? Try to smile more than you don't, try to laugh more than you cry, try to have people thankful they met you rather than trying to avoid ever seeing you again.

If you can do this. LIFE CAN BE GRAND

Have a great day everyone.  And to all my Life Givers' KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK.

To my life suckers, good luck, and remember.......

These are just one Man's thoughts!!

One Love and Happy Easter

ANT


Monday, March 9, 2015

PLOW THROUGH THE NEGATIVITY

Good evening everyone,


I made the mistake of watching the news this evening and given all the crazy stuff that is going down I just want to remind anyone reading this that we need to all try to Plow through all the negativity.  Given all the snow that the rest of the country has faced this winter (not me, as I enjoy sunny Scottsdale)  the term "plow" should be very familiar.

The main point of this post is to remind everyone, that despite all attempts for the media and other outlets we are exposed  to that try to sour our view of humanity, I'd like to believe that the majority of all of us are NOT representative of what the media is reporting.  I may be wrong, but in my heart of hearts, I believe that most people are truly good people. It is unfortunate that the "bad apples" are the ones who are put on display for all of us to see.  Now, I'm not saying that everyone is good, as a matter of fact, there are some really really really bad apples out there. But in a nation of over 318 million citizens, we cannot all be represented by the fraction of us Americans (yes, we are ALL americans....despite color, creed, religion, political affiliation, etc) that are displayed in the media coverage, internet posts, and in movies,TV, magazines, etc.

Recently, there has been footage of some po-dunk, ignorant, clown ass folk that are members of a fraternity in the Midwest.  First thing that comes to mind is the reaction; the shock, the horror, that this video was released and what is depicted.  Why are people so surprised regarding this footage? Is it a surprise that these college kids feel this way or that the video actually puts it out there in such a way that the issue has been brought to the forefront??  Now, anybody with a head on their shoulders and a brain in that head, regardless of the IQ, should know that racism has gone nowhere in this country except "undercover".  Anyone, who is surprised that racism still exists in this country are ostriches with their head in the sand.  I am ALWAYS aware of this fact and the point is, we cannot let these ignorant, closed minded individuals have the upper hand. What I'm saying is that, remember, although it exists, AND IT ALWAYS WILL, we must make an individual effort to rise above this idealism.  We cannot change the world overnight, but if we make a conscious effort, to change ourselves, and educate those close to us; hopefully we can make a dent. Racism has been around for eons.  I mean just look at the people who criticize immigration....... Aren't every citizen other than Native Americans immigrants to this country?? The last time I checked, that is an indisputable fact.  (however, I'm sure some toothless, overall wearing, good ole boy may try and debate it).  The most important thing is to plow through this closed minded, negative, way of thinking and try to remain positive. I find myself struggling with the positivity thing as, unfortunately, there are always reminders that this is the world we live in!  Just remember, The majority of people are NOT this way and we have to remind ourselves of this constantly or we become numb to the fact that we can and should work to improve the world we live in. Plow on folk, Plow on

Next, I just heard a story on the news about some woman who works for the VA in a position where she helps veterans once they've returned back to the states after SERVING OUR COUNTRY AND HELPING PROTECT OUR FREEDOM AND RIGHTS.  This crazy lady, had been caught via email mocking those same individuals. This is another example of  how we are constantly reminded how "bad" people are.  Now, this woman, should be fired, raked across the coals, and stripped of any and all titles she holds if this is truly her behavior.   The point I'm making is, with all the negativity being pointed out to us constantly, we have to work so hard to plow through all this negativity.  This woman is only a tiny fraction of those who work for the VA but for some reason,  deserved or not,  she is news worthy. Granted, her behavior is deplorable, she is just one messed up individual.  For every story the media posts about the bad, I'd love if they made a statement regarding how many other good people are out there. For instance, In New York the Delta plane slid down the runway and almost ended up in the river, on another note, the other 86,999 flights in the US that day landed without incident, and all passengers were content with their flight.  Y'all get the idea.....hopefully


It is easy to let our every day existence be plagued by negativity. It is everywhere, it is in the commercials we watch, the movies released, the news that's  reported, the newspapers we read, The T-shirts people wear, the magazines on the shelves, and don't get me started on the dayum internet.  We are constantly bombarded with this negativity. I beg of you all, just try to put your head down and plow through it. Ideally, at the other end there will be nothing but POSITIVITY.  My dream of dreams, is that others will see us plowing through and decide to do the same.  Now, by no means am I saying that this is easy.  Conversely, it is VERY difficult to remain positive given all the "information" we are inundated with.  The world has a lot of work to do to get us in a place where happiness out weighs the unhappy but it has to start somewhere. I challenge everyone to try and have it start with the one thing in our control.......YOURSELVES.

If you are reading this and in disagreement, THAT IS OK.  Hopefully I'll reach a few people out there.

Most importantly, remember,

These are Just One Man's Thoughts!!!

One LOVE

Ant




Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Internet courage

Good evening again y'all,

I just thought I'd sit in this chair and speak to anyone who is listening about internet courage.  Isn't it SOOOOOOO funny what people post on the internet?!?!? It makes me smile, laugh, cry, get upset, give "prison eyes to" and do all kinds of stuff when I read some of the stuff people think they can post on the "world wide web".  I remember when if you could get your ass beat, you'd keep your mouth shut.  That is NOT the world we live in anymore......

Since being a witness to some of the most horrific stuff anyone should need to see  AND seeing the responses that people think are acceptable, I'm almost ready to hop on a puddle jumper and open a food truck in a remote, beautiful, area in the world like St. Thomas, or St. Croix.

How can people feel that they can post the MOST ignorant, Asinine, douche-bagger-ific posts and get a way with it??? The answer....INTERNET COURAGE.

When you are protected behind a MEME, profile pic, alias, or Catfish scheme, you feel you can get away with any and every thing that crosses your mind..  Guess what, at some point, your bad Ju Ju will catch up with you TRIPLE FOLD!!!!

There is no way to restrict what people post as this is one of the greatest things about being American!!! Freedom of speech!!! Buuuuuuttttt.... Half of these cowards posting crazy shit, would keep  their mouths shut if , on the other end,  there was a well supported knuckle to their lower lip... Now, I'm not saying violence or aggression is the answer...What I am saying is that if people had to think twice about repercussions, maybe they would think twice before posting some ignorant ass stuff.   Being a mixed cat (a post is soon to follow ), I've been privy to all kinds of MADNESS!! I've always been bi-racial, never had a choice...and if I could choose, I WOULD NEVER CHOOSE ANYTHING ELSE!!!!  All I'm 'saying,  it is nuts to consider the stuff that has been whispered in my ear ALL MY LIFE.  I've been lucky enough to end up on the positive end of the spectrum..... But  I've learned the true madness that lies within man.....

Just saying.

I have always been the kind of cat that watches from afar, knowing that people will show me way more than I would ever want to know, as long as I pay attention. This has NEVER let me down. Additionally, if you've read my previous posts, I do NOT WASTE MY HEARTBEATS (they are limited as is) following or encouraging BullShit!!


Long story short, just cause you have an internet profile, you should at least have the courtesy to think at least a few seconds before you respond to a post you disagree with,; You would be better served if you would think a li'l bit before you repeat the rhetoric you've grown accustomed to, or before you "like" a post made by some uneducated, naive, person who is a mouthpiece to the ideal that they never had a choice to rebel against...Internet courage will only get you so far..  and to be honest.....It won't be THAT far....
What i'd say, is just try to keep it positive.  Woulda's, coulda's, and shoulda's are a waste of time so DONT DO IT... Just try to be a better person today than you were yesterday.

As always, if you don't agree, IT"S OK.....These are just One Man's Thoughts/

ONE LOVE,

ANT

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Don't be afraid to DeFriend

Good evening y'all,

I just recently was thinking about something I thought I'd share with you guys.  Do any of you have a "friend" on Facebook, twitter, or Instagram who always posts shit that has you shaking your head, asking yourself "What that Eff", making your blood pressure go up, or just helps sour you day?? My question.....Why do they have to be your FB friend, IG friend, or Twitter friend??

We, as society, seem that we are so caught up with public approval and having "a lot" of friends that we forget all we have to do is hit one button and DEFRIEND them.  The refreshing freedom!!!!

Now, before you all gasp with thoughts of disdain.....hink of this; Our friends (at least as i see it) are supposed to support us, bring smiles to our face, be there when we need them, be the shoulder to lean on, be the attentive ear to our grievances.  Nowhere, in the definition of friend, does it mention that it should be someone that upsets us regularly, makes us uncomfortable, or truly pisses us off more often than not.

If you find yourself subscribing or subjecting yourself to one of these so called "friends" it is very easy, actually way easier than you think.... Just defriend them.  You can still be their friend in real life.  Remember real life?? ?When people actually talk face to face, when people do not have to try to assign a "tone of voice" to texts and other emails, when people actually shake hands and smile at each other (not just put a colon, parenthetical, and a dash to make a smiling face).  Ahhh, I remember those days..... Those that have stayed with you through the thick and thin  of REAL LIFE will always be true to you and can really be considered Friends..... For all the others that choose to keep these sour face folk in order to pad your Facebook stats, validate your crazy pictures always posted, or are just there to remind you that you do not have it so bad, good luck as I've found, these types are kinda expendable......Friend-wise, of course.

If you choose to limit the crap that you are forced to read just because one of your internet "friends" posts shit and now you defriend them....Congratulations!!!! That's a step.....  Now this does not mean that you are truly NOT this persons' friend. You are just making a statement, that if you post stuff that upsets me more than lifts me up, I am making a conscious decision to NOT ALLOW that to happen.

Remember, Life is waaaaaaayyyyyy to short to be bothered with unnecessary BS.  I personally, want my scrolling, pointing, and clicking to make me smile more often than not.  Time is money, and I am not gonna waste any of my MONEY letting you influence how my day is.

Just saying.  And as always, if you do not agree.....THAT IS OK...These are...Just One Man's Thoughts.


ONE LOVE,
ANT

Friday, February 6, 2015

Just be nice

Good afternoon all,

Since I decided to get back  into putting my thoughts on "paper" I thought I'd begin just to remind people to just be nice!!! It sounds so simple but as I've observed it does not happen that often.  I personally believe, that in this fast paced society of immediate gratification people have been way too concerned with THEMSELVES. Remember, we all live on the same planet, we all bleed the same, and you never know when your kindness can change lives.  I know it is not easy to be nice all the time, but make a promise that you will be nice as much as you can.  By nice, I don't mean you have to search for people stranded on the side of the road and give them a ride; I do not mean to dig in your pockets and donate money; I'm simply referring to the easy, often taken for granted niceness. For example:

Smile at another

Open a door

Say Thank you

Give someone encouraging words

Help someone put groceries in their car.

I recall days where these thing happened regularly and now it seems so infrequent.  What I hope, is that your kindness will remind someone else to be kind which in turn will trickle down to where it is the norm rather than the exception.  If you know me, you hopefully are nodding your head thinking, "Yep, Pickett is a person who seems happy and "nice" more often than not".

Anyhow,

Just a quick post to remind everyone out there to make attempts to be nice and you never know how, by paying it forward, you may ultimately be rewarded yourselves.  Just imagine if everyone was kind, polite, and considerate to each other

Have a great day, and remember as always, if you do not agree.....That is ok...These are Just One Man's Thoughts

ONE LOVE,

ANT


Just Let Me Re-Introduce Myself..... My Name Is .......

Intro to Ant (A re intro.......actually)


I've made the executive decision to revive my little forum that I can let y'all know about things that cross my mind, bother me, annoy me, entertain me, piss me off, please me...you get the idea....Along that line of thinking, I thought  that a formal "re-introduction" was appropriate. I came across this first post,  when, this evening, I finally logged back in.  I tweaked it a li'l bit from the original, but you get the idea. This time, I hope to be way more consistent with the frequency of my posts.  Any-Hooooooo    ....


Hello all,

Just a quick blog to let you know what you are getting into by reading this.  I consider myself a forward thinking guy who tends to analyze and learn something from every experience I encounter.  Watching the world around us, there are numerous opportunities to learn and better one's self.  I often times, read the newspaper, watch the news, or just look at what's around me and find myself asking...."What is Really going on??!!??"  I hardly know everything and barely know anything......but I always try to learn from any and all experiences and interactions I come across.   I'm not saying I am an authority on anything but maybe if I run my mouth enough, maybe I might stumble on some advice, knowledge,  or other li'l  life worthy gem that people may benefit from reading....It has been Sooooooo long since I've visited my "blog"  (BTW.....what does that even stand for).....  I really want to try to get back at it.

The purpose of my blog is not to force my opinions on others or even expect people to agree with me.  I Just need to let my feelings about certain things out and I welcome other's opinions and Ideas.  The topics I will comment on are random and may or may not be interesting to the reader.  I'm sure that if you follow this blog, EVENTUALLY, I'll touch on a topic that may strike an accord with you. That being said, keep your eyes open for future posts.  My mind is already swimming with ideas to comment on.

Most importantly,
Remember.....These are just One Man's Thoughts