"SUMMER SUMERTIME!"

Well its the time of year again where we can finally put all of our winter clothes and accessories in the attic and take out all of our favorite summer clothes! Yes! It's officially summer and we all want to enjoy all of the adventurous things outdoors such as the beach, amusement parks, road trips, cook-outs and yes the pool! We have been shopping for the perfect pair of shorts, tank tops, flip-flop/sandal and sundress. But whatever we buy, we all want to sport our favorite gear.

Temperatures that are raging in the high 90's; possibly 100's can be a problem for some people. As the heat wave continues, you must remember that if you are outdoor, bring a bottle of cold crisp water to quench your thirst and to dry the sweat beads off your forehead. Some of us have been planning all year long where they want to take their vacations at and as family travel across the border to spend time with other family, friends and loved ones, the only thing we can do is laugh and smile because its SUMMER!!!

As you scroll down to the beach or waterfront, everyone is swagged out and stunting their fabulous shades and sandals. Friends hang out on the strip just soaking up the sun and sharing unforgettable memories of a lifetime. Some may be waiting in line to get ice cream, a great treat for the summer that will melt at the tip of your tongue. And lets not forget the different flavors of Popsicles or freeze pops which the kids love soo dearly. As you walk a little further down the beach, you may find many women soaking up the sun getting a tan, kids playing in the sand, people laughing and screaming in the water or maybe people surfing. There is always some type of activity going on a the beach. Everyone is trying to enjoy their vacation time while it lasts and not thinking about stressful situations at work or unsolved problems. Its all about having FUN!!!

What are some of your favorite places/states to go visit for the summer? Some may say Florida, Vegas, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Jamaica or maybe the Bahamas. If you are going to a new place this summer, make sure you soak up all the time with fun and pictures! You can always rely on that one particular person to have a camera!

So whatever fun things you have planned this summer, whether its the beach, traveling, the amusement parks, hanging out with friends and family or going to cook-outs, just remember to stay cool and keep yourself hydrated. And remember to HAVE FUN!!!

"STOP Procrasinating, Just do it!"

When opportunities comes knocking at the door, you better answer it with open arms! God sends us opportunities everyday and sometimes we don't even realize it. He gives us opportunities to make all of our dreams come true if we really put out mind to it filling our heads with good ideas that may lead to long-term goals, etc. But when you have a clear understanding of your goals and dreams....GO FOR IT! REACH FOR THE SKY! Nothing is holding you back! Get to work!

You wake some mornings and realize that you haven't written Chapter One of your new book and in your mind you want to have it finished in six months. So every morning, every afternoon and every night you walk pass your coffee table and stare at the blank pages of possibilities. You carry on with your life journey realizing you have a huge project to complete. Procrastinating can be about anything whether its writing a book, going to the gym, making a doctors appointment, cleaning the house, doing yard work, calling a friend, etc. The more you put your task (s) off, the more guilty you will start to feel. But the sooner you get it done, the less relieved you will start to become. I know there are times when we feel lazy and we don't feel like doing anything,but at some point of time, we have to accomplish what we plan to do. So the next time you have a task to do and you have a thought about putting it off til later, tell yourself this: "No! I will not let this slide! I'm going to complete this task and succeed at it!"

"What is your phone addiction?"

Now imagine living in a world where there was no technology of any kind. No computers, no television sets, no video games, no digital cameras...NOTHING! NO CELL PHONES! Now cell phones is the #1 leading, most popular form of technology. Because now smart phones are getting more smarter and a lot of people are buying them. Whether it its a blackberry (crackberry), Iphone, Android, Evo, Epic or any other type of smart phone, people will stay on top of their cell phone game. Now we all have experienced some form of phone addiction every once in awhile, but really ask yourself, "What is my phone addiction?"

Your cell phone looks sleek, cool and HOT and you want to explore all the neat apps it has to offer and all the various functions of the phone. Its like a mini computer which is convenient at the tip of your fingers and you are constantly on it. How many hours a day do you spend on your smart phone? Most average people are on their cell phones from the time they get up in the morning until they go to bed at night, that's if they ever do go to bed if they don't ever set their phone down. that means your battery will only last about an hour if you are constantly on it. Ask yourself this, "What is my favorite part about being on my cell phone?" Its not all about taking plenty of pictures or inserting different appointments in your calendar, but its mainly about checking your email, texting back and forth and most importantly, instant messaging and going on your favorite social networking sites. Everyone has at least ONE of these addictions that they aren't proud of. However, there is a way you can cure the addiction without having to be on the cell phone that much.

Email/Downloads:

Of course we all have that luxury of setting up our personal/home and work email address to our phones. The minute that happens, you are constantly checking it and responding to emails throughout the day. Now if you were at your work computer or at home and you check your email, its a little different because you aren't constantly at your computer responding to emails; whereas you can bring all your emails with you on the smart phone. A lot of people just don't know when to stop at one point and find themselves in a stressful bind because they don't let their emails or phone rest. People feel that they have to check it right away because they have that option to do so and because its already on their phone, they'll do it anyways for the sake of it. When downloading, you want everything, especially when downloading music from free sites or maybe the latest ringtones. You aren't just going to download one or two, but it becomes a habit. One popular feature about smart phones are the applications. Before you know it, you have about 30 apps installed, but would you really use them all?

Texting:

This has got to be the #1 leading addiction throughout the United States. Phone-calling isn't as popular, but its always easier to send a text because 95% of the time, you get a quicker response. Now answer this: " How many times do you normally text or receive texts a day?" Most people would say over 50 texts received and texting over 30 times. Quite naturally it is very easy to conduct a WHOLE conversation through texting without too much interruptions when you try to call that person.

Social Networking:

We all have that one favorite networking site we love to go on every single day. Whether its Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, Hi-5 or maybe Friendster. the top two popular sites are Facebook and Twitter. With these smartphones having these apps, it makes tweeting and facebooking a lot more easier ince you can take it on the go. But it still gets a little addicting because a lot of people are constantly tweeting or facebooking making a new post. You forget what is going on around you because at that present moment or time, the only thing that's important is responding to a tweet, retweeting someones tweet or changing your status on facebook. How often do you get on these sites? Tweeting on the job is a big addiction because then you will NEVER get anything done. this goes for instant messaging as well.

But we all have one type of addiction on our smart phone. You might not be proud of it like I mentioned earlier, but there are ways to decrease them. I wanted to find something on the Internet that talks about cell phone addictions and I came across this great article on http://www.digitaltrends.com/ that talks about the top 10 signs of cell phone addictions. You will be amazed at some of these.

Top 10 Signs of Cell Phone Addictions:

1) Using the phone in the bathroom

2) Feeling a little panic when you notice your phone isn't in your purse/pocket

3) Meeting people with the same phone as you and you can only talk about your phone

4) When you break your phone, you feel sad and depressed

5) The battery only last a half of day

6) Cutting back on necessities to pay your cell phone bill

7) Reading about your phone on your phone

8) Having alarms telling you to do everything in your life

9) Having 30 apps installed and use them all

10) Spending more on accessories than on your phone

Does any of these signs apply to you? If it does, don't be embarrassed because we have all gone through one or more of these phases. But in reality, we should realize its only a phone, but sometimes phones are treated as human-beings. One way that you can decrease your cell phone addictions is trying to use it more LESS. Meaning PUT THE PHONE DOWN sometimes! You don't always have to have it in your hand! Also you can reduce the usage of your phone such as ttexting less, spending LESS time tweeting or checking emails. That way you can save your battery usage so that you will have enough "juice" to make an important phone call if you have to. Try some of these things, it may work.....and for some, it may not! I have to admit, I had an addiction problem with my smart phone. I would ALWAYS be on twittter like it was my life! I would loose sleep because I was always tweeting and reading my timeline. I remember last may on memorial day, I dropped my phone on the kitchen floor of my house and the phone middle piece of my phone where the trackball was at broke and I thought it was the end of the world! I was sooo sad and depressed because I could BBM people! But I got over my addiction and now it doesn't bother me too much.

You will be amazed once you find a cure or solution for your addiction and your life will soon be back on track the way it was before!

"Job or NO Job?"

We all live in a society where times can be hard. But there's one thing that can keep you going. A J-O-B! Now if you have a job, be thankful! With the way the economy is going and people that have jobs are getting laid off, your employer might not have given you the pink slip yet, so continue to BE THANKFUL!

Now a lot of times we may not love the job we have now or might not have the "dream job" our heart may desire, but its still a JOB! Ask yourself this question: "What do I like most about my job?" Now before you answer that question, think about the first time you became an employee at the company, was you happy, nervous or scared? Now two years later, do you still enjoy working there? If you do have a job, love what you do with a PASSION! Like I said earlier, it may not be what you want EXACTLY, buy its still a job and you're making money! Let alone, if you have bills, you have money to pay them off!

I know a lot of people went to college or an expensive university; majored in a great field, but when they graduated, they weren't able to fine a job in their field. But the one's that did, remain humble and continue to be thankful because there are people who are dying to be in your shoes right now. So if you are the one of those people that complains day in and day out about your job, stop and think about the people that are still out there searching for one!

Now if you DON'T have a J-O-B, guess what? Don't worry and Don't stress so much! What you can do is continue your job search and keep a smile on your face and remain humble! I know some people who have been unemployed for a year or more and they haven't given up hope yet. That's what you CAN'T do! NEVER GIVE UP! Whether its on the Internet of in person, keep searching, keep searching and KEEP APPLYING! Somebody will call you sooner or later to work for their company! It takes time and when the right job comes along, it will be for you!

I am unemployed once again, but I'm not giving up either! Everyday I look for jobs and the ones that interests me, I apply for it. But I remain strong and keep a humble heart.

But whether you have a job or NOT, still keep your head up! If you have a job, perform great work and remain positive and if you don't have one, keep your head up still and keep searching!

-This has been another post by Patrice-Nicole Rivers. Stay tuned for my next post entitled "What is your phone addiction?"

"Just Believe"

Just believe that your life is only beginning of hopes and dreams, Just believe that the world's distractions is only a sign to play with your weak side; its harder than it may seem. Just believe that when you fall all the way down, all you have to do is get back up and try again, Just believe that when fighting your battles, just stand still; you will win. Just believe that following your heart is the best thing that you can do, Just believe that an angel is always surrounding you when you are going through. Just believe in yourself only and not depend on others, Just believe that when you are strong and focused, your goals will move further. Just believe that you can do anything you put your mind to, Just believe that the world is yours and so is everything if you choose, its all up to you. Just believe that even though you aren't where you want to be in life, you will get there one day, Just believe and have faith, God will make a way. Just believe that your true friends will always stick by your side, Just believe that your enemies will always try to bring you down; they won't try to be kind. Just believe that you will get through the chapters of your life, Just believe, don't worry, Just believe everything will be alright and a blessing soon will be in sight.

"FREEZE"

STOP what you are doing and take a moment to think about your life. Not just the things that you are doing in you life, but really start to visualize all of your dreams that you are willing to make come true one day. How long do you think it will take you to make all of them come to life? How many dreams do you have? Do you have a plan dor each one of them? After answering these questions, answer this question: "Are you comfortable where you are at in your life now?" We may not be where we really want to be, but you can change all of that. If you're satisfied with the passion of you job you look forward to going to everyday or going to classes to complete your degree of choice, then you are one step closer to your dreams. But also ask yourself this question: "Is what you're doing in life helping you to get closer to your dreams?" If your answer is no, then maybe you should switch up your pattern and take a different route. But whatever you are doing in your life, just make sure its worth the long ride. It's an easy ride down, but remember it's a hard ride back up to the top! Sometimes you have to play the "Freeze Game" every once in awhile just to check out how your life is going on a daily basis. "You may find yourself getting stuck at times, But the right solutions will come, the best one you will find. Stop and think about the importance of your dream, It's going to take mor than hard work, a headache it may seem. Never let the worse get the best of you, Examine your heart, mind and soul so that you can feel brand new!"

ITS BEEN AWHILE

I haven't been up here in so long; it's like I have drifted off from the dark world of writing. But I know deep down inside, I must continue with this race, continue to do what I do most, and that is WRITE WRITE WRITE!!!!! Many times I try to pick up the the pen and put it to the paper, but nothing comes out! I want to tell a great story that's lingering in my mind, in my heart... but nothing comes out...complete SILENCE!!! Have you ever had that gut-feeling before? Like you want to write or tell a great story, but your fingers won't budge and your mind doesn't focus completely? But I can't and refuse to stop the energy of writing, to stop the movement of my pen from forming creative words that come out of nowhere. I'm a PHENOMENAL POET AND WRITER and I must continue my journey. The next topic I will blog on will be deep from within......STAY TUNE!!!!! Thought for the Week: "Always display a positive attitude and continue to treat people the way you would want to be treated"