©Beautiful Nightmare by Karma

Teetering along the edge of pain

Smiling eyes peer 

into lost emotions

Paranoia creeps in

so I feel safer on the darker side of the fence

where shadows are familiar

and villains serenade me

with whispers of sweet nothings

 ...sweet dreams...

smoke screens and smoking mirrors

and then the fog clears

and everyone seems to be

hiding behind the identity 

they pretend to be

misery loves company

so she keeps calling me

someone please wake me

from this beautiful nightmare

- contributed to "Word Connections" a @johnlacarbiere Anthology benefiting Proceeds benefit Wordplay NO a nonprofit organization

From within the mind of a Soldier....: College

From within the mind of a Soldier....: College: Does a college degree make me a success? Get real…it just gives me a piece of paper saying hey, though you slept through thirty percent of y...

From within the mind of a Soldier....: Without you within.

From within the mind of a Soldier....: Without you within.: I can still taste your lips I can still feel you underneath me I can still taste your neck I can still feel your hands around me I still fee...

From within the mind of a Soldier....: a little about me PART 1.

From within the mind of a Soldier....: a little about me PART 1.: Around this time, year of 2006 I laid my head and fell asleep on a park bench. I had no place to go, I had no family to run to. I had no fri...

"I Give Thanks" by Karma

I give thanks for the little things 

Both big and small

I give thanks for the have and have not’s

It’s that I live, that I have them at all

I give thanks for the love surrounding me

And being kept in God’s good grace

It’s that I realize I’m blessed

That I can stop and smell the roses

And give thanks for living another day

Happy Holidays! - Pixel Office

Happy Holidays!  - From our friends at Pixel Office

Lesson Learned: My Rant

Reality Check: My Rant

A Lesson Learned:  Not everyone will be as supportive as you would have anticipated.  There may even come a time where you would have always been their biggest supporter, but they seem to “not be available” when it’s you who needs support.

Try your best not to take it personally.  They may not be creative enough to understand where you’re coming from.  If your thinking is unorthodox or even a little unconventional and you are brave enough to take a risk and do the things that people say “you can’t” do, I APPLAUD YOU!!!!  Not enough people willingly choose to go against the grain or even continue to walk down that lonely path when it starts to head in the direction opposite of the rest of the herd.

I assume that you are already Your Own Motivator but if you needed it, this was a little

“Rah Rah!!!”    for you.  ;)

Poetic Soul

by Wendy "Karma" Williams from Awake Falling Up

Embodiment of soul grabbing verbs

virtually transcend written language

Regret the muse of inspirations

because now expressions are lost

A friendship ended before it began

Heart fell for the haiku, the poetry,

the prose, the sweet rhythmic notions

Missed connection on a metaphysical level

This energy we'll call Phenom

Adulterated sonnets

caused tension astronomical

Esteem far reaching

Revolving worlds on borrowed time

We chose to read in between the lines

Four seasons passing, words diminish

Thoughts well rested remain dormant

until forgotten from memory

Remnants of a distorted summary

that should be erased

Counterfeit lines

metaphorically showered philosophy

Drenched in cold pleasantries

no more replaying verses

of a favorite ballad

And I am left elevated

nothing more,

nothing less

For Those of You Battling depression, sadness, or any negative Emotion..

It's easy to fall into a dark space and sometimes hard to get back out of one.  Sometimes even through all that hurt and pain you just have to GET UP, STAND and FIGHT.  It is time to take a stand against what is bringing you down and take back your life and... your smile.  You can either stay there right where you are and remain to be a "victim" (if that's how you see it) or do whatever you have to in order to get out of it.  Whether  that means forcing a SMILE, forcing yourself to FIND SOMETHING FUNNY, and making yourself get OUT of that house and/or environment.  Nothing at all better can come from you just sitting alone replaying your thoughts.  So, even if that means swallowing your pride, giving your ego a rest, and talking to somebody, ANYBODY, please do it.  Whether you think it's true or not someone is somewhere willing to listen.  You've just got to be willing to let them.  YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

In the meantime here are some suggestions for a possible pick me up:

• Read the Bible (if religion/spirituality is your thing) - You'd be amazed how having a belief in that nature can lift your mood.
• Write in a journal (or spiral or piece of paper) - For example, when you wake up/go to bed write the little things you are thankful for or makes you crack a smile even a little bit.  This can be a way to help you focus more on the positive side of things.  Or even, write down little steps you can take to help make things a little better.  One step at a time, even if they're baby steps, there's progress.
• Scribble that fury out! - Drawing and other forms of art can be a way for you to express your emotions when you feel there isn't any other outlet that you're comfortable with just yet.
• Make a playlist of some "Pick Me Up" Theme music - An idea given to me by two very wise women and believe me, it helps!
• Find something such as a punching bag for sale in the classifieds or playing a pickup game of basketball - Sometimes we just need a way to (in a safe way) let go of all that negative energy

Phillipians 4

Are you in crisis? Please call 1-800-273-TALK

Are you feeling desperate, alone or hopeless? Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), a free, 24-hour hotline available to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. Your call will be routed to the nearest crisis center to you.

• Call for yourself or someone you care about
• Free and confidential
• A network of more than 150 crisis centers nationwide
• Available 24/7

http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

NO fear

Fear is a crippling dis-ease.  If you allow it to, it can keep you from your loved ones, keep you from your joy, and keep you from LIVING Life itself.  Your body can be so overcome with "what-if's and the unknown" that you're left an empty vessel trembling uncontrollably. When in all honesty from the point of conception, that very moment you were created, you were endowed with the power to Stand Tall and STAND STRONG.  So SNAP OUT OF IT!  You are allowing a perception of deception to stifle you.  In other words, you are being defeated by your own mind.  You are your own truth and your mind is playing tricks on you.  You are the one creating this terrifying situation, but you're not the only one.  We all can make a mountain out of a mole hill from time to time.  Even so, we must not fret for THINGS ARE NOT ALWAYS AS THEY SEEM.  You have more control over your life situations that you think.  Just imagine how powerful you'll feel once you grab the reigns and had control over your emotions and over your mind.  No panic attacks, no unnecessary stress; just a peace of mind.

"For God hath not given us a the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."  -2 Timothy 1:7

362 Days and Counting

There will be the unfortunate few who will decide to continue with their usual, meaningless humdrum.  But for many others, the new year brings new beginnings and (most importantly) a clean slate.  2011 (or any day for that matter) should be about bettering yourself and evolving on to a whole new plane.  We need to visualize and grasp new horizons.  Whoever you are.. whatever the case may be.. whether it’s being more aware of our environment and eco-friendly, not polishing off the rest of that last drink, being more spiritual, or even just having more confidence in yourself.  Whatever forms of positive influences you allow in your life will influence someone or something else and so forth.  So LAUGH A LITTLE MORE!!!  It’s alright!  It all comes back full circle.  ;)