"Aha!" Moment. (This isn't a poem)

Loving is easy, what makes it seem difficult is us constantly trying to find "IT" duplicating "love" by comparing it to the past non-lovers we had. Tallying up the mistakes and waiting for any reason to not love is NOT love. I think we are made to be vessels of Love & love is heartbroken when misunderstood, mocked, and things fall apart. I feel love is authentic, it comes naturally like a mother loves her child. You aren't taught how to love you "just know" what's right. Love doesn't make you second guess everything, love needs no other confirmation it's certain like God is. Love is an action that's in constant motion, it is not SELECTIVE & it can't be controlled. Love isn't anything like "sorta kinda" or LIKE... Love makes you "judge not" & Love never dies, or lies. The irony of all this "love" talk is I think we've misused the word love and do things in the name of love way before we experience the spiritual reality of actually BEING "Love" or like Love (God). So, because I've grown into Love, naturally, organically, & without a parade I will believe others when they say they "Love" me because perhaps just like me they may have grown into Love too. Most of the times people "love=luv=like" me and things get difficult but because I've always Loved them I will forgive, I will not distance myself far enough to be unreachable, Love has the same number & is always there when you call. I really LOVE people, even people I don't like & that Love saves lives, lends a hand, listens, & prays, feeds, holds, cares. * I want to say thank you to my #1 Love,GOD (the perfect Love). I also thank those family and friends who truly love me like I love them. I knew it instantly because you guys exude love & are easy to love!... ❤️

Subconscious Thoughts From "The Heart" - By B. Ross

Oh bitter heart of mine, you lie to yourself pretending to still hold warmth but you are cold /
You desire the bliss of lovers yet chuckle at the not so happy endings / You long to be right more than you long for the light to enter the dark cavity of where purity once lived /
Fairytales of your virgin years now become the horror stories of your future, your heart no longer believes in "US" /
once sweet heart, you've dried and withered from the scorching romances of summer, fall winds sweep your cheek to erase the silent tears you've cried for me, & by snow fall you are as dark as 6 o' clock /
in the end dear heart of mine
you are left with only a portion of life which you've reserved /
you reject anything other than perfection and so, you are left, with only your God. Thank God He's enough.

A gift for Jill : Oct 2013 "Pink Promise" survivor recipient

This year Blushed by B.Ross launched a new stylish way to get women involved in supporting Breast Cancer Awareness Month. With 5 shades of pink nail polish we were able to donate a portion of the proceeds to a local Breast Cancer Survivor. In the gift bag our recipient Jill received an array of goodies including a Visa Gift Card & a beautiful mug with scripture from local business 3 inspirations. Below is the story of Jill, written by her daughter Brien who nominated her. And so it begins at a normal doctors checkup where my mom, Jill Hughes, expresses concern about what feels like a bruise on her right breast. The moment that changes your coarse in life; yet you don't even know it until later, when you get that phone call. Two mammograms, two biopsies, and an mri later, Jill knows for sure that breast cancer is now her new path. Very quickly there were many doctors appointments. Decisions like lumpectomy verses mastectomy and which type of reconstruction will be best needed to be made. It became apparent that although the doctors were important, it was more important that Mom did her research and chose the treatments that would best benefit herself. My mom made the brave decision to have a double mastectomy with reconstruction via expanders and implants. Her thoughts were to get rid of the cancer and the possibility of getting breast cancer again. As her child, I worried because this was such a drastic surgery compared to the option of lumpectomy. But I knew, although our opinions mattered, as her family our job was to simply support the woman we love so dearly. This proved to be a longer road to travel than anticipated. The mastectomy and placing expanders in went smooth, but there was another battle to fight. During the healing process infection began to set in. Mom spent an extra seven days in the hospital and had a pic line inserted so that she could administer her own antibiotics at home. Ultimately, one of the expanders had to be removed and replaced. More surgery. Finally! Two years after this whole thing began, Jill got her final surgery. Permanent implants to complete the process. My mom was very lucky to have chosen a plastic surgeon that was willing to hold her hand from start to finish. Through the frustration of this infection in which he was unfamiliar, he did not give up or pass her through the system to someone else. Although the cancer is gone, Jill s life will never be the same. Nothing is to be taken for granted. Through education, strong support, and her choice to fight, my mom has been an inspiration for all of her family and friends. Her best advice yet: Life is only ten percent circumstance while the other ninety is how you chose to deal with it. Brien Culliton

Don't Cry.

Ever heard the phrase "Don't cry over spilled milk?" then actually spilled a glass of milk before? If you're guilty of a shakey hand, someone bumping into you, or just plain clumsiness I'm sure your initial reaction went a little something like "(fill in appropriate curse word)"; but once you got a paper towel to clean it up you probably discovered a few things...

MILK does more good than harm. I've spilled milk and realized it cleaned the floor better! In actuality milk repairs cracked china, cleans patent leather, softens dry skin and hands, helps sooth bug bites, removes ink stains from clothes, polishes silverware; must I go on? This isn't a post on the wonders of milk but it's one to remind you that in life there are some "spills" that don't require a tear to clean up. Some people may come into your life and it seems like they are there to pour into you until it "runneth over", like a glass that's too full. When what seems like a mess occurs, you still have the upper hand to react however you CHOOSE (Catch this: I didn't say you have the option to FEEL how you choose, but REACT). When the "milk" spills don't make a huge fuss over it, clean it up, polish yourself off, think of this post and laugh because you're probably going to be better off than you were before! There are many surprises in life disguised as a "spills". Happy tipping! LOL ;) 

I am NOT afraid.

My people, 

Over the past few years there has been prominent clues suggesting us to research the integrity of our country & rethink the term "freedom" (FREE DOOM as rephrased in a Kanye West song). The fact that we have a sense of simple daily decision making freedom does not dismiss how we are enslaved by the political & media lies that keep us ignorant & misinformed or that we are thrown into financial bondage by outrageous taxing, interest rates, & petty legal "fees". The American people are forced to hang ourselves by consuming the products that they tax us on and with that tax the money is used for everything BUT the betterment of our people and the people in other countries. The small over publicized acts of "help" in other countries made by the government are most times propaganda used to throw off the true intent on invasion... many blame it on illuminat but no matter the cause of these sick mind games you can hear and see via YouTube & other resourceful outlets the cries & warnings from celebrities and other multimillion dollar persons who have attest to the greed & power those "above us" seek & have. Although all these things get us worked up and upset & were constantly THINKING of how to escape this revolution that is happening we must realize that every generation will go through revolution and revelation. Do not allow the news, music, & media destroy your joy or anger you. If you can't do anything about it PRAY. There is POWER in prayer. My hope would be for us to MAKE the government (everywhere)stop the making of bombs, & other chemical destruction weapons. Ban it ALL! The people will have nothing to fight with & innocent people can stop dying. The problem isn't the mass majority it's the few who hold the money & the power so I want you all to pray for peace & love but more importantly pray for the revolution to be televised because in 2016 we will have to start the process of election once again and with all that's happening in Syria and all around the world we need US in office. Real people, people who've been abused by the system. We need to get organized with one another. That is all for now I'll be giving more of my perspective at later times & doing some videos... Rem this blog is only MY opinion & it's neither wrong or right so if you choose to disagree do so respectively Peace. 

July fourth.

Today, as God would have it I am spending time alone gathering my thoughts and truly mediating on my Plan of Action. In everything there needs to be a P.O.A, many times we know where our destination is but we fail to plan the route in which we will get there. When planning  each and every small detail matters (think about if our navigation was general and ill-detailed). The more detailed the plan the quicker the fail and the faster the recovery so you can get back on track. YES I said the quicker the FAIL. Every plan doesn't work the first go around but a client of mine told me that her office's motto was "if you fail quickly you can recover and try something new". There is nothing worse than trying to force your first plan to work after seeing NO results. If you feel like things aren't going as planned yet you have written down your P.O.A go back and make revisions. Just like a essay, making revisions doesn't make it a new story it makes it a better one! Happy Fourth! Happy learning!

Don't do it!

Fast Forward.

Ladies & Gents:

If you were happier in life before someone came into it then it is time to let them go. So many times we try to prolong a relationship that we see potential in because we believe that out of patience there will be loyalty & positive results. This is NOT always true. Realize that everyone is dealing with their own personal journey and if that person is not heading in the same direction you are dont get off track and make a million u turns in hopes that things will go the way you WANT to see them go. Many times we allow people to stay in our lives well past their expiration date because there is no argument or "reason" to just stop being friends however; the moment things become complicated and intentions are not known (after you've tried to discuss it) then it is time to move forward. As working individuals every moment of spare time is precious time. Why spend your precious time on those who can't effectively communicate & leave you feeling uneasy. Out of the many things in life we can't choose who we are friends with is one we should choose wisely. (I hope that this reaches those of you who know where you're headed & need to gain focus. We all play the same role at one point in time to people & maybe WE are the friend that someone needs to let go. Either way stay on YOUR track & allow those who genuinely want to stick around do so.) 

Things Fall Apart

What is in my head if far more important than what's in my closet 

~ B. Ross  (My current read continues to be side tracked by looking up every word I don't understand & every reference I'm not familiar with.) 

Truth.

To most ppl I appear as an open book but nobody really knows 100% of me. So many things I actually leave unsaid because I know some people can't communicate effectively ... Or struggles I go through that would take more than a 15 min conversation to understand. People "ain't got time" but the blessing in that is it forces me to allow God to occupy more of my time. He knows every moment I'm alone I'm talking to him, confiding, & being my pure self unfiltered & questioning his place for me & what I can do better, how to be more still. I need to be less available mentally from this world & physically to the ppl of the world. It's important that in the midst of spiritual growth I distance myself to allow a clear vision on THE PURPOSE. 

Learn.

Today I watched a documentary exposing the corruption of our government. None of what I saw surprised me because I've known that many of the disease and viruses that plague us as a people have been man made, injected in insects such as mosquitoes and tics, and spread as bio warfare on our own people. What I got out of this was however very interesting. I realized that WE the tax payers intrust and enable the government to control our  land, heck its our money that pays their salary! Because they do so well with hiding their intentions of scientific studies we are blinded by these attacks. The less we come together as a people the more TIME the government has to create all kinda of disease and even creatures to keep us as their slaves (like the humanzee, now picture that mixed with you not being able to own a firearm! How could we defend ourselves against that?!?).  Here is my challenge for you for the week ( hold me accountable so I do it too!): For every meaningless Facebook, twitter, or Instagram post you make you need to post one that holds value. This post can be a fact, a quote, a discovery, or something educational. Imagine if we all shared something interesting that we knew! It could spark someones passion to research more!  We need to lead together before one day we wake up to a world of chaos (which is occurring somewhere right now) Don't SLEEP. Get money, get a passport, read books, and be prepared. 

Help me, help myself.

The other day I told MYSELF  "I believe everything I say for everyone but ME". After the words left my lips I felt overwhelmed with emotion because finally I realized that it was my subconscious thinking that has been hindering me from obtaining the full bliss I so desperately seek. Not only was that moment a reflection of how I thought of my love life but it literally told my entire life (money, friends, ect) At that moment, all I could do was go into what I call RECOVERY. 

I FIRST identified the issue by taking a pause AFTER I spoke today and seeing how it effects my emotions (this goes against the proper way of pausing before you speak) for example: A coworker told me how she met the love of her life on Match.com & I jokingly replied saying I was going to join. (PAUSE) My negative subconscious immediately went off in my head telling me that it wouldn't happen that way for me, there was no way I could meet someone & fall in love & him actually be GOOD. See, the problem isn't if it would or wouldn't happen (that's Gods work) the problem is me immediately expecting less than I desire. The reason I needed a pause after my FIRST initial thoughts was to make sure I accurately identified with my own emotion before my learned behavior of altering my responses to sound optimistic jumped in the way. 

After I figured out what my issue was I then began to think, 'why don't I believe great things for my love life?'. I went through a list of reasons, thought about things like 'am I too picky?', 'is there bad karma I could have caused?', 'is it ME?'... Aha! That's IT... My next point! I was associating my CURRENT issue with  the PAST when the past holds no value for TODAY.  At that moment I laughed, prayed to GOD to fix my attitude towards love and being single and I realized that things are the way they are not because of Karma (if that was the case half of the happily married couples I know would be in a world of distress), things are how they are because God is allowing me to recognize things about myself that perhaps I wouldn't even notice if I was in a relationship. My current lesson is still in session & I'm learning to not just say things and believe them with my head... I need to believe GOOD things for me with my heart. Believe good things for YOU. You owe it to the child you once were, the child with no fear, no stigmas about love, the optimistic you to believe you will be what you want to be when you grow up. WE are never too grown to grow. As a reminder of this to myself check out my new lock screen/background pic on my phone lol ;) I'm a soon to be QUEEN 

*Feel free to leave a comment ;) I would love to start discussing the topics on my blog!* 

Tatted up? Or Telling tales?

 

 

 

ALL of my tattoos are inspired by something. This Tree happened to be a cover up for a tattoo I got in Arabic that just so happened to mean nothing according to a friend from Sudan I met years after. The reason I chose this gnarly tree was because there is a quote that I often repeat to those I meet and that is "A people without knowledge of their history is like a TREE without roots" Marcus Garvey. The three birds represent my sisters and I... I will always respect them and take with me the things that they have taught me. This tattoo is still in progress because I want to dedicate this tree to my entire family, they are my ROOT. Maybe I will add more birds or maybe I'll add names and make them look like branches. Regardless of anything I have NO REGRETS.

Roll wit me!

LOVER FRIENDS.

 When I was a teen my parents would always introduce the guy I was dating, to family as my "Friend". As if the introduction really made any difference, I was always offended; I felt that whoever I was dating at the time deserved the label "BOYFRIEND". In my late teens/ early 20's  my friends and I would say 'I don't want a boyfriend I want a MANfriend'. NOW I say, 'it would be nice to just have a FRIEND'. It's funny how the saying "Your parents are always right" rings a bell whenever I get those "AH  HA!" moments in my head.  With age you're suppose to grow and as you grow you realize that the slick comments made by your parents were almost a foreshadowing. At 24, I realize most people in our lives don't even know how to be a friend let alone more. A friend is someone who is like next to kin. Friends should be the people that hold you accountable when you're wrong, they should be loyal, support your business endeavors, and when you're not around a FRIEND is one who speaks so highly of you (despite ALL they could say about you) to the point that even you're surprised by your own greatness. Today when I sat down and thought about what I wanted in a soul mate "FRIEND" is what came to mind. Think about it, we ALL have "friends" that we argue with, then we make up; friends who we don't have to talk to everyday but when we come together it's like we never skipped a beat. Friends become the God parents to our children, they are our designated drivers (with whom we trust our lives even when they've been drinking too, only less than us), and friends hold our secrets (the ones family may not even know about). Why wouldn't you expect that GREATNESS in your future spouse? If you can be a great friend; someone who is honest and loyal you can perhaps move forward to becoming something more, like FAMILY. I challenge my people to evaluate the substance of the relationships around you. Are you with your friend? No matter if the dynamic of the relationship changes REAL friends last forever. Love last FOREVER. Boyfriends & Girlfriends come and go. SEEK friendship, not a title, because a real friend will know how to handle your heart without having to label you anything other than their FUTURE. Wherever there is friendship I'm sure love is somewhere waiting near.

XO- Ms. Ross

Sometimes I'm THE student.

Somebody I once wanted turned out to be the greatest teacher to me. With his consistent inconsistency he first taught me patience. I become infatuatuated quickly because it is rare that I let people into my mental space however, I never let my heart lead me because my heart has no "reason" behind decision making and with this man dropping in and out of my life it made me respect the space of those who have dreams and ambitions (assuming his busy schedule was in fact due to his career). I never want to be a distraction so I learned to be patient and appreciate the attention and time I did get. With his charm he taught me humility, I'm always the one being chased but once the doors of communication seemed open I allowed myself to humbly express how I felt. Being able to be humble empowered me, I felt bold enough to say what it is & that was a breakthrough for me :) Lastly, he taught me that I am not owed anything, I can't control everything, and that I'm capable of making respectable decisions for myself. The last lesson he taught was a multitude of lessons but in the end this man who I wanted so bad but did me so shady (so I felt) is the first one I have no ill feelings towards, I'm not upset, I'm not angry, I didn't even mention anything about his phoniness because honestly I GET IT! Sometimes when ppl enter our lives we try to fit them in a space that we can label, even if that space isn't available we try to reserve it for them later. The truth is God works in mysterious ways so when you feel like you've been let down, realize that there is a lesson that was learned and if your open enough you can receive  it and realize the role of people in your lives are already determined. Put less emphasis on WHAT role people are playing and focus on WHY they play their part. :) SN: I hope this man understands however, I am a Taurus woman with pride so I will never make an effort to talk or see him again unless I'm awkwardly in the same room with him BUT if he comes across this blog... I did appreciate the lesson and I wish we could have just ended it right there, that night when it was just us, the sand, and the moon. That would have been in some way a happIER ending.

Word.

"Made ends, made friends, made enemies, made amends, then made the same enemies again" ~ Tamir Rock

WHY: This is what came to mind when I was thinking about the current relationships I have with people in my life...  Hmmm.

XO

"Got a new book and got all in it, tried a little yoga for a minute but it won't let go...

I want YOU."

 

 

Skip A Step...

"There is no level of success, love of your life, or certain ONE thing you obtain that is going to be your pinnacle in life. The point of bliss should be a state of mind that you are consistently in when ALL things love, spirituality, monetary, and whatever else works in harmony with each other." B.Ross

 REAL STORY: When I was a child, going up and down stairs was tiresome for me. Sure it was only 10 steps from the top of the second floor to the bottom level in our home, but when you grab a plate full of warm cookies, and you get snuggled in bed only to realize you forgot the milk 10 steps becomes one too many; so I would always skip a step.  Even now as an adult whatever staircase it is, I'm always cutting time in half by skipping steps (even on escalators HAHA!). Metaphorically, I skip steps in life just like a lot of people. Growing up we're are made to believe there are "steps" in life you have to take to get the the next level; it is a theory embeded in us from early childhood. Remember the annoying little rhyme made up about two kids who have crushes on each other? It  goes "FIRST comes love, THEN comes marriage, THEN comes the baby in the baby carriage";  it sounds innocent but ironically when we reach adulthood we feel conviction when things don't happen for us in order. Sometimes we even get discouraged when we feel like the first step is a long way from the last step! I'm an "over thinker", so when things don't work out as I've so carefully planned I tend to always think to myself,  'what step did I miss?' But going over "steps" over and over in my head has never created a solution for me, however, when I ask myself what were the steps I made when I was happy or reached my goal I smirk; because it's always been when I did things MY way and that usually means I purposely skipped a step.  Every time we hold our self to someones standard of stepping we trip up! It's okay, in fact NECESSARY in life to create your own way of reaching your bliss. Sometimes it's in our fate to be so lucky that God purposely allowed us a way to have everything we want without the many steps others took to get there. I could tell you a list of skipping step blessings I've had in life from early promotions, to booking jobs, even winning $900 lottery one time when I didn't even go to the store to buy my own ticket... or falling in love without falling in LIKE (oop SHE did it lol!) Either way when you throwout the illusion of  this made up "order" to happiness you may discover you will, in time have everything you need at any given moment ALL at once even if you skip a step or two!

A little reminder...

 

 

Werd.

OLDIE to me, New to u!

Years ago I wrote this & at the time I was involved with someone I "should" have liked. He was a very sweet man, but of course I found a way to pick at every little flaw and somehow tricked my mind into  wanting him (along with other factors I won't mention). If he came around today I still wouldn't think he was made for me but I can say I would have been a little sweeter. Anyways this post that never was published was called "A lil poem off the top"



So there's this boy that buys me flowers

NO GIMMICKS on random days

we chill when it's hot even when I'm COLD

he's more on the mild, but I'm definitely BOLD

we vibe, we smoke, we paint

he's DOPE

no wonder he makes me S.I.C.K

(From my diary: Never titled and apparently I was 21)

 

ATTN: This poem from one of my journals contains references to a domestic violence situation. I hope that those who read this realize that abuse from either side (man or woman) is WRONG

& in the same respect NEVER let someone use you as a punching bag. LEAVE the first time. This poem is not meant to glorify violent relationships.

 

 

 

 

I try to avoid confrontation but lately I get a strange feeling that very soon HE will happen to run into my fist

and I know that sounds crazy but every time his hands gave my lips a kiss I would clench

ready to defend myself but choosing to suppress the hatred I had within I feared the unknown, could it really get any worse than this?

but after a while fear turns into drive and when tears run dry and your done being weak

you remind him of what it feels like to succumb to defeat

 now the good times are rolling lesser than few

& before I knew it my hand stretched out like his tended to 

the blood from the blow spilled out & coated my hand like his tongue once coated my spine

his mouth clinched as if the impact forced him to bite his own lips that are filled with lies

I saw tears in his eyes but showed no sympathy because at that moment I enjoyed finally seeing some emotion from a man that seemed so empty 

Surprised by his reaction because he thought I would've ran but I kneeled down & stretched both arms out so he could grab the last bit of love left in my hands 

the same hands that held him, cooked for him, cleaned, & would stroke his back through cold & rain but my gentle hands never got his attention on those days...

I didn't know that at 21 I'd still be playing these childish games 

Break up to make up to break up again pretend not to like each other & bring love taps back in, if he thought I wouldn't play along I guess he know now...

Punks jump up, to get knocked down. 

      (Excuse my gangsta ending LOL.) 

Something I wrote that I thought I lost...

Can we just lay?

lay here speechless so quiet that our own 2 heart beats seem loud as thunder

hold each other like a mother holds her wounded child and if a tear drops ask no questions just kiss it away and stroke my burdened shoulders with your strong hands. Hands that embrace so tight that not even water could slip through the cracks of your fingertips. Silent, lets meditate allowing our spirits to rise exchanging messages of clarity words mean nothing to me, what's said will never matter as much as what you do, so silence yourself while you lay here next to me, let the confusion fade like incense burning. Let the rhythm sooth us as the records turning... Can we just lay? 777- B.Ross

Thank You Mrs. Carter!

Recently I watched the HBO movie special on Beyonce "Life is But A Dream". The reason I follow Beyonce's career is because she stands out to me as not only one of the greatest performers of all time but because she is a respectable role model and does things with such class. As I prepare to ground myself in this womanhood I've approached I look to Beyonce for inspiration. There is a mystery behind her, her previous selectivity on responding to rumors is the perfect example of being disciplined enough to know when it is appropriate to speak. Many of us are sucked into social networking and are known for saying whatever, whenever we feel like it. We create an image of us with every tweet, post, and picture good or bad. After Beyonce's special I gained more respect for her and understood the importance of the mystery (privacy) she has created. When you create a level of privacy and go against the social networking world that consumes so many minutes of our day we open a window for those who really want to KNOW us all while creating an open ear for what we do need people to know. I'm taking a hiatus from social networks and getting back into sending out real messages  about important things like love, nature, empowerment, and inner beauty. When I reveal so much of myself on a daily basis it lessens the value of my words... because not every thought needs to be written and not every thing I do in the course of a day needs to be discussed. I'm growing, I'm changing, and I'm appreciative of role models like my sisters and BEYONCE who inspire me to speak less and DO more. The way Mrs. Carter documented her everyday life so SHE didn't forget a thing has moved me to do the same. One day I want to share my story with people and  introduce who I am and why I'm here... Below is one of my fav clips from Beyonce's special it's not about perfection it's about being human,working, living, loving, losing,  it's about being the example and being patient enough to wait until you fully develop to tell it ALL together I hope you get a chance to watch the full thing. It is beautiful:

Sink Or Swim?

As time moves forward and our eyes become wide to the life that is spinning around us we become submerged in the water of our own destiny.  Some of us lead a life of treading the waters, slowly moving through shallow areas where we can still see our feet beneath us. We watch our own steps and look down for the security of knowing you'll be able to rise above.Treaders are  Rationalist. Other people float through life, comfortable in one spot, allowing the waves of emotion and change to push you in any direction, an optimist. Although floating seems carefree and peaceful there are moments when you feel you've been pushed too far and because you've been floating for so long you panic. Panic is what causes us to decide whether we are going to sink or SWIM. Some people know how to swim, they've been taught, and learned so well that when panic occurs they are prepared while others know how to swim because of fear. In a literal sense I learned to swim from floating...I was an optimist with an arm float! When I was a child I took swimming lessons and was not able to learn. I was scared that my instructors wouldn't be able to save me, afraid that I would end up in water that is too deep. Then, one summer I was on family vacation (still a child) and I started treading, I trusted myself to stay in one place that was comfortable for me and while having my security wrapped around me as a guard (my arm float)  I dove into the water and began to swim under. Like a bee whose body is too big it should not be unable to fly I was a child who shouldn't have been able to swim but because I didn't KNOW that my arm float had come off I swam into the deepest of water by myself. Now as an adult I see that there are many things I was unaware I had the ability to do. When we SWIM through life we move toward something that is deeper. We take a chance by letting our feet up from beneath us and depend on our strength and will to get us to the point where we want to be.  Don't drown yourself in doubt by what you fear, or choose to tread in the same spot that gets you nowhere. Never become too comfortable being a "floater" either, because sooner or later it all comes down to TWO options. You must decide if you're going to SINK OR SWIM?