Nautical Twist

This question has been haunting me recently, so I wanted to hop on here and discuss. I've found that sometimes I put obstacles between me and a goal or something that would be good to do. The concept of waiting for a sign gives a strong sense of destiny in whether i take a step or not. but if it's something I should do (or would be good to take a chance on) why do I need a sign to move forward? the awkward part is, if I'm being honest, I know the answer to that. That being said, I think signs do have their purpose. but for me, I find them best to look for after I've taken a step. I see it as a confirmation on a choice I've made or a sign to evaluate. what do you think? do you look for signs to take certain steps?

Im sorry that i has been so long. On minute it was February...the next minute we are in September lol.. what's funny is that I've made many videos since then,, but somehow missed the podcast.

Hey, I made this episode mostly just to wish you a happy Twosday. I also talk a little bit about how I find decluttering to be a helpful practice for my mind. I feel like my mind is often so cluttered, so the physical act of decluttering has been very helpful. I hope you are doing well. Thank you for listening! -M

In this episode, I talk about my expectations for my physical health during the winter. Sometimes when movement is limited, there is such a build up on potential energy and I feel like that translates into winter blues. I already understand that during the winter there is going to be weight gain, but it does feel helpful move and do something physical at home. The other day when I was watching a couple episodes of a show, I had that restless feeling and knew I needed to do some kind of physical activity. but I also think it relates to not being out in nature as much-which I consider to be essential for my mental health. Do you live somewhere cold? Thanks for tuning in! Hope you're well. -M

In this episode I talk about a quote that stood out to me and how it has recently applied to some new goals I have set. I hope you are getting closer to your goals. Thank you for listening! (And sorry about the audio. I had the wrong headset on lol). -M

Happy New Year! In this episode I talk about how wintertime can shift mindset, habits, and wardrobe choices. I feel like it helps to be aware of which of my habits have changed- and is it for the better?

In this episode I bring my best friend back on to talk about New Year's Resolutions (and coffee- accidentally). I hope you have a great day and hope you are doing well. Thank you for listening! -M

I'm sorry I've been gone for so long. In this episode I reflect on this podcast and talk about some visions for this podcast future. Thank you for listening!! I hope you are well. : ) -M

In this episode,, I talk about 4 things I did that helped me get me more comfortable socializing with others. At one point I just decided that I no longer wanted to let my comfort from just being alone stop me from making positive connections with other people or limiting me in any other way. at some point I needed to just say yes to life. whether you are an introvert or an extrovert, what are some things you do to prepare to socialize and open up interation to those around you?

This topic was inspired from a discussion about meaningful connections with other people. I think it's something we all want, whether introverted, extroverted, or anything inbetween. Some have said we may avoid these things because feeling we are unworthy or because we are afraid we will get burned. I understand and believe that can be true in many cases. but also, I think social media gives people more options for different types of controlled interactions. so it begins to address interaction, and the depth can be more in the control of the user. what do you think?

Hey there! I am happy to say that this episode was recording during daylight hours, which means I was fully conscious during the entire recording lol. Anyway, in this episode I confess how pessimism sometimes causes me to want to delay certain situations. But usually, when I end up confronting the situation, i am able to make it something positive or it is received well. Thank you for tuning it! Please stay safe and well out there! -M

In this episode, I talk about something that haunted me: going into debt for college/school. I confess, I did not really think heavily about the weight of the loans until later. So I wanted to share some of my thoughts on here, in case others might find it useful. There are many different mistakes I made when approaching school that I wish I had considered differently: State school vs. private - I would have saved a lot of money by going to a state school instead of a private school for additional education. Options for learning abroad. Housing recommended by the school vs. doing A LOT more research into housing options in a new city. Seeing if additional schooling was even necessary. After college, I ended up working with people who didn't even go through the schooling I went through. So maybe it was possible to get to this same path with less schooling. These experiences have helped sharper my perspective of debt. I wanted to share these thoughts, in hopes that they will generate discussion. Something that I am happy that I did was do internships while in school. I think it could have made the job search (which took months and months) even harder if I didn't do that. I didn't get to everything I wanted to discuss, so I may touch on this more at another time.

In this episode I talk with my best about travel. While watching a vlog where a woman visited a country for about a month and shared her experience. I saw a discussion where people where discuss what counts as actually having visited the country. I thought it was an interesting topic and decided to bring it up here. I think we each can go to a place and have our own different experiences. My bestie mentions how, to him, travel is just about being open, no matter how far you may go. Just being open to what you can learn and how it may change your life. What do you think? Thank you so much for listening! I hope you're well. -M

In this episode I talk about different ways of dealing with wanderlust and other ways of connecting with people from different parts of the world. As I say often, I feel like the more we ask questions and get to know people from different backgrounds, the more we stir up a positive connection or open up perspective.

In this episode I talk with my bestie about the idea of a perfect path. There are so many possibilities in life. We discuss the idea of pursuing ideas that are exciting and not being afraid to change paths. Thank you for listening! I hope you are well. -M

In this episode I share a thought from retreat I went on. It was so cool to have that uplifting experience. during the retreat, I embraced a concept that was new to me: meditative walking. what's so nice about it is that it forces me to just focus on the current environment, and for some minutes, not allow the usual rush of thoughts to flood in. Thank you for listening! I hope you are staying safe and well out there! -M

There are many situations in which I think that having a backup plan is extremely important. But at what point are back-up plans kind of a problem? When is it pulling too much focus and energy from the thing that really matters? In this episode I talk about when having a backup plan actually became a problem for me and working towards being unafraid to dive into why I'm not trusting the first plan to begin with. Thank you tuning in! I hope you're doing well! -M

In this episode, I share a big lesson that I learned from teaching Zumba and try to apply in other areas of life. Often when we are following a routine in life, it can be easy to lose energy or enthusiasm. I find that if I want to create a positive environment, I must go at 100% to build that environment into an inviting and welcoming one for others. Thank you you for listening! I hope you are staying safe and well out there! -M

In this episode I talk about an awkward encounter and share a way that I try to maintain sanity. While trying to keep a balance of certain things in my life, I am trying to stay committed to walking, even if it is just a short walk. I have found walking to be such a refreshing way to kickstart my mind for the day (did not mean for that to rhyme lol). How have you been? What routines help keep your mind feeling ready for the day? I hope you're doing well. Thank you for listening! -M

There are some things (like studying) I know that I need to get done. So recently I have been finding ways to be more creative about it. I'm not fully sure of everything I said while recording (feeling very sleepy), but I know that I eventually got to my point!

This is a topic that I discussed on another platform. Recently, I wanted to do more to continue to improve my contribution to different areas in my life, from work to my personal life. I have had the opportunity to take on more things and am making sure to take moments to evaluate my sanity I continue on this journey. When do you decide that you're ready for more change? Feel free to let me know. : ) Thank you for listening and I hope you have a great day. -M

I quickly lost control of this episode when I started listing things we could not discuss in this episode (featuring my bestie). We ended up discussing those things (coffee, planes, etc) anyway and never got to the original topic I had in mind. Clearly, it would have been better if I had focused on what we could talk about. But he and I had fun recording anyway. Thanks for tuning in. I hope you're doing well!

In a recent conversation with a friend, we discussed the idea of dealing with frustrations at work or in personal life, and how it can be so empowering to set our minds to make an interaction into a productive, positive one. The concept seemed simple in the discussion, but I have so far found it to be useful in practice, and wanted to share the thoughts with you. Always fun to learn new ways to be an adult!...though I also talk about sledding in this episode, which may not be such a grown up thing-but it's fun so why not? Lol Anyway...thank you for listening. I hope you are staying safe and healthy!

Recently, my bestie and I celebrated an anniversary, and I had some thoughts I wanted to share here. For any celebration, I like to use those times to reflect. Recently, I've had some interactions that reminded me of the value of asking tough questions in relationships (of all kinds) and expecting to all kinds of answers. Thank you for listening! -M

In this episode I talk about the value of moments not necessarily captured in the digital world, awkward ads, and my desire to keep moving even when the weather does not cooperate.

This is a late night recording where I talk about one of my favorite shows that goes over architecture all over the world. Just appreciating a show that is able to make me feel like I really traveled somewhere else. To me, it was perfect for wanderlust. Now, because this was a late night recording, I tried to end the episode before I stopped making sense. : p

Recently, I was asked about how I handle criticism. I felt like that was a topic worth discussing here. There are a few key ways I like to approach it, from seeing the positive side of criticism and feedback to asking questions in order to improve communication. Let's talk. : ) Thanks for listening! I hope you're staying safe and well out there.

I feel like we are still at the point in January where we can say "Happy New Year" to others and it still be socially acceptable...So why not do an episode where I randomly discuss a takeaway from 2020? This is still such a crazy time, but I hope you stay safe out there. Thank you for listening.

In this episode, I reflect on some aspects of 2020, a year crazier than many of us could have imagined. In this year, I feel like many of us learned a lot more about society, exposing areas we can improve as a whole. Personally, I made a lot of mistakes to learn from, and lost sight of goals here and there. Even with the craziness of this year, I feel very thankful. Very thankful. And want to use that gratitude to pull me forward into this next year.. I will be taking time this weekend to consider and write down my New Year's goals. To me, this is about doing the next best thing and moving forward, stronger than ever. I hope that your New Year is off to a great start. I'll be talking with you again real soon!

In this episode, my best friend and I discuss our favorite holiday (Thanksgiving) and what it means to us. In the midst of this holiday season and pandemic, priorities have truly shifted and encouraged us to think more carefully about purchases and focus on activities that bring happiness. Thank you for listening and i hope you are doing well out there!

In this episode i talk politics without talking politics lol. In the past year, I have seen a lot of tension of different perspectives, and it's understandable. But what about when those perspectives are from frienes and family? I discuss this and more. Thank you for listening!

After a 7 day streak of decent sleep, I fell off the wagon. Insomnia is at it again. In this episode, i talk about when I began to notice my struggle with sleep. There was a time when I chose not to sleep, but that slowly changed to a time where I could not. Thank you for listening and I hope you're doing well out there!

In this episode, my bestie and I talk about how differently people interact with you when you're walking with a dog in the park. We're not dog owners yet, but it was an interesting observation I had while taking a friend's dog for a walk. This was a late night episode, so I'm not quite sure what was said on here, but thank you so much for tuning into this random episode! One of these days I will try recording these episodes during the daytime. Lol Thank you for listening!

In this episode, I share a story about when I was out walking when a stranger warned me about something curious that she observed. This situation reminded me to be more alert and also to do a better job of looking out for others. I hope you are being safe out there. Thank you so much for listening!

In this episode I celebrate two years of uploading podcast episodes, thank listeners, and discuss plans for the future. Thank you for being a part of this! I'm truly honored.

In this episode I talk with my husband about choosing books and appropriate sleep times lol. Thank you for listening! Now, please stay safe and healthy! -M

This episode is so random and recorded while half asleep lol. Thank you for tuning in!

Okay, so I had to take one more social media break before really getting into things again. But I am back and I glad to be back. In this episode, I talk about how tough times can take physical toll and how I work to get myself back on track with physical activity. Thank you for listening! : )

I decided to dedicate this weekend to a relaxing, low cost, mental health friendly weekend. But, of course, I was doing some ovethinking along the way. In this episode, I share a couple life thoughts I had while over thinking. One of the key lessons were, not to freak out when I try and think of the big picture, but focus on one little section at a time. Somehow, it always works out that way. The other lesson was to learn to accept that there will always be some flaws or things that could be improved, but just embrace that fact. Thank you for listening! I hope you are staying safe and taking care of your mental health and relaxation, too!

As I have been trying not to depend on any type of medication to help me with sleep, I have recently tried another recommendation to help deal with insomnia. It sounds kind of crazy, but by giving my body permission to not sleep, I have found it to take a lot of pressure off my mind and allow me to relax a bit more. Bedtime can sometimes be something I dread, as I know that some nights will lead to hours of trying to sit still. We'll see how this new strategy works long term. I hope you're doing well. Thank you for listening. : )

I decided to take advantage of a little time off from work by doing something I rarely do: go to different places during the summer. I usually prefer to avoid the crowds and high cost of summer living. But, to avoid these two issues, I decided to go to a place I knew would not be crowded at all (making it easy to social distance and comfortably introverted lol) /and/ would not have to cost much beyond the gasoline needed for the car. Me and my travel buddy approach the trip with no solid plan beyond find some beautiful nature to enjoy. This trip was a big reminder for me to remain open to changes and new information along the journey. Thank you for listening! : )

In this episode I talk about some things going on in my life and how people I know have reacted to that. Sometimes, opinions from people we know can get to us in a deeper way, so overtime, I've had to learn how to listen while protecting my vision at the same time. Thank you for tuning in!

I have tried different things to help me deal with insomnia. I can't say that any attempt has consistently helped me long term, but I still like to try different things. Recently, someone gave me something to help, and because I didnt expect it to work, I went a little overboard. In this episode I share some details on that. Thanks for listening! Please stay safe! -M

Ive realized that in the past, I have been far too passive about issues that bother me and tend to replace action with other things sometimes. Between social distancing and this new justice movement, many of us have been active in more ways than ever. In this episode. I talk a little bit about that.

In this episode, I talk about a topic I have avoided discussing on this platform: race. In my experience as a black woman, I know that my skin color is something that matters to some people, even when it is not something that I bring up. I share a few stories about my time in high school being one of few black people in the school and that kinds of comments that people made to my face. I grew up in a very protective home, so as I broke out it that shelter, it was interesting to experience how my skin color mattered to others and how people's expectations of me were sometimes different, based on my skin color. In the last few months, it's been shocking and encouraging to see so many people now willing to read more into systemic racism that related directly to issues we see today. While people are open to having this discussion and are now seeing so many videos and hearing so many stories of how people of different races and backgrounds have been treated differently, it's time for me to be brave and share some of my experience.

Many of us have worked in situations where it seems the wrong person is in a management position. But the reality is, sometimes the wrong people can be drawn or lifted to a leadership position without having any real regard or passion for the company mission. In this episode I talk about nepotism, dealing with the frustration of disconnected management, and uplifting others even when not in any sort of position of power.

While I was working the other day, I found myself looking out the window and thinking about all the things I would do if I wasn't at work. Then, I realized, on a day off, that I still failed to do the things that had been wishing for an opportunity to do....if that makes sense (sleepy brain writing here lol). Thank you for listening!

I started this podcast to work on positivity (as I am not the most positive person lol). It has been hard to find the positivity in all that is going on, seeing so many crazy things happening. In the midst of the current events, I have not been surprised by seeing abuse of power. I knew it existed and have seen it for myself. But I have been stunned by seeing so many people joining in the push for justice. There are people I didn't expect, speaking up, asking questions, and taking action. This has been encouraging as we work toward a better world.

Hey there! I'm back after taking a couple weeks away. I was feeling a bit to angry, frustrated, sad, and helpless to be very active on social media. In this episode, my husband and I discuss coping with the vast amount of negative news flowing right now and actions that may help. I truly believe we each have something to offer in this rough time (though it won't be easy), when we put our minds to it. Thank you for listening and please be safe!

In back with another super random episode, with my quarantine buddy (aka. my husband). The conversation was supposed to be about whether or not decaf should be considered to be real coffee (I vote "yay", he votes "nay"), but the conversation derailed into something else (A foodie talk ranging from cake to wine to pasta to travel experiences) and I decided to post it anyway. I hope you enjoy! And thank you for listening. : )

In the episode I talk about how certain life circumstances made me a little more open-minded about something I used to frown upon. Sometimes it takes unusual circumstances to pull us out of our comfort zone and get us to try something new. Thank you for listening! : )