Today I have a post about spending money at local small businesses.
Today I bought a pencil sharpener from my local art supply shop called “Odd Nod”.
I understand seeking the best deal in order to get the biggest bang for your buck, I am a fan of this.
I also am a fan of supporting local business and sometimes when browsing the selection at a small business or a “Mom and Pop” you may have fewer items and sometimes slightly higher prices than a corporate “big box” store like Wally World.
Sometimes items are cheaper or unique items are on the shelves of small business.
I support being mindful with how you spend money and this includes cost and where the dollar goes as well.
When supporting local small business the dollar goes into your community. It supports the store that has an owner that probably lives in that community and keeps the dollar closer to home in a way that the more business that local shops have the potential for that community to thrive increases.
If I had to choose between getting the item I needed by purchasing it from a corporate store or not getting the item because I could not afford it elsewhere I would buy the item. If I have the ability to purchase an item from a small business that is available for less cost at a corporate business I MIGHT buy it from the mom and pop. If the item is available at both the local shop and corporate store at the SAME price I would choose the local shop.
So when it comes to a deal, whatever is best will be my choice. However if it is the same price I will choose local.
I also will sometimes make a social media post including the local store of my purchase to support in an additional way.
Shop smart, shop local.
LEAD WITH LOVE
HONESTLY TRY
REPEAT THESE TWO STEPS EVERY DAY
LOVE TRY REPEAT
Believe in yourself
Don’t be hard on yourself
Allow yourself to see what is possible
Never let doubt be the thing that prevents you from trying to achieve what you desire most
Remember your wins
Learn from your mistakes
Have fun along the way
You have more influence over your health and happiness than you know
Today I have a post about a concept I was thinking about that I am calling “Truth in Fiction”.
Fiction by definition means that the “Fictional” story s not factual.
However within fiction there may exist truth.
For example a story that is fiction may include real people, places and things but the story itself is made up. Let’s say with the most recent Presidential election that took place the winner was Donald Trump. There could be a story where everything that took place is similar with our recent history but the outcome of the election was Kamala Harris won and not Donald Trump and what it might look like today if this had occurred. There would be a significant portion of the story that would be true historically up to the Election but after the election results were known a story that is not true is told and everything specific to the fictional result would not be true however things non specific to the election result could be true for example references to the White House, Washington D.C., and other People, Places or Things associated with the office of U.S. President.
This would be common with stories of fiction where there are true things about the story while the “story” itself is not true. The concept I am sharing is when you have a fictional story or a hypothetical thought experiment containing hardly any truth exists the possibility that with consideration of the fictional story and when considered along with other works of fiction there may be components or patterns of truth that can be observed that could lend to our mental archive of truth.
I have been considering things that are possibly and certainly true with narratives that are categorically false. The human experience is something I often think about and share with you. Why and how we as humans are here on earth, what the experience looks like for any given human with respect to the era in which they were born, the geographic location they began and locations throughout there life and the belief systems and culture that were experienced and subscribed to while having the human experience.
We all need to do a number of things to survive like eat, drink and sleep for example. How we go about getting food and water looks different and the amount of sleep is also relative as in how much or when we sleep but this is a common thing that is a part of any human experience. When I am thinking of anything hypothetically about a potential experience of a human that I do not know anything about I can think of things that I know are true like what is required to survive as a point of reference to expand on what starts with a true statement. Humans need to eat is how the story starts and the story thereafter is fictional yet the story may lend to things that could be considered when seeking truth.
A thought experiment could look like truth, fiction and then truth again. It is possible to find truth in fiction without that intent.
An example would be starting with this true statement “we all need food to survive”, expands to how we go about getting the food intentional fictional possibilities.
Considering the following narratives truth in fiction can be observed. First a story about how humans were given the food they need to survive by aliens who dropped off all the food required to survive. Then I consider a story where humans got the food by asking “God” for food and it magically appears. Then I consider a story where humans get the food supply by visiting a building that for unknown reasons has food appear inside the building and it always replenishes the food in a way that it is a constant source of food. I have something that is similar with all these examples and that is humans rely on something not human or at least other then themself to provide the food they need.
I then consider the experience of a baby. All babies require someone or something to provide the food necessary to survive just like the humans in the works of fiction. I then realize that in a way a baby is dependent on others for food the way the humans were dependent for their food and there is a similarity there. In both reality and in the works of fiction a common truth is observed that at one point we all rely on another to survive.
This led me to think about when somebody believes that they are truly independent and rely on nothing other than themself to do what is necessary to survive, although this may be that person’s belief, it is certainly true that at one point in that human’s life this was not something that was true because all babies rely on another for food in order to survive.
This challenges my previous thoughts and feelings about Independence. We can be independent but we can only become independent. And if at one point we were not dependent that without acknowledging this fact, to say that one is “self made” is disingenuous. I believe a more accurate statement would be “the contribution and sacrifice of those before me and throughout my life have provided me the ability to one day realize my potential of independence”.
I know that it may be true that a humans survival and existence may no longer require another human but I know that this is only possible with the years of dependency that were required for the period of independence to be experienced.
I enjoy thinking about things, I especially enjoy thinking about YOU.
LEAD WITH LOVE
HONESTLY TRY
REPEAT THESE TWO STEPS EVERY DAY
LOVE TRY REPEAT
Believe in yourself
Don’t be hard on yourself
Allow yourself to see what is possible
Never let doubt be the thing that prevents you from trying to achieve what you desire most
Remember your wins
Learn from your mistakes
Have fun along the way
You have more influence over your health and happiness than you know
Today I have a post about effort, assistance and support.
I am using the words assistance and support in a way that I am making a distinction between the two words because it is possible to use these words as if they mean the same thing.
To me there are times when it is not only appropriate but necessary to ask for help. In my opinion the only time when it is unnecessary to ASK (not receive) for help is when you absolutely do not need it. I believe if you ask for help it is because you are doing what you can but think that help is necessary. I would not ask for help unless I was first “helping” myself meaning I am putting forth the effort to be successful but believe or know for sure that without help I will not achieve my desired result.
If someone were to offer help I would only accept if I needed it or if I believed that they wanted to offer help because they were willing to contribute along with my effort without insinuating that I required it. An example would be I can shovel the snow myself in the driveway but my neighbor just finished shoveling his driveway and while still in winter gear and shovel in hand they wanted not just to help or believed I needed help but instead of saying hello and catching up with me while I shoveled we could chat while we both shoveled snow.
Now I want to make the distinction as I see it between support and assistance.
Assistance is the type of help that supplements my effort to achieve a desired result. An example would be I want to provide a meal for 4 people that requires 2 hours of prep time and if someone helps me prep it would save me an hour but still require me to do everything else.
Support is provided by outsourcing my effort beyond the request for support to achieve a desired result. An example would be I want to provide a meal for 4 people and go to a restaurant and pay for the meal. The waitress and cook would do what it was that I did not have to in order to achieve the desired result and once I prepaid for the meal and sat down it required no more effort on my part.
A quick example of the difference is someone having the desired result of being on top of a mountain and in one version the person walks up the mountain with a person pushing them from behind along the way up the mountain (Assistance) and in another version a person is picked up off their feet and carried to the top of the mountain (support). In both versions the person achieved the desired result but one took effort throughout the whole process and the other did not.
If you ever need my assistance or support, I am here for you.
LEAD WITH LOVE
HONESTLY TRY
REPEAT THESE TWO STEPS EVERY DAY
LOVE TRY REPEAT
Believe in yourself
Don’t be hard on yourself
Allow yourself to see what is possible
Never let doubt be the thing that prevents you from trying to achieve what you desire most
Remember your wins
Learn from your mistakes
Have fun along the way
You have more influence over your health and happiness than you know
To answer today’s post title’s question in a single word. YOU❕
Not only do I mean that about you but the answer to the question as well.
Calling anything special is always an opinionshared.
Is there something that you have that you consider special?
I hope you do and whatever it may be you are right.
Why are you right? Because if your opinion is that something is special then even if someone disagrees, you can’t be proven wrong when it comes to your opinion.
My kids (you) are to me the most special thing in the world… to me. If someone were to disagree (and how could they 😉) the reason would be their opinion. And just like your opinion cannot be “wrong”, neither can that of another.
If you wake up at 09:00 am and someone says you woke up at 9:30 am (ignoring any time zone exceptions) they are factually wrong.
But if on that same morning you said the sky was the most beautiful sky you have ever seen and that person says it is the worse sky that they have ever seen, it doesn’t change your opinion. It would be a disagreement with nobody being right or wrong. To argue or attempt to change the mind of either of you would be unnecessary because your opinion is the “right” response.
An opinion is a personal belief and if you believe something is special then your belief is all that is required for that statement to be as true as 2+2 = 4.
Never be ashamed of your opinions and never feel that you must defend why you have that opinion.
I can’t wait to see you and the part of me that misses you is a privilege not a pain.
By the way did you notice that opinion is spelled the same in English, Spanish & French?
LEAD WITH LOVE
HONESTLY TRY
REPEAT THESE TWO STEPS EVERY DAY
LOVE TRY REPEAT
Believe in yourself
Don’t be hard on yourself
Allow yourself to see what is possible
Never let doubt be the thing that prevents you from trying to achieve what you desire most
Remember your wins
Learn from your mistakes
Have fun along the way
You have more influence over your health and happiness than you know
Today I have a post about our claws also known as our fingernails.
I had to check if fingernail was one or two words when writing this and I believe it is the first time I ever spelled it.
I wonder if there is an “optimal” fingernail length. They protect our finger tips, can be used as tools and some enjoy painting them (I do).
I clip my nails when they are long enough to encourage me to pick my nose 😆
How long do you like your nails?
Here are some interesting facts about fingernails.
1. Fingernails Grow Faster Than Toenails Fingernails typically grow about 3.5 millimeters per month, while toenails grow at about half that rate. This is because fingernails are more exposed to frequent use and blood circulation, which promotes growth. 2. Dominant Hand Nails Grow Faster The nails on your dominant hand tend to grow faster due to increased blood flow and activity in that hand. 3. Growth Rate Depends on Age and Health Nail growth slows with age, and factors like poor nutrition, stress, and illness can affect how quickly nails grow. Conversely, pregnancy can speed up nail growth due to hormonal changes. 4. Longest Fingernails in the World The record for the longest fingernails ever was held by Lee Redmond, whose nails reached a total length of over 28 feet (8.65 meters) before she lost them in a car accident. 5. Made of Keratin Nails are primarily made of keratin, the same protein that makes up your hair and the outer layer of your skin. 6. Nails Can Indicate Health Problems Changes in nail color, texture, or growth can be signs of underlying health issues, such as anemia, heart disease, or thyroid problems. For example, white spots are often caused by minor injuries, not a lack of calcium. 7. The “Half-Moon” Is Important The crescent-shaped white area at the base of your nail is called the lunula. It’s part of the nail matrix, where new nail cells are produced. 8. Nails Grow Faster in the Summer Warmer temperatures improve blood circulation, which speeds up nail growth. This is why nails grow faster in summer than in winter. 9. The Cuticle Protects Your Nail The cuticle is a barrier that protects the nail bed from infection. Cutting it too much can leave the area vulnerable to bacteria. 10. Ancient Beauty Practices Nail care dates back thousands of years. In Ancient Egypt, nails were stained with henna, and in China, royals used nail polish made from beeswax, egg whites, and natural dyes.
LEAD WITH LOVE
HONESTLY TRY
REPEAT THESE TWO STEPS EVERY DAY
LOVE TRY REPEAT
Believe in yourself
Don’t be hard on yourself
Allow yourself to see what is possible
Never let doubt be the thing that prevents you from trying to achieve what you desire most
Remember your wins
Learn from your mistakes
Have fun along the way
You have more influence over your health and happiness than you know
Do you eat until you are full? Do you stop eating when you are full?
Do you eat everything on your plate? Do you ever put more on your plate?
There is no right or wrong answer, I am just curious if you ever ask yourself any of these questions.
I eat when I am hungry but I also eat when I am not hungry. I eat everything on my plate but sometimes I will save food on my plate to eat later.
I rarely waste food and this was not always true. I tend to eat all of what is served when someone else prepares and serves my meal (not meals I order) out of respect for whom provided that meal.
As I get older I try to be aware of how, what and when I eat. This gives me an idea where I might want to make adjustments for health and energy reasons.
Over time you will know what is best for your body and it will probably take some experimentation and adjustments along the way.
Enjoy the process 😋
LEAD WITH LOVE
HONESTLY TRY
REPEAT THESE TWO STEPS EVERY DAY
LOVE TRY REPEAT
Believe in yourself
Don’t be hard on yourself
Allow yourself to see what is possible
Never let doubt be the thing that prevents you from trying to achieve what you desire most
Remember your wins
Learn from your mistakes
Have fun along the way
You have more influence over your health and happiness than you know
Today I have a post about the human sense of smell.
I believe I have a pretty good sense of smell.
One of my oldest and best friends while we were growing up and still to this day has hardly the ability to smell at all.
Here are some interesting facts about smell according to ChatGPT.
1. Humans Can Detect Over a Trillion Scents
Recent research suggests that the human nose can differentiate more than 1 trillion distinct odors, far exceeding the previously believed 10,000 scents.
2. Smell Is Linked Closely to Memory
The olfactory bulb, which processes smells, is directly connected to the amygdala and hippocampus—areas of the brain associated with emotion and memory. This is why certain smells can instantly bring back vivid memories or strong emotions.
3. Each Person’s Sense of Smell Is Unique
Similar to fingerprints, every person has a unique smell perception due to genetic variations in their olfactory receptors.
4. You Smell Better Than You Think
Humans are surprisingly adept at tracking scents. Studies show that, with practice, humans can follow scent trails similarly to dogs, although less efficiently.
5. Smell Declines With Age
The sense of smell tends to weaken as we age, particularly after the age of 60, which can affect flavor perception as well.
6. Smell Influences Taste
Up to 80% of what we perceive as taste actually comes from our sense of smell. That’s why food seems tasteless when you have a cold.
7. Women Have a Better Sense of Smell
On average, women tend to have a more acute sense of smell than men, especially during their reproductive years. This might be linked to evolutionary traits.
8. Smell Plays a Role in Attraction
Humans subconsciously use smell to evaluate potential partners. Body odors, influenced by pheromones and immune system markers, can contribute to attraction.
9. Nose Blindness Is Real
Olfactory adaptation, or “nose blindness,” occurs when you become desensitized to a scent after prolonged exposure. This is why people often can’t smell their own home or perfume.
10. You Can Train Your Sense of Smell
Smell training, which involves repeatedly smelling specific scents, can improve olfactory sensitivity and even help recover the sense of smell after damage or illness.
11. Smell Alerts Us to Danger
The ability to detect harmful substances like smoke, gas, or spoiled food has evolutionary significance, helping humans survive threats in their environment.
12. Certain Smells Can Improve Mood
Aromas like lavender, citrus, and vanilla are known to reduce stress, enhance relaxation, or boost mood, which is the basis of aromatherapy practices.
The human sense of smell is far more sophisticated and influential than it might seem at first glance!
LEAD WITH LOVE
HONESTLY TRY
REPEAT THESE TWO STEPS EVERY DAY
LOVE TRY REPEAT
Believe in yourself
Don’t be hard on yourself
Allow yourself to see what is possible
Never let doubt be the thing that prevents you from trying to achieve what you desire most
Remember your wins
Learn from your mistakes
Have fun along the way
You have more influence over your health and happiness than you know
Depending on who you ask or where you look you will get different answers.
There is a difference between a “Country” and a “Territory” and some countries or states are disputed when it comes to being legit.
You would think this question has a simple answer but it does not.
Over time countries will come and go but the land remains.
I have shared a post with a similar concept that had more to do with a geographic location’s many versions of how it was referred to over time but this post is about even now there are regions of land that we all do not agree what it is called or who claims it.
Pretty crazy right?
I like the idea of when being asked where I am from my answer is Earth. An answer that serves as a reminder we all share the same planet and borders are imaginary.
HOME
LEAD WITH LOVE
HONESTLY TRY
REPEAT THESE TWO STEPS EVERY DAY
LOVE TRY REPEAT
Believe in yourself
Don’t be hard on yourself
Allow yourself to see what is possible
Never let doubt be the thing that prevents you from trying to achieve what you desire most
Remember your wins
Learn from your mistakes
Have fun along the way
You have more influence over your health and happiness than you know
Today’s post is about the Detroit Lions historic season.
Yesterday their season came to an end with the divisional round loss in the playoffs to the Washington Commanders.
Although the season did not end with a Super Bowl win it was the most winningest season in Lions History with a record of 15-2.
Last year the Lions made it to the NFC Championship and this year set a franchise record with wins. Going into next season it is safe to say the Lions will have momentum and confidence that in recent decades was not present.
Congrats to the Lions for the amazing season. I thoroughly enjoyed watching them and hope next season they continue to build on their success.
LEAD WITH LOVE
HONESTLY TRY
REPEAT THESE TWO STEPS EVERY DAY
LOVE TRY REPEAT
Believe in yourself
Don’t be hard on yourself
Allow yourself to see what is possible
Never let doubt be the thing that prevents you from trying to achieve what you desire most
Remember your wins
Learn from your mistakes
Have fun along the way
You have more influence over your health and happiness than you know
♥️🐺 The Son & The Sky Raina ♥️🐺 
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