Wow, how time flies. I must admit, I have been dragging feet when it comes to die-hard writing. I have actually been doing more planning and outlining than actual writing.
I did do something that was very fulfilling and worthwhile. I had a focus group to talk about the book that Raydome Publishing released recently. What an eyeopener.
As an author, when you write a book you think that your work is very good. However, when you hear the viewpoint from others who are not attached to the work, you realize there is a lot of room for improvement. From this point on, I will not release or send my book to a publisher without doing a focus group first.
I will bog down and start writing again. I have so many other “good” idea for books that are coming to me it is hard to focus, but I found the secret of life (I will share it with you one day) this weekend and know what I need to do from this point on.
Friends, Family, and Followers…I am starting my next book. So, expect some cool updates in the next few days. It smells like a Best Seller…I hate to say it, but Steve Harvey don’t have anything on this! The world has been waiting for Ray L. Owensby, Sr. And Guess what? He is here.
I think it important that we not start to speculate on what happened. I have been watching the news and am hearing some strange and disappointing assumptions. Sure, I think everyone wants to know what happened to Whitney Houston, but now is not a good time to guess or assume.
Whitney Houston had problems like the rest of us. No one is perfect. We all have issues. So, let’s not judge like Whitney Houston is the only one on the face of the earth with problems. Whitney Houston is a person that I believe wanted to enjoy love, life and happiness. On her way to those destinations, Whitney Houston took a few wrong turns like we all do. But, I truly believe that she was trying to do right and to get right. Did she ever get there? I or no one else will know.
During times like this, we ought to focus more on the good that a person has done and not the area they struggled in. Whitney Houston is dead. She can no longer right her wrongs, it is now in the hands of the creator. We should redirect our attention to the joy that Whitney Houston has given us and the good she has done.
“If we didn’t help her in life, let’s not disrespect her in death.”
I remember when I first heard Whitney Houston’s angelic voice. I was sixteen and emotional. I heard “I am saving all my love for you” and fell in love with her voice from that point on. Any and everything that she sang, became my favorite. I remember “You give good love” , “How will I know”, “the greatest love of all”, I want to dance with somebody”, “I will always love you” and so many more. Oh, who could forget the “National Anthem?” No one will ever sing it like that again.
I also appreciated Whitney Houston’s acting and movies. Loved “The bodyguard” and watch “The Preacher’s Wife” every year.
Whitney Houston was a wonderful entertainer. Loved her and will appreciate the entertainment that she brought to our lives.
Thank You Whitney Houston. You will always be remembered and now have your place by some of the other greats Marvin Gaye, Teddy Pendergrass, and many others.
Let us all remember that life in these bodies are not forever. We have a short time to enjoy life and make a difference in other people’s life. Let’s take advantage of it. When you see someone who is struggling, don’t judge if you are not willing to help.
God is still good.
Whitney Houston we dedicate this last song to you…
——
Love, Life and Happiness and sincere honesty only at raylowensby.com
Get Out With Love (Why Adam and Eve Were Really Kicked Out of the Garden) was just published.
You wonder why our economy is the way it is or why your life is not what you want it to be? The answer to that question and every problem that exists in the economic, health, social, and culture arena is found in Genesis (beginning) of the bible. Understand what happened in the beginning of creation, then you will understand why your life is the way it is and how you can overcome any obstacle and live your best life right now.
We have heard the old adage, it’s better to listen than to speak and God gave you two ears and one mouth; so you can listen twice as much as you speak. But are there times when you should not listen?
Your ears are like secret passages to your mind. Believe it or not, what you hear directly affects what you do because your mind is the decision center of your body. This is where you decide to succeed or fail; love or hate, smile or frown, ect. That’s why it is so important to monitor what TV programs you watch and what music you listen to.
Music and TV are great motivators, but the ultimate source that you must be aware of are people. Music and TV are what you call passive motivators. They will direct you and lead you down a path, but you can turn them off and go the opposite way. However, people will work to get you to change your mind and this is dangerous.
Have you ever told someone about your dreams or hopes for your life? You went to them for encouragement and support, instead they did whatever they had to in order to convince you that what you were hoping for “will never work”, or “its safer to do things the ‘normal’ way”, or one of my favorites “if I were you, I would do this instead”.
Don’t get me wrong, I think people are the most wonderful creatures created, but sometimes they can be your biggest roadblocks if you are heading down a certain (less traveled) road.
Here’s my suggestion, when you have a dream, a hope, an aspiration or a goal be careful who you share it with. As a matter of fact, don’t share it unless you are sure that the listener will offer encouragement and good moral support.
Next time you start to tell someone where you are going in life or next time you decide that you want to go down the “right” road and someone comes up to you and starts talking negative or tries to deter you- do yourself a favor and Don’t Listen! Walk away.
I once heard someone say “you can’t change yesterday and you have no control over tomorrow.”
Think about that for a second. You can’t change yesterday. Now how many people spend their lives trying to change their yesterdays? Face it, we have all made bad decisions and poor choices. Sometimes we lament over those decisions. Sometimes we cry and stress over those decisions. But guess what? We can’t change what we “did”. Sadly, those choices gravely affect our tomorrows.
On the same token, think about tomorrow. Think about what you want to change about tomorrow. Now, think really hard and make it happen. Nothing. Okay I will give you a few more minutes. Still Nothing. Alright, let me save you some time. You can plan for, wish for, hope for, or do whatever you want but tomorrow has a mind of its own. You can’t change it.
Today (Now) is different. You can make a difference by what you do today. Today, you can make the right choice. Today you can choose to do the right things. Today is the time to plant good seeds for a better tomorrow. Today is all you have. Learn from your yesterdays. Prepare for your tomorrows. However, make the most of your todays.
Today is symbolic to your “nows”. What can you do now? What can you say now? Where can you go now? How can you take advantage of your now? If you want to make a better tomorrow and if you want to be happy about your yesterdays- “Now” is the time to do what you need to do to make that happen.
When you take advantage of your “nows”, you will notice the possibility of you winning in life, greatly increases. So, living in the now is not an option if you want to have a wonderful life. It is a necessity.
If you live in the “now”, when you look back at your yesterdays- You will realize that you have “won”. (Now spelled backwards is Won)
Did you know that some people can’t even imagine “Doing well”, “Succeeding”, “Overcoming”, or “Excelling” in life? People always talk about what they “wish” they had. What they “should” have had. What they “deserve” to have. But, all of those things are just that, nothing more than dreams.
You have to understand that your life is a direct result of what you think about. Someone once said “you are what you think.” So, once a thought takes root in your mind, then your words make those thoughts a reality. You are really what you think.
Think about it this way, you are where you are in life because of what you think about. If you think that you will never get out of debt, if you think that you will never get the house or car you want, if you think that you will always be living from payday to payday, then guess what? You will have what you think about. So, what would happen if you starting thinking the “un-thinkable?” What I mean by that is what would happen if you start thinking thoughts you are not used to thinking? Like positive ones. Thoughts that you can do whatever you put your mind to. Thoughts that you deserve and will get that promotion or that position. Thoughts about you deserving only the best relationships and no drama. What would happen if you start thinking those Un-Thinkable and impossible thoughts that totally goes against what you are used to thinking? What would become of you?
YOU WILL HAVE THAT UN-THINKABLE LIFE THAT YOU HAVE ALWAYS DREAMED OF.
So, go ahead and start today. Do the Un-Thinkable!
Did you know that it takes just as many muscles to frown as it does to smile? However, the results are very different. When you frown what do you get? A frown in return. Wrinkles. High blood pressure, heart pains, ulcers, and the list goes on and on. So, what happens when you smile? Your problems turn upside down. Your body and mind starts to feel much better. People want to be around you. Best of all, someone with a frown has to change their expression or go another direction.
I know, I know. We tend to look at people who smile all the time as weird or even spooky. But, have you noticed that they are rarely out of work because they are sick. Or very seldom do they get chewed out by their boss. Furthermore, for some strange reason, they tend to have the best jobs in the organization. I propose that those “smiley” folks know a secret that the rest of us don’t. The secret is having a world without a smile is like having an earth without a sun. It just won’t work.
So do yourself a favor, learn how to smile. Read a book. Listen to something funny. Or just think of something humorous. Whatever, just do it. Not only will the people around you appreciate it, but you may also find it super beneficial for your own good.
We all have bad days. Some are tough others are mild. The type of bad day you have is not important. The fact that you understand and recognize that a bad day is just that “a bad day.”
That’s it! “A” means one. “Day” means 24 hours. This means that no matter how bad your day may be. No matter how the people treated you. No matter what happened to you, your family, or your friends. Just remember, after twenty four hours, the day is over and you can start a new day and hopefully a better one. So, don’t be too hard on yourself and please don’t make any permanent decisions based on the temporary circumstances that you experienced.
