On Life and Words

http://authorjuliemichael.tumblr.com/post/143607903155/faith-vs-truth-vs-opinion

I have been a horrible blogger lately. I know I have. I think that sometimes, we let life get in the way of living life or of doing those things that we enjoy. I'm also horribly behind on my second book right now. I have been slowly working on it here and there, but just now finally getting truly motivated to get it finished. My second book is called "Finding Your Place in Life," I am hoping to have it completed by the end of the first week of March.  It's been a long time coming, considering I started working on both of my book manuscripts a long time ago. But, I wanted to make sure that I said what I wanted to say and that I expressed myself appropriately. It takes a lot of time and effort to write, especially when one has to go back and edit and re-edit or delete entire paragraphs, just to get one point across the right way. I'm not so certain that I've managed to do this correctly, but, I'm a work in progress, and so is my writing.

You know, it always amazes me when others deem their lives to be much more important than the lives of others. I'm not talking about literal lives, as in living and breathing,  the functioning of a human being. Not at all.  I'm talking about the daily act of living  .. one's hopes, dreams,  goals, doing that which you love or want.  I'm talking a LIVING.  But what astounds me the most, is the fact that so many people are preoccupied with their daily routines and their own wants and desires... which makes it difficult for us to actually SEE others and the struggles they go through. Sure.. I have problems.  Everyone does. But that doesn't mean that anything going on in my life is more important than what is happening with someone else. The truth is... we all struggle along and we all have demons to fight.  Such is being human. Instead of solely focusing on ourselves and our problems... perhaps it's time to focus on others and what they need to be...

     Here's what I've learned about life and relationships. Whether it's a significant other, parents, friends, kids, etc... relationships are unpredictable. You never know for sure what's going to happen, no matter how committed you might be to a person or that relationship. The truth is, you cannot control anything or anyone else... you're wasting your time trying. I don't think the solution to this is to avoid loving to avoid being hurt... I think that all we can do in this life is to love the best we can, even when it results in us being hurt. Through pain comes personal growth... even if it's at the temporary cost of our sanity and our heart. We almost always heal from heartache.      If you close your mind, heart and spirit to love and the experiences that come with it... you'll never be able to love fully, openly and honestly. But, it scares us to be that vulnerable to another person. Yep. We would rather judge another or express our disappoint...

As 2015 gets off to a start, it's already shaping up to be a rocky few months... here's my thought process right now. Men, if you don't want kids or to be a father, wrap up your "toy." You don't earn man points or respect simply because you can impregnate someone or have multiple kids by different women. A real MAN will help support his children financially and will be involved in his children's lives. I never wanted to be a single parent. It's really difficult to try to b e in the role of both mom AND dad. But, I do my best. At the end of the day, my kids will respect that and appreciate it. I will teach my daughters to be self sufficient and to depend on only themselves, don't expect or trust a man to do it for you. I will teach ALL of my children the importance of financial and relationship stability before having children. And I will teach my sons to be decent men, to know the importance of truth and monogamy... and for pete's sake, n...

Mental health is a serious issue. It's important to remember that just because someone might be suffering from a mental illness, depressio or other issue, does NOT mean that they are "crazy" or seeking attention. If someone you know is struggling with depression, anxiety, mood disorder or other mental health issue, they need your caring and support... Not ridicule or ignorance. If you get frustrated with someone because they aren't "normal," you need yo remember that they are just as frustrated as you are and they aren't trying to be difficult. Berating someone or treating them badly won't help and anything or anyone and it could even make the issue worse. Mental illness and depression is real, it's not something that someone can control. Be aware that someone who is dealing with a mental health issue needs support and understanding. The best thing anyone can do if someone they know is struggling with a mental health issue is to be supportiv...

If you or someone you know is suffering from depression, it's important to take the time to get help - for yourself, your loved one(s), whomever. Depression is a very serious issue and can be not just mentally debilitating, but also physically debilitating. Depression doesn't just affect the person suffering - it affects the others around them, affects relationships, jobs, finances, etc. AND, here's another important issue when it comes to depression. If the person suffering from depression is considering suicide, seems suicidal or has made suicidal threats, it's VERY important to seek help immediately. Even when you may feel like the person is just attention-seeking or isn't serious about it, it's important to take the threat of suicide very seriously. A person who is suicidal or who is making threats of suicide isn't merely making threats, they are expressing, at a minimum, a desire to self-harm. Suicide is not the way out, it's not the cure for d...

Okay Everyone, here I am, SHAMELESSLY promoting my book! I'm nervous as heck to have anyone buy it or read it, but I also want the feedback. If you'd like to purchase my book, you can find it Amazon   http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MSA51L8# Please, if you buy my book and read it, please make sure to leave me a review or email me some type of feedback!

I have finally finished my first book, The Truth About Life: Life Lessons from Rock-Bottom. I'm quite pleased with myself. It has taken me such a long time to finish it and get around to completing the editing of it. But, once I got down to business and began working on it seriously, it didn't take me nearly as long as I expected it to. Even if it turns out to be a "flop," at least I can add it to my list of things I've accomplished. So, I'm happy about that. I am still trying to figure out KDP Select and trying to figure out a way to offer the book for free for a few days, but I am struggling with figuring that out. But, just as soon as I figure it out and get it done, I'll be sure to let you all know! If you're interested in my book, you can find it on Amazon: The Truth About Life: Life Lessons From Rock Bottom http://t.co/u7vssSyT4z And please, if you do read it, please leave me a review or some type of feedback. I want to get better with my...

I went to the college bookstore today and got my textbooks for this semester. All I wanna know is WHY are they so freaking expensive? I just don't understand why college books are so expensive. I mean, honestly. A couple hundred dollars for a brand-new PAPERBACK textbook, and only $20-$30 cheaper for a USED version. I don't understand that. And, then, of course, when you go to sell the books back or resell them, you only get a quarter of what you paid for them, if that. Honestly, with college tuition and the cost of getting a higher education being so high, I really feel like college textbooks should be included with one's tuition. I just don't get why exactly the books are so expensive. I get that they are for further education and for learning, but that shouldn't make them THAT ridiculously expensive or high priced. That's just not right.  I wish there were ways around the high cost of college textbooks. Because, even though one can get financial aid in...