Comfort Zone

Sunday morning laundromat flow. A few weeks ago, I started a routine every Sunday as to where I wake up, do a three mile walk/run and hit the laundromat to relieve my garments of the phenomenal funk that lurks within. It allows me to clear my head, gather my thoughts, and type my blog up. Plus, I get a great laugh counting all of the mullets and tattoos I see. This week, the routine is not different. But this week, I feel the need to vent a little. I'm planning a trip to Las Vegas for my birthday this December (the 29th so start shopping now please.. I could use a new car and good chain... nothing special). The problem that I have is that the people I want to go with all have excuses as to why they can't go. Now, I understand that we all have different responsibilities to attend to, like kids, marriage, family, etc. I have no problem with that. What I do have a problem with are people who are scared to death to leave their comfort zone. It's like they are afraid that, if they take a chance and do something different, something AWESOME might happen and they can't handle that. I guarantee that if I told folks that I would pay their way for the trip, they would drop whatever they're doing and go. It's a lot like life in that people, to get out of their comfort zone, must be enticed by someone else taking on their responsibility. They wont do it themselves. They'll only do it if they are taken care of. I was once told by someone that he needs other people to do things for him because he doesn't want all the hassle. With that mentality, how can you expect to go places in life? I'm sorry that this sounds like rambling. But I'm feeling the need to let go of people that aren't contributing to anything in life. I love all my folks to death. But if you are afraid to take a chance, I can't hang with you anymore. A few years ago, people told me not to go to Virginia. But I took a chance and, while things didn't work out there, it set the stage for he success I see today. Stepping out of my comfort zone was the best thing that ever happened. Although there may be pain at first, it will help define the person you become. Umm.... You can see this goes a little deeper than a Vegas trip. But it all is related. Alright, got that out of my system!!! Next week, I promise I'll have clown material for you all. Until then....... www.twitter.com/thefakejcoston

The Challenge: One Year Later

I can't lie. Last week, I was unusually emotional and angry over the whole Zimmerman case and, while I was happy from a writing standpoint over the inspiration it sparked, it left me feeling like I left a whole lot of words on the table. I will keep the rest of those thoughts stored away in a vault because I need to get back to that positive energy that I'm known for. So I will try (and fail, as usual) to keep this blog brief. In March 2012, I wrote a blog called "The Challenge" which was basically designed to be a motivational tool for you sloths to get up off your couch and set a goal for yourselves. My hope was to see if anyone's life (including my own) can really be changed with a little dedication. I also wanted to see if anyone would follow up with me and let me know how their life was changing. Of course, no one let me know (DAMN U!!!). So, I found myself taking a challenge on my own. My personal goal was to lose at least 50 lbs. I wrote it down, posted it in my bathroom and followed my own instructions. At first, to my dismay, nothing was happening. I actually gained 10 lbs and started to get that "F-it-all attitude!!" Then, in June 2012, I underwent a crazy health scare. Not to be graphic (Welp, its my blog so I'll be as nassssty as I want!), but I was having difficulty urinating and it was affecting my sleep and well being. I went to the emergency room and, after 5 hours and a whole bunch of tubes hooked up to me (not to mention Jury Duty in the morning), I was diagnosed as having Type 2 Diabetes. I always said to myself "It wont happen to me." Guess what? It happened, and I wasn't too thrilled. I was given metaformin and told I could look forward to plenty of medication. I decided that I needed to change my lifestyle completely. I was a year in on giving up alcohol and thought, "Challenge accepted." I changed up my diet to include fruits and vegetables and eliminated sodas and pure junk food (accepted for the occasional cheat meal.) As I blog tonight, I have lost 114 lbs so far and I have regained my life. I still have a long way to go but I feel like a new person. I started taking up Couch to 5K (a running app) and I am in my 4th week of workouts. I went a few months hitting a plateau with my weight but, with a trip to NY coming up, I am getting back to it. I will be posting my progress at the beginning of each blog with maybe a sentence or two about it. This was my challenge and, so far, I'm meeting my goals. Do you have any goals or challenges you want to meet? Hit me up! I can provide words of encouragement, digital hugs (A real one if you're in Atlanta) or digital slaps to wake you up (Also, a real one if you're in Atlanta). Either way, if you have a goal to meet, let's reach it together. (Yep, that was the softest line EVER!!) P.S. As I said last time, Im not a doctor!! So anything involving fitness, please consult one first. Im broke and I cant pay your medical bills!!! Sheesh!!! www.twitter.com/thefakejcoston

The Verdict

Damn!! I swore that I wouldn't talk about the Trayvon Martin-George Zimmerman trial but, now that its over, I feel like I have to speak my peace on it this one time and then I'm done with it. So I apologize if I'm dead serious or rambling with this blog!! The bad jokes and silliness will return next week.! So here it goes. First, let me just extend my condolences to he family of Trayvon. They lost a son through all this, know who did it and watched him go free. They should be first in everyone's hearts and minds. From a technical standpoint, I thought that a murder charge was too ambitious because it was essentially a fight between Martin and Zimmerman and It had to be proven, beyond a reasonable doubt, that he intended to murder him. I'm not a lawyer, and I don't claim to be. To be honest, though, has made me strongly consider going back to school for law after I become a CPA. Now, I'm not going to rail on about race because I don't need to hear anyone's mouth about being racist. But the fact that cannot be argued is this: someone died because he looked different. He dressed different and that, in turn, made him look suspicious. It's a perspective that every minority can relate to. People making fun of you because you look different. People following you in stores and cops pulling you over because you "look suspicious." And the worst case scenario: being followed by someone because of all the above and, eventually, losing your life because of it. What is a parent supposed to tell their child about this case? Don't wear hoodies because they'll make you look different? If someone you don't know confronts you, stand there and don't resist? This entire situation is a shame because here are no winners and losers. Yes, Zimmerman was acquitted but he can't walk out of his house ever again without looking over his shoulder and wondering if someone will make an attempt on his life. Life as he knows it is essentially over. The only piece of advice I can offer is this: Educate yourself on the laws of your state and the rights that you have. Continue to be diligent in teaching the kids right from wrong. Don't let this verdict deter your faith in good people and he human spirit, no matter bleak things may seem. Use this opportunity to rebuild your community. Simply put, let's try to turn this negative into a positive. That's all I got this week. www.twitter.com/thefakejcoston

Mr. Lonely....

Let me start by telling you my new project: Building an ark to combat the ridiculous amounts of rain we've been receiving in Georgia as of late!! If you have any unwanted pets, bring them to me (Only in pairs, though). Hehe.... Ok, got the bad rain jokes out of the way. Now let's get to the topic at hand: Loneliness. It's a shame what some of us will do to combat loneliness. Some of us will visit the strip clubs and make it rain paychecks if it means we will be shown a little bit of attention (Ok I may have made it slightly drizzle on a few occasions. Don't judge me!!) It's why people date murderers in jail, wear clothes two sizes too small, and why people update their Facebook status to "in a relationship" when they're still single (Shots fired, son!! Lmao! Inside joke). Loneliness and attention go hand in hand in that, if no one is paying attention to us, we feel inadequate, which causes us to shun our social circle and, eventually, leads to being lonely. In my opinion, people look at being lonely the wrong way. Don't look at it as a time to hop into a bad relationship with the janitor at work because he picked a flower out of trash and gave it to you. Look at it as a time to work on self improvement. How about losing those last 10 lbs hanging off? What about taking that class or reading that book you've been putting off? Loneliness should be looked at as an opportunity to reset your life a little bit so that the next time an opportunity presents itself, either for love, work, etc., you're ready to take it on. Like the saying goes, "If you are ready, you don't have to get ready." Umm, something like that. I would be lying if I said I don't get lonely at times. I'm human. But to me, this is just downtime. I need this alone-time to accomplish the goals set and, in due time, I'll get back on my "Master of Seduction/Every Woman's Fantasy" deal. (Even I had to laugh at that foolishness!) I'll be damned if I give another stripper my ATM card and tell her "take it all!! I love you!!" Just kidding about saying "I love you." www.twitter.com/thefakejcoston www.facebook.com