"BUSY" SHOULD BE A 4-LETTER WORD

I'm at the point to where I can't stand hearing the word "busy". Why you ask? Because I feel that most people abuse the use of the word. Most people, when asked how they are doing, they say that they are "busy" as if they just won the Nobel Peace Prize. Well, I have a question to ask of all of you "busy" people: "BUSY" WITH WHAT, EXACTLY?

Now, don't try to negate the question. Yeah, you know what I'm talking about, Willis. Are you busy with things that really matter, or are you busy with JUNK? Some of you have to admit that the majority of the stuff that you're "busy" with shouldn't mean a hill of beans to you. Some of you need to do a spring cleaning when it comes to your busyness. Not all busyness is good, not at all. Most "busy" people end up in sanitariums, hospitals and morgues. Something to think about, isn't it?

So the next time that you're asked how you're doing, just tell the truth and say, "I can use a "busy" break. How about you?" Take care.

DRUM ROLL, PLEASE!!!!!!!!

ANNOUNCEMENT!!!! I will be hosting my own radio show on Blog Talk Radio also called Thoughts For Vision. I scheduled it to start on November 8th at 11AM (PST); if anything changes, I will let you know. Keep me in your prayers as I embark on this new journey. You can check out the details of the show by going to www.blogtalkradio.com/thoughtsforvision. Take care and God bless.

ARE YOU SPIRITUALLY ANOREXIC OR BULIMIC?

Are you brave enough to ask yourself this question? Do you find yourself coming to church and leaving deathly starved or bloated? Everyone has to answer this question for themselves. At different times in my life, I have been both. First, I used to be one of those people who sat way in the back at church and be craving for a morsel of food. So I started reading and digesting the Word of God. But then I started to feel like I was stuffing myself with the Word, and not getting enough of it out. That is a HORRIBLE feeling. I couldn't take the nausea any more. I had to get before the Lord, and ask Him to give me the spiritual Tums that I needed for my release. I can't tell you how much better I feel. What about you? Do you need a spiritual Tums or a spiritual Big Mac? You decide. Take care and God bless.

CRUISE OF A LIFETIME

Today marks the 1-year anniversary of my very first cruise. It's hard to believe that it's been that long already. I had the time of my life. I went to Catalina Island and Ensenada, Mexico. The cruise ship was great, the sites were wonderful, and the food was excellent. The only thing that was not so hot was that the waters were choppy a couple of days. The worst day was Thursday. It would hit me while I was in the shower (clear reminder of what was going on outside). I so stayed in my room until that passed. But that's how life is sometimes. On the midst of a great journey, there will be troubled waters ahead. But continue the journey anyway; you will not regret it. Check out the rest of the videos at www.youtube.com/user/richsisstah (yes, the spelling at the end is correct). If you haven't yet, I pray that one day you will have your cruise of a lifetime. Take care and God bless.

WHY THOUGHTS FOR VISION?

I want to share for just a minute on why I titled my blog "Thoughts for Vision". The title is inspired by 2 verses in the Bible. The first is Jeremiah 29:11 (For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, saith the Lord,...). The other is Proverbs 29:18 (Where there is no vision, the people perish:...). Let's think about that for a moment. God is the one who places dreams and goals in our hearts. But we have to catch hold of them and carry them to fruition. God plants the seed, and we have to water it. It is NOT God's job to BOTH plant and water. God is constantly talking to us in so many ways, trying to lead and guide us. But do we always listen and do what He says? I think you know the answer to that. So we have to work on having a tuned ear to God. Sometimes we act as though we need a Trinity hearing aid. All I have to say is get one and make sure that it has a lifetime warranty. Take care.

WHO IS SPEAKING INTO YOUR LIFE?

Think about the people in your life (family, friends, co-workers, etc.). Are they positive or negative people? Do they encourage or discourage you? Are they upbeat or always down in the mouth? When you're done speaking with them, do you feel lifted up or depressed?

Always remember that you can choose the people who you want to spend time with. Be around those that speak life, not death. Don't let others talk you out of your dreams just because they didn't fulfill their dreams. The people in your inner circle are the ones who can make or break you.

KEEP WORKING ON YOUR PLAN A

I listen to Steve Harvey's radio program. If you're not familiar with the show, he starts his show with a 12-minute inspirational message. He has shared this point numerous times, and I want to reiterate. I'm paraphrasing, but it's on the lines on having a plan B means that you're not serious about your plan A. Looking back on my life, I see where I have unknowingly implemented this train of thought.

I knew before leaving high school that I wanted to be an actress. So when I went to college, I immediately designated my major as Theatre Arts. As I went halfway through school, there were times where I thought to myself to add a minor or maybe even another major. But I didn't because I just simply wasn't interested in anything else. So I graduated from college in 1993 with my B.A.

After college, I went and got my REAL JOB so that I could eat, right? I hated every moment of it because it wasn't my passion. In 1999, I said to myself, "You have one chance at this thing called life. There are no do-overs. What are you going to do with it?" So my decision was made, and I never looked back. I remember one night when I went to the L.A. chapter of SAG for a meeting. There was a man who recognized me and said, "I remember when you told me that you were going to get into SAG. Now, I see you here at this meeting. Congratulations." That's the power of working your plan A.

So don't get off track with a plan B. I don't know about you, but I don't have the time to work two plans. But keep in mind that your plan A may rework itself in other ways. That's why I started this blog. Different times throughout my life I have written skits, poems, and the like to try to be an inspiration to people. Acting is one form of expression; writing is another. So don't give up on your plan A. It will be well worth the journey.

WHY ARE YOU STILL SINGLE?

S--Soaring like an eagle through the obstacles of life
I--Igniting the Holy Ghost fire in my soul
N--Not my will, but God's will standing through the test of time
G--Gearing towards excellence in my life
L--Love of the Trinity working in me
E--Engraved in my heart the sacrifice that Christ made for me

I hope this helps those of you out there struggling with being single. This especially goes out to all of my beautiful black sistahs. It seems as though we, in particular, are getting bombarded with this. It's as if we're in need of being analyzed like some lab rats. I wrote this 4 years ago; little did I know that I wrote it for such a time as this.

SO WHO ARE YOU, REALLY?

There's a verse in the Bible that says that what a man thinks in his heart, so is he. So I pose this question: what kind of person do you want to be? Do you want to be a selfish, prideful, bitter, unforgiving,...(add any other word that you can think of)person? Or do you want to be the total opposite? Here's the best news: the choice is yours. There isn't a person, situation, circumstance, etc. that can make that decision for you. Only you can. So have the courage to look yourself in the face and ask yourself, "Who are you, really?"