The Positivity Garden Exercise of Reflection: Seeing the Stars

This ended up happening thanks to my recent serious endeavors to give my past the finger and walk away... mainly towards poor relationships (with men), being treated poorly period, my toxic relationships with my blood family, and my professional non successes.

The Positivity Garden Exercise of Reflection: Seeing the Stars - take a few minutes to write down on a piece of paper what you are... in the same way SpongeBob writes his "what I learned in boating school is" essay. I am _________ - thanks to my super awesome friend Daniel Whited for the idea :) Because in the end, you are worth it!

#inspiration #motivation #success #optimism #positivity #exercise #positivitygarden #mindsight #believe.

Black Friday the 13th: Breathe in the Sun

Here's a poem too... which I wrote before I found out about any of this Paris tragedy stuff... called "Black Friday the 13th: Breathe in the Sun" - but my thoughts and prayers are with everyone in Paris. Stand strong!

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Walking down the Chicago South Loop sidewalks
As the blistering wind sucks my face dry of warmth,
I look at the sky, seeing the sun has still risen.

Do you know how many people would kill to greet the sun outside every day?

Imagine being stuck in a hospital bed indefinitely,
Struggling at lifting your head while constantly being shuttled around with by screaming sirens all the time;

Instead of telling everyone about your life story
About the mom or hard worker or amazing chef you are,
You’re telling them about the list of illnesses you have.

Imagine being stripped of your character,
Like those people who get beaten to the ground by cops
Just for blowing a red light
And not being the color of society.
It seems like anything other than plain white
Is always scrutinized,

Though adversity is what sparks the fight!

Today is Friday the 13th
And I sometimes think I’m unlucky.
I tried buying concert tickets for my favorite band,
Failed for the fourth time in a row, and ended up paying 3x the price to not wait several more years.
I should be thankful I could even afford this astounding experience.

My life may not be perfect,
I haven’t completely figured out what I want to do for the rest of my life,
But meanwhile, I’m still trying to fully comprehend what “adulting” is,
Because college never taught me about not making my wallet cry or about cheap, healthy gourmet 101.

I have the privilege of living an apartment of my own,
Buzzing with a zoo of love, 2 kitties, 2 ferrets, and 2 of the only people I can hand my sand grains of trust to.
I’m in a safe space with my biggest issues being what I want to do for my career,
But some people can’t even find a place to sleep at night.

It’s getting cold outside,
Which means holiday season is near.
Not everyone has a family or a place to go for Thanksgiving;
Some people even have to work,
Or be forever away being real life superheroes overseas in a war zone.
But here we are,
Painting humanity with hate,
Using toys as weapons instead of play,
And spending time complaining about lame Starbucks cup designs,
When we could be figuring out a way to fight veteran homelessness on Veteran’s day.

Why do we spend our time complaining instead of taking action?

With all of life’s commitments tying us down,
Why would people commit themselves to destroying what is divine while promoting the art of dying?

I’m thankful to be able to get up out of my bed by myself and contribute to the world,
Some people are pinned to the confines of outside or cement boxes;
In another world, my dear friend and I can walk around the Lincoln Park Zoo at 5am seeing stars through human pollution.

As I’m walking down the Chicago South Loop sidewalks,
The hydrogen and oxygen fill my lungs with bliss
While the sun radiates its love.

Make sure to give yourself a well-deserved break after your adventures,
Because floating free of senses will enable you to holistically thank nature for its smiling skies!
But for now, let’s just be thankful and consider ourselves lucky for this beautiful life!

Today, 10-25-15, in Micropoetry, More Motivational Graphics

Today, 10-9-15, in Micropoetry... "Shining Light" (3 Haiku Poems)

Screw all this shooting and negative crap the media portrays. Instead, here's 3 haiku poems of light:

Be thankful for life
It can be taken away
Faster than you think

Don’t ever give up
Resilience always helps you
See the light of day

Follow all your dreams
You will certainly find them
If you keep fighting

September Quote Center of Inspirational Upliftingness

September Quote Center of Inspirational Upliftingness is officially a thing. More details soon, but basically I want to make 1 quote per day in September and share it with our beautiful universe. I will update this as often as possible. Enjoy!

August 31: If you’re stuck in one place and know your heart is elsewhere, keep your head in the game and strategically plan your next move. Patience and perseverance are power!

September 1: They told themselves they can, and they did. They climbed up walls; they fell down some, fell again, and again, and got back up. They said to themselves they are somebody, and they shine past the sky’s gates, leaving a star in the sky to represent an imprint of light in the world!

September 2: If you want to feast in life’s delights, it’s about time you take life’s plights and plunge into the sea of awakening!

September 3: If you want to make a difference, don’t wait for someone else to tell you what you can or can’t do. The world is much larger than an enclosed space, especially if you have technology in your hands. Even if you can’t physically show your face, your heart can be seen from miles away!

September 4: I knew there was a voice trapped inside me for all these years, and validated myself when I let it out! Your voice comes from your heart; let its spirit guide you!

September 5: Let your friends be your rocks and take their hands, because life is not meant to be a solo journey when joys can be shared!

September 6: The purpose for the journey isn't solely to emerge victorious; the experiences which create wisdom to power the journey are the purpose for adventure!

September 7: Realize what those who are fighting the war are sacrificing. Be thankful you don't have to ask the skies to take a breath of fresh air after a fatal wound and praise those who cross the line who enable you to celebrate life!

September 8: When struggling to smile, do a good deed for someone or convince them they have more potential than they ever imagined. Smiles and love are contagious; sharing both will direct the cycle in your direction when you need it most!

September 9: Use love for helping or healing; you can maybe save someone's life!

September 10: Use love for helping or healing; you can maybe save someone's life!

September 11: Imagine how much one day can impact the world. If you had one day to change the world, what would you do, start a revolution towards the sun or down into the fire? But never forget those days where brave souls extinguished the fire…

September 12: Let yourself get in touch with the current moment, because every second is an experience you shall embrace!

September 13: Shield your loved ones with your heart, because you never know when you’re going to need a hand in return…

September 14: When you look into the distance and see your goals in the sky, don’t let them fly by; instead, go jump high and let yourself celebrate with pie!

September 15: Let yourself know the finish line exists; if you believe in the checkered flag, your destination will appear as a result of your resilience! 

September 16: Power through your mental blockades as if you were trudging through quicksand about to fall.

September 17: If you wake up in the morning and tell yourself you’re going to win the race, your attitude shall dictate your actions!

September 18: No matter how selfless of a person you are, in order to take care of others with your full heart, you must take care of yourself first!

September 19: Those who enable you to feel safe will destroy your walls!

September 20: As long as the sinking ship has a battery, it is possible to overcome the fear and push the accelerator button!

September 21: Rain from your eyes is like a storm revitalizing a city in deep drought! Dismissing that will only create an endless dark cloud needing water to restore its glow!

September 22: If you create positivity within you, the cycle will return it in your direction!

September 23: There is always someone out there willing to take your hand!

September 24: Take advantage of the moments when you can embrace the positive auras of your surroundings!

September 25: Fear is your driver, not your shield. Let the fuel ignite the fire instead of dissipate it, no matter how large you want it to be!

September 26: Challenge yourself to create goals higher than you think you can achieve in order to reach higher mountains!

September 27: Rejection only means the opportunity wasn't right for you and not a pitfall to your doom!

September 28: To summon the upper vibes, you must embrace them and the desire to be happy! 

September 29: Life's losing streaks aren't permanent because when the rabbit goes down the hole, the only way it can climb is up. With several losses in a row, will plus resilience results in a win!

September 30: The finish line is the light at the end of the tunnel. Chase after it like you’re running away from a charging bull!

Welp, that's it on the daily quotes. I will still make quotes whenever I choose to, but this is the end of my September Quotes of Inspirational Upliftingness. I hope you all enjoyed it! :) Here's to all the happiness and success for everyone <3

Move Forward in the Presence of Tragedy

My response to all the recent tragedies is below... despite the pain we've seen on the news lately, we should still notice the beauty in life, move forward, and be as happy and positive as we can! Enjoy!

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Dear beautiful universe,

If you're all aware of this lovely little fact, the purpose of life is to promote beauty, but do you feel like 2014 has lately been suffocated with tears of blood, mass destruction, and suffering... and more than usual of such tragedies?

Tragedy is not and should not be the central circle of the meaning of life. Life is not some depressing black hole that people keep abusing, despite the fact that we need to acknowledge that life isn't all unicorns and rainbows and we need to know that "shit happens"...

From the mass murders in Israel, to headlines of constant gun violence, and even locking young children in the car, for crying out loud, despite all these terrible things happening, that shouldn't be society's main focus! Let's look past all of this awfulness, devise a solution for the problem, and move forward towards a hopefully bright future...

Unless you're actually in mourning, or even if you're terminally ill, there's no reason to sit there and complain how much the world sucks and how much people suck... complaining isn't going to get you farther than the next person who wants to sit there and witness or join your tirades of discussing depressing topics. The world is actually a happier place than you think. Not only that, but if you focus only on the negative, your world will be negative and vice versa... because according to my guru friend (who's a holistic doctor), life happens in two places: first in your head, and then in the outside world's reality!

There's a vast difference between educating yourself with what's going on in the world and wanting to watch the news or enjoying history in school/in general than submerging your life into the black hole that people struggle to get their pretty faces out of... that would be called a loop, and you don't want that, right?

Life is a game, life is worth living, and despite the constant tragedies of 2014, just keep smiling and keep your heart whole!

With lots of smiles, optimism, and positivity,
Rebs McDuxler :)

Teachings and Lessons from Death

I wrote this post in reaction to my best childhood friend who passed away on May 25, 2013. He was my biggest inspiration and the foundation for the rest of my life. I had never lost anyone close to me and these are my opinions on how one should properly cope with the gravity of a hefty loss...

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I know that dying is a part of life, but the true mystery is that you never know when it's going to happen. There are many different ways that people perceive Death, but this is the best way to handle it:

Up until now, during my 22 short years of living, I had never had any real encounters with Death before. I never lost anyone super close to me. I have lost people who lived on my dorm floors and talked to occasionally, had a couple classes with, a couple family members that I wasn't too close with, and even someone in one of my turnabout groups. I even went to a wake for a good friend whose infant son passed away. But never had I lost anyone close to me before. I'd rather learn now than later. It will teach me and provide me with another one of life's experiences.

On May 25, 2013 I lost my childhood best friend who helped me to initially choose my life's path. We got into an argument when I was in high school and things weren't ever the same. I feel like it's a common phenomenon to realize how important someone truly is to you when they're gone. People always have that feeling of "I wish I could have said goodbye" or "I wish I could have told them how I feel" or "I wish I could have rekindled our friendship". Unfortunately, you can't. There are most certainly healthy ways to cope with a heavy loss and optimistic ways to continue to live and love your life.

When someone passes, they may be buried in the ground or have his or her ashes scattered about, but the spirit and legacy will always live on. You can always do something in the person's honor, such as dedicating some kind of personal memorial to them. For example, a school can dedicate a track meet to someone who was active on the track team or the ones who were closest can get a personalized tattoo to remember the loved one or very close friend. Most importantly, even though someone "being there in spirit" isn't the same, it is a healthy way to hold the passed person in your heart forever. Saying a prayer isn't a bad idea either. Mourn the passed person and celebrate their life. It will lighten the mood from the waterfall of tears and room full of sadness.

Your family and friends will be there for you. Alcohol and drugs are not the answer. Those will dilute your problem for a short amount of time and eventually cause your life to spiral out of control. If need be, there is always grief counseling available. One thing to also do is write a lovely letter in remembrance about the person and read it at the funeral. Cry your eyes out and call your best friend to console you and you will feel more at ease.

Death is inevitable and is just another part of the life cycle. Although it's the most terrible thing and it's even worse when the person is young, but it happens and you need to move on from it. You will never forget the person and you can always say hello at the cemetery. Just realize that the person is in a better place and although you can never touch or hear them, but you can feel and sense them.  Most importantly, don't dwell on the past. Take your mistakes and lessons and learn from them for the future. If you messed up or did something you shouldn't have to the person, don't regret it. That will make you more miserable later. Just move on and keep living. That's all you can do. Don't get stuck in a black hole. Move forward. The person will always want the best for you and would be happiest if you lived your life to the fullest.

Don't be afraid you're going to die and keep thinking about Death. You should live your life like you're going to die tomorrow and accomplish as much as you can. Life is short, but live on the edge and don't hold back. Don't let fear consume you. Live in the present and don't take things for granted, especially life. Life is the most precious thing one can have. Take advantage of the world. The world is your canvas. Paint as much as you can upon it and people will see it and become your happy followers and driving force. Take on the world with a smile. Happiness and love are driving forces. Display love to everyone, because who knows, they may one day be gone forever and there is nothing you can do. Believe what you want. Do what you want. Fight adversity and don't be afraid to be the odd one. Just enjoy yourself. Be free. It's better to know that you die happy and fulfilled than miserable and empty! Celebrate life always! Treasure the wonderful gift of life and you will be able to continue marching onward from the tragedy and sorrow. That way, it's never game over for you!