I love to hear the stories of elderly couples of how they fell in love and how they manage to stay in love for many years. It's very encouraging to hear stories that lead you to believe that maybe love is really still out there for you. Where is the love? For young people like myself I believe that ego has played a huge role in breaking down relationships. Everybody wants to be right all the time, everybody wants to look perfect to the world, everybody is looking for a partner that they will look good with. When this happens and then it falls apart they feel as if it's best to give up on love. The truth is it was never love to begin with. Love never failed us it was what we believed to be love. Everybody is in a rush to the altar and we don't take things slowly enough so that we can have long lasting connections. Our calls are quick and we text more than we call, we focus too much on sex and less on intimacy. We have let social media dictate what our relationships s

Apparently there is a deadline out there for every phase of your life. By a certain age you should have your own house, have children and be married. Growing up you aren't aware of this deadline until you start to get up in age and you are approaching that 30+ mark. You start to hear how much you are wasting your life and how much you will end up old and lonely.  I'm now being informed of this deadline at the age of 24 and without even giving it thought it start to plays with your mind. Am I really wasting my life? Then I start to look at these individuals who are reminding me of the deadlines that I'm facing and I realize that many of them have passed these so called deadlines or they aren't happy with the outcome of their lives after meeting these deadlines. We aren't created the same so why are we expected to move at the same speed. What works for someone will not necessarily work for another. Many find the right partner young others have to try a little har

Growing up many of us were told that our natural crowns weren't beautiful. From a very young age many of us were told to idolize those deemed to have 'pretty hair'. When I speak about natural crown I don't speak about just our beautiful natural hair but our natural way of thinking. It is important to be proud of how we were naturally created by our maker but it is even more important to be proud of our natural way of thinking and to strive to not be corrupted by what society believes to be acceptable. I want to appeal to my young queens that they should never alter their souls to fit in with the norms of society. My queens, be proud of what makes you different and be proud of the natural you. Those who see the beauty in the natural you appreciate them and those that don't simply ignore them and continue on the natural path. We should never have to apologize or change how we were naturally created because we were created for that purpose and we are all naturally beau

The election process is over and now it's time t move forward with our country. Some perhaps are disappointed with the results while others are overflowing with joy. What matters most is what happens now after the results. As a nation we need to put aside all the arguments and unkind words used during the election process and come together for the betterment of our nation. The most important lesson that I took away from this election is to always remain humble. Never ever exalt yourself into thinking that you are above anyone because life will bring you down in the worse of ways. Let us get up and get out and do the very best we can for our beautiful country.

It's February first and the start of Black History month. Please prepare yourself for the posts about being proud to be black and how appreciative they are for all the sacrifices our ancestors made. As a black person myself I rarely male reference to this month because I try to show my appreciation for my black people every day. I believe that as black people we should make an effort to show the love we have for our race everyday so that this month will not appear to be so much of a huge spectacle. Rather than creating a spectacle for a month and probably even just today only, because most will forget that this Black History month in the days to come. Let us write down something we are proud of as a black person for the 29 days of this month.

For many of us each day of our lives is simply just a repetition. We go to school, we go to work and we have little or no time for anything else. For those of us who don't own our own business we put our all into helping others achieving their dreams while we hope and hope that one day we will be able to do the same. If God forbid you were to die today, what would you be remembered for ? Would you have accomplished any of your life goals? There are so many people who are burdened down with the load of carrying the dreams of others that it eventually kills them. The joy that many of us dream of should be something we live each and everyday. There are relationships that eat at you every single day and instead of lifting you to higher heights it brings you lower and lower. There is no time in this already limited lifetime to be stuck in situations that eat at the little joy that you may have. The same can be said for friendships. There are friends who only come to you with bad news, t

For majority of us everyday we log into a social media platform or several social media platforms. We use these platforms to get entertainment, information and to communicate with people. However, are we placing too much importance on the lives that we see on display on these sites. It's very troubling when I see young people making people who they know nothing about their relationship goals, family goals and whatever else kind of goals. A beautiful picture can hide the most horrifying realities. I mean it's okay to look up to people but it's not okay to mirror your life entirely off the life of another. What happens when that individual or individual breaks up or faces some serious family crisis will your life also fall apart? Are you unable to stand alone without the perceived fairytale concepts you believe in on social media sites? We complain from time to time about how self absorbed people are in the world yet we are the ones who continue to feed the desire that they h

So, I haven't shared my thoughts wth you in a while and that's primarily because I was busy working on my latest poetry book which is now available on Amazon. I've always been a lover of poetry but I never believed that I could one day become a really good poet. Today, I'm here to say to you that you should never give up in your dreams. This year I self published two poetry books of which I'm very proud. If I had listened to the doubters and the voices in my head I would have given up on poetry years ago. It's very easy to stop believing in your dreams when the world is fighting against you and telling you that they are pointless or you should choose another path. You were born with the desire to achieve something and you should always work towards it regardless of what the world tells us. I gave up a couple times due to negative feedback so of no feedback so at all but somehow I got up and continued to push. I've improved on my poems more and more each day

Each and everyday we wake up and most of the times we are thankful for life. We interact with people on a daily basis, either at school, work or just a hello or bye to a stranger. We are able to form perceptions about those we meet either by how they look or their actions. How much good do you encounter on a daily basis? How many people do you come across who you can genuinely conclude to be a good person? I've come across a lot of individuals throughout my 23years on this earth and at first I believed the world to be completely good. I always look for the good in an individual and try my best to embrace the bad or inspire change. Eventually, one gets tired of trying to search for the good in someone. More and more each day I've come to realize that the world is filled with so many pretenders. There are those who will pretend to be knowledgable in certain areas to win your trust, there are those who will pretend to be a good friend so that you will feel comfortable around them

Growing up,my parents always pushed the need to have good manners and  show respect to my elders. They not only told me the importance of good manners but they also lived it. Walking on the streets of my country each and everyday as left me wondering if good manners are a thing of the past. When I enter a taxi I always stop to say good morning,when I pay the taxi driver and receive my change I say thank you,however I've noticed that others don't often return the favour. I was in a taxi a week ago and I told a lady good morning and she simply chose to ignore it.  The young people in our country are either not learning the importance of good manners or they just simply don't care. Is the lack of good manners related to the fact that our young people feel they are too grown? It always warms my heart when I come across a young person who will exercise good manners. It is such a rare commodity that it even takes me off guard from time to time. This issue of our young people not

The media is blamed for everything basically. The media is blamed for feeding all bad values to society. However, is the media being blamed for too much? I believe that many of the things that the media is blamed for can simply be prevented if people would decide to do their own research and gain knowledge independently. The media takes advantage of the laziness of so many in society. They can come up with a ridiculous story and it will be eaten up just like that because the thirst to gain further knowledge isn't there. The other issue is that the media is aware of the laziness in society so they often just give the public what they want, should they be blamed for that? What people seem to forget is the media is made up of people just like you and I. Yes, the media is very influential and that can always be an issue to those who are easily influenced . I always advice people to take some time  from the media to clear your mind and come back up again. We need to take charge of our o

Well, it's Father's Day today and not much is being said on social media platforms in comparison to Mother's Day that was celebrated in May. Where are our Jamaican fathers? When some people think of their fathers they think nothing but hatred. For many, they have never met their father or their father doesn't have a positive impact on their lives. But in the same breath there are those fathers who took up the role from day one and have always placed their children first. We need to not cloud the day with the memories of the disappointing fathers but spread it with thankfulness for those who live up their responsibilities each and every day. Jamaica needs fathers to stand up and be responsible for grooming their children in the right way. I want to rebuke mothers who keep their children from their father because of their own hatred for the father. Mothers, don't be selfish because of your own feelings but remember the needs of your child. Can you imagine how much bet

We all have these plans for what we want to do next week,the months to come or even in a couple years. The sad thing about it is, we don't even know what will reach us or even if we will live to see the end of the day. We ourselves may have a good heart and would never think to bring harm to another human being but there are others around us who think of evil every single day and have not even an ounce of love within them. We never know when we will come across people like this because most of the times they blend in with society and pretend to be at one with each and everyone of us. What we do have control over is our very own actions and how we react in the face of hatred. With each and everyday we are left to wonder if there is any love really left in this world. Everyone is fighting for a cause but that fight leads to more anger more than love and unity. Is there any hope still left in this world? Our youth have lost the meaning of love and even respect for the spiritu

We have all been there at some point or another even though many of us will never admit it. We have been blown away by how others life appear to be. It may be the money they post, the car they drive, the house they live in or their significant other. What we fail to consider is that there may be a completely different story that is hidden behind closed doors. An image and caption can only tell so much and the rest can be left open for interpretation.  There is a new trend on social media sites where I often see people commenting on couples photographs that the couple is their relationship goal. Meaníng that someday they would love to be in a relationship like the one they see in the picture. Many times these individuals don't even know these couples they are just captivated by images and how they come across in the pictures. Are relationships only about taking good pictures? No they aren't and you should perhaps learn more about a couple before you even consider making

For years we have heard the saying ' show me your friends and I'll tell you who you are'. Many of us stand by this saying and believe it to be true in all instances. However, I can say to you that this saying isn't always the case because you can be in a situation but not be affected by it. For instance, there are three friends who hang out together for three years, one is a pimp, one is a doctor and one is a happily married teacher. They all maintain their perspective lives and are not influenced by the lives of others. However, there is another group of friends, one is a stripper,one is a stay at home mom and the other is a lawyer. The stay at home mom becomes envious of her lawyer friend because she is making her own money while the lawyer friend is envious of the attention that her stripper friend gets from men while the stripper friend is envious of her lawyer friend because she has a respectable profession. It all comes down to the individual and how easily influe

In recent times, our country has been sent into shock waves as it relates to the increases in acts of violence towards our children. It sends pain throughout our bodies as Jamaicans because our future is hurting. Calls from all sectors can be heard about what measures can be taken to ensure that we put a stop to this problem. It starts with each and everyone of us as Jamaicans because at times parents aren't around or even those who are around aren't setting the best examples for their children. Throughout the month of May, I decided to start a challenge called the Saccheen Laing read one book a week campaign. I decided to do this challenge as a means to show our young people that reading can be fun and we as the older ones do enjoy it. I added the element of posting a selfie after the end of the week along with a caption with a lesson that you got from the book. This challenge was an oasis in the midst of the Charlie Charlie challenge and other challenges that add no level of

In Jamaica these days calls are coming from call corners for more attention to be placed on our children to ensure that we protect them as best as possible. We should ensure that they get off the streets early, they aren't taken advantage of and that they attend school. However, what about the examples that we set for them? The way we dress, the relationships we keep, the way we talk to each other, shouldn't we be taking a look at that as well? This takes me to our female entertainers and the examples that they set. From a very young age children find a love for music and they easily eat up everything they see and hear. Recently, two of our most popular female entertainers got into an argument on social media for the entire world to see. It wasn't just the fact that they were arguing but it was mostly about the things that they were saying to each other. Everyone has access to the internet and unfortunately children are getting electronic devices at a very young age. The in

Growing up in Jamaica I always heard that black women who enter relationships with white men are either doing it because they lack self esteem, they want him for his money or they want 'pretty hair children'. In 2015, some of these same conclusions are drawn whenever we see interracial couples walking hand in hand and settling down to get married. I've noticed a trend in which young black ladies  after migrating have ended up settling down with a white man. Are good black men becoming a rare commodity or have our black women given up on our black brothers? I'm not here to judge anyone and I for one could care less about the skin colours of couples. I've just come to observe that our young women are opting to settle down with white men. I decided to speak to a couple of black young ladies to get their views on this issue and this is what they had to say. Shanice: I'm currently in a relationship with a relationship with a white man. I chose him because he offered

Everyone seems to have all the advice to give you to keep your relationship together but not so much advice is found after the relationship has come to an end. One of the biggest mistakes that people make is moving on too soon after a relationship is over. Today, I'm going to highlight some of the dangers of moving on too soon without giving yourself enough time to heal. ✅ After the end of a painful relationship you are in a very vulnerable state and people could end up taking advantage of your situation. They may initially appear to be a comforter but slowly make their moves and before you know it you think you have fallen in love.  ✅ The ending of a relationship sometimes seems women running to the first open arms and end up engaging in risky sexual behaviour. Engaging in these risky sexual behaviour post break up will have you feeling regretful later on and leave you with not the best of reputations. ✅ One of the biggest dangers of moving on too quickly is that you still have yo

Walking on the streets of Jamaica these days one will notice an increase in people on the roadsides begging. Many times we walk pass them and ignore their cries for help because either we don't have it to give or we believe they will not use the money for good. These conclusions are indeed good ones as we can't give what we don't have and many of those who beg will indeed waste what they are given. This morning, while sitting at home I heard a knock coming from my gate. I hurried to see who it was, it was a young lady who said good morning and asked to speak to my mother. When my mother came to speak to her she began to share her skills with us. She said she could do rope twist, braids, lock hair,cornrows and anything to do with hair. She went on to tell us that she was traveling all the way from Portmore looking for something to do. She told us her prices were as low as $500 to do cornrows depending on the size. At the present moment both my hair and that of my mother'