Answered Prayers...

Do you have faith and trust that your prayers will be answered instead of impatiently waiting, wishing for a quicker response?

Prayers can be as grand as the person praying envisions them to be or as grave as the person praying make them out to be. But what's the point in praying if you have no faith behind that prayer or trust that it will be answered in the best interest of all parties involved. Yesterday in Sunday school, we were basically reminded that all prayers are answered but it just may not be the answer that we want to hear. Our teacher basically said there is 1 of 3 answers that you will receive; an immediate YES, an immediate NO, and a WAIT. That made so much sense and often time we as humans forget that just because we thought it was a good WANT doesn't mean it was an immediate NEED or if it is needed at all. God provides what we need and knows before hand what we need because our lives have been predestined.

I am far from a preacher so let me move on. 

I know it's been a minute since I have blogged so excuse me if my thoughts are all over the place because that's exactly how I feel right now, a straight up scatter brain. So much is going on, I eliminated a title from my resume yet and still my plate is still full. And again I won't complain because at least I AM ABLE to perform. 
Exciting news, 'Love Drug' has been approved for purchasing through iBook (apple) and Nook (Barnes and Noble). After going through the entire process of self publishing I realized just how every little detail counts. It was a long tedious process for the book to be approved to be distributed to those two outlets but alas I made it. On to other exciting news, the sequel to 'Love Drug' is finally available. Proofreading, proofreading, proofreading... "Lord have mercy on my fingers and my eye balls." Lol... 'Mo Better' has become available on Amazon.com and Lulu.com for ebook, and Createspace.com for a hard copy. Keep in mind that purchasing from Createspace.com the purchaser has to pay for shipping and handling. If you live in the Little Rock area, the copies that were purchased by me will be here on April 29th. Please leave a comment or hit me up on facebook, twitter, instagram, wattpad, and the list just keeps on ticking. Either me or my manager, A. Harris will gladly point you in the direction you wish to go. A blog with pictures and links will be coming soon. Thanks in advance for the support!!!

Much Love ~Nika~

Epiphany or Revelation...

Epiphany - (1) : a usually sudden manifestation or perception of the essential nature or meaning of something (2) : an intuitive grasp of reality through something (as an event) usually simple and striking (3) : an illuminating discovery, realization, or disclosure
Revelation - (1) a : an act of revealing or communicating divine truth
b : something that is revealed by God to humans
(2) a : an act of revealing to view or making known
b : something that is revealed; especially : an enlightening or astonishing disclosure 

Everyone has had those moments where it feels like a light bulb has went off in your head like the cartoons and it's always when either they are trying to think of a way to get out of something or to get something they want. 

Well all to often I have these epiphany moments where I get a little clarity on issues of the heart. I have a habit of letting things bother me until I dang near crack. Is it healthy or wise to do that? Probably not but the truth of the matter is that I do too much and don't think I don't hear about it from my better half. My DH is the voice of reason when I try to argue with the inevitable. He can be that light switch that preps the actual light bulb to light up. Ok, that may sound crazy to some and I will try my best to explain my analogy. The light switch is flipped, electrical currents flow to deliver a signal, and 'BING' the light bulb shines bright. Sometimes I tend to read too much into certain situations when the answer is quite simple. I wish I didn't do that but the fact remains, it is what it is because I do tend to over-analyze things. Often times we want to find a solution that will benefit everyone but as I have stated before that's not always possible. The only thing I am positive about is that the person that always tries to find the silver lining in a never ending drama situation with issues pulling from every angle is that they will be the ones burned in the end. Left with a bitter taste, a worn out spirit, and physically burnt are the only outcomes that is predestined. 

I was determined never to go back to the complainer that I once was. Recent stressful situations have really tried to test that theory unfortunately. Needless to say my voice of reason was not going to let me fall for that trap and after having a tête-à-tête with the voice, I had to pray for guidance cause I was beyond conflicted. Me personally I'm the type that will wait for a response before I do or at least I try my best to wait it out. To say I didn't have to wait long would be an understatement, the light bulb went off in my head so quick it made me stumble a bit. 

My epiphany moment was when I realized that I am not Superwoman and I can't change or improve everything. Just because I was asked to do something does not mean that I'm obligated to do it. It's okay to say 'no thank you' or 'not this time', it's okay to disappoint some people. They will get over it and if they don't than two peas in a bucket, that's between them and their conscience. Boo-hoo everybody is not always going to be happy with you point-blank-period. 

The revelation came with a solution that should appease my hungry soul, compromise with my creative spirit, and settle my overactive nerves. Will outsiders agree? Probably not but who's problem is that really? That's my story and I'm sticking to it. 

MUCH LOVE ~Nika~

Adjusting...

Adjust - 

1. To change so as to match or fit; cause to correspond.

2. To bring into proper relationship.

3. To adapt or conform, as to new conditions: "unable to adjust themselves to their environment" (Karl A. Menninger). See Synonyms at adapt.

Adjusting or adapting to a new feeling, surrounding, situation, etc. can be quite taxing if you are not prepared properly. It's almost like a badly cooked meal if it's not properly prepped. The results can be devastating if you are not an adaptable type of person. By that I mean if you don't adjust well to changes whether they were sudden or purposely. Oftentimes unavoidable surprises and dilemma's present themselves at the most inappropriate time. Those times when an unexpected expense comes up when you already have limited funds, some choose to freak out while others choose to take it as life's unexpected hurdles and just cross it. After all what does stressing about a situation really get a person. Oh yeah I know, a shorter life span, wrinkles, high blood pressure, acne, headaches, and the list could go on forever. What's the point in that?! 

How can one really prepare for LIFE? Is it possible to be prepared for every mishap or hiccup that can occur to throw a person off their path?

My answer is simple, I don't have a freaking clue because I honestly feel I am never properly prepared. I am prepared in certain aspects but mainly I prefer short term goals. Of course I have long term goals too but long term seems so far away. LOL... OK seriously though, life is too short to stress over what is to come. That attitude seems to work out better for me personally. My answer to the second question is, in my opinion no one can ever be prepared for everything. One can try but surprises always pop up when you least expect it. It's like a reality check that things change every day. Just when you think things are going good and you are moving on up like the Jefferson's, some unexpected burden shows it's ugly head to knock you down a few notches. The most important thing is that once you're knocked down is that you get back up. The worst thing that one can do is let whatever the problem is keep them down and do nothing to remedy the problem. 

Life is an upward battle, you gotta put in the proper effort in order to continue to fight through the obstacles thrown in the way. 

Be Blessed folks... I'm a work in progress, what about you? 

Deuces ~Nika~ 

Conflict Vs. Compromise

Conflict -
A serious disagreement or argument, typically a protracted one: "the eternal conflict between the sexes".

Compromise -
An agreement or a settlement of a dispute that is reached by each side making concessions.

Often times things or situations become played out like eight tracks. I know that's a very cliche saying but it's true more times than not. So what are we to do about the played out or outdated things? Well the smart thing to do would be to change the order, the outcome, or who is involved. Basically the keyword would be change. Everyday people young and old complain about this or complain about that. I must admit I was once a guilty participant in the pity city committee. The pity city committee is pretty much self explanatory. Something goes wrong and instead of taking the blame for my part in the messed up situation, I find what else was wrong and throw the focus there. All while relishing in the pity given from outsiders telling me it's gonna be alright or better yet the pity I consumed myself in. You know the saying, "Wallowing in self-pity." It took years to come to the conclusion that nothing was ever going to be alright unless I first figured out what the problem was, prayed for guidance to solve the problem, and then proceed to come up with solutions to fix the problem even if that required removing myself from the equation entirely. So the question of today is, DUN DUN DUNNNNNN.....

Why produce or deal with conflict when the obvious answer is to propose a compromise?

Now if that doesn't work then it's obvious that everybody doesn't have good intentions towards problem solving. What is so wrong with things changing especially for the good? Good changes promote healthy growth. Everybody is not out to kill, steal, and destroy. Only one entity has the ability to do something so heartless because that's his entire goal. It's known that some people are set in their ways and absolutely despise change but my main question is WHY? These people don't want to try anything new whether its food, songs, dances, adventures, and that list could go on forever. That just sounds plain dang BORING. Who wants to live like that? Certainly not me...

As I've stated in previous blogs my complaint-o-meter is out of service and I've officially moved out of pity city. If its something that's bothering me I'm in the business of figuring out what can be done about it to make it better and should I remove myself completely to avoid further strain. Compromising to appease those who dislike change is where most parties of conflict end up because nine times out of ten somebody if not everybody involved may not have any intentions on budging. It sucks huge ones but the fact remains is that it happens.

As the slogan for my church goes, "Change is free" but to add on to that statement that already speaks volumes, "How much does conflict and never ending drama cost?" If you dig a little deeper or better yet dig way below the surface area, you could possibly see that those negatives can cost you the important things in life. Friends, family, job, money, and most importantly respect. 

That is all for today folks. Of course I will be back soon with some other thoughts but I feel it's inappropriate to connect the thoughts of the two subject matters that's on my mind today. To all who stay up on current events of Literary Essence will be thoroughly entertained, well everybody that's open-minded will enjoy. On that note, I'LL HOLLA!!!

Much Love ~Nika~

New Chapter...

Today will bookmark a new chapter for me in my own personal book of life. On a previous blog I wrote about making changes in your life to attain the goals you set. Well something to that affect. Basically I wrote about things that you don't like and if you have to complain about them all the time then maybe the changes lie within you. Regardless that was the jest of the entire blog. And truly that is the walk of life I want to remain on from this day forward. A lot of things in my life were just mediocre. I was so bored out of my mind with mediocre and just living life from day to day with no expectations. OK that's not entirely true, I had expectations and high ones I might add. But I finally stopped looking and thinking about what I wanted out of life and decided to start making things happen to better my situation so that one day I don't have to just envision what I want to do or where I want to go. Instead, I can "JUST DO IT!"

I like that slogan a lot. I wish I would have thought of it first. LOL

What are your goals in life? What do you want to accomplish before that great day of judgement? Are you taking the necessary steps to surpass them, not just reach them?

One of the main questions I asked myself one day was; "Would my kids be proud of my accomplishments when they are older and look back?" At the time my answer was HECK NO! Mainly because I haven't done anything for ME to be proud of MYSELF. Duh Kanika, Really? (Yes I did just speak to myself in third person, don't act like y'all have never done it...lol) If you can't be proud of yourself then how on Earth can you expect others to be. Same as loving yourself in my book, some may disagree but eh to each his/her own opinion. I know some people may think the goals I have set for myself at this current moment will fail and that's cool. It's not like this is the first time I have ever been told, "I don't think you can do that or I don't think that's such a good idea." Honestly in the past that has been my stopping point. I would speak into the atmosphere for others to hear what my plans were and it would get shot down like the ducks on the Nintendo game Duck Hunt. POW! I was instantly defeated. I always let others opinions on my life dictate how I lived.

Thank God I grew out of that stage of my life. The grown up Kanika doesn't need a pat on the back, encouraging words, a pep talk, or approval from anyone but the maker himself. When he gives me those signs that keep adding up no matter how many times I blow them off as being maybe just a coincidence. He doesn't and hasn't given up on me so I figured it was time to get up off my butt and do what he has been showing me all this time. Sure it's gonna be hard at first, nothing is ever easy and if it is then it probably ain't right. As long as I keep the faith and stay prayed up, all of my endeavors will prosper. That word is bond for sure. Alrighty good people that's my testimony for today and how I'm feeling. Much Love...

HOW YOU DOING?! ~Nika~

Is it really that serious???

Negativity - Lacking positive or constructive features, especially:

a. Unpleasant; disagreeable

b. Gloomy; pessimistic

c. Unfavorable or detrimental

d. Hostile or disparaging; malicious

As most of the readers know, I run around most of the time like a chicken with it's head cut off seriously. I'm not complaining because I actually feel like I have self-worth when I keep busy. That may be weird to some then again somebody may feel the same way but that may not be the word they would use. Well during one of my many activities that I participate in, this particular activity is normally playful yet serious enough that ultimately ends with a productive outcome. This time it was like a dark cloud descended upon the activity. <SIGHS LOUDLY> I have noticed when things are playful and relaxed instead of tense and stressed more work gets done. And the bonus is everyone has a good time while they work, it's a win-win situation really.

The question of the day is:

Why is it so hard for some people to be happy and embrace change? Especially if it's positive? 

I mean I don't get it... OK, I take that back, I do get up but dang. Everything is not meant to be filled with garbage truck juice and the world don't revolve around you. It's like they give themselves a speech before they enter into drama-free zone saying, "If I'm miserable everybody gonna be miserable!" It's really not that serious. If you don't like something don't participate, if you dislike the people that are going to be there then don't come, and lastly if everything around you pisses you off then you may be the cause of your own pistivity. (Yup I sure did slap that made up word in there. LOL) But seriously if everything around you breaks from your touch than your touch is too dang rough and you might need to evaluate that issue. It's like an elephant in a china shop, he is gonna wreck the shop, literally. So if you know your mood sucks why inflict that negative mood on others. Disturbing the atmosphere is just wrong!

Then you have the folks that wish bad things to happen because things didn't go their way. Wow, really is it that serious? Then when things look a little bleak you wait for the gossip mill to start up, just so you can so "I told y'all that was gonna happen." Since my not complaining anymore blog a couple weeks ago, I decided I'm done worrying about others. And furthermore since I don't like the way some people act, I affirm that I will always find the positive in a negative situation even if I'm surrounded by negative people. I'm done walking around upset on the verge of straight click-mode. I control my anger, no one else. I will not give the miserable my company, I'm too blessed to let the ignorant stress me. As long as I put my best foot forward the rest of the nonsense can kick bricks and that's putting it mildly.

The crazy part is that I started this post on Friday and obviously it wasn't meant for me to post it then because the weekend just kept getting more and more interesting by the second. Obstacles in the disguise people were thrown every which-a-way but the right way. So it gave me ammo to add more. Well deuces good people. Until next time...

Much Love ~Nika~

"HOLD UP, I KNOW SHE DIDN'T..."

Some people probably didn't get that right off the bat when they read the title but for those of you who immediately started talking in the Sha-Nay-Nay voice... DING DING you get a cookie cause that's exactly what voice was in my head when I started typing. LOL

Chiefs and/or Indians???



In the last two weeks I have heard the saying "It's too many Chiefs and not enough Indians" entirely TOO many times. My question is, who is the deciding factor of who is the leader and who is the followers? The main mouths that throw this statement out are ones who want to be the leader but also quote in the same breath "but I don't want to be in charge but I will be to make things better." HUH??? Is it necessary to not  participate in activities because everything is not going according to your plan? Is it plausible to say in one breath "Things need to change," but in the next, "I don't like THOSE changes"? True, everyone is entitled to their opinion, votes should be cast, and every one's thoughts should be taken into consideration. And if "Majority Rules" not in your favor then applaud for the cause and let's get moving with a positive not negative mindset. 

Why are human beings so dang power hungry? Everything is a competition, for what? What's the prize? Is there a prize? I don't get it. Conflict that causes others within an organization to draw straws or take sides is not healthy. Compromise, team-work, and communication skills to achieve a greater goal is the only way to get things done decent and in order. Imagine the great things that could be accomplished if more people worked together than dividing and attempting to conquer causing unnecessary confusion and conflict.

In order to get away from a lot of power struggles I have chosen to step out of titles in the past. Some of that may have stemmed from lacking in confidence within myself as well or just not wanting to do it from the get go. Today the titles that I hold, I hold them with my head held high and choosing not to feel bad because it's not like I sought out those positions, I was voted or promoted. Honestly I was a little leery of them at first letting that self-doubt creep in and scare the bejesus out of me. Making me afraid of criticism from others but today I say, "NO MORE!" I will not let the opinions and ugly statements of others dictate how I handle what I was called to do.

I remember one sermon that my pastor preached stating that everyone is not destined to lead. Just because you think you could do this, that, and the other better than somebody else does not mean that's what you are supposed to do. Sure enough you may be good at that particular thing but does that mean you're supposed to lead others in doing it or are you supposed to help by passing on your certain expertise? Also everybody isn't destined to be followers, a prince of a kingdom must lead one day when the king passes the torch. It's pre-destined. We all have a calling to do something, why not be happy in that and push on? Like my pastor once stated, 

"Did your blessing pass you by because you were too busy worrying about what somebody else is doing?"

Alright that is all folks, back to your regularly scheduled program... That was weighing heavy on me and I decided to let that beast free. I figured why not share this with everyone. Someone may be going through the same thing at the moment.

Much Love ~Nika~