Heyyyyy Guyss!! I’m backkkk and I wanted to talk about the current events that have taken place recently. I’m pretty sure you can have a good guess on what the topic is based off the title , but just incase you weren’t sure cause there has been lot of things going on lately we are talking about the Corona Virus outbreak. Since the beginning of March I believe there has been this extremely rapid out spread of this virus known as Corona.

All we know about this virus is that it mimics the symptoms of the Flu, however for those who consider themselves to have a weak immune system like babies and the elderly, this virus can be very harmful and lead to potential death. Not only can it lead to death but its ability to spread is 4x easier then that of the Flu. You see with the Flu it can be passed on to 1 or 2 other people at most but with this new virus it can be passed on to 3-4 people by various different methods. “SOOOO does that mean if I stand near someone who has it I could get it too?” NOOOO ! that’s not how it works and that’s not one of the methods I necessarily mean. What I mean is that you can get it through touch, if someone sneezes on you on or close to you , saliva exchange, or touching someone who has it then putting your hands on yourself like your eyes, mouth, nose, or just overall face in general.

Because of how highly contagious this virus is many other countries including our own have asked all their citizens to be put in a state of “Quarantine”. This means that everyone needs to keep practicing washing their hands and bodies frequently if they go out or come in close contact with others and they also need to take part in the practice of social distancing. Ever since those announcements were made the streets have resembled those of a ghost town ! People are taking so much precaution that no one is really leaving their homes, which is what has lead us to this tragic outcome of pure BOREDOM!!

I don’t know about you but for me this past week has flooded me with the overwhelming feeling of boredom. Nobody wants to be cooped up in the house all day everyday because eventually you get BORED or TIRED of doing the same thing all the time! You know, unless your like an extreme homebody that likes to stay inside on a regular then this issue doesn’t really apply to you…. but for everybody else it does. But one day during my regular “quarantine” type of day I decided that I wasn’t going to let this raging boredom eat at me this entire time we are on lockdown. SOOOO instead I came up with a few ideas of things that I could do to keep me occupied and entertained and I thought why keep it to myself when I could share it with y’all !! I hope these tips are helpful for you guys and that you consider trying them out and I would love to hear how these tips worked out for you guys so don’t be afraid to leave comments down in the comment section!

Tip#1: GO ON FACETIME WITH YOUR FRIENDS OR FAMILY !!

Just because we can’t talk to each other physically doesn’t mean we can’t talk at all… like whattt?!! I’ve been on facetime with my friends a couple times throughout the week and each and with every call we have managed to make each other laugh, teach other dances we’ve seen on Tik Tok, talk about new shows we are watching or good shows we have already watched, and we show off our cooking skills to one another by making countless dishes. With this being said I also want to make it clear that the CALL SHOULD NOT BE DRYYYYY!!!! If y’all aren’t talking and just showing each other’s ceilings please do us all a favor and get off the fucking phone. No one needs to be put through that awkward misery on top of this misery soooo yea onto the next tip!

Tip#2: EXPERIMENT IN THE KITCHEN !!

OKAY I have a confession to make….. I’m not the greatest chef in the world 😦 , but I can dabble a little when it comes to making food. If I were to rate myself I would say I’m at the level of those people that could last 20 minutes in Hell’s Kitchen, but keep in mind guys he is a hot head and it’s damn near 110 degrees already in that kitchen with all those people cooking on the stoves. Sooo heat with more heat…. mmmm someone is bound to get burned and I’d rather not let it be me. But back to the main point, even though I’m not the greatest that hasn’t stopped me from improving my craft in the kitchen! Plus it’s way more fun cooking when you have music blasting in the background. I SWEARRR it feels like a mini concert live in your kitchen, if you don’t believe me try it yourself and let me know how your experience was !

Tip#3: BINGE WATCH MOVIES OR YOUR FAVORITE SHOWS !!

OKAYYYY this tip right here …… THIS. TIP. RIGHT. HEREEEEE!! Hits home for me every time! I honestly don’t need a quarantine to push me to do this it’s just something I love doing one my own regardless and that’s watching movies. I know what you might say ” Bruh sitting at home watching movies all day by yourself sounds boring and depressing…” But lemme tell you, it’s really a blast. Think of it this way you’re in your living room or bedroom either by yourself or with your family, you got bunch of snacks with you cause your gonna get hungry, then you got the lights off or dimmed down low, snuggled in a blanket with a hoodie and some sweat pants, and then you open up the tv to a multitude of options to watch like: comedies, thrillers, actions, dramas, the oldies you name it! Me personally I love my action, oldies, and comedy movies cause I just think they are the best but if I”m not watching movies under any of those genres then I’m most likely watching more episodes of my favorite anime called ” My Hero Academia.” P.S. if you don’t really watch anime or your looking for a new one to watch I HIGHLY recommend this one!

Tip#4: DE-CLUTTER YOUR LIFE AND YOUR SPACE !!

Lemme ask you.. ” Have you been looking to do a deep clean in your room/ home but haven’t been able to find the time or motivation? Well me and my team have the best thing for you… Quarantine time!” HAHAHA no but seriously if your like me you really should consider this because what better time then now. I read online and one of my close friends, Taina, told me that deep cleaning your room or area that you consider YOUR space is honestly great for helping to get rid of things you don’t need in your life or that are simply holding you back. Not only that but you’ll feel like you have a bunch more space and that the air is sooo much fresher. When I deep cleaned my room I thought it was going to be mad work and that I would get discouraged half way through it but to my surprise I didn’t feel that way at all and I think it’s due to that fact that I was blasting music the whole time. Again music and physical labor is literally the greatest combo because the music distracts you from the work your actually doing and it’s just great.

Tip#5: GO ON TIK TOK OR START PUTTING SOME OF YOUR GOALS INTO ACTION !!

DAMNNNN we’re on the last tip alreaddyyy, but I was having so much fun talking to you guys 😦 , but I’m pretty sure you guys are a little tired of me talking so damn much so i’ll try to make this one short. In that case I don’t know if y’all have heard of the app Tik Tok but it’s super fun. There are different challenges and dances and funny videos you could make or watch that others have made and it’s very entertaining. But it can be very time consuming so I’d recommend not spending too much time on it and instead setting aside some time to focus and reflect on yourself and your goals. Like think about the goals you gave set for yourself and that you want to accomplish, now ask yourself where you are in terms of accomplishing them. Have you completed half of them or are half way there to reaching your ultimate goal? Are you one step away? or are you a little far behind? If you’re a little far behind or half way try taking this time to work on those steps so that you can accomplish more of your goals or get closer to achieving it! I promise you’ll feel great afterwards knowing that you did something productive. Sooo as y’all can see I lied about keeping it short haha but I’m done talking for now I hope my tips are helpful and I’ll talk to you guys in my next story BYEEEEEE!!!!

I am a woman of color but more specifically a Black girl, I refer to myself as black and I am also referred to as Black by others. I myself am PROUD to be apart of the Black race and as are many others, but I was sitting back and pondering and I questioned if whether people know what it is to be “Black”. To be honest I feel like nowadays people take being black as having a darker pigmentation and originating from the ancestral background of being African American. Hearing this lowkey gets me upset because it leaves people with the impression that they know what being Black is all about when y’all have barely even made a scratch on the surface to understanding. I’m not saying that having some sort of darker pigmentation isn’t apart of it but it’s not the main reason as well. People often forget that there are pros to being/classifying as black and there are also hardships that come with being considered black as well. In a sense, everyone wants to be black until it’s time to actually be “BLACK”, just like the saying “People want the rhythm but they don’t want the blues.” However, at the end of the day, whether or not you decide to classify as black is your OWN individual decision. If you choose to identify as black then others like me are rocking with you, but at the same time if you choose not to then people should respect your decision, and you yourself should also respect theirs.

OKKAYYYYYYY , now that all that’s been said lets dive into the pros and hardships of being Black! Cause trust me there is a lot to both sides. First lets list the hardships, because we gotta get the bad things out the way first and then get into the good things. One of the major strugges Black people face everyday is discrimination and its many forms. Discrimination against Black people are stereotypes, It is not having the same privilege’s as the common white person, it is having the lack of rights and equality, it is always having to work 10x harder than the next person just to show your worth, it is the constant reminder that you’ll never be good enough or fully respected because of the color of the skin you were blessed with…

EVERYDAY Black people are faced with these different forms of discrimination and sometimes it ends up costing us our lives, BUT what others DON’T see is that each one of these blows is taken and used as the constant fuel igniting our FIRE OF PASSION to KEEP GOING and PUSHING ON! We’ve shown the intensity of our flames through various ways such as our food, our culture, our beauty, and our diversity. Take the lovely Madam CJ Walker , who was the first wealthiest business woman of her time, take the well-known and loved African American actor, Michael B. Jordan, take the Former first lady of the United States, Michelle Obama. But wait ! the greatness doesn’t just reside within our older community, it is FLOODING within the youth as well. Take the famous rapper, Jaden Smith, take the AMAZING young actress, youtuber, and author Skai Jackson, take locally well-known upcoming muse, photographer, model, and one of my close friends Priscilla Tsagli. All these people I mentioned are just a small portion of how much the Black community has been and WILL continue to evolve! NO ONE can ever compare to the drive and motivation Black people have because it’s not something we just came up with it’s something that’s been embedded into us, it’s something we were all born with one way or another.

Astoundingly even though we have the most drive, passion, and motivation we don’t get enough recognition because those who are typically placed on a pedestal or acknowledged for astounding achievements are those with fairer skin. LET IT HAVE BEEN A WHITE PERSON! LET IT HAVE BEEN one of them to become one of the first wealthiest entrepreneurs, ONE OF THEM to become one of the well-known and admired actors and actresses, ONE OF THEM as the former First Lady of the United States, ONE OF THEM as an upcoming local artist….. (**Tuh**) Their names would have already been written into America’s History and praised countless times over and over again in the headlines of each story published by American publishers. Such action has become a common theme because white supremacy has made a large mark in the American lifestyle. This is something that has gone on for years and still goes on today, but DON’T see it as discouragement because as the Black community often does….we ENFORCE CHANGE.

So…. If you identify as Black or consider yourself to be apart of the Black community know that even though there are negatives to being the people that we are the positives outdo them all ! So I say this again IF YOU ARE BLACK ….. stand up tall, push forward, and walk with purpose because you are a star that lights up the night sky and no others can compare to how bright you shine…

The question “Are you enough” is often internally asked by you, but it only appears as a thought when its either based on “Reassessment” or as “Confidence”. At first I didn’t really understand that, but you know how sometimes when you personally experience something and it hits you different compared to when its said? Yeah…. those types of moments are always like a mini wake up call for me, so it was really great to hear from other people that they have been through similar wake up calls regarding that same question.

Obviously I know that not everyone’s situation is going to be the same but you would be surprised how someone who isn’t as relate-able to you and your situation can give you advice or even a perspective you didn’t think would be useful for you. Okay so remember how I said earlier that the ” Are you enough” question can be based off reassessment or confidence well before I explain myself and my thinking I just want to make it clear that this is MY OWN OPINION so I clearly know that not everyone is going to agree with what I’m saying and there is gonna be some people who read all of this and then just instantly forget about it, but that’s okay cause…. its all good! Now that we have gotten that out of the way lemme tell you what happened to me.

So basically, it kind of all started back in middle school when I was finally old enough to process how my family members made me feel about how I was never “enough”. Like at first it started of with baby stuff, like me always trying to do things to impress them and do really well in sports, or like get in good with all my teachers so they could tell my family what a great student I was. However, as I got older the “expectations” became even more aggressive. Like I know that as you grow there are certain things a girl needs to learn but I also feel like there is a better way to go about it!

For example, my family is always on me about learning how to properly cook and clean and be a good wife, etc. and I appreciate this because they want me to be able to be independent but we REALLY GOT A PROBLEM when I can’t make the rice with the bean sauce and the chicken the SAME WAY y’all did after showing me the first time. Like Whatt…..? how does that make any sense ?!, but that’s not even the worst of them all !! The worst is when they make you feel like your decisions about what will make you happy or your decisions in general are just straight out WRONG! Yes family wants the best for you but they DOWN PLAY the idea of what your interested in sooo hard you be like” DAMNNNNN MAAA there’s just no pleasing you !!”

Then sometimes they have the audacity to wanna make themselves the victim when we show that we just don’t care about their criticism anymore and just wanna do our own thing. Like I’m not trying to hurt you or make you feel bad you just need to understand where I’m coming from and instead of dictating my path in life, it’s better to guide me because then we both can come to a medium and still do our jobs for the roles we have.

But let’s get one thing straight, family aren’t the only people who can bring you down to the “Are you enough” question, your friends, your associates, or even sometimes your surroundings can bring you down to that point. You may not think or want to believe that other people can have an affect on you but you need to face the reality, whether you like it or not, that it does.
However just because something gets to you doesn’t mean that you can’t fight it off and prevent yourself from being around that energy or in that same situation again. It’s all based off YOUR will power and YOU wanting to distance yourself from that energy and YOU wanting to bring about your own change that YOU feel is necessary for yourself. We are all a lot stronger than we think to believe but is okay to have struggles or falling points cause they develop who you are as a person and help build your character.

Let me tell y’all something… I’m a passionate, vibrant, big hearted, and ambitious person that wants to leave her mark on the world. Ever since I was young learning more about the world and different communities always fascinated me. I wanted to know more about the world and its diversities within the people and how we can come together to form a community. Sadly…., it took me a WHILE to figure out what path in life was going to be best for me and help me do what I wanna do. My main issue though was that I kept ignoring my inner voice and listening to other people instead of listening to the opinion that really mattered, which was MINE! During my junior year of high school I finally listened to ME and decided that I was going to look into journalism and give writing a try. From there it began…. the rebirth of ME, Marsha.

My stories and the way I right is my way of showing who I am with my words. My goal is that whenever you read one of my stories or engage in one of my topic discussions you feel like we are having a face to face conversation. Nowadays I feel like blogs often feel as if someone is just writing out information that either you choose to read or not, and that’s boring. With me that will NEVER be the case! When you read my blog you’ll feel engaged, you’ll have some laughs, we’ll spill the tea and overall have a good time. I want you to see me as that big sister you can come to and talk about anything with. I want you guys to feel the positive, no judgment, and chill vibes I’m trying to give out. This is a Major Key to me because it lets me know that you guys, as my audience, are fascinated with what I’m doing and what to know more about my work. I can’t build an awesome community if I don’t know about you guys and if you guys don’t know about me. I want my writing to reveal the mixture of personalities within me so that you can see more and more of what I’m about and what I have to offer.

LISTEN when you finish reading my stories I want us to have those petty inside jokes, those LIT ASS group moments and those BIG SIS, LITTLE SIS talks about BOSSIN’ UP and KNOWING YOUR WORTH! Do you know how GOOOOD it feels to talk about something and know your not that one person that’s “trippin'”??, that sees things the way you do, or can relate to the same shit you going through! It makes you feel welcomed and appreciated and not like some outcast that just can’t fit in. I want y’all to know you have a second home that you can come to for anything! I want us to have that ” I GOT YOU, AND YOU GOT ME” type of vibe. So if your someone that’s looking for that then we already have something in COMMON! One of the main reasons why I turned to writing is because I felt like I didn’t have an outlet to where I could go and have my opinions heard, get advice, and BE MYSELF. I now know that a lot of people are looking for that outlet too and its not easy. So stop searching and let’s help each other out!… use my blog as the safe place I use for myself.

You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.

Why do this?

• Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
• Because it will help you focus you own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it.

The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.

To help you get started, here are a few questions:

• Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
• What topics do you think you’ll write about?
• Who would you love to connect with via your blog?
• If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?

You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.

Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.

When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.