My Review: "Super Soul Sunday"

My Review: “Super Soul Sunday”

Written by Philessa Hooks Jenkins

Aka Lady PJ

4/21/2014 4:01:30 PM

     There was a time in our not so distant history when the old taught the young; knowledge that was passed down from generation to generation on how to live life.  It amazes me to this day that we’ve lost touch with that very crucial aspect or essence of who we are as a people.

     Our children are now forced to seek that knowledge, good or bad, from “the streets.”  Yet, we wonder why this generation of young adults is so lost; many are now going to prison at an alarming rate for crimes against humanity (drug trafficking, shooting up the neighborhood, breaking into the neighbor’s house, identity theft, and the list goes on…). 

     To me, “Super Soul Sunday” is that much needed show for people who are seeking the joy of living life in its simplest form.  I for one am thrilled that Ms. Oprah Winfrey has decided to do this type of show on her network (OWN channel 189) and I really do encourage you to watch it on Sunday.  I promise you it will enrich and enlighten your soul; plus there’s the possibility that this show will answer some of those questions you have in your head that nobody has been able to answer.

     To me true knowledge is not obtained unless you first seek it because if you obtain knowledge without reason it has no purpose to you; at the moment it has no value.

     It’s my strong belief that Oprah Winfrey’s show “Super Soul Sunday” is at best a starting point for getting back to the basics of life and the essence of who we are as a people in our communities.  I imagine that if you and I take small steps in the right direction we can make big strides towards keeping our children safe, obtaining peace (with self and in our homes), finding and maintaining balance (work and life), and finding that road to happiness that we all eventually look for.  First we must find our truth and learn to make peace with it; in essence we must conquer the monsters in our own closets.  How do we do that you say?  We learn.

     I’m thrilled that Ms. Winfrey is on this personal journey and I can’t wait to see where she takes the show because right now her only choice is to come down off the mountain; if she wants to reconnect with her fans.  I’ll be cheering her on from the sidelines and it’s my hope that you will too.  I just think that anyone that’s willing to teach you how to live life better through peace and harmony with self is pretty damn amazing in my book.  There you have it!  I said it, and I’m an Oprah fan; now the world is truly changing.  I’m so laughing at myself right now.  

#Adyashantis, #LadyPJReview, #LadyPJ

Words Of Wisdom

Words Of wisdom

Written by Philessa Hooks Jenkins

aka Lady PJ

April 19, 2014

If we let fear control our lives, we cease to live.  We choose to kill off parts of ourselves; a slow death.  

If we see only the wrong, we are blind to the good that surrounds us.  Be mindful of all the good things that surround you and learn to appreciate them.

When we live in the world of what ifs, the now slowly ceases to exist.  Instead we reside in a world that we create in our minds, a world of fantasy.

Awareness is the key to change and hope is the door you should walk towards.  Too many times we walk away from the things we want the most.

Today is a new day and you can make your life different by living it differently.  Be aware that your happiness is in your control.

These are words of wisdom by Lady PJ.

#LadyPJ, #wordsofwisdom

Questioning life?

 Questioning life?

Philessa Hooks Jenkins

Aka Lady PJ

Thursday, April 17, 2014

    A friend of mine is going through a very rough time and is questioning her life.  I think at some point we all come to this very unsettling question; we all must think what if we did it different?  My thought to her was to not linger on what cannot be changed. You remember the serenity prayer?  It reads…

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

     Boy, is this an easy thing to say but then we all at some point or another take a look backwards at where we've been.  Unfortunately, the end result is always, "it cannot be changed."  I’ve been doing that myself recently and talking to her really made me realize my mistake. 

     Don't dwell on what you did or did not do because in actuality it doesn't really matter what you didn't do or what you did because it's all in the past.  If you want to change your life then you can only change it in the present, the now. It has taken me a really long time to come to that conclusion.  I know!

     I’m a very reflective person and I like to sit down and think things over before coming to an enlightened conclusion.  I exhaust all other possibilities because the options can sometimes be infinite.  In the end I always try to find a solution that I can live with today as well as tomorrow.  It always fits in with my personality and my character, but I’m not always right.  I’m wise enough to know this and accept it.

     When I want to change something in my life that displeases me, I just change it.  I do what I can and I try not to worry so much about what I cannot do.  There's this saying that, “A steady horse can win the race if he keeps a steady pace."

     Figure out what you want from life and set a course to get there and remember this is your life.  If you don't get to where you want to be in life at least enjoy the ride knowing that you gave your all then in the end that knowledge should give you peace.  I just think that it’s useless to beat yourself up over something you have no control over and no matter how much you go through it the end result will be the same.

     If you too are questioning your life; I’m saying enjoy your present but always plan for your future and find a way to let your past go.  It’s your girl, Lady PJ, saying “much love to all of you and enjoy your weekend by doing something different for a change.” 

    

#questioninglife, #lifelessons, #lifemistakes, #yourpath

Fighter's fight!

Fighter's Fight!

Written by Philessa Hooks Jenkins

AKA Lady PJ

All Rights Reserved

April 08, 2014

   Sometimes pain can hit you so hard and you feel like you can't breathe or you can't make it through one more storm.  I've been there; just ready to give up and something inside me kept on saying "you're a fighter and fighter's fight." You can't have faith and say that, "you believe you can get through anything," if you've never been through nothing.  A friend of mine sings this song “I been through the storm and rain, I don’t want to cry no more,” and so many of us feel this way; so much so that we avoid the storm instead of going through it.

     We always think that life should be easy but what if it's not?  We don't just give up the fight, because our true self is born within the contents of each and every storm.  We're prepared, through the trials and tribulations in our lives, for the biggest storms so that when they hit we make it through.  You can't make it through the biggest storms (the deaths, broken marriages, loss of a limb) if you've been defeated in the hard rains.  

     If you're going through a storm tell yourself right now that I will get through this too because it will pass just like all the storms before it.  It might take time and it may seem like you won’t make it, but have faith and believe that God is protecting you through this whole thing.

     Gods' blessings endure, he has not left you or forsaken you but you have to understand that your life is your own to live; it's your choice.  You can choose to stay where you are right now, in all that hurt, in all that anger, in all that pain, or you can choose to free yourself.  Fighter's fight!

     Much love to you all, as always, I'm your girl Lady PJ.

#fightersfight, #ladypj, #thesimpleessenceofliving

My Journey

My Journey

By Philessa Hooks Jenkins

Aka Lady PJ

4/6/2014 1:07:00 PM

“You cannot change anyone else but you can change your response to them;

the only thing you can really change is you.”

     I started my spiritual journey about five years ago and it took me places that I never thought I’d go; from sadness, to pain, to anger, to joy, to hostility, to peace, and on and on.  What I realized in the process is life will take you through many changes but your ending is ultimately up to you and it’s determined by the way you live your life today. 

     I work every day on self-forgiveness and it’s one of the hardest things for me.  I had to realize that my life has turned out the way it has because of the choices I made; not anyone else (My choices).   I think this was the first step to my healing, realizing the part I played in my life, because it’s a process.  Then I had to turn around and forgive myself for those things that I’ve been blaming myself for unconsciously.  The trick is to realize that you cannot take responsibility for other peoples mistakes; just your own.

If you truly want to fix yourself you have to go through the storm, and every now and then a few hurricanes!   

     How can you change a wrong unless you know what it is?  This is my truth and if I want my life to be better than what it is today I have to stop lying to myself.  I made the decision to work on fixing me and finding my joy again.  It has been a rough battle but I think I’m winning because I’m determined to not fail myself.    

     My name is Philessa Hooks Jenkins and this is my journey, come along!

#LadyPJ, #MyJourney, #thesimpleessenceoflife

Take a mental picture

Take a mental picture

Written by Philessa Hooks Jenkins

Aka Lady PJ

4/3/2014 10:25 PM

    Have you ever just sat outside and listened to the world around you?  I love to listen to the birds, especially when they're talking to each other.  It’s amazing to hear them communicate backwards and forth.  

     I love to look at all the flowers and a time or two I like to just touch the petals but mostly I take in all the bright colors and the smells with intense pleasure.  It's my way of becoming one with all that's around me.  You have to learn to appreciate God’s gift because it keeps on giving day after day.

     I try to accept my scenery as it is and I don't try to change it because then I've taken away its beauty.  My purpose is to capture that beauty and keep it in this place where I can pull it up when I need it the most.  Whenever I feel lost I come back to it and it’s my safe haven, in a crazy kind of way.  It’s like when you get lost in your car; you ride around looking for a familiar place or a sign to direct you.  The same can be true if you get lost mentally and can’t find your way.  In essence you have this mental picture that’s pleasant for which you can draw from.

     When you get to a point in your life where you no longer enjoy the simple every day beauty that surrounds you, just stop!  Take a deep breath and tell yourself that the simple things in life will give you the most joy.  I just have to get to a place to receive it.

     What gets me through my hardest times is the belief that God is watching over me and no matter what happens I can make it through.  If you don't have that hope or that belief eventually you will keep falling and you won't get back up again.  I refuse to stay down and I'm praying that you will live with the same courage.

     Go out into the world and capture some wonderful moments that you can pull on when you need them the most; some times that picture is just your children’s smiles. You don't know how much hope can spring from a simple smile.  

     It's your girl, Lady PJ, saying "much love to you all."

Homeless man shot by police

Homeless man shot by police

Written by Philessa Hooks Jenkins

Aka Lady PJ

Wednesday, April 02, 2014

     Did you watch the clip on the news that showed what happened in Albuquerque New Mexico last month?  The police shot an unarmed, possibly mentally ill, homeless man in the back several times; that’s how the news described him.   …A homeless man.  He wasn’t described as Mr. such and such who is homeless.  He was defined as a homeless man.  Can you just sit with that for a second or two?

     The rebellious side of me was screaming for revenge.  My thoughts went to put them (the police officers) in front of a firing squad and use them as target practice.  Barbaric you say?  You would be right but what’s the difference between that and what these officers did to this man, James Boyd?  They reduced him to less than human and treated him like dog crap on their shoe.  Then in a pitiful effort to cover their back you hear a few of them screaming they saw a knife; a knife compared to a gun.  Wow!

     What infuriates me the most is that nobody made one effort to save Mr. Boyd’s (this human being) life; not one of them.  One simple cease fire would suffice; just one.  They all stood around and allowed the gunfire to continue as this man (who had rights) laid on the ground; not moving, not fighting, not resisting.  He was shot in the back as he laid there on the ground, pleading. 

     The clip even starts off with one of the officers saying that “If we were in a bar or something I could kill you right now.”  Kill You!  His words not mine.  A man is on the ground begging “please don’t hurt me anymore,” only to be shot again.  Then to humiliate and degrade this man further, they released the dog on him.  Thank God it was all caught on tape!

     Wake up America your value as a human being is dwindling away as you sleep and slumber your rights are slowly being snatched away from you.  You should be outraged!  I know I am.  Make the government do their job and uphold the law and if you don’t like the law change it!  But let’s not allow this type of crime committed by Police Officers, which violate our trust by the way, to go unpunished any further.  Stop taking it because it’s not right.  Just because you have a badge doesn’t mean that you have the right to kill.  This is your girl, Lady PJ, saying “Change doesn’t come unless you do something; that move is yours to make America.