Coming from a large family you think that you are surrounded by people that view life as you do
It can be a misconception to believe such things
You try throughout your life to accomplish great things that will open doors to bless them, you sacrifice for them, you think of their benefit more than yours
The times when you are faced with making decisions for you and you alone you feel guilty that they are going to be blessed with the opportunity
As time goes on you start realizing that no one is doing that for you
You start seeing the truth in people's intentions
You see that everyone lives their lives without a care of what's going on with yours
That's when enough is enough
You can't be upset that people don't see what you see because the vision that you have is your own
The day you stop expecting the greatness out of regular people is the day you start focusing on what you need to do for yourself
It comes a time in your life when you are selfish and only concerned for your well-being
It comes a time when you stop sacrificing for everyone else and start sacrificing for yourself
Life is way too short to keep on the path of trying to be this bridge that keeps people together
Because if you do you actually start killing the love and joy that you have within
Family is a blessing for so many reasons but if you aren't careful it can become a hindrance to you and your future
Walking away from what is expected of you is healthy because you are no longer expected to do what is predictable
Stand in the mirror and fall in love with who you are becoming now and shed off that person that you thought you were suppose to be
When people start noticing the new you the respect and appreciation for all that you have done will be more visible
So do things for people when you can not when you feel you have to
Don't sacrifice what you do not have because you can't expect everyone else to do the same for you when the time comes
In the end of all of this you realize that you started the cycle and now it's up to you to break it
Love doesn't change when you decide to stop being the common denominator in the cycle
Stand outside of the circle but don't stand outside of the family
The World Beyond My Eyes
Destiny is what you make it
Friday, January 22, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Book Release Announcement
For Immediate Release
Contact: Shawn Street – Public Relations
pr@publishamerica.com
www.publishamerica.com
PublishAmerica Presents The Decision for Love by Gregory Upson
Frederick, MD November 12, 2009 -- PublishAmerica is proud to present The Decision for Love by Gregory Upson of Lawrenceville, Georgia.
The Decision for Love is a story about Dyson Bekons, a creative writer who falls in love and faces the many challenges that come with a complicated choice to love. The decisions we make to stay or leave haunt us in our future. Dyson experiences those difficult decisions. As a writer he explores different people’s issues and gives them his advice on what to do, but in his own life, the decisions are harder and the consequences even more difficult. In dealing with the issues of family, career and relationship, how are you to know if the decisions you make are the right ones? The Decision for Love touches on all of the many issues we face and what we are left with once we make those difficult decisions.
Born September 18, 1975, and raised in Aiken, South Carolina, Gregory Upson started writing at an early age. At the tender age of eight, poetry was his first claim to fame. He has aspirations of becoming the next E. Lynn Harris or Keith Boykin. Most people think of the things they would like to accomplish in life, but for Gregory Upson, it isn’t something he wants to accomplish - it is merely something he must accomplish.
PublishAmerica is the home of 40,000 talented authors. PublishAmerica is a traditional publishing company whose primary goal is to encourage and promote the works of new, previously undiscovered writers. Like more mainstream publishers, PublishAmerica pays its authors advances and royalties, makes its books available in both the United States and Europe through all bookstores. PublishAmerica offers a distinctly personal, supportive alternative to vanity presses and less accessible publishers.
END
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Sexuality & The World
What is this issue with deep religious people hating on homosexuals?
Why are we always the blunt of a groups anger?
We support the government just like everyone else
We pay taxes like everyone else
We vote just like everyone else
Yet when it comes to having rights like everyone else we are always left holding the short end of the stick
Sitting in my church every Sunday I am reminded about my importance in this world
I am reminded that I am just as important than others
The gospel music industry has several closeted artists and it's sad that they can't live as themselves and still sell records
We are treated like another breed of human but we can't get the same respect as everyone else
If we aren't allowed to live as freely as the rest of the world, then we shouldn't be held to the same standards as others
Marriage is a union between two people that love one another and want to share their love before God, family, and friends
Yet homosexual couples are not allowed to share that special moment in life
It is left up for debate, the government has to rule in our favor so that we can benefit from something as deep as marriage
They say that if homosexuals were allowed to marry it would destroy the sanctity of marriage for heterosexual couples
Looking at the news you see how marriage is something that isn't respected anymore
People marry and divorce left and right as if it's just something to do...a hobby
What would be the difference for us to marry?
How could our love affect the love for others
Watching a documentary on cable in December I saw this woman make a statement that she wasn't against same sex marriage, she was just against the sexual act
What does the act in our bedroom have to do with walking down the aisle and saying "I do"
People want you to wear your sexuality on your sleeve so that they can put you in a box
Then when you want to hide your sexuality, you are considered wrong and deceitful
When will the world start embracing people for being people?
Why are we subjected to such judgement and ridicule?
One day I believe that the people will stand up for what they believe in and things will change for the better and not for what is expected
When we start focusing on our own backyard, we will have less time to measure the length of grass in others
Why are we always the blunt of a groups anger?
We support the government just like everyone else
We pay taxes like everyone else
We vote just like everyone else
Yet when it comes to having rights like everyone else we are always left holding the short end of the stick
Sitting in my church every Sunday I am reminded about my importance in this world
I am reminded that I am just as important than others
The gospel music industry has several closeted artists and it's sad that they can't live as themselves and still sell records
We are treated like another breed of human but we can't get the same respect as everyone else
If we aren't allowed to live as freely as the rest of the world, then we shouldn't be held to the same standards as others
Marriage is a union between two people that love one another and want to share their love before God, family, and friends
Yet homosexual couples are not allowed to share that special moment in life
It is left up for debate, the government has to rule in our favor so that we can benefit from something as deep as marriage
They say that if homosexuals were allowed to marry it would destroy the sanctity of marriage for heterosexual couples
Looking at the news you see how marriage is something that isn't respected anymore
People marry and divorce left and right as if it's just something to do...a hobby
What would be the difference for us to marry?
How could our love affect the love for others
Watching a documentary on cable in December I saw this woman make a statement that she wasn't against same sex marriage, she was just against the sexual act
What does the act in our bedroom have to do with walking down the aisle and saying "I do"
People want you to wear your sexuality on your sleeve so that they can put you in a box
Then when you want to hide your sexuality, you are considered wrong and deceitful
When will the world start embracing people for being people?
Why are we subjected to such judgement and ridicule?
One day I believe that the people will stand up for what they believe in and things will change for the better and not for what is expected
When we start focusing on our own backyard, we will have less time to measure the length of grass in others
Saturday, January 16, 2010
True Intentions
I find myself pondering the idea of people being has genuine as they claim to be
Some times people enter your life and tell you all of the good things about their personality
Is it our fault that we fall for it without question?
Is it just human nature to take people at their word?
What do you do when you suspect the intentions of others?
Is it best to let sleeping dogs rest?
Should you shake things up or should you let things just play themselves out?
When introduced to this issue, what is the right approach?
I pride myself in being able to read people
I have had much success in knowing what someone is truly all about
I have ended many friendships and relationships from unsettling vibes of others
Having friends is a very important part of life, but it is so hard to trust
People want you all for themselves and aren't willing to share
People tend to envy you and then want what you have
Those type of people are dangerous because some times the envy turns into hate, then they want you out of the way completely
In relationships people work on the part of your heart that longs for love
Those kind of people feed off of those feelings and lead you to walk a path different from the one that you have set for yourself
I never knew what it meant when I saw people change right before my eyes as soon as they got into a relationship until I experienced it first hand
You never know what you're doing at the time because you are in the thick of it
The truth stands there right before you, but those blinders are so hard to remove
You fight yourself more and more as everything and everyone around you starts to change
At first you blame them, after that you blame yourself, but you never blame the one responsible
Knowing yourself and not fooling yourself in fairy tales is one sure fire way to know when someone is playing you for a fool
Not being naive will protect you from those parasites that feed off of good people
I don't believe in not trusting people, but I do believe that you should always keep both eyes open
Look for signs, listen for inadequate stories, watch other people when they are around this person to see how they respond to their presence
Being on your toes isn't a sign of fear and distrust, it's a sign of someone that has learned from the past and has grown as a person
Some times people enter your life and tell you all of the good things about their personality
Is it our fault that we fall for it without question?
Is it just human nature to take people at their word?
What do you do when you suspect the intentions of others?
Is it best to let sleeping dogs rest?
Should you shake things up or should you let things just play themselves out?
When introduced to this issue, what is the right approach?
I pride myself in being able to read people
I have had much success in knowing what someone is truly all about
I have ended many friendships and relationships from unsettling vibes of others
Having friends is a very important part of life, but it is so hard to trust
People want you all for themselves and aren't willing to share
People tend to envy you and then want what you have
Those type of people are dangerous because some times the envy turns into hate, then they want you out of the way completely
In relationships people work on the part of your heart that longs for love
Those kind of people feed off of those feelings and lead you to walk a path different from the one that you have set for yourself
I never knew what it meant when I saw people change right before my eyes as soon as they got into a relationship until I experienced it first hand
You never know what you're doing at the time because you are in the thick of it
The truth stands there right before you, but those blinders are so hard to remove
You fight yourself more and more as everything and everyone around you starts to change
At first you blame them, after that you blame yourself, but you never blame the one responsible
Knowing yourself and not fooling yourself in fairy tales is one sure fire way to know when someone is playing you for a fool
Not being naive will protect you from those parasites that feed off of good people
I don't believe in not trusting people, but I do believe that you should always keep both eyes open
Look for signs, listen for inadequate stories, watch other people when they are around this person to see how they respond to their presence
Being on your toes isn't a sign of fear and distrust, it's a sign of someone that has learned from the past and has grown as a person
Why Can't I Find Mr. Right?
This question was sent to me by someone that I will leave anonymous. My response to the question is this:
We tend to do this search to find a partner
We look and compare, we question and put to the test
The thing that we don't stop to do is ask ourselves are we ready for love
We meet so many people and we tell ourselves that we cannot find the right one
We become so caught up with the search and the chase that we loose sight on the importance of being alone for awhile
Some times it's best to be alone to appreciate yourself more
When you take that time to yourself, you figure out the things about you that need improving, that need more attention, and you then realize how great of a person you are
If you don't know your self worth, it's impossible to find someone that can see it
We tend to sit in a group spitting about the bad people out there
We put all men and women in the same category
We talk about the games that people play
We talk about the tiresome search and the disappointing results
It never dawns on us that we are doing the same thing that the rest of the world is doing
We are making excuses on why we are alone
We are blaming our loneliness on the world and not taking accountability for our actions
We meet good people and then we dissect them
They don't make enough money, they don't drive an expensive car, they don't look like models, they don't have star quality talents, etc.
Since when has there been perfect people?
When did we all get so wonderful that GOD has to drop the perfect person into our laps?
What happened to looking for the inside of people?
Why can't you fall in love with a gentlemen that works at Burger King, drives a beat down 92 Camry, lives in a modest residence, and makes a modest salary?
The thing about reaching above your means is that you may meet people that feel like they are slumming by choosing you
Some of us achieve so much in life that we separate ourselves from reality
We start feeling like we're better than everyone else
We start feeling like we don't need to work that hard to get someone
We start finding ourselves getting bored quickly because people can't keep our interests
Most of the people that are caught up in their physical makeup only want people that look like them
Most people that are caught up with how much money they make only want people that make equal or more than them
Most people that drive fancy cars will only date someone that has an equally fancy car
Most people that live in large extravagant homes only look for people that have homes equally extravagant
Then there are people that have all of the above and don't want to be with anyone that could reach that level
Stop being so picky!
Stop being so judgemental!
Stop putting people down just because they don't match up to this picture in your head!
Start talking to that nice guy at the bus stop, because you never know where his future is taking him
That guy taking your order at Burger King could love you stronger than anyone you could ever know
That guy putting water in his broken down 92 Camry could make an amazing father, provider, and lover
It's when we stop raising the bar so high, we start looking in the eyes of others and not over their heads
We tend to do this search to find a partner
We look and compare, we question and put to the test
The thing that we don't stop to do is ask ourselves are we ready for love
We meet so many people and we tell ourselves that we cannot find the right one
We become so caught up with the search and the chase that we loose sight on the importance of being alone for awhile
Some times it's best to be alone to appreciate yourself more
When you take that time to yourself, you figure out the things about you that need improving, that need more attention, and you then realize how great of a person you are
If you don't know your self worth, it's impossible to find someone that can see it
We tend to sit in a group spitting about the bad people out there
We put all men and women in the same category
We talk about the games that people play
We talk about the tiresome search and the disappointing results
It never dawns on us that we are doing the same thing that the rest of the world is doing
We are making excuses on why we are alone
We are blaming our loneliness on the world and not taking accountability for our actions
We meet good people and then we dissect them
They don't make enough money, they don't drive an expensive car, they don't look like models, they don't have star quality talents, etc.
Since when has there been perfect people?
When did we all get so wonderful that GOD has to drop the perfect person into our laps?
What happened to looking for the inside of people?
Why can't you fall in love with a gentlemen that works at Burger King, drives a beat down 92 Camry, lives in a modest residence, and makes a modest salary?
The thing about reaching above your means is that you may meet people that feel like they are slumming by choosing you
Some of us achieve so much in life that we separate ourselves from reality
We start feeling like we're better than everyone else
We start feeling like we don't need to work that hard to get someone
We start finding ourselves getting bored quickly because people can't keep our interests
Most of the people that are caught up in their physical makeup only want people that look like them
Most people that are caught up with how much money they make only want people that make equal or more than them
Most people that drive fancy cars will only date someone that has an equally fancy car
Most people that live in large extravagant homes only look for people that have homes equally extravagant
Then there are people that have all of the above and don't want to be with anyone that could reach that level
Stop being so picky!
Stop being so judgemental!
Stop putting people down just because they don't match up to this picture in your head!
Start talking to that nice guy at the bus stop, because you never know where his future is taking him
That guy taking your order at Burger King could love you stronger than anyone you could ever know
That guy putting water in his broken down 92 Camry could make an amazing father, provider, and lover
It's when we stop raising the bar so high, we start looking in the eyes of others and not over their heads
Friday, January 15, 2010
If Not For Trust
What would love be without the main key to a successful relationship?
How could you totally open your heart and mind to someone without this factor?
Would there be a future for any of us if we didn't know the meaning of the word?
When we decide to tell someone something very important to us, would we do it freely without this feeling?
Would there be a label like, best-friend, lover, my boo, my comfordant, my cherished one?
How would this world function without it?
How could we raise our children without it?
Yet so many of us go through life never giving it to anyone and then never being fit for it to represent you as a person.
The chaos that would ensue if this feeling did not exsist and we did not know the meaning of it.
War would be unavoidable across the world if not for this one feeling that so many of us take for granted.
Could we even love ourselves without this?
Could we tell anyone who we really are if we really didn't know?
The next time you have a conversation and you know what you are about to tell this individual is a matter that should remain between the two of you, ask yourself, "Is this person trustworthy?"
Then when someone comes to you to share something that is very serious to their heart, ask yourself, "Can they trust me with this information?"
The world is dark, and there is so much to cry for. We experience pain everyday and we find ourselves falling deeper and deeper into darkness. Think for a moment...if not for trust would this world still function?
We all have trust that something greater is in store for us all or we would totally fall a part and loose all hope for a better tomorrow.
If you agree with this, then take it and really apply it to your everyday. Make yourself so trustworthy that it improves not only your life, but the lives of those around you. For if not for trust where in the hell would we be?
How could you totally open your heart and mind to someone without this factor?
Would there be a future for any of us if we didn't know the meaning of the word?
When we decide to tell someone something very important to us, would we do it freely without this feeling?
Would there be a label like, best-friend, lover, my boo, my comfordant, my cherished one?
How would this world function without it?
How could we raise our children without it?
Yet so many of us go through life never giving it to anyone and then never being fit for it to represent you as a person.
The chaos that would ensue if this feeling did not exsist and we did not know the meaning of it.
War would be unavoidable across the world if not for this one feeling that so many of us take for granted.
Could we even love ourselves without this?
Could we tell anyone who we really are if we really didn't know?
The next time you have a conversation and you know what you are about to tell this individual is a matter that should remain between the two of you, ask yourself, "Is this person trustworthy?"
Then when someone comes to you to share something that is very serious to their heart, ask yourself, "Can they trust me with this information?"
The world is dark, and there is so much to cry for. We experience pain everyday and we find ourselves falling deeper and deeper into darkness. Think for a moment...if not for trust would this world still function?
We all have trust that something greater is in store for us all or we would totally fall a part and loose all hope for a better tomorrow.
If you agree with this, then take it and really apply it to your everyday. Make yourself so trustworthy that it improves not only your life, but the lives of those around you. For if not for trust where in the hell would we be?
To My Brother
We discuss relationships all of the time and we talk about where we came from and where we are now
There is something in you that fears reaching the surface
I feel like your life has been one fight after another and now the fear of being hurt is stronger than the knowing that you deserve the best out of life
You are a very successful artist with the ability to create beauty out of darkness
To settle for less than you deserve is pointless and unacceptable
I believe in you and I know that you have this light inside that is ready to burst through your chest
The world is ready for the artist and talent that you are
Falling in love after all the pain is not easy, but when you find the right one it shouldn't be difficult at all
You have been blessed with another chance to live and love the way you deserve and you are fighting it
Shed the past and embrace this newly formed vision of perfection that I see
Wash away the negativity that you are use to and grab on to the positive light that surrounds your future
There have been obstacles in your way before and you have managed to survive them
This is no different and it means more when you succeed at something you fight for
Things that we get in life easily are useless in our future
You have more to you than you ever will know, but the first step to finding out is to stop looking at yourself through the eyes of those that didn't appreciate you
Start loving yourself and only yourself so that the love you selfishly bath in will find it's way to the one that can appreciate it and give it back to you
There is something in you that fears reaching the surface
I feel like your life has been one fight after another and now the fear of being hurt is stronger than the knowing that you deserve the best out of life
You are a very successful artist with the ability to create beauty out of darkness
To settle for less than you deserve is pointless and unacceptable
I believe in you and I know that you have this light inside that is ready to burst through your chest
The world is ready for the artist and talent that you are
Falling in love after all the pain is not easy, but when you find the right one it shouldn't be difficult at all
You have been blessed with another chance to live and love the way you deserve and you are fighting it
Shed the past and embrace this newly formed vision of perfection that I see
Wash away the negativity that you are use to and grab on to the positive light that surrounds your future
There have been obstacles in your way before and you have managed to survive them
This is no different and it means more when you succeed at something you fight for
Things that we get in life easily are useless in our future
You have more to you than you ever will know, but the first step to finding out is to stop looking at yourself through the eyes of those that didn't appreciate you
Start loving yourself and only yourself so that the love you selfishly bath in will find it's way to the one that can appreciate it and give it back to you
My Decision For Love
After an experience of the death of a partner, one starts to doubt their desire to want to go down that path of love again. I forgot about the happiness I felt getting to know someone new, sharing new experiences, and wanting to give them my heart totally.
I fought the idea for as long as my heart would allow me. One day this man crept into my life and into my heart without me realizing he was even there. We started talking about future plans, our likes and dislikes, and before we knew it we were uttering the words, "I love you".
Me surviving a tragic death of a lover and an 8 year relationship and him surviving the divorce of a marriage that he fought so hard to maintain. He walked away from children and years of struggle.
At the moment we fell in love, those decisions didn't seem to be present or even relevant to us until the dust settled and the truth started to show. We were secretly trying to move on with our lives even though our past wasn't a closed chapter. I feared that the pain would consume us but we rose against the odds and remain strong in love.
It is a relationship of strength, understanding, companionship, teamwork, unconditional love, and unconditional faith in one another.
With a man like this, I don't regret my decision for love, I welcome the possibilities!
I fought the idea for as long as my heart would allow me. One day this man crept into my life and into my heart without me realizing he was even there. We started talking about future plans, our likes and dislikes, and before we knew it we were uttering the words, "I love you".
Me surviving a tragic death of a lover and an 8 year relationship and him surviving the divorce of a marriage that he fought so hard to maintain. He walked away from children and years of struggle.
At the moment we fell in love, those decisions didn't seem to be present or even relevant to us until the dust settled and the truth started to show. We were secretly trying to move on with our lives even though our past wasn't a closed chapter. I feared that the pain would consume us but we rose against the odds and remain strong in love.
It is a relationship of strength, understanding, companionship, teamwork, unconditional love, and unconditional faith in one another.
With a man like this, I don't regret my decision for love, I welcome the possibilities!
This New Year
I started planning this long list of things to say I will do this new year, but I decided to stop in mid listing. It occurred to me that people do this resolution crap all the time and rarely stick with it. I am not above being one of those people.
Since I can remember, I have planned so much ahead for myself and then find myself becoming overwhelmed with the expectations that are way too high to reach.
Virgos are known to be their worse critic and I am that plus 10. I want so much out of my life that I find myself becoming bored with things that I should be content with.
I've caught myself telling people that I was just bored with things or with them. It never really made any sense to me because I felt I wasn't the type of person to get caught up into myself like that.
Once you remove the mask you see yourself for who you really are. At times it can hurt and be too much to take in, but believe me when I say that it is worth it. Once I saw me for me I started to appreciate things better, and I realized how short life is.
So no more New Year resolutions for me. I can still plan out what I want to accomplish but I will make a plan that won't have me feeling unfulfilled. It's best to plan a small goal here and there, then once you have the rhythm down you can then reach a little higher, and a little higher.
Since I can remember, I have planned so much ahead for myself and then find myself becoming overwhelmed with the expectations that are way too high to reach.
Virgos are known to be their worse critic and I am that plus 10. I want so much out of my life that I find myself becoming bored with things that I should be content with.
I've caught myself telling people that I was just bored with things or with them. It never really made any sense to me because I felt I wasn't the type of person to get caught up into myself like that.
Once you remove the mask you see yourself for who you really are. At times it can hurt and be too much to take in, but believe me when I say that it is worth it. Once I saw me for me I started to appreciate things better, and I realized how short life is.
So no more New Year resolutions for me. I can still plan out what I want to accomplish but I will make a plan that won't have me feeling unfulfilled. It's best to plan a small goal here and there, then once you have the rhythm down you can then reach a little higher, and a little higher.
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