Category Archives: Open Mind!

Human Rights

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Abortion has been a controversial issue for decades and long before anyone had heard about Roe. Since June 24, 2022, when Roe vs Wade was overturned, abortion has become an even more heated topic. The views and beliefs of people around the world are plentiful and remain extremely controversial. I understand some of these views fall in line with religious beliefs, which is their right and no one can alter their beliefs. Row vs Wade was a ruling made almost 50 years ago in January of 1973, during a time before things were more progressive. In the past, nearly 50 years have we progressed at all? Are we trying to evolve or are we only consistently devolving?

I am very aware that there will be numerous people that are going to disagree with my thoughts, but I am going to share them anyway. This issue has caused me a lot of frustration and anger, and this post has taken me over a week to finish. First, let me start by saying that I do not agree with using abortion as a form of birth control. There are risks a woman may experience from having an abortion, which may include pain and cramping, plus some intense mental health struggles, and social and financial burdens. There is already a negative stigma surrounding abortion, so I do not believe any woman is going to choose to have an abortion if it is not truly necessary.

People do need to be responsible and practice safe sex, but unforeseen things can happen. When a woman decides for whatever reason that she wants to have an abortion, there are safe ways to have this procedure completed. According to the World Health Organization, about 45% of all abortions are unsafe of which 97% occur in developing countries. Unfortunately, unsafe abortions are a leading avoidable cause of maternal deaths. If women lose the ability to get a safe abortion where the dangers decrease, the problem will be more unsafe abortions and an increased number of women dying unnecessarily.

Another HUGE problem I have with banning abortions is it is taking away a woman’s right to decide what she can do with HER body. The United States “claims” to be a “free” country”, right? Please explain how taking away a woman’s right to her body is freedom because this does not sound like what I consider freedom.

If a woman is raped, how can anyone force her to keep her rapist’s baby? That baby will be a constant reminder of the worst day in her life, which is NOT fair. If a woman gets pregnant and can be mature enough to admit that she does not have the means to provide a safe and happy life for that child, WHY should she be forced to? She was trying to put that child’s needs first and not bring it into a world where it would not have what it needs to flourish.

Please take a look at the states that have already banned abortion. Do you see a common denominator to these states? The first two states to put an abortion ban were Indiana and West Virginia. I am not surprised about Indiana, but I have been to West Virginia and have seen what people are like there, so I am shocked they were the 2nd state to ban abortion. I do not mean to bring politics into this as that is another hot topic and causes more arguments, but most of the states that have banned abortion are Republican leading with the voting poles. This is not an opinion, but a fact!

Regardless of an individual’s political or religious ideology, what gives anyone the right to tell a woman what she can or cannot do with HER body? In a “free” country, how can a government dictate law for a human body? Why should a woman that is raped be forced to carry her rapist’s baby for nine months? I have heard the argument that she can give the baby up for adoption, but nine months is a long time to carry a baby and endure childbirth all because a man did not listen to the simple two letters word “NO”.

Again, I understand that many people reading this post will have opposite views that I do and that is your right. I am not trying to take anyone’s rights away from them, like so many states are doing to women. Like I have already said, I do not think abortion should be used as a form of birth control, but that is not my right to decide for another woman, it is hers and hers ONLY! I believe in a woman’s right to decide if she can take care of another human life and if she knows she can’t, I do not think she should be forced to. More than anything else, I do not think any woman should be told she must carry her rapist’s baby because this was no fault of hers.

I am sorry if this post has offended anyone but am not sorry for the way I see things. I am not sorry that I think a woman is the only person that can decide what happens to her body. I am not sorry that I do not agree a woman should never have to carry a baby from rape or incest. I am not sorry that I do not agree with what is going on in the United States. I am not sorry that I view freedom differently than some do. I am not sorry that I feel a woman has the right to decide!

Thank you for visiting my site today. Although I do know many will disagree with everything I stated, I do hope it provides you with an understanding as to why I view things the way I do. When I find something extremely disturbing and when something upset me, I feel the need to write about it because it helps me to accept things and let the anger go. I hope you are having a nice and safe weekend. I do encourage you to leave a comment and I will respond as quickly as I can. Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love, comfort, support, and MANY positive vibes. 

Always, Alyssa

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Pick-Me-Up-Thursday

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Happy Friday eve, y’all! How has your week been? Yes, I know the short weeks can feel painfully long and people cannot seem to understand most things are not the end of the world and that life will continue to move forward. I wish people would learn to be even a little more understanding and compassionate, but it seems like that is a wish that might never come to fruition. I guess a girl can dream though😉. I do have a few people that I work with that are absolutely amazing and they can make the worst of days much brighter just by being who they are, and for that I love them!

After only a couple of days in our short week, we do still have one more to push through and I think we could all use a little pick-me-up. I love the quote from Albert Einstein I am sharing because it brings so much clarity to the world. As children, many of us had wild imaginations that we utilized, but as adults, we get so bogged down with the busyness of our daily lives we have lost the connection with our imaginations. I think if we could all try using that brilliant imagination a little during the day, we might notice an amazing change in life and even be a little less stressed and a lot happier!

I hope your week is going well and you are looking forward to the upcoming weekend. Do you have any plans for the weekend? Of course, I have no plans at all which is just the way I like it. The work week, even the short weeks seem so long and they are all planned out, I just enjoy having a few days that are not planned. I know some people would think I live a boring life and that might be true, but it is not complicated and it is safe.

Thank you for visiting my site today. I hope you enjoyed what I have shared today and the quote helps you to use your imagination more, and that helps you through the last day of the week. I look forward to reading your comments and I will respond as quickly as I can. Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love, comfort, support, and MANY positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa

Can you tell me why?

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People throughout the United States enjoy celebrating the 4th of July. There are parades, fireworks, cookouts, and more that people “should” be able to enjoy. Why was this such an issue over the long weekend everyone was looking forward to? Why can people not enjoy life without fears of mass shootings? Why do some people not leave their homes because they worry about what could happen in society? Why is it so difficult for people to practice kindness and compassion for others, instead of the sick need to shoot innocent people? Why is there so much hatred filling the world? Why can all the people in one country not get along?

The questions I have asked are what evade my mind constantly. There are NO answers that will make sense to me because I feel the need to treat everyone equally. Yes, this might be something that makes me different from many other Americans and that is why I prefer to NEVER be like everyone else. When we desire to get along just to get along and not stand up for our beliefs, it does not ever fix anything! I would like to suggest you listen to this song and please tell me how it makes you feel!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpYeekQkAdc

When I was growing up, I was taught that the United States is a “free” and “welcoming” country, but this is far from the truth! No one is completely free, especially women as they no longer have control over what happens to their bodies. If everyone is not uniform, behaving, looking, believing, and speaking alike, they are too different and must be stopped. Why else would so many innocent people trying to enjoy the long weekend, going out to dinner, a movie, the grocery store, or anywhere else not in their homes be shot and killed?

For years now, my husband and I have stayed home safely. We never wanted to get COVID, especially due to my weak immune system, and we have been successful. We do not want to go out to dinner to celebrate or have a date night and not make it home because of the insanity in the country, again, we have been successful. I understand how short life is, but we do not want it to be made shorter because of something we have no control over. I know it seems like we are trying to live in a bubble, and this might be true, but there needs to be a massive change in the United States.

Have you ever wondered what other countries think when they see what is going on in this country? I do not have to wonder because I am told by people, I work with that live in Canada. They see the news here in the United States and shake their heads in utter disbelief as to how it could be true. The mass shootings, lies within our government, taking away a woman’s rights to her body, hatred filling our streets, and much more that should never happen! NO country is perfect, but most other countries do not have the damage as the United States does.

Thank you for visiting my site today. I know there are going to be many people that disagree with everything I have said and that is okay because you have a right to your opinion. I would love to read your comments and I will respect whatever you have to stay. I hope your long weekend has been safe and relaxing! Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love, comfort, support, and MANY positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa

Friday before a long weekend!

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A Friday before a three-day weekend is the best kind of Friday. I appreciate all Fridays, but I am thankful to get a long weekend. I am not doing anything special during the long weekend, which makes me even happier😊! The only things I plan to do is NOT get up too early, not have to work my normal job, and clean my house! This might not sound exciting to anyone else, but this is exactly what I need. The past few weeks have been exhausting and frustrating, which explains why I am emotionally and physically drained.

I wish someone could explain to me in a way that makes sense why there are so many judgmental and angry people in the United States. I do not understand why people enjoy tearing someone down by insulting them or finding other ways to make another human being feel they are insignificant. This type of behavior will never make sense to me because I have always tried to be kind, understanding, and considerate of other’s feelings. I feel we are here in this world together and should try making it a better place, instead of what is happening now.

I know my views are different than a lot of other people, especially in the south where I live, but I have always felt that we should all be treated equally and with kindness. I have never thought someone should be judged based on the color of their skin, where they are from, who they worship or love, or anything else, and that people should only be judged based on how they treat others. Who cares what the color of their skin is or where they are from? Who cares who they love, as long as they display love and not hate? Who cares who someone worships if that is what they choose to do? The only thing that matters is the way we treat other people!

Thank you for visiting my site today. I hope you have had a wonderful week and are looking forward to enjoying a long and safe weekend! Do you have anything planned for the long weekend? If you do have something planned, please stay safe! I am looking forward to reading your comments and I will respond as quickly as I can. Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love, comfort, support, and MANY positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa

One day down, four to go….

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Hello Tuesday! Although I am not sure how we managed to survive Monday. How did your week start? The first part of yesterday was not bad at all, I actually received praise from a customer. I think we can all agree, that getting a compliment at work is rare because so many people tend to complain instead. That was the highlight of yesterday and then it went downhill rather fast. Honestly, I think I was overwhelmed and it should never have gone that way. Too much was being put on my plate and I found out this was NOT supposed to happen. I know everything happens for a reason, but I never question things at work and I should have much sooner!

We did make it through the first day of the week and we have four to go before the long weekend, so I think we need to help one another. It can be easy to think of everything that can and has gone wrong in life, but we need to focus on all the great things in our life that have gone great! Yes, I know it can be hard because there are so many awful things we must experience in this life, but good things come to those who wait and are patient, and resilient. We are all strong, determined, intelligent, and deserving of amazing things in our life, so we must never surrender!

I hope your week is going well so far and you found meaning in the quote I have shared with you. The rest of the week will be brighter than Monday, as it always is. Monday’s are one of the most dreaded days of the week, but that is in the past now. It is funny how much most people hate Monday, but we know they will always return and maybe we should learn to embrace them more. Yeah right! That probably will never happen because I do not think I will ever have the willpower to embrace a Monday, but I guess we just try our best.

Thank you for visiting my site today. I hope you enjoyed what I have shared and I look forward to reading your comments. I promise to respond to all of your comments as quickly as I can. No matter how challenging the week might seem, remember nothing is permanent and the days will go by! Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love, comfort, support, and MANY positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa

Survival of Monday

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We managed to survive Monday, which is great news! Once we make it through a day we all dread, the rest of the week “should” be much easier, or at least we hope it will. Yesterday was nothing short of insanity. I clocked into work at 7:24 AM for two reasons. One was because I had a doctor’s appointment and was going to make up missed time because of the appointment and the other reason was because of the overtime offered. Normally, my day does not start until 9:00 AM, but I do prefer beginning my day earlier because I feel better in the morning. I am not saying I am not tired in the morning, but my pain increases as the day progresses.

Something about yesterday that could have been better is, if I had known about the overtime, I would not have wanted my doctor’s appointment this week. I would have tried to reschedule, so all I had to deal with was the overtime. My doctor’s office is about an hour and a half away from my house and I have to drive on an interstate that has WAY TOO much road construction. The road construction has been going on for what seems like a decade and I do not think it will ever end. Driving is bad enough, but so many people like to either drive fast while texting or so slow a snail could pass them.

On the second day of the week and still having several more days before Friday, we could all use a little encouragement to help us through the week. Life can feel extremely demanding and stressful making it hard to deal with the numerous situations we face. Trying to remain calm, cool, and collect is challenging, but we need to always keep trying and never give up. I will be honest with y’all, I stress about everything and it does not help. All the massive amounts of stress do is create additional issues!

Thank you for visiting my site today. I hope your week is going well and you are staying safe, and as stress-free as possible. I still think this is going to be a long week because I will be working ten hour days, which I have not done in a long time. I have gotten older since I worked ten hour days and my ability to avoid fatigue has become obsolete. Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love, comfort, support, and MANY positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa

Motivational Monday

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Monday morning always returns without hesitation or delay and we are meant to tackle this week with diligence and determination😊! Of course, we would all prefer it be Saturday or even Sunday, but this is going to be a great week with many amazing opportunities. I already know it is going to be a chaotic week, but I know I can handle anything that is thrown my way, and all of you can as well. We sometimes need a constant reminder of this because it is easy to get discouraged and frustrated, so I am making a sign to hang over my desk to be a continual reminder.

I know none of us are ready for another new week, but I also have faith in all of you that we can manage. We might also require a little motivation to get into the best mindset. I hope y’all will find the quote I am sharing with you motivating and it kick starts your week in the best of ways. The reason I decided on this quote is that life often feels like an endless cycle of darkness and sadness, but if we can concentrate on the positive things in life, it can make a tremendous difference! I understand fully that there is way too much negativity in our lives and in this world, but there are also many amazingly beautiful things as well!

I hope your weekend was full of everything that brings you the most joy and you remained as safe as possible. We can all agree that the weekends are way too short, but that will probably never change. I think we should have four-day workweeks and three-day weekends because it would allow for us to have more quality time with family and friends. Work-life balance is important and something we should have without question, but I think some employers would disagree with me. I understand having a shorter workweek may never happen, so I am just thankful to have a job working from home where I am safe!

Thank you for visiting my site today. I hope you have enjoyed what I have shared and the quote provided you a little motivation for Monday. I am looking forward to reading your comments and will respond to all comments as quickly as I can. I hope you have an amazing day and that each day that follows until Friday gets better and better. Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love, comfort, support, and MANY positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa

Pick-Me-Up Thursday

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Happy Friday eve y’all! How has your week been? My new job is still going well and it is getting much easier. I was worried during training because there was so much information, but doing the work has it making more sense. I guess I was so used to my old job, so much so that it became like second nature, I was worried I was not going to be able to do the new job as well. I think I discouraged myself before trying to believe in myself, which I tend to do too much.

We have almost made it through another week, but still, have one final day to survive and I think we can with no problems. I do believe that after so many long days, we could all benefit from a little pick-me-up. I hope the quote I am sharing will provide you with that and help you to believe in yourself, and never let anyone tell you that you cannot do something. There is nothing we cannot do if we try and never give up. The only person I have ever let tell me I cannot do something is myself, but I am trying to silence that voice.

My goal was to continue doing at least one post a day, but yesterday I was too exhausted and did not have the energy to share something meaningful. The work I am doing might not be too difficult, but getting used to the system, daily workflow, the pain I always feel, and the weather made me not feel well enough. Now that the weekend is not too far away, I am hoping to finish a few posts I started, but are not completed yet. Starting something and not finishing makes me feel like there is a lot left unfinished, but I will try to do better.

Thank you for visiting my site today. I hope you enjoyed what I shared and the quote resonates with you. In the past, people used to think that because I had Multiple Sclerosis there were things I was not able to do and I truly loved providing them wrong. I do look forward to your comments, which I will respond to as quickly as I can. Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love, comfort, support, and MANY positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa

Peacefulness Tuesday

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Happy Tuesday, y’all! The weeks often feel so long, but we did survive Monday and that is progress. How is your week going so far? I am trying to prepare my mind for starting work next Monday and although I am excited, I am also very nervous. I know it is normal to be nervous about starting a new job but this job is mainly customer service and I have always excelled in that type of work so I am sure I will do well. I am really good at taking notes and asking questions during the training, so I am going to just relax and trust my capabilities.

We are living in a world that is full of chaos, uncertainty, fear, sadness, and hatred. It can be challenging to try turning these negative feelings into anything optimistic. Regardless of how you handle these stresses, we all deserve peace. When we feel like we are drowning in stress and misery we need to discover things that can pull us out of the quicksand of sadness. I hope you will find the quote I am sharing today peaceful and calming! I do look forward to reading what you think about it because I value your opinions!

Until I start working again next week, I am sure you know noticed I have tried doing at least one post a day. I am not sure if you have heard that there is already a new COVID variant out. It is a mix of Delta and Omicron, which has me very nervous and concerned. I am planning to go get a second booster shot very soon, but who even knows if that works. I have been sick and tired of everything to do with COVID for going on three years, but I guess it is not going anywhere anytime soon.

Thank you for visiting my site today. I hope you are feeling well and having a good week. I hope you enjoyed this post and I look forward to reading your comments. I promise to respond to all comments as quickly as I can. Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love, comfort, support, and MANY positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa

Do you believe in signs?

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Although I may never understand why certain things happen in life, there is a huge part of me that believes there are signs behind what occurs in life. Maybe there are signs that we are sent from a spiritual place or from a loved one we have lost. I am aware that not everyone believes in signs because that is something my husband and I disagree on and that is okay because everyone is entitled to their opinion.

I remember when we were relocating to another city and state a few years ago and I had just finished an interview, which I was not certain about. A beautiful butterfly flying near the car and landed on my window. She stayed there for a short time, showing off her vibrant colors. I have always loved butterflies and thought they held a powerful meaning. I viewed this encounter as a sign the job and the move were the right decision and things were going to work out beautifully. I thought this sign was from my late grandfather watching over me and ensuring life was going well.

Before the encounter with the butterfly, I have always viewed visits from them as a sign from somewhere above. After my late grandfather’s funeral and I was back home on my lunch break at work, which I took outside on nice days to get away from being trapped inside, the same butterfly or at least I thought it was the same butterfly came to visit me every day on my lunch break. Considering how heartbroken and lost I felt after this loss, I viewed this butterfly as my grandfather coming to let me know he was doing well and to continue living my life until we met again. This might sound delusional, but this butterfly offered me comfort during a tragic and painful time in my life.

Recently, I experienced something I feel is unusual. While I was working at my previous job, which of course, was at home I had a daily visit in the window above my desk. This visitor was a small, adorable bird called the Ruby-Crowned Kinglet. He always flew outside my window, kind of hoovering within my view. He seemed to be almost showing off, trying to get my attention and more so on a bad day. During the unpleasant Zoom meeting in December when I was laid off, the little bird stayed in the window for a while showing off his flying abilities, which brought me some joy during an upsetting time.

Out of pure interest and curiosity, I have looked up the meaning behind a visit from a butterfly. No to my surprise, visits from butterflies means angels are approving your actions and you might be on the right path. This can also mean that the angels are guiding you through life. This makes perfect sense to me because I am confident saying my late grandfather is my guardian angels that is always watching over me and carrying me through most struggles in life. Even to this day when I see a butterfly, I feel my grandfather’s presence nearby.

Again, purely out of my curiosity, I had to know what the sign was from the Ruby-Crowned Kinglet. Sure, enough there is meaning or a sign behind them. The spiritual meaning for the Ruby-Crowned Kinglet is fearlessness and calm, which is exactly what I needed the day I was laid off. The amusing part about my Ruby-Crowned Kinglet friend is even when he is not seen for a few months, he always returns and puts on a show by doing his little dance in the window.

When I was younger, I thought when the clocked showed “11:11” you had to make a wish. I did this for years, but when I looked this up, I learned something slightly different. The numbers 11:11 still appear to be a good sign because they are angel numbers. These angel numbers can suggest new beginnings and possibilities. It may be good to pay close attention when these numbers are seen because your guardian angels are attempting to reach out to you with positive energies. These angel numbers can also be interpreted as a sign from the universe guiding you to focus on someone or something.

Is there anything that you believe is a sign and if so, what is it? I know there are many more signs other than the three I mentioned, but I did not want this post to be too lengthy for you to read. I do believe signs can be extremely powerful but also understand some people believe these are merely coincidence. However, I do not  think things happen by accident or coincidence and believe everything happens for a reason.

Thank you for visiting my site and reading this post. I hope you found this post interesting and maybe you believe in signs as well. Monday is never an easy day because we are letting go of the weekend, but hopefully you have an amazing week. I am looking forward to reading your comments on this post and will respond as quickly as I can.  Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love, comfort, support, and MANY positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa