Tag: encouragement

We are Nurses

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Becoming a Registered Nurse was one of the best decisions I ever made to date. This week I will be celebrating another Nurse’s Week and I can tell you first hand, it never gets old to me. I LOVE my profession. I pride myself in the career I have chosen. Not because I think we are better (by no means) BUT because the skills and great knowledge we all possess. It is a honor to love what I do because I know so many do not share that same love. Even on my worst days (and yes Lord, we have bad days) I can still wear my Nurse badge with honor and pride… that’s a lot to say!

We are a profession of true RESILIENCE! We get up every shift, ready to take on whatever comes our way. We are flexible. We are ever-growing. Healthcare continues to change and somehow we are always ahead and ready for the next skill or the next intervention. We continue to give of ourselves without giving a thought to it. We listen to your ailments. We advocate for you behind the scenes, even if that means getting slack from the doctors. We feel your pain. We put ourselves in the shoes of others. We leave our families on holidays just to take care of your family and most of the time, we do it without complaining! We work long hours until our feet hurt, but this is simply a norm to us. We sometimes get over looked as you “thank” others for saving you without knowing, it was the Nurse that first noticed the problem. We are over-protective of you without you even realizing it. We vow to protect you and do no harm. We see you at your worst and still carry on our duties. We celebrate with you when you defeat a disease. We joke with you just to get a smile. We brainstorm on ways to make you happy when life gives you lemons. We fight back tears as we see you cry. We lend our shoulder to all because we understand. We are always thinking what’s in the best interest of you even with handing you a simple pill. We put aside our own problems each day (and we have problems, believe me) to come in to help with yours. When the day has drained us, we still come home to handle the responsibilities of being a wife, a husband, a mother, a father, a friend … and although tired, we find it in us to give out more! We take on roles as administration, educators, bedside staff, practitioners, researchers to ensure patient safety, advocacy, and satisfaction is at the forefront. We are more than bedpans and medication passes … To all the Nurses, thank you for all you do! Thank you for your dedication, your resilience and your sacrifices! Happy Nurse’s Week!!

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Nurse Reminder

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About a month ago I was scrolling Facebook when I came across a post that had the words “Please Scan Your Meds” in capital letters. It was posted in a Nurse group I follow and frequently visit for news, advice or for just great comments from Nurses all over.

The story was about a young Nurse whose trip to an Emergency Room changed her life tremendously due to an medication error from another nurse (story on IG). Usually when I see long Facebook post, I bypass them however this post caught my eye so I began to read. I hung on to every word in amazement from the beginning to end. My eyes started to burn as a tear tried to force its way out mid way through. I remember my mouth falling wide open as I read each sentence again for understanding.”How could this happen” I thought under my breath. . I finished with the words “Oh my God…” I was shocked! The story stayed on my mind all day. How can I help this fellow Nurse? How do I help a person that do not even know I exist? What if that was me? Maybe it was because the unfortunate event happened to a Nurse of all people. Or maybe it’s because I just transferred into my long time goal of being a Emergency Department Nurse. Either way, the story hit me and I felt empowered to help. I wanted to, at the least, brighten the day of this Nurse that unexpectedly got dealt a bad hand. I wanted this woman to know, that she was in my thoughts and that her story motivated me to be more careful as a nurse.

I decided to reach out to this Nurse via Facebook. I introduced myself, thanked her for sharing her story and sincerely asked for her address. Bold move coming from a stranger I know but somehow she trusted me and gave her information. Over a span of 2.5 weeks I was able to make a small gift box to send to her. Thankfully she received it! The motive of this story is

1. As healthcare professionals, please remember the power and skills we have. We have the ability to not only save lives but wreck them as well with one mistake. Always be careful! Check what you are doing and understand each life matters.

2. If you have the ability to change a person’s day, go for it! Never waste an opportunity to do good!

3. Don’t be afraid to do what’s in your heart!

Please follow my IG @kindlykarmalized for this Nurses’ story as well as a short video of my gift to this lovely lady!

Keep Karmalized❤️

Dear 16 … From 32

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Dear 16 year old self,

There is a whole world waiting for you … don’t be afraid to go get it! Travel the world any opportunity you get. Put your best in everything you do and smile when you’ve accomplished. Take time to breath it in!

Hard times WILL come however better times are always ahead. Don’t stress about things you can not change but focus on those you are in control of. Don’t be too hard on yourself, you are still learning and mistakes have the power to be a great teacher of life lessons. That reminds me, Life goes by so fast (believe me!) and YOUR time is something you can’t ever get back. Understand just how valuable the use of time is-Don’t waste it! Today will never be repeated, but you do have tomorrow! You won’t always be this young, embrace it! . There’s more days of being an adult then there are being young. Don’t rush it! Adulting is not forgiving!

There’s a time that will come that you will fall in love. It’s ok! Live in that moment, Love is meant to be beautiful! There will also be a time you will hurt, learn to forgive and NEVER allow your feelings to take you out of character. Every action comes with a reaction. YOU are meant to be a Queen , NEVER remove your crown!NEVER let anything stop you from your dreams. If it’s love, it will be patient. It will always support and have your best interest in mind. Never settle for less no matter how handsome the reward may look. Again, remember You are a QUEEN! Any man would be lucky just to gaze in your eyes. With that being said baby girl, every person is not meant to take your treasure. Be choicey in who you allow in and don’t be afraid to let those that don’t ADD to you OUT!! Your sex is sacred. Your body is a temple! Your love is irreplaceable.

Be good to those around you. Treat people as you would want to be treated. Don’t be the reason for a person’s hurt tears! Always aim to be good! Hold dear to your values, never waiver even in the face of adversity. Be strong. Dare to Be different. Know your value! Allow others to see your AUTHENTIC self and fall in love with who GOD made you to be, not a copy. You are the prototype!

Hold your friends close and your family closer. Never miss an opportunity to spend time with the ones you love for we never know our last breath. Don’t get so caught up in life that you forget the circle of people God gifted to you. Laugh! Laugh as much as you can. There will be days you want to cry, its ok to not be OK. But after those tears dry, LAUGH uncontrollably  for it is good for the soul.

Always always listen to yourself and trust you know yourself better than anyone else. Additionally, listen to older adults at times, remember they may have been through the path already.

Most importantly, put GOD first! Don’t leave your faith behind even when things are going good. Your faith is valuable and apart of who and what you are! Make this world yours babygirl, Don’t be afraid to experience it! Be proud of yourself, you will do fine!

Sincerely ,

Your 32-year old self

#KeepKarmalized

Fear

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Fear. Fear is something that we all have faced at least once in our life. Whether it is fear of spiders or death or maybe just the fear of the unknown, we all have been there. Fear can make us stronger or tear us down. Fear can push us pass our own limit or make us retreat to our own comfort zone. Fear can be overwhelming to some while causing motivation in others. Fear is something that is not ‘one size fits all’. Everyone handles fear differently depending on various factors- knowledge, maturity, past circumstances, future planning, just to name a few. Fear may have you reluctant to apply to a certain job or program because of past rejection or failure. Fear can have you hesitant to leave a certain situation because of the unknown ahead of you. Fear can have you slow to make an important decision because the weight the outcome may carry.

As we move through this life, Fear is inevitable. It’s a natural response given to all of us to prepare for danger. We can not control what we fear BUT we can most definitely control how we handle it. Will it be fear that will hold you from that promotion OR will you turn it into pure energy so that you can go get that blessing? Don’t allow fear of anyone or anything dictate what you want and what you deserve! Fear has no place in a person when it’s time to grow. Don’t let fear stunt your growth and keep you in a state of contentment. Life isn’t meant to be feared BUT BE LIVED! Allowing fear to live is the same as not trusting yourself or your Higher Power. Trust yourself. You know YOU better than anyone else. Break up with fearing the unknown and allow yourself to experience what life has for you! Note to myself as well!!

Happy Tuesday! Now go get what you deserve! #NoFear #KeepKarmalized

View change

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Yesterday as I was driving into work and one of my favorite songs came on. This was not just some song.., Oh no! THIS was a song that I felt was written just for me and the person I am. It was only right to blast it as loud as possible and sing every word like no one was listening. Hitting all the high notes just right and even adding some ad-libs. Thankfully, I was in the privacy of my own car because I can promise you I had pitch problems every where. The song I speak of is by a talented artist named Estelle entitled ‘ Conquerer’. When you get a chance, look it up and listen to the words if you have not already (web link below). It is a song of strength, confidence and determination that just rings “Aye girl, you got this” every time I hear it.I had all the hand motions, neck rolling, finger pointing animations you could possibly think of as the car next to me stared. I was ok with granting ONE audience member a pass to my noon car-performance. I got out the car feeling good. I felt I could conquer my day and whatever bumps I would experience. I felt empowered. I am not sure if the song alone brought on this attitude or if it was also the universe giving me what I sought after for the last five days. Whatever it was, I can truly say I felt filled.

That’s exactly what happens when you open yourself up mentally and spiritually to hear what your higher power (My God) has for you. It has been non-stop signs that confirm the direction I am being pushed to go. From new contacts to being surrounded with positive energy and affirmation all around. How is it when we truthfully seek and remain open to receive, IT comes from all directions? When we allow time to just STOP our minds, focus on what it is we want or need and allow the spirit to lead us, it’s amazing! I’ve always been told to be open but I could never understand just exactly what it meant. That is UNTIL I CHANGED my thinking , my state of mind, the direction I wanted my mind to go. You think positive-you get positive. You think open -you get answers. You think focus and …bam! There it goes! What we seek, is most likely in front of us. All we have to do is listen.

Honest moment- I have recently learned the art of truly being STILL! To stop trying to MAKE things happen. This is easier said than done when you’re an Alpha female with strong determination skills. You tend to tell GOD and everybody else how things are going down. I had to learn to sit down, shut up, open my mind and soul and BE IN THE MOMENT. At times we are so caught up in our own life, with our own mess that we self consciously dismiss whatever energy that is trying to reach us and lead us. We ignore what’s right in front of our face and continue along the same path we started -still confused as before! It’s not until we change our view and trust our higher power that we can see things a bit clearer than the previous day or moment. As I continue to learn and practice, I challenge you today to do the same. Open yourself up to possibilities. Don’t limit yourself! Change your view. You want happiness- think happiness. You need affirmation- think and be open for affirmation. It’s there!

Keep Karmalized ❤️

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IG: @kindlykarmalized

Song: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lvvimH5_Ap4

Return of Kindly Karmalized

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THREE years and FOUR months… 3 years and 4 months… over three looong years…that is how long it has been since I wrote my last post. That was the last time I breathed life into my first baby- KINDLY KARMALIZED. That was the last time I allowed myself to freely write, to freely share my thoughts, to freely be inspired by the world !

I can remember the birth of this blog and how happy I was to finally have something I could publish and pour out my thoughts and visions. I finally had a legit platform to empty what was in my heart and heavy on my mind. I remember being so afraid of publicly publishing my first blog that I read over it three or four times just to make sure I was ready. I probably hit the refresh button every minute just to see if ONE person would care to read my words once I hit “publish”. I had no idea the influence I would have or even if I would make a difference.  I was ready to give this site, this vision, all I had. I had visions of helping the homeless, empowering women in shelters, raising money for those less fortunate, brightening up the day of a random person and just sprinkling kindness every where I walked…. and then I remember little by little, losing myself in a situation that unconsciously  started to take my inspiration, my desire, my joy,  my inner peace. Slowly my thoughts did not flow naturally. My words did not make sense to me. I stared at my computer screen feeling so uninspired. I did not want to write. I did not want to do anything remotely close to expressing how I felt. Maybe because I felt my kindness-happy blog would turn into a place of remorse and resentment. I did not want my place of peace to turn into a place of pain.  I just was not feeling “IT”. It is crazy how your attitude can change once you lose your ground and give attention to things that do not deserve it. We slowly forget things that are more important to us by replacing it with things that are irrelevant to our being.  I never thought that it would be over three years before I felt that fire in my heart to light again.

Fast forward to the present, the universe- my GOD- have allowed my opportunity to come full circle. My excitement about the new direction I am mentally taking in my life as well as the bigger vision I have for Kindly Karmalized gives me joy. I literally smile when I think of the small box I plan to step out of and the influence I want this movement to have. I am older, wiser and much more motivated to do good and to concentrate more on positive vibes and nurturing mind, body and soul. I am more confident in what I am trying to do and the journey I am taking. I want to hold my baby tight and give it more life than before. I want to grow it to its full potential and in return enjoy the journey. Maybe my trip through heartbreaks, distrust, learning to love myself again, and personal growth had to happen to bring me back to this point. I am not sure but I do know there’s something in me that is burning to lead me to my purpose. My mission is bigger than just being basic.  I pray to GOD that I am able to consistently and confidently go forth to bring my thoughts and acts forward. I pray he leads me down a positive path and allows me freedom to discover things others may not understand or do not have the capacity to tap into. I speak life into my dreams and my purpose.

This is Kindly Karmalized – revamped!

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Are you nice to yourself?

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Happy Friday everyone!! I have to admit that I have been beyond busy the last two weeks. In transitioning to not only a new hospital but a new role in Nursing ( med/surg to critical care…YAYYY!! ), my schedule has been a little challenging. Nevertheless, I am so happy, eager and ready to learn all I need to know in order to be a great Nurse to my critical patients.

Ironically for the last 2.5 weeks, I have been pounded with the message of not being “too hard on yourself and loving yourself”. I am known for being too hard on myself in situations, not because I think less than highly of myself but because I strive for the best and always want to be #1. I am the first to admit, I can be competitive at times! When I don’t reach a certain goal or obtain a certain reward, I think of things I could have done better and beat myself up. The older I get, the more I see this as a flaw in myself.
So, in orientation 2 weeks ago, I had the pleasure of meeting the director of pastoral services at my new hospital that gave a great speech about being good to others as well as ourselves. He talked about how we have millions of thoughts daily and majority of them are negative thoughts against ourselves. He gave examples of how when we first wake up and look in the mirror we say to ourselves “Boy,do you look a mess”. Then it continues to “I look fat in this outfit” and “I’m running late, how could I have been so dumb to oversleep”. When you really think about all the things we say to ourselves, we can be unkind at times. Not intentionally but we are our worse critics. If someone states they have Never done any of this, I would probably be concerned.

He gave us an exercise to do where he held one participant’s arm out and started pushing down on his arm. Of course the person was strong and able to push back with ease. Then he told the person to repeat “I am weak,I am weak” 30 times in which the person did. After the negative repetition, he tried again to push his arm and crazy enough, he was unable to push back as strong as before. Such a simple exercise showed just how thoughtful I can be to others but how mean we can be to ourselves. Of course, we all have times where we praise ourselves internally and externally but for the most part on a daily basis we can constantly find things wrong with ourselves without even realizing it. YES, I am guilty of this! If perfect was possible, I would be in the running for it! He then talked about just doing simple things to others by saying “hello” when you pass a person or giving a smile to a person walking towards you. How many times have we avoided a look from a person by looking down on our cellphones in order to not speak. Lets all admit our guilt! You never know how a person could yearn for just a smile!
I internally thanked the presenter for sharing such great words and exercise and wanted to personally thank him however just as fast as he came in, he left before I could break out. I plan to look up his name in our company directory and send a anonymous “thank you” card soon!

With all that you have read, I have decided to do two things. One of these things is something I usually do but have not had the chance. I usually post positive messages in my bathroom for myself and place them on my mirror. Unfortunately, since I have moved into my place a couple months ago, I have failed to post anything. I will definitely do this, this weekend.
My FIRST challenge to you is …. POST something good and positive about yourself as we reminder. Whether on a refrigerator, in a closet, in your bathroom mirror, or somewhere secure like in a book or work bag. It could be anything from ” I am beautiful and loved by many” or “I am Awesome and beyond blessed!”. Whatever works for you, make it work!!

Second challenge , do something for yourself! Whether it is buying a new outfit, getting a manicure/pedicure combo ( my favorite), taking yourself out to dinner or something inexpensive like making a bubble bath and relaxing. As long as you schedule out a moment and do something for yourself in the next couple of days. No one can love you better than YOU!

Enjoy the challenge and I will post my own a long with another challenge I have coming soon. Remember to follow my Instagram for updates!
Instagram: @kindlykarmalized with hashtag #ItsALLaboutME

Peace!

Food and confusion but thanks…

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On last weekend, my family and I attended my little cousin’s graduation back home and decided to go to Cheddars restaurant to eat. Can I just stick a little advertisement in for Cheddars really quick … Great place to get good but affordable food!! Try the bourbon glazed salmon and thank me later!!

Back to the blog: it was 19 of us … yes a party of 19 ready to eat at this great spot! From yelling kids to indecisive adults, I’m sure our waitress was ready to go. To make matters worse, we had different checks with different people on the checks ( we tried to make it easier by doing so and it failed!). She was confused and frustrated but never for a second got an attitude or gave up. A great waitress she was!! When she fixed her mouth to apologize for the confusion, we all stated it was no need and thanked her for her patience and kindness!! In the end I decided to leave her a note and we all left a great 20% tip per check since gratuity was not added.

I tell this story to simply encourage you to never forget those in the food industry and treat them good! It’s hard putting up with people and their attitudes especially when food and money is involved! I use to be a server myself and had the privilege of dealing with some pretty rude people! It’s not the TOP career people choose however when you get a good waiter, waitress, bartender, server or host/hostess; encourage them, thank them and most important tip them good!! Remember “tips” contribute to some of their livelihood.
Now if you have a bad server, waiter, waitress, bartender; use your own judgement! I am all about kindness but awarding rudeness I am not lol …

Be good to those in customer service, it’s a hard job!! Happy Friday my loves!!

Words of Recognition /Encouragement… Give it up!

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Early morning thoughts!! I woke up at 3:12am with absolutely no reason to the madness. No after midnight snack was desired or a visit to the bathroom was warranted. I just woke up with thoughts of encouragement and recognition running through my mind. I found it necessary to pray about my upcoming interview at 9:00 am today BUT to also think hard about how far “words of encouragement” can go. Guess you can say it was placed on my heart by the Almighty!!

Call this a random posting but when something is on my heart, I’ve learn to share it. Each day we move forward, going about our day just to get to the next. We work hard. We encounter small successes. We do things others have no knowledge of. How great would it be just to receive a message of encouragement and recognition from someone?! To understand that someone can see your struggle and appreciates your hard work.

As a nurse, I do not think my friends or family know the half of what I (We) go through nightly with patients. From lifting heavy bodies – to consoling a sick soul -to watching death creep to the bedside- or the mistreatment of doctors. At times I wish someone would say “Great job, your efforts are not going unnoticed” after a hard night. I’m sure some of us can relate on a different spectrum! Heck, you work hard, right?!

You just never know what someone is going through and just how much your words really mean to them! Today… Send recognition to your friends, associates, family, classmates! Give verbal recognition to a colleague or even your significant other. You never know just how much someone is yearning for a “I’m proud of you” or “Keep up the great work” or “You’re Awesome at what you do and I appreciate you”. Today I challenge you to send or speak these words to someone today! It takes a minute but I can promise the other person will appreciate it! Today , I will be taking on this task today …. I hope you are willing to join me as well!!

Keep up the great work my Karmalized loves! Thank you for supporting me and having my back. You are soo appreciated!!