The Revitalization of my Life-Day 56 -The Dog Effect

Today, I woke up with an interesting thought on my mind. I have had this thought for quite some time now, but today I finally decided to write about it. Well, it's about a dog. To be more specific my dog. Everyday when I come home, my dog greets me at the door. He sniffs me to see where I've been and then he runs around because he is so excited to see me. No matter what I did to him the night before, he always greets me at the door.

I think this is how we should be about the people that we truly love, especially those that we live with. We should be excited to see them everyday, even if they did something to hurt us. Instead of doing this, we want to try to make things more complicated than they already are. We want to hold grudges and wait for the other person to take actions in order to make things right. Why wait for someone else to take action when you can take it yourself? You wouldn't wait for someone to tell you to go and get a million dollars if you knew you could get it on your own. Now I will be the first to admit that I am one of these people that I am talking about. I am not ashamed to admit to my faults because I want to become as faultless as I can possibly be. They say admitting is the first step to getting over something. I don't know if this is true, but I will damn sho' try it if it will make life for me and my wife better.

Women for years have called men dogs for the way that they act, but I think it's time to turn that description around. When they speak of comparing a man to a dog from now on, they should be referring to the greeting that a dog gives its owner. They should enjoy calling a man a dog because there is no love and affection like a dogs love and affection, simple because you know without a shadow of a doubt that it's genuine. Give "the dog effect" a try.


"Whenever you don't know what to do...love. It never fails"-K.J Swint

The Revitalization of my Life-Day 55

It's very ironic that I spoke about my coach in my blog and I run into one of them while I was at work yesterday. We looked at each other and laughed and talked about the good ol days when all he made us do was run. I told him that I still have my same work ethics that I had in high school because of the discipline he instilled in me. After we finished talking I just started reminiscing about how hard I worked in high school to get on the basketball team. It was amazing. Then I started thinking about how much I changed when all of this happened. I went from a teenager that tried to defy everything that most adults told me to a determined young man who's ambitions were through the roof. But none of this happened over night.

When I was in middle school, I became very defiant. I wanted to do everything my way. I didn't want to listen to my great grandmother nor did I want to listen to my uncle. Well, me and my great grandmother got into an argument just about everyday. She wanted me to do things and I didn't want to do them. She didn't want me to play basketball and this was the ultimate. I went crazy. I didn't do my work. I made all F's on my report card. And I did all this to get back at her and all of the people who were trying to keep me in line. This would really make her angry. She would sit down in her favorite chair and just cry sometimes. As much as I wanted to make her angry, I couldn't stand to see her cry. One day she sat me down and told me that she was through with me. She said that she had washed her hands and now it was in the hands on the man. She was a very spiritual lady. She made sure that me and my uncle went to church EVERY sunday. She would tell us that the only way that she would let us stay home was if we were crying blood. One morning I tried to cry blood by using ketchup as tears. It didn't work. When she told me she washed her hands, I didn't pay any attention to it, but it was something different about her demeanor. It was almost as if a weight had been lifted from her and she was now free. She never fussed at me again nor did she argue with me about anything I wanted to do.

Little did I know that my life was about to change. When she had done all that she could, she told God, "it's now your turn." I was entering high school and I wanted to play ball bad. SHe had denied me in middle school, but this time she was ok with it. I didn't know what I was about to get myself into but I know that I wanted to play. My defiance had become a stepping stone instead of an obstacle. It made me push harder in practice and I was not about to quit because i was too stubborn for that. I never wanted anyone to get the best of me. Well, it paid off. I made the team and ended up being a damn good player. But basketball wasn't what made me a better person it was the training for it that did.

When my great grandmother had done all that she could, she then let God do the rest. This is how we have to be in our lives. Once we give all that we can give and a change has not happened; it's then time to put it in God's hands. I think that we don't realize that we have to put in sometimes in order for God to put up and put out. He wants to see how much we will put in and also if we will come to him for help. I am not a preacher nor do I declare myself a scholar in the spiritual area but I do believe this is how it is. I can only speak from experience. I turned out to be a pretty good guy, but only because my great grandmother did her part and then she let God do his part. They call him the father, so I guess my great grandmother told him to do his fatherly duties and I must admit, he did his part...now will you do yours?


"A whole is nothing without pieces"-K.J Swint

The Revitalization of my Life-Day 54

Well, I am glad to say that I am still on it. This has been a good week. I have made sacrifices and they have paid off. I have taken advantage of all my free time and in the midst of it all, I still made time for my wife. I planned my extra time around her schedule. I made sure when I was going to have a late night, the late night was one where she was going to have a late night as well. I didn't get up earlier than her but rather when she got up. I cancelled one of my appointments yesterday so that I could clean up the house for our guest we are having over tomorrow. I knew that if I did it ahead of time, this would ease her mind. This is what life is all about-making sacrifices for the one that you love. This is what truly makes me happy. Knowing that I have given my all and it being well worth it is what it is all about!

After I had finished cleaning the house, I sat down to talk to my wife. We starting talking and I asked her a question. I asked her, "why do we wait for things to change when we have the ability to change it and make our life better?" She paused for a minute and said, "I don't know." This question has been pondering me for a while now. The reason being is because when I talk to people and they tell me about the problems that they are having, I notice that by the end of the conversation they have told me the way that they can solve it but don't want to do it because they are waiting for the other person to make a move. Doesn't this seem to be a little confusing? If a person knew how to get a million dollars would they wait for someone to give it to them knowing that they can go get it themselves? This is the way I look at it. If you can make yourself and others happy by changing something, go ahead and change it and don't wait on someone to come change it for you.

Me and my wife had a disagreement, a bad disagreement and she was the one that was in the wrong. She and I both came to the conclusion that she was wrong. I knew she felt bad and even though she was wrong and I was hurt by it, I didn't let it stop me from making sure that her feelings were not totally destroyed by this. I sent her flowers everyday for the rest of the week. This took her off guard and she didn't understand why I would be sending her flowers when she was wrong. She figured that she should be the one sending flowers to me. In the world that we live in, she was right. But I believe in a different type of love than the love that you see on tv or see in the street. I believe in a type of love that doesn't wait on someone else to make things happen. I believe in a love that goes beyond what society thinks and make its own thoughts. I believe in true love. The love that loves regardless of what others think or say.
This is the same love that made Jesus turn the other cheek as he knew Judas would betray him. This is the same love that made Jesus asked for forgiveness of those that were trying and succeeded at killing him.

Don't wait on someone else to make you happy or make something happen for you. Let go of your pride and let love take over. You will find out that life is easier when this happens. It doesn't make any sense to be miserable when you have the ability to be happy.

"If misery loves company, then what does happiness love?...YOU-get with it"-K.J Swint

The Revitalization of my Life-Day 53

For the past few days, I have really been on it! I have gotten up early and went to bed late trying to make things happen for me. After today, I will be finished with one of the web pages that I am designing. I learned in college that you have to put in work and time if you want to get things done. I take this same concept with anything I do in life. It started in high school my sophomore year. My high school basketball coach told me to my face that I would never play for him because I was too skinny. I was hurt when he told me and I thought if the coach told me this, then I didn't have a chance in hell to play on the team. This thought lasted about a day and then I made up in my mind that I would make him eat those words. I was determined to make him want me to play for him. This was at the end of my sophomore year and school was about to be over. That summer, I discovered who Kelvin J. Swint really was. I didn't have a bike, so I borrowed my cousins (Genovia, thanks for the wheels!) bike which was a girl bike and I rode it everyday wherever I went. My daily routine consisted of riding the bike to the school, working out in the weight room,going back home for lunch (which consisted of two ham sandwiches and a apple) and then back to the school to play ball. Then at night, I would lift weights again and do push-ups before I went to bed. I did this everyday for two months. While I was at the school I would see the coach in passing and I wouldn't say a word to him. I was waiting for him to just see me in action.

My junior year was beginning and it was tryout time. The first 3 weeks of practice consisted of nothing but running. Well, I was well conditioned because I had been riding at least 10 miles a day on a bike during the summer. The running he had us doing was a cake walk to me. I finished before everyone else and I was not tired. This was my time to shine. I had worked extra hard and now it was time to reap the benefits. After every exercise, I would laugh and ask him is that all he had. I am not a cocky person, but I do believe in rewarding yourself if you have worked hard-this was my reward. He saw that he couldn't shake me in the conditioning area so he figured he would get me on the court. After the 3 weeks of running, it was time to start playing. We hit the floor and I was ready. What I didn't know was that by me doing all that I had done I was actually making myself a better ball player without using the ball a lot. I was faster and my endurance was unbelievable. My defense was impeccable. I was guarding guys that were ranked in the state and I was a nobody. It was like a dream come true. But then something else happened. We were running drills and on a fast break, I got the ball and jumped to make a lay-up and I noticed that I didn't stop going up. I was so high in the air that I scared myself, so I did the only thing I could do, I dunked the ball. Everyone in the gym was amazed. Not only because I dunked, but because of how high I jumped. I didn't know I had this ability. this was all new to me. But it all came from pushing myself to a limit that was unlimited. After practice was over, coach sat us down to talk to us about our training. He made this long speech and at the end he said, "you all had the whole summer, to practice and get ready for the season. Did you all do it? No you didn't because I can see it on the court. The only person that has improved himself is Swint." When he said this, I thought I would be happy and have that I told you smurk on my face, but I didn't. My mind was on another level. I was determined just to finish what I started. This was not about proving something to the coach, it was about proving something to myself.

This is how I treat everything in my life. My marriage, my goals and my obstacles. I am not out to prove anything to anyone but myself. I will wake up early and stay up late to make things better for me and my wife. Even if she doesn't understand what I am doing, it doesn't matter. It's not about her, it's about doing what I need to do to make things happen. I have to do what God has given me the ability to do. It's either I listen to her or listen to God...I think God knows best because he would not let me do anything crazy to harm our marriage. I don't care what others are doing or how they are doing it, I am my own person, I make things happen in my life. Like I said yesterday, I paint my own picture.

Pick up your paint brush and paint the picture that you want; not what everyone else is painting. Forget about what others think. Forget about what others may say or are saying. This is your life; live it like you want. You only get one life, but several chances to live it to the fullest. Take advantage of the best gift that God has ever given us. I know I am!

"You only have one life but several chances to live it to the fullest; make one of those chances now"-K.J Swint

The Revitalization of my Life-Day 52

For the past few days I have been on top of my game. I have been diligently working on my web pages and my book. In the mean time I have been maintaining my marriage. I leave the house early enough to work until I have to go to work and then when I get off I work for a while and then it's time for the wife. I never let my work get in the way of spending time with my wife. Just like the other day, I was at work and I was checking my bank account and I noticed that I had saved a few dollars by not eating out as much as I use to. Instead of going out and getting something for myself, I decided that I would get her something. There were some shoes I had been watching since the summer that I wanted to get for her, but I had other things to do so I just put it off. Well, now was the time to get those shoes. I went in and I was hoping that they had them in her size and low and behold, they did! They were a tad bit pricey, but it didn't matter because I had saved for it. I got the shoes and took them home to her. She was a bit taken because it's so close to Christmas and she was receiving a gift. She asked me was it a Christmas gift and Itold her no. I told her that it was just a gift that I wanted to give her. I wanted her to know that I didn't have to wait for Christmas to give her a gift-I could do it any time I want. I don't let days determine when I give her gifts, that's why I do it all year long.

It's been kind of hard for me throughout my life because I have always been different. No one really understands me. Most of the time they think that there is a motive behind the way I am. There is no motive, but there is a reason. You see, I lost my mother when I was six years of age. This was devastating itself but to make things worse, she died on Christmas Eve. Imagine a kid waking up on Christmas to find out that his mother has passed away and you really don't know what's going on at that age but you do know that everyone is sad and that's enough. But I did have someone to fall upon and that was my great grandmother, She raised me to be the man that I am today. She taught me life lessons, even though all she had was a six grade education. I have never met anyone like her in my life. The one thing that sticks out in my mind is something she told me when I was about in the third grade. I was sitting at the table doing my homework and i was looking a little frustrated as if I just couldn't get what I was doing. Well, I was working on my multiplication problems. She looked at the book and looked at me and sat down. She had this blank look on her face and I knew she was about to tell me something. She said to me, "Baby, momma can't help you with your homework, so you need to learn as much as you can while you are at school." It was an amazing moment because it was almost as if I knew exactly what she was saying at that age. From that point on I always made sure I got a clear understanding of everything before I left school. I even did my homework at school just in case I had any problems. After that day, she never said anything else about my homework. It was like she knew that I would make it happen.

But then, something happened. Later on in life, my junior year in high school, she passed away. I thought my life was over. I didn't want to do anything because everything that I was doing was for her. She was my world. I was lost for about a week and then she came to me in a dream and told me that she wanted me to live life like she taught me. From that moment on I made a vow to always treat women like they were queens because that is how I treated her. We had our ups and downs, but in the end I made sure she was taken care of. I told myself that I would be there for women even if they didn't know me. If they were down, I would be the one to pick them up. If they needed help, I would be the one to help them. Little did I know that this would cause problems for me in my personal life as well as my work life. Whenever I would see a woman down, I would buy them flowers or a card or their favorite snack; or if they got a promotion r even on Valentine’s Day if they didn't have a significant other. I was just trying to be nice. I was trying to be that, "pick me upper" for a moment. This came back to haunt me. Rumors would go around the office that I was trying to "get with" the women that I did this for. I was even accused of having an affair with a woman and they threatened to fire me. All of this was done just because I was being a nice man. But did it stop me, NOPE. I made a vow to myself and to my great grandmother. I would rather get fired for being nice than to stop being nice. That's just how she raised me, stand for what you believe in and I believed in her. Oh, and I forget to mention that my relationships. Let’s just say that the women didn't like the idea of me giving another woman flowers or anything of that nature. Did it stop me, NOPE. I made a promise and I was going to keep it.

Sometimes you have to continue to be yourself regardless of what others say or do. When you have right in your heart and others see wrong, you have to go with your heart. It may hurt and you may get ridiculed, but its well worth it when that person comes back to you and says, "Thank you. You changed my life." To me there are no rules when it comes to being nice. That's why I bought my wife shoes days before Christmas. I don't have to wait for a certain day to give her gifts. I can do it any day. I am not consumed nor will I ever e consumed by what should be when I can make it the way I want it to be. My marriage and my life are like a blank canvas everyday and I plan on painting the picture I want each morning I wake up. I refuse to wait on a day or some special occasion before I can do things that I want to do. God made the rules and those are the only rules I plan on following. As long as they are within his guidelines, I am fine. When he tells me to start giving gifts on certain occasions only, that's when I will do it...until then, I am my own rule maker in my life and in my marriage.


"Happiness is not defined by what you do, but how you feel when it's done"-K.J Swint

The Revitalization of my Life-Day 51

When you are trying to get it, you have to do whatever it takes to get it done. You have to take advantage of the opportunities when they present themselves and when they aren't there, you have to create them. It's 6am on a Saturday and I am inside of Starbucks writing and designing web pages. Not to mention that I have to be at work @9:30am. I woke up around 3:30 am and I couldn't go back to sleep. I figured, why not take advantage of all of the extra time I have. I got up, got ready for work then cleaned up the house and off to Starbucks I went. Now let’s be real for a second. By the time I got to Starbucks, I became very, very, very sleepy. As a matter of fact, I am sleepy right now. If there is any misspelling or grammatical errors, you know why.

In order to get things done in your life you have to put in some time. Whether it be before your day gets started or after it ends. I don't care what it is. It can be your marriage-you have to make time for the one that you love, let me rephrase that-you should want to make time to spend with that special person. It can be your dream-you have to put in work to develop the idea so that it can become reality. Yes, you will have some sleepless nights and some rough times, but for some odd reason when you are sacrificing for the good, it somehow feels so good. You may complain about how early you have to get up or how little sleep you've had but you complain with a smile. It's one of those feel good pains-just like birth. It's hard on a woman for nine months or so and then it's even worse the day of the actual birth. But then once it's over with, the world seems like a different place. Life is more angelic. Life is more beautiful than it was before and they never think about the pain that they endured. All that's on their mind is how much this little person means to them-AMAZING!

This is how you have to be with everything you want in life. You have to endure the pain to enjoy the happiness of your success. Success is not defined by the amount of money you make but by the accomplished goals that you achieve. You have to do what makes you happy. Once you realize that your happiness is one of the most important things in the world, you will be able to get more done in your life. Don't wait for the first of the year to come and then start on something-START NOW! The beginning doesn't always have to have a defined starting point; it can begin right now!


"Begin your beginning before you begin your ending"-K.J Swint

The Revitalization of my Life-Day 50

Once again, I had thoughts on my mind and I decided to get up extra early and go let them out. I am at Starbucks right now writing. I don't have to be to work until 8:30, so I am putting in an hour before I put in eight hours. It's a sacrifice that I make that I will make my life better whether it is by way of monetary value or just plain ol' happiness. Either way, I win. It's hard to lose when you are doing something you love to do because you're not doing it for money you're doing it because it makes you happy. If you just so happen to get paid for it, that's a perk.

I am kind of piggy-backing from what I posted yesterday. No one will understand until you have something to show for all the time you spent doing whatever it is that you do. But always remember, it's not about them, it's about you. Too often we try to do what everyone else is doing trying to make a quick dollar. When this happens, there is no passion in what we do, we are only looking to gain a small fortune temporarily. STOP! Stop running behind someone else's dream and start chasing your own. If you think it won't happen, guess what, IT WON'T! You have to believe in whatever you do. It's just like when you are living with your parents and want so bad to have your own home so that you can do things the way you want to do them. This is how you have to be about your dreams and what you want to do in life. People looked at me like I was crazy when I told them that I wanted to write poetry. They told me that there was no money in this market and I believed them so I stop writing it and started trying to write other things. Well, I found myself struggling to write because my niche was poetry. It was easy to me. I could sit and write four to five poems a day and more than that if I had the day off. When I couldn't write anything else, I went back to writing poetry and started believing in my work. The magic never happens until you believe in what you are passionate about. People were very receptive to my work. They loved my words and I loved them loving them.

Don't try to ride someone else's dream, create your own and make it happen. Don't let anyone tell you that what you want to do is crazy; try it to see if it is crazy for yourself. I know that I am not a millionaire and I really don't have anything to show you that I made it but one thing I do have that some millionaires don't have and that's happiness. I am happy doing what I do because what I do makes others happy and it inspires them to keep going and never give up no matter how bad it gets. Keep pushing and eventually you will find yourself pulling.

"It's easier to pull a wagon yourself rather than try to jump into one that's already moving"-K.J Swint

The Revitalization of my Life-Day 49

Today was one of those days where you wish everyday was like it. I went to bed early because my wife went to bed. I learned very early that if I go to bed when she goes to bed, I want have any problem getting up when she gets up before the sun comes out. After sleeping for about 5 hours I woke up with a lot of thoughts on my mind. I started thinking about ideas for my book and my blog. I couldn't sleep and I wanted to get up and write them down really quickly and go back to sleep but i knew if I got up, I would wake her up and I didn't want to do that because I did once before and it was not pretty. So I just laid there and thought about the ideas so that I wouldn't lose them. I pictured myself writing them down. I pictured myself typing them on my laptop. I even pictured myself in the scenes that I had in my head. At this point, I had it down pack. I was ready to write it all out all I needed was for her alarm to go off. I didn't know that it would be two hours before this would happen, but I made it. When she got up, I got up and I got ready for work. I didn't say one word to my wife because I thought that if I started talking that my thoughts would be distorted and I wouldn't be able to write the clear picture I had spent hours painting.

I said all of that to say that sometimes people don't know the sacrifices that you make for them. They don't see the suffering that you go through to make life simple for them. This can sometimes be frustrating especially when they are complaining about things that are not worth complaining about. You tend to start thinking about all that you have done that has gone unseen and it gets you a little heated. Here is where the test comes in and this is how you pass it. Always remember that you are not doing what you do to be seen by them but rahter by God. God is the only one that can see the unseen and hear the unheard. If you remember this, then you will be good to go. It may take you a couple of times, but practice makes perfect. It took me more than a few, but now I think I am a pro at it. Although every now and then it can get me a little frustrated but I managed to shake it when I think about all that the man upstairs has brought me through. I then smile and keep trucking. I never look at what could have been but rather what is about to become-what I can do to make it better going forward, not backwards because what's behind me can't dictate what happens in front of me-my future.

"The best time to do something is when you don't feel like doing it"-K.J Swint

The Revitalization of my Life-Day 48

I've heard many people say "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade" and every time I hear this I think to myself do people really take this piece of advice seriously? Well I must admit; I didn't. I was pigheaded and thought I knew everything. If I got lemons I always threw them away. If I wanted lemonade, I would just go buy some that's already made. Why would I sit down cut them up, squeeze them and then not have enough just for one glass. I was not about to go through all of this when I could just go to the store and get some.

Little did I know that at the age of 31 I would really realize exactly what this phrase meant. The other day while I was washing dishes I had an epiphany. My wife has this thing called a Vidalia chopping wizard or something like that. Anyway, it's a device that makes chopping onions easier for those who cook a lot. It works really well let my wife tell it. It makes getting meals done more satisfying for her. Well, there is a slight problem with it. It's very hard to clean. You have to get a knife and get all of the excess onions from between the nooks and crannies of the device. This doesn't bother her at all because she is not the one that washes the dishes all the time. I decided that I would tell her that we needed to get rid of it and find something else. She looked at me and said, "No" because it made cooking easier for her. Well since I didn't cook and I love to eat her meals, I just had to deal with it. But every time she would use it I would just cringe as it took me several minutes to clean this device.

Well, as I was cleaning it this past time, I started thinking as I was cleaning it. I started thinking about things that were on my mind and things I had to do and by the time I finished my thoughts, i was done cleaning. I sat the device on the counter and started smiling. I had found a way to turn my lemons into lemonade. I used the time that I spent on cleaning this device to clear my head. Never in a million years would I have thought that this device would end up teaching me a lesson.

Sometimes we need to take some time and really think about why something is bothering us. Even when we think that it's worth the fight or fuss, it just might not be. Just because it's a thorn in your side doesn't mean that it doesn’t have a beautiful rose attached to it. Take the time today to really evaluate the lemons in your life. You just might be able to make more than lemonade out of them; you might be able to make love out them!


"When life gives you lemons make love out of them!"-K.J Swint

The Revitalization of my Life-Day 47

So today is Thanksgiving and I would like to say Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family. Why am I posting to my blog on Thanksgiving; because I have to go to work this morning. But I am not discouraged at all. I am very thankful. This time last year I was working a job that I just didn't like at all. I had to be out in the cold the entire time that I worked. The year before that, I didn't even have a job. I was sleeping on the sofa in my aunt and uncles house. I am 6'3" and the sofa was 6'0". That was 2008. I woke up that year crying uncontrollably. To this day, I can't tell you why I was crying but I think it was because of the situation that I was in. I was so use to taking care of myself and depending on no one but me that I couldn't handle depending on others to take care of me. I never told a soul until now. Most people would probably be ashamed to tell this about themselves, but I'm not. I am never ashamed about anything that God has brought me through. I think it would be less of me not to tell because it may just help someone get through it just as I did.

Now one thing I can tell you about that sofa I slept on is that it was comfortable. How can a sofa that was not equipped to withstand someone of my height be comfortable? I think the reason why that sofa was so comfortable was because my aunt and uncle offered it to me with love. Any time you put love on anything that makes it just that much better. I never had back pains and they never complained about me sleeping on it.

This is what Thanksgiving is about to me. It's about family and friends doing for each other just because. Coming together to forget about the pains, the problems and the lies. Forget about the hard times, layoffs, and financial situations. Forget about the bad relationships, bad marriages, and lost loved ones. This time is all about remembering the good in life. The laughter that Uncle Willie brings every time he comes around during the holidays (everybody has an Uncle Willie, everybody!).

Today, I am thankful for my family and they know it. I am thankful just to have them in my life. Even the ones that I don't see often and the ones that can't even talk. I thank God every day for these people and also for the people that are not a part of my family-my friends.

So today, take a load off and just relax with the ones you love. Let all of the anger and issues go for today. Let love take over your heart and kindness over your soul. Give thanks for just being able to be around family that really love you for nothing more than you being you.


"There is something that you can always give no matter how broke you are-a hug, a smile, and love"-K.J Swint

The Revitalization of my Life-Day 46

Today was just like yesterday. I woke up feeling good and I woke up early time I changed up my routine. I decided that I wanted to take a shower before I went to Starbucks. When I got in the shower I started thinking of how good it felt to take a shower in the early AM. I was thinking about those that didn't have a shower and I just thanked God for giving me the opportunity to be able to take a nice hot shower on a cool morning.

We take the little things in life that mean a lot for granted. Things like showers, and hot meals and loved ones. All of these are of importance but we don't treat them as they are. We never take time to just enjoy them. Every year around the holidays, I get excited. Not because you get days off from work or because of the gift giving and food. I get excited because of the time that I get to spend with my family. Its a joy to see my loved ones come together under the same roof. When we are all together, I take a few moments to myself and just look at everyone when no one is paying me any attention. This is my way of taking a mental picture of the happiest moments of my life

When I started this revitalization it was mainly for exercising. But what I have come to learn is that the mind needs to be exercised just as well.

Take the time to enjoy the small things in life that have a big impact on it. Don't spend all of your time focusing on what you don't have, but rather what you do have and the happiness that it brings. You will be amazed at what happens to the things that you are worrying about, truly amazed!

"Love what you love and love what you don't love; either way you will never go wrong"-K.J Swint

The Revitalization of my Life-Day 45

I must say that today felt like is was going to be normal but turns out it wasn't. I woke up a little early than usually so I decided to go by Starbucks and get me a cup of java and read the novel Eat Pray Love. I got there and I must say that it was usual as any other morning. The starbucks associate asked me if I was having my usual and I told her yes. She fixed it and I sat down and began to enjoy my coffee and literature. As I was reading it I started to get this feeling like I had been in this moment before. Then it hit me. This had been a dream of mine since I was a little kid. I had always wanted to go to a coffee shop before I went to work to have a cup of coffee while I read a book. I thought that this would be so relaxing to do. As a child I thought that this made you smarter.

I was truly amazed that I had fulfilled a childhood dream of mine and didn't even recognize it. I got excited. I couldn't wait to get to this blog and blog about the incident. Some people don't understand why we do the things we do some time. They are always thinking that we should stick to the norm because the norm can keep you stable and carry you further than if you step outside of that normal box. Well, I step outside that box a long time ago and people are still looking at me as if I am crazy some times but it feels good to be doing what you have always dreamed of doing. Even if your dream is a simple as having coffee and reading a book before you go to work.

"Whether your dreams are big or small it doesn't matter as long as they exist and you strive to reach them...just keep dreaming"-K.J Swint

The Revitalization of my Life-Day 44

I am beginning to realize that Life is an ongoing event. The minute you think that you have it together or something seems complete, something happens and here comes a new adventure for you to tackle. I awoke this morning feeling good but feeling bad. I have a few projects that I needed to work on but didn't do this weekend. I only had one day off (Sunday) and I spent it doing nothing. My wife and I laid in the bed all morning just watching television. It felt great physically, but mentally it was bothering me. I feel as if I need to utilize all of my free time. This way, I can have more time to relax when the opportunity presents itself.

I think this is how a lot of people feel. They want to accomplish all of their goals in a timely manner and then they can relax. Well, I think God designed us a little differently than what we think. As I was resting yesterday, I started thinking to myself that I was just being lazy. I remembered the statement that my great grandmother always made-Laziness will kill you. I got a little discourage and I was a little ashamed at myself. But then as I was laying there thinking, the thought of the creation of the world crossed my mind. I remembered that part in the bible where it stated that on the sabbath, he rested. This made me think, if God can rest after creating the world, then surly his children can.

Its ok for us to rest as long as we are doing work that deserves a break. Sometimes, this is all we need in order to get us back on the right track. Its not about how much we can do in a short period of time but rather the quality of what we have done in the short time we were given. Take a little time and rest. If God could rest after six days of work, then we certainly can. We are suppose to follow his lead.

"Resting is the best medication that the doctor could ever prescribe"-K.J Swint

The Revitalization of my Life-Day 43

Today, I must say that I feel really good. I accomplish some goals that I had set for last night and I am up and at it early today. As I stated yesterday, it's hard getting adjusted to the weather but once you push yourself and just get at it, you are good to go. As we speak I am in my living room with no heat on typing on my computer. I think this takes real dedication. My wife believes in saving so I have to abide by her rules!

I was about to roll over and just go back to sleep and get up at my usual time when this voice kept speaking to me. It sounded familiar but I was like, it can wait until I get up. Then it kept on saying the same thing over and over and I just couldn't ignore it. So I got up and then it hit me why the voice sounded so familiar. It was the voice of my great grandmother whom is deceased. When I was younger she would always tell me, "Laziness will kill you." I never understood it then, but now I know exactly what she is talking about. This is what the voice was saying to me over and over. Well, she was so right. Laziness will kill you if you let it. If you keep putting off what you need to do because you are lazy you will eventually miss out on a lot and your dreams and aspirations will die. I think this is what my great grandmother was actually saying. You have to get off of your tail and get to moving or laziness will get the best of you. It will make you feel as if you need to be lazy when you don't. There is a time and a place for everything as the bible says. There is even a time to be lazy. But that time only occurs after the labor has been plenty and the body needs rest to replenish its energy to endure more labor to achieve more goals.

Don't let laziness set in with you. Get up right now. I know it's cold and the bed feels so good, but you have to begin your journey somewhere. You can't start at the top at every point in your life and not everything is going to be handed to you. You have to go get some things yourself. If I can get up and blog in a cold house, you can definitely do whatever it is that you need to do.

"Laziness will kill you"-K.J Swint (Catherine Burks)

The Revitalization of my Life-Day 42

Today was one of those days where I didn't feel like getting up. I layed in bed longer than I should have. But once I got up, I was good. Then I started thinking to myself,"why is it so hard to get out of bed in the winter time versus the summer?" I pondered and pondered and came to the conclusion that it all has to do with temperature.

Our body is set at 98.6 degrees. In the summer time, the weather is closer to our body tempt which makes it easier for us to adapt. But the winter is different, our bodies have to make a major adjustment because of the tempt difference.Especially in the morning when its the coldest.

This is who life is. We have to get adjusted before we can make any moves. In order to do this we have to know our surroundings and prepare ourselves. We have to make sure we have the right clothing and that our home has the installation that it needs to keep our bodies warm. Once we get adjusted, we are good to go. Its hard, but just think about the upside; winter is only a season and after its over with, spring is here. In the season of despair, look forward to the season of fruitfulness.

"When seasons begin to change so should you"-K.J Swint

The Revitalization of my Life--Day 41

Today, I start yet another early morning trying to break the cycle. I woke up early this morning and couldn't go back to sleep, so I decided to take advantage of the extra time. When I started getting ready, I noticed that I was looking a little rugged so I decided to trim myself up a little. You see, I am growing a beard and it is not easy to have. You have to maintain it in order to make yourself look presentable. While I was trimming it and lining it up, I had this crazy thought. I started thinking about life. I know that it's weird to think about life while trimming your beard, but I did. I started thinking about how it takes time to get things within our life done. Just like the growing of my beard. In the first stage, you have to get through the itching and the looking rough. It's never easy starting anything. Not even a beard. Then the next phase is smooth sailing. Once you get a little growth, you tend to look better because no longer do you have a five o'clock shadow, you have definition and it's not rough looking. At this stage, I love it. But then comes the next phase. This is the most crucial stage of them all. Once the beard gets to the point where you have to maintain it by combing it and trimming it more often so that you can look presentable; its trouble. This is the phase where most people cut it off. It becomes too much trouble. No one wants to spend a little time grooming a beard, especially a man.

This is just like the goals in our life. At certain points, they get to be too much. Once we achieve them we have to maintain them. Maintaining our success can sometimes be harder than getting there. When I say success, I am talking about everything and anything that you have succeeded at. Maintaining weight loss, it's harder than actually losing weight. Maintaining a healthy marriage is harder than the courtship. All of these things are harder once you get them but there is a key to making it easier. The key to maintaining your success is remembering. Remember how you were before you succeeded. Remember what you had to endure to obtain your success. Remember how you felt before the success. Then ask yourself, "Do you really want to go back to being the way you use to be?" This thought will rejuvenate you desire to maintain and it will make your maintenance seem like nothing compared to what you had to do to get to maintaining.

I know that this is a weird comparison, but I had to speak about what I know and I know about growing a beard. If you are a woman just substitute the beard with your hair and substitute growing with getting done. You might be able to better understand it then. Main point, don't let the maintenance of your success destroy the actual success that has been achieved. Take it by the horns and just do it. Keep it up and then one day you will realize that the maintenance is no more than a simple part of your daily routine that doesn't really require as much effort as you thought...remember to remember!

"Don't let the maintenance of your success destroy the actual success that was achieved"-K.J Swint

The Revitilazation of my Life--Day 40

Only a few hours of sleep and I am back at it again. I was so inspired by the post that I made last night that I decided to get started on my mission bright and early this morning. After I made the post last night, I starting thinking about my life and all that I have been through. I thought about the good times and the bad times. I thought about all of the people that I have met over the years that I am still friends with to this day. I took all of these thoughts and made them into one big thought of inspiration. I let the joy of my past be the motivation for my future. I realized that the joy outweighed the pain and it made me feel so much better. It actually made me feel so good that I got up at 5am and begin working on my projects.

I am on a mission to make my life better. I didn't say that this mission was going to be easy, but I am going to put all that I have into making it happen. No matter what happens within my life, I will continue this journey until I complete it. You should make this same vow to yourself. Don't let situations stop you from accomplishing whatever it is you want to accomplish. Take on the challenge and in the end it will be well worth it. Just think about it, your parents dealt with all that you put them through but they never gave up on you so don't give up on yourself. And then to, God puts up with all of our lies, unfaithfulness, and backsliding but he never lets us go. Even when we let ourselves go, he is always there. Get up and get started on revitalizing your life right now. You have to sacrifice something in order to make a change in your life. I'm sacrificing sleep because I don't have to be to work until 12:30 pm and I have been at Starbucks since 7am. My bed was calling me, but my will to finish was yelling too loud for me to hear the bed. Is your will yelling?

"Get back to living life and stop letting life live you!"-K.J Swint

The Revitalization of my Life--Day 39

Well, I am back again. Today for the first time in over a month I worked out. Today is also the first time that I have posted anything in a while. I fell off but I didn't give up. I made my usual run around the neighborhood broke a sweat, took a shower and now here I am. While I was running I had a lot on my mind because a lot has happened since I last posted to this blog. I had a few projects to come up that needed some attention which took up a lot of my time. Then I had to take care of home, which for anyone who is married, knows that this takes up more than enough time. During my run I started thinking about all of the people who start off doing something and never finish what they start and then move on to something else. I then asked myself is that me? Am I a starter that never finishes? Am I that person that loves to move to the next project before finishing the first?

As I took a deep breath and started into deep thought, I noticed that I had all the signs of being "that person." Just about everything that I start I never finish. I have started on three different novels and I have never finished one. There are many projects that I have right now that I haven't finished and I started on them months ago. I have become the person that I despise. But how do I break this vicious cycle? How can I become a finisher instead of a starter? I guess expressing myself as I am doing now is the first step. The next step should be to write out all of my projects and set a date to finish them. Then work on each project each day until it's done. But what happens when I get side tracked? Take a break and do nothing until I get my focus back and then go at hard.

Life is easy; we just make it harder than what it's supposed to be. I read in the Bible once that God gave us life to have abundantly (or something like that). In other words, he gave us life to enjoy. His intentions were not for us to have a hectic life. He already knew that we were going to have challenges, so that's why he gave us a guide (the Bible) so that we would be prepared for it. The majority of the problems that we have are caused by use, not him. We try to veer away from what we should be doing and do our own thing and end up in messed up situations. Whether it be financial, spiritual, or emotional we do it to ourselves. Some problems are out of our control and those are the challenges that I spoke of earlier. Those are the things that God knew we were going to face. The other stuff, he figured we would do but gave us a choice whether to take the hard road or travel the road he paved for us. This is the reason that he is so merciful and forgiving.

I said all of that to say, it's never too late to start and when you start something, make it your business to finish. Don't let situations get in your way because situations are always going to be there. It's time to take your life back and live it the way you want and the way God designed for you to...get back to living life and stop letting life live you!

"Get back to living life and stop letting life live you!"-K.J Swint

The Revitalization of my Life-Day 38

When I knocked down that B.R.I.C.K, I just knew that everything was going to get better. Well, I was wrong. I ran into another brick wall. Excuse my French, but DAMN! Can I get a break between brick walls? It took me almost a month to knock down the first brick wall; there isn’t any telling how long it will take me to knock this one down. I am tired, my body is weary and my mind is shot. What am I to do? I have prayed till not only do my knees hurt, but my hands and eyes as well. I have asked God to give me a sign to let me know that I am in the clear of all this turmoil. I told him that I can't keep knocking these brick walls down back to back. My body won't allow me to do so.

As I was awaiting an answer my breath got short and I got very weak. Unable to move or even cry for help, I just laid there and thought that I was going to die. But then all of a sudden, I caught my breath and my strength came back. Then it hit me. I looked up to the sky and told him thank you for bringing me back to reality. You see, I could be dead and gone just that fast and then I wouldn't have to worry about knocking down a brick wall. He had provided me with everything that I needed to knock down every brick wall that I run up on. When things get hard, we have to get harder than our problem or issue. We can't let it get the best of us. Situations allow us to keep the strength of our faith strong. If we didn't exercise it, it wouldn't be as strong as we would need it to be when something BIG hit.

Whatever issue you have right now, take it to GOD and pray about. After praying about it, hit it harder than it hit you. What I mean by this is if your issue is a financial one, take the initiative and sacrifice eating out or doing anything extra to make up for the hit that you just encountered. If is a relationship issue and you just ended it, hit it harder by picking your feelings up and taking yourself out to eat or to a movie. You have to hit your issue harder than it hit you. You can’t be scared to face it and fight with the little weapons that you have, you have to give it all you have with what you have. David killed Goliath with a stone and a sling shot...find your sling shot and kill your Goliath.

"When an issue or problem hits you hard, take whatever you have and hit it harder"-K.J Swint

The Revitilization of my Life-Day 37

It's been almost a month since the last time I posted anything in this blog. I was on a steady roll with blogging and doing things to better myself. Then all of a sudden, a B.R.I.C.K (Bringing Revitilization Inside Causing Knowledge) wall just came out of nowhere. I knew it was coming and I thought that I was prepared for it and it seems as if I wasn't. I made a vow to myself that I would continue this path I was on no matter what. I was focused for 36 days and then everything began to happen. Truth be told, things didn't get that bad, but it was just a lot of things came down on me at one time. My expectations were that maybe one or two things would happen and I would be able to handle it. I was hurt, disappointed and just downright angry at myself for falling off. There were times that I could have logged onto my computer and blog about my days but I was just too caught up into myself and my issues. But then one day I remembered what I told myself in an earlier blog-"Just keep thinking about what you want to do even if you don't do it." And that's what I kept doing daily. I would just keep thinking of what I wanted to write and what I wanted to accomplish and here I am.

Yeah, its 27 days later, but I am here and back at it. This is the reason why I chose to blog about revitalizing. It's because no matter what happens, you can always bounce back. The key to it is to never give up in your mind. There are times that your body will give out or give in, but as long as your mind is walking the path that you want your body to run you will manage to always get back on track. The trick to this is when you run into that brick wall; you know that you are very close to reaching you goal. For after every brick wall, there is a new road that hasn't been traveled yet and the street has your name on it. I just knocked down my brick wall and when I looked up at the sign, there it was, as big as day-K.J Swint. If there is a street sign with my name on it that must mean that the town with my name on it has to be nearby.

I am heading to a town with my name on it and in that town await my goals. So when you get to that brick wall, don't get discouraged, get excited for the end is almost near.

"Every step that is taken in life is taken with faith-even when you know where you're going, you really don't know where you're going to end up"-K.J Swint

The Revitalization of my Life-Day 36

All I can say today is I love my wife. I love my wife. I love my wife. I love my wife. I love my wife. I love my wife. I love my wife. I love my wife. I love my wife. I love my wife. I love my wife. I love my wife. I love my wife. I love my wife. I love my wife I love my wife. I love my wife. I love my wife. I love my wife. I love my wife. I love my wife. I love my wife. I love my wife. I lvoe my wife. I love my wife. I lvoe my wife. I love my wife. I love my wife. I love my wife. I love my wife. I love my wife. I love my wife. I love my wife. I love my wife.

I love my wife. I love my wife. I love my wife. I love my wife. I love my wife. I love my wife. I love my wife. I love my wife. I love my wife. I love my wife. I love my wife. I love my wife. I love my wife. I love my wife. I love my wife I love my wife. I love my wife. I love my wife. I love my wife. I love my wife. I love my wife. I love my wife. I love my wife. I lvoe my wife. I love my wife. I lvoe my wife. I love my wife. I love my wife. I love my wife. I love my wife. I love my wife. I love my wife. I love my wife. I love my wife.

And last but not least, I love my wife!

"Love is love no matter how you say it or write it"-K.J Swint

The Revitalization of my Life-Day 35

Woke up this morning with a good heart, a good mind and a good spirit. I had no negative thoughts. Most of the time we wake up thinking about something from the prior day that wasn't so good. Not today. I told myself the night before that I was going to wake up with a new mind and a new way of thinking. Before I went to bed I was reading the Love Dare (great book for couples who are married and about to get married. This is my second time reading it and each time I learn something different. I was reading it to make sure that I was doing some things right within my marriage. I have seen people get comfortable and complacent and I was checking to make sure I hadn't become that way. While I was reading it I started thinking about all of the time that I had been putting into my marriage. Focusing solely on making everything right for my wife. This is not a bad thing, not bad at all. But sometimes you have to think about what's going on in your life. you have to learn how to balance.

By balance I mean I need to take a little time and focus on my writing. There is nothing wrong with having the best of both worlds. I can give my wife a lot of time and also give my writing a lot of time as well. I think a lot of times a lot of people don't think that they can balance certain things after they are married. They read to much into some of the phrases and things that a marriage consist of. When you hear that you have to mainly focus on your spouse, it doesn't mean stop everything that you are doing and just focus on them for the rest of your life. It just means that they need to be your main focus. Take care of them first and then do whatever else you want to do. That's the one thing I love so much about the Bible. It's written to cater to all of our needs. It's a guide that fits YOUR situation at the time you need it.

This is how marriage should be taken. The guidelines for it should be taken and interpreted to cater to what's going on your life at that moment. And we should realize that what works for John and Sally, might not work for Jim and Susan, but if they take the time and read it for themselves, they just might find something that will work for them.

"Advice shouldn't be taken literally but figuratively-it's a guide, not the gospel"-K.J Swint

The Revitalization of my Life-Day 34

My mission when I first started this journey was to get back in shape. I wanted to get a workout within my daily routine. I called this the revitalization of my life because I wanted to make my life better. What I have learned while on this journey is that revitalization doesn't always come in the form of exercising. Within these 34 plus days I have revitalized my mind more than I have my body. The beautiful thing about this is I think my mind needed more revitalizing than my body. I haven't been working out like I wanted to, but my mental state is a whole lot better.

When you set out to accomplish something to better yourself sometimes it might take a turn but don't get discouraged, keep going. Throughout this journey I have learned to be more patient, more kind, and more understanding with myself and others. I think that once this part of my life gets in focus then the working out will fall into place. I can say that at this point, I am proud of myself. I didn't think that I would still be on this journey. Even though my initial goals haven't been met, I am still proud. As long a my life is being revitalized, I can live with it. The key to this is to get your life in order first, and then everything else will follow suit.

"Keep going, keep striving, keep pushing...even when all you can do is do it in your mind!"-K.J Swint

The Revitalization of my Life-Day 33

Haven't been excercising lately. But what I have been doing is something that has been making my life better. It's been a secret of mine and I guess now is the right time to share it. Every morning I leave for work hours before I am scheduled to be there. I do this so that I can have time to work on my novel and other writing projects that I have. The main reason for me doing it early in the morning is so that I won't interfer with the time that is spent between me and my wife. I realized that it could take me hours to finish some projects that I have. When I realized this, I had to come up with a way to make everything work out. My work schedule flucuates and when I am suppose to go in late, I go in early and just sit and write until it's time to clock in.

Sacrifice is one of the key ingredients not only in a relationship but in life. When you can recognize a problem and come up with a sloution that doesn't require any discussion from the other person, you have discovered a great wonder. The wonder of sacrfice. Even if the other person doesn't know what and why you are doing, it doesn't matter. Sacrifice doesn't need a congradulation, thank you or award. The reward for it is seeing the other person happy. And a old man once told me a happy wife will give you a happy life. I understand that guy now! Thanks old man!

The Revitalization of my Life-Day 32

I've missed a couple of days, but let me tell you that it was worth it. I had to get my life a little more organized. I started my making a commitment in my mind to get it done. I am speaking of house chores and to be more exact, mowing the lawn. I got up early on Saturday morning and begin mowing the lawn. While mowing I noticed that it was taking me longer than I thought to get it done. The reason for this is because i went so long without cutting it that a miniature forest had developed in my back yard. Then it hit me. It's hard to clean up when you let it get too dirty. The same can be accessed to our life. When we put things off for a long time and let opportunities and chance pass us by, reaching our goal becomes a whole lot harder. We have to work extra hard to get the simple things done. Take the time to do a little now and you don't have to worry about having to work extra hard in the future.

Not only did I just mow the lawn, but I cleaned the entire house. I thought it would be nice for my wife to lay around and do nothing for a whole day. After cleaning, I was beat. All I wanted to do was lay down and take a nap. But here is where the revitalization comes in. It was early and I know my wife. I know that she likes to get out and do things, so I got up put on some clothes and told her, "lets go out."

When you don't feel like doing something and feel as if all the attention should be on you, take that thought out of your head and place the attention on your spouse/girlfriend. Doing this will cause for more happy moments than sad ones. It will create a world that you thought couldn't exist. But I didn't stop there. On Monday afternoon, I took flowers to her job again (I also took flowers on FRIDAY as well). This time I did it because we had a great weekend and just because it was MONDAY, the beginning of the week. I am trying to create that world that most don't think exist. A world that operates on pure love. A love that cares about the well being of my wife...my world!

"Love that exist in your world creates the best thing for you and your lover, it creates discovery"-K.J Swint

The Revitalization of my Life-Day 31

It's amazing when you sit back and think about what you have in your life and realize that life is better than good, it's FANTASTIC! I woke up this morning with a lot on my mind. Well, to be honest I went to bed with a lot on my mind. Thoughts were running through my head at 70 mph. The more I tried to stop them the more they just kept coming. Then I thought about the things that I had written for others to read. I thought about the different methods that I had posted in my previous post. So I took my own advice. I sat down and meditated for a while. Once the thoughts stop running and stated walking, I took a few minutes to just reflect on the things that I have and not the things that I don't have. Now it all made sense. In order for you to really appreciate the things that you have you have to sit down and just reflect some times. By the time I got myself together, another thought came to mind. I starting thinking about how you should always do something special when your not feeling well. When your not at your best, work harder at being you.

I got up and left for work early because I wanted to put some time into my novel. As I left, I asked myself, "what can I do to better myself while I am not feeling to well?" I immediately stop by the store and picked up some flowers and took them to my wife at work. On the card it read-"just because it's FRIDAY!" I dropped off the flowers and continued on my journey. I made my wife feel better than she was feeling and made myself feel better as well. Sometimes it's not about you even when you think its suppose to be about you. If you make it your business to always make it about the other person, you will never go wrong...never. Everyday that I live I make it abut my wife. It's not always in the form of flowers, but it's always about her. Even when she doesn't see it, it's about her. Even if she never knows it, it's about her. I look for nothing in return because what I do for her comes from the heart. I take that back, its deeper than that. It comes from the soul. If she never tells me she loves me, I won't get mad because she married me. I have her for life. If she never buys me anything for my birthday, Christmas or any holiday, I won't say a word because she gave me her heart on July 3, 2010. That was the only gift I ever needed to be a satisfied man.

We have to stop looking at the surfaced and start looking and the core. Because the core is what keeps us sustained. The surface just keeps our imaginations inspired. I realized that love was deeper than just falling in love a long time ago. It's deeper than just saying I Love You. It's deeper than buying gifts. It's so deep sometimes that only the person that you are with can see it and that's all that matters. And when it's that deep, no one can ever touch. It can't be scratched because it's not on the surface. It can't be blemished because it's at the core.

"Love is neither bought nor sold, so don't ever try to get anything in return for it"-K.J Swint

The Revitalization of my Life-Day 30

Today has started off on a good not. Got up early to put a little more time into working on my book. I have just begun the first stage in editing it. I see that this is not easy. It requires a lot of reading and thinking. I just hope and pray that I can keep posting to my blog. I hope that it doesn't take so much of my time that I don't have my leisure time to write. I am beginning to see that there are some things in my life that I will not be able to do until I finish this book. But hopefully, it will be well worth the sacrifice.

Accomplishing something that you have wanted so bad is worth any sacrifice. As long as you take care of the necessities. If there is something in your life that you want to accomplish and you feel as if you can't do it, try to get rid of some of the things that add no value to your life and see if you can achieve your goal. In order to get something you have to give something.

I hope that this post is not the last but if it is, just know that I am working very hard to achieve something that has been within me for many years. I will still be revitalizing my life, just within the words of my book. Good day!

"Failure is the best teacher for success"-K.J Swint

The Revitalization of my Life-Day 29

Once again, falling off is a part of coming up. I haven't been doing what I have set out to do as far as excercising and meditating. But what I have been doing is trying to get some things that are in my life in order. I had to realize that order is needed in your life in order to get certain things done. And as I stated in another post, I still have it set in my mind that it's a part of my daily routine.

I sent out a quote on yesterday and I got a reply back that asked if I took my own advice. This was a very interesting question. I had been asked it many times before but this time it took me off guard. I thought for a second and I replied back that I practice what I preach before I preach it. This is when it all started coming together. I was doing it without thinking. I was taking my own advice and practicing what I preach. this was the reason why I took the time to not work out and meditate because I had more important things to take care of and get in order so that I can manage my time better. I have a new life, a wife and this causes for time management. Once I realized that I was still revitalizing my life, I got excited. It felt really good to sit back and realize that even when I thought I wasn't getting things done, I really was.

Take the time to organize your life. It will give you more time to get some of the things done that you have been wanting to do like workout, read, write, spend more time with that special someone. What you will realize is that half of the problems that you had will dissolve. It will seem like a miracle but all it will be is just you realizing that you had to organize in order to restore order within your life.

The Revitalization of my Life-Day 28

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As I sit back and look over my life, I can honestly say that I am happy. As I refelct on all of the good and bad times, I can say that I enjoyed them all because I am still here. I read my post from yesterday and got inspired. I got out of bed at 3 a.m. and began to write. You know that you love doing something when you wake up out of your sleep to do it. I must admit that I did have a lot on my mind, but I could have easily stayed in the bed and just thought about it and gone back to sleep, but I didn't. I got up and at it.

Today I just want to refelct on the good things that has happened in my life, along with the bad as well becasue it has made me stronger and wiser. While I was at work yesterday, I just sat back and watched the many different people that walked by me. Some of them had a limp. Some of them had a oxygen tank. Some of them where in a wheel chair. As I looked upon all of these people I had to ask myself, "I wonder what are they thinking when they see me?" Then it hit me, they are probably saying to themselves, "wish I had it like he has it." This is why I live my life to the fullest. This is why I don't stress over nonsense things. I take the time to enjoy what God has given me so that if I end up not having the ability to do something I once did, I can happily say that I enjoyed it when I had it.

Sometimes I just sit and watch the sun set. Sometimes I just sit and watch the sun rise. Sometimes I just sit and listen to music. Sometimes I just go out and run. Sometimes I just take a stroll around the neighborhood. Sometimes I just sit and think about nothing. Sometimes I just sit and thank God. I take the time to do these things because these are the things that matter the most to me in life. These are the things that I enjoy because I feel that these things are what make the world go round.

Today, take the time to enjoy some of the things that you really don't get to enjoy. Take a walk in the neighborhood. Call an old friend and just talk about the good ol days. Call a family memeber and talk about how yall grew up. Just take a little time and enjoy what you use to enjoy before there were cell phones and facebook. Turn off the computer and turn on your imagination, let it run free. Beleive it or not, you just might enjoy yourself.

"Life is not about how it was made but how it will be remembered"-K.J Swint

The Revitalization of my Life-Day 27

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It's been a while since I last posted anything but that's only because I have been a little busy trying to get somethings in my life in order. I will be the first to admit, I have fallen off. I haven't been working out nor have I been meditating. I haven't been writing either. But here is where it all comes together. Here is where things start to look dim and bleak in your life.

When you set out to accomplish a goal, no one ever tells you that you are going to fall off. No one ever tells you that there will be points along the journey where you stop doing what your trying to accomplish. But the beautiful thing about falling off is the part where you dust yourself off and get back at accomplishing your goal. The reason why it's so beautiful is because it's a sign that you are close to the finish line. You always fall off when you get close to accomplishing your goal. That's because it gets really hard when your close to the end because you have been enduring throughout the whole race. You have been tried, tested, troubled, taunted, tackled, trampled, and tossed. But now you are about to be rewarded. To be able to say that I made it through everything you have been through including falling off for a minute, that's more than money can buy.

And let me let you in on a little secret. When you fall off, you really don't fall completely off because at this point, you are accustomed to certain things in your life that you are actually still doing just not at the pace that you want to. All you have to do is just stay focused and keep going. When you feel as if you can't go anymore, just sit there and let your mind take you there until you are able to take your body.

"Nothing comes into existence without being thought of first-keep thinking, keep dreaming"-K.J Swint

The Revitalization of my Life-Day 26

Oh how good it feels to accomplish something that you have been trying to accomplish for a long time. In my recent post, I mentioned that I was going to start meditating. Well, this didn't just recently come about. I have been wanting to start a daily meditation since I was in college. I use to think that if a person can just put themselves into solitude for an hour a day, they can get more accomplish because it will help them to focus better. Well, I did it! Yes, I finally had my first meditation moment. It was only 15 minutes, but I did. My ultimate goal is to reach an hour a day. I know this is going to take some time, but I know that I can do it.

Now I must tell you about the experience. It was unbelievable. I didn't sit Indian style in the center of a room with my palms up like you see on t.v. I just sat in a chair with my feet flat on the floor and my fingers interlocked. The first 1 minute felt like an hour. It was kind of hard just sitting there not doing anything but thinking. I had to gather my thoughts because they were very scattered and this is what was making the time seem like it was going by so slow. Once I gathered my thoughts, it was exhilarating. I took myself to a place that I hadn't been ever in my life. I was inside the deepest part of my thoughts placing them strategically as I want them and at the same time thinking about all that I had to accomplish. I was thinking about short term goals long term goals, and even how I was going to clean the house when I got off work. It was truly amazing. Not only did it give me a sense of organization, but it gave me a sense of freedom. I could go anywhere I wanted to go and actually feel as if I am there if I focuses hard enough. I could accomplish any task that I wanted to in a matter of seconds. It was the best 15 minutes of just pure peace that I have had in my life. Now I will say that it felt like I was meditating for hours but I just have to get my body and mind on one accord with all of this. It's just like exercising. You have to start slow and gradually work your way up to more strenuous exercises. I know tomorrow will probably be more difficult than today, but I know that if I fight through it and pull it off, it will be well worth it.

I say to you today, if you don't think that you have time to revitalize your life, think again. If I can take 15 minutes and just sit and think about nothing or about how to better myself, you can too. We find time to do everything else in our lives, why not take the time to make it better. Take away your favorite television show for one night. Use that time to go off into a room with no noise at all. If you don't have a room like this, go to your car. No radio, no cell phone, no nothing. Just you and your thoughts. Start off small if you don't have the time...15 minutes. once you experience what I experienced you will want to increase your time to an hour. The key to this is that you have to focus on what's within and not what's on the outside. Focus on yourself!

"Meditation is nothing but medicine for the mind that heals the body and purifies the soul"-K.J Swint

The Revitalization of my Life-Day 25

In the midst of my journey to revitalize my life, there have been adversities. But I have learned that you can't dwell on them. You have to accept them for what they are and keep going as if they never existed. Today is an off day from working out, but not an off day from revitalizing myself. I have taken on a new challenge that will require a great deal of focus. I am taking the challenge to start meditating. Now, I don't know anything about it, but I am gong to try it. I am going to do my research on it today and then tomorrow morning, I shall begin. I am going to take baby steps and try doing 15 minutes the first couple of times that I do it. My ultimate goal is to be able to get up every morning and meditate for an hour solid with no noise, no cell phone, no television, no nothing. All I want to do is sit and think about my life and myself. I want to be able to get in tune with my thoughts and try to make them become clearer. I want to make them so clear that they can become reality whenever I want them to. Along with just getting in tune with myself, I plan on getting in tune with my spiritual side. I think this will help me to bring all aspects of my life together.

On another note, when you are trying to get your life in order, most of the time, you run into problems or obstacles. And then you also run into things that are enlightening as well. I was riding in my car a few days ago and I made a wrong turn to go to a meeting. The wrong turn turned out to be the right one. Yes, I was in an unfamiliar area, but it was a nice area of town that I hadn't seen before. I drove through and found my way through and made it to my meeting. Later that evening I asked the question why did I make that wrong turn? Well, today I had the urge to come back to the place where I made the wrong turn and ran into an old fraternity brother of mine. We spoke and sat down and chit chatted for a while about the different dilemmas of life. He expressed to me a real tough decision that he had to make and he didn't know what he was going to do. He said that he had prayed about it and it was just really heavy because his decision is one that is life altering. I just sat and listened to him and never really expressed my opinion like I normally would do, but I did tell him that he should really pray about it and that no one could make the decision but him. It's funny how you end up in places you have no earthly idea why you are there. I had no clue that he was going to be there and I had no idea that he was going through some life changing things but I do know that I was sent to him not to advise but to listen.

Sometimes we are sent places to listen and not advise. God sometimes reveal to us our answers just through the presentation of someone else. I think this happens to the people that are very stubborn. He might have been that stubborn type that just needed for someone to listen and chime in when necessary. I don't know and I am not trying to figure it out. I am just going to keep making wrong turns when I am told to take it.


"The wrong turn can sometimes turn out to be the right choice"-K.J Swint

The Revitalization of my Life-Day 24

I placed my feet on the ground this morning and I thanked God for giving me another day to do what I do, write and inspire. I haven't worked out in a couple of days, but I am still on it. I must say that today I was inspired by a man that I met yesterday. The guy is a normal guy except for the fact that he can't get around like everyone else. There is something wrong with the left side of his body, but this doesn't stop him. He has a family and a job. As I see him in passing from time to time I speak and we chit chat about college football and then that's it. Well, yesterday was a little different. We spoke as usual and then I told him that people had been saying that it was extremely hot outside. He looked at me with a solid look and then cracked a smile and said, "it may be hot, but I'm thankful. You know I use to be a little bitter because I couldn't get around and play with my kids like I wanted to, but now and everyday that I am walking on top of the dirt and not laying under it, I am thankful. Some times that physical spirit will try to get the best of you and have you believing that things aren't that good for you, but you can’t let it get the best of you. You have to let the supernatural spirit guide you and help you to see the real matters of the world, the matters that matter the most. I might not be able to get around like I want to, but I can get around and that's all that matters." I was taken by this. He was so humble in spite of his flaws as if they didn't exist.

This is how we should be everyday of our life. We should just be thankful for the things that matter. And not only be thankful, but be grateful. If there is something in our life that we don't like that we can do something to change it, don't complain about it, be about it! Start doing what it takes to change it. God has given us several resources to make things better in our life and it's our job to use these resources to the best of our ability. Why would he give us more resources when we are not using the few he has given us. Take the time today to realize what resources God had given you and use them and then watch how things start to change and then he will give you other resources to accommodate your life style as it progresses. Don't sit around and complain about not having a car when you have a bike that you haven't tried to use. If you use that bike God just might provide you with a job that can pay for you a car...but you have to show him that you’re using the resources that he has already given you.

"Use what you have to get what you want and you will always have what you need"-K.J Swint

The Revitalization of my Life-Day 23

Today feels like it's going to be a good day. My performance last night was GREAT! The audience really liked what I had to say. I was extremely nervous, but I made it through without a hiccup. While I was speaking I was thinking to myself that it's amazing how a person's words can affect people. As I was speaking I glanced at the audience and saw smiles on some people faces and on others I saw a glow that stated, "I am enjoying every word that comes out of your mouth." This moment brought me to this thought, "If words are this powerful and we know it, why don't we use them more to uplift people everyday?"

I pondered this question all night and the only thing that I could come up with were two reasons. One is that some of us really don't know how powerful words are and we just don't care how we use them. Or two, some people just don't know how to use the words and the people that do are gifted with the talent of placing the right words with each other to make beautiful music that has no harmony, no tune, no nothing except a voice. I was told last night that I have a gift. Not just to write, but to speak what I write. For a while I have been in denial about this. I was just thinking friends were being friends and just trying to encourage me to do something they thought I liked doing. But as I watched an audience of people who didn't know me from Adam, focus on every syllable, noun, adjective and verb, I figured that my friends might be right, I might have a gift. I have been utilizing it to the fullest by posting to this blog everyday (or everyday I can). I have also been utilizing it by writing poems for people that I know and don't know and framing it for them.

I just thank God for my talent and I try to make myself better at it everyday. I didn't work out today, but I am taking notes and writing from the heart and I think that this might not only be revitalizing just my life, but maybe someone who reads this. In order to put more focus into my writing, I think I am going to make a vow right now. I am going to make a vow to put my cell phone on lock! From the time I get home to the time I go to bed, there will be no usage of my cell phone unless it is necessary (meaning it's business or family that really needs me). I was told by an old lady that if you have talent, you better use it or else God will take it away from you. I hear this lady's voice in my head every morning just as plain as if she were sitting right in front of me telling me this. Don't worry Mrs. Lady, I am going to use my talent so that God won't take it away from me.


"A gift is not always a present, it can sometimes be a future"-K.J Swint

The Revitalization of my Life-Day 22

Today was yet another off day and I decided to work a little on my writing. I am also performing some of my poetry tomorrow, so I have to make sure that I practice, practice, practice! With my mind on the event tomorrow and my novel, I was thinking to myself, "what can I write about in my blog?" Then I received an email from a lady asking me a question. The question was, "What do you do when you have done all that you can do?" It took me by surprise because this lady is a lady of great statue. She seems to always have it together. She is at the top of her game within her career and well respected within the city and state. I disregarded the email at first, but then I thought about it. If she is emailing me and asking for my advice, then I should at least give it to her. I shouldn't deny a person any advice because of their status.

I really didn't know what to tell her. I was sitting, racking my brain trying to come up with a sophisticated answer and then it hit me-just answer the question as if she was any old ordinary person, in which she is. I told her, "Do what God always do for you...keep forgiving and keep blessing!" I never received a response from her so I don't know how well this helped her out but it doesn't matter because I did what I was suppose to do and that's just try to guide her in the right direction as God has been guiding me for all of these years. But then after emailing her, I thought about a question that I want to pose to you. Why do we ask God for all that we ask him for, riches, happiness, peace, love, etc. But never ask him for the ability to forgive like he forgives us? Is it because we want to be bitter when the opportunity presents itself? Or is it because we feel as if we just don't have the power to forgive like God does. It's almost as if that's the one thing that we just give up on. I ask people this question all the time and I receive similar answers when I ask. But what gets me is that we tend to forget that we have done or are doing the things that others are doing to us and can't seem to come up with a solution as to how to stop it.

I am not a guru of knowledge and I don't claim to know all of the answers, but I think I might have this one. I think if we can let go of our PRIDE and just really think about all of the WRONG that we have done and how we changed and became better people, then we can get over this hump of really forgiving people for doing wrong. We are not PERFECT and we can't expect for others to be either. If we would just take the time to think about what it is that is going on in our life. I mean really sit and think about it. Set aside some time to yourself-20 min-1hr. Turn off the television, turn off your cell phone and just sit and think about what it is that is going on within your life. When you really get deep in thought to the point where you forget where you are, then you can think about a solution that will best benefit you and your spouse or who ever it is that you have an ill mood towards.

If you can dedicate an hour to a television show that provides no substance to increasing your lifestyle at all, you can surely give yourself 20 mins to really think about what's going on in your life. I would love for you to try this and come back to this blog and comment that it didn't work. I would love for you to prove me wrong. All you have to do is just try it, and see what happens. It doesn't cost you anything to sit by yourself with no noise and think. It's FREE! If this doesn't help you become a more tranquil person over a period of a week, I will pay you myself! But you have to do exactly as follows:
1. Turn off television and cell phone
2. Get in a comfortable position
3. Close your eyes and start thinking about your problem
4. Once you fall into deep thought, think of a solution.
5. Spend as much time on the solution as you did the problem
6. Picture yourself solving the problem
7. Then just relax and think about nothing but peace.

Start off doing this for 20 minutes and then increase your time until you get to an hour. Once you reach one hour, you will see why you don't need to go pass the hour mark! But in order to find out why not, you have to start with the 20 minutes first!


"Thinking doesn't cost anything but time and time is FREE"-K.J Swint

The Revitalization of my Life-Day 21

It's been a couple of days since I made a post, but within those days, I have been working out. Today is an off day for me, so the majority of my revitalizing will be indulged in writing.

While I was doing my daily run the other day, I started thinking about how things are just sometimes hard to do. The reason that this thought occurred is because I had a headache before I begin to run and decided that I wouldn't let this stop me. I started thinking about the slaves being taken from their homeland not of their own will to make life easier for someone else. They had no choice. I wasn't there, but I think after a while, they didn't spend their time complaining and talking about how the situation was. They more than likely started thinking how can we change the situation that we are in. This is the mentality that I carry with me every day. I look at the resources that they had and what I have now and I can't make any excuse at all. If they had half of what I have now, they would have made a huge difference in their way of life.

There should not be any excuse for us not making a difference in our lives. Being too tired is not an excuse. Not having enough time is not an excuse. Not having the right resources not an excuse. The only thing that the slaves had was HOPE, FAITH and the strength that God gave them.

Being raised by an elderly lady who only had a sixth grade education that never complained about what she didn't have because she made a way with what she had has made me the man that I am today. Every time I try to think of way out of doing something that I think is complicated or to hard for me to do because of my circumstance, I can't. I can't because I saw what she had to work with and she made it happen and not only did she make it happen for me, but she did for a slew of people. I am reminded of this when I hear people talk about the way she was over ten years after her death. And all of them say the same thing about her, "she always let you know what was on her mind and was never scared to voice her opinion. She was always willing to help those that wanted to be helped and the ones who couldn't help themselves. She never complained and always kept on pushing even until her last breath.

Thanks mama, for all that you did because without your hard tactics and tough love, I wouldn't be the man that I am today. Your education level didn't surpass mine, but your wisdom, superseded any PhD program that exist. What you taught me can't be taught at any University or College. It can't be duplicated because there can't be another you, but it can be appreciated and I do. Again, thanks mama!

The Revitalization of my Life-Day 20

Today was a good day. Didn't have any complaints. Must keep moving forward. Didn't work out, but I did do some reading and encouraged myself to keep on keeping on.

On my way to sell some of my books instead of working out. Always trying to revitalize my life every and any way I can as long as the way is positive.


"Always uplift yourself so that you will know how to uplift others"-K.J Swint

The Revitalization of my Life-Day 19

Today was a rough one. Right when I was about to go workout, I started to feel bad. I had already put my clothes on so I said, "what the hell." I walked outside and begin to stretch and it had gotten dark. Well, that means rain and this was yet another excuse for me to just go inside and lay down. I told myself that it wasn't raining yet and this was not an excuse for me not working out. So I began to run.

While on my journey, I started thinking about the word drive. Where does it come from? Why is it in some and not all? I could have easily just used my excuses to not workout, but I didn't. I didn't do so because my drive to accomplish wouldn't let me. But what has given me the ability to not only have drive but keep it? I think I got my drive from an elder lady that never stopped doing just because of her age or illness. This lady that I speak of is my great grandmother. This is the woman that raised me. She was in her 70s and she never acted like she was. She would sometimes walk to church when she had a ride. She never said why she would do this but I think she did it to make her feel good about herself. She was determined to beat the odds of being old. Every time she would do something like this, it would just motivate me to do whatever it was that I was trying to accomplish. This has been instilled in me every since.

I still have to ask myself, what gives people the drive that they have to never quit no matter what? While I was running I came up with an answer. I think that it comes from seeing people without the necessary resources get done what they need to get done no matter what. It's bad enough that they don't have the necessities, but to have obstacles on top of that and never lose sight of their goal...AMAZING! This is what motivates me. Whenever I feel like I can't do something because of the way I feel, I think about those who don't have anything. The ones who don't have legs, but still get around. The ones that don't have any clothes. The ones that don't have any motivation from no one, not even family members because their family is deceased. The ones that have children and no husband/wife. The ones who had a dream and fulfilled it. These are the things that keep me going when I feel like I can't go anymore.

So I say to you today. Whenever you feel as if you can't get something done just because of how you feel, think about that lady you saw in the grocery store that had two small children without a husband with her workout clothes on. Think about that little old lady that still rides her bike. We are surrounded by plenty of people and situations to motivated us to make the things in our life better. This type of motivation will instill within you something that you didn't know that was inside of you...DRIVE!

"Motivation doesn't come from someone telling you what to do, it comes from them showing you that you can do it...Drive comes from seeing motivation it action"-K.J Swint

The Revitalization of my Life-Day 18 (Part 2)

When you are on a roll, you are on a roll and you have to take advantage of it. The post that I posted this morning inspired me to make something happen that wasn't suppose to happen...WORKING OUT! When I got off work, it was late and the sun had gone down and I figured that I would just wait until the morning to go running. I walked in the house, spoke to my wife and begin to change my work clothes. As I begin to do so, she asked me was I going running. I immediately thought to myself, "I didn't plan on it, but I guess it was still possible to do since she asked." I looked out the window and noticed that it was really getting dark outside, but then I thought about the many obstacles that WE place in our own way and this was one of them. Just because it was dark outside, didn't mean that I couldn't make my run...that's what they make street lights for.

As I begin my journey, I starting going into deep thought. I starting thinking about how easy it would have been for me to have just not put my workout clothes on and not run. But then I started thinking of how easy it was for me to do so. Then the epiphany came. When my wife asked me if I was going running, she noticed that it had become a part of my routine and this triggered her questioning me about it.

When something becomes part of our routine, it makes it more easy to get done. The hard part is making it become routine. I had the thought that I wanted my workout to become so involved with my routine that I do it even when I am on vacation; even when we just make short trips to visit friends for the weekend. If you can workout even when your in a state of relaxation, then you know that it's deeply embedded within your routine and that you have accomplished a great goal. Because real relaxation starts by knowing that you are maintaining your body to help maintain your mind.

All of this was triggered by my wife just asking a simple question...thank you God for a woman of her statue!!!

"Great is my life, because of my wife"-K.J Swint

The Revitalization of my Life-Day 18

Well, today is not over yet, but I haven't taken my run and worked my muscles. The reason being is because I woke up this morning with something heavy on my heart. I had a dream about my mother and in the dream I wrote her a poem and this is what the poem said:

I've Never

I've traveled the world
I've tasted exotic foods
I've made over 10,000 in one pay check
I've made a woman cry
I've made people laugh
I've seen people die
I've seen lives saved
I've prayed for a long time
I've been prayed for
I've helped someone in need
I've been helped when needed
I've written a book
I've fallen in love
I've made love
I've said I was sorry
I've given my last
I've never heard my mother say "I Love You"
I've never told her face to face that I Love her.

I've done all of these things, but I have never heard my mother say that she loves me...reason being is because my mother is deceased and she died when I was only 6 years of age.

But last night in my dream, I heard her say, "I Love You" for the first time in my life and it was amazing. I felt a sensastion run through my body that made me feel like I was standing on top of the highest mountain over looking the ocean and a cool breeze passed me by and I slightly smiled, strectched my arms wide and slowly fell into the ocean without a care in the world. An amazing moment it was, so amazing that it didn't feel like a dream at all.

My heart was a little to heavy to run this morning, so I decided to share this episode of my life with you. Letting someone know about an amazing experience is more revitalizing than a run around the neighborhood. If your mother is stll living, give her a call today and tell her you love her and watch how you fell when she tells you that she loves you. If you don't talk to your mother like this, call her anyway and tell her to tell you that she loves you. It will have the same affect because love has no sense of direction nor a sense of how it's suppose to be said because the power of it lies within the word itself.

"Love that is given is a gift
Love that is made is a pleasure
But Love that is received is a lifetime"-K.J Swint