“There are friends, then there are “best” friends!”♥️

“There are friends, then there are “best” friends!”♥️
S. Caprio-Negret
Friends are typically there for you when it’s fun and easy, and they tell you what you generally want to hear. Why? Because it’s easy. And most people are afraid of confrontation and rejection. But “best” friends tell you what you need to hear, whether you like it or not. Why? Because they have your “best” interest at heart. “Best” friends aren’t competitive or jealous. They don’t want to walk in your shadow, they want to hold your hand in the light. They want you to be happy! But they’re still going to tell you the truth. Through our truth, is where we find our authenticity and bliss. They love you when it’s easy, of course, but most importantly, they unconditionally love you when it’s tough.
If telling them your feelings or the truth makes them become defensive or argumentative, it may invite in the confrontation or rejection, but it’s only because they’re afraid and don’t want to face it. But truth be told, they’re only rejecting themselves. Only when issues are addressed can you reach positive change and growth. And there’s no change without change. That takes courage. But also it takes vulnerability. And only through vulnerability can we show who we really are, what we’re afraid of ~ what we’re hiding from. When we allow ourselves to be vulnerable with our friends, that leads to a deeper connection. That leads to acceptance. And only with deeper connection and acceptance, can we make a “best” friend. But it’s a “best” friend who will love you through it all! They don’t judge. They support. They listen. They encourage. They stick it out. They lift you up higher, they won’t bring you down.
So, if you have a lot of friends, good for you! Your life will be filled with surfaced friendships. But if you’ve made a “best” friend, hold onto them. Because you can bet times will get tough again, and when it does, you will need your “best” friend. The other friends will scatter, but the “best” friend will be right by your side… hand-in-hand. They’ll love you for who you are no matter what… whether or right or wrong, flaws and all. When you fall down and break, they’re the ones who are there to help you pick up the pieces.
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Birthday Blog (September 24, 2023)

Birthday Blog

Looking back over the last year…
I always love to write an annual birthday blog to reflect on how I’ve grown and what I’ve learned for sure. It may not be the same or resonate for you, but I still like to share my thoughts and experience, and hopefully, you will relate or even gain something from it yourself.
To keep it short, sweet, and to the point, I’m gonna write 11 things, being 11 is one of my lucky numbers. I have been seeing 11:11 constantly, which is just a sign for me from the universe that I’m conscious, in alignment, and in manifesting mode! At least, in my opinion.
So, here they are below. I hope you enjoy reading them!
1) I have learned that caring for and loving yourself first is the most important. Otherwise, you have nothing in your tank to offer anyone else. It’s not selfish, it’s self-FULL!!! It’s also self-LOVE <3
2) Sometimes the people you expect or rely on the most, disappoint you, and the ones you least expect, come through for you!
3) Plan your life, expect things to turn out a certain way, or control all your ducks lining up, and watch how it goes in a different direction. Expect the unexpected! “Man plans, God laughs!” Acceptance and surrendering are HUGE virtues!!
4) If you don’t find passion, fun, and/or joy in your life, you will slowly wither away!
5) Obviously, there are things we have to do. But if it’s a choice, ask yourself this, “Do I want to do it, or do I have to do it?” If it’s not a want, then it should be reconsidered. Your time is precious! Some things and people are worth it, and others are NOT.
6) Be kind. Go out of your way for the ones who are worth your time and appreciate you. It feels good to give! But don’t waste another second of your life on those who aren’t worth it or you have to make see your value. Otherwise, you will lose yourself in the process. If you add something to the relationship that’s valuable, and they don’t see it, it’s their loss, not yours!
7) It’s okay to respect other people’s no’s and boundaries, however, it’s just as important that they respect yours! It goes both ways. What you give, you get back. What you preach, follow. You reap what you sow, so be impeccable with your word and actions. Your reputation proceeds you.
8) Find time in a day to be creative in some way. Draw. Paint. Sculpt. Write. Dance. Plan an event. Be crafty. Do beauty treatments on yourself or someone else, etc…it’s therapy for the soul! You don’t have to be good, you just have to show up and be present.
9) Do something out of the goodness of your heart when you feel inspired to! Not to get a “thank you” or get anything back, just because it feels fantastic to give and put a smile a someone else’s face. They may need it. Be a rainbow in someone else’s cloud when you can. There will come a time when you need it too. #GoodKarma
10) Slow down. We are moving too fast! When you move too fast, accidents and mishaps are more likely to happen. We forget things. We also miss out on the details. It’s okay to be late sometimes, it shows we are human. You don’t have to be perfect, just do your best! It’s all gonna be okay and work out. Don’t run people off the road to make your time work. Theirs is just as important. There’s a difference between disregarding other people’s time and you taking yours. Find the balance. When you move slower, meditate, stop and smell the roses a bit, you are more in alignment because you’re in the NOW! And that’s all we have is the NOW! Don’t look back, it’s over with. Don’t be in the future, it hasn’t happened yet. The now is a gift, and that’s why they call it the PRESENT!!! Because it’s never about the destination anyway, it’s always about the JOURNEY, which leads me to #11.
11) I use to want to manifest tangible things, and now I just want to manifest happiness, joy, abundance, prosperity, good health, and healthy relationships. If the person or situatin is toxic, I just walk away, and I don’t even have to announce it anymore. I use to have to explain it to the person, or try and make them see the light of day! Not anymore. It’s a total waste of precious energy. I always say don’t be afraid of my roar, be afraid of my silence. If I’m fighting with you, I’m still fighting for you. When I’m quiet, the lesson and relationship has served its purpose and is most likely done. Everyone’s journey is unique and their own, and the only and most important one to me, is MINE.
However, to add to this, I have learned this…relationships are like seasons. They change, come and go. However, the ones that are meant to be, will come back around again, just like the seasons always do eventually. But keep moving forward. Don’t look back. Keep your eye on the road ahead, and don’t let anyone or anything detour you off of your life’s path. That road is between you and God alone, and no one, I mean, no one has the power to change your destiny or purpose here.
PS. Everyday ask yourself what you bring to a room. There are two types of people ~ an energy-drainer or an energy-giver! Which are you? I know that I’m an energy-giver, because I know who and what I am. And I give 100 percent of myself and my heart when I give to those I care about. The difference between then and now is this…when it’s taken advantage of, I get very protective of it. Before, I used to take up so much time letting the energy vampires take from me or emotionally dump. I couldn’t understand why it was always about them or why they couldn’t see what blessings I contributed. I would be so drained and felt so unappreciated. Now, I know why. Just like a vampire who can’t see their own reflection in the mirror, they don’t even see themselves or their own toxicity, so how could they see ME? Because I choose to believe in me, I just withdraw now. Because at the end of the day, I choose ME. My life is meant to be celebrated and so is YOURS! So, what are you waiting for? It’s happening now. What better time is there?
#happybirthdaytome #september24th #Libra #thisis44 #liveandlearn #growth #blog #birthdayblog #amblogging
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Writers’ Strike 2023

As far as the Writers’ Strike (WGA) is concerned, I wanted to say…
Good for them!!! I don’t typically post anything on worldly news or politics, but this one is close to home, and I fully support these writers! As an author and screenwriter, I can say that in Hollywood, the treatment isn’t great, especially if you’re a “woman” screenwriter. And many writers work for years with minimal to no paycheck. The majority of the movie exec’s and producers are typically rich white men who make the calls and dictate what happens with the creative vision, whether you like it or not. “You want your work sold? Write it the way we tell you it’ll be marketable. No, you like my work? Take it or leave it. But if you take it, appreciate it!!” Appreciate the story we want to share. Appreciate that you’re not doing us a favor and making us money, we’re giving you an opportunity to make money. Not the other way around, actually. I’m not saying don’t make revisions, that’s a neccesity, I’m saying don’t break it down and build it back up the way you want, and then pay us crap!! Then it’s no longer our vision, our rights, our project baby. They toss you around the industry like you’re replaceable, don’t pay enough, and don’t value you enough! Meanwhile, if is wasn’t for the writers who are the backbone and heart of the story, there would be none, and there wouldn’t be any jobs for producers, movie exec’s, actors, TV hosts and personalities, etc… yet the front men and women get all the fame, fortune, and credit.
Don’t even get me started on the celebrities who write (don’t write their own memoirs, children’s books, etc…) and become bestsellers the week their books are released, yet there are unknown writers who work years on their books or screenplays, before being released, who are so talented and can barely make ends meet. Can I be an actor tomorrow without studying the craft first for years, or dance “The Nutcracker” after a few ballet lessons? No! Yet, everyone thinks they have a great story and can write a book! Maybe you do have a great story, maybe not to someone else, but not everyone can or should write a book or a script. If I had a dollar for every time someone told me that. It’s an insult, by the way, to us who are actually out there busting our butts, day in and day out!! Or those who don’t write and try and give us tips on how to sell our work. It’s not a hobby either. It’s our careers!!! I’ve been a writer, studying the craft and writing for over twenty years. Not a hobby. My life’s path. It’s theirs too. Time to take the writers more serious. I can’t even begin to tell you how many people still don’t even ask me or acknowledge my work, or their faces when I tell them I’m a published author and have written a “gangster-crime-drama feature,” like I’m a green alien. “I had no idea!” One guy even said to me once, “I didn’t think you did anything.” I vommitted in my mouth! Lol! Hey, don’t judge a book by its cover. It would be like me not validating you with what you do. Everyone needs to be seen, heard, appreciated and validated for their hard work!
How many of you know the actors who played in “The Godfather, When Harry Met Sally, The Goonies, Moonstruck, Steel Magnolias, The Princess Bride”, just to name a few great ones…but, how many of you know who wrote it off the top of your heads? Exactly!!! Time to change this. The artists only highlight the good writing. Bad writing can make any good artist look bad, but good writing can make any bad artist look good.
#fistsup #pensdown #writersstrike
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Autism Awareness Month

Autistic individuals are here to teach us that they will not conform to society’s standards of the way they live. They’re here to show us how to conform to their way of living, whether we like it or not. In all honesty, they don’t care about what we think. We care about what we think. And in that, there’s freedom in conformity and ego. The hardest thing for us to separate for us as human beings ~ our soul, which is in its pure essence, from the ego. Autistic individuals are already living in their purest essence, which is in total alignment to our Source. Therefore, they’re showing us our own truest essence, and how to demonstrate to us that difference — that separation. So, by not changing or fixing them, we’re fixing us. We’re fixing our approach to their way. They’re imperfectly perfect, and there’s nothing about any special needs individual that needs to be fixed. All they need is love and acceptance. But the biggest lesson is them actually showing us what we need to accept and fix about ourselves.

What if we changed our thought process — our perspective? Instead of asking, “How can we make it better for them to fit into what we believe is a normal life?” Maybe we ask ourselves this, “How can we make it more comfortable for us to fit inside their normal lives?” I mean, what the heck is normal anyway? No one I know is. Is it getting a college education, getting married, having children, being successful, having the picture-perfect house or car? Nothing wrong with any of that, by the way. I’m just sayin’! I mean, who defines this? What if their souls are coming onto our planet — more and more — in large numbers to change us? Because they are “changing” us. What if it’s to raise our frequency to theirs, and not the other way around? Maybe they’re not meant to be ‘normal’. Maybe they’re here to teach us: patience, understanding, unconditional love, how to be in a moment, freedom. Freedom from what? You may ask. From our own self-absorbent egos… how we look, what we make, what others think, who we vote for, etc… Because truth be told, they don’t care about any of that. They just are. And God forbid that is our life’s purpose…to just be…to not accomplish any accolades, awards, or trophies or be the most successful person on the block with the biggest house. To be the all-time, talented sport’s jock. The next best lawyer or doctor. What if they are here to just be? To simply change the world by existing in their purest, most natural form. God made us all different for a reason. So, wouldn’t these individuals have theirs? Of course, they do! So, why does society always feel the need to control it for them, or to change the course of their destiny? What if the only answer on how to respond to their so-called condition, “autism,” is to just be loved and accepted? That’s it! Would that be so bad? Isn’t that what we all strive for anyway? What if their main purpose is to remind us that’s all that really matters? Wouldn’t that be enough? It should be. Maybe next time you run into a parent with an autistic child you don’t make a recommendation for them on how to fix or make it better for their child or themselves. Maybe you mean well, yes. But, maybe you’re insulting them because it translates to, “Your child isn’t good enough as is, so let me assist in making them a better human being! Or you haven’t thought about that yet as a parent? What are you some kind of idiot?” Trust me. We have. Before you. Wouldn’t you be insulted if it was your so-called ‘normal’ kid? I mean, if the parent asks for your advice, then by all means, go for it and give it ALL away! But if I had to guess, they’re not. Because most of them have thought about ten-hundred times more things for their own child than you could have ever imagined! So, we’re not asking…unless we are “really” asking. Most of the time, it’s unwanted advice and not needed. However, this is what a parent of an autistic child wants to hear. I know because I am one. “Hey, you’re doing a great job! But, if you ever need anything or any recommendations, I have some good ones, and I’m here for you. How can I help?” Offer, but don’t push. Then, allow them the decency to ask on their own terms. It’s not personal. That parent of an autistic child has one thousand thoughts, ideas, plans, solutions, hopes, cares, work ahead, therapy, schooling, you name it, etc…on their brains. The last thing they need is an unsolicited suggestion about how playing outside and socializing with other kids can help them tremendously, changing their diets can fix their gut issues, or therapy works wonders! Duh!!! We know, and it’s not always that simple. I’m just trying to save you from the ignorance. I’m not meaning your intentions aren’t coming from a good place; They usually are. But, we’re not raising lab rats. We’re raising children, just like you are.

The rainbow’s symbolism is hope. The storm always passes. The sun eventually comes out, and you have to get through the rain to see the rainbow.  The rainbow is the symbol for autism. So, wouldn’t the symbolism for autism be hope? Incase you forgot the true meaning of the word, let me refresh your memory. “Hope is an optimistic state of mind that is based on an expectation of positive outcomes in ones’s life or the world at large.” If you ask me, that’s exactly what they’re here to teach. Couldn’t be a more “perfect” plan or individual made from God; God doesn’t make mistakes. But God doesn’t create free will. We do, and so does the soul. So, respect these individuals’ decision to come here as they are, while we have the free will to reposed to them as we choose. Choose wisely. Put yourself in their shoes. Would they judge you? So, who’s the one who needs to conform? They’ve already mastered it! They are the true teachers. We are their students. Not the other way around. Like it or not. It is what it is. If it makes you uncomfortable that you can’t control or fix them, then you’re the one who needs fixing. On that last note, if your intention is to love, guide, care for, accept, acknowledge, embrace, spend time with, get to know, and encourage them, then thank you and you’ve learned their lesson.

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