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@notjustinbernard

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an interruption to the pattern. 🕊️🥀

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All of that sexy with no substance, antiquated beliefs, and conversation on yuck. What’s funny is that… it’s usually the ones who claim to be the most “woke.” I’m just like, “Oh you’re one of those?” while silently reaffirming all the exits. 😩 by @notjustinbernard

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7 months ago

All pendulums swing back. When I first authored this post 10 years ago, I hadn’t considered it would be something to revisit over, and over again. Sometimes it takes stepping away to see the truth of who people are without the lens of “familiarity” clouding the better judgement. If you pay close attention to how one might handle conflict [resolution] with another, it’ll tell you everything about who they are and who they’re trying to be. If someone says to you, “I’m mean,” or “I’m petty,” or “I can hold a grudge,” or “I can’t be faithful,” or “I have an attitude problem.” Listen to them. They know themselves far better than you do. Rest assured that eventually there will be no difference when it comes to interacting with you. They will show themselves exactly as they told you they could be. by @notjustinbernard

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a year ago

The motto. 🤞✨ by @notjustinbernard

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2 years ago

Whenever I have a problem, I always ask myself “What am I suppose to know right now?” Usually there’s never anything we should be doing more than there is something that we should know about where we are and what it’s meant to serve as. I’ve been sitting with myself for a few days, revisiting parts of myself that I thought I outgrew. I’ve been reminded that existence is involuntary, but living is a deliberate act. As it turns out, the more I know, the more I know that I don’t actually know a damn thing. Instead of being bound by confusion, go inward. Most of what comes up is this. 1. You are not a victim. Nothing is happening “to” you. Everything is happening for you and your highest good. 2. If you don’t believe “1,” what do you believe? Getting clear about that will help bring you everything you need for the next level of your evolution. Affirm: I am not lost, but I am awaiting clarity in this moment. by @notjustinbernard

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2 years ago

What other people think of me is no business of mine. 🤷 taken in Charlotte, North Carolina by @notjustinbernard

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2 years ago

‘Cause sometimes… by @notjustinbernard

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2 years ago

I try to meet the sting of infatuations-gone-sour with the understanding of gratitude, trusting that 1. Nothing is happening to me; everything is happening for me, 2. What people do that's best for them has everything to do with them and their journey and nothing to do with me, and 3. Everything happens exactly as they're suppose to in accordance with the laws of the universe; and because I am the universe manifested in human form, my goal is to be in alignment with that at all times. The maxim, "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened" has never made more sense than when I have an experience that makes me question my own adequacy. Remembering that the experience itself is a gift, is the real test. With gratitude, you pass every time. by @notjustinbernard

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2 years ago

Tell your truth, people will love you. Tell your truth, people will resent you. People are fickle as fuck when you think about it. 😂.
As the saying goes, “To thine OWN SELF, be true” tho. This is why praise and criticism can only (or should only) hold so little weight when it comes to how you live your life. Both will come about for different reasons, but neither should affect how you view yourself. What’s good for the goose isn’t always good for the gander, and when you make choices that suit you, remember you’re doing what works for YOU. No apologies. by @notjustinbernard

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2 years ago

I came across the film “Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind” and it made me think of Jhene Aiko since she used both of those for title tracks.
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There’s a quote in the movie by Friedrich Nietzsche — a German philosopher — and it can be found in his book "Beyond Good and Evil."
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He says, "Blessed are the forgetful for they get the better even of their blunders.”

It suggests that forgetting can be a blessing because it allows people to move on from their mistakes and not be burdened by them. By forgetting their blunders, individuals can avoid dwelling on past failures and instead focus on the present and the future. This can free them from the negative feelings associated with their mistakes and allow them to learn from them without being consumed by regret or self-blame. In this sense, forgetting can be seen as a form of liberation that enables people to grow and improve without being held back by the weight of their past errors.
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“Eternal Sunshine” is a metaphor for perpetual happiness, or the happiness one assumes once we remove the blemishes [or negative experiences] from our minds. This got me thinking.
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So there’s this:
Jhene’s opening lyric “Change is inevitable” is a very subtle nod to the movie’s point of view. Even in a world where your memories can successfully be erased, the world around you just might not let you forget. On the contrary tho, there are things we simply must forget if our goal is to lead a full and prosperous life. So much of the future is tainted by all the shit we’ve harbored from the past. A past that simply no longer serves us.
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One might argue that the film’s title is a promise, a wish, and a lie, all in one. I’d like to believe that it gives a different perspective to the phrase “ignorance is bliss,” and quite frankly… that’s just fine by me. by @notjustinbernard

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2 years ago

Press Pause!

Self-actualization is so rare. This is one of the reasons I think it's important to take breaks between relationships. Platonic and professional ones included.

Not just between relationships — breaks between life’s happenings. I also think it's important to question your beliefs and cultivate ones that best suit the life you want.

As we approach a new year, I’m encouraged to take copious notes of what I’ve done and what I’d like to do.

So many of us are coasting through on autopilot, we’re blindly unaware of our own natural reactions. When we don't allow ourselves the chance to deal while we heal, we tend take some of the same ideals and perceptions into the time we spend with other people.

What you truly think will always show itself when you're around other people.

If you have bitterness, anguish, and self-loathing in your alone time, that'll show up in your communication with others.

On the flip side, if you cultivate a spirit of forgiveness, peace, joy, and love, that'll show up too.

It goes without saying that you should always try to "check yourself" by making sure you're not giving out anything you don't want back.

Reminder: It is okay to simply PRESS PAUSE! by @notjustinbernard

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3 years ago

All of them teach us.

Teach us our capacity, as much as our limits.

Teach us our boundaries — equally as much as our tolerance.

Teach us what we like.
What we don’t like.
What we think we believe and what we say we believe.

Some encounters are frivolous.
Some are formidable.
Some linger, and quite simply sit tight OR pass through the morsels of our memory.

As we go through this life, I am convinced and reminded that we’re all simply walking each other home.

Where we intersect on our path — be it in the quicksand or mud, our personal yellow brick roads or the best vacation remembered — shows us the vastness of ourselves and this life.

If we’re aware enough, we take these as chances to see ourselves in the world and give way to who we want to be.

Knowing this — I’d like to believe — gives empathy a chance to flex its muscle and makes the walk home a little bit more manageable. by @notjustinbernard

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3 years ago

There’s this concept I came across a little while ago called “the grocery store test,” right? Check it: if you see someone in a grocery store and — outside of typical anxiety — have the unmovable urge to go the other way, why would you be friends with them online?

That’s a bit extreme, but… effective.

I’d like to think that our personal pages are our own pockets in the social-media-universe. I prefer to make mine as insulated as possible.

I think that the Internet mandates that we stay tethered to people from our pasts, people we’ve outgrown, or things that we simply don’t care about — keeping everyone around like relics. Which is really unhealthy and unrealistic. If we've "unfriended" in life, there's really no point in keeping ties anywhere else. We don't need to know what everyone is up to. We're allowed to be choosy about who we surround ourselves with online and otherwise.

I, for one, have no qualms about enforcing just that. #KeepThePeace by @notjustinbernard

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3 years ago