The value of these platforms

It seems like these things are coming out as fast as we can download them, use our FB or Twitter log in to sign up and create yet another damn profile.

I think instead of just hopping on these apps & platforms that seem to enrapture all of us, we should probably collectively decide which platform we really should give a shit about.

Maybe in an increasingly less social world we all need some kind of interaction or validation (ironic isn’t it?) but ask yourself, does a <3 on Instagram really fucking matter in the grand scheme of things?

If you have 30 minutes to be inspired by someone walking to the beat of her own drum, I implore you to watch this video.

I’d rather be in *Amsterdam* visiting family — Wander Weeks

Inspiration = LOVE

Inspiration comes in so many forms, you have to be on a certain level of openness and receptiveness to receive it. Then you have to have a certain level of strength to act on it.

I say strength because your environment and those around you that you would hope would support you could have the most negative things to say but you still need to forge ahead.

Why am I thinking about this?

Something struck me today earlier as an opportunity, that had I been in the proper place in a certain area of my life, It would have been a door I would walk through without looking back. Long story short, I decided to take the necessary steps to get to that point that I want to be in… so that I can end up living this grand vision I have for myself.

My friends that really know me consider me successful, I always tell them about how I got where I’m at as far as the process but the catalyst was the birth of my son. He was my initial inspiration. At 24, with no career I simply had to decide who I was going to be and just be that person. So ahead I went and a few years later here I am. But now that I’m where I thought I’d never be, I’m in awe and revel in it but I wonder… IS THIS IT?

Is this ALL I wanted for myself?

I think I have come to understand that LOVE is at the core of anything we decide to do in life. It manifested itself at the time as love for my son. Now I have a niece and I love her like she is my own daughter. Its crazy.

LOVE for your kids might make you take a bullet for them or find the strength to lift a car off them..

LOVE for a woman might make a man move across country to continue to see if what they have is magical enough to endure everything.

LOVE might make a singer write the most beautiful song (my fav right now is: Thinking about u - Frank Ocean)

Not super religious but this made sense when looking at LOVE as inspiration (and inspiration being something that spurs you to action). Take from it what you will…

John 3:16 - For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son… 

As I continue to work to shed labels, boundaries and ideas about myself and what life is all about, I now have a new inspiration:

LOVE for myself.

The person I want to be tomorrow starts with the moves I make today. And I don’t half ass anything that I do. My friends will tell you that too.

Its good when someone let’s you know that u are a good friend :) @lnweatherspoon

Launched! http://www.lenoxlounge.com

Built with: 

• HAML
• PHP
• SASS
• JQuery
• MySQL

Thanks to Sharron Cannon for choosing me to build this site. Thanks to Asjai Lou for enduring my many questions about the details. Thanks to Mary & the team at the Studio for their awesome design prowess.

More to come.

Finding your Passion

Certain folks in my life lately have been asking me what I’m passionate about. Though there are things I’m exceptionally good at IMO (creative things, problem solving, technical things) I always had a difficult time articulating it.

More and more I am realizing I am exceptionally passionate about writing code for the web. I get most of my projects by word of mouth. I don’t advertise at all. I don’t have a business card except for the one from Maxim Mag.

I really relish the opportunity to discuss how to do things when a friend in the field comes to me with a problem. I enjoy pointing them in the right direction and even writing the code for them if I have the time to do so. I enjoy helping people bring their business to the web and making existing sites more functional not just from a technical perspective but from a business standpoint as well.

My passion is the seeing big picture and getting from point A to Z utilizing the web as a medium.

That will be my answer from now on.

<3 Guiness

My son baby picture at my momma house

Shanice Jones for Shanice Jones Collection

AGDM Photography