We often try to sweep our problems under the rug because we don't want to deal with the dirt and mess in our lives. We, also, allow ourselves to get in our own way by trying to distract ourselves with other chores and activities instead of facing our problems head on.  We need to sweep the issue into a dust pan and throw it away. Meaning that we let go or deal with whatever is a problem, so it is not in the way of what can make us happy.

I'm guilty of just leaving my issues out on the floor and just staring at them. In the end, I'm hurting myself, and digging myself into a hole to rot. I'm slowly getting in the groove of cleaning house by expressing myself more and opening up.

I am a quiet and reserved person. I like to be by myself half of the time and not be bothered by others. Some might call it lonely lol. Yes, it is lonely, but that's how I like it. Me being by myself has it's ups and it's downs. The up is that I can do what I want with no distractions and I'll have peace. The down is that I could be missing out on something or it will keep me in an antisocial kind of mindset, in which, I'm trying to get out of.

I used to have an issue of not looking people in their eyes, but I saw that was a problem. I made myself look people right in the eye and not be shy about it. I'm doing very well! It's not a problem anymore until I am in the presence of a really attractive male. Lol. My point is that, I saw it was a problem, and I faced it. Now, it is no longer an issue.

Improving on yourself is solely for you and to better yourself. We should all want to better ourselves. No one should want to follow and TRY to be like someone else because it isn't going to work. It's not in God's plan for you to be like someone else.

One way that I am trying to improve on myself is by being and staying positive in all things. It takes time, but it can be done. Instead of letting something so simple get to you, you have to consciously switch that negative thought off and turn on the positivity.

What are ways someone can improve? Or what are ways you can improve on yourself?

    On the first day of class, I was extremely nervous, and didn't know what to expect. The class was on Saturdays and I ended up HATING that, but I managed to get through it. The professor went around the classroom asking us our name and how much experience we've had with photography. Unfortunately, I misunderstood the question and he had to break it down for me and the class. I answered saying that I've always had a passion for photography and I would take pictures of everything (something to that effect). What he meant by his question was basically how much do we know about a camera. Did you get that out of how much experience have we had with photography? Anyhow, we went over the materials needed and I was ready to drop the class right then. Film photography requires so many items that I couldn't afford! Luckily, I have loved ones that helped me out, so I had what I needed.

    As the class progressed and nearing the end, I started to get stressed and I was minutes away from just picking up all of my things and walking out. I only had two assignments done out of twenty and on top of that the professor dropped on us a final portfolio project.

    The process for developing and printing film is very tough and time consuming. You have to go into this closest and open your camera, take the film out, put the film around a reel and place it in a tank. The room has no light at all, so you're doing all of this basically blindfolded. Then the developing process takes 30 minutes, and you have to put a few different chemicals in the tank with the film and shake it up slowly. Following that process you have to let your film dry for 20-30 minutes. After that, you go into the darkroom, which has a safe light so you can see, and you have to start the printing process that can take hours!!!  Also, I messed up about two rolls of film by exposing them to light. It is so easy to destroy film. In the middle of the class/quarter I had to buy another camera. I bought a used one and it was defective and made me want to cry lol. I've wanted to break down because it got so stressful, but the professor was understanding/ helpful and he's a great artist!

    There was no way I was going to get everything done in time, so I was done at that point. The only reason I toughed it out was because I had a talk with my sister, Brittany. She encouraged me and told me to get as much done as I can. So that's what I did. I worked so hard to get everything done. I went to every open lab and I was very gracious that some professors from other classes let me get my work done during their class time. Overall, I received a B in the class. I believe I would've got an A, but I was missing maybe two or three assignments. My final portfolio project came out great (check it out in my portfolio).

Also, comment on here and let me know what you think! :)

On Twitter, they had a Trending Topic going on for #lightskin and #darkskin
saying which was better or how they felt about it. I saw this girl had retweeted what someone else said about light skinned girls.
It said, "#lightskingurls think they're pretty cause they light skin..they need to relax wit all of that"

so I wrote back, "Thats not true for all #lightskingurls lol There are some very pretty ones."

Then one of the girls wrote back and said, "they pretty, but not beautiful haaa."

I wanted to be like chick can you not see my profile picture and see that I'm light skinned???

So I laughed about it and said, "hater lolol"

and she replied, "lmao i still luv u"

so i said, "Lol I'm insulted."

she said, "awww why ur a cute lightskin lol."

so i just left it at that and said, "lol thx"

Here are some of what was being said on Twitter,

"#darkskin is normal... #lightskin is a deficiency"

"#lightskin people think they look better than #darkskin people"

"I don't know why people think #lightskin people got it made"

"I remember I used to get in trouble for staying in the sun too long by my grams cuz Id lose my #lightskin complexetion."

The next day I turned to The Tyra Show and it was on black women bleaching their skin... The women that were on the show wanted lighter skin because they didn't feel beautiful.

One lady was so fed up with nothing working to lighten her skin color, so she took a hot towel, put bleach on it and put it on her face. She said it burned badly, and it felt like someone was putting a torch to her face. She went on about no one knowing how she felt or what she was going through. Another lady said that in her group of friends she was the only darker skinned woman, and a guy told them that they all looked good if they got rid of her....
(or something like that)

Tyra made up a fake skin treatment line and told the women some outrageous things they could do to get lighter skin, and they wanted to go through with it. The pretend skin care specialist gave side effects to the surgeries and creams, but the women still wanted to do the procedures.

For example, as a side effect, bleeding out of the ears or burning the top layer of the skin and having it peeled. <---Craziness!

Tyra said on the show, "Society made them that way. We put light skin on a pedestal."

I hate that people feel this way. Why cant people just be themselves? Society/this world make people think they have to be the model type or long hair, big butt, and big breast. Am I lying?

I wish people would accept the way God made them because things like skin color isn't something that can be changed that easily. You were made that way on purpose... I can see if someone was really over-weight and weren't happy with that, that's something you could change. Or wanted a different hair color, that's something you could change. It shouldn't be skin color, nose, breast, and lips. Leave them alone. Leave them the way God made them. Your black is beautiful (skin color shouldn't even matter). Not just the light skinned girl with long hair or the brown skinned model friend you hang out with. Accept you for you...