Dream A Little Dream

Don’t feel like listening? Listen instead.

Raya L.
Dream A Little Dream
0:00 / 0:00

I am a dreamer by all definitions. There's a lot of things I can figure out with time, experience, or research, but the one thing I can never be certain of is how to interpret my dreams. Everyone dreams, but there's been an interesting study that majority of people don’t remember their dreams the next morning. I almost always remember what I dreamt the night before, of course as days go on I slowly forget the details except when the dream is a little odd. I read that the dreams you remember most are the dreams that have a message. I don't know where the messages are coming from, but in my experience, I agree.

I also read somewhere when the mind is stressed or going though unexpected changes, your subconscious sends you messages in your dreams to help you identify elements in your waking life. With all that has been going on in my life, my dreams been leaving distinct residue on my mind. A few nights ago, I dreamt that someone handed me an egg. The egg cracked and I saw the yolk. There mixed meanings of seeing an egg in your dream, but you also have to consider other parts of the dream, like the color of the egg, what type of egg, and who else was in the dream. Generally, having an egg dream is a good omen representing new opportunities. But it can also represent privacy or a void of your emotions. That fact that in my dream the egg crack and opened up could signify that I need to open up or speak out about my feelings about something.

Several weeks ago I dreamt of a guy I know and in the dream it shown me that he got involved with someone he told me he never had anything going on with. — Isn't that how it always happens? The person someone tell you not to be worried about ends up being the same person they start fooling with some time later? Probably because of all the “friendly” times they shared together and one time they just took it further. Anyway, I’ve had dreams like this before were there is some type of message stemming from my intuition that tells me my suspicions aren’t all off based. I once had a dream about a man I was sleeping with and in the dream he is walking away from me and saying to me, “You need to go…” In my dream I was upset, confused, and hurt. About a month later it comes out that the man started seeing someone and didn't tell me until I began to question him about his behavior. Just like in my dream, I was upset, confused, and hurt. He tried to excuse the fact of not telling me by saying he feels at peace when he’s around me and he didn't want to ruin that. — Men like this will always have issues managing their feelings with different women. They don’t know how to separate lust and love and they damage people along the way. — ❗️ Goodness, if I ever decide to write a book, there’s one name that would keep coming up, and that man is entirely convinced I had several partners in the time that I’ve known him 😒. No sir, I’m one of the good ones.

When I was still with my ex and I was already on the verge of ending things due to him having a child outside our home (this isn't a secret, everyone knows, my family knows, his family knows, the town we lived in knows, all our friends know. It was an embarrassment for both of us, especially him considering how my life has improved tremendously after leaving). I had a dream that the other woman had 2 children. 2 boys to be exact and at that time she only had the one son…fast forward a few months later, she is pregnant again and has a boy! And yes by the same man. Yup, that did it for me…on top of many other things in our damaged relationship. I told you, when men fck up, they fck up pretty badly and when they do, don’t ever let him touch you again. Although, if you're the kind of woman who just gets better after pain, then you'll no longer have any interest on those past men anyways…What did I say before?The further ahead you get in life, the more your type becomes less your type.” — Men who you move on from knew a part of you that no longer exists, and that part is the soft spot you used to have for him. The feelings are never the same again.

I think I have dreams like this because I’m a very engaged person when I’m involved with someone, I may not always show it, but when I open my heart to people I’m blindly loyal and the universe seems to find a way to tell me I need to step back when the person isn't giving me the same energy. But after any type of heartache, I do have dreams that send symbolic elements referring to healing, growth, and perseverance. For instance, after being severely disappointed, I dreamt of water lilies. Dreams of water lilies signify an evolution from a negative starting point to a positive end. The flower represents rebirth and a willingness to try again while the leaf or pad of the plant represents a solid place from which to gain stability when the world feels as though it is constantly shifting and changing.

I’ve had dreams about people I’ve not reached out to in a while and when I do finally give them a call, I learned major life news about them. Or someone I care about will popup in my dream that wakes me up out of my sleep; when this happens it usually because something severe had just happened to them. I also have dreams about people who have passed and relatives of other people who I’ve never met, for instance, I never met my ex’s mother because she passed before I met him but she appeared in my dream when I was pregnant with our first child.

I heard that when people have near death incidences the wall between life and the spiritual world becomes thin. I’ve had several near death experiences in my life which is why I am convinced that I have Guardian Angels or at least someone on the other side looking out for me. The first one was when I was 3 years old, something severe happened to me that people started to lose hope that I would pull through. I do not know if it is because I am very intuitive or somehow I am closely connected to the spiritual world, but for the most part, my dreams seem to tell me what to be conscious of or what to be prepared for.


Against The Odds

I had to add a response after getting several message regarding the guy I mentioned in the audio.

Raya L.
(Response 1) Against The Odds
0:00 / 0:00
Raya L.
(Response 2) Against The Odds
0:00 / 0:00
Raya L.
(Response 3) Against The Odds
0:00 / 0:00

Don’t feel like reading? Listen instead. This one is a little longer because I mentioned some personal things that is not written in the content, **Not an intimate man in my life, but a man in my life is brought up.

Raya L.
Against The Odds
0:00 / 0:00

Most of you think I'm always dressed to the nines, trust me, when I write these things I'm usually in sleep clothes or an oversized t-shirt. Although, I have gotten comfortable with wearing sweatpants outside the house. And I do not really go out often, contrary to popular beliefs. Yes, after a long day or week, I have some go-to places I like to visit, but I don't really make plans to make a night of it. I just like to have a drink in social atmospheres. When I run into people I know, I do stay out longer, but initially my intentions are normally to have 2 drinks and go home. I am very much a square. And I'm sure whoever I get involved with will appreciate that I'm not a woman who's always about town. Which leads me to this topic…

I am generally in front of my laptop 8-14 hours a day. I started setting up alarms on my phone to remind me to step away from the screen so my eyes can readjust.

So some of you ladies have voiced your disappointment for me because you feel that I encourage infidelity. How you interpret my words is most likey based on what you've already predetermined about men, relationships, and possibly me. So I'll relay the same message again…

Many times I’ll say that what a man does when I’m not around is not a major concern for me, BUT it will become an issue if what he does negatively impacts my health, my stability, and my overall happiness. I generally keep all this vague because I want you to interpret it in your own way that works for you, because what works for me may not be something you agree with. — We don't have to agree to be happy with our relationships or ourselves.

No, I’m not saying it’s okay for a man to cheat his partner, I don't ever condone that. What I am saying is that a man has to be consistent in securing his partner and still making her feel valued, wanted, cherished, and loved no matter what he does especially if he wants to keep the relationship going. Reassuring a woman is a unique skill and when a man is able to do this, everything and anyone else is just background noise. Furthermore, not every man is capable of managing his behavior and his emotions when it comes to other women in his life and this is what causes conflicts with the main woman in his life. Many times when men go out and do whatever it's not because they are missing something with the woman he's already with, it's more often because someone else wants him and men find it appealing to be wanted, it feeds their pride and egos. Some act on it. Some don't. *More in the audio.

These are what my nights usually look like. Food in bed, a book, and tv on in the background.

Even though 2 people come together in a relationship, they are still 2 separate people who have their own thoughts and opinions. Yes, there will be some similarities, but they are still 2 different people, not clones of each other. So there are elements of their lives that won't directly involve the other. Again, I don’t advocate or support men to act against the love and commitment towards their partner, I more encourage women to not solely focus on what is not happening in front of them and instead focus on how the man treats them and makes them feel. Your life cannot revolve around one person because then you become dependent on them for your happiness. Whether you are married, dating, or just casually involved with someone, if you only look to that person for your own validation then you will always have an issue anytime they are not around you.

If I am involved with someone, no matter what the status of our relationship is, there are still some proprietary elements that I want protected which includes my heart and my health. My main gripe is when I don’t know my place with a man and he doesn't make it clear, instead he plays on my emotions and makes me feel like I’m wrong when I speak on what bothers me. *More in the audio.

I strive be in bed/sleeping between 8p-10p each night.

I am usually very laid back and go with the flow. I'm very much a “guy's girl” in the sense that I like going to bars, I watch sports, I talk shit, and I'm not stuck up or hard to approach, but if I'm fooling with you in any type of way and you try to challenge my intelligence and rationale, then that's the shit that will trigger a very ugly side of my attitude.

Don’t let what you do out there negatively effect what we have going on over here. Don’t let people out there try to influence you to act differently with me. And lastly, don’t do shit in front of me that you know will be a problem.

This doesn't mean I promote infidelity, this encourages a man to maintain a level of respect for his woman by keeping the nonsense away from her, because that's what most of you are worried about right? Is having to deal with any nonsense a man causes, but if it never comes to your attention or if he's still on top of make you feel number one, then what's the problem?

Enjoy your life and if you have someone, enjoy your life with them, but don’t get caught up in the “What if he’s doing something when I’m not around?” Focus on the “What he’s doing right here, right now, right in front of you.” — A good man is going to always make you feel valued and cherish even when you’re not seeing eye to eye, he is still not going to let any outside factors come between the two of you. Love that about him. *More in the audio.


Make It Mean Something

Don’t feel like reading? Listen instead.

Raya L.
Make It Mean Something
0:00 / 0:00

I got a few comments from you guys from the last post about one of my guy friends who doesn’t like it when I wear revealing clothes. Some of you feel he is a great friend for wanting to keep my safe, while others thinks that he should not have a say in what I wear. Let me defend my friend here….

I had so much fun wearing this wig!

He wholeheartedly cares about me, we have known each other since we were kids and have seen each other through many life events. He did not and does not like my ex, but he tolerated him out of respect for me, so of course he was elated when I left that relationship behind me. But as far as him being particular with what I wear, it’s only when he and I hang out where we were raised the men in the northeast are a bit more aggressive than men from other areas. Sometimes it’s harmless and it’s just in their nature or demeanor, other times it can get out of hand and that’s why my friend feels the way he feels about me showing a little to much body. He’s had to step in against his own friends who tried to be a little too forward with me, because in his mind, not only am I a close friend, but I am also a woman and most men can physically dominate me, so he doesn’t want for me to get into a situation that could damage my life and because of that I do not mind covering up a little when I am around him.

Moving on….

You have know idea how much attention this $16 dress from Shein got!

So you guys remember when I said I decided last year that I wouldn't get intimately involved with someone? I still stand by that. The “sex only” stuff is not for me. I need it to mean something otherwise you’re wasting my time. The whole “it’s just sex” mindset can be used on those malleable girls, if you remember the video I shared from Shuler King, then you know exactly what I mean.

I want you to be of value to my life if I’m going to allow you to have a personal part of me. Give me advice, challenge my mind, share your thoughts, incorporate something of importance to you into my life. I cannot lay with you if all you can offer me is just your body, anyone can do that. I can't think of you intimately if you disappear, avoid me, or you are not available during times where I may need to lean on someone. That doesn't mean I will always need to lean on you, but at least you care enough to be there for me if I do need you. What sense does it make when you're only present when you want to have sex, but gone when I’m not at my best? In that case, You can stay gone. I do not want someone who sleeps with me and then throws in the towel when he feels he’s being pressured to be more than just a body to me.

Giving myself to someone who isn't engaged with my mind and spirit is like rewarding someone for just existing. You cannot just “exist” with me, especially if you want me, you have to add substance. I want to cherish the times I spend with you, not just clean my sheets each time. I want to laugh together, eat together, talk about our days together, I value companionship.

Now, with that being said, my schedule isn't so open to always have time for companionship, but with someone who doesn't get upset, make assumptions, and is understanding of times I need to work, study, be with family, catch up with friends, or to just be alone, then he’ll definitely get my efforts to show him my appreciation. Even if it does not become anything very serious, I still want it to mean something while we’re doing this.


Look Out For Her When She Doesn't

Yes, postings are still off schedule and this is being published a few days early. I've got a few deadlines this coming week and had to get this done sooner. 😉

Don’t feel like reading? Listen instead.

Raya L.
Look Out For Her When She Doesn't
0:00 / 0:00

All of my posts are pretty relative, of course, they are based off my opinions, perspective, and experiences. It usually takes me a week, sometimes two to complete one post because I brainstorm a topic once day and then come back to it few days later to add more, to edit, to review, to add photos and voice overs, so it does take me some time. This topic in particular is very relative because even though this post has been drafting for over a week, a few nights ago I went out to a bar that I’ve never been in an area that I’m not familiar with and of course I was by myself. I very much enjoyed my time and the people in the bar were very welcoming and catered to me. I am always impressed with the hospitality I get at random places, I’m not sure if it’s just charisma or that I am very personable, but I am always grateful that I meet nice people and that I get home safely because the reality of it is I do put myself in situations that could potentially be dangerous.

———

I’m going to be a little transparent with this post because I am aware that my personality isn't always very welcoming when people try to show they care, especially men, because I instantly think there's another motive for their kindness. I need to stop that. You can still accept a man's affections and keep your boundaries intact.

I decided to make a little change, let’s see if my MALE friends notice. 😏

Several years ago a group of friends and I went to an outdoor concert. We all went separately, so we all parked in different areas. At the end of the concert I could not exactly remember where I parked, but I recalled the direction of the parking lot. My male friend volunteered to help my find my car, but I was adamant that I could do it myself, so when he was off asking security where the different parking lots were, I walked off towards my car. I did locate where I parked, but shortly after my friend drove around and kind of yelled at me for walking off and lectured me about safety. Instead of pushing back, I just dropped my guard and accepted what he was telling me.

Another male friend, whom I grew up with and do not see very often, does not like it when I wear revealing clothes. His concern is the type of attention I attract and how he may need to shield me from men being too aggressive or rude. And although I like to wear what I like, I understand his sentiment for me and our overall safety. So, on the rare occasions that we do hang out I keep my attire more modest. If we lived in the same city and state, he would be the one to make sure he gets me home safely even if he wasn’t out with me that evening. But I wouldn't take advantage of that.

There was also a time when I went on a trip with a group of friends, it was a mixed crowd, men and women. I traveled there by myself and got my own hotel room. Of course we all went out on the town, had fun, was drinking throughout the night, and a few of us got into the same Uber to go back to our rooms. I was the only one who booked a different hotel from everybody and when it came time for me to get out of the car, one of the guys in our group suggested he walk me to my room. I initially declined and started to ramble on about how I’m okay to go in alone, but he interrupted me and said that I’ve been drinking and that it wasn't safe for me to walk in by myself. Before I could decline again, he told the driver to wait for him and then he proceeded to take my hand and walked me through the hotel, to the elevator, and down the hall to my room. He stayed outside of the room and then told me goodnight and to lock the door.

If you’re uncomfortable with this, then you’ve never seen a woman in a swimsuit or seen lingerie ads. My girl friends get bothered with these types of images all the time. I always send them random boobage pics. 😝

In these three mentioned scenarios, I love it when a man looks out for me, especially when I don’t expect it, argues against it, and on top of that, does not want anything in return other than knowing I’m ok. There's not a lot of men like this. Remember the “I’m Not Like Other Guys” post? Yeah, this falls into that subject too. And to add a little more to that, even if a man isn't in a formal relationship with a woman, but sleeping with her, he still should protect the connection he has with her and not show out around other women otherwise, he is like most men.

But back to this topic, a lot of men would avoid the hassle of trying to look out for a woman when she's being difficult or if he believes she doesn't need his assistance. NEWSFLASH: You always make sure a woman is safe. I appreciate the men who do this for me and don't act differently about it when other people are around because they know I normally go places by myself. It would be different if I always had at least one friend with me, then of course my friend(s) and I are going to look out for each other, otherwise what good of friends are they?

But there's always women who linger on to a man even when she’s out with her friends and finds a way to separate herself from her friends and convinces the man to drive her home. I never had that mindset. Whoever I’m arriving with, is the same person or people I'm leaving with, although this is easy for me because 95% of the time, it’s just me. But I knew a girl who always came out with her friends, yet would have a certain guy drive her home. The guy made it seem like he was just being nice, when he probably just wanted to be alone with her too and not realizing how it’s making her feel special for going out of his way or maybe they had something going on. Now that I think about it she did always seem to be where he was and certain things he would say let me know they had many personal conversations together, so maybe he invited her to wherever he was? And she always sent her friends off and waited for him to take her home. Either he was oblivious to it or he knew what she was doing and again wanted to be alone with her. Who knows, not my business.

But I do love it when a man takes the time to make sure nothing happens to me even if I’m just walking around the corner or down the street. Like I said, I’m not always accepting of a man’s help or concerns for me, but sometimes I do need to be reminded that the world does have evil people in it and bad things can happen at any time especially to a woman who is by herself. See the dangers that I don’t see. So with that being said, I don’t think highly of every man, but I do think highly of every Gentleman.


Are You Worth Changing My PH Balance For?

*Postings have been a little off schedule lately; normally live on Tuesday mornings, but I’m still getting a handle of my different schedules. Bare with me. 😬

Don’t fee like reading? Listen instead.

Raya L.
Are You Worth Changing My pH Balance For?
0:00 / 0:00

I made the decision late last year that I would not get intimately involved with anyone. I didn’t give myself a deadline on when I should get involved or what criteria a man should have before considering breaking my solidarity. If there is an impressive gentleman who comes my way or catches off guard, I’ll deal with my emotions and decisions then. But for now, it is a decision I made for myself for very personal reasons. Some of my friends know why and those who don’t know why always seem to ask me the following:

  • Don’t you get lonely?

  • What happens when you get into the mood?

“I'm So Pretty And He Like That” by King Manyara (Song is NSFW)

I feel like these are very simple answers. No I do not ever feel lonely, not because I have my family and friends, but because I enjoy my alone time and make the most of it even when I’m not doing much. And as far as getting into the mood….Ladies, c’mon. We know how to fix that and it doesn’t required another person. 😈

I'm not going to lie, ladies and gentlemen, there are times where I’d like to get a phone call or text message telling me to come out and enjoy the evening with him, but my phone is so dry that the only times it makes any noise is when my boss calls, one of my clients call, or when my classmates send me a message about an assignment. 😐

But I also feel that with people being casual with whomever and how many ever, I don’t need to be concerned about my health more than I have already been. And I definitely cannot allow bad energy in my life, nor can I accept for a man to take advantage of my willingness to understand and be a little laid back with some things other women may have an issue with.

I would definitely like having a male friend who I can be comfortable enough with to be in my underwear around him without him wanting to take it too far, like having the companionship with a man, but without the sex.

I’ve always thought sex as a personal and sacred connection with someone. That's not to say I’ve never had casual connections with people, I'm just not one who shares myself with many people. I know there are women who sleep with several different men within a short period of time, like a month, and I can't see myself doing that. And I don’t judge anyone who are more free with sex and people. Let your freak flag fly, but I rather have my freak flag fly in only 1 yard.

Because my shirt is a bit form fitting, someone asked, “Is that a kids shirt?” I said, “Yes, your daddy gave it to me because he calls me Baby.” 😈

P.S. - I want someone who can't keep his hands off me even when I act like I don't want him to. 😼

pH balance is referred to as an acid-base balance, it is the level of acids and bases in your blood at which your body functions best. It's important for women to maintain a healthy pH balance and ladies if you do not already know this, at different stages in our lives our pH balance changes due to other changes in our bodies. An unhealthy pH balance causes several uncomfortable things 😬 especially for your Hello Kitty and makes your girl down there feel sick 😫 🤒.

Men can affect your pH balance if they don't take care of themselves or are carrying residue and bacteria from other women. EWL. In chemistry, not all chemicals mix well. So with that in mind, I’m not so eager to share my Hello Kitty with anyone, she's more like a No No Kitty right now 😼. I’ll keep using my body washes and natural oils to keep my 🐱 healthy. And I cannot be sure if anyone else does the same, so I'm definitely not going to let some random man fck up my pH balance. — I sleep with him, then a few days later I’m feeling a little different. Uh, no Sir!

Bless their hearts, but men can be so disgusting with their hygiene routines. As beautiful of creatures they can be because there are some gorgeous men, Sorry HANSOME men, one of friends told me to stop calling men gorgeous. Not all soap is good soap and many of them don't have a skin care routine, they just use a wet rag on their face and go. So depending on how he keeps his man parts clean, my lady parts may or may not have a good reaction to him. But it’s not only how he cleans his body, it’s also what he puts into his body that can affect your inner chemicals further effecting mine. Be safe out there everyone.


“I’m Not Like Other Guys”

Don’t feel like reading? Listen instead.

Raya L.
I'm Not Like Other Guys
0:00 / 0:00

I want to add an addition to “Men Have The Audacity” post. When I said I never had to approach a man, I feel that it is not my place to do. And this is my personal thought: If a man rather have a woman approach him, I predict he has a bit of sassiness in him or some type of feminine quality, not gay, but more so one of those men who misunderstands the elements of chivalry and being a gentleman.

Also, anytime I mention for a man to “do that on your own time” what I mean is I am not closed minded to think men don’t have flirtatious ways with women, just don’t do it when I am around. And I have hung out with enough of my guys friends to know that they do things that their girlfriends or wives would not like to see or hear about. Whatever a man does, the ones who set the bar high are the men who still protect their home and romantic relationships no matter what they do when they are out with friends or by themselves. A man in a relationship has to set the tone with other women so they know where their place is with him, because again, he still should protect the woman who is in a relationship with. Most men do know how to do this, but still think they are “not like other men”….

I told some people recently that the further you get in life the more “Your Type” become less YOUR TYPE. I look back on all the men I found interesting and I think to myself, “Yeah, I was a different person then.” And ALL of them without fail have said this line to me: I’m not like other guys. — I don’t know if this is just something they tell themselves or the fact they are completely unaware that their behaviors in social arenas with women are not too far different from the next.

Sleep Shirt: Ralph Lauren

Sidebar: Ladies, when you go to public places and make small talk with people, do they automatically assume you’re married??? I don’t know what it is, but more times than a little people make comments referring to a “husband” that I don’t have. For example, I went to HomeGoods to pick up a few things and at the checkout the woman said, “Are you and your husband redecorating?” Is there something that I am giving off that makes me a MARRIED WOMAN? And there is one particular guy friend I have where strangers think we are married. I don’t understand why they think that when we are not doing to saying anything to each other that eludes we’re married. So ladies, if this happens to you all the time, send me a message and tell me about your experiences or why you think this occurs.

What makes a man different from another man is the consistency in his words, actions, and affections for you. THAT IS THE DIFFERENCE FELLAS. And if you fck up, admit that you fckd up and learn to better yourself. Women love that; when a man acknowledges that he didn't make the best decisions and puts forth effort to be more conscious of you.

I loathe hearing a man say, “I’m not like other guys.” Especially when they prove themselves to be just the same. Think of it this way: You can always take different routes to reach the same destination.

You don't say you're different, you just be different.