Butterflies

Losses aren’t easy. No matter how quickly or how soon they may occur, the pain is just as significant. Recently I’ve experienced a major loss and I never would have thought I had this much strength as a woman if this wouldn’t have occurred. I remember as a little girl I always feared every insect known to mankind even butterflies. Fast forward to my adult years experiencing this most recent loss I’ve been around a significant amount of butterflies. Rather than fearing them as an adult I now understand the significance and can somewhat begin to find peace amongst this most traumatic event. In religion butterflies symbolize resurrection. When I think of the anatomy of what a butterfly must go through before it is fully a butterfly it starts off first as a caterpillar. The caterpillar stage isn’t the most attractive however, it is the renewal process that occurs for the rebirth of the butterfly to form. Tuning into my more spiritual and emotional self I like to think of my most recent old self as a caterpillar. Experiencing this life test I am now becoming and evolving into a better version of myself. I am going through a powerful transformation that may not make sense right now but by tapping into my more intuitive self it will begin to make sense later. I’ve felt butterflies physically in my body. But I look forward to becoming what it is I have felt and that is a renewal of life; a beautiful butterfly 🦋

 

Make Room for New Life

Just as much as it's important to be the presence and not the person, it's just as important to find gratitude in our current situation in order to make room for a new life. All too often we find in life that it is easy to say what we don't have and what we need rather than just appreciating what it is we do have. God cannot and will not bless us if we cant find value in our current situation. Do not mistake gratitude for comfortability. Though it can be easy to stay comfortable with where we are in our lives we should always require more from ourselves. Though we can be grateful for where we are let's not be comfortable with our current situations. We should always strive to want more for ourselves. If at any point we feel we should be doing more with ourselves, chances are we should be. It's one thing to have potential but it's another thing to allow our potential to lay dormant. In order to reach our full potential, we must have a drive and consistency to do so. Many of us lack drive hence why we may never reach our greatest potential. There is no expiration date or time limit to reaching our potential. However, we must remember that life doesn't wait for us and will continue to move along. In these moments of life passing us by do not let so much time pass that you're being complacent. When we are complacent we have a hard time trying to do anything that is different from our norm. Though change can be scary and foreign to our normalcy, change is refreshing. Refreshing ourselves is good for our spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical health. When we begin to live differently we begin to possess a level of happiness that fills a void that has been needed to be filled all along in our lives.



                                                       

Power in Presence

Though we are unique as individuals we all should recognize the power we ALL possess as not only individuals but as powerful divine beings. It's easier to say what we should be doing rather than actually doing it. However, what we must recognize is the power of our tongue for manifestation and cultivation purposes. What we choose to profess and confess in our lives determines what the universe will gift us with. When you can be in control of what affects you you begin to exhibit the type of power where no one will be able to take you off course. We have to pick and choose what we give our power to in a day. How we choose to respond can affect us either negatively or positively. Most of us spend much of our time investing energy into things that we cannot change which then tends to have a negative effect on us due to not being able to be in control. What we should try challenging ourselves to do is investing energy into things that we can change so it can have a positive effect on our lives. Give yourself a friendly reminder that it takes more energy to be upset than it does to be happy. Take control of your journey and don't allow anyone the ability to take your power from you. Merriam-Webster defines power as possession of control, authority, or influence over others. Hearing that definition ask yourself if you want to give ANYONE the power to have influence over you? By allowing someone power you lose complete control of yourself and begin to lack your ability to be present in life. By being present in life I mean to be in complete control of your day, emotions, and surroundings. Have you ever noticed how you aren't able to take your mind or attention off something someone might've said to you earlier in the day that affected you? If you have noticed that I'm sure you even noticed that this then consumes your mind-affecting your responses for the rest of the day. I challenge you to take full control and power of your morning for it will determine the rest of your day. If you want to take on this challenge affirm that you are choosing and not waiting to be chosen. 

Fear in Me, Fear you See

I am a black woman. By statistic, most fear me because of the color of my skin. The misconceptions of their perceived notions ignite me better yet drive me. Drive me to the very person that fears me; YOU. You don’t get to project your misinformed notions towards me. I am who you see. Beautiful black woman, I guarantee even if you disagree. I am ME. Despite what you may foresee. You see. I see. We all see the weapons around us but who’s truly the threat? The oppressor or oppressed? Those who end up depressed. Depressed at the absentee of black mothers and black fathers taken from homes by those who are supposed to protect and serve. In return I observe the abuse of power at every hour becoming empowered no matter what’s encountered. Statistically, I fear you more than you fear me. “License and registration please” breathe you will get through this count to three; 1.....2.....3.......as I wait in doubt to be taken out remembering not to shout regretting taking this route. DONT MOVE!!!!! He’ll abuse his power if he feels afraid. Afraid of pigmentation no matter the affiliation in the situation. Generation after generation their never is an explanation but lack of education amongst our nation. We must gain an organization amongst our population. Beautiful Black Queen I’m talking determination, concentration, motivation, and inspiration to reach our destination. We’re almost there despite our FEAR let’s persevere I’m talking becoming pioneers. Let’s get something clear... I’m nothing like you. You’re just apart of the problem as you are the solution that’s real pollution. The same pollution that I breathe in waiting for you to take my life as you have many others; fathers, brothers, & mothers. Breathe you will get through this count to three; 1.....2.....3.......”Ma’am are you aware you were going above the speed limit, you have to drive safe I’ll let you off with a warning, have a good day” FEAR can’t stop me and fear won’t stop me. Why? Because fear is of the future; FALSE EVIDENCE APPEARING REAL with no real substance since it isn’t happening now.

Plant a Seed & Watch it Grow

Merriam Webster defines growth as "progressive development." I think as humans sometimes when we think of growth we envision it as being something that you have to visually see. When to be honest growth is something that should be progressive even if there are no immediate results. When growth takes place many of us may not view it as being uncomfortable.  As you read this, take a look at your life every day and see the uncomfortable circumstances you may be placed in. These uncomfortable circumstances daily prepare us for something that is much greater even if we can't see it just yet. Think of growth as ever-changing. If you can manifest the growth you want to take place then it can occur in your life by walking by faith and not by sight. Don't ever allow what you cant see to diminish you from believing in your own personal growth. The best reference that helps me refer to how I envision growth taking place is the process of an olive harvesting. Steve Albert stated that "olives come to harvest in late autumn and winter about six months after flowering." When we think of the olive harvesting what must this potential tree receive in order to receive the best-maximized results? Water. When olives are watered regularly and properly, they establish more quickly. By comparing our lives to the watering of an olive tree, the manifestation we profess is the water to the growth we want to take place. Without manifestation there is no growth and without water olives, will not grow properly. Not only is watering important for olives but feeding and pruning also play a role in the result of how well olives will grow. Olives are fed garden compost to maximize fruit growth and pruning involves cutting sucker or lower branches to encourage an open-centered tree.  Similar to our lives, what we feed ourselves both literally and figuratively will result in the way we feel. There will come a time in our life where we must examine who it is we are, who we surround ourselves with, and the things we give our energy to and refer to that as being the cause for minimal growth. Not everyone will understand your journey of growth; which is okay; it isn't for them to understand. We must not allow what someone else cant see in us to deter us from growing. Sometimes people will only see you for who you were, not for who you're becoming and who you ultimately have the potential to be. 

Transformation Tuesday

IM NOT OK, ILL BE OK

Depression is defined by Mayo Clinic as “persistently depressed mood or loss of interest in activities, causing significant impairment in daily life” Depression is always a touchy topic for most because some feel that because their depression doesn’t appear how society portrays it on mainstream or in the media, then one isn’t depressed. Depression is when you experience extreme highs and even some extreme lows. Depression comes in many different forms and interactions with others don’t or shouldn’t define if one is truly depressed or not. If one has to question if they’re depressed or not then 9 times out of 10 they’re depressed. Sometimes depression knocks on my door when I least expect it to. It comes like a theft in the night stealing away my joy, pride, strength, and even my ability to persevere sometimes. Depression is dark sometimes stealing my light when I need it most; which is often. Depression makes me weak but never do I ever collapse in public. Depression looks like a battle between your weak self and your strong self. Some days my strength overcomes my weakness. But in silence and solitude, my weakness overcomes my strength and somehow merely takes over leaving me weak when I thought just Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday I’d conquer the world. But on Friday I felt conquered; WHY because depression comes when you least expect it. When depression comes next time I’ll be ready because when you stay ready you never have to get ready.

Shift Your Focus

Each day we wake up we are granted life and the opportunity of being one step closer to fulfilling our purpose. When fulfilling our purpose or beginning to align with ourselves life takes a shift. Things begin to occur that makes you question if the shift is even necessary. When shifts occur while fulfilling one’s purpose one should take the opportunity to better yet shift focus on understanding that everything we go through shapes us into who and what we need to be while in our purpose. For some, there may not be a shift in one’s life and one may feel stagnant. Use this time to understand the art of being still and the purpose of why you must do so. Some of the time we may want to be in full control of our destiny. What we must remember when it comes to our destiny or purpose of fulfillment is that there will be times that we can’t control our outcomes. Although these times may be more often for some of us, we shouldn’t allow us not being able to be in control to change our openness to the lessons we can potentially receive during the shifts we experience in life. Not being open potentially closes the opportunity of receiving something even greater that may be in store for us. For the vast majority of us, it’s a matter of not being who we need to be to get what we want, or not being where we need to be to go to where we want to be. This puts into perspective the right person or right thing, just the wrong time.

Strength

Life sometimes has a funny way of showing us ourselves. On some occasions, we can be shown things and still not apply lessons that we might’ve learned. However, on ALL occasions each and every one of us possesses a level of strength that we lack knowledge of even knowing we possess. As a matter of fact, it takes a different kind of strength to go against the grain of what you may be used to or conditioned to do. Many of us don’t tap into the strength we know we have until we have been presented with a situation that forces us to do so. Rather than being forced to, I challenge you all to awaken your level of strength by doing three things. First, find gratitude in every obstacle faced in life. It can be easy to victimize oneself due to life circumstances. Second, Instead of saying “why me?” Ask yourself “WHY NOT ME?” There are lessons in everything we go through in life. These lessons are what shape our character and build our strength to know no matter how far we get in life, we are never exempt from situations that may test our faith or strength. & lastly, find the reason why you face the same exact scenario in a different form or from a different perspective expecting new results. Our results don’t change because our mindsets stay the same. If you can practice those three steps you are on a path to embody strength. In fact, you’re already on the journey to embody strength every day you wake up and challenge life and change your thought process. Many of us have a lack of knowledge to know how strong we really are because we simply just don’t believe in ourselves.

20/20 in 2020

It's the start of a new decade. In reflection 10 years ago I was just 15 years old. But in hindsight, I’ve survived two decades. As you begin to matriculate through life things seem to become more clear the more aware we become. This year I challenge you to gain clarity. As human beings, we can be driven by things subconsciously and be unaware of certain things that may drive or motivate us. Before 2020 came, I remember in November I prayed for clarity. Everyone around heard me use the word excessively. Little did I know that mentally I was already onto the New Year with 20/20 vision in 2020! Often we lose sight of our vision and dreams because if they aren’t tangible we feel they’re obsolete. In 2020, whether you have started or planned out what you want to do in life, use this new decade to create new behaviors and be good to yourself mentally, spiritually, financially, emotionally, and physically. All too often we aren’t aligned because we choose to only be good to one part of ourselves. The greatest lesson I learned in 2019 and during the decade is “if you don’t have clarity amongst yourself and you aren’t in alignment, whatever you are trying to get out of life seems nearly impossible to see” I came to this conclusion because being good to yourself mentally, spiritually, financially, emotionally, and physically all share one thing in common; the art of discipline and self-control. None of these practices can take place without discipline and self-control. We need discipline and self-control early to know if we can handle life at face value. Life without discipline or self-control is a life of indulgence lacking balance. By gaining values and practices to be good to yourself, you begin to open yourself up to receive new life, new possibilities, new blessings, and new opportunities. A vision without planning and knowing what work has to be put in to get there is just a vision. But a vision with a clear path; that’s 20/20 in 2020.