Closer to My Dreams...

My sister is almost 8 months pregnant.  As I look at her, I can only think of the process that she's gone through and is currently going through.  She started off in bliss, barely noticable with impatient anticipation of this little person to come.  The first few months were filled with planning and joy.  The next few months were filled with mild discomfort but happiness at the flutter going on inside of her.  This was real.  The life to come is real and that flutter just made it more so.  All of sudden, that mild discomfort was barely felt in comparison to movement of the life she was carrying and so desperately wanted.  How quickly things changed though.  The last few months have been miserable for her.  She's been uncomfortable, in pain, unable to sleep, afraid to laugh (pregnant women sometimes pee on themselves; unfortunate I know), and overall miserable.  At the point she is now, she can't wait to have this baby...and it got me thinking.  Why is it that when we're so close to what we want the most, it get unbearable?

Life is a lot like a woman who's pregnant.  You have a dream and then you conceive.  You do all that you can to make sure that when that dream is realized, it's perfect.  At the beginning, everything is smooth sailing, but toward the end, it becomes unbearable.  The closer you get, the less you can handle and the more difficult things become.  At this time is when you start having thoughts of giving up (even though you won't).  The load starts to become too heavy and you start to question all the thoughts that got you there in the first place. 

Diamonds burst under a lot of pressure.  They're dug until a beautiful diamond appears.  Often times, the true you will appear in the times of difficulty and this is when you will see how hard you're willing to work.  In as much pain as a mother is, she does not stop pushing.  She knows that the child she bears will be enough to eliminate the pain...and so will your dreams.  Know that the more difficult things get, the closer you are to birthing your dreams.  Know that the harder you work, the more enjoyment and fulfillment you'll have after all is said and done.

Today, I challenge you to fight through the pain of process and give birth to your purpose.



Until next time...keep the forward movement...

Keep Moving Forward

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of spending time with my best friends.  As usual, we played "catch-up" as we filled each other in on the latest happenings, break-throughs, struggles, dramas, and future plans. So many thoughts rushed through my head.  Mainly, during the news of things that weren't so great, I thought of how we all sat there, taking time from our lives, traveling from various places, to ensure that we made time...to have a great time.  By looking at us, you'd never think that we'd been going through as much as we were.  Regardless of what life gave us, we had no choice but to MOVE FORWARD.

Unfortunately, I've bared witness to friends and family losing loved ones within the past year and it was the toughest thing I've had to do thus far.  There's nothing that you can do but stand there with silent support.  At that moment, it seems like life will always be this way.  It seems that there is no way that you could ever laugh or enjoy life again.  Your mind knows that you'll feel different in a while, but your heart and your spirit can't fathom how you'll actually be able to really move past it.  Before you know it days turn into weeks, weeks turn into months, and months turn into years.  Somehow, some way, you actually find a way to MOVE FORWARD.

The above are just a couple of examples of how you can look up and find yourself in a different place and in a further place than you were and than you thought you'd ever be.  In life, there's no choice but to move forward.  You can either make the best of your situation, work through it, and find the silver lining, or you can lay down and die.  I choose door #1...what about you?  You'll find that your seeds of strength blossom in the most difficult of times.   You will learn more about yourself and your ability to bounce back no matter what because the only true option is to MOVE FORWARD. 

Today, make the decision to look forward despite the circumstance.  You'll never know what lies ahead if you allow yourself to quicksand in your current situation.  Live. Laugh. Love.

Cheers to your next chapter of life!

Until next time....keep the forward movement

Nike Said It Best...JUST DO IT!

I'm going to do my best to be short and sweet (you know how that goes, lol), but I had to just share my shamefully obvious epiphany.  The phrase that comes to mind for me is "a wish is just a wish."  

Within the last few weeks, I've gotten the ball rolling on some of my personal projects...and don't you know, as soon as my efforts started matching my thoughts and desires, the ball rolled so quickly that it momentarily got away from me!  All the time spent wishing instead of doing, left me null and void and no closer to my goal.  The moment I started DOING and taking chances, things fell into place.

Oftentimes, people don't take the chance because they're scared of a possible negative outcome, but is that really anything to be afraid of?  If you send someone an email or ask someone a question, the worst they can say and/do is ignore you or say no.  My advice to you is to JUST DO IT!  You will find that when you place your actions alongside of your thoughts, they form a miraculous partnership and thus you MOVE FORWARD.

Get the ball rolling!  Call or email that contact you still haven't mustered up the confidence to reach out .  Go to that conference or put yourself out there.  You never know how far you can go if you don't throw caution to the wind and JUST DO IT!

Until next time...keep the forward movement...

A Penny for Your Thoughts...27 Thoughts....27 Pennies....

On the eve of my 27th birthday, I decided what better time to take a moment to reflect; Reflecting not only on me, but on everything.  As I think about the times earlier this year, and the previous years, I think of what I know now that I didn't know then.  Whether we want to admit it or not, as we progress in our adulthood, we are given the gift that is only granted with age...wisdom.  At this point in my life, I'm wiser than I've ever been and not just because of the age, but because of the experiences that have brought me this far.  I'm in the sharing mood, so I'll give you 27 of my thoughts :)...

1. No matter where you are, you're supposed to be here.  This may be one of the hardest things to believe, but believe me, God has you where he wants you, and He'll bring you where you need to be.

2. Cherish the people in your life.  Just when you think they'll always be there...they're gone.

3. Procrastination leads to missed opportunities and a life full of "what-ifs."  The only time that's guaranteed is the one you reside in...so do it NOW.

4. Honor those who are there for you in the bad times.  It's so easy to love and be there for someone while they're in an upward motion or on top of the mountain, but to love and be there for someone in the rawest and lowest point isn't as glamorous or easy, so don't dismiss those people.  They're the ones that truly count and deserve more than you can give.

5. Simply reach out and make the effort.  The things that are meant for you will find you and grab hold.

6. Don't wait until someone dies to celebrate their existence.

7. Take risks.  If it works out for you, that's great.  If it doesn't, you know not to do that again and do something else.

8. Helping others will ensure that you'll be taken care of.  It may not be from that same person, but you will be.

9. Assiting someone in the things that they want to accomplish will not only make you feel good, but it will definetly propel you to accomplish your own goals.

10. Getting started is the hardest part.  Whether that be work, obtaining something or going to the gym.  As soon as you get over that initial hurdle, it's smooth sailing.

11. Ask questions.  When I was younger, I used to be scared to ask questions because I didn't want to look stupid.  Well, being loud and wrong is even more stupid.  The one who is foolish, is the one who thinks they know everything...and no one does.

12. Just because you look good, doesn't mean you're healthy.  Get active, eat healthier, and get check-ups.  If you don't have your health, you have nothing.

13. Impulse is fun, but it's not always the smartest thing.  Think certain things through.

14. Allow yourself to cry, feel, get frustrated....but MOVE ON.  I used to allow little things to consume more time than they deserved.  We are human, so sometimes you may have a moment that has that negative emotion; however allow it to be a MOMENT, and move forward.  Don't allow what should have been a small moment to keep you from a longer and more fulfilling one.

15. Visualization works.  Try it.  At first, it may feel weird, but if you stick to it, you'll find that it becomes something that you look forward to.  Also, write things down.  Nothing beats the moment you experience something that you wrote down and visualized.  

16. Dont' spread yourself too thin.  Yes, you want to help, but you can't be everything to everyone.  By doing that, you are nothing to yourself...and no good can come from that.

17. Learn about different cultures and people.  It makes you more marketable in the things you do and expands your knowledge.

18. Learn to check yourself.  Someone shouldn't have to call you out on something everytime.  Learn your faults, acknowledge them, and learn to catch your 'crazy' before anyone else does.  By doing this, you'll minimize the negative, because you'll recognize it.

19. Make and do some things on your bucket list.  I've recently started that and it's wonderful.  Life is short, so live it to the fullest.

20. Have a burning desire, goal, and reason for the things you want to accomplish.  If there's nothing to really drive you to get to where you want to, you'll accomplish nothing and remain in neutral for the rest of your life.

21. Do something out of your element.  Just because that's what you've been doing, doesn't mean that it's the best or only thing out there.  Expand your horizons.

22. Travel.  I love to travel.  The newness of a place never fails to amaze me.  Also, travel out of the country if you can.  There's a whole world out there that believe or not, you're oblivious to.

23. Take time for yourself.  Turn off the cell phone.  I know it's hard, but it'll replenish you and give you more energy when you re-join the world.

24. Dream big.  Don't ever let anyone make your dreams sounds unattainable.  You're the only one who has to believe....and so it will be.

25. Surround yourself with positive people who are the same accord as you.  Also, surround yourself with those who have vastly surpassed where you are and where you initially wanted to go.  They can help you more than someone who hasn't reached their goal.  Realistically, the blind leading the blide, never got them anywhere. 

26.  Trust God.  You may not understand, but everything happens for a reason. Hold on to what you know, pray, believe, and move forward.

27.  LIVE. LAUGH. LOVE.  This is what life is all about.  When you feel tired of your circumstances, continue to LIVE, knowing the bad is only for a moment in time.  When things are so difficult, where nothing is funny, LAUGH anyway knowing that the sounds of your laughter is calling into existence happier moments.  When you feel betrayed, uncared for, unloved, continue to LOVE anyway.  True love breaks barriers, surpasses  every emotion and logic, and lasts a lifetime.

These are the things that I've done and experienced and I hope that if you haven't done or experience any of them, you do.  Life is ultimately about growing and with your growth, you'll make the choices that will allow you to live the exact life you were born for.  SEE YOU AT THE TOP.

Until next time...keep the forward movement.

The Little Things...

Last night, I got some news...some bad news.  Someone I knew a really long time ago died.  He was 26 and a few months shy of being 27.  In a few days, I'll be 27 too.  The moment I heard about this, I felt so sad...not only for him and his family, but for myself as well.  Now, it's obvious why I'd be sad for him, but you may be wondering why I'd be sad for myself; it's the little things.  God will make it plain and He did. As I complain about where I am a few days before my 27th birthday, someone just lost the chance to see their 27th birthday. When people say it could always be worse and you shrug it off, remember...it really could always be worse.

Often times, when you're going through something, people will tell you to be positive and look on the bright side.  Within your frustrated place, you sometimes can't see the bright side even though deep down you know it's there.  When people notice this, they begin pointing it out to you: your health, your mind, family, friends, etc...  Even though you know this, you ignore it.  It does nothing to improve your outlook or momentary attitude.

Now I've heard that speech at my low moments, and I've given that speech to someone experiencing a low moment and never did it hit me like it did last night.  Here I was, ignoring all the great things that I had in my life and focusing on where I thought I'd be, when someone who's exactly my age will never, ever, get to accomplish all the things he aspired to do.  He no longer has his health, mind, family, or friends.  He can no longer wake up and be thankful for another day...he can no longer wake up.

The little things, or the things that we think are so little, shouldn't be taken for granted.  Just because you've always been breathing, doesn't mean you'll always be breathing.  Just because you've always been able to think clearly doesn't mean you'll always think clearly.  Just because you've always had family and friends, doesn't mean you will always have them.  We must be grateful for everything that we have even if it's not exactly what you want or you're not exactly where you want to be.  You are always exactly where you need to be and your constant gratitude is guaranteed to propel further than where you thought you'd be. 

Until next time...keep the forward movement...