I am in the works of launching my #GirlsBeBrave Campaign that will empower, encourage, inspire, build confidence and promote #GirlPower through my jewelry collection (keychains, necklace and charm bracelets). Loving it! It was right under my noise and came full blooming circle, while working part-time at Lord and Taylor.
During this very challenging time in my life, my Shero…the great #HarrietTubman, (whose spirit lives within me) did allow me to stay the course, have a razor-sharp focused mindset that fed me with a positive energy within to help me get through this minor setback. There are NO excuses for not accomplishing your dreams/goals, trust and believe. It’s right at your finger tips, you just have to settle down enough to focus on your plan and execute it. You definitely need a RAZOR-SHARP -FOCUS, with positive “BELIEF” ENERGY TO GET IT DONE!!!
Stay tune, because I’m going up against a HUGE giant and openly accept this challenge. David and Goliath is not a myth, but a truth that can be WON…trust and believe. Plan, focus, focus, focus and execute. ALL YOUR ENERGY MUST live inside of you, eliminate ANY distractions that is trying to hinder you, your focus or goal. THIS IS KEY AND VERY IMPORTANT. Remember that you positive energy will feed your passion, add the zest-of-life perspective, so that you can execute your dream or goal.
I promise to share with you my success, once I accomplish it…;o)
My #GirlsBeBrave Campaign will be focused around this awesome open…
2BMe – In The Beginning
Love you, and thank you for ALL the love and endless support. #Girlsup #IAmGirl #GirlsInc #GirlEffect #BecauseIAmGirl #GirlsForAChange #GirlsLeadership #HeyGirlsBreathe #DayOfTheGirl
I will never say that America is a sexist country, where little girls or women don’t matter, because I am a pure optimist and have a hopeful spirit that little girls and women will continue to have an impact and change the world as we see it.
On March 8, two days before NYC Harriet Tubman Day, to celebrate International Women’s Day, New York advertising agency McCann and its Boston-based client State Street Global Advisors temporarily installed the sculpture of a 50-inch-tall bronze girl who stands defiant, with hands on her hips, staring down the “Charging Bull.” Is this a ploy, many are speculating, “to draw attention to the index fund giant’s campaign to get more women into board roles against the backdrop and the anniversary of the launch of an exchange-traded fund that tracks companies that have higher levels of gender diversity in its leadership”? Who knows, but time will tell.
Even after the banking crisis in 2008, the bull statue on Wall Street still stands proud, bold with the remarkable symbolism of a strong Bullish Wall Street Market; which wiped out Lehman Brothers. Even after all the top investment firms like Merrill and Goldman had to merge with various banks, such as Citibank, Chase, and Bank of America, just to name a few, so that they could remain viable, became untouchable and “Too Big To Fail” at the expense of working class people. But, who is keeping an account of the billions of dollars that were made within those deals?
Here comes the “Fearless Girl” bronze statue that New Yorkers, and eventually our world will support as a permanent installation. Her presence, spirit, and resilient stance took Wall Street by the horns, and stared down the mean old charging bull. Due to the notoriety it has received so far, it will be here until April 2, thanks to Mayor de Blasio’s extension for her installation. Originally, her instillation was temporary, given just a one-week permit, but her millions of fans, including myself, across the globe want her to stay.
Truly, this iconic fearless girl actually represents the likes of Harriet Tubman, Penny Chenery, Rosa Parks, Sheryl Sanberg, Oprah, and Michelle Obama.
Two quotes from the New York Daily Newsonline article, published on March 18, sums up the importance of this installation:
“She sends an important message of hope to generations of girls who will grow up with confidence knowing that they too will succeed and thrive in a male-dominated sector and career.”
“Here we have a little girl facing a charging bull. Yet she is determined, she is strong, she is defiant.”
This is my tribute to you, to bring about attention for all of us “fearless girls,” because you matter. Fearless Girl, you matter because little girls need you; you inspire them not to back down, to face their fear head on, even if it’s a bull; you can win!!!
I salute you and will stand and support your spirit, presence, and girl power for ALL the little girls in the world to be encouraged by. Here is my vote, and you can support making the “Fearless Girl” installation permanent by signing the petition found on this site:
“Do you believe that you are worthy of #Happiness, Success, Abundance, Comfort, Fulfillment, Peace, Joy, and Love?” Because worthiness is actually a part of your birthright, says Oprah.
“What you #Believe…YOU will Achieve…” – Oprah
Wow, what a way to start 2017! With amazing videos that will nurture your spirits, inspire your hearts and mind to NEVER GIVE UP, and, most importantly, to BELIEVE that you can achieve your passionate dream. Hold steadfast to your beliefs by seeing yourself in the belief, focusing on the belief, and executing by achieving the belief. “What you believe…You will achieve.”
In the January 2017 Lovin Self monthly newsletter (please read & share), The LoveLetter, my editor Melissa Swenka (AMAZING) wrote a compelling article called, “Embrace Destruction of SELF.” After I read the article, the goosebumps did return. But, at first, my eyebrows were raised. Why? Because impatient people might miss the mark and the powerful message would be ignored. She captivated my attention, and I was looking forward to feeding my spirit with more. More about what actually happened to the #Phoenix, and how it was reborn and came out of the ashes, anew. HELLO!!! We really need to meditate on that section in the newsletter because:
“Through the deepest and darkest of moments, we can rise above and become great, better, and stronger.” – Melissa Swenka
Life is challenging, and will throw you a few, or even many, curve balls (i.e., no money to fund your start-up business, working with very little capital, the only financial funding is your paycheck that already has monthly dibs). But, you can find a way. You might visit Fiverr to get certain things done for your business for just $5 (YouTube channel design, SEO improvements, Photoshop Illustrations, etc.), or Guru, which has helped many get published by finding master editors (hint, hint), like Melissa. Love her!!! And she is beyond exceptional. I’m just sayin’.
Every time that I need to be inspired, hopeful, joyous within my spirit, I find one of #Oprah’s awesome speeches on YouTube. Aah!!! I Love me some Oprah… her loving, positive, and inspiring spirit will condition your mindset that you are not alone or far from achieving your goal… if you truly believe. Every single time that I watch Oprah give an inspirational speech, chills and goosebumps cascade over my entire body. Proof to me that God is in agreement, and that my spirit is open to receiving her knowledge and gift. #AMEN!!
Let’s begin…
I have faced a few challenges at the beginning of this year (2016) in that I lost my job in 2015, could not wait to get off of unemployment, and was excited about my newly launched auditing business. Fast forward to the end of 2016, and the start of 2017, where I had to embrace and accept another side hustle and was beyond thrilled when my former employer called me back to work. AMEN!!! When your monthly bills are due, they don’t want to hear that “the check is in the mail.” I am on my daily #GRIND every day, challenging as it may be, but I will NEVER GIVE UP! It’s not an option, and my spirit will never allow me to succumb to defeat. And my kindred spirit, Harriet Tubman, won’t allow it either. Trust me when I tell you that I see, On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, my success. It also happens to be one of my all-time favorite movies starring Barbara Streisand.
What I definitely know for sure (thanks, Oprah) is that a 9 to 5 will never be your saving grace nor is it cracked-up to be your end all, be all; as you definitely need and MUST have a side hustle. Too bad that I learned this life lesson later on in life; but then I need to remember that it’s never too late to learn valuable life lessons. Kudos to ALL those homeowners who utilize their homes to bring in an extra income (Airbnb), just to make ends meet (a side hustle).
Again, I have watched (now over 15+ times) The Big Short which always reaffirms in me that I have to work for SELF; especially if I want to feel success for my life. Yes, many are up in arms about how our Presidential election ended. But, what you should be focused on is how YOU are going to change your life “financially” for the better. Money is Power… but Success is much greater, just ask Oprah, J.K. Rowling, Ralph Lauren, Steve Harvey (latest book: Jump), and Sara Blakely of Spanx.
You are the Captain of your ship, and the master of our Soul. Only you can affect change, improvements in your life, with the secret of BELIEVING!!!
Recently, I purchased Evan Charmichael‘s (someone I highly respect) latest book entitled, Your One Word. He gave me a HUGE shout-out on YouTube. Thanks, Evan!!
With that message of joy and love, let’s get focused because I want to help you stay encouraged, killing the myth that you can’t achieve your greatness, and remind you–like I remind myself–that it is in every one of us to succeed. But first we MUST believe that we can.
Let’s take a quick break: simply close your eyes and envision, see yourselves being successful or celebrating the success of your dreams.
In the hopes it will fuel your vision of success, I will share with you my One Word: Joy!!! From my music, friends, the company that I keep, the core value in my Lovin Self brand, within my spirit is the word Joy. I’ve always had a joyous spirit, and continue to work to sustain that spirit within. I am looking forward to sharing My One Word with Evan.
This is how I am laying the foundation with my One Word: #JOY
Joygives power to what you Believe
Joyencourages the Heart, Mind, and Spirit
Joy adds Love to your journey
Joy tells you to Never Give Up
Joy says lean in to your Dream
Learn to focus your attention in your space and not others’ because when you measure yourself up to others, you will always come up short. Remember that we only have power in the territory that we own. We are the master of our own Faith. When we learn to just take care of our territory and manage that, all the Glorious, Wondrous possibilities will be waiting for us.
After the Presidential Election ended and the new US President was chosen (Donald J. Trump), many were disheartened, cried, and were literally in shock that #Trump won the election. I was, too, but not in the sense that you think. A New Yorker, who seriously did not take to heart that he was going to ever win this election, who was fed up with both parties in Washington, knew that he would be the game-changer in Washington. But, most importantly, when he realized that his chances were incredible to win, like every New Yorker, he didn’t quit. Trump knew that he could never quit, but had to see the race to the end.
Right after the election, Steve Harvey said, “Now is the time to jump off the edge of the cliff, and embrace your dreams. Believe in yourself, get focused, continue to plan, but you have to execute your plan.” Steve Harvey is so right. Regardless of how the Presidential Election turned out, what are #YOU going to do to impact, change, and elevate your life to success?
Steve sat down with #Oprah and he had asked her what was her first “Jump moment.” She told him her first “Jump moment” was when she left Baltimore, MD to move to Chicago; which many told her that she would fail. NOT!!! And her second “Jump moment” was starting her network OWN and ignored ALL the nay-sayers. She avoided reading the negative press because it was generating Bad Energy, hurtful, and she knew it was definitely NOT of #God.
Since I have discovered my Good Energy, I continue to work at staying deeply rooted in Good Energy, and it is challenging. Why? Because you surround yourself on a daily basis with people (family, friends, co-workers, etc.) who are operating in Bad Energy unbeknownst to them, which will trigger you to react to the Bad Energy. It simply is not good or healthy for your Good Energy and spirit. I have been struggling at trying to keep my mind focused on staying in the realm of #positive energy, because I felt that I kept missing the mark (or hearing God’s voice).
What did I do next? I #prayed to God, sat in my prayer closet, and He revealed to me: “Be Still, Be Still, Be Still (3x, a number that is very important to me, representing the Trinity (the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost)) and know that I AM GOD.” Wow, I thought, I received the message loud and clear. A week before this revelation, I was home and there was nothing on TV to watch. I was working on a client’s audits, but my spirit was craving for nourishment. I turned on my #Amazon #FireStick, went directly to #YouTube, typed in Oprah, and guess what I found?
“Oprah Speaks at Essence 2016 Festival.” My Spirit #JUMPED for #JOY the anticipation was great, and I immediately grabbed a pen and had my journal ready. I was #focused, glued to the TV, and was ready so I thought to myself. The 45-minute segment took me 2 hours to watch because I would replay what she was saying a thousand times. Especially, the vital points about how you really succeed with God’s dream for you. It blew my mind, inspired this post, and clearly showed me how God showed up and out in my life on that day–and moving forward.
“God works through our #FAITH and not our Fear”
First and foremost, you have toBE STILL (repeat that 3 times) and know that God’s got you and He will lead and direct your path. Meaning: stop being anxious, operating on “auto-pilot”, stop what you are doing and trying to figure out the executed plan. It’s not your job to figure it out; that’s God’s job to do it for you. When we seriously learn to STOP making decisions based on the Cause and Effect factor; and learn to Be Still, Hear God’s Voice (the positive energy), and then react based on what God advised you to do, then you will see how your plan of action will be successful and executed in the right order.
Why? Because He is ordering your steps, creating good order (vital and very important to your plan of action), and will ALWAYS bring or put something in your path that will enhance, elevate, or complement what it is that you are trying to do, accomplish, or get done. Trust me, this is true as I am currently experiencing it right now. When you are tapped into His energy pool, God will help and move your dream and/or project along in the right order and direction, with the right message and people. But if you are on auto-pilot, you will miss the mark because you did not hear God’s voice. He will put people, or things, in your path that will confirm that this is what you “really” needed to get from point A to B.
Trust me, I am witnessing it right now in my life and am humbly grateful that He had to do an immediate intervention in order for me to hear His voice, His plan of action in my life, so that I can get my blessing and the favor that He has for me. Thank you, Lord!!! I had to take heed and listen, and hear His Voice (I’ll tell you how that was revealed as well), which I was struggling with during meditation. But because God is beyond #AMAZING, He literally handed me the message that I had to hear; to hear His voice.
Right after my morning meditation session with God today, I did hear him tell me to spend some time with my Bible App, and tap into my neglected Plans that I have not been committed to doing. But this morning, I opened Worship Changes Everything. It’s a 12-day devotional by Darlene Zschech. I opened Day 6 which was dated June 26, and WOW!!!! She started saying when you draw nearer to God, He will draw nearer to you. At that point, I’m flabbergasted because God was giving me what I needed to draw closer to Him. My spirit started jumping for joy, I became a sponge and was hungry to feed my spirit with what I was about to learn.
Darlene was saying, learn to commune with God in EVERYTHING on a continuous basis. Form a habit of conversing with God continuously, refer ALL that I am doing, trying to execute or accomplish, MUST be discussed with God first. She talked about building a “Strong Spiritual Muscle” so that you are tapped into God’s good energy to which you want to be unconsciously connected, because you want it to become the norm.
Oprah talking to the audience on what God has done for her and what He will do for you: “I want you to live the Dream. And it’s not because I’m special. It’s because I was obedient to The Call of the Dream”
Psalm 139 says, He hemmed me in (this is so powerful), behind and before me, laying His hand upon me gently. Darlene’s interpretation was that “God’s presence defines us, sets us apart, strengthens us, penetrates our very being, and brings joy and strength as we draw nearer (James 4:8).” So when we learn to talk to God constantly, conversing with Him, building a better communicative relationship with Him, we are drawing closer to Him. Building a Strong Spiritual Muscle, as well. Hearing His voice loud and clear, ordering our steps, and helping us execute the plan that He had in store for us is bring us closer to seeing OUR DREAMScome true.
How do we build Strong Spiritual Muscle?
Be diligent in communicating with God continuously
We will feel His Love inwardly and outwardly, exciting us without any indifference
Form the habit of communicating with God in EVERYTHING
When we draw nearer to God, He draws nearer to us.
Refer EVERYTHING to God
In conclusion, God’s Dream for you is at your fingertips, right in front of you. You no longer have to fret or feel flustered on your journey because God is ordering your steps, because you have tapped into His realm, His energy, and His Love. Oprah said (this is VERY IMPORTANT), “Stop fighting, pushing against, disallowing against, resisting against, and trying to tell the Creator of the Universe, Forces of Divine Intelligence what ‘I am supposed to do’. And get STILL and know for sure what His Dream, The Dream is for you.” Remember that “you are the master of your faith and the captain of your soul.” So with a #joyous #heart, #mind, and #spirit enjoy it because God’s favor and blessings are about to be revealed to you.
Note: “#Invictus” was the poem recited by the late Nelson #Mandela while he was imprisoned for 27 long years. This poem gave him courage and strength to endure those miserable years inside a matchbox like cell,” states Krishanth Arunasalam.
Choosing to inhabit the state of thankfulness is a powerful choice that immediately puts you in control of SELF’s emotional and spiritual reactions. – Melissa Swenka
Who are you? Who are you really?
All my life, I have been called Miss Sunshine: “Oh, you have such a beautiful, friendly spirit.” Until recently, I learned that I was living a lie and/or a facade. Yes, many of us can relate to Miss Sunshine on the left, and believe that we possess many of her qualities. And, we have friends and family members who do possess many of the characteristics from Miss Complainer on the right. Well, guess what I’ve learned? If you have at least one characteristic of Miss Complainer . . . you have been living a lie as well, and feeding into bad energy.
I had no idea that I possessed a bitter spirit (bad energy) until a colleague said to me that my eBook was “aggressively direct” (I was clueless as to what she was saying at the time). And very recently, a co-worker said to me: “It’s not your job to make men be ‘accountable’ for breaking your heart, other hearts, disappointing you, or how some men treat women without any remorse or accountability. That’s God’s job, so stop feeding into or embracing that ‘bad’ energy and let God handle it.”
It threw me for a second, but she was absolutely correct and made me really think about how I was living and the energy that I was spreading every day. Trust me, I am not a bitter person, but my energy was connected to a deep bad energy that was under the surface. It’s exposed when you are tested by other bad energy, making it clear that that root must be pulled out and tossed in the garbage.
I do believe in a Divine Power (God) who is the ruler of the Universe, is of Love and good energy. One of Joel Osteen’s sermons bought it to light for me, and it was entitled, “Daily Bread.” It actually made me realize that I needed to park my airplane, get out of the autopilot seat, and let God take over my life. No more rushy, rushy behavior and NY-attitude directness; instead, I needed to work on being the calmer, gentler, and more compassionate personality that I crave and want so desperately to put forth.
I have made a concerted effort to be appreciative of my life, operate in a calmer state of being, offer and give more compassion to family, friends, and strangers. The more that I operate in a state of good energy, the more I will attract the same.
Giving SELF a moment for embracing and appreciating the good things around you is a sure winner as well. Remember: when you operate within good energy and you are on your grind/hustle, the rewards will be positive with great results.
It’s called managing your energy, which will keep you in perfect peace.
Good energy feeds off of good energy, and does wonders to your inner-self, grants you peace (AMEN), and operates in Love. With this kind of energy, you can’t miss or go wrong. You attract goodness, especially in people and relationships; not crazy, dysfunctional relationships that can leave you wondering, how has this happened or invaded my life?
Bringing my new awareness to full circle, I was invited recently to a seminar by world-renowned author, Debrena Jackson Gandy who wrote The Love Lies: 10 Revelations that will Transform Your Relationships and Enrich Your Love Life. The seminar was called “Activating Your Relationships Magnetism.” The one true thing that did resonate deeply within my spirit was that it was very important for me to manage my energy. You guessed it: “Good Energy.” Apparently, New York City has a very a masculine-dominated aura that keeps you always on your toes, rushing through the day, and rarely having time to be patient for others.
What we have to learn is that we don’t have time to hang around folks that don’t expend good energy, that don’t have your interest at heart, and who causes you to compromise your energy, which can be draining and will throw you off your path.
Let’s take your Hustle, your Grind and see how your energy plays a major role in your accomplishments. First question, are you grateful to have a hustle/grind? Your answer should be yes. Why? Because it’s a privilege to work hard at something that you strongly believe in.
It shows that you are passionate about what you believe in, and that you will continue to push through the many challenges, like lack of money and nay-sayers (or others exuding bad energy), because you are willing to sacrifice and work hard for the betterment of self. There are people who never find what they are passionate about, and they go through life a-wishing and a-hoping for a revelation that will change their life. But it starts with God’s Love first, and how you incorporate that into everything that you do, believe in, and want to achieve.
There is no lack of abundance in the Universe. So, whomever is threatened by you, or voicing doubts that you can’t do it—that your “zest” for life is just too much to handle, trust and believe in God so that the only things that you will attack will compliment your good energy, taking you to another level of success.
Remember, when you are operating in the realm of thankfulness, you are being obedient, controlling your inner emotions and soulful reactions to outside negative conditions. Doing that, your end results will always be positive, happy, joyous, and rewarding. Trusting and believing that you can make a difference, by being consistent and trying very hard to operate in a loving energy, will help guarantee success in everything that you do.
Mark Cuban from the ABC reality show Shark Tank, owner of the Dallas Mavericks and founder of HDNet (Now, AXS TV) and MicroSolutions, is one of my favorite Sharks. Why? Mainly because of my all time favorite quote by him: “What’s your grind?” On a February 2016 episode of the show, an entrepreneurial contestant pitched the “FloatBaby” service and confidently conveyed the numbers to the Sharks as Mark watched on. When the contestant finally made eye contact with Mark, he asked her, “What’s your grind?” The contestant froze in place, stumbled on her words, and looked like a deer in headlights. Mark’s answer? “I’m out!” And the rest of the sharks quickly followed suit.
Mark’s point was, what’s your hustle? What are you doing to get your brand, idea, or product out and in front of the world. For instance, I recently visited Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts (my second home; LOVE IT!!!) and truly enjoyed my mini-vacay alone. Four days on the beach; I biked 20+ miles everyday and sat on the porch to look at the waves coming in. I was in the pure state of tranquility, peace, joy, and happiness.
The last day of vacay, I decided to visit all the boutique stores on Circuit Avenue and pitch my 2BMe Jewelry collection. It was a pensive experience, but I knew that I had to be on my GRIND. With Mark’s encouraging words, I entered six boutiques. For my efforts, I was given amazing advice, suggestions, and praise for my idea, the brand and design.
I left each boutique feeling great and very hopeful, but also a little disappointed after reflecting on those who turned me down. But, I’m elated for the two boutiques who gave me a shot (Third World Trading Co. and Slight Indulgence) and took one sample on consignment. I am totally psyched!!
From that experience, I am back on my grind (daily); revamping my 2BMe Jewelry collection. Which, I learned from my visit that the first step I need to take is transferring production to the U.S.A.; sorry, China, because I really liked your price points.
My attitude now and words of encouragement to you: If you don’t ask, then you’ll never know if your brand, idea, or product will get its chance, if it’s strong enough for the world to know about you. Please stay tuned, because my 2BMe Jewelry collection will be a household name sooner than you think.
Learn to focus your attention in your space and not others’ because when you measure yourself up to others, you will always come up short. Remember that we only have power in the territory that we own. We are the master of our own Faith. When we learn to just take care of our territory and manage that, all the Glorious, Wondrous possibilities will be waiting for us.
Lovin Self 