Progression is the end goal

You are a work in progress, continually growing and changing into who God has destined you to be. It’s a wonderful feeling to know you are constantly getting better, it can be a bit scary NOT knowing what that change looks like on the other side!

Continue your work anyway. Don’t be stifled by your past into believing that’s the best there is for you, DON’T be discouraged by your present because your circumstances aren’t the best, but live for your future which holds your best days. Your best is yet to come.

Mentally, emotionally, spiritually, financially, physically; your best days are ahead of you! Everything you’ve experienced was to make you better for your work ahead!

Broke Daze

I rob Peter to pay Paul, trying to live in the mall, but my finances flawed, trying to keep up with y’all.

Trying to feed my kids, and buy fancy gifts, while running late on the bills, yo, I can’t even deal.

Im fighting to live, and trying to stay ahead, but debt has me in water that is HOT  and over my head.

Trying to beat the notice, of late pays I’ve avoided, before the repos are in affect, and my families distorted.

Before my families displaced, and forced to live in disgrace, of the reckless choices I’ve made, in my life day to day.

I’m sick of dodging the calls, and hiding behind walls, because the Windows are open, and i know they’ve seen it all.

My slip is revealed,it’s time to clean up my mess, because I can’t keep hiding that I am dying from stress!

That I can’t get any rest because my finances a mess. Tossing and turning at night but…

every time you see me I’m in a new dress.  Or suit and tie and vest. With the latest of rides while my feelings I hide as I try to disguise and you wouldn’t even guess 

That my bank account is empty, more like negative empty and I have borrowed more than I make from my family

 so to my friends I can fake 

That I’m living a dream which is more like a nightmare..worst than on elm street and Freddy Kruger ain’t even there. 

It’s time to walk in my truth in my last year’s boots and Just say no to my friends I can’t afford to hang out with you. The cost of this friendship is more than I have and if you ain’t got it to give then on this date I’ll have to pass. 

But ain’t no more robbing Peter just to pay Paul cause I’ve spent my last dollar trying to hang out with yall trying to keep the latest fashion and stay up on trends trying to mimic the acquaintances I once called  friends in the meanwhile going broke…

Or should i say staying broke and staying stressed!
 

WHY stop Now?

Have you met your breaking point? Are the stesses of life trying to convince you to give up? Are you in that place in life where no matter which way you turn, you seem to hit a dead end? The kids are driving you crazy, your finances are in shambles, your relationships are in sinking sand; and your job is on your last nerves. All you can think of is throwing in the towel, quitting and giving up on everything and everybody?!

Well DON’T quit! Don’t give in to the pressure. This is the exact place where diamonds are formed. Many won’t reach their diamond status because they have long given up, but you, you still have more fight in you. This is just the beginning of a turn around.

Any successful person can tell you they hit this point. No matter what they were trying accomplish there came a time when it didn’t seem worth it; they were worn down and outdone, but they stayed in the fight one more round, and won!

Don’t let the circumstances of life cause you to miss your breakthrough. Don’t be the man who was less 3 miles from hitting the gold line when he gave up, and sold everything, because he became weary of the long process. He had been mining for months and nothing happened, so he sold all of his machinery to another fellow, who in no time struck the line; and became very wealthy.

You are very close to your breakthrough. Everything you are facing now is to force you to give up, but the real test is complete when you don’t give up, but instead endure until the end.

You can make it! You will make it!  You have made it this far, why quit now?

Go! Be great! Stay in the fight! You’re at the end of the storm, just get to the other side!

Believe!

Self image plays a major role in the amount of success you will achieve. How you perceive yourself is also how you will be perceived by the masses. In order to be valued by any other group of humans, or another person, you first have to place that value on yourself.

Regardless the situation: a relationship, advancement in the workplace, respect amongst peers,or starting a business; if you see yourself as valuable, others will also agree.

I speak a lot about constantly improving your self image because daily it will be tested. You will have people doubting you, circumstances telling you that you will not make it; and the last thing you need is negative state of mind in agreeance with it.

Believe in you! Believe in what you bring to the table! Always let your light shine, it’s the only way it will be seen!

Be Great! RISE UP!

What are YOU waiting on?

“Sometimes we are forced into decisions we ought to have found ourselves.” (Maid in Manhattan)

This quote has been so true in my life! There have been countless opportunities where I should have made an affirmative decision in my life, but fear always held me back. From relationships to jobs, I wanted transition, but change and not knowing what the other side looked like kept me.

I remember working on a job that initially started out great. Over time, I became less and less motivated and challenged by the position. I wanted so badly to have a new job, but nothing in me would search or apply for a new position.

I’ve been taught when you have responsibilities you can’t make rash or hasty decisions. I wasn’t in the world alone, with just my butt to be concerned with, I had children who depend on me and my responsibility to keep them afloat. So, although I was dying a slow death working this job that no longer fulfilled me, I stayed.

I became less and less productive in the position. Deep down I wanted badly to be a top performer, and to quit at the same time. I went from making great commissions to barely making a commission. (Thank God for a base salary.) I just wasn’t happy, however,I was
not going to make a decision.  The decision did, however, make me!

Every year my church fast together at the start of the new year. My pastor encourages us to pray and talk to God about the change we want. (He didn’t necessarily say put in the work I needed to meet God with my expectations.) I began to pray and ask God for a change in my work environment. I assume, in my heart,I thought I was asking God to make me happier at work. As I look back, that’s not quite what I said or meant.

By the time the fast had ended, 21 days later, I’d been fired from my job. I couldn’t believe after 3 years I’d been fired. I didn’t know what to do. I had children to feed. I had bills to pay: rent, car payments and utilities! I was lost!

God knew better for me. I continued to pray and stay faithful. I knew there was nothing God would put me through that I couldn’t bare. I was out of work for a little over a year though. In my mind, prior to being fired, I couldn’t imagine trying to bare being in this situation. My time had expired in this position, long before I got fired, and God knew I wasn’t going to do anything about it. God had put in my heart to move long before, but fear had me stuck in a position(of circumstance) that made me sick daily.

The next year, after a long year off to reevaluate what I wanted and who I was, I was offered a position with a much larger company; and I made much more money. I would have never applied for this job had I not been fired. I would have never saw myself as qualified for this position, had I not been disqualified from my previous position.

Sometimes it takes being completely uprooted from a place that is comfortable to realize there is more out there for you. Sometimes we are forced into decisions we ought to have made ourselves, but we didn’t, so the universe (God) forces them on you. I won’t say you’ll immediately get it and understand you should have made a transition. I will say you will get tired of the universe making decisions for you and soon enough you’ll move into action!

What decision should you making right now, but instead are waiting on “the blow” to hit you, before you decide it’s time for change?

Happy New Year!

In order to really live and thrive in this world, you must constantly be born. That means, every few months or years there should be a new start in your life, or new level that you have reached. You should celebrate a new year (in your personal growth) more than once a year. It has been said, “if you are not growing (changing) then you are dying!

How many of you are dying? How many of you are so content in your space, and unwilling to be moved; completely satisfied with this place in your life that doesn’t provide you any real peace? I am almost certain you are not at your happy place, because it requires you to constantly adapt to ever-changing environments, and circumstances.

Change is hard! Many of us fight change for multiple reasons, but it is a necessary part of evolution.

Each of us face trials, or will face trials, in this life we live. Those trials have been predestined, by our previous choices; and God, to prepare us for the next phase of our life. These trials can no longer be used as an obstacle in us moving along our paths. These trials have to become the stepping stones we need to thrust us forward in the next level.

These experiences will sometimes cause discomfort in our current situations. It will become imperative that we hold on to our faith, and realize there is a lesson to be learned. Go through it with a clear mind, knowing and expecting a great end; and be strengthened in the new birth.

Think of Job in his life. He was as a happy a man you could expect. He had more riches than any other man in his country. He was living above the wealthy line, he and his family were thriving physically, and he had more cattle than any man could ask for. In what seemed like a blink of the eye, for Job I’m certain, he had lost it all: his family, his wealth, and his health. He was even on the verge of losing his mind. Job never lost his faith and in the end he was blessed 10x over, for his new beginning.

That had to be a very trying time for Job. There must have been many nights he wanted to perish. One minute he had it all, the next he had nothing. His entire situation had changed! The situation also changed Job. He knew in order to survive his next level, new beginning, or to birth a new life he had to adapt to his situation that was no longer the same. (I am sure he didn’t want the change and was content in his status, but God had something BETTER for him.)

Let those things that were meant to keep you stagnant be used to elevate you. Grow a stronger mind, prepare your mind mentally through promises and affirmations! More importantly, stay faithful and ready always for the next level.Embrace the change that is your life. Know that in the end, it is good for your soul and spirit to constantly grow.

Be Great. Rise UP!

Question: Have you celebrated a new year yet? Are there circumstances in your life holding you back from moving forward? If so, what steps are you taking to make that circumstance a learning experience for your future?

The Time Is Now!

The time is Now to act on your dreams, visions and purpose in life! There is no more time to waste in putting them off or waiting for the exact timing, especially because there will never be a perfect timing. The children will need you, family or friends will need you, even work will hold you back.

When you consider how premature Mary was in giving birth to Jesus, it makes you wonder about your own (premature) births. Think about it, Mary was a Virgin when she conceived Jesus! She was surely scared to death of what people would think of her, and how unprepared she was to become a mother. Yet, she gave birth to a child, The MOST special child. How miraculous is that? What if she had let circumstance cause her to not birth the child?

How many things is God waiting and wanting to birth in your life? How many things do you constantly think, I’m not ready to take on that endeavor yet, I still need more training or more education before I can accomplish that feat? I am not yet in the place I need to be financially to complete this task.

Have you considered that you are at the exact point that God wants to use you in? He doesn’t need you to change anything about yourself. Realize that if he gave you that dream, or passion, then he will also equip you with the necessary tools to birth that idea and see it come to pass. You may think it’s a premature birth. You may not want to go through the pain that comes with giving new life to ideas, but you need to or else suffer silently about what (or who) you could have been.

Don’t wait another second! Don’t put off another minute, what you should be doing right now! Don’t be deterred by your circumstance! You are perfectly placed to give God glory, and honor, when he turns your entire situation around. It requires your undying belief, your unwavering faith and strong will that if God brought you to it, he can (and will) see you through to the other side.

Let live outwardly, what you have on the inside. Don’t hide yourself any longer. Let your talents shine through. Give birth now….even if the timing seems off. You have put it off long enough. GO! GO! GO!

Sometimes, it is not until you are walking your path that you begin to recieve the gifts you need to complete your task. That experience, or confidence, the training and technique will requre you to be hands on. You are not in premature labor! Your time is now! Go!

Because otherwise…would you ever be completely ready?

Be Great! RISE UP!

 

Question: What have you put off long enough? What has been speaking to you for months (or even years) and you ignored it because you didn’t think you had what it took (yet)?

Rise Up!

The time is now! Every second that you put it off, there is more opportunity to create fear and doubt, as well as come up with a million excuses negating all the reasons you can.

No matter what size the task, get it done. Stop procrastinating and saying you will get it done later, or tomorrow. Tomorrow is now, otherwise it’s not promised!

You can take initiative now, or be envious of the next person who decided now was the time. You don’t have time to compare your strengths/weaknesses to your counterparts, unless you’re using it as a reason that you can do it!

Get up now! Don’t think! Just go be Great!

Think of all the reasons you should be your greatest self and focus on that. Block out all other energy! Remove from your life any black clouds, doubters and those who don’t push you to your limit.

Don’t settle on yourself! Don’t let potential be all that you ever have. Be kinetic! Have that energy that is constant, and moving you toward your goals and dreams. Be continuously growing in the idea of who you are and what you can be.

Go! Be GREAT! Rise Up!

Fearless!

I had to learn to be fearless. Being fearful was a common denominator I had lived amongst most of my life. I hated that space, but I didn’t know how to change it. I’d like to say I just woke up one day, and voila Magic, but that’s not entirely the case.

I had to retrain my mind. It was learned behavior and it was work to reverse the damage. I went on a self-improvement boot camp that was powered by me. It (is) a somewhat lonely journey, because not everyone is ready or wants to be greater than they are currently. I was/am okay with that and have been determined not to let it interfere with my training.

I first learned of self-improvement through network marketing. I eagerly joined a company, ready to become top executive, with a cashier mind frame. I wanted to win, but I wanted the win to chase me. I didn’t want to work for it, because plainly put, I was afraid of failing; and of setting the high expectation of success on myself. My thought was somewhat twisted. If I didn’t try hard to win, when and if I failed, it was okay, because I didn’t try anyway. But, if I succeed at something it will be an expected occurrence.

Fear had me trapped!

Fear of the unknown had me paralyzed in a state of mediocrity. After all, I was making just as much money, if not more than most people I knew. Which isn’t saying much considering I don’t know millionaires. The goals of the people I constantly surrounded myself with were mediocre and no-one particularly challenged my stance. We ALLOW each other’s mediocrity.

Once I was a part of this networking team I saw a fight in them that I had never encountered. I was introduced to another breed of people, and the way they spoke about themselves as winners, affirmed their future and took action, intrigued me. I’d only met one person like that, with a will and consistency to win, and I wanted to be a part of that world.

We were recommended some readings about self-improvement and growing our minds, in addition we were given some techniques on clearly speaking and believing what we want out of our life; and how to produce those things. It was during these times my mind started to shift. I was reading “The Magic of Thinking Big.”

I had recently come out of a depression and this was the turn around my life needed. I didn’t do so well at the business, partly due to not trying. The fear of what people would think of me made me shrink back. However, I took away some even greater jewels than winning financially.

My journey had begun. The transformation was in full effect. I began to read more, listen more and encourage myself even more. I began all of my morning with affirmations of being victorious, whole and complete, creative, strong in mind, body and spirit; full of love, full of courage and a David to my Goliaths.

I began to speak differently about my day, forecasting early on how amazing, and full of opportunity my day would be. People began to look at me as if I was losing my mind. I was so thrilled about what I had learned and how I was feeling; I wanted to share it with most everyone, but not everyone was receptive. I completely understood. Not long before, my mind was trapped on Excuse Street. It was the constant training that kept my mind from reverting back.

Over the course of about 4 years the journey continued. Daily I became more confident and trusting in myself. (I realized that trusting that I’m making great decisions regarding my life created a fearless mind frame as well.

I had to learn to be fearless. I’d like to say that I’m done learning, but it’s a daily overcoming. Daily, new opportunities present themselves for me to be fearless and daily I have to conquer them!

My life is the genre!

I was asked, when I mentioned that I’d recently began to blog, what’s my topic or expertise!? At that moment, I realized we as human’s have a compartmentalized way of thinking. Someone, unintentionally, was trying to force my writing in a small box.

I realized that I won’t let that happen in my writing, thinking or in the way I run my life. I am so much greater than the box,I have so much more to offer than what can be put in a box, of any size. I am limitless, my writings are limitless so my genre is newly titled  LIMITLESS!

My expertise is my life. I write what I have lived, what I have experienced, in hopes it will resonate with someone. It may be that I overcame depression, outsmart my doubt and now live a life full of peace and real happiness. It may be that raising boys is the greatest teacher life has ever given me, for multiple reasons. Who knows?!

Whatever genre I fall in, or topic I write about, it’s honest, it’s full of my true emotion and it’s the most freeing experience for me at the moment.

I, nor my writing, will be lived out in a box. I am going to continue striving for ultimate liberation, freedom to express myself how I see fit, and journeying to a place of satisfaction that can only be found by chasing yourself beyond the limits.