Just a couple of things..........

Happy Friday,

Let’s see…. All I really have to say today is rejoice in the life that you have. Know that even though there are obstacles with faith and forward movement we can get through anything. Take comfort in knowing that our backs are always covered and as long as we continue to do our part things will come together. Do not allows what others feel dictate how we live life. Our faith should be bigger than any feelings. Remember that mistakes are lessons to make us stronger. As long as we get back up, we are still winners. Give thanks for the blessings that you have already received and thanks for future blessings. Stay calm, stay focused, and stay happy….. IT’S FRIDAY!

Smile more, laugh louder, live longer……

AND remember everything in life is a lesson, some people miss the message because they are too busy beating themselves up for the mistake….the mistake is just a set-up for you to be better the next time!

MAKE IT GREAT

E

Harvest

 Super morning!

You reap what you sow!

When we are in constant fear, doubt, sadness, and negative thinking, we are sowing those things into our lives. So on the cool; we shouldn’t be surprised that things tend to look cloudy all the time. When times are rough, find the silver lining. Do you have a plan? If so, then feel good about that. If you don’t have a plan then start thinking of options. The best way to create a wonderful life is to be active in it. We need to do our part and the rest will take care of itself. No one wins the race by standing on the sidelines. Sow positivity and you will reap wonderful rewards. I’m telling you from experience that when I believe things happen. Things begin to move in my life and I move right along with them. Somehow, a way is made out of no way because I believed. Now it’s your turn. Try it. What do you have to lose by believing that things will work out?

Today I hope that you have a wonderful sunshiny day!

AND remember believing that something can be done opens the door to finding a way to get it done……

MAKE IT GREAT

E

Keep going.............

Great morning……

Life is like an Olympic Event. We find our talents; we train and develop them, make some changes and then begin to compete. After every competition, we should review, make changes, and try again. The goal is to get to the Olympics (Dreams) and win. That’s life. We should not give up because we didn’t win a competition. We have to make adjustments and train more. The mind and body can only handle what we instruct it to handle. We are the ones that set limitations on ourselves so we are the reason that we fail. Let’s get up and get focused. We have a wonderful life to live and we shouldn’t throw it away because some things didn’t work out. Life is not a sprint so we can take some time to get it right.

Today smile and relax….. You are probably on the right track. Never give up!

AND remember as long as you have passion, faith, and are willing to work hard, you can do anything you want in this life!

MAKE IT GREAT

E

Really?

Good morning,

As I was typing this morning I happen to look at FB and the very thing I was typing I happen to read……

People “give up” because their perception is what they want is either too far away or it will never come at all. Well all I can say is if you are going to give up “Get a Cat”. We all have that moment where you think “May I should think about not having it”. We have to snap out of that. We don’t have time to sit and mope. Crying and looking like pitiful Paul or Pauline is not going to make that dream come any faster. There is no time to think negatively. When life seems like it’s at a standstill that’s the time to make a plan. Maybe life has stopped because it’s waiting on you. I have said many times before nothing will be given to us if we are not prepared to handle it. So we can get sad all we want but until we are prepared, we will never get what we want the way that we deserve it. Ask around. Find some people and get some insight into the topic you want to know more about. GET OUT THEERE AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

So today, work on being a better you and make a plan for everything else.

And remember even if you fall on your face you are still moving forward……

MAKE IT GREAT

E

You are not naked.......

Unruffled Morning……

Are you an open person?

I have been thinking about vulnerability this weekend. I personally have a hard time with this. It’s a constant battle but I continue to push myself because I believe the benefits are greater than any fear. Take the example of my finances. That is clearly my business. I don’t ask anyone about his or her finances and they don’t ask about my mine. The only time I will ask is if there is a chance that we will have to combine our finances. Other than that, it’s not anyone’s busy about the details of your finances. Anywhoooo, I had to open up and expose my finances to my financial advisors. I felt totally naked even though at the time I had on a pea coat. I actually had to lay down fully dressed for about 30 mins after I got home because I was so uncomfortable. It was my decision to expose myself because I wanted to get my life plan in order. I mean I have been praying for help with my finances because accounting is not my area of expertise and BAM here they are calling me. I had to take advantage of the opportunity. I pushed and allowed myself to be vulnerable and I can honestly say that I’m happy that I did it. The joy of having a life plan is so much bigger than the fear of being exposed and judged. When it comes to happiness and Joy, you have to take a chance. There are times that you will feel like you are Thelma and Louise’in of the cliff but you are not falling. It’s just the unknown that is making you fearful. If we begin the thought process with “Everything will be fine” then we start on a good foot. Just keep repeating to self that everything will ok. On the cool I have been vulnerable a couple of times where it didn’t work out. This usually involves men…..lol. When it comes to family, friends, and work, I seem to have a better handle on the situation. I personally feel that the majority of men that I happen to be attracted to are not always emotionally available. I’m still working on that and I’m sure something will change….. It always does. I have put myself out there and my feelings are unrequited. It’s not the greatest feeling and it may last for a minute but I know that it’s not the end. I know that the heart will repair itself unless I keep tearing the scab off. I have said before that because of GOD and my family I know what true love is and that I can be exposed to it outside of them. There are many reasons that we will fight being vulnerable with anyone. No one wants to be hurt, rejected, or taken advantage of and so we build a wall and the only way to get through is if the other person decides they want to take the time to chip away at it. I’m not saying we need to knock down the wall and just let anyone in but if the other person is putting in the work why not give him or her a hand. Take a chance. We will never know what will happen if we never open up. I’m going to be open. I’m going to put myself out there, because I know that I want better and I’m willing to put in the work to get it. Although I have been hurt in the past, I have healed. I have a great support system and I’m blessed because of that. I am better because of all of my experiences and therefore I will continue to try. The prize is there for me and I’m going to get it! What are you going to do?

Make goals, create a plan, stay open, and attack!

And remember to share your weakness is to make yourself vulnerable; to make yourself vulnerable is to show your strength.

MAKE IT GREAT

E

Give it all you got!

Happy Friday!

Today I read something that I thought was so empowering.

“You are not going to get full-time blessings for part-time devotion”

I should just end the message right here. Those words are so real. If we ever expect to reap the benefits in life we cannot put in “some” effort and expect everything to be on point. I believe this applies to all aspects of life. We need to become experts in our lives. If we happen to be experiencing the same storms in our lives that may mean we are not learning the lessons. We need to discover new ways to accomplish our goals. I believe that they way that we feel about ourselves is in direct correlation with the decisions that we make. We tell ourselves what we can and cannot do, how worthy we are, and what we deserve in our lives. Now this would be super if we thought positive ALL the time. This all stems from the lessons we were taught early on in life. We don even realize some of the things that we have picked up from the people around us. I grew up around very verbal people. For the most part, they say what’s on their minds. This can be a good and bad thing. Your words can hurt someone’s feelings without you even knowing it. L So here I am with an opinion on almost everything and not afraid to speak up. I am now learning that not everything or everyone wants to hear what I have to say. I’m leaning to shut up…. I’m still working on it…lol. Anywhooooo, because I am a very verbal person it has allowed many blessings to enter my life. I am writing and actually helping people and that makes me feel really good. I think that I can go further with this but on some level, I am stuck. I am expecting a book to appear on its’ own because I am certainly not typing away making it happen. I have a serious case of writers block. I have attempted to write an outline and I am just not able to follow it. I have tried just writing some things and I feel like it’s all over the place so now here I am reading other people’s books….. O_O I can pray about this book all I want but if I don’t do my part then it will never happen. That is the point of this e-mail. If I do not devote myself to writing a book then it will never happen. At this point, it doesn’t matter if people will want to read it or not. If I don’t write, there won’t be anything for someone to want or not want to read.

We have to focus on the task and not the ending results. Stop worrying about what could or could not be. Dedication is where the focus needs to be. We have already failed for not trying in the first place.

The whole picture needs to be broken down into steps. Maybe we should take our dreams and write each step on a note card. Tape that card where you can see it. When you have completed the task then tape up the next card to focus on. We have to find a way to simply these dreams and it won’t be so hard to visualize. Blessings do not always have to be big. It can be something as small as completing a workout or getting all of you errands done in a timely manner. Getting overwhelmed with something is a great way to raise that anxiety level. Anxiety is your body’s way of saying, “Hey! You are doing too much”. At this time, we must listen. Let’s devote ourselves to accomplishing a PIECE of our goal. Before we know it, the dream will be right in front of you!

*Talking to myself* Thanks Erica……

And remember there will be times that GOD presents you with a blessing and a plan, but if you don’t act on it, it will go away…….

MAKE IT GREAT

E

I'm not the only one.....

Good Morning,

So, as you know I love to read and I am always looking into new ways to better myself. Last night I was reading Essence and I came across the article that basically co-signs on everything that I have been sharing with you. I decided to share this today because sometimes you have to hear it from more than one person to get it. Like I always say, “I don’t care how you get it just get it!

Believe In Yourself and Your Plan

By Paul Carrick Brunson

Growing up, many people told me, "Paul, one day you're going to be on Oprah's daytime talk show. One day, you're going to sit on that famous couch." I heard this so many times. I truly believed it with all of my heart. I became obsessed with "getting on Oprah's couch." Then, a year before Oprah's final season, I saw that time was running out and the window was closing. I wasn't going to be interviewed by the Queen of talk after all, I realized.

Now, let me show you how God works: Last week, Oprah visited me at my office in Kingsland, GA. She sat on "my" couch and I interviewed her. Of course, this is all for our upcoming LoveTown USA show, premiering on the OWN network this summer, but the point is, God's plan for us is greater than we can imagine. Our job is to believe it!

That said, believing in ourselves and our plan is not easy. If you're having a hard time believing in your greater purpose, here are nine ways to help:
Identify Your Values

What do you live for? It’s hard to know where you’re going unless you know who you are. Identify and prioritize your values. It’ll be clearer to you what you need in life (and therefore, what’s most important) opposed to what you simply want

Train Your Belief System

Everything you will have in your life will come about because of your belief that they’re possible. The first step to training your belief system is to use affirmations. Affirmations like “Why am I so confident? Why do I believe in myself? Why do I trust my intuition?” are empowering questions that focus your mind on why you are, in fact, confident.

Watch Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford Commencement Address

It’s one of the most inspirational speeches I’ve watched on having faith in your purpose. This video is a different kind of soul food!

Be Bold

It’s important to realize that no one has ever fallen while stepping out on faith. I think about this single point daily

Toughen Your Skin

No one ever succeeds without being rejected (many times). Expect to hear the word “no” time after time, and you’ll be ready to overcome, time after time

Accept Compliments

This is critical towards bolstering your self-esteem, which is an imperative part of stepping into your purpose. Next time someone gives you a compliment, resist the urge to dismiss it, or think to yourself that the person didn’t mean it. Instead, imagine it is true, and you might just find that it is.

Surround Yourself With People Who Believe In You

Jim Rohn says you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with – he has a point. The common denominator I find in people who excel is that they surround themselves with folks who not only excel in their own right but believe in the potential of their friends.

Fake It Until You Make It

This begins with simply speaking confidently and assertively (even if you you’re not). By simply speaking in a strong manner, you will see you have greater control over your ability to influence. As a result, your actual confidence will grow.

Force Yourself Into the Habit of Believing

Some people are born with an innate self-confidence, but most of us are not that lucky. It’s a good thing we can teach ourselves new habits. Most experts agree it only takes 30 days to change your behavior. Just like a good exercise program, use the suggestions I gave to map out over the next 30 days what you will do daily to boost your “belief muscle.”

Read more:

http://www.essence.com/2012/03/02/believe-in-yourself-and-your-plan/#ixzz1prZJf0MC

AND remember success depends on the second letter……

MAKE IT GREAT!

E

Are you "The Hater"?

STOP!

Good morning.

This morning I need you to stop. Stop being the hater in your life. There is no need to worry about others hating on you because you are the dream killer in your life. We all do it. I killed the potential dream of becoming the next Cake Boss. I don’t really feel that bad about it because it was never my dream to become a baker. I always have something negative to say when the subject comes up and the fear of failure literally has me on pause. I can see now that this career is to never be. (See I just did it again) I enjoy (most of the time) baking but that’s not really my passion. I have very strong desires to become a writer. I enjoy thinking and being able to put it into words. So, what do I do……research, research, research. What I found was a lot of negativity. “It’s hard” “No one will want to read what you have written” “The industry is not good anymore” I’m like dang maybe I shouldn’t do this” I have to remind myself that just because no one wanted to read what they had to say that doesn’t mean that will happen to me. I just need to take it one-step at a time. The thing about dreams is that we focus on the WHOLE picture and not the step. If you focus on one-step at a time, you will be there in no time. We just can’t stop we have to be the cheerleader in our own lives. One of the best horrible examples is Kanye West……lol. I think that man is very smart. A little too cocky/arrogant in my opinion but you know what it works for him. He is his own fan. He doesn’t need outside people to encourage him. He thinks he is SUPER AWESOME. He never stopped because someone told him that he couldn’t rap. He is of the mindset that he can do anything. I have noticed that most successful people tend to think they are right. I guess they are because they have been successful. I think we can take some notes from the Kanye’s of the world. Instead of doubting ourselves, we need to be a little cocky. We should never stop.  No one is going to stand up for our dreams and goals. We have to be the president of our own fan club. I’m telling you right now that I KNOW that I can do or be anything I want to be. I have always felt this way. Believe or not someone told me that I would not bake cakes. Oh Really? Hmmmmm….ok.

Sometimes your dreams and goals are too much for someone else to handle mentally…… that’s because it doesn’t belong to them.

Take can’t out of your vocabulary because if you can dream it you can create it!

AND remember haters will broadcast your failures, but whisper you success…… soooooooo Please Stop!

MAKE IT GREAT!

E

Countdown........

Happy morning….. (That’s 1)

2. I’m divorced

3. I have many talents (baking, sewing, writing, hair, etc….)

4. My mother has passed

5. My family and friends love me unconditionally

6. I have a couple of fears

7. I have A LOT of FAITH

Wondering what’s up with the above list? Even though I have been through a lot, I count it all JOY! Wondering how? Let me explain. Let’s begin with #1. I’m happy. I was happy when I woke up this morning. I opened my eyes from my bed in my own home. I smiled when I showered and brushed my teeth. There are times that I have to stop and just thank the Lord for allowing me to do these things. I am able to choose a pair of shoes from my many, many, many, many options…. J Once in the car I begin my morning conversation with my Best Friend. I give thanks first, pray for everyone second and then pray for me last. By the time I get to work, my mind is right and I’m extremely happy! It doesn’t take much for me to be happy. I have put in the work to get to the happy state so I guess you can say I’ve been trained to feel this way. *smile*

Now for #2, #4, #5, #6. I’ve had some perceived not so great things happen to me. What we must remember is that it is our past experiences that help shape us into the people that we are today. I believe that everything happens for a reason. We can either allow our past tear us down or build us up. I’m in the business of building. I have fears just like the next person but I have to keep reminding myself that I have come this far so what’s to stop me from going further. I know that without my pains I would not be able to really understand my JOYS. If happy is my goal then in every negative I have to find the happy. I may be divorced but I’m smarter when it comes to relationships. I’m happier because I know more about me. On some level, I feel like I have a leg up on people that have never been married. Happy or not marriage cannot truly be understood until a person is in it. I’ve said that marriage can be most difficult BEST job one will ever have. Marriage is constant work but with the right person, it’s worth all of the work you put into it. If given another opportunity I would do it again. I understand love. My family loves me unconditionally. That is why the passing of my mother was not the end of me. We are not built to fall to pieces. When that happens, that’s us giving up. I didn’t want to give up but I had so many emotions at the time. I didn’t want her to go but I didn’t want her to be in pain anymore. Then there was the guilt. When she passed, there was a guilt that I felt relieved that I didn’t have to worry about her, my anxiety, and all of the driving.  I loved her and would do ANYTHING for her. If she told me to move back to Austin I would have been gone….. She was my world and without her, I felt empty. For a while, I was just going with the flow. I thought if I stopped, I would fall. After a while, I realized that I had the strongest support system in the world. I was in need and they were there for me. I mean all of my family. Even the people that were not blood related were there for me. There was no way that I could fall. I could climb the highest stage, leap off and I know that they would be there to catch me. They showed me how much strength I really possessed.

Finally, numbers 3 and 7. I have been blessed with so many talents. There are times that I feel like I can do ANYTHING! Most of the time I attempt to do it because the confidence is there. I have to pull myself back at times because even though I know I can do it I may not have enough knowledge about it. That’s doesn’t mean that I won’t do the research. I feel like why waste the money when I know that I can do it? There are some things worth paying the money for like my birthday cake. I can do it but the stress of making the cake will leave me pooped for the actual celebration. I feel blessed every day that I have vision and I am able to make that vision a reality. I am able to bring to others with the talent that was given to me. How sweet is that? My Faith continues to propel me forward with anything I desire to do. There are times that I feel like I may not have anything to say to you but somewhere between the time I leave home and get to work, something pops into my head. My Faith allows me to see my Joys…….

I count it all JOY. My goal is to be great so whatever happens I have to find the meaning in it. I’m going to grow with each situation and become a better person with each day that is gifted to me. I will continue to share my lessons and happy with you because I want you to be able to do the same.

Today, look for the JOY. It’s there it’s just waiting on you. Be the change that you want in your life.

AND remember JOY is love made visible.

MAKE IT GREAT

E

Do you know?

Unruffled Morning.

How big do you dream?

I mean seriously, do have big dreams or do you put a limit on them so that it can be more “realistic”? I have noticed that we will settle on a portion of our dream because on some level we feel that we are not worthy of more and don’t want to get our feelings hurt if we were to get less. The thing is when we dream smaller we still get upset because we really wanted and expected more. That is crazy right?

I have really been in research mode. I’ve looked up simple things like “How to be happy”, “Effective Communication”, and “Love”. I enjoy seeing other people’s views on different topics. You never know what you will learn. Since we are not equipped with “How To” manuals we must research. Think about it…. If no one told your grandparents and your parents how to love then they basically just made it up along the journey and passed it on to the next. Then added or changed some things and then passed it on to you. Therefore, you may not have the proper information. We tend to look at what our parents had imitating it or attempting to avoid it. We most times never bother to research on how to do it we just pull it out of our behinds and hope for the best. O_O I have been reading this Iyanla Vanzant book “Broken Pieces” and even though it’s about her life, there are many things that apply to all of us. We learn about self worth at a very young age. How we feel about ourselves and what we deserve all begins before we can even begin to speak. Once we have this thought process, it molds the types of dreams and goals we want for ourselves.  It doesn’t have to be that our parents beat us or abandoned us. They could have been right there in the home but we are still able to pick up things that will shape our future dreams. I know some people that have seen their parents in love all of their lives and they chase the dream of that perfect love. I mean they endure anything to attempt to get that love. What they don’t understand is what it took their parents to get to that point. I mean are they really going to tell you their trials and tribulations as a young child…. No. Once a person learns all that it could take or all that you may have to endure the need may fade. Also, you may love a different way from the way that your parents loved. There are so many things that need to be considered when it comes to YOUR life. An awesome love is a great example but we must come across the love that fits us.

I know that I talk about love a lot and that is because a majority of the people I know have their jobs/careers on lock. I mean even if someone is without a job, they are already researching, on interviews, and have spoken to several people about new opportunities. The outlook is always positive and they dream really big regarding their next job opportunity. When it comes to love, there are all sorts of apprehension. There are unsure steps, bad information, and a lot of assuming that happens when the subject of love comes up. We are more than willing (most times) to put ourselves out there for a job but not for love. Do we not know that a broken heart is really not broken? It’s more like a hard pinch or shin splints. Let’s get out there and study. We should learn about ourselves so that we can make better decisions about what we want when it comes to love.

The better we know ourselves the bigger the dreams will be because there is a confidence there that says, “You are worth it!”

Today I stand firm in my dreams and goals. I know that nothing’s perfect but I believe that with hard work I will have everything that I want because I deserve it!

AND remember if you don’t feel worthy, no one else will feel it either.

MAKE IT GREAT

E

It's All Good.

Good afternoon,

This morning has been so busy. It started with personal business and then work. I have been a very productive woman…lol

So, as we know I can loyal to a fault.  It’s just something in me that says stay. Even when things are not so great, there is something that says, “Hang in there! There’s hope”. This is a good and bad quality to have in life. I have decided to change insurance companies. I didn’t want to but I knew that my company had me bent over. When I really looked into the details I was like, “Really Erica?” So, I got some information and made some calls. Now I have more than I had and I’m still paying less than I was. SMH. So, I called my current insurer and he all he could say was “I hate to lose you”. I politely said, “If you really didn’t want me to go then you should have been calling me offering me all of these discounts.” No one ever calls me. I always have to call them and they are kinda like “Whatever”. Now it’s, “Give me a chance. There was just a disconnect”.  He is all up on me attempting to wine and dine me with dreams of getting back to where he was…. Smh. Once I have made up my mind, I’m pretty much done. He would have to call me back with the most amazing deal and a statement that has glitter on it every month. I just don’t see Kevin doing that. Seriously, if he does not call with the sound of glee in his voice telling me about saving MORE money and glitter then he will just have to face fact that our relationship has come to an end.

My new insurance company promised me glitter. J

Anywhoooo….. The whole point of the above rant is that you should never wait until the last minute to try to keep something. If you feel that you've got something worth having, then the work that it took to obtain it will be the work that is needed to preserve the situation. Now this may seem like an easy lesson but it’s not. We get comfortable and if everything seems like it’s cool then we will not work as hard. If no one is saying anything then things must be ok. Right? We all get busy with work, kids, family, extracurricular activities, etc so it’s easy to lose track of something. That’s not horrible thing. The problem begins when we never take the time to make certain that things are on track.  I state all the time about how important communication is but yet we still have problems with it. I have never really complained to Kevin so he didn’t bother to take time to make sure that I was good. I could have said something earlier BUT IT IS Kevin’s job to make sure that I am well insured. This situation can happen in a relationship, friendship, or at the job. If you don’t say anything then there is a chance that nothing will happen.  I really think we should study effective communication. I believe that it would make life much easier.  There would be less assuming and misunderstandings. I enjoy my life being easy. Addressing the situation, brainstorming on ideas, listening, and repairing the problem is my motto.  The less time we spend on assuming what someone is thinking, the more time we could spending on the enjoyable things in life.

Let’s work on checking in more often than not because if you are not taking care of home someone else will. Ask Kevin. O_O

AND remember don’t let something that doesn’t matter cause you to lose something that does matter…..

MAKE IT GREAT!

E

The Real You.

AWESOME MORNING!

I am feeling so HAPPY this morning. I just want to scream just to take some of the pressure off.....LOL!

Last night I was watching Wendy Williams (yes I watch Wendy) and Iyanla Vanzant was a guest and she said something like “It’s hard living someone else’s dream” and I almost fell off the couch. How many of us are attempting to live someone else’s dream? If you don’t know, take a moment to think about what you want and if that’s not what you are doing you may be living someone else’s dream. Steve Jobs said it best, “Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary”. It’s crazy to me how I can live through something and later I get a message that I needed back then. I can reflect on many times in my life that I was living someone else’s dream. The situations always ended because I was attempting to fit into a space that was not a fit. I’m in a position now that I am super happy because I am the true me all the way through. I will not change anything about me to fit into someone else’s world. I will tweak things because there is a time and place for everything but total change will not happen. I really feel that if people do not like me for who I am then that’s a “You Problem” (Thanks Chris!). I’m good. I even have my insecurities in check. I just keep telling those insecurities that I am running this and if they do not care for it, they can leave….. #POW If I have said something that has offended someone I am more than willing to work that out because about 99% of the time I probably didn’t mean it like it was understood. I speak my mind because I don’t really know any mind readers and I do not need anyone assuming on my behalf (but thanks for trying). A perfect example” I have a good friend and when we speak to each other at times it can seem as if we are arguing and attacking each other but we are blunt with each other and that works for us. This is not to say that we have never fallen out with each other. Oh, we have but we have always been able to be very direct with each other and I appreciate that. Even though we may not always agree, we do have a respect for each other. Love her to death! From the first time I met her I have always been able to be me. I may not have always done that in other aspects of my life at the time. NOW, through all of life twists and turns I have come out so much better. I know that I was created for happy. It fits so well. Happy, Joy, and Love are what drives me to continue with this journey we call life.

Last night I learned (again) that my mistakes or missteps have created the person that is now able to spread JOY to you! We are not mistakes but we are human so we may make a few. When we fall, we have to get up and then learn from the situation. Then stare the storm in the face and say “I WILL NOT FAIL!” Think about your ancestors and all that they have endured. They may have been afraid but their dreams outweighed their fears. Let’s do the same! If we have a plan and fear is included then we might as well not have a plan. We will never fail if we have it in our minds that what we desire is important. If we are given a project at work, we KNOW that it has to be done. We make sure that we do whatever we have to do to get it done. That’s how our dreams should be viewed. We have to get them done. The first step is to figure what it is we want. Once that has been done, then we need to begin the work on ourselves to make sure that we will be able to handle our dreams. Your dream is out there but you have to look INSIDE to find the tools to get it done. We must STOP settling for less than what we dreamed. I mean what is the point of having dreams if we will sell them for something less? Failure is not a choice so STOP making it an option.

Close your eyes and take a deep breath. Breathe in positive and exhale negative. All that we want is waiting for us so let’s go and get it!

And remember the vision will become clearer only when we look into our hearts. Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens.

MAKE IT GREAT

E

*singing* I can see clearly now the rain is gone......

Marvelous Morning!

For some odd reason I feel like dancing and wearing gold glitter…..I’m in a chipper mood.

Every day I pray for clarity. Clarity is the clearness as to perception or understanding, freedom from ambiguity. I pray for this because I know that if I have an understanding I can make better decisions. This is the reason I ask so many questions. I want to be free from a cloudy mind. I either desire understanding or I want to provoke thought in someone else. When we were little we were told to ask questions if we didn’t understand. Even now when we start new jobs, in meetings, training, or extracurricular activities we are told to ask questions if we do not understand. It’s all so that you better understand what’s going on but yet there are times that we would rather assume that we know than to be perceived as not so smart. That’s where the mistakes begin. I would rather you explain it to me so that I am clear on the subject at hand. This goes for all areas of my life. I was not always like this. I use to try to guess like everyone else as not to annoy people with my questions. The thing about not asking is that we drive ourselves crazy with all of the possible answers and outcomes. I want to be free from crazy. I want the easy button life. There are too many other things in life that require deep thought so knock out the things that can be answered. Now if you are psychic then by all means do not let me stand in your way and you can close this e-mail right now. I do not have that ability and therefore if I want to know I will ask. With me when I stop asking questions is when someone should be worried. Either I understand or I no longer care. L

Now I understand that some people are not able to handle the truth and for that person it’s going to be a double negative. They don’t want the truth but assuming is not making the happy either. The thought process should be if the truth hurts you can get pass that. An assumption is like a book with no ending. The thought just swirls around in the head with no answer. The heart and the mind are the two most powerful things in the body. They give us the most trouble and the most JOY. We need to always maintain some sort of stability in these areas. Always question yourself so that all of the pieces will fall in place and you will be able to see the bigger picture.

Today be in charge of you!

AND remember sometimes the questions are more important than the answers.

MAKE IT GREAT

E

To modify or not to modify?.... That is the question

Great morning.

Every change is not perfect but it helps get you closer to where you are supposed to be.

When the weather changes we change also. The clothes we wear are different because we have to adjust to be able to adapt to the new climate. Life is the exact same way. We have to change in order to adapt to what is going on in your life. We have done this forever but it seems like the older we get the less we want to change. I don’t know if it’s because we think we are fine just the way we are or because we are afraid of change. I tend to lean more towards the latter. There are times that change can be seen as being vulnerable. We would basically have to strip ourselves of the old ways and put on new ways that we are unfamiliar. We are use to handling situations in a certain way and although we may not always get the same result, we are comfortable with the approach used. Even when we get advice, we just apply a little to what we already know just to test. What we don’t understand is that we are not really using that advice because if it even looks as if that is not going to work we will switch right back over to how we normally operate. Why are we so afraid to let go? I mean seriously we act as if we let we will be stabbed and killed. We have all endured pain and lived through it. The more we fight change the bigger the wall we build that will not allow forward movement. People tell me all the time of the things that they want in their lives but their actions dictate something else. EX: I know someone that says that they want to someday be married and have kids. Yet all of their actions dictate that they want to be single. They push people away. You can’t ask them anything without them being very cryptic with all of their answers. Asking them about their feelings is like asking them for their Social Security Number….. They even say that when they marry the will have to change and will be willing to do so.  My question is who is going to stay around long enough for you to marry them? If you keep pushing someone away, that person will eventually leave. I think this person is great but if they are not willing to change that part the possibility of marriage is slim. I am by no means saying just let it all go and whatever happens just happens. What I am saying is if we are able to make small changes, it will enable more possibilities of getting to our goals. Change is clearly up to the person. I know that change can lead to great things. I attempt to take any opportunity to strip the old and put on new if it’s going to continue my journey. I stripped away potential bitterness and anger and put on faith and happiness. I have yet to regret that decision. Let’s evaluate our lives to see where we can make little changes. We never know what doors we may open when we are open……

Have an awesome day!

And remember there are two days of the week we have no control over…… yesterday and tomorrow. Today is the only day we can change.

MAKE IT GREAT

E

Not this time........

Great morning,

Although the time has changed, I am feeling really good today. I will adjust my sleep and get back on track but it’s all good. Life is ever changing and we have to hang in there and adjust.

This morning I was thinking, “If you don’t stand up for something you’ll fall for anything”…..

To me this doesn’t mean that you have to be mean. It just means once you have set the standard stand tall, holding your head up high. I have recently found that when I say “No” or question something people have been shutting down on me. No returned calls. No calls period. Now it’s gotten to the point where I could just become bitter. We know that is not even my style but I think I’m just tired and frustrated. I really had to write my feelings out. Last week was emotionally stressful. Sunday was a day of complete rest. I wrote, napped, and read all day long. I got focused and the things that were bothering me were not as serious. I had to come to terms with many things. Just too many things happened at one time. One of the things that really bothered me is the misconception that I want to be single. I enjoy quality time with myself. I am not afraid to be single. It doesn’t make me feel less of a person or that I have failed in life. I like me a lot. With this being said, it doesn’t mean that I do not want companionship. I would love to meet someone that I mesh well with, date for a while, and move on to bigger and better things like marriage and children. That would be great but I will not settle for anything to make that happen. I can’t allow someone to do what they want while I sit unhappy. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt to prove it….. I have stood up for myself and there have been times that I’m no longer a part of that person’s roster. It’s cool because I’m not the one missing out on something great. I also feel that there is no point to getting mad about it. It is what it is. People handle things the way that they feel best. I may not agree with it but I can’t change a person. If you could change a person, don’t you think they would be different by now? I’m sure you are not the first person that has experienced who they are. I just stay quiet. No need to argue. We are just not able to date anymore. I figure if neither of us are willing to try now then we won’t try later. Standing up for yourself can be hard. There are two places that tend to be the hardest. Taking a stand at work and in love seems to be the hardest. I have met people that fear that if they take a stand they will lose what they have. I feel like if you are always unhappy you don’t have anything anyway. You know what, it’s not always the other person that the problem. It can be you. I am always telling people that if someone is doing something that you don’t like how are they supposed to stop if you don’t tell them? It’s not that they are bad. They don’t even know that what they are doing is offending you. We have to find a non-threatening way to let that person know that what they are doing is making you unhappy. My advice is to focus on what you do have. In a job, make that person understand how much you like your current position. How important your job is to you. Do the research and present that information. Employers do not mind hearing how happy you are with your current position. If you have come across someone that has said, “I don’t want you to be happy” please move around because that is a clear indication that you will never be happy. When it comes to matters of the heart things tend to be even stickier. We will tolerate things because there is always a hope that things will change. We say nothing fearing that if the boat is rocked too much we will fall out. On some level, there is a fear of being alone forever. I mean the mind can trick you into believing things that are not true. For every lose the mind says, “See I told you that it wouldn’t work” and we fall for it every time. Then desperation moves in and everything after that is wrong. The puzzle pieces do not fit but we keep pressing trying to make it fit. We attempt to make the puzzle work to the point where we start gnawing at ourselves thinking I can change me so I will and then we will fit. Take your hand right now and bite as hard as you can. Are you smiling? If you are smiling, I know someone you can see about that….. There is a piece out there that fits you. You just have to be patient and not block you blessings trying to fit someone else. Relax. Do some other things. What are your hobbies? What are your other goals? Get into something else to help you with being patient. You may think that it will not work but if I told you that I need you to help me build a house I doubt you will have a lot of time to focus on other things. Allow all other people that do not fit to leave. Most times, they come into our lives to show and teach us something that we need to know for the future. Do not put up with unnecessary drama. Take a stand…. Do not stomp, just stand. I’m sure the other person has already taken a stand. We probably didn’t notice it because it wasn’t a big show. Compromise is a good thing. It’s when two parties come to a mutual agreement on a subject. Conforming is not good. When you go along with whatever the other person wants to make sure that they are happy you are actually abusing yourself. We should always look at ourselves to make sure that we are still in good standing with ourselves. It’s not that hard….. How happy are you right now?

Today think about what you want out of life. It will be easier to take a stand if you know what you are standing for.

AND remember be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind……

*smile*

MAKE IT GREAT!

E

Reaching out

Great morning,

Have you told someone that you love, care, or is just thinking about him or her today?

I know that most people know that you care but telling them can brighten their whole day. I know that when I get unexpected texts, e-mails, or phone calls expressing that I am being thought about it makes me feel uberly special. In college, my mom would send me notes that said, “I Love you” and you would have thought that I received a million dollars. Those three words said that she loved me and I was on her mind at all times. To this day, I still mail notes to people just to let them know that I am thinking about them. I think we sometimes get so busy with our lives we expect people to know how we feel. Being busy can sometimes appear that you don’t care anymore or that you may not feel the same. It doesn’t mean that you don’t but since we are not mind readers how do we know? I actually feel like this is one of the easiest ways to make someone feel special. I have never heard anyone say, “I hate when I get thinking about you messages”. It’s free and it doesn’t need a specific date or time. My primary love language is Quality Time but there will always be times when it’s just not an option to see someone. Therefore, to get a message still makes me feel good. I love when my aunts call out of the blue just to say that they love me. We don’t live in the same city and so It’s like a verbal hug….lol. I also get text messages from friends and that always makes me smile. Life can really get busy but it’s the little things that maintain your relationships in between the big things.

I hope that today you reach out to someone just to show them that they are on your mind.

AND remember your heart doesn’t have a mouth so in order for people to know what it feels you must speak for it.

MAKE IT GREAT

E

It's ok....... got you covered.

Cheerful Morning!!!!!!

Now playing Stephanie Mills’ “I Feel Good All Over”………………..

I am in a much happier place today and for that, I’m grateful.

I read something this morning that really expresses how I feel this morning. “Faith is not believing that GOD will do what you want, but believing that GOD will do what is right”.  I have requests but I am open to better ways of doing things. Go ahead and push the easy button on my life. Last night I had to detox. I disconnected myself from the world and watched some Disney (Tangled is the bomb). Did some breathing exercises and told myself to get it together. In life, I have stumble and fall but as long I keep getting up the road has always been there for me to continue the journey. Failure is when one decides not to get back up. Not only will I continue to get up but also all negative vibes will be shaken off. My not so great moments show me how strong I really am and that just makes me come out swinging. I ONLY WANT HAPPY and I have been known to get what I want. My unhappy is a moment and not my lifestyle. It’s ok to have moments but we have to make sure they are just moments. Seriously, emotions are not rational. They are reactions to something that has happened. I have to keep in mind that I need to stay in alignment with my GOD and I will fine. For I Walk By Faith and Not By Sight because you can’t always believe what you see. Yesterday I only saw not so great things and my emotions reacted off of those thoughts. Yes, some things have happened that look unfavorable. I had to look deeper and think about what was happening and the outcome is really not that bad. We are losing someone in our family. It hurts because you never want to see someone go but in the reality of it is that they are in pain. So, it’s like we are being selfish to want them to stay when they are in pain. What I am doing is staying prayed up, sending love to my family, and thanking GOD for allowing that person to be a part of my life. I filled my mind with the times we shared and the good things about my family. I thought about all of the love and how in times like this the love blossoms to cover all of us. That thought alone makes it all better. This is why it is so important to see the bigger picture.

Today I want you to know that your best interests are being taken into consideration at all times. Stop getting in the way of your happy.

AND remember happiness is a part of who we are…… JOY is the feeling.

MAKE IT GREAT

E

So Why Ask?

Special Morning.

I have so many things on my mind this morning. I did not want to be preachy but everything that I have thought about this morning leads me back to this one thought.

Why do we ask and pray for help but do what we want to do anyway?

I mean if we are not going to wait, why ask? It’s not just us. The Old Testament is straight up gangsta. God tells them what to do and then they do what they want. God makes promises but because they are impatient, they complain and do something else. Then when GOD puts the smack down, they get scared…. For a minute anyway. They only call out to GOD so that HE can fix the mess they made. No wonder he is angry. They constantly pluck HIS last nerve.

On the cool, we should all stop what we are doing and say “Thank you” for GOD sending Jesus to die for our sins. If it weren’t for that, GOD would have shook and erased us like an Etch A Sketch. It is inevitable that will sin. That is why HE gave all of those directions on what to do to get back on the right track. They still couldn’t get it together. It’s like your mom saying, “If you ask me one more time you are not going to get it” and they didn’t.

Today, instead of focusing on the bumps on my road I am thinking about the scenery. Appreciating the bigger picture is what it’s all about in my life. How can I make things better? I stay prayed up and I find that once I let go of it and focus on something else the answer appears in my life. Waiting is hard but there are so many other things that you could be doing. We have a tendency to want to find a way to make the waiting time shorter. Just because you turn, the temperature up on that cake doesn’t mean that it’s going to cook any faster. What’s going to happen is the outside will cook really fast but the inside will not. You are going to mess it up. There is a wait time so that things will be done correctly and the final product will be exactly what you desire.

Don’t ask for things that you are not willing to wait for. Do your part, keep an eye on it, and then wait! It’s said that anything worth having is worth waiting for….. Repeat that to yourself when waiting becomes difficult.

And remember if you pray about it don’t worry about it. If you’re going to worry about it don’t pray about it…….

MAKE IT GREAT

E

New Glasses...............

Grand Morning.

So yesterday, I was punched in the face by something that happened to someone else. I was so hurt as if it had happened to me. I just didn’t know where to place my feelings. I was instantly shocked, then mad, next sad, and finally lost. After thinking about it most of the night, I realized that I needed to focus on the person that was hurt. For every hurt there needs to be two or more moments of JOY. I think the reason the main reason it bothered me is because it has happened to me and I hate to see this other person go through all that I went through. I want to take the hurt away because I have been through it and can handle it better. They shouldn’t have to spend their life trying to figure out something that they can never change. Now I can’t change what has happened my goal now is to switch that person’s focus.

We cannot allow one hurt to overshadow all of the Joy we have in our lives. If someone doesn’t want to be in your life then that’s their bad. If you are a wonderful person then they will be missing out on your greatness. In many situations, it’s just that they can’t accept you because of something inside of them. People can change but it has to be them that makes the change. Things can happen in their lives to help with that change but again it’s up to them to make the change. All we need to do is love life. Allow the people that do care about you to fill you up with love. When we continuously put our love into someone whose love tank is empty, we deplete the love in our own tank. This leaves you venerable for pain when that person is not able to give you that love back.

I believe that most people will accept pain over love because they know hurt. You pretty much know how it feels and what to do continue with the pain. Love is unknown. You never know where love can take you. Think about it…. In my chapter reading this morning GOD is still attempting to work with these crazy people. HE has said that they are his people and he will take care of them but because it’s taking some time, they have doubts and at times want to go back to Egypt. Even though they were miserable, they at least knew what was going to happen. They couldn’t even appreciate that GOD loved them so much that he not only took them out of a horrible place but promised land so that they may live in peace. We have peace in our lives but we will allow ourselves to revisit hurt. The thought that you can do something different to make another person love you is irrational. It is what it is. Appreciate the happy that’s already in your life right now!

Let’s not miss out on a wonderful life attempting to prove to someone that you are great. If they can’t see it oh well…. That doesn’t change the fact that you are awesome. If everyone else can see it and they can’t then what does that say. I will continue to pray that we all focus on all the good surrounding us. Let that love embrace us and lift us up.  

Look at your love today.

AND remember love is the discovery of ourselves in others, and the delight in the recognition.

MAKE IT GREAT

E

Thankful

Soothing morning,

So, this weekend I saw the movie “Good Deeds” and I enjoyed it. While watching the movie I found myself whispering “Thank you” to GOD for my own blessings.  I’m so grateful to have the things that I do have and I realize that those blessings could have easily been given to someone else. We are conditioned to look at the big things when appreciating life. I want to be mindful of the small things that happen on a daily basis. I’m thankful for being able to care for myself. I get happy just thinking about being able to afford to buy bananas. I’m thankful that my good always outweighs my bad. Yolanda Adams sings in a song, “It doesn’t have to be as good as it is right now” and she is so right. Right now I have a sweet life and anything positive that happens is just extra. I mean really, what is the point of complaining. It doesn’t get you closer to your goal. After a while, it also begins to pluck on people’s nerves. It’s like having your dream house built. Complaining that it’s taking too long might rush the builders to get it done quicker but that doesn’t guarantee that the house will be built well. Keep your eye on the goal but prepare yourself. Get your own house in order for the future move.

I don’t have much to say today and I apologize. Be very appreciative for the things you have and for the people in your life. You never want to look back and regret not taking the time to smell the roses.

AND remember you fall, you rise, you make mistakes, you live, you learn, you’ve been hurt but you are still alive. You’re human and not perfect but you are thankful.

MAKE IT GREAT

E

Back on track..............

Awesome Morning!

I am in the best mood this morning. I just woke up happy and as I took a moment to appreciate the fact that I was happy, I just got happier. Considering that, I was battling with my emotions this week makes today even sweeter! I got all jazzed up to make my outside look like my inside. *SPRINKLE*

This week I was off task and was focused on how I was feeling instead of paying attention to what was happening around me. I really had to get my mind right. I wrote, prayed, and verbally listed the blessings in my life. I told myself that this is only for a minute. I got active in some things, addressed some things, and created some new things in my life. I made some plans. I did anything I could do to get my mind right. I will not allow pity parties because they are unproductive. I am better than that and I told myself that. We are human and we will have storms in life but it’s not the storm that dictates how your life will be. It’s how you handle the storms that will mold your life. Whether it’s a storm or a rainbow if you are not able to handle things properly then you will never be happy. We all know that rain never lasts forever but when the storm comes, we act as if it’s never going to end. How many times do we need things to happen before we get it?

Stop handing your life over to the negative. It’s yours but you are handing it over to fear and doubt as if they are in the business of making things better.  YOU need to get into the business of being better. GOD has given us free will but we will gladly give our happiness away. Now that just doesn’t make sense……..AND THEN we have the audacity to ask for more happiness. Really? Really? Keep some happy and it will be easier to get back to 100%.

Start with being grateful for today.

AND remember never get frustrated that you can’t see the flowers if you haven’t planted the seeds…..

MAKE IT GREAT

E

It's being processed.........

Good morning.

Someone told me that you should never pray for patience. He said this because you never know what will be placed in your life to help you with your patience. Just think about it whatever it is in your life that you need patience for may get worse before it gets better. So just pray for things to get better and you work on patience yourself. Patience is sorta like a tax refund. You know it’s coming but you have to wait on it. We treat life like it’s never going to happen but we are still asking for something to happen. Then there is a panic and non-rational decisions are made. It’s like running towards a well-decorated hole in the ground. IT’S STILL A HOLE! Our prayers, wants, desires, and needs are being processed and they are on their way we just have to just relax. The answer or solution is always better than anything you could think of. Sometimes we don’t reach high enough and we shortchange ourselves. Work with what you have right now and before you know it, things will change. Have you ever had something happen in your life and you were like “WOO HOO, I’m so thankful and blessed. This came right on time.” Well it’s because it was planned that way. You have to let your requests be processed before you get them. When have you ever gone somewhere, placed and order, and before you could close your mouth it was in front of you? If that happens to you all the time then Hi-five because you may be the only person in the world. (Insert side eye) I know they say you shouldn’t talk to yourself because it makes you look crazy but you have to remind yourself that what you want is being processed and the harder you push for it to happen the more time it will take. Pushing harder may even mess the whole thing up and you have to start over. Get out of your own way!

Rest today……. It’s being processed

And remember if we are facing in the right direction, all we have to do is keep on walking……………

MAKE IT GREAT

E