Wednesday, March 25, 2015

I'm A Priority


I’m taking steps to start making me and my happiness a priority. Over the last several weeks I’ve watched people in my life succumb to horrid situations because of desperation, fear and their insecurities.  My needs do matter.  

I’m being proactive in the unfolding of me. Warning! I’ve placed a higher value on myself, I’m taking better care of myself, and I’m sticking up for myself. I’m not going to diminish the light that shines within me anymore. If it’s too bright for you, don’t strain your eyes, take your shades and go get a glimpse of someone else’s rays.  Don’t hate on me because your UV protection is at risk of overexposure to my greatness.

It is possible to care for others AFTER I first care for myself; and If you don’t like that I put myself first and you second, then move out of line and see how happy the person who is third in line will be to know they are next in line for some of my time.

I’m going to help myself; then I will likely be far more capable of helping those who need me most.

Thursday, March 12, 2015

March Madness!

Nope! This is not about the time period during the month of March when the NCAA basketball tournament is going on.  Gotcha!  It’s about the time period during the month of March when I’ve found some new loves to add to my collection of must haves. Of course there were a couple of single-eliminations during the process; there were some things I had (some as samples, some I purchased) that I didn’t like, so bye-bye they went.  However there were some I purchased that I plan to use for a long time to come.

Nourish Organic Argan Face Serum and Eye Cream – The Eye Cream provides hydration to the delicate skin around the eyes and the Face Serum restores moisture and revitalizes skin, brightens complexion.

EO Soothing Shower Gel and Body Lotion – I have the French Lavender scent in both of these; the aroma helps calm this ol body down to relax.  I love the pure essential oils and herbal blends used in these products as well.

Bath Petals Sicilian Blood Orange Salt Scrub – I use this a couple time of week in the AM.  It’s infused with energizing blood orange essential oils, helps wake up the skin! It exfoliates, but it leaves the body soft and smooth!   I follow up with Andalou Naturals Citrus Verbena Uplifting Body Lotion – This is an invigorating citrus lotion used to hydrate the skin.

Arbonne FC5 Deep Cleansing Mask-LOVE THIS!  It has a light citrus scent, and once you put it on (cleaned washed faced) it tightens, but you can feel it tingling as it reaches deep in the pored to clean the skin.  Awesome!



My toothbrush and candle were some goodies I picked up as a treat to myself because 1) I needed a new toothbrush (it’s been 3+ months), Are you guys replacing your toothbrushes!!! Frayed bristles will not clean those pearly whites and gums adequately. 2) I’m a candle whore.  What can I say? I just had to have one!


Monday, March 2, 2015

Taking Back You. Your Time And The Right People.


I’ve heard the saying “If you’re an eagle don’t hang with chickens cause chickens can’t fly.”  There’s another saying “Don’t spend major time with minor people.”  What does this mean? I’ll tell you.

We all have people in our lives, directly or indirectly who will either celebrate you or castigate you. The people who constantly break promises, lie to you, crush your dreams, demean you, deliberately diminish your potential, anyone that will cause you to remain in the line of hurt right behind them, are the canker sores of your life.  They are making your life painful and miserable, and if you don’t break the tie that binds, they will kill your spirit quicker than Clorox kills odor-causing bacteria.

Most of us ignore the people who are causing us pain. We just focus on the pain, hoping the people who are causing the pain will realize how they are hurting us and have some sort of empathy about it.  Nope.  It doesn’t work like that.  We have to look at the person, and see what they are choosing to operate in.  Look at how they are choosing to be a part of your life.  It’s their choice, and this will eventually force us to choose how we respond. We have to make the painful (and sometimes not so painful) choice to cut them loose. It took me a long, long time to realize this.  I had misplaced values of myself.  I was a brick wall badly burned with bricks missing, somehow still determined to stand. I had to make choices, and those choices left me free from the bondage of judgmental people who didn’t reflect the same values, interests, goals or ambitions as me.

I am a person who values connection.  When we click, we click. When we are friends, I value the interpersonal bond and association we have.  Look the word friend up in Merriam-Webster and my photo is right next to it, I’m not kidding! 

I remember a long time ago someone told me my address book would greatly change every year, and they were not lying.  When people walk out of my life now, I let them go, believing and knowing it is for the best, for both of us.  I use to associate the act of people leaving me with my self-worth.  Yup, like maybe I’m not worthy of being this to them, or that to them, in actuality, it’s nothing more than the time spent between you and them has come to an end, nothing more, nothing less.  It’s over. Things end, and this is probably one of them.  

I’ve learned that it is okay for people to leave.  I will be disappointed, and they’ll be disappointed in me. We will outgrow people in our lives, and sometimes people will outgrow us.  Okay so what’s next?  Where is my journey taking me now?  Those are the questions I had to ask myself and I had to learn to replace the doubt of my self-worth with the answers to these questions.

I am happy to know that God has given me people I enjoy, who love and appreciate me, and who encourage me to improve in healthy and exciting ways.  They make me feel more alive.  They embrace who I am now, but they also embrace and embody who I want to be and will become, unconditionally, and me?  I reciprocate every last one of these kind and loving gestures, 100%.

Yes, it’s also important to be to people what you are expecting people to be to you. Be that friend that lifts them up and makes them smile.  Be that person that gives them different perspectives. Be that friend that lovingly points out when their outlook is a little skewed. Be the YOU to them that YOU want them to be to YOU.