Be Raw, Be Flawed, Be You!

When you look at a rock you see nothing exciting or beautiful about its features. A rock has no human form, people would consider it to be cold and aloof.  Yet a rock is apart of God’s creation just like a flower. However, we may say that a flower is more beautiful than a rock because of the outside features.

Nonetheless, just like a rock some people are hard on the outside yet beauty lies within. You never know what transpired in their life to make them bitter. Their bitterness is an accessory expressing their hurt.

I remember a period in my life where I accessorize bitterness. My heart was harden by traumatic experiences that happened. I was tired of life disappointing me over and over again. So, I created walls around my heart. I thought if I became emotionally unavailable then I would not get hurt. My elusive behavior kept me from love & fully living.

As I look back on my life I realize I was who I needed to be at that time. I understand that regretting who I was in the past does not serve me. I was raw, flawed and me. Those who saw me as a mess didn’t understand I was a rough draft. My blueprint of greatness was still pending.

Many times we judge ourselves for the raw version of who we are instead of being gentle with ourselves. When you are raw it forces you to be real; unrefined and unpolished. For instance, when a new singer produce their first album it is appealing because their vocals are unfiltered. Once they become commercialized they lose their authenticity; the record label want them to go with an image or sound that sells records versus talent. Growth is a beautiful thing but I never want to lose the thing that makes me relatable.

So, I urge you to be raw, be flawed & be you even if it is ugly right now. Don’t regret the rough draft you are at this moment. As you pursue a better version of yourself you will begin to peel back the blueprint so people can see you….the masterpiece!

The Antidote (Part 2)

Last month on January 16th, I released my first ever short story series entitled, The Antidote. I am happy to announce that part two is available. If you did not get a chance to download part one  go to this link: https://tinyurl.com/yb72u7om 

Go to this link to get your copy for part two: https://payhip.com/b/Qe4w

 

 

5 Tips To Making Life’s Lemons Into Sweet Lemonade!

Sometimes when life throws lemons at you it is hard to  make lemonade. You try to keep a smile on your face while everything around you seems to crumble under your feet. I understand what it feels like to transition through the rough times in life.

In the last eight years since I lived down south I have been doing my best to make lemonade out of the bitter lemons. However, this year has been another defining year of transitioning through traumatic events. When my father passed away this April I felt a sense of hopelessness. I wanted the storms of life to come to a screeching halt but they kept raging. I had to deal with other God forsaken events as the spring shifted into summer. However, in the month of July I have truly reached my breaking point and decided to get away from it all.

When I decided to take some time away I gained a sense of clarity. It help me come back with a sense of peace and direction for the next move I needed to take in my life. I started to understand rough times in life help you grow. However, you have to be willing to take the lemons and use them to gain a greater advantage in life. Lemons may be sour but the bitter moments make life a little bit sweeter.

You may wonder, how can you make lemonade out of the bitter lemons of life? Well below are a couple life tips I learn through my lemonade experience.

1. Breathe. When you go through rough times in your life take time to step back and just breathe.

2. Give Yourself The Time You Deserve. After my father passed I did not feel like I needed to rush through the grieving process. I am still taking the needed time to process through the pain. It is important to give yourself all the time and attention you need to get through the storm.

3. Be Alone. Sometimes you need to be alone to gain clarity so you can get direction on how to move through your rough patch. It is important to be alone to be honest with how you feel about all the things going on in your life.

4. Cry. Crying is a great sign of releasing the stress. Do not feel like you have to be stoic because God gave us emotions to express freely. So allow your self to be a human being.

5. Get Away From It All. Sometimes your environment can be too noisy for you to relax your mind so it is always good to take a mini-vacation or break away from it all. Vacations or getaways rejuvenates your mind, body and soul.