There are pivotal moments in our lives, moments when God is trying to use us for the purpose or the destiny for which we were created, but we choose to go another route, only to have God try to reroute us again and again. The problem is, many of us don't heed the call, but for those of us who do, we find ourselves serving a bigger and better purpose.
Four years ago, I was heavily pregnant with my daughter. I had to leave my job due to the fact that it required lots of standing and I just couldn't do it any more. I decided to embark on a career in real estate. At the time, I had very little money left in the bank, not even enough to cover the expenses of the class. In faith, I decided to go to the school and check out their classes. There I bumped into a total stranger who volunteered to tell me, without me asking that I can get a discount for the course through groupon. Can you imagine that? I did the course, passed the exam got licensed and started working. And things were going well for me at the time. But I was still pregnant. Once the baby was born, it got difficult and I lost faith. I ended up taking a "secure government job" with pension benefits and medical leave. So with a secured salary, I quit real estate.
Four years later and I'm again at the same juncture in my life. I'm at a point where I'm feeling God pulling me in another direction, into a path of uncertainty, a path that will require total dependence on God's guidance. And I'm laughing to myself saying, God, why am I here? Deep down, I know God has a bigger meaning and purpose for my life, but I keep on choosing the easiest, "what seems to be the more secure" route. It's the route everyone tells you that is best for you. It's the route that will make your spouse happy, it's the route that will make your parents proud. But is that the route you really want to take? Do you know when God is tugging at your heart, when your faith and fear are in constant tug and war? According to my sister friend Teka "these defining moments change the trajectory of our lives". But I am so afraid, many blogs of motivation later, I'm almost paralyzed with fear. So I've decided to draw from the faith and strength of others.
This blog is especially personal, because I am being transparent with the world about my fear. I am putting my faith vs fear battle out here on the "interwebs" for all to see. I am standing at this crossroad and I have to choose between fear or faith, settling for my mediocre or leaping off a cliff in search of my greatness. Do I allow my fear to hold me back or do I step into the unknown in faith?
My advice to anyone in my situation would be to follow your faith and abandon your fear. That's the advice I'm giving myself. But as we all know, it takes strength and grit and our purpose firmly stapled in our mind.
What's tugging at your heart? Just surrender, do not allow fear to be your master.
One Love
Danni
Thursday, September 7, 2017
Monday, September 4, 2017
THE HABIT PROJECT: LOOKING FOR MY "SWEET THINGS"
THE HABIT PROJECT: LOOKING FOR MY "SWEET THINGS": I want to share with you, a little anecdote I recently heard about the Buzzard and the Hummingbird. Everyday the the Buzzard goes searching ...
Thursday, August 24, 2017
LOOKING FOR MY "SWEET THINGS"
I want to share with you, a little anecdote I recently heard about the Buzzard and the Hummingbird. Everyday the the Buzzard goes searching for carcasses (dead things) and everyday he finds what he is looking for, dead things. Everyday the Hummingbird also go searching but he goes searching for nectar (sweet things) and he also finds exactly what he went looking for, sweet things. The moral of the story? It is a simple yet powerful, we find what we go looking for.
We all hear things like, my grandmother's favorite, "Count your blessings" or the popular "Focus on the positive" and they are all saying the same thing - look for your "sweet things", focus on your "sweet things."
For some reason, maybe because it is anecdotal and I am a visual learner, the story of the Buzzard and the Hummingbird resonates with me. Like many others, it is very easy for me get lost in my own negative thoughts, to be so caught up in the things that are going wrong that I forget about the things that are going right, I forget about the goals and dreams that I have. I shift the focus from my "sweet things" to my "dead things" and I get sidetracked. The more I think about my "dead things" the more "dead things" I find to think about.
After hearing this story I have made more of a concerted effort to think of my "sweet things." When things are tough and the challenges are mounting and the feelings of failure and hopelessness are rising, it is easy to get side tracked. It is easy to start panicking and start focusing on the craziness, the negatives, the "dead things." But I have resolved to keep my compass focused on my True North. I have veered off course, a time or two...million, but I have decided to not beat myself up about my missteps, and use my energy to refocus on searching for my sweet things.
It is in my power to make my day beautiful and bright, it is in your power to think positive things, it is in our power to accomplish our goals and conquer our dreams. I am choosing to tell myself that I am in control of my mind and my mind is in control of where I go, therefore I am in control of where I go. So join me in saying "sweet things" here I come!
Joy and peace profound,
Niagre
PS. Congrats to Danni who welcomed her sweet little munchkin recently!!!
We all hear things like, my grandmother's favorite, "Count your blessings" or the popular "Focus on the positive" and they are all saying the same thing - look for your "sweet things", focus on your "sweet things."
For some reason, maybe because it is anecdotal and I am a visual learner, the story of the Buzzard and the Hummingbird resonates with me. Like many others, it is very easy for me get lost in my own negative thoughts, to be so caught up in the things that are going wrong that I forget about the things that are going right, I forget about the goals and dreams that I have. I shift the focus from my "sweet things" to my "dead things" and I get sidetracked. The more I think about my "dead things" the more "dead things" I find to think about.
After hearing this story I have made more of a concerted effort to think of my "sweet things." When things are tough and the challenges are mounting and the feelings of failure and hopelessness are rising, it is easy to get side tracked. It is easy to start panicking and start focusing on the craziness, the negatives, the "dead things." But I have resolved to keep my compass focused on my True North. I have veered off course, a time or two...million, but I have decided to not beat myself up about my missteps, and use my energy to refocus on searching for my sweet things.
It is in my power to make my day beautiful and bright, it is in your power to think positive things, it is in our power to accomplish our goals and conquer our dreams. I am choosing to tell myself that I am in control of my mind and my mind is in control of where I go, therefore I am in control of where I go. So join me in saying "sweet things" here I come!
Joy and peace profound,
Niagre
PS. Congrats to Danni who welcomed her sweet little munchkin recently!!!
Thursday, August 17, 2017
KEY STRATEGIES IN OVERCOMING ADVERSITY
It is so easy to look on someone else's problems and assume that we have the answer. And to be critical of those going through issues that we believe are self imposed. But it's those moments when we find ourselves in adverse circumstances that we become less judgmental and more empathetic towards those in bad situations.
It's so simple to say take our lemons and make lemonade. But for the person who is struggling with those lemon experiences, getting up and moving forward at times seems impossible.
Here are some steps one can use to overcome and move forward through these adverse situations:
1. Know that you are not alone in your struggle. We are not the first nor the last to go through these experiences. I absolutely love to read. So I spend time reading topics that address my current issues. Also read biographies of people who overcame challenging situations and were able to make it.
2. Find a support group. I am a big church girl as most of you know. I find comfort in talking to my loved ones about challenges that I am facing. But it's not always the best option. Find a support group that is specifically designed to address your particular needs. These groups are great in keeping us accountable. Or consider counseling.
3. Make time for finding joy. Begin embracing and participating in those activities that have the ability to lift us out of our funk. Spend more time focusing on the positive vs dwelling on the negatives.
4. Don't self blame. Although our actions may have led us down a path of destruction, it really holds us captives. Look at the past mistake only with the desire to learn from them and find ways we can move ourselves out of that situation. But don't allow it to be a crutch.
5. Set a goal, (your silver lining) and spend time focusing on accomplishing that goal.
6. The bible is the best self help book that I know. Nothing beats spending time meditating on God promises. Remember, all our adversities, no matter how challenging, serve as an engine to propel us forward. It is hard thinking of our adversities in a positive light. I know you are saying easier said than done right? I have been right there thinking that same thing over and over and over....ok you get the gist. But at the end of the day, they are our opportunities to become stronger, wiser and more resilient. And if we can start conditioning ourselves to think of our adversities as opportunities, instead of obstacles, we are halfway to making them into the building blocks they are meant to be.
Please share with me your techniques in overcoming adversities. As I disclosed in an earlier blog, I am currently facing my own personal challenges and struggles. I love hearing from you.
Need your kind thoughts and prayers as I'll be welcoming my son before the next blog post.
One Love
Danni
It's so simple to say take our lemons and make lemonade. But for the person who is struggling with those lemon experiences, getting up and moving forward at times seems impossible.
Here are some steps one can use to overcome and move forward through these adverse situations:
1. Know that you are not alone in your struggle. We are not the first nor the last to go through these experiences. I absolutely love to read. So I spend time reading topics that address my current issues. Also read biographies of people who overcame challenging situations and were able to make it.
2. Find a support group. I am a big church girl as most of you know. I find comfort in talking to my loved ones about challenges that I am facing. But it's not always the best option. Find a support group that is specifically designed to address your particular needs. These groups are great in keeping us accountable. Or consider counseling.
3. Make time for finding joy. Begin embracing and participating in those activities that have the ability to lift us out of our funk. Spend more time focusing on the positive vs dwelling on the negatives.
4. Don't self blame. Although our actions may have led us down a path of destruction, it really holds us captives. Look at the past mistake only with the desire to learn from them and find ways we can move ourselves out of that situation. But don't allow it to be a crutch.
5. Set a goal, (your silver lining) and spend time focusing on accomplishing that goal.
6. The bible is the best self help book that I know. Nothing beats spending time meditating on God promises. Remember, all our adversities, no matter how challenging, serve as an engine to propel us forward. It is hard thinking of our adversities in a positive light. I know you are saying easier said than done right? I have been right there thinking that same thing over and over and over....ok you get the gist. But at the end of the day, they are our opportunities to become stronger, wiser and more resilient. And if we can start conditioning ourselves to think of our adversities as opportunities, instead of obstacles, we are halfway to making them into the building blocks they are meant to be.
Please share with me your techniques in overcoming adversities. As I disclosed in an earlier blog, I am currently facing my own personal challenges and struggles. I love hearing from you.
Need your kind thoughts and prayers as I'll be welcoming my son before the next blog post.
One Love
Danni
Thursday, August 10, 2017
THE HABIT PROJECT: LIVING IN THE CRUCIBLE
THE HABIT PROJECT: LIVING IN THE CRUCIBLE: Yesterday while sitting at my desk I felt compelled to plug in my earphones and listen to something motivational while I worked. I tuned in ...
LIVING IN THE CRUCIBLE
Yesterday while sitting at my desk I felt compelled to plug in my earphones and listen to something motivational while I worked. I tuned in to Bishop TD Jakes on Oprah's Life Class. What I learned was so profound, I immediately felt the urge to share it with some of my closest friends. In this clip Jakes spoke about understanding adversities in our lives. He compared those moments to shooting a bow and arrow. The further back you pull the bow, the greater it's resistance, but when released it propels further. In his own words " use your disaster for direction, it is through adversity, that our strength is developed. It is through those moments that you realize, you're more resilient than you thought you were".
WHEN I GOT HOME LATER THAT EVENING:
I'm living in it. I've lived in it before, and I'm sure my future holds many more to come. What am I making reference to? I'm referring to my current crucible experience. Im experiencing excruciating moments of pain and sadness. I feel as though I'm in a stew of pregnancy, parenting, maternity leave issues and business decisions that are not guaranteeing positive returns in a timely fashion. It's those moments of sadness , pressure and problems that my thinking is thwarted towards negativity.
THE NEXT DAY
The next morning, as I sat wallowing in my own self pity, taking multiple bathroom breaks and having personal breakdowns, I began to see the miracle of the preparatory period. The point before my crucible experience began where I was given an opportunity to become strengthened (my TD Jakes experience) for the storm that I'm currently experiencing. I begun to take note of the miracle that was afforded me to power through this adverse combination of issues. I have now begun the process of determining the best approach to each unique challenge. I understand that a higher power orchestrates and helps to channel us (if we are willing) towards the place we ought to be. But first we are giving a preparatory period which is geared towards strengthening us for the tough times ahead. We must learn to recognize our crucible experiences and recognize (most times in hindsight) our preparatory period and pull strength from it, so we can experience the exponential growth our crucible experience was meant to inspire.
THE LESSON
Find your source of strength while going through your crucible and push forward. You can only get stronger.
One Love
Danni
WHEN I GOT HOME LATER THAT EVENING:
I'm living in it. I've lived in it before, and I'm sure my future holds many more to come. What am I making reference to? I'm referring to my current crucible experience. Im experiencing excruciating moments of pain and sadness. I feel as though I'm in a stew of pregnancy, parenting, maternity leave issues and business decisions that are not guaranteeing positive returns in a timely fashion. It's those moments of sadness , pressure and problems that my thinking is thwarted towards negativity.
THE NEXT DAY
The next morning, as I sat wallowing in my own self pity, taking multiple bathroom breaks and having personal breakdowns, I began to see the miracle of the preparatory period. The point before my crucible experience began where I was given an opportunity to become strengthened (my TD Jakes experience) for the storm that I'm currently experiencing. I begun to take note of the miracle that was afforded me to power through this adverse combination of issues. I have now begun the process of determining the best approach to each unique challenge. I understand that a higher power orchestrates and helps to channel us (if we are willing) towards the place we ought to be. But first we are giving a preparatory period which is geared towards strengthening us for the tough times ahead. We must learn to recognize our crucible experiences and recognize (most times in hindsight) our preparatory period and pull strength from it, so we can experience the exponential growth our crucible experience was meant to inspire.
THE LESSON
Find your source of strength while going through your crucible and push forward. You can only get stronger.
One Love
Danni
Thursday, August 3, 2017
BEYONCE AND THE LEMONADE STAND
So when life gives you lemons, you go ahead and you make you some lemonade. The whole Bey hive was a buzz when Beyonce released her lemonade album. Needless to say, many of the things that she sang about were tied to her marital issues, (or at least it seems that way). But let's assume that it is true. While most of us were busy on a witch hunt for "Becky with the good hair". Beyonce was smiling all the way to the bank.
The deeper message to this album though, is not necessarily the actual reveal of infidelity on Queen Bey's husband's part, but the fact that she turned her "lemon experience" into "lemonade". And walked away with millions. (Are you still searching for Becky? Good luck).
Instead of allowing the negative situations that happen in our lives to immobilize and cripple us, why not instead use it as a tool to make us stronger, resilient and successful. Life gi u dem lemons, go make u some lemonade. So whatever it is, don't allow it to define you. Instead make it propel you.
It is ok to mourn or allow ourselves to be saddened by the lemons in our lives, but we can't allow it to consume us. For encouragement read Jeremiah 29:11.
Please leave me a comment and SHARE my post on your social media sites.
One Love
Danni
The deeper message to this album though, is not necessarily the actual reveal of infidelity on Queen Bey's husband's part, but the fact that she turned her "lemon experience" into "lemonade". And walked away with millions. (Are you still searching for Becky? Good luck).
Instead of allowing the negative situations that happen in our lives to immobilize and cripple us, why not instead use it as a tool to make us stronger, resilient and successful. Life gi u dem lemons, go make u some lemonade. So whatever it is, don't allow it to define you. Instead make it propel you.
It is ok to mourn or allow ourselves to be saddened by the lemons in our lives, but we can't allow it to consume us. For encouragement read Jeremiah 29:11.
Please leave me a comment and SHARE my post on your social media sites.
One Love
Danni
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