influencers.

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being in an icky place.

"now is the time for guts and guile." elizabeth taylor

wow! i realized that i've been absent from this blog for entirely too long.  i have my reasons though. for a while i was in a really not so good place. have you ever experienced a time when things in your life are great? better than ever? you're being a productive busy bee, accomplishing goals left and right. all the while maintaining a motivated spirit to chase those dreams. and then out of no where something happens and you get stalled. it's like driving around on a windy road, on the darkest of nighs in your old 89' hoopty and the hoopty just stops. your stuck. you can't move and you're a little apprehensive about proceeding because it's so dark and gloomy outside of that comfort zone. well that was me. i was really stuck for a few months. things just weren't going in the direction that i thought they should be. despite my most concentrated efforts i wasn't experiencing the results that i thought i should. as a result, i lost my motivation and most importantly, i lost my creativity. i lost whatever motivation i had to design and create. there wasn't a creative bone in my body. someone or something had pillaged my creative juices. and i was not happy. nothing seemed to go right. creating is my lifeline and i was lifeless.  i was definitely in an icky place. to make matter worse, it seemed as though everyone else around me was getting ahead except me.

despite my icky state of mind, i held on to my faith. without it i would've completely lost my mind. in times like those it's necessary to have something to hold on to. i thought of sailor being caught in a storm. the waves outside may be unstable and the winds raging, but a boat is was keeps the sailor safe and provides him stability in the storm. my faith was my boat. my life was unsteady, boy was it rocky, but my faith provided me with balance and security. i knew that at some point in the right time i would come out of the place and rise to the top again. for me, my faith was the only thing that got me through. soon things begin to happen. after weeks of uncertainty my situation steadily began to change.  my motivation returned along with my best friend, creativity. my juices began to flow again.

everyone experiences the peaks and valley's of life.  one minute you're on top and the next minute we enter a bumpy plain and we're stagnant.  it's so easy to get stuck there and become complacent.  but remember anything in life worth having doesn't come to you easy.  so work diligently towards getting back on the peak.  remaining faithful in all you do.  understand in your heart and soul that it won't always be that way and soon enough you'll climb to that peak again.

have you ever been in an icky place? what helped you get out of that place?

being authentic.

"if you don't change your beliefs, your life will be like this forever. is that good news?" dr. robert anthony

my take on authenticity...

authenticity is was on of those words that can mean a lot of different things to different people.for me authenticity is taking full ownership of everything you embody. everything you possess within. everything that is rightfully yours and owning it. loving and accepting every flaw you have and playing it off as if its the best thing since hair gel.{ side bar: i mean if you don't like it who will?}

authenticity is acceptance. possesing the capability to accept the person who God created us to be.  we all hold different characteristics of ourselves.  we embody different mores and values, cultures and personalities. we were all raised differently. some in strict environments where our parents fobade us from leaving the house after the sun went down or we group up in strict religious environments like myself where we were excluded from participating in certain activities becasue we had to uphold a certain image. whatever the environment was that we were brought up in, no one background was better than the other, however, each played a significant role in molding us and shaping us into the person we authentically are.

what makes me authentic?

this question still stumps me at times. however, i believe that i can be authentically me in various settings. when i'm with my best girlfriend, i am authentically me because i can reveal to her every little thing about me and not feel afraid or nervous that my "secret" of me being me will get out. i am comfortable enough with her to reveal my fears, my doubts as well as my desires and my goals. i can simply be me with her.

sometimes i feel like i'm most authentic when i'm alone. i enjoy the company of myself and can truly be myself when no one else is around. not to sound as if i don't love to be around people, because that certainly isn't the case; i just know in order to be my authentic, quirky, creative self i really need to be alone. in this space i can be myself without fear or worry that i will be judged. i can dance wildly to my favorite band or sing out loud. i am able to create in my own space without the distractions of someone else around.

i believe that as i'm getting older and growing and learning more everyday, i'm beginning to accept who i authentically am. i'm becoming more confident and secure in who i really am.  

what about you? what does authenticity mean to you? what makes you most authentic?

scars aren't always so bad.

"it's a shallow life that doesn't give a person a few scars." Garrison Keillor

scars tell a story. every scar tells a story of endurance and survival through the pain. they are a sign of heroism and strength. they are history. they are joyous because you were able to live through the pain to tell a story. they are a lesson. they teach you what to do and what not to do while teaching others. they are a sign of healing powers. they give character and uniqueness.

the physical nature of a scar is completely synonymous with the scars we acquire in life. we all experience things in our life that aren't the greatest. situations that plant themselves in our lives unbeknownst to us. they may not be the greatest, but they happen. without warning. they end up hurting us. leaving a wound so deep. often so deep they become unhealable, unable to mend its parts back together. however, more often than not they do heal. the wound will leave a scar, but it heals. they may start out as rough, bumpy and very noticeable scars, but over time they tend to smooth out in its appearance becoming barely unnoticed. but the victim of the scar knows its there. it serves as a constant reminder of the pain endured, but eventually overcome. it's the victims choice to allow themselves to be empowered by that scar rather than allow the scar to overcome them.

a scar is so much more than a scar. it can be someones gift, a source of motivation and encouragement that healing is possible. a scar doesn't mean that the world is over, it just means that you got a little banged up at one point in your life, but now you're all healed. as good as new.

scars aren't so bad. they give you a unique extraordinary since of character. no one has experienced what you have experienced. no one knows the severity of your situation. no one can copy that. we can share similarities in our scars but they are unique to us. use that a source of power and own it.

whether you have recently been bruised or your scars have been heled for quite some time know that your scar is beautiful in its nature. it's a sign of maturity and your undeniable strength to endure. take the necessay healing measures and you be renewed.

taking steps

"My travels led me to where I am today. Sometimes these steps have felt painful, difficult, but led me greater happiness and opportunities."~ Diana Ross

i found this image over here. i absolutely love this image! it speaks volumes. it reminds me that you must take a step in order to proceed with anything in life. sometimes it can be the smallest step, but you make it and and continue to climb the staircase. once you reach it to the top of the stairs, you turn around, look down and see just how far you've come...just from making that one little step.that's an amazing feeling. make that small step today. don't ever think a step is too small because it's all movement in the direction of a wonderful journey.

i'm a winner!

last week was pretty much non stop for me. it was almost as if i was going going going every day. this is what sometimes makes your desire to pursue your passions and ambitions that much harder to become reality, however, i'm not gonna let that stop me! despite the roller coast ride of a week, it ended on a high note. i won a painting! my church the bridge held its 2nd annual benefit concert expression live. the event was AMAZING!! i found out about a great new artist named green tea and i won this wonderful piece of art from local artist richant!!!

this piece was made just for me! i'm such a music junkie. i mean i love just pure music. i have a pretty eclectic taste and i can find the beauty in almost every tune. this painting just made my night!

i found a new blog!

I just found this new great blog! it's called follow my bliss. oh how i love finding new blogs. enjoy!