All you need is one word (or phrase)

2014 – you came so fast! I wasn’t expecting you so soon. Time really does fly when you’re having fun or maybe it’s because I’m getting older? Either way, 2014 is here.

I spent part of my New Year’s Eve in church with my friend, Fatiana, and before service began, we reflected on our last 365 days.  We talked about personal triumphs in our careers, in our love lives (currently – non-existent), our spiritual development, Pledge To Be Bella and so much more. All we could really do is smile and laugh. We’ve come a loooooooong way since 2012 and it feels REALLY REALLY good. Thinking about the fact that we’ve actually done many of the things we said we were going to do is such a proud moment.

As I prepare for 2014 with the mindset of living more intentionally, I wanted to make it a point to have a theme word or phrase for this year. So I decided on the phrase, “Challenge Yourself & Finish”. This year, I want to be challenged. I want to continuously push myself past my perceived limits. I want tougher work outs, better content, better videos, more quality events for Pledge To Be Bella and more complex recipes to cook. All of these things pose a challenge for me being that I’m going back to school and will also be working full-time. But I want the challenge.  Better yet, I need the challenge. Not only that, I want to carry out all my plans. I want to finish what I start. I’ve battled for a long time with starting projects and not finishing them. However, this year, I’m challenging myself to finish.

Through challenges, we grow. We get smarter. We become wiser. We make better decisions. We learn. Isn’t that what life’s all about? On the other side of that challenge is a better you. When I work through these challenges, on the other side, will lie a better me.  That’s the motivation.

Now it’s your turn. All you need is one word (or phrase) that can become the theme for your amazing 2014. Think about it. What’s something you want to do more of this year? Whatever it is, make that the theme for the next 12 months. When you figure out your theme, hang it up in your room, add it to your vision board or write it on your mirror, in case you need a quick reminder. I’m interested in knowing your word (or phrase), share it with me in the comments below!

Happy 2014!

NO GRAY AREAS: New Year’s Resolutions

I wanted to create a series where I could just talk about a particular subject for  just a few minutes, Very candidly. So here it is. NO GRAY AREAS. I’m just telling you how I feel and with 2014 around the corner, what better subject to talk about than New Year’s Resolutions. Some like them, I don’t. I just feel like if we want to make changes, just make them.

What changes do you want to make in the New Year? Isn’t it possible to just start today?

Why are you procrastinating?

It’s okay to procrastinate on some of those things on your to-do list. Especially things you don’t particularly like to do. I HUGELY procrastinate on putting my clothes up after I’ve washed them. Most of the time, my clothes just lay on the floor until it’s time to wash again. L I’m working on it! I really am. But one thing I don’t understand is procrastinating on your dreams. Why? Why are you putting the things you need to do in order to live a fulfilled life on the backburner? Why are you waiting until tomorrow just to be upset at for waiting? Why are we complaining about our life when we have the ability to control it? I have so many questions that need answers! (I know not to ask Sway, jk)

I’ve heard of few people around me talk about who they want to be, where they want to go or how much money they want to make, but I’m not seeing any true steps forward in an effort to make that happen. I see people get overwhelmed by their dreams and let that stop them from fighting for the life they want. It’s heartbreaking. We’ve got to stop getting overwhelmed by the bigger picture and focus on the smaller steps. I had dreams of going to college, but I first had to pass twelve grades one by one. I had a dream to start a women’s group but I first had to define what’s the purpose of the women’s group, start a website, have an event, spread the word. I had to do all of that a little bit at a time. Oprah had dreams of having her own television show, but first became an anchor and became the best anchor there was.

“The most important key to achieving great success is to decide upon your goal and launch, get started, take action, move.”

Those steps could only happen because we stopped procrastinating and made it happen. We could only achieve our larger goal, by achieving our smaller goals because we stopped procrastinating. We stopped letting the size of our dreams scare us, and start letting it fuel us. We stopped thinking about the destination, and focused on the journey. We focused on the how. It’s okay to have BIG dreams, matter of fact, you should have BIG dreams. But don’t let them overwhelm you, don’t let them stop you from getting started. You’re only hurting yourself.

Are you procrastinating? Are you letting your dreams overwhelm you? Today, I encourage you to stop. Stop procrastinating and focus on the smaller steps you can take. Focus on the one thing you can accomplish today. Go ahead and purchase that domain, today. Email your mentor in your head, today. Go to that gym class you’ve wanted to go to, today. Today, right now, is the best time to do it.

Want to know what a #BeyonceYear is? We’ve got answers

So my publicist, Jazmin of The JJacks Method and I have been talking about a #BeyonceYear for quite a while now. Some people think just because we want to have a #BeyonceYear, we want to be just like Beyonce. Well, that’s not the case. We’ve got answers for you and we’re certain it’ll make you wanna have your own #BeyonceYear!

#EatThinkBecome was better than I could’ve imagined

It’s always beautiful to see your visions come to life. Pledge To Be Bella’s #EatThinkBecome dinner was a HUGE success. I could not have asked for a better panel, a better location, better food, better attendees and of course, a better team. If you ask for it, He will give it to you and then some. #EatThinkBecome is true proof of that. I asked God for a place to bring women together so they can learn from each other and bond over a beautiful meal, and He made it happen! He gave me the vision, the tools, the people and the confidence I needed to bring this to life. Ahhh, He’s just so good.

It’s been a year since I started Pledge To Be Bella and it’s been such an incredible first year. I went from just myself to a team of 6, to a lot of supporters in a matter of months. Thank you all for believing in Pledge To Be Bella. It means so much. 2014 is going to be AMAZING. All of this is just proof that you can have whatever you want and do whatever you want to in this world as long as you work hard for it, believe in it and carry it through. If you feel like giving up, don’t. It will be worth it. Again, I’m proof.

Be the change, like the great Nelson Mandela

We lost an incredible man this past week. INCREDIBLE. We lost a fighter and a true revolutionary. Nelson Mandela, you lived your purpose and there is no greater life that anyone can live than the one you were called here to do. That’s inspirational. That’s the way we need to be living.

I loved this excerpt from Nelson Mandela’s Wikipedia page:

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (Xhosa pronunciation: [xoˈliːɬaɬa manˈdeːla]) (18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, politician, and philanthropist who served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He was the first black South African to hold the office, and the first elected in a fully representative democratic election. His government focused on dismantling the legacy of apartheid through tackling institutionalised racism, poverty and inequality, and fostering racial reconciliation. Politically an African nationalist and democratic socialist, he served as President of the African National Congress (ANC) from 1991 to 1997. Internationally, Mandela was Secretary General of the Non-Aligned Movement from 1998 to 1999. continued…

As I began to really reflect on his accomplishments and after speaking with my mom, I realized, we’re losing the people that have really changed the world. We’re losing our advocates and our positive disruptors. We have to continue to fight for what we believe in like those before us have. People like Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King and John F. Kennedy were not okay with mediocrity or just sitting back and letting the issues fix themselves. We now have to do our part. We have to be disruptive. We have to become more passionate about making changes. Whether small or large, change is change. We have to come together for the greater good of our country. If not, it will remain the same. There are issues in America that are being overlooked and it’s up to us to fix them and continue to pave the way for those after us like the ones before us.

And we can only do this together. If there’s something you’re passionate about, or you see a hole in our system, FIX IT! Figure out how you can fix it. Band together with those who have similar causes and fix it, because it can be fixed. I believe in you. The Uni-verse believes in you. Don’t wait around for something magical to happen or for someone else to do the work. You CAN DO IT. After all, we have a black president!

Be the change like Nelson Mandela and all the greats before us.

May you rest in peace, Nelson Mandela. Thank you for everything.

To my favorite girl: Happy Birthday Mom!

There isn’t a number BIG enough to quantify how much I love you.

There isn’t one word good enough to describe how much you mean to me.

There isn’t a description long enough to tell you how thankful I am for you.

I don’t know what I would do without you. Because of you, I am who I am today and I love it!

You are the epitome of a mother, wife, friend, sister, aunt, and mentor. Happy Birthday mom. I’m so blessed to be able to spend it with you.

Thank you for always being there. Thank you for being the best mother you could be. Thank you for being an inspiration!

Love you more than there are stars in the sky!