by Nadya Logan | Sep 21, 2015 | Faith + Expressions
Every impactful movement needs a fight song, and “Rise Up” by Andra Day just may become the fight song for your life.
In the song, Day sings from the perspective of the motivator and through her croons, you may find encouragement to overcome the obstacle standing in your way.
She begins the song, acknowledging the negative thoughts you may have, singing, “You’re broken down and tired of living life on a merry-go-round.”
She recognizes the fighter that permanently resides within you that you think you’ve lost, and pushes you to “walk it out and move mountains”.
Day continues to send support throughout the entirety of the chorus, belting, “I’ll rise up
I’ll rise like the day…I’ll rise unafraid…High like the waves…In spite of the ache…And I’ll do it a thousand times again for you.”
It is natural to have times in where you feel lost and confused, and you may even feel like you are fighting a losing battle, but you aren’t. If you have hope, passion, and motivation then you have all of the elements that you need to overcome—at least mentally. And even if you believe that it’s not there, you aren’t digging deep enough. You have the ability to do whatvever you put your mind to, and that’s what Andra Day wants you to see.
“Rise Up” inspires me to release all of the negative energy I build up and use it to confront my issues head-on.
Listening to this song, you can find support to do the same through the powerful lyrics, or through the power that echoes in Day’s voice.
You have the power to do whatever it is that you want to do; you just have to look within yourself, find it, and allow it to shine.
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XOXO,
Nadya
by Torrie Oglesby | Aug 27, 2015 | Faith + Expressions
Lately, God has been quietly showing and reminding me just how important, precious and valuable my body is. As a woman, I get to carry my children in my womb, I get to feed them from my own breast, and then I get to carry them and nurture them all the days of their young lives. After I had my first child, I got back into shape immediately! Watching what I ate, working out everyday and being diligent with getting my body back into top shape. After I had my second child, life was a little bit different and I didn’t have the focus that I had with my first one to commit myself back to getting in shape.
Let me be clear here, it’s not about being skinny, that was never my focus and still isn’t my focus. It is, however, about treating your body like the most precious, rare, and valuable commodity that it is. We only get one and yes we are women and we have children and our bodies change in shape and size, but that’s not an excuse to stop feeding and moving your body with the upmost respect. If anything, having children should motivate us to be healthy so that we can see our children grow up.
Unfortunately, life gets in the way and we trade healthy meals for convenient meals and sitting down on the couch catching our breath from the constant mundane movement over getting up and working out. I haven’t workout or fed my body properly for a year and let me just say, I have never felt more unhealthy in my life. The funny thing is, if a stranger looked at me they would think I was in decent shape, but it’s not the outside appearance that is suffering it’s the inward aches and pains. My body is constantly trying to tell me that it’s lacking something and needs me to do something about it. This is when I hear God whisper:
“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodiesâ€
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Even as I’m writing this, that scripture convicts me in so many ways. The beautiful thing about conviction, is that it calls you to a higher place. My prayer for all of us is that we learn to honor our God by honoring our bodies. Not just with what we feed it, but how we move it, what we allow our eyes to see, what we allow our ears to hear, what we allow our hands to touch, what we allow our minds to read and receive, and what we allow our mouths to say. Be empowered today, and with every action you take, remember that your body is a temple, not a garbage can.
With love and big smiles,
torrie
by Altimese Nichole | Aug 27, 2015 | Learn + Grow
Feelings are undeniable and inevitable. We all have them and it’s unwise of us to ignore them. Feelings remind us that we’re human. Although they have a way of reminding us we’re still among the land of the living, they also remind us that people can hurt us, let us known, or completely upset us to no end.
We have no way to control the feelings we feel. They’re natural and valid when they arise. However, we can certainly choose how we respond to those feelings. The behaviors that follow how we feel internally express the emotions that accompany how we feel. Most of the time that’s a great thing! Some of the time, that can be a destructive thing as well.
Never confuse a feeling with an emotion. Feelings are internal; emotions are displayed externally. YES. Acknowledge those feelings. When someone hurts or disappoints us, respect the feelings and honor them. In addition to giving our feelings a chance to come and go freely—it is also an internal expression of self-love and self-worth. We have every right to feel how we feel and face that feeling with embrace means it’s worthy of validation. Feelings are neither right nor wrong. They are simply in existence to help us FEEL the life we’re blessed with. Once you honor those feelings, truly think about your external response to the feeling—because we’re responsible for the emotions that follow. It’s the art of self-awareness.
Have you ever witnessed a person calmly communicate their disappointment or pain while conveying how they feel with respect and love? It’s a beautiful thing that takes self-awareness. The act of self-awareness means to have a conscious (or intentional) knowledge of one’s own character, feelings, motives, and desires. It’s critical that we become self-aware of our feelings so our emotions aren’t detrimental to our relationships— or cause our situations to become worse as a result of our response to the circumstance.
Self-awareness isn’t automatic and it takes practice. So when you encounter life’s experiences, feel it and then practice the act of self- awareness. Strive for an intentional knowledge of your feelings, motives, and desires. Seek understanding behind the root of your feelings. Crave the exposure of core motives and desires. Do all of this before a response. Once we respond, we can’t undo the emotions that are shared with others. Also- if we truly act in self-awareness, it helps us to not point fingers for the feelings we feel and helps us to address WHY the feeling manifested.
How do you start to work on self- awareness? Practice, practice, practice and then be kind to yourself when you don’t meet the mark that you’re striving for. It will happen. Again, it will happen. So when it happens- repeat this process with kindness and love– toward yourself.
Feelings are intended to allow you to FEEL the beautiful journey of life. Become very familiar and welcoming to those feelings—as you master your response to them through self-awareness.
by Torrie Oglesby | Aug 27, 2015 | Learn + Grow
Have you ever heard the quote, we are what we repeatedly do, excellence, then, is not an act but a habit?” One thing that all successful people have in common is that they have developed habits that they are diligent to do every day in order to slowly reach success. Let’s say you want to start a business, well you don’t start a business by just one day deciding to and then working on it when you feel like it. No, you start a business by forming small habits that you do every day that will eventually get you to the big picture of owning your own business.
So many people get discouraged when they see what they want but can’t map out the way to get there. Instead of feeling hopeful all they see is a long and dark road and become doubtful. There are ways to turn your cannot’s into can to’s it just takes effort, patience and focus. Here’s some habits that you can start today to help you with your future dreams and goals that may seem too big, but are actually small if you cut them up into daily habits.
- Write it down
Write your BIG goals down and then every day also write your daily goals down. When you write it, you see it and when you see it, you start to believe it.
- Budget your time
You need to treat your time like your money and not waste it. Every day make sure you budget out your time. You need time to focus on your goals, time to have fun, time to feed your spirit and time to rest. BUDGET it.
- Map it out
From the first step of the journey to the last step of the journey, vividly map it out. This is going to give you a picture of what you need to do to get from point A to point B.
Above all, be hopeful and enthusiastic about your goals and dreams. There are plenty of resources out there to help you when you feel overwhelmed! You CAN do it so stop making excuses and get to it.
With love and big smiles,
Torrie
by Khojdeshia Denise | Aug 27, 2015 | Learn + Grow
YOU are as POWERFUL as the words and thoughts you choose to believe about yourself! Your PURPOSE is shaped by what starts in your mind and should be reflected in your words, thoughts, and actions!
Over the years, I’ve learned many things about myself and what I need to make it through this journey called LIFE. One thing I’ve found, I always need an outlet and a positive way to process my thoughts, the words that are constantly on my mind, and most importantly MY PURPOSE! As a young girl, I was introduced to journaling by an elementary school teacher. My life has NEVER been the same and if you integrate some of these exercises into your daily routine, yours may change forever as well! First, let’s address what a journal is and some its benefits.
What is a journal?
A journal is a written record that contains your observations, experiences, thoughts, and anything else you decide to write about. Many people don’t care for writing, because it can seem tedious and intimidating. However, journaling can change your life in ways you never imagined. Writing in a journal frees you from the rules of “formal” writing! Most importantly, your journal is for your eyes only, unless you decide to share! This gives you the opportunity to freely express your thoughts, feelings, and fears without judgment.
Use your words & thoughts to lead you to your purpose!
As we all know, WORDS are powerful! Imagine what could happen if you kept a record or list of positive, self-affirming, encouraging words with you at all times?
EXERCISE: On good and especially bad days, I suggest taking some time to write down all the words that come to mind that you feel GOOD about.
REMEMBER: We must remain conscious of the words we speak and accept about ourselves, our lives, and most importantly our PURPOSE.
WRITE IT DOWN: Clearly outline your THOUGHTS and VISIONS!
DOCUMENT your journey! ASSESS your progress. Once you write down your thoughts and ideas, they become goals that you can see and measure your progress towards. Having your goals in front of you is like a roadmap of the PATH to your PURPOSE! Use this to your advantage!
EXERCISE: Free Write- 30 Seconds: WRITE non-stop, don’t lift your pen or hands from the device. Just WRITE everything that comes to mind during this time!
Free Write-30 Seconds: WRITE words that are POSITIVE, encouraging, and self-affirming about your day.
Free Write-30 Seconds: WRITE the first words that come to mind when you think about your day!
Don’t worry about spelling, grammar, or punctuation. Allow your thoughts to flow & as you do….WRITE IT DOWN!
GET IT OUT: Make a record of what’s happening, what’s gone right, and what’s gone wrong! This gives you the opportunity to identify your strengths and weaknesses. It gives you the chance to review what’s happened- your LESSONS. Now, you can make corrections. Now, you can GET IT RIGHT!
EXERCISE: WRITE to get it out! Some days are GREAT, others not so much, but it’s ALWAYS better to get those thoughts and feelings out! We don’t always feel comfortable sharing with others and that’s OK, but what you write in your journal or device is for YOU!
Acknowledging your thoughts & feelings this way allows you to move them from the front of your mind and frees you to take the next step. Now, it’s time to pursue what’s on the pages!
LET IT GO: Once you write it down, it’s out there! In “BLACK & WHITE” as my mother would say! Even when it’s a ROUGH DRAFT or just a few words, it’s a start! You’ve unleashed your words and thoughts, now what?! PURSUE YOUR DREAMS, despite fear!
REMEMBER: You have EXACTLY what you NEED on the pages in front of you, use all the lessons and details you’ve recorded to guide you. Use them as the roadmap to your PURPOSE. You’ve already taken the first step, and it all started with YOUR WORDS!
EXERCISE: The path to your purpose is shaped by what starts in your mind. The words we believe and accept about ourselves are VITAL.
I suggest WRITING as often as possible. Your words & thoughts about your life matter most!
No matter how often you choose to write, make sure to ALWAYS use your words and thoughts to lead you to your PURPOSE!
LIGHT and LOVE,
Khojdeshia Denise
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