by Altimese Nichole | Aug 27, 2015 | Learn + Grow
In today’s society, everything is about convenience. From parallel parking to everything being at your fingertips through mobile apps— we’re all about making things in life easier. But somewhere along the lines of evolving technology and self-parking cars, the concept of creating shortcuts became a perceived reality for making your dreams come true.
Don’t believe the hype. Short cuts do not exist when it comes to pursuing your dreams. Someone once told me “I’m asking God to show me my purpose in life, but I just don’t want to work weekends, holidays, and I prefer to be finished with work at a decent hour.” They conveyed their desires to go after their purpose believed that those goals should be attainable within those parameters.
This is an example of the deception in action.
Pursuing your dreams take work, effort, sweat, and a lot of tears along the way. If walking into your purpose was easy, everyone would do it. More individuals will respond to the voice within their hearts that direct them to make their dreams a reality. Truth be told, there are no short cuts or convenient pathways to achieving your goals and you have to ask yourself, how bad do you want it? If you seek your goal (let’s call it plan A) but create another just in case (consider that plan B)—you truly don’t want that original goal bad enough to invest all of your faith and effort into it.
Be honest with yourself and ask yourself how badly do you want it, trust the voice within to believe that the dream is in your heart to be shared with the world, then have confidence in yourself to push aside the fear and doubt—and go! No short cuts necessary.
by Torrie Oglesby | Aug 27, 2015 | Learn + Grow
Prayer is so vital for our spiritual survival. The way we workout our bodies to make them strong and capable is the same way we need to pray. Prayer is our spiritual weapon and spiritual strength. There’s no wrong way or right way to talk to our heavenly Father but sometimes in this rushed and demanding life we say little prayers here and there and forget about them during the day. I think one way to be mindful of your conversation with God is to write it out in a journal that is dedicated just towards you and your personal conversation–prayers–with The Lord.
The Bible tells us in 1 Thessalonians to pray without ceasing and Jesus illustrates to us how important prayer is all throughout the Gospels. Jesus lived a life dedicated to constant communication with God and not just quick prayers in our desperate need but in thorough prayers through out every day. HE was constantly praying and listening to what God wanted from him. Our lives need to be as dedicated to prayer more than it’s dedicated to taking care of the kids, cleaning the house, preparing for work and enjoying our hobbies. Prayer needs to be first. It needs to be our first action and not our last resort and it should be thoughtful and constant not finicky and shallow.
I’ve been journaling my prayers for a week now thanks to a conversation with a friend who wrote out her prayers and was amazed when she went back and read them and saw all that God had brought her through. She also raved about how amazing it was to see him answer every tiny detail in just the way she asked. Writing out your prayers makes you more aware of how often God truly is listening and answering your hearts desires and needs therefore making you more thankful for Him and more aware of just how mighty our God is.
Join me, as I commit myself to journaling my prayers daily and having an open conversation with our creator every day. Not just in my need, not just in desperate seasons but in everything, constantly praising, thanking and praying to Him. I look forward to looking back on my prayers and seeing how amazing God is and how faithful he is when we bring everything to him like His word tells us.
“Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God.”
Philippians 4:6 King James Version
With love and big smiles,
torrie
by Altimese Nichole | Aug 18, 2015 | Learn + Grow
Everyone has special gifts to give to the world. They tend to come in beautiful packages that we consider dreams. The dreams we have within can help motivate us to be our best authentic selves, while inspiring others in the world to do the same. Here are five tips to help you manifest your dreams…
1.) Write them down.
There is a reason why the Bible tells us to “Write the vision and make it plain…” (Habakkuk 2:2). It’s one thing to have a vision in your heart—it’s another thing to write that dream on paper. The act of writing activates the universe and puts your dream into the atmosphere. From a personal perspective, I actually write my vision everywhere. I change my passwords to reflect my upcoming victory, write affirmations on the bathroom mirror, and I speak it out loud daily to remind myself that manifestation is coming. Writing solidifies your dream and makes it more than just a thought or wish: it becomes a goal.
2.) See yourself where you desire to be and live your life as if it’s already manifested.
Does this sound funny to you? Good. Everything in our lives begins with our thoughts. Those thoughts lead to words, and words lead to actions that create behavior and habit. If you desire to be a wife, begin to live your life as if you’re already a wife. Do you desire a promotion at your job? With clear intent, visualize yourself in your new role. How will you respond to co-workers, dress, manage your time, and prioritize your tasks? By living out your dream, the universe cannot help but follow your actions.
3.) Learn to love self-discipline.
It’s not a secret. Following your dreams takes hard work, dedication, and a lot of self-discipline. True success will require time, effort and sacrifice—and you must be willing to accept and embrace this. If fulfilling your dreams were easy, everyone would do it. What separates highly successful people apart from all others is the intense amount of discipline. Train yourself to love the focus and choose become every intentional with your life.
4.) Protect your dream from dream killers
When you make the decision to follow your dreams, it’s exciting! Our natural instinct is to tell the world about the amazing vision we have and share our excitement with others in our lives. It’s always great to confide in those you trust but be mindful that not all people will support you or be happy for your new revelation. Protect your dream by using wisdom when sharing your vision with others. The wisdom will help you pick wisely when sharing, and assist you with how much should be shared.
5) Remember that eagles soar alone
As you get closer to your dreams and goals, your circle of friends shift and that’s okay. It’s an indicator that you’re on the right track. Many say that birds of a feather flock together—but remember that eagles soar alone. Embrace the solitude you may experience through your journey. Everyone cannot travel the path with you so accepting your journey, whether your have many or few is vital.
When following these tips, remember that feelings of fear will happen along the way. Be courageous and brave by continuing to move forward regardless of the feelings you feel. Keep going because your dreams were placed in your heart for a reason. Make them your reality.
What are some things and tips that you can share for helping you fulfill your dreams?
XOXO
by Altimese Nichole | Aug 18, 2015 | Learn + Grow
In life—especially for women, it’s so easy to take care and nurture others while forgetting to nurture yourself. The older we become and the more responsibilities that we are blessed with, we place ourselves lower on the list of priorities. We begin to guilt ourselves into believing that it’s okay to not worry about our well-being. We find ourselves saying things like, “As long as they’re okay then I’m okay.”
In the midst of telling ourselves this sweet little lie, our love tank depletes more and more— with no deposits of restoration. We all have a love tank and within that love tank we have deposits and withdrawals. If we’re always taking out to give to others, how do we replenish the reservoir? I encourage you to take care of your most valuable player: you. It becomes really hard to give others what we fail to give to ourselves. Taking care of you doesn’t have to be extremely time consuming! It can be simple gestures that you do for yourself to says, “you matter.”
Here are some tips that can help inspire you of ways to show yourself daily gratitude.
Morning coffee or Tea
There is something truly miraculous about the first sip of coffee in the morning! It reminds you that you’re alive—and it’s all okay. Make it a point to get up a little earlier to sip your coffee in peace. If you’re not a coffee drinker, start your day with tea or lemon water (which has amazing health benefits, by the way).
Morning Prayer and Meditation
Mediation has become so popular in society because it calms the soul in a chaotic world. It’s a spiritual act of becoming grounded within. You don’t need a studio or a fitness center. YouTube morning yoga sessions and thousands of options will appear. While becoming spiritually grounded, add prayer to the mix and it not only grounds you but makes your heart open to today’s possibilities vs. yesterday’s disappointments.
Homemade facial
Take a little extra time in the morning or evening to pamper yourself through your everyday routine! Add essential oils like Lavender at night or Peppermint in the day to boost the experience. One of my favorite homemade facials are easy and timeless!
Take time to read a book
Many people protest their lack of time for reading but the reality is— there is always time. Become aware of the time you spend throughout the day browsing social sites or watching television. Don’t eliminate it but cut out at least one hour for dedicated reading time. If that doesn’t work- try during your morning time. You will truly be surprise the amount of time we spend… wasting time. Need recommendations? Check out the “She Reads” section of KnowYourStrong.org and be inspired!
These are just samples of the MANY things you can do to take care of you in the midst of managing all of your responsibilities. Women are amazing because of our capabilities; own your awesomeness with grace, and take care of you.
Check out the amazing health benefits of essential oils here and choose some of your favorite homemade facials here!
by Khojdeshia Denise | Aug 18, 2015 | Learn + Grow
Mind Over Matter
Have you heard the saying, “mind over matter“? I used to wonder what d this phrase even meant. I’ve learned the mind is where everything starts and ends! As soon as an event happens, you start the process of responding in your mind. You assess the circumstances and then decide what to do from there. This can happen in a second, or over an extended amount of time, but despite how long it takes, you are left with your thoughts to make an appropriate decision on what to do next.
On a daily basis, we all experience a variety of different situations; some pleasant, others not so much! During the unfavorable times, I try to remember that if there is no benefit from what I’m considering doing or saying, then a negative response is just unnecessary and unhelpful. I remind myself that negative energy doesn’t travel far. Most times, you’re left with negativity lingering in your mind long after the situation is over. I’ve come to realize placing yourself in that mental space is NEVER worth it and creates a vicious cycle of unhappiness and negative energy!
So, what happens if you find yourself in a situation that requires your attention, but the other parties involved are being confrontational and negative? You could respond in the same manner, perpetuating the cycle of negative energy, or you can rise above the situation and decide that you won’t engage in a way that will disrupt your peace of mind. Make the decision to remain positive while addressing the issue if necessary. Your mind is so very powerful, life can be very pleasant when you use it to remain positive and preserve your peace! Remember mind over matter.
You aren’t always in a position to control what happens to you, but you are in control of what goes on in your mind! Don’t help anyone or anything hurt you! You help people hurt you by contributing to or engaging in negativity that WILL eventually affect you. YOU are comprised of energy that can neither be created nor destroyed, just transferred from one form to another. Be mindful of this when receiving and sending energy out into the Universe. While interacting with others, remember that if it hurts them, eventually it will hurt you. Regardless of the form or where it comes from, what you send out ALWAYS comes back to you!
All of this can be managed, controlled, and even avoided altogether when you use your mind to assess situations, consider your values, and use your heart to guide you to do what feels right before you engage in anything! If it doesn’t feel right to you, then it isn’t right for you to do! Consider ALL factors of what makes you who you are- your mind, body, and spirit should all agree. When you live from a place that fosters harmony and authenticity, you can feel good as a happy, healthy, and whole woman that lives your truth without negativity! It all starts with a thought and what you believe. Remember: Mind over matter, because this journey is all a mind thing!
LIGHT and LOVE,
Khojdeshia Denise
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