Even when the last person you needed to say yes said no, believe in yourself. When the dream is dying and you feel like being desperate for just one second, don’t. Believe in you and your dreams. Give it all you’ve got. This won’t guarantee victory every time, but it will guarantee peace. When you’ve done your best, nothing and no one can take away your sense of accomplishment. Get in there and fight!
Do It Anyway!
Sometimes, well let me stop lying, a huge part of my life, I’ve felt like there was MORE to me and for me. Feelings can be misleading. True. But, that isn’t this post. This post is my truth, and I believe you’ll see some of you in it as well. I’ve always sensed that I was greater and should be doing greater. Yet, I have not always walked in that calling or lived like it. But, no mas! I took a plunge to live for me, to have my best life, and to go where I felt destiny calling. Now, that transpired over a few years and is still in process. But, I want all of the “Josephs” out there to know that you can run, but you can’t hide from the purpose God has for you.
Better ain’t never hurt nobody! Truth is it takes courage to be more than you are right now. That is why I ask, ‘Are you a Joseph?” Hmmm. Deep, right!? Doesn’t have to be. Are you or are you not living in and on purpose? If not, why?
Joseph is a man in The Bible who had a dream. He shared his dream and was despised because of it. I can identify. When I wanted to learn and then teach Spanish, I got crazy looks and comments. I did it anyway! When I wanted my Masters, they said, “Don’t you already have a Spanish degree?” Yep! I did that anyway, too! When I said I wanted to blog, they said, “”What’s that?” Lol! Listen, you’ve got to stay on course and moving toward your destiny if you want to have your promise.
Joseph knew God told him in a dream he would be exalted and his brothers would one day bow to him. He messed up by sharing that. I’ve done that, too. Have you? But, his brothers did bow. They didn’t know it was their brother they had gotten rid of years before. Teaching point 1: Do not ever think that God gives up on His promises to you. If He said it, it’s coming! Teaching point 2: You need to be careful how you treat folks. Now, Joseph lost his youth due to being thrown in a pit by his brothers and being a slave in a foreign land, but he grew in those trials. Every one of his downs he came through. He trusted God. So, what trial are you in right now? If you know you’ve been given a vision of glory and your now doesn’t match it, keep pressing. Don’t give up. It’s coming!
“Are you a Joseph” is simply calling you to say yes to your destiny no matter how hard it is right now. Joseph rose to 2nd in command in all of Egypt. Now, that’s faith, favor, and fearlessness. Go on! Push through this season and don’t let go until you’ve arrived. Trust God for direction. He’ll give more than you imagined if you trust Him.
Do It Anyway!
If not today, when? If not you, who? These are the questions you need to ask and answer for yourself. I can’t answer for you. But, I can send you a soft nudge to push you toward destiny. Nudge: Hey, it’s time!
Now, go do something about it!
#doitanyway
New Beginnings!
Starting over, beginning a new job, moving to a new place, and even beginning a new love can all be scary. But you know what? New beginnings can also be invigorating, just what the doctor ordered, and beautiful. Whatever you are beginning, give it all you’ve got. Shake off the old and embrace the new. Pretty soon that new thing will become a consistent thing and you’ll find your stride, your place, your peace, your why the previous things had to end.
No one likes feeling like a fish out of water, but it’s necessary when you begin something new. There’s a learning curve you must master to get to greater. In order to get where you want, you’re going to go through some unfamiliar territory. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go. Go anyway! Keep working on mastery and that feeling will go away. Get clear. Get consistent. Get ready for your new thing and embrace it!
Scared?
Do It Anyway!
I want to admit that I don’t always have it all together. If thats what you think, I’m not doing this blogging thing right. I want you to know that having a great life and great expectations about life isn’t based on you being perfect ALL the time. So, let go of the guilt. There is grace for where you are right now. Simple as that.
How can I can keep smiling about the good and the bad, about how I mess up and how I win? Because I know God is with me, loves me, and has a plan for me. Thanks to His grace and mercy, I keep making it through. You mess up? Get up. There is grace to pick you up and help you keep going. Ask for it and Live!
Just pondering how we waste time on regret. Use your grace and move forward. Have a rockin Saturday! Im off to the movies with my boys. Remember, it wont always be easy.
Do It Anyway!
Juggling the dream and a family is a big job and I do a good bit of it alone. Praise God for sanity, clarity, girlfriends, and mommy breaks.
But, back to why you cant quit. I just cant stop dreaming of the day when it will all make sense. When I will say, “Wow! I have arrived.” Do you feel like that? If so, that’s it! That’s what fuels me and it is what fuels you- vision, purpose, calling. Now, please don’t overdo it on the road to success. But, stay focused on work that helps you reach your goals. Soon, you’ll look up and be thankful you didn’t quit. Rest if you need. Readjust if you need. But, dont quit!!! Your dream is too good to be reconciled to only a memory. Fight To keep it alive. You deserve to see YOU WIN!
Do It Anyway!
This post is my contribution to National Black Woman Heal Day: a call for unity and healing among Black women.
I met the organizer Lilada on @twitter and loved her idea. Read on!
It is a sad but prevalent problem I address today- sisterhood among women of color. Ask any career woman, and she will tell you some women are hard to work for and with, and are not willing to use their time to mentor other women. Now, before you jump all over me, keep reading. I don’t mean you. And, I don’t mean all women. I mean some women I have seen in my own professional experienes or heard about from other women.
As women, in general, we need to do better. We need to look out for and protect each other. It does not hurt you to teach another woman “the ropes” or share some new learning or experiences that will empower another woman to do better. We in the African American (AA) community, especially, could use a do-over in the area of sisterly love. There are enough societal ills, battles to fight on the job, and negative stereotypes about black women to deal with already. Lets not add salt to wounds already inflicted by life. So, be a sister even if you don’t look alike. Take some time and love on other women today. We all need a helping hand at some point. As super as we are, we are not perfect all the time. Someone needs your help, time, talents, expertise, opinion, etc. Tell me. Are you available to be a sister today?
I get it. Im focused, too. But, we must all find time to uplift and encourage a “sister”. Being mean and cliquish helps no one. In fact, learning to make new friends could improve your social life in so many ways.
It will expand your circle, help you make connections, allow you an outlet to engage with like-minded women, and maybe even bring you a new best friend.
I know some people have been betrayed, but every woman isn’t like that. So don’t treat them as such. Isn’t it time you healed from the lie that we’re all the same? Come on. It may be hard, but try anyway. Try to let another sister in. You just might find an ally and friend to do this journey. Isn’t that what life’s all about?
I pray you are encouraged and inspired. Share with women who can use a push to try again. Know that you can go exactly where you want in your career and life, but with a true friend and sister supporting you, you can get there faster.
If the dreams you have for you can be accomplished with little help and by your own hand, dream bigger. As you rest tonight, I hope you dream ridiculous dreams. Dreams so wild that when you rise you get to work on them! Dreams so huge you need faith and new connections to pull them off. You deserve to really see if you can do it because you can. So you know what, shake off the doubt, the fear, and the excuses and just DREAM BIG!
This is your time.
Do It Anyway!
This is post #2 on this topic. I think I will make it a weekly theme. Be sure to comment and let me know yay or nay if you want to keep seeing it around.
Sunday is a day to relax, recharge, and rethink. Right? It is definitely a day to worship. So, no where does it say mope, regret, or sulk. Once you’ve pondered your week and hit reset, it is important to let what didn’t work go. Carrying the messups or misfires from last week or yesterday with you only weighs you down, keeps your mind distracted, and masks how awesome you were at a million other things. I’m not saying blindly look over things that need to be resolved, but if you know the problem is over, yet you still beat yourself up about it, you need to let it go.
Today is reserved for rest, family, fun, and strategic planning. No wishing to change the past allowed. Only doing. So, what will you do with your today to make a better tomorrow? What will you adjust to rock it out next time? Do that. Think on that. Hey, life’s not perfect and neither are you!
Do It Anyway!
“Today is a new day! Yesterday is gone never to return again.”
Sounds great right! So, what do you do with the messes, breakups, wrong turns and shoulda woulda couldas? You leave them behind and live for what is now. You say a prayer and push forward for better. For all that is right in the world, you absolutely must accept that it happened. You just can’t let it hold you prisoner. Break free, loose, and fast!
The ugly truth is you may never know why in this life, and as hard as it is, that something happened. You must accept that. Accepting that sometimes there are no immediate answers will bless you in ways I can’t describe. In other words, accept what God allows.That doesn’t make God mean or unloving. (Oh! He loves you and has a plan) Yet, sometimes crap happens. Crap that we brought on ourselves, didn’t pay attention to, or that came our way unrequested. Either way, it was allowed for a reason and a season. Aren’t you glad it wasn’t forever!? Whew!
Listen, I don’t have all the answers, but what I do know is on the other side of the pain lies a whole new purpose. You’ve just got to make it through this. For instance, I had some rocky years as a young single mom. No one knew it, but I cried almost every night. At the time, I still loved their dad (praise God for deliverance and learning what love is), and I had to deal with him, his women, and raise my babies. Talk about having it tough! But God kept me, helped me heal from the hurt, and now all that pain is tied to my purpose. I want to help you heal. Please know there is life left for you. And, it is glorious. So, accept what has been, let go, and lets move toward better. Amen? Amen.
It’s not easy, but the happy, healthy, and healed you is waiting. Come on! Let her out! She’s beautiful, brave, and bold!
Do It Anyway!
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