As we enter the week of Thanksgiving, we should all look and think back over the last 11 months and take a moment to acknowledge all the things we have to be “Thankful” for.  If you are blessed to read this posting you have been blessed with the gift of life and vision.  For me this has been a trying year in so many ways but I am reminded by the scripture that says “in all thy ways acknowledge him and he will direct my path”.  And I am a witness that the word is right.   I had to really acknowledge the gift of acceptance, and letting go.  I realize that people come in your life for a reason, season or a life time.  And I am very thankful that God blessed me to just “LET GO” of so many people, situations and circumstances, replacing those things with the gift of “I don’t care”.   I can truly testify that I am FREE and it feels SO good. 

A few things I am thankful for, God grace & mercy, good health, family, a few good ride or die friends, love, being in love, being loved by others, peace, and all the joy God has allowed me to experience in my life.  Fully realizing that I could be homeless, jobless, loveless, friendless, lifeless, but, all I can do is think about God Grace………. And when I go there I am completely satisfied.  I realize I don’t have to chase love, chase friends or family, I am not chasing anything but my spiritual life and the opportunity to get it right and keep it right.

I ask that you take some time today in stillness and record at least 5 things you are thankful for, and give thanks today and every day for all things.  If the things you are chasing are not bringing you love, joy & peace, stop chasing.  I pray you & your family embrace a blessed Thanksgiving Season.  Cheers!

It’s not always easy to face ourselves and the unwise choices we have made along the way.  At times I still resist.  But not facing what is hurting us doesn’t diminish the pain.  I have not always had the strength to face my own troubles.  There are many days when I think about the bad choices I made.  But, I am always reminded of God’s grace & mercy.  The lessons I have learned regarding choices that I have made in my life is that we are all allowed to make bad choices and mistakes the real problems is when we don’t learn from those bad choices and mistakes.  No one is perfect.  When I have found myself at this place in my life I have one prayer and that is “God don’t let me make the same mistake again and let me learn the lesson you wanted me to”. 

Often we keep our mistakes in life a secret because we fear being judge or abandoned or fear losing love.  We must get to a place of being thankful for who we are and who we are destined to become. 

Remember no matter how difficult the situation, our question must always be:  What has this issue come to teach me?  Whatever is happening to us at this moment is a potential source of wisdom, sent to wake us and remind us that our power is equal to every moment.  To live from a place of serenity requires total trust in our higher power; it’s that walk-on-water type of faith and belief in self love.  Cheers!

At times weall feel like weary travelers unsure of which way to turn.  The road to the summit isn’t straight and smooth.  It twists and changes course, with unpredictable events around each bend. Not every wanderer is lost.

If we haveunwavering faith moving steadily towards our intentions, all that threatens us along the way will go into hiding or be revealed as the imposters they are.  And trust me there are a lot of imposters out there. That’s because faith insists that we stop casting ourselves in the role of victim.  It reminds us who we are and what we came here to do.  We have to stop giving our power away.

Sometimes we get alienated from this inner power and trust.  I’ve sometime wandered off course, unsure of my place, feeling stressed, and depressed. At these times I remember this: Everything in our life can be a pathway to God. We have to trust life, trust each moment, trust ourselves.  I know now that each wandering experience was a necessary one.  I needed to examine my life more deeply until the inner roadblocks, my fears, my hurts, the strain of not following my heart suddenly became illuminating.  The way to clarity and healing is to ask ourselves at each step, is my energy aligned with my intention? Am I placing my feet along the right road?

Trust your heart and keep stepping, and know that the best is yet to come.  Cheers!

When you’re on a mission of value, God gives you a special blessing.  You are divinely guided.  You are surrounded by a high power at the highest spiritual level, it protect and guides you.  It disarms any enemy and attracts all you need to be successful.  Have a mission of value, a mission that serves others, one that adds love and light to life and put that life goal first.

Whatever your aspiration is, ask yourself, Is this something I love doing? Will it benefit others?  When you can answer yes to these two questions, you’ll have found your mission of value, and every obstacle in your path will be cleared.

But, you must do your part.  You’ve got to get up each day with every cell in your body thanking your higher power for your life and your mission.  You’ve got to keep your eye on the prize.  It’s easy to be distracted.  The challenge is to be in it but not of it while remaining focused on fulfilling your mission.

Equally challenging is trying to remember that dysfunctional people bring their pain and dysfunction with them wherever they go.  Aware of this fact you separate the act from the actor, and let no one take you off your path.  They will try.

Passionate and focused, centered in faith and love, serene inside and protected.  This is you, a sistah on the move, a sistah on a mission who can easily brush aside any obstacle to fulfilling the goals you dedicate your life to.

Cheers to your mission!

Every day, do something to simplify your life, and you will be happier, healthier, kinder, a person that lives in the moment and not worrying about the next.

Our hectic lives are calling us to learn how to live more simply while still achieving what we need and desire.  But living simply isn’t easy when we’re addicted to excess, believing more and bigger and faster are better.  There’s no peace in perpetual pursuit, no room to experience the sweetness and joy of living when we’re constantly doing.

Monitor who and what you give your time and attention to.   If you value spiritual growth, family time, building up a savings and staying healthy, then the work you choose to do and how you spend your spare time should support those objectives.  Otherwise you are surely more likely to find yourself in the mall instead of at the gym or evening and weekends working instead of spending time with your family and friends.

Start prioritizing.  Put fewer things on your daily schedule and choose a more realistic time frame for each task.  Believing we must do everything right now puts us under pressure.  By making these adjustments you’ll be less stressed, enjoy life more and complete projects with more time to spare.

When we simplify our lives we become one with time we see clearly which activities we should eliminate, how to do things more efficiently and what can be handled by others.  And we don’t take on a task until we see how it serves our highest purpose.

Remember, every day do something to simplify your life!  Cheers to a better YOU!

No one who has achieved greatness got there by following an easy path laid out by others.  They did it by creating their own vision, destiny and striving to achieve, then surpassed it.

Now that the laid back, chilled moments of summer are behind us, it’s time to do a little bit of hibernating and renew our focus.  During this time think about what you want to accomplish, set clear, realistic goals, and then take steps towards your goals every day.

YOU are standing on the foundation of something spectacular!  Cheers.

We must do more than think pink this October.  The statistics can be very disheartening, while Black women are less likely to get breast cancer; they’re more likely to die from it. Obesity is the second leading contributing factor after tobacco. Some studies showed that women of 40 don’t even remember when their last mammogram was.  Some experts are now recommending women have their first mammogram before 40 and possibly as early as 33 this according to a recent study published in the Journal of American College of Surgeons. To find a center near you please visit Cancer.org.  If you haven’t schedule your first or next mammogram please take time to do so. 

Some small things that will help you stay healthy; walking one to two hours weekly cuts your breast cancer risk by 18 to 20 percent.  Eating smart, research shows that that the greater variety of fruits and vegetables you eat, the more phytonutrients you consume.  Remember to do monthly breast exams, for more information on this please visit ww5.komen.org.  For more information regarding Breast Cancer please visit www.BCRFCURE.ORG.

Cheers to staying healthy and finding a cure!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

(in remembrance of the late Reverend Kelly Easter, Jr. the one who encouraged my soul)

Anniversaries are special. Whether it’s work, relationships, marriages, homegoings or freedom from addictions, anniversaries arrive sooner than we think and are celebrated sparing no expense. Not sure of the why’s that come with anniversaries such as, why do we celebrate first year and then jump to five year increments or why some are given the status of silver, golden and diamond? While the world continues to turn at an ever-increasing pace, ideas and people come and go, I am comforted in knowing that the spirit and purpose of anniversaries will not change. I know because I am happy to celebrate with you the third anniversary of Sistahology.com!

 Three years ago today, I created a unique place for women. A place where we could empty our thoughts, talk out loud, say things we’d dare not say in public or maybe not even in private with our closest friend. This place, lovingly named, Sistahology would move us from the diaries we were first given by a family member to journaling our every emotions, experiences, and expectations in a digital world we now know as online. A place that would become a movement focused on supporting women and wellness through power of journaling. I have been journaling my entire life. Written expression gives me permission to be patient with myself, to slow down and reflect on lessons learned and unlearned, to forgive, to say it’s ok or what’s next, and most importantly, the chance to celebrate my journey.

 Many times I’ve heard it said, “it’s not about the destination, but the journey.” Well, it’s been a phenomenal discovery. I’ve seen an explosion of affirmation from all of you who have joined me during the past year, not only my valued subscribers and those of you who receive the weekly blog via Facebook and Twitter, but also everyone who offered words of encouragement, inspiration, or advice. With your support, feedback and love, I will continue to improve the Sistahology experience.

 And, in keeping with the celebration of an anniversary, now it’s time to open our gifts. First gift is thank YOU! Second, I am humbled every day for the chance to hear about your triumphs, your struggles and your strong spirit to push on. Lastly, the final gift, I continue to make the site free. Your words moved me to make the site more accessible to all women, especially young women who need this very outlet but may be economically challenged.

Hopefully you’ve already begun to enjoy the healthful, life-affirming benefits of self-expression through online journaling with a subscription to Sistahology.com. If not, I encourage you to subscribe today. In the coming year you will see new events and guest bloggers, among other features. And, of course, I will continue to post my weekly Sunday blog to encourage you to continue to dream big, go further, climb higher, and stay motivated to create the life you desire.

Again, my most sincere thanks for your belief and support in Sistahology.  A special thanks to Pamela Austin who created this anniversary homepage based on our personal talks and our 1:1 interview about my hopes & dreams for Sistahology.  Cheers!

There is an old proverb that says. “When a person seeks their purpose, the universe conspires to make it happen.”

As I think about lessons I learned from my parents & grandmothers I am often reminded of their consistent message “everyone is here to do something in life and that my job was to find out what it was and do it.”  They also said that where I started did not have to be where I would end up, that life was about choices and that I should think long and hard, and choose well.  I did that! 

We all have an inner voice, and it speaks truth to power and negativity.  Sometimes the hard part is simply listening.  Ask yourself why you are here and what are you here to do, then seek ways to make it happen.  Define success for you.  Too often we trade who we want to be for what we want to have and lose ourselves in the process.

Surround yourself with books, people, media, and ideas that reinforce the truth, your truth, work on changing you!  Try new things and explore new opportunities.

Be grateful for all that has happened and learn from it.  Forgive and let go of all negative energy in your personal space.  Forgiveness is not about letting someone else off the hoof but it’s all about you getting off one!  Learn and grow and remember you are “so” worthy!!  Cheers!

God Bless America- The true spirit that lives on from September 11, 2001 is love.  Now we honor the dead, recall the pain and hope for the future. We can continue their legacy by serving.  I challenge you to serve on this day and everyday that you can.

The true spirit of September 11, 2001 is love. God Bless America and May the lost souls rest in peace. My humble salute.