It's up to YOU!!!

Go get it!!!

Isaiah 40:31

But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

I look around me all the time, witnessing those who complain about not having this, or not having that. They don’t realize the things they have been blessed with too busy worrying about the things they cannot see. How can we expect more blessings when we don’t give thanks for the ones we already have? I don’t know about you, but I don’t want other folk’s blessings! I want what God has for me.

In life, we all at some point feel like nothing is going the way we want it to go. We want things quickly handed to us, given to us without putting in the work it takes to achieve those things on our own. Being given something that we don’t work for is called in my opinion being lazy as hell. Nothing in life is free! No matter if someone gives us a pair of shoes they can no longer wear or have need for. In order to make those shoes our own, we have to put some kind of work into them. Whether it be cleaning them, or making a place for them in our closet, we have to consider how they will fit into our space. 

I believe we should take the same consideration as we do with things, with the people we allow into our life. How do they fit? Why do they fit? Will having them in my life improve or hinder my progress?  These questions are critical. Allowing any and every one into our life, can cause more harm than good. Our paths may cross, but our journeys are separate. No two journeys can be or will be the same. It doesn’t work that way. This process defines who we are. It tests our faith. It shapes us into discovering our purpose, which essentially pushes us into our destiny.

Sometimes we will have to go alone.

Just because we believe in our vision, doesn’t mean everyone else will too. There’s nothing wrong with that. The people who don’t believe in our vision are probably not the people we want on our team anyway. Think about it! The Chicago Bulls team held Michael Jordan up when he played with the flu. They took care of him. But it was he who believed in himself and his skill, to get the job done. He had to, before anyone else learned his full-potential as a ball player. I’m sure he wanted to give up, go home and recover, but the warrior in him refused to. Look at him now, one of the greatest basketball players of all times. In my opinion, the best! Some people don’t know he was cut from his high school basketball when he first tried out. It didn’t stop him. It pushed him to become better.

This doesn’t mean we should try to pull people along with us. If God gave it to you, you are the one who will ultimately have to cross the finish line in order to bring anyone else across with you. Don’t assume others are passionate about something just because we are. Don’t assume people owe us anything because they don’t. Be thankful for the tools, guidance, and motivation we are blessed with. Remember that God equips us with the things we need to finish strong and successfully. If you don’t finish the race, how can you train others to run a marathon!

Don’t worry about someone else’s dream!

You may be given a rock, while I may be given a stone. It doesn’t matter! Why does that matter? It shouldn’t. Don’t focus on my stone when on your path to greatness. Your rock will be sufficient enough in reaching your final destination.

If Jay-Z worried about Kanye, and Kanye worried about Jay-Z, there would be no Blu Ivy or North West. They are friends, both creative lyricists in their own right, following their own paths. Sure they work together at some point, maybe more than once, but they don’t necessarily fall to each other when faced with challenges. Each strives to be the best that they can be. Each strives to give his all with each album released. Why? Because they are passionate about what they do; they are confident in themselves and their gifts; and they know it takes more than just a dream to fulfill their purpose.

We have to go get our own blessings! Not leave them in the hands of other people. Yeah, there will be people along our path to help us in some way, to give us guidance, knowledge, and support; but once their role in our journey is done, the only one who can reach our destiny is us! Be thankful for the things you have. Someone isn’t as fortunate as you. Once we pursue our purpose, it takes ten times the work to fulfill it; and even more to surpass it! It’s a daily struggle, sacrifice, and something we have to want for ourselves to achieve.

Stop expecting someone else to fulfill your vision. Get to work and do it yourself.

Feeling sorry for yourself simply won’t do!

Until next time, be inspired, be encouraged, & be you…

Purple Hugs,

KeKe Chanel

The MeSSenger: Today's featured Blogger

Today's  blog post is by my fellow blogger, The MeSSenger.

We were having a discussion, as we always do, a few days ago about different topics. The next day, I received an email from him with this article he had written. He simply wanted to share his thoughts with me on various topics we had discussed, and I want to share them with you.

Here is what he had to say...

What is happiness?

“Smile”

Many people associate happiness with a smile. A smile is birthed when facial expression is characterized by an upward curving of the corners of the mouth and indicating pleasure, amusement, or derision. However, this scintillating facial expression, pleasure and/or amusement do not always convey happiness; it could very well represent the complete opposite, depending on the situation. So then, if a smile doesn’t indicate happiness, what does? Some may argue my logic and that is perfectly find as we are all entitled to our beliefs, but for me, happiness is something that cannot be seen rather experienced, hence the saying “never judge a book by its cover”. Often times, we are guilty of assuming what is true opposed to researching or investigating to discover the facts, or what is factual; this is why so many of us are confused. Over the years we have learned to accept, very easily, the unknown! 

“Love”

The profoundly tender, passionate, and warm feeling of affection toward another person; or the common word “Love” is another thing that determines happiness for a lot of people. Although I believe that the association has a strong influence, I find it a bit vague to define happiness with love. My reason for saying this is simple. Ever witnessed or experienced being loved by multiple people, and still have the feeling of unhappiness? Many celebrities have spoken, and speak about this, often. I have heard one of them say and I quote, “It’s great to have the love of my loyal fans who look up to me as their role model, but sometimes I feel like I’m going to fail them because I am not happy; and I haven’t been for a while now”. Although the emotion love has proven to influence some great attributes in people, in my opinion, it should never be a definitive reason as to why a person is or should/shouldn’t be happy.  

“Relationship”

Do you know a person, be it a friend or family member, who just can’t cope with being alone? They feel as though they always have to be in commitment with another person in order to feel appreciated, and have happiness. I know a lot of people who depict being single as being cursed; they allow their relationship status to overcome them, leaving them with a feeling of hopelessness. I find it a bit disheartening for an individual to place the extent of their value into another persons’ hand. Oddly enough, people do it all the time, and have been doing it for centuries. I sincerely believe that we all should be co-dependent on one another; meaning, we all should help each other. However, I believe not feeling happy as an individual, existing alone, makes it difficult to be happy in a partnership existing with another person. 

“Money”

All of us have heard it mentioned at some point that money doesn’t buy happiness and that may very well be the case, but if given an opportunity, many of us would at least try! Financial security has been a proven factor to relieve stress. The comfort of being able to pay your bills alone is self-rewarding. Money stimulates that feeling of accomplishment, but does it define happiness? We can go on an endless debate about this and never reach a verdict. Why? Because for those people who have been in poverty for years, money can very well feel like their saving grace, but to those who aren’t strangers to wealth, money doesn’t move them. Ultimately, I believe that it is our opinion that money has some sort of healing power to transform our emotions, but the truth remains “money is just money”. It has no ulterior motive because it isn’t a living thing! What we choose to do with money is a whole new topic of discussion for another day! 

“Power/Fame”

Some people are happy because of status. They get off by making themselves superior above others because they are placed in a position of power. They happily go about their day being worshiped and praised as if they, themselves, are God! To be frank, I believe that many of these superficial earthly gods are happy to be idealized, but the question remains, “Are they happy?”  They may sit on a pedestal and dictate to others with their demands and requests, but does this make them truly happy? I can’t speak for others, but for me, always having to tell others what to do and how to do it, doesn’t make me feel happy rather exhausted. It makes me feel like my only value is to dictate and control people, things, and/or situations, which leaves me little time to enjoy my life. The greatest thing about having power and fame is the pursuit of gaining it, but once you have it, then what? Is it used to make you happy? Is it shared with the one who makes you happy? If so, why aren’t you happy without them? Since questions like this come with the definitive question, “Does power and fame make one happy?”…I would go on to say that the answer would be “no”.  

As we can see, happiness is not determined by a particular thing. It is influenced by many factors both positive and negative, even spiritual encounters in some instances. Whether happiness comes from another person, an emotion, a connection, and/or position of status and power, there is one important thing that determines its’ existence and that element is “you”. Ultimately, without you making a conscious decision to be happy, happiness will never exist in your life. Another person can’t be happy for you, nor can they bring happiness to you. They can influence the feeling, but you have to choose to feel it for yourself. Having money, power, and fame does not automatically put you in a state of happiness. Again, happiness is a choice! So then, if happiness is a choice, how do we choose to be happy? It is simple, we try it the other way first! Instead of being happy for a day, try being angry throughout your day and then analyze things to see which way is better. I can’t speak for anyone else but, when I’m angry I tend to be moody, I suffer socially because no one wants to be around me, and physically my blood pressure usually goes up. I get anxious, my appearance becomes intimidating, and my spirit comes across as ungodly. In addition, I’m usually sweaty with a feeling of exhaustion because of the amount of energy my body uses to stress and be angry. Overall, I do not feel very well.  

On the other end, when I make the choice to be happy, I feel my best and I look my best. People around me tend to be happier as well. I’m a much easier person to deal with because of my demeanor and my spirit. Happiness makes me feel free. It inspires me and gives me vision to see that situations for me could be worse. Happiness humbles me and makes me appreciate myself more. When I’m truly happy, I do not need validation from anyone or thing. I can exist in the world and not be of the world. I do not need a partner to determine my happiness. I don’t need love or acceptance from another person. I don’t have to be the most powerful or the most influential, nor do I feel the need to have more money than the next man or woman. When I’m truly happy, I don’t have to smile to show others my spirit. I simply wake up, appreciate who God created me to be while treating others respectably, and I go about me day feeling like I am on top of the world! Why? Because I found within me that place that only I know how to discover; it’s the place that I call “happiness”! And this joy that I have finally found, the world didn’t give it to me nor can the world take it away. 

Written By:

 The MeSSenger

I agree that in order to have happiness in life, we first have to be happy with ourselves. Sure people, places, and things can evoke the emotion, but it's only temporary when we allow those same people, places, and things, to define us.  We become sad being alone. Why? Because we don’t know who we are!

I challenge each of you, if you don't already do this, to take some time out of your day to make time for yourself. Get to know who you are so that you will be able to let others know, so you will be able to love yourself better, so that you are not placed inside of their little box. It's okay to spend time with yourself. Who wants to spend time with you if you don't like spending time with yourself? No one! 

Take a good, long, hard look in the mirror, and examine your image. Figure out the features you love on your face, on your body. What are your best assets? Not only does doing this help us to feel better about ourselves, it helps boost our confidence and self-esteem. When you know you look good, you feel good, and when you feel good people notice. You become a better YOU! You define your happiness! 

A special thanks to The MeSSenger for being our guest today, and sharing his insight with us. We hope he will join us again. In the meantime, checkout his blog: www.soulbrother-whenlifespeaks.blogspot.com for more of his work.

Until next time, be inspired, be encouraged, & be you!

Purple Hugs,

KeKe Chanel

Have you ever felt stuck???

Feeling Stuck

Have you ever felt like everything is moving fast around you while you are moving in slow motion? Chin up! You are not alone. This happens to the best of us during times we need to take a step back and see what is truly going on around us. I believe it’s a way to reflect on our progress, our passion, and our purpose. We sometimes get thrown off track by taking on too many projects at once. We can allow people, places, and things to distract us from our vision. Don’t be discouraged! Using something meant to be negative for something positive will come out of this setback. We all need recharging every once in a while.

I am not too proud to share with you that lately, I have been suffering from extreme anxiety. My mind is constantly going. I feel like I’m standing in quicksand. There are so many thoughts running through my head. I cannot sleep, think straight, or focus on any one thing for longer than five minutes. Am I going to allow this anxiousness to overtake my life? Will I lose control and burnout? No! God didn’t bless me with all the things that I have to just give up. Instead of having a breakdown I dust my shoulders off, take a step back and reflect on the things around me, and see the positive in every area of my life. I smile at my children. I laugh with my husband. I work on projects I haven’t worked on in months with fresh eyes. I pray and allow God to guide my steps.

Think about it. If life was as simple as we want it to be, we wouldn’t appreciate the small things that make us who we are. We wouldn’t pray or have faith. We wouldn’t value our future, or teach our children to work hard for the things they want in life. There would be more depression and chaos in the world than it already is; which would ultimately lead us to an untimely death caused by a silent assassin called stress. We would become stagnant, complacent. Our wants, needs, desires, and expectations would become null and void. We would simply walk through life with tunnel vision. I don’t know about you, but I refuse to live so dearth.

I’m here to tell you that it’s time to dust yourself off, take a deep breath, and press on. You are relevant. You are blessed even in times of darkness. You are right where you should be, but it’s unquestionably not the position you are destined to be. If we don’t take time out to reflect, we become self-absorbed. We become overly confident. We become boastful. Words search as: humble, appreciative, and gracious become lost to us. We forget that God exists and gives us life!

Feeling stuck isn’t a ruthless thing. I believe it’s a necessary thing in order to progress. Let’s face it, if we didn’t feel stuck from time to time we would work ourselves crazy. We wouldn’t take time out to enjoy life. We would become beat, bitter, and broken. We would forget to smile, to laugh, to live.

Once you get back on track, and you will! Stop thinking you are not worthy of the things you have accomplished and more. Stop thinking you are not enough. Stop making excuses for where you are now, and start thinking about where you want to be. Stop second-guessing, or overthinking your gifts. God created them in you. That should give you a reason to fight the funk. You are worthy! You are enough! You are great! Remember that life happens. Not every day will be fairies and unicorns. There will definitely be trolls and dragons. At the end of the day, if you don’t think more of yourself, your brand, your company, or whatever it may be, no one else will.

Sometimes we have to encourage ourselves. It’s okay to be our own cheerleader, but having a great support system is abundant. Surround yourself with individuals who are like-minded, who want to better themselves and their future. Connect with people who will motivate and inspire you. Not everyone who started out with you will finish with you. Not that you are ungrateful to them and how they affected you in some way, it’s just time to move forward. Putting yourself first isn’t a crime it’s called cultivating! Pruning out weeds is essential to any garden that expects a full harvest, after the seeds are planted. The key is planting the seeds!

So, the next time you are feeling stuck think about having a car. We take care of the car because it gets us to where we want and need to go. If we don’t maintain it, it will breakdown. Our gas needle warns us that we are in need of gas by what? A light comes on! The car doesn’t move as fast as it has the potential to do so. I say this to say sometimes our fuel will run low. It’s up to us to fill ourselves up again in order to reach our final destination. Don’t allow taking a time of reflection to cause you to become empty. Relax…breathe…and accelerate to the next phase of your life. It’s already waiting for you to arrive. In other words, SHUT UP AND DRIVE!!!!

Until next time, Be Encouraged, Be Inspired, & Be You!!!

Purple Hugs,

KeKe Chanel