Don’t forget to have gratitude on your journey. Sometimes we focus so much on our hustle and on where we want to be, that we forget about how far we’ve already came. Some believe that if you are happy about where you are now then you will most likely never move forward. Although, that may be true for certain people it is not necessarily true for all. That belief depends on the individual and how focused they are. There is a difference in being content ( a state of peaceful happiness) than being fully satisfied (a state where nothing else is needed or wanted). Some of us may never be fully satisfied with our life because we desire to expand more and more. But during our expansion, we are able to be content being thankful for where we are in this exact moment of our life. Being thankful for where you are now will only increase more to be thankful for in the future. Let’s be thankful for the air we breathe, for the car that runs but windows that don’t roll down, for the house that has a roof over our heads, for our bank account that may not have the amount that we desire,..etc. I believe that there is a positive in each situation that we view to be “negative”.

Life is very busy for me and at times it is hard for me to shift my focus to enjoy the benefits of what I’ve achieved thus far. Here’s a few things that I do that has helped me with this issue:

• Pray and/or meditate each day before I leave the bed/house {If in a rush I pray in the car, sad but true!}
• I look at my vision board as I’m getting dressed
• Keep a small journal and each day write 10 things that I’m thankful for that day

What are your beliefs on being content and satisfied? What are some things that you do to keep your gratitude on your journey? Comment your thoughts below!

What is a heart with no one to love? How am I me, if I never see my worth? Why do I care for you more than I do me? I’m begging you to see what is so invisible to me. I am alive but I’m not living. Looking you in the eyes with no knowledge in my soul. (The mind of today’s teens showcasing their lives on Instagram and Twitter to be the IT kid with followers).

Reality is certainly in the eyes of the beholder more than beauty is. Now a days you can buy breast, butts, eyes, hair, etc but tell me what is the price of reality? Once you take it upon yourself to direct your choices down the rabbit hole into wonderland you become The Mad Hatter. A person wearing so many hats neither will ever fit. You just can’t find the perfect magic to lead you home. Home is only in you.

Jesus is respected as a prominent icon of our nation. According to the Bible at the age of 12 Jesus began leaving his mother to conduct miracles along with preaching his gospel in the temple. Currently today’s society 12-18 year olds many want to become the next NBA star or simply have their first kiss. In some instances, their first child will arrive sooner than their high school graduation. Some smoke various substances, take possessions that are not theirs, or drown sorrows in “the kool aid”.

What age is acceptable to completely disregard maternal and paternal guidance and make decisions on your on? Does every member of the family have the responsibility to uphold the values, traditions, and not cause family relationship division?

Inquire from most persons between the ages of 12-18 they will tell you they do not feel they have obligations or “family ties”. They are free beings who are privileged to their parents home, finances, resources, connections, automobiles, etc. “I didn’t make myself moma/daddy you did”. Does this privilege include the right to become a career criminal, be jailed, or a non-productive member of society?

What age did you begin to peel away from the tree of your parents? Was it abrupt? Did you have regrets and if so did you ever apologize?  Active parents believe the love they express should be appreciated or at least acknowledged even if never returned.What were some things that made you pull away from your parents? What is going on inside of a trouble teen? Express your juicy thoughts.

Mystery Flavor

There are a lot of up and coming _____ (you fill in the blank). Everyone wants recognition and praise for their talents or hard work that they do. In order to receive the recognition you must be willing to put in the work! “Faith Without Works is Dead” James 2:14-26 (NKJV). Once the work effort is consistent, you have to fall back on faith and trust that it will bring you everything that you are looking for. You must also remember your main reason for doing something.

The reason why I blog is to have a voice and because I love the idea of expression. So even if only one person reads my post I am thankful. It would be silly for me to go around begging others to support me. Promotion is one thing but if you are going around begging others to support you and then getting mad because they don’t, then you are doing things for the wrong reasons. When you are begging, you are giving off the energy of lack. You have to first support yourself and believe in your idea 100% in order to gain the belief of others.  You may receive recognition and fame from what you do but it should not be your sole purpose for doing it.

Remember to do what you want to do during your time on this earth. The whole point is to live YOUR life. The only person that can truly get in your way is you. Once you focus on ONLY the things you desire…your support will come storming in at full momentum. 🙂

We have all heard the saying that “There is no such thing as a perfect man.” With that being said where can a Sistah find her median in this arena of dating? Where is that guy who keeps a junky room, drinks out the juice carton, still has a job, car, and an education? He may have his own apartment or be sharing with a roommate. Where is that guy who didn’t go to college but still values education and went to Trade school instead? I suppose my concern is knowing the set of expectations ladies should expect from a guy before she sets off the “standard-o-meter”. With that thought in question it is equally important to realize that many black men feel that black women have standards that are too high.
In an interview with Slim Thug posted on Vibe.com back in 2010, Slim Thug stated that, “Most single Black women feel like they don’t want to settle for less. Their standards are too high right now. They have to understand that successful Black men are kind of extinct. We’re important. It’s hard to find us so Black women have to bow down and let it be known that they gotta start working hard; they gotta start cooking and being down for they man more. They can’t just be running around with their head up in the air and passing all of us.I have a brother that dates a White woman and he always be f***ing with me about it saying, “Y’all gotta go through all that sh** [but] my White woman is fine. She don’t give me no problems, she do whatever I say and y’all gotta do all that arguing and fighting and worry about all this other sh**”

In my opinion I believe that a woman should never hold a man to a set of standards that she cannot and will not ever attempt to reach. For instance it may not be fair that a woman refuses to date a guy without kids when she has a soccer team at home, or perhaps a woman refusing to date a guy without a car when she has been catching the bus her entire life. Lastly, a woman that preaches she doesn’t date broke men or men without a job when she herself is a welfare queen whom has only held a summer job at McDonalds once in her life. Moreover, there is only so much that a woman can put up with when she is in the process of building herself. Because a potential partner who hasn’t been developing themselves educationally, economically, and emotionally can be a mental and physical strain. Given these points one must ask what are a fair set of expectations that a woman should look for in a man while also avoiding the title of a woman whose standards are too high?