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Happy New Moon in Aquarius and Happy Lunar New Year ! Happy Happy Happy! 

Today is a real one’s birthday—the real one being my blog, The Juicy Expressions. I hold TJE so dear to my heart. What started in 2011 as a simple hobby blog, with no business plan or expectations, has grown into something much greater. In the beginning, my only goal was to express myself.

Fast forward 14 years, and this “blog thing” is still an everyday nudge in my soul—something I simply cannot ignore.

Just imagine if I had gone all in for the entire 14 years. Where would I be now?

But honestly, those questions don’t matter. What matters is that I’m locked innow! And there’s no shame in my game because, whew, chile—I have done a lot of living (and learning how to truly live in the process). I’m grateful for where I stand today, filled with knowledge and wisdom. I have no regrets about my journey because I know my work has an impact. And that is everything.

I am proud to be a conscious blogger. I am The Dopest Blogger Alive. I own The Juicy Expressions, the dopest blog out here. Let’s goooooooooo! 

My Kwanzaa Reflections 

December 26, 2024, marked the fifth Kwanzaa celebration in the McGruder household. Kwanzaa is a non-religious African American holiday celebrated for seven days, each honoring a different invaluable principle. These Seven Principles—spoken in Swahili—are:

• Umoja (Unity)
• Kujichagulia (Self-Determination)
• Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility)
• Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics)
• Nia (Purpose)
• Kuumba (Creativity)
• Imani (Faith)

Created by Dr. Maulana Karenga, Kwanzaa draws inspiration from African harvest festivals, honoring culture, community, and ancestors.

For me, Kwanzaa has always been a time of deep reflection, and this year was no different. I took this time to recognize just how blessed I am and to fully embrace the space I’m in.

And while I may not fully understand things like why or how my brother has become one of my ancestors, I do know this: this journey is bigger than me.

His spirit, his legacy, and the lessons he left behind continue to guide me in ways I never imagined. Our ancestors aren’t just figures from the distant past. They are the loved ones who shaped us, who still whisper wisdom in our ears, and whose impact lives on through us.

Embodying Faith, Expression & The Dopest Blogger Alive

This Kwanzaa, I embraced Imani (Faith) with my whole heart—faith in my journey, faith in my purpose, faith in The Juicy Expressions, and faith in my focus.

On December 26th, I made a powerful decision: I committed to going live every single day.

As I step into this new era with The Juicy Expressions, I am done playing small. This is my year of embodiment.

I started on Instagram, and now, I’m live on YouTube daily—building my stats, staying consistent, and working toward monetization. This commitment has become second nature. Now, over a month in, my mind and body instinctively remind me, Oh, it’s time to go live!

I’m proud of this dedication. This isn’t just a challenge—it’s a lifestyle shift. And I know this daily practice is only the beginning of something even greater.

Embodiment is about being. Being the thing you want. Feeling the energy of it. Aligning with it. By showing up live every day, I’m pushing past my comfort zone and fully stepping into daily expression.

I’m no longer just claiming the title of The Dopest Blogger Alive, (owner of The Juicy Expressions) —I’m living it. So get used to hearing my voice and seeing my face  every single day.

If you’ve been rocking with me, stay tuned. And if you’re new here—welcome to The Juicy Expressions!

Vlogzaa is LIVE! 

If you haven’t already, go watch, like, comment, and subscribe to my Vlogzaa series—now live on my YouTube channel!

Vlogzaa is where I documented all seven days of Kwanzaa, sharing my reflections, celebrations, and the deeper meaning behind each principle. This series is straight from the heart, and I can’t wait for you to experience it with me.

The Juicy Experiment: Momentum & Key Ingredient

The Juicy Experiment is picking up momentum in my life, and with it, my clarity has deepened. The beauty of this experiment is that you literally can’t get it wrong—because no matter what, you’ll come out as a better version of yourself.

Here are the key ingredients to making The Juicy Experiment work:
✅ Feeling good
✅ Locking in for one hour a day
✅ Releasing the “when” and “how” of outcomes

That last one is major. If you miss a day—so what? We are releasing guilt in this creation process. The energy you use to create is embedded in the final result. Just like baking—if you use salt instead of sugar, you’ll get salty cookies. The same goes for your journey. You want the right ingredients.

And the biggest ingredient? Enjoying life. That’s the whole purpose of The Juicy Experiment—to truly enjoy the present while evolving into your highest self. Putting pressure on yourself is counterproductive. If you miss a day, just pick it back up the next.

I’ve been getting so many questions about The Juicy Experiment, so I’ll likely share more updates and insights soon. Stay tuned!

Last But Not Least—Thank You!

Thank you for supporting me and The Juicy Expressions.

Over the years, I’ve encountered so much love from people all over the world. From St. Louis, MO (my hometown) to Jackson, MS (my college home), to Illinois and beyond—this blog has reached places I never imagined, both physically and across the internet.

I appreciate every like, share, comment, and word of encouragement. Your support means everything.

And trust me—it’s only up from here, believers! Keep believing in yourself. Keep it juicy.

See you in the next blog post! ✨

Love Always, 

In the now, I release all judgment. Judgment that is cast upon me from others and judgment that I have cast upon myself. I am no longer there because I am here in the now. In the now I am safe. 

The affirmations above are how I began typing this blog post at 4:00 am on December 19, 2020. A few hours before, I was feeling very triggered. The deep part is, it was only me triggering myself. In the past, I have been around energies that no longer served me resulting in me feeling very triggered. But this time there is nothing or no one that my ego can choose to blame for this incident. 

By now I know and you should know, that we hold all the answers to our problems that we create. I’m choosing my words very wisely because it is what it is. We create our own problems because there are no problems when we are in the receptive mode of God. Although we know this, we often find ourselves in the same position because we don’t take the time to master what we are already aware of. Ok, that was a quick READ for you! And if it doesn’t apply to you, all is well; I am talking to myself in the now. 

Why did I not apply the knowledge that I know to be true when I was in the field being triggered? Why am I still being social when God commanded me to be STILL???? These are not questions of judgment but more so, questions of growth. In order to grow, we must take action.

The action that we take should be action inspired directly from God, instead of action on autopilot from our triggers. -The Dopest Blogger Alive

Now that I have accessed the power of now everything is clear. When feeling triggered I can choose to take it all the way back to the basics. Back to the knowledge that I learned in the beginning stages of my spirituality. I can make a mental list of easy things for me to remember to rise above my triggers. When triggered, many of us forget and/or abandon all of the deep God-like knowledge that we possess. We must accept and remember that we are ALWAYS AND FOREVER CONNECTED TO SOURCE.

Many of us are being shown how important it is to learn how to balance our energy. Many have been triggered without knowing how to move through or after that energy. Here is my mental checklist created to assist me in rising above my personal triggers. May this list, assist you along with your personal list that I inspire you to create for yourself. 

1. Talk to God Out Loud

With this exercise, I encourage you to be bold and execute this step no matter where you are or who’s around you. It’s as simple as this, would you rather stay fucked up from your triggers because you are defensive about spectators around you while you’re having a real moment? Or you travel your thoughts to the future, being too scared of being seen talking to your creator because you know you will be embarrassed after your triggers pass. If you would do any one of the scenarios above, choosing not to fully execute this step because of the said reasons, you shouldn’t judge yourself. However, you should challenge yourself towards growth because you do have the option to be deeply rooted in the now by releasing energy that no longer serves you directly to God. 

Now of course, if you are able to do this step simply in your head that’s amazing but if you are triggered to the point where you know you need to get out of your head, talking directly to God out loud will definitely ground you in the now.  

Some examples of things you could say to God are: “God I am thankful for the message in the now”; “God can you please guide my breathing and movement in the now?” “God right now I may not be in alignment in this exact moment but I know that you can easily guide me back there because I am directly connected to you”.

Some examples of things you can say to yourself (the God within) are “I am safe” ; “Right now all is well”; “I am divinely connected and protected”. “Everything is working out for my highest good”. “I am alive and I am breathing”. “The past is over and I am fully present in the moment.”

What are some other things that can be said to God in the heat of being triggered?

2. Basic Breathing/Imagining 

Closing your eyes breathing in and out feeling your breath run down from your chest to your toes. While slowly breathing in and out it is beneficial to imagine yourself being and feeling safe. You can use the latest memory of you being safe or you can create a new safe vision on the spot. I really vibe with this step because imagination is the key to moving mountains. Imagination is a part of active faith. If you imagine yourself to safety God will guide your steps directly there. 

3. Stretching

When you are feeling triggered it is a good idea to get the body moving in a natural flow. You should start by doing whatever feels good to you in the now. Stretch without deep thought. Some examples of stretches you can do are, holding your arms straight out like an airplane for 10-15 seconds while taking deep breaths. Another good one is to roll your neck slowly clockwise and then counterclockwise. If you are someone who has implemented daily exercise and yoga into your life then your natural stretches may be more in-depth. However, there is no right or wrong here. If you can remember to stretch this will likely distract your mind from thinking about or feeling the emotion that triggered you. 

4. Silence

At this point in my spiritual journey, I recognize that Silence is a privilege. It’s a most wanted privilege for me.  I could never get enough of silencing my thoughts or being still, deciphering which thoughts are mine deriving from source or which ones belong to the ego. Sometimes when you are triggered you may be so riled up that you are having a hard time reaching the privilege of silence. Your thoughts are so loud or your body is so out of alignment that being silent may be more harmful to you than good. My advice is to go the ease route. If you can turn off everything and sit in silence, or distance yourself from the crowd to just be, it is recommended. This is honestly a step that I desire to master. I desire the ability to stop all thoughts on my immediate command. Whew, that just gave me chills. This is my new affirmation! I have the ability to access silence whenever I want to. I can hear God clearly. I am able to stop thinking when I feel like it. 

Triggers pop up here and there when you are on your journey. Don’t be stuck in them, instead prepare yourself by practicing how to overcome them in the now!

What does growth after being triggered look like? It looks like not judging or blaming anything or anyone for the isolated incidents. It feels like being receptive to the message that God wants you to receive about being triggered. When you are standing in your triggers it may feel as if you are stuck and you won’t reach the point of growth but that is not true. 

When feeling triggered it may be helpful to shut the mind down instead of going to deeper depths, unlocking the root causes of what triggered you. Now, this all depends on how deeply you are triggered. This information is for those who experience triggers and your only goal is to come back to the now. 

For me,  following the thought or emotion that initially triggered me is not helpful at all. I know logically when you read this statement you may feel that it is a DUH statement. However, remember when you are truly triggered without mastery of getting yourself out of it, you may forget this and go down a rabbit hole of your thoughts. 

“Wisdom is avoiding all thoughts that weaken you”-Wayne Dyer

I love you all. I hope that this D.O.P.E. post helps you rise above your triggers and take you to a place where you can healthily grow from them. 

Love Always,

KvTheWriter is a St.Louis artist on the rise with an artistic expression that creates an automatic buzz every time she drops new art. From writing poetry and raps since a child, KV is no stranger to expression. She first appeared on The Juicy Expressions very own “We Hustle Cypher” as a poet before she was an actual artist. KV uses her music to help her heal through trauma from losing both her dad and brother to gun violence in St.Louis.

I sat down with KvTheWriter to discuss her new album “Unplugged” in detail. Check out the interview below and support her journey. There are many ways to support this independent artist. Kv is a published author so you can purchase her poem book “Of Magic and Madness“. You can also go to KVTHEWRITER.COM to purchase Unplugged directly.

My favorite track on this album is “Stormy Waters” because it discusses dealing with uncertainty through troubled times. That’s something that many of us can relate to. Watch the interview below and comment your favorite track on the album.

@thedopestbloggeralive @Kvthewriter

Drake & Future tape, “What A Time To Be Alive”, has the Hip Hop scene Boomin’. Some people feel like it could have been better. Others feel that this project is mirroring Jay and Kanye’s “Watch The Throne”  or Birdman and Wayne’s “Like Father Like Son” album. Personally, it seems like in order to make quality music for the fans, you have to collaborate with other artists just to make a classic tape. Each artist can stand on their own without question but does that cause a debate on who is the better artist when they collab? It is similar to the NBA with all these outrageous trades. Prime example, Lebron left for Miami and got two rings with D. Wade and Chris Bosh. He then went back to Cleveland and put up numbers but then lost overall. Can Future or Drake get to the top with and without each other? Both are hot, but numbers don’t lie.