Happy Self-Love Sunday!
I hope you all had a fantastic week. And I hope that this new week will bring you endless blessings. This week was pretty hectic for me. I had to write a draft of my honor’s capstone for graduation, host an event, take my graduation pictures, and complete a multitude of other assignments and obligations. So, I am beyond happy that today is Sunday and that I was able to complete everything I needed to. I wanted to write this blog for you all last Sunday, but my workload was through the roof. It’s here, better late than never, so I hope you all enjoy.

Sometimes, the biggest obstacle standing in your way is the person you see when you look in the mirror, yourself. We allow fear, doubt, and a variety of other emotions to overcome ourselves and cloud our judgement. We allow the thought of being uncomfortable to hold us into a place of comfort. No matter what, we can not hold ourselves back. We can not be afraid to evolve and become even better versions of ourselves. We must have faith. We must believe in who we are. We must find our voice. You must find your voice.

 

Finding my voice did not happen over night. It took some time. You know how we post pictures on Instagram talking about our “Glo Up?” Well, finding my voice came with my Glo Up. Over time, we all mature and grow into ourselves, physically, mentally, emotionally, etc. As I have grown and continue to grow over the years, I am embracing who I am. I have a passion for helping others and writing. I loveeee to write. Being able to take the leap of faith to start this blog was a huge step to finding my voice. Being able to communicate how I feel on a platform such as this is truly monumental for me. Writing, in a manner that inspires, empowers, and motivates, is my voice. I always say, “Thank God for growth.” And I truly mean those words. Without growth, I would not be the young woman who I am continuously developing into today. Growth is not pretty, not at all. It can include some blood, sweat, and LOTS of tears. But growth is necessary and essential to ALL life. We can’t be children forever. Without growth, we would all stay the same, stagnant. And how can you move forward when you walk the same path, the same way everyday?

Sometimes you have to be uncomfortable to become comfortable. Contrary to what everyone believes, I am so shy. Yes, I love meeting and interacting with new people. However, I have all these ideas in my head of what I want to say or how I want to interact, but can never get the guts to do so. I literally think so hard about my words and movements before I complete them sometimes. So, I’ve had to constantly challenge myself to step outside of my comfort zone and find my voice. I speak to strangers with a simple, “Hey, how are you?” When I see people looking lonely and uncomfortable, I approach them and spark a quick conversation. These short conversations allow me to practice speaking to others and getting to know people. So, that’s why it may seem as if I am not shy. But it is a constant, effort-driven process. I speak in front of crowds at various events, something that makes my heart pound every time I do so, something that also makes me very uncomfortable. However, the more and more I speak, the more comfort I gain with doing so, the more I look forward to speaking and sharing what I have to say. Before, you would have never caught me participating in an open dialogue, but now I take pride in speaking and I want to be heard. What is something you hope to overcome, but the fear of being uncomfortable has stopped you from doing so?

Finding your voice looks different for everyone. Finding your voice doesn’t mean you have to be the loudest person in the room. It doesn’t mean you have to say a thing out loud. Finding your voice is your outlet of expressing yourself. It’s how you communicate with the world and how you demand to be heard. It can be through speaking, writing, dance, visual media, and so much more. Allow your passions to become your voice.  You will never who you can and will impact. Never be silenced, not by any person or thing and especially not by yourself. Even if you don’t believe so, your voice matters. How you feel matters. Embrace being uncomfortable for a little so you learn to be comfortable with who you are. Allow yourself to continuously “Glo Up.”

Today, I challenge you to find your voice. It isn’t an instantaneous process, but make an attempt. The fruits of your labor will be worthwhile. Think about what inspires you and the things you’re passionate about. Channel these things to think of how you can share your voice with your world. When I started my blog, I wanted to complete a dream I’ve always had. I didn’t know so many people would support me or even be positively impacted by my words enough to share with me. So, imagine what you yourself could do. Stop putting your own self down. Always remember that you matter, even when you begin to doubt yourself. Believe in yourself. Find your voice and let yourself be heard.

Happy Self-Love Sunday!
This is my first blog for the month of March and March is women’s history month.  Be sure to take time to appreciate the women in your life. And ladies, take time to appreciate yourselves! We are bold, we are trailblazers, and we are powerful beyond measure because we are women. This is our month, so celebrate how you see fit.

We are all powerful beyond, men and women alike. However, there’s a tiny voice in our heads that fill us with feelings of doubt. Sometimes, these feelings arise due to comparisons. We live in a day and age where it can become so easy to compare our lives to the lives of others. Often times, we subconsciously make comparisons of ourselves and don’t even realize this. Yet, we fail to realize that all that glitters isn’t always gold.

Why compare? Like I previously mentioned, sometimes comparison is a subconscious thing. No one wakes up saying, “I am going to compare myself to my best friend (or whoever) today.” Well, I hope that isn’t the case. When things aren’t going right or when it seems as if everything that could go wrong has, that’s when the spirit of comparison creeps its way into our lives. We start looking at other people’s lives and wonder “why do they have it so easy? He/she has it all and I’m stuck here…” And the list of comparisons goes on and on. Social media is a humongous enabler of comparisons. Social media is designed for people to interact with one another by means of sharing updates on their lives. But often times, people use social media to highlight the good things in their lives. You’re more likely going to see someone posting themselves on a vacation, rather than someone posting a failed grade. However, some people utilize social media to share their story in order to uplift others. They share the good and the bad. They don’t share so people can compare their lives or to give people the notion that if they imitate what they are saying then their life will be successful. They share these stories in order to convey that you are not alone. Nobody’s living their best life 24 hours, 7 days a week, and if they are, please point me to them!

We have to realize that we all are called to differently. Meaning that we all have different backgrounds, passions, lifestyles, etc. Every book does not look the same, nor does every book have the same story. So, why can’t we think of ourselves like books? Why can’t be unique and prosper in our way? Referencing back to social media, just because people post the happy moments of their lives does not mean that they are without trials and tribulations. We can never imagine what people had to endure in order to get to that happy moment in time that they captured and felt inclined to share. So, why compare yourself to what you see on social media when you aren’t aware of the full story? Just because it seems as if an individual has it made, does not mean that it doesn’t. And please keep in mind that I am not saying you can not be inspired by others, I am inspired by so many people. But there is a clear difference between inspiration and comparison.

We have to realize that we all unique and powerful in our own way. We all have our own stories. Just because you aren’t where you want to be right now, does not mean it won’t happen.  I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. What is meant for you will always be for you and there will never be any confusion OR need for comparison. Your friend may be living their best life right now, but who says you aren’t about to live your best life, too? Be yourself, because God created YOU. He didn’t create you to imitate or be a copy of anyone else. We are all unique and while we may share similarities or commonalities, our equations are not compatible in order to be compared. The answer to that equation will never exist.
“Your story is unique and so different, it is not worthy of comparison.”

Today, I challenge you to remember these words: no comparison. When you began to idolize over your friends, celebrities, or even strangers, remember you can’t compare. You are you and not those other people. There’s nothing wrong with being happy for them or using them as inspiration. But remember, great things can and will happen to you, too. Sometimes, you just have to be patient and listen to a calling higher than yourself. Remember, there is no need to compare when there is no comparison.