From the South With Love!

“Don’t try to convince anyone that you’re a good person. Quit trying to win someone over who isn’t kind, but only tolerates you-you don’t need their approval. Be kind, be respectful, but you don’t have to stay… go where you are celebrated. Keep living forward and trust that the right people are there. You never need to convince anyone to love you." -Anonymous

Happy 2020! We made it another year, another decade, and another day. I am still here in Bama living my best and simple life. I am celebrating every moment and minute because sometimes we often take advantage of where we are in the journey and want to rush through the process of despair, hurt, and embarrassment. Everything that you are experiencing is preparing you to be resilient. Now, people think resilience is just being gritty, mentally tough, and Teflon Don strong. Nah. Being resilient is to understand how to recover from pain, trauma, drama, and shame. Being resilient is having the ability and confidence to learn and navigate past experiences without staying stuck and defeated. 

This year is my 3rd year living in Alabama and I am enjoying my experience thus far. I am easing my way into relationships (old and new), brought my 1st home in April 2019, learning new coping strategies, skills, hobbies, and learning how to chill. I am still battling this mysterious illness, but each day I am getting stronger, whole, and healed. I have to give many thanks to my acupuncturist who discovered that I was misdiagnosed and wasting my time taking a medication that I didn't need. 

Was I hurt? Of course, but like Diddy said, "You can't hold me down. Oh no, I got to keep on moving." Not only do I have to keep on moving, but I have some healing and restoration to do as well.  

I am thankful I found a place or the place found me where I can be loved, celebrated, and be carefree when I want to be. I understand life isn't perfect and life is what you make it out to be. Being a realist who has a clear understanding of self-awareness and a sense of self, I prefer to focus on feeling better holistically and having the ability to help others to do the same. There are some days, I am not my best. There are some days, others have to pick up my slack.

There are some days, I want to go awf (off) on folks who are miserable, mean-spirited, abusive, angry, and negative. Then I take a step back and analyze and let them know that they are "out of pocket" and "out of order." That's called setting boundaries, standing up for yourself, and being assertive. It's okay to tell a negative, abusive, negative attention seeker, manipulator, narcissists, control freak and, a destructive person that's out of order. It is okay to leave the Tic for Tac messages unread. It is okay to love yourself enough to walk away when pettiness is being served. It is okay to stand alone and be at peace within.

The blessed don't beef with the petty.

I just want to send major love, light, peace, healing, wholeness, positivity, resiliency, prosperity, and everything dope your way. This year will require you to step all the way up to be accountable, responsible, and organized. No more being tolerated, baby. This year it is all about being celebrated.