His Favor

If you follow me on Instagram you know that a little while ago I was honored twice in one month. My response was, "Y'all want to honor little ol' me?"...I was truly humbled. I didn't get to share it here on DDA because I was going through some struggles. But anyway back to the point, my first honor was being featured on PopCulturez.com. It all started when I connected with the talented Anny Jules on Instagram. If you don't know who she is, you better do your research. Anny is a singer, actress, writer, and public relations guru. 

After connecting she told me that she would like to interview me for PopCulturez Q&A Fridays (Go check it out!). It was my first feature so I was ecstatic for this achievement! Anny and I hit it off so well, bonding over being New Yorkers, new bloggers, and the daily hustle of fearlessly making our dreams come true. It was a pleasure working with her and we have more collaborations planned for the future (one coming up August 15th Yay!!!). 

A few weeks later, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc., The Mu Omega Chapter asked me to give a presentation on self-esteem during their "Black Girls RHOck" event. I am a natural when it comes to public speaking and it is one thing I absolutely love. I dream of giving inspirational speeches in front of thousands of people one day. For some people my dream would be their nightmare because the fear of public speaking, glossophobia is one of the top fears in the world.

The very thing that makes my eyes twinkle, my heart beat faster, and my smile shine its brightest, gives others anxiety beyond control. Don't get me wrong, I get nervous before all my presentations but those nerves feed into my energy and increase the quality of my performance. It's a huge turn on.

The room was filled with young ladies who were making the best out of their present and passionate about their futures. You could feel the good vibes flowing. Several black girls who rock from George Mason University's community were honored for their hard work and I was one of them. It caught me by surprise because I was under the impression that I was just there to do my presentation and enjoy the evening but when my name was called, I truly felt like I had won a Nobel Peace Prize. My certificate meant the world to me because even though I am so early in my journey for Don't Die Afraid, there are people who want to celebrate it. It is due to His favor (God if y'all are confused) and my heart is filled with gratitude. 

Do you love or hate public speaking? Have your talents been recognized in the past couple of months? Please share below in the comments. Thanks for reading!

#BeSureSundays: Winds of Change

If you like dealing with change, raise your hand!*keeps hands in lap* Change has always been intimidating to me. Consistency is comfortable; I know what to expect, I can prepare for obstacles ahead of time, and I am mentally content. Change doesn't allow for any of the previously mentioned perks. However, change is inevitable so it doesn't matter if we like it or not...it's going to happen so we just have to accept it.

Within the past two years, I have experienced major changes in relationships, career paths, housing, finances, health status, and family dynamics. In the past, I've frequently viewed change as negative. I found this wall decal almost two years ago that supplied me with comfort and encouraged me to embrace change.

Two years later, after trying to apply this quote to my life- I can finally say, I truly believe it. When I quit my FULL TIME (paid vacation, benefits, free lunch, beer & pizza on Fridays, health insurance) job to pursue my masters, I was nervous TERRIFIED. However, this past year has been one of the best years of my life, I have found my true direction.

The next time a change is thrown at you, I encourage you to fearlessly go with the wind so you can uncover your unexpected treasures.

How do you handle change? What is the most recent change in life that you had to deal with?

#BeSureSundays- Snooze Button

So today Mr. Fearless and I went to church and the sermon was about Advent being the start of the Christmas season. This period was compared to a wake up call because it is the time to prepare for the coming of Christ-- salvation, hope, and the gift that comes from improving ourselves. The difference between an alarm clock and a spiritual wake up call, is that we can easily hit the snooze button on an alarm clock but a wake up call is inevitable. Most of the time we can envision our dreams, but we fear taking the next step to actually making them real. Fear of failure, not making enough money, not having enough followers, and not wanting to venture into the land of unknown possibilities...

So this week's #BeSureSundays message is to stop pressing that snooze button of fear. 2015 is coming and we need to be ready and sure of ourselves. Get up and do the damn thang! Achieve that greatness, Don't Die Afraid!