#BeSureSundays-Others' Success

It's Sunday! Hopefully this has become one of your new favorite days because of #BeSureSundays ! I was home for Thanksgiving so I decided to rummage through my collection of recorded shows I saved before moving. I cuddled under the covers and watched Oprah Prime- Kevin Hart. I love learning about individual's journeys. I NEVER know the latest news in pop culture or any facts about celebrities. So I will invest time into learning about certain stars I admire. After hearing about a person's humble beginnings, I always gain a new found respect for them.

Of course I've seen Kevin Hart in action from his humor on social media, stand-up shows, and movies. Talk about a man on his grind! One time I went to see a movie starring Kevin Hart and he was also in three of the movies that I saw in the previews! How is that even possible? Then in his interview with Oprah he told her that he frequently schedules about three days to return to his family. Balance is key! He's making all these moves and still keeps his children a main priority. I commend him!

During the interview I learned about his mother's cancer, father's drug addiction, shoes salesmanship, introduction to comedy, how important reading The Bible is, and how he keeps his children grounded. There are so many quotes I could have pulled between his and Oprah's advice but one automatically resonated with me: "My drive is other people's success."

Kevin said this when Oprah asked him what sets him apart from other comedians who have talent but failed at becoming as large as he is. Frequently we hear people say: don't focus on other people, worry about yourself, stop comparing yourselves to others, don't compare your beginning to someone else's middle.....and the list goes onnnnn and onnnnn and onnnnnn.

I believe these sayings and feel they each have their own value to prevent us from being jealous of others' talents. However, Kevin Hart's mindset places a twist on it. He thinks we should study people who are greater than us in order to learn from their mistakes and accomplishments. Place all your self doubt to the side and start building your empire! There is an abundance of knowledge to be learned from dissecting others' success and if we want to be great we better get on it!

#BeSureSundays- Gratitude

As you have read in my previous post, gratitude is HUGE to me! Since Thanksgiving is coming up, I thought it would be perfect to touch on the subject again for our #BeSureSundays. Sunday nights are the perfect time to reflect on what you are thankful for to get you on a positive path for the week ahead. I am grateful tonight for my two friends Dani and Alaysia who were my first posts for my social media campaign #BeSureSundays. Blogging is rough when you feel like nobody is reading. But when you make a hashtag and actually see posts in it besides your own, it is the best feeling ever!

Secondly, I am thankful for Mr. Fearless who has helped me come up with quotes for #BeSureSundays, choose photos, and the design! He truly is my biggest supporter <3

Great American Smokeout

The third Thursday in November has been deemed, the "Great American Smokeout" by The American Cancer Society. It is nationally recognized as a day to encourage smokers to make a plan to quit, or to plan in advance and quit smoking that day. 

So today at George Mason University we celebrated it with a great three hour program targeting both smokers and non-smokers. I was lucky enough to help with planning and executing the event. We had stations with different activities that allowed participants to learn about the stages of quitting and tips on how to help a love one quit. 

When people discuss the harm caused by cigarettes, they usually focus on the connection between smoking and cancer. However, there are a list of other detrimental side effects that smoking cigarettes can lead to.  Did you know smoking could cause blindness? Yup, you read that correctly blindness! This includes cataracts, age related macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and dry eye syndrome.

The most fulfilling part of the event was receiving the chance to interact with smokers. One guy quit three days ago and said he doesn't know how long he can go smoke free because he always feels the need to have something in his mouth. He has been a smoker for two years and has tried to quit in the past but wasn't able to last long. Luckily, we were prepared with some resourceful quit kits including silly putty, lollipops, tea, sudoku, and gum. I told him every time he thinks about smoking, go to his quit kit and reminisce on our conversation because my team is rooting for him to refrain from smoking.

If you are a smoker, I challenge you to not smoke for at least 24 hours.

If you aren't a smoker, I challenge you to be supportive of the smokers in your life, unless you used to smoke you have no idea how strong their addiction is. So just show them that you care about their health and are willing to stand by them every step of the way if they are ready to quit.

How would you approach someone to ask them to stop smoking?

Have you ever tried to convince a loved one to quit smoking?

#BeSureSundays- Be Bold

With winter weather basically here, we tend to only see the naked branches and overcast. I chose this photo that I took over the summer of this bed of flowers, to remind us of all the beauty we can find in nature.

For this installment of #BeSureSundays, our message for the week is to BE BOLD! This time of the year is stressful for students like myself finishing up final projects and in general for individuals trying to finish the year strong.

Don't let this cold weather suck the life out of us, wear some bold colors, speak up when you feel the urge, and do something daring! Use the hashtag #BeSureSundays to post pictures or tweets about what you are doing today to be sure of yourself, and prepare to conquer the week ahead!

Introducing #BeSureSundays

Sundays nights can be rough! It is the most hated day of the weekend. You can't sleep in late because of errands/church and you can't stay up all night because of work/school. So yeah Sundays are mood killers and a reality slap telling you that soon you'll be waking up to Monday Morning Blues (unless it is a long weekend which we love). But what if we changed our attitudes towards Sunday nights and Monday mornings? On Sundays relax & unwind- catch up on your favorite shows, read a book, drink some wine, take a bath surrounded by candles, read Don't Die Afraid, watch football, cook a hearty meal, go horse back riding, exercise....really do anything that brings you happiness. If your Sunday is spent focusing on joy then you will be ready to conquer all the shenanigans you might face that week.

A lot of this anxiety about the weekend being over comes from us not being sure of ourselves. We aren't sure we can deal with the bullcrap we might endure for the week. BUT WE CAN! WE CAN DO IT ALL because we aren't dying afraid, we are a fearless family!

So with that mindset, I came up with the idea of #BeSureSundays. On Sundays, let's focus on seizing the last ounce of the weekend by doing things that makes us smile. Use the hashtag #BeSureSundays to post pictures or tweets about what you are doing that Sunday to be fulfilled, sure of yourself, and ready to conquer the week ahead! I'll also post an inspirational quote, that will be used to get us through the week.

As for Monday mornings, let's remember to be grateful for another day of life.

What do you do on Sundays to prepare for the week?

What is your favorite day of the week?

With Gratitude

So I realized I get bothered by certain people. However, it isn't just any type of person...so don't go writing me off as being hostile towards the world. It takes a particular individual to make me mad. Want to guess what type of person it is? If you said "an ungrateful person" then DING, DING, DING you are correct! I was raised by my Nana who was 72 when I was born. So yes I know you females out there are saying, "I need to have my first child by 30!" Well imagine being 72 and having one. Exactly! It wasn't the easiest task especially with a husband who previously had a stroke and was paralyzed on one side. Yes, I know my Nana is amazing! 

I was secretly jealous of my classmates who were being raised by their parents. I always longed for family road trips, having my dad intimidate any guy who came to the house, cooking in the kitchen with my mom, and yelling at annoying siblings. You know, that whole idealistic "nuclear family" that we all have seen in popular TV shows. My Nana has always instilled in me gratitude because despite all the obstacles we had, God made a way for us. Over time I became more thankful to have her as a caregiver because who knows where I would have ended up.

Years later I continue to have a spirit of gratitude. I try my best to express to others how much I appreciate them. I always keep some stacks of thank you cards so whenever the moment arises I can send it to someone who has been a blessing to me. These Green Inspired cards below are exclusively sold at Target. I love the detailing on the envelope, the front design, and that it is green inspired (chlorine free and use soy ink). It doesn't get any better than that!

I read an article years ago about how people who exhibit appreciation for the little things in life are happier. I am a living testament that it's true! Don't get me wrong, I have my days of sulking and saying...."Ughhh not another problem...why me?...*insert other complaints here*.." But my new attitude has become, "Why focus on the negative and crap you can't change? All it does is create negative energy and nobody has time for that!Every night I exercise gratitude by writing on a post-it what I am thankful for that day. I just throw them in this tin can and in a year I plan on opening them and reliving all those happy moments. I suggest this activity for you if you feel stressed or find it hard to see the silver lining in life. It forces you to think about the highlight of your day, which can be really encouraging after a rough day. These notes can be some of the simplest like, "I'm grateful for the stranger I saw on the train who smiled back at me." Try it out for a month and let me know how it impacts your life!

What activities do you practice to stay positive?

Who taught you gratitude?

The Limited 'Scandal' Collection

Where are my gladiator fashionistas? Oh yeah!!!

So how many of you were excited when you found out that The Limited Scandal Collection was coming out? Then you saw prices starting at $49 and thought, "Not bad, I can do that." You went to sleep Monday night dreaming of all the pieces you can buy to foster your inner Olivia Pope. Then you woke up eagerly on the morning of the 23rd, went to The Limited's website just to be heartbroken because your favorite pieces are out of your price range.

Maybe I was naive for thinking it would be affordable knowing it was coming from The Limited. Literally, "The limited people who can afford this store." I had hope though because I've purchased a couple of items from there before, with these cool scratch of discount cards I was handed when I walked in the store. Am I the only gladiator on a budget? I definitely looked at those prices like, "Que?"

Yes I have a job and a ton of money in my savings account but I also know what a smart purchase is and what isn't. Buying something from this collection definitely doesn't fall under smart. I'm a grad student living in my own apartment for the first time. (That should spell out S-T-R-U-G-G-L-E for you.)

Don't jump through the screen because of the comments that are about to follow but it is what it is. I'm not really blown away by anything in the collection.  Don't get me wrong, I would totally wear all of the outerwear if I was rich (or if Mr. Fearless bought it for me as a gift) but honestly, the majority of these looks could be recreated with cheaper clothing. We all believed these outfits would help us channel our inner Liv so we could be totally bad-ass! However, I am starting to believe that what us Olivia Pope inspired women needed was some fashion lessons from Kerry and her styling team so we can dress in a sophisticated manner but on our own budget.

"Sorry I'm not sorry." Now is when you throw rotten tomatoes at me, tell me I am crazy for criticizing the collection, and threaten to expel me from the Gladiator Society. But before you do that, check out my new friends on Twitter who empathize with me.

Although, I will never be able to admire these capes as they hang in my closet I must give Ms. Kerry Washington and Ms. Shonda Rhimes props for having such an impactful show that inspired a clothing line. Kerry also took over InStyle as the guest editor so my girl is just killing it right now! She is also an ambassador for Allstate Foundation’s Purple Purse Program, bringing awareness to domestic violence against women which is a topic I am passionate about but it doesn't get enough attention. Kerry designed a trendy purple purse to raise money to supply women with the tools they need to escape abusive relationships.

Instead of spending money on her new Scandal clothing line, I'm going to donate to the Purple Purse and you can too!

September 11th Salute

My blog focuses on individuals who aren't dying afraid. They pursue their passions without hesitations. Doing this can be an uncomfortable and scary process because you aren't guaranteed to ANYTHING and don't know 100% where your journey will take you.

On September 11, 2001 individuals were faced  with what was most likely the scariest situation they have ever experienced. These ordinary civilians just at work or walking around the city did not die afraid. Yes they were probably scared because they didn't know what the outcome would be but they were also thinking about their loved ones and trying to help each other escape and to be so selfless at a time when their lives were in jeopardy is FEARLESS. 

The story above is just one example out of hundreds of fearless acts that occurred that day.

I salute all those lost as a result of September 11th and send prayers of comfort to their families.

Natural Hair Brunch Affair

Where are all my beautiful, strong, and empowered naturalistas? If you raised your hand then you need to join me in Conneticut for the Natural Hair Brunch Affair.  The sisters of Natural Hair Does Care and Casandra of Food Before Love have paired up again to bring us naturalistas good food, laughs, positive energy, and curls galore.

Oops I forgot to mention the unlimited mimosas! Below are some photos to get your mouth watering from the last Natural Hair Brunch Affair in DC.

The event is only $45 and will be heading to Atlanta next, so tri-state area you don't want to miss this! It's my first natural hair brunch so I'm really excited. I already have my outfit ready and now I'm working on which hairstyle I can perfect for the event because we all know deep down we will experience hair envy haha. It's like friendly competition on who has the most defined twist out!

I'd love to meet all you curly ladies so we can take cute pictures, eat, and leave with cool goodie bags. You can purchase your ticket by visiting www.FoodBeforeLove.com and I can't wait to see you!