The POWER of FEAR

Do you know that fear is strong and powerful? Do you understand how fear can hold you hostage and disable you? Did you know that most people will never fulfill their TRUE purpose in life because of this thing called FEAR?

Well today I have chosen to not only be the most transparent BUT I have also chosen today...to let go of fear!

 

I'm ready to SPREAD MY WINGS AND FLY!!!

When I was about 9 months old, I fell down a flight of stairs at the babysitters house and I broke my wrist. At the time no one noticed anything wrong with me other than I had a broken wrist. So the doctors put me in a cast and sent me home.

My mother says that when I was around 1 years old she begin to notice that whenever I would get sleepy that my left eye would drift off and there would be a slight difference between my right eye and my left eye. She says that the doctors told her that it may have been caused from my accident and that because I was still fragile at the time of the fall, the muscle in the eye may have been loosened. I had my first surgery at 2 years old to try and correct it. They pulled the muscle over so that both eyes would be in alignment. Well I think that surgery only lasted for a couple of years because as my body changed, so did the muscles in my eyes. So I have spent the majority of my life having surgery after surgery to correct my eyes. BUT with changing eyesight and growing older...well you've guessed it. The last surgery I had was in 2001 and at that time I was told that there is very little muscle left in the left eye and it would only get weaker as I get older.

Interesting though, is that every time immediately following a surgery, I would have this boost of confidence. I would feel good about myself. I would feel beautiful. BUT as the years would roll by and the muscle would once again start to weaken...so would my confidence,

Due to this insecurity with myself, I have avoided direct eye contact. I have rejected speaking in front of people. I have rejected doing videos of my work. ASHAMED!!!

I have been living a disabled life!!! I have a purpose in this world. I now understand why I was born and what I was meant to do. I have been on a journey of discovery and transition. I have learned so much about myself and I have even learned to love myself...BUT...I am still crippled with this fear. 

I woke up this morning and I heard GOD say to me...NO MORE!!! I have a purpose for you and you will not be able to fully do what I need you to do if you are still holding on this fear.

I AM letting the FEAR go today. You see not many people know that I have been hiding behind this fear because I exude a level of confidence. That confidence is real but it only goes as far as I allow it. I love myself but not because of how I look on the outside...it's because of ALL of the work I did to fix the inside of me!!!

I started this journey several years ago because my life was in shambles and I knew I needed to change. Prayer and surrounding myself around positive and like-minded people has been beneficial to my success.

It is my prayer, my hope, and my desire...that I am able to help others in similar situations. YOU CAN LIVE A HAPPY LIFE! YOU CAN CHANGE YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES!

So here it is - MY VERY FIRST VIDEO. #ImFree

My First Video

Loving Yourself Chronicles - Step 3

So on Facebook I gave you Steps 1 and 2 to Loving Yourself (Chronicles).

Step 1 - Telling yourself daily affirmations. Such as, God does not make mistakes, therefore I am BEAUTIFUL! 

Step 2 - Setting standards for your life and those that will occupy your space. Why? Standards show that you know your worth and it MAKES others respect it. In short, allowing any and everything from others - sends a signal that you do not love, respect, or honor yourself - therefore, you don't love you!

NOW, you may be asking who am I to speak to you about loving yourself. Well, let me tell you. I once did not love myself. I pretty much hated everything about myself. My life, my body, and my energy was negative, I didn't have standards set for others to respect because I did not UNDERSTAND my worth.

I KNEW I NEEDED A CHANGE IN MY LIFE!!! And, you know who that change had to begin with - ME! 

NOW, Step 3 - Loving yourself has NOTHING to do with what's on the outside and EVERYTHING to do with what's on the inside.

Let me explain. See, how you feel about yourself is reflected through your actions, behavior, and attitude.

You project how you feel about yourself by the way you treat others, the things you say about others, the way you value your relationships, and your overall attitude and behavior.

There is a PROCESS to learning to Love Yourself. It takes reflection. You must take the time to really look at yourself and your behavior. Then, you must take the time to look at the people in your life and their behavior. Our influences affect how we feel about ourselves as well. YOU MUST BE HONEST!!! This is something just between you and your God. So be honest in your reflection. 

ONCE, you have taken the time to reflect, now it's time to ask WHY?  Why do I not love myself? Why do I treat people the way that I do? Why am I self-destructing my relationships? AND, then you must decide to change!

As I said before, check the people in your life. Negative, messy, gossipy people play a factor in how you feel about yourself. Why? Because YOU ATTRACT WHAT YOU ARE!

So begin to evaluate those in your life and decide whether they are significant in your journey to loving yourself and if not, LET THEM GO!

PRAY, PRAY, PRAY!!! Prayer changes things, If you are serious about evolving and discovering the real you then you must stay in prayer. And, you need to work at this everyday. Begin by treating others how you would like to be treated. Be respectful, be polite, be giving, be apologetic, and be kind. It's amazing how you will begin to feel. It will become a feeling that you crave - meaning you will do it more often until it becomes a part of you. And guess what, you will find yourself - loving yourself!

I did it and I know you can too!!! But you have to want it!!!

Anchor woman Fired after choosing to go Natural.

I thought this was interesting to read because it is really sad to see how many people of all backgrounds feel about our hair. What's even more sad...is that it's not even accepted by the masses within our race especially from our men. Why is this? Let's start the discussion.


http://newsone.com/2867261/rhonda-lee-weather-woman-fired-natural-hair/

It's a Natural Hair Journey

Well...it has been a while since I have posted to my Blog but I wanted to share my journey of transitioning from Relaxed/Permed hair to my Natural (God-given) hair.

This is my 3rd attempt at transitioning and right now I am at the VERY place I usually get to before I cave in and put a relaxer in my hair. This time is different, though. I am forcing myself to push through this in-between stage (where I have a significant amount of new growth and also relaxed ends). I DO NOT WANT TO DO THE BIG CHOP!!!

I have been 6 months without a relaxer and for the last 6 months I have been wearing sew-ins. This is my hair after taking out my sew-in and washing and deep conditioning my hair. OVER half of my head is new growth. Amazing!!! I slicked my hair back into a ponytail and curled my relaxed ends on rods. LOOK at those waves.

This was so exciting to me once I saw these waves because it gave me an idea of what my curl pattern might look like and it gave me the inspiration to continue pushing.

Now I know that transitioning is a rigorous process and it takes dedication and patience. I'm learning to try new techniques and I am playing around with various styles that I can wear during this process. You Tube is a great resource for transitioning hairstyle ideas.

The reason I have wanted to go natural may be deeper for me than for others. It was not just to achieve a certain look but it was a spiritual decision. In addition to my hair thinning as I age, I also appreciate the BEAUTY of OUR natural, birth-born hair. I love it in whatever texture it is in. I feel that we have become a race so caught up with mainstream America's idea of what Beauty is...that we have forgotten just how naturally BEAUTIFUL we are. Without the hair weave, makeup, and nails...our skin is glowing, our eyes carry the images of the ancestors, and our HAIR is so fascinating because of the versatility of our hair. We have been conditioned to think that our natural hair is unattractive. BUT guess what...our hair holds historical connections to our African cultures.

I saw an article on Facebook about the way Solange Knowles wore her hair for wedding last weekend. I was very upset to hear people going in on her for wearing an Afro at her wedding. First of all, it was HER wedding and she could wear her hair anyway she chose but secondly, how dare people say such things as her hair was not beautiful. How does something that naturally grows out of your head (the way GOD intended) NOT be beautiful? The bible says that Jesus' hair was like Wool...hmmmmm. GOD must have thought this texture of hair was beautiful or else he would not have given his only son THIS kind of hair.

Okay enough on the history lesson of our hair. My co-worker Adrienne Nichole Martin is a beautiful natural hair girl. She has inspired me to continue on this path and has offered her help and encouragement along the way. She has suggested products that she has used with positive results. One thing she has told me is to not run out and buy a ton of hair care products. She says that there are more cost-efficient and natural products that I can use. I explained to her that when I took the sew-in out my hair was tangled that I almost broke the comb off in my hair...LOL. She told me to mix baking soda in with my conditioner. I tried this and WOW. I was able to comb through my hair from root to end with no problem.

Check out Adrienne's beautiful NATURAL hair!!!

Adrienne Nichole has agreed to be a consultant for people that are transitioning or already natural. If you have questions that you would like her to answer please leave them in the comments section.

I hope you continue to follow me along this journey!!!

Do you Procrastinate?

Do you sometimes put off doing things today and say "I'll just do it tomorrow?" I know I have been guilty of procrastination. I think we all suffer from it from time to time but it should never be the norm with any of us. Procrastination leads to nothing being accomplished. Dreams never being fulfilled.

We all must start somewhere - why not start TODAY!!! Whatever it is you need to accomplish...start today with a few steps and tomorrow do a little more. Push yourself each day to do more toward your goals then you did yesterday.

Can you see the vision? Do you believe that you deserve it? Are you willing to put in the work for it? If you fall down...GET YO BUTT BACK UP!!! Never give up...keep pushing. Nothing worth having is ever easy to obtain...we all must work to get it and then keep what we desire.

"Procrastination will DELAY your change!!! Steve Harvey

Satisfied Customers of Traci Lynn Jewerly

Rebecca Berry and Natae Gaines are sporting their Traci Lynn Jewelry. Natae was the winner of the Blog contest and she is wearing the Cutie necklace and earring set. Rebecca is wearing the Pearlesque necklace set.

Don't they look Fabulous in their jewelry.

Look at the Cutie necklace set that the Winner of the contest chose

Natae has selected the Cutie necklace and earring set. I have ordered it and it's on its way. Isn't it beautiful. It is one of the popular jewelry pieces. Again Congratulations Natae!!!