Bigger picture 🌸

If you review all posts on the blog, you'll notice that there was a strong pattern of : Finding your purpose, appreciating life, being kind. Never did it come to me that all these things were really what this situation was teaching me. I wish persons would really understand that the culture of being selfish, petty, fussy and materialistic are all things that make absolutely no sense and will never matter. Instead of making the situation get the best of me, I loved life harder. I loved my loved ones harder. I learned to say "thank you" more. I learned say, "good job, I'm so proud of you". I learned to express more about the things that I was thankful for, because those are the things that persons will always remember. For this reason, I will have to leave many persons in 2016, because I will not be tolerant of ungrateful, unappreciative, draining and meaningless friendships. 

The last time I saw my step dad, I was afraid that it would be the last time and so I worked tirelessly to meet his needs. I humbled myself if I had to and I had to be selfless even if it meant that I was being called out of my deep sleep. Even if it meant going on my knees to wash his feet because he wasn't able to. Even if it meant preparing his meals when I didn't feel like. 

We tend to be disrespectful and ungrateful to others because we believe that they will always be there. One way or another, life will humble you. 

Don't make a big deal out of nothing. This life is way too short to worried about what persons say out of their own insecurities. There is always something positive out of every situation and if you step back and be calm, you will see it. I definitely won't be hoarding any grudge and malice in my heart to take to my grave. I love this life and I continue to see the bigger picture and live each day accordingly. I hope you'll do the same. 

Have an amazing 2017 💕 and be blessed ✌🏽️

What's your Brand?

"Let excellence become your brand. When you are excellent, you become unforgettable. Doing the right thing, even when nobody knows you're doing the right thing, will always bring the right thing to you."-Oprah Winfrey.

I have never sat and thought about my brand as a person. I usually just do what I do and let things be. However, whether or not we have ever wondered what our brand is, our lives speak volumes to others and what we do, represents us. When I think of "brand", it somehow reminds me of how much I think that "going above and beyond" is my partners brand. I'm always so fascinated by how much he's able to give a hundred and ten percent to whatever he does, even if it means that he ends up being tired, drained and down-right exhausted. He is self-less and to me, that has always been his brand. I sometimes wish I was as self-less as he was, because he barely ever takes into consideration if the other person will ever be able exchange some act of kindness.

I honestly have no idea what I am known for, and sometimes I question my purpose, but whatever it is, I aspire to fulfill as much as I can and leave nothing unfinished. I never hope to attach negative things to my brand. Therefore, I will not brand myself with being selfish, hateful, idle, disreputable or disrespectful. I will do things from my heart, not expecting anything in return, or expecting to be publicly praised. In a sense, your brand has a lot to do with your talents and gifts that God has implanted in you. This then means that your brand is never about you, but it is about others and what you're able to do for them. Are you a brand all by yourself? Or do others determine your brand? There are so many things to take into consideration, especially as the New Year approaches. If you have never given it much thought, (like I have), it's definitely something to think about.