How to stay in your zone

                 " Enjoy the moment for it will be gone in an instant." ~Andrea Anderson

     Do you ever feel like you need balance in your life? If you’re anything like the average working person, work can be crazy nonstop drama at times. It seems like you see the people at work more than you see your family and the weekends fly by like sweet dreams that never last. With all this being said it can be a headache to get ready for the same old ritual every week. The routine of getting up, wearing the same clothes that you washed over and over again, seeing the same people and smiling at strangers like everything is great  because it’s your job. Real life in the corporate world is not all sunshine and daisies. Sometimes you just want to say Stop!!! Of course the world doesn’t stop because no one’s listening.  So how can we balance our lives with all this going on?  Here are some tips that's helped me along my journey.

·         Wake up and try to do a 5 to 10 minute exercise. This moves your body from the stiffness of sleeping all night. Yoga is perfect for this as well.

·         Eat a well balanced breakfast to get your metabolism going for the day. You could eat an apple, a piece of toast and a scrambled egg with orange juice or water.

·         Get a good morning laugh in if you can. It definitely helps start your day off right and also helps you to not take life so seriously.

·         Find a place inside of your mind where you like to go to when you don’t have to work and try to focus on that moment in time through out your day. Remember that this is why you work so hard so you can enjoy those moments.

·         Enjoy the present moment and try to make the most of your day because it will gone in an instant. Although the work day seems long, our lives are still passing us by. So it’s good to try to make the most of it.

·         Be honest about how you feel.  If you feel something except it and move on. You have the freedom to be who you want to be at any given time but you have the responsibility of choice, so chose wisely.

·         Appreciate everything that is.  Believe it or not, you’re in your situation because you put yourself there. If you know you can do better.

·         Embrace and except how you feel. Feelings are just feelings and there is no wrong or right when it comes to this. Let them pass through but most of all try to understand where they come from.

·         Every day after work try to unwind and go to that place of peace. Don’t waste your time thinking about what happened because it’s just a waste of energy. Reflect on it and move on.

·         Relax and let go of things and people that don’t serve you. If it’s not contributing to your well being, then it’s not for you so just let it go.

·         Last but not least, love yourself and except yourself completely. Remember that you are your own best friend. Forget how other people feel about you because its not your business or responsibility to know there thoughts. Concentrate on getting your mind right and creating balance in your life. It's a freeing feeling to not care how everyone else feels about you. Trust me.

One thing I’ve learned about myself is that it’s hard for me to fake anything. I’m not a good liar, so when I’m having a bad day it’s just a bad day and I deal with it accordingly. I would always try to fight how I really felt on the inside to please the world but I came to a point in my life where I had to tell myself to stop. Now I go to that place in my mind where I feel safe. A place inside where I can still be myself and function the way society wants me to. Of course this is easier said than done but with daily practice this can be achieved.

How to Appreciate Yourself

"I am my best Motivator and Appreciator."~ Andrea Anderson

Going through life can be a struggle at times and the appreciation from others seems to fall by the waist side. We constantly do for other people and sometimes it feels like the love isn't returned. Why is that? Why are our hearts so big and theirs aren't? It just doesn't seem fair when you think about it for too long, but really it is. NO one asked us to have big hearts, we just do it because that's the kind of people chose to be. So where does the appreciation part come from?

 In my experience, I've realized that it's more important to appreciate myself. I don't expect other people to appreciate me because sometimes they really don't know how far I've come or how much I've achieved on my journey. Only I could possibly know that, so now I make it a point to congratulate myself for the small/big things that I've accomplished. Giving that gratification to myself gives me a boosts of confidence to keep me going and doing what I'm doing. So here are a few steps to help you appreciate yourself a little more everyday.

• Pat yourself on the back for just being you. Sometimes it's hard to go against the grain and just be you and not conform to how people or society wants you to be.
• Always talk kind to yourself.
• Be an encouraging coach to yourself when you need it.
• Congratulate yourself for doing good things for other people, even if they don't appreciate it. When we do for others it makes us feel good and that's a personal thing.
• Applaud yourself for coming this far in life and accomplishing the things that you have  accomplished. Sometimes we forget to stop and think about all the things that we already have done. So every now and then just take a deep breath and say to yourself "I'm proud of you, keep up the good work."
• Appreciate yourself for having the drive to keep going.
• Applaud yourself for all the goals that you have set out to accomplish in the future.

We all need motivation along the way. I motivate you to keep going and accomplishing your dreams. I appreciate you for coming to this article and reading something for yourself that's going to help you and others. Always remember that it is important for you to appreciate yourself because we are our best motivators.

picture inspired by amissionformichal.com

Never Give up on Erykah Badu

"Never give up on yourself because you are all you have." ~ Andrea Anderson

Sometimes in life we have goals that we want to achieve and we go for them, but the outcome is not quite what we would have expected it be. We may fall, cry or stumble but each time I believe it truly makes us stronger than we could have ever imagined.

A few months ago I went to an Erykah Badu concert that was held in Dallas. She was someone I really wanted to meet and I really believed that this could've been my chance. I tried to get a couple of my friends to go but no one could, so I went by myself. I was determined to meet and give her one of my Naturally Beautiful shirts with a personal letter I had written to her. I stood in line for about an hour in a half and was ready to make my entrance. The whole time I envisioned myself handing her the shirt and was prepared to finally meet someone that I had admired for such along time. As time went on she finally came out on stage and she was amazing. I soon realized my time was running out and that I needed to make my way towards the stage where she was performing. I finally made my way towards the front of the stage and was anxious to give her my shirt. My goal was to hand it to her, she'd read it and hopefully agree to be the face of my Naturally Beautiful shirts but unfortunately almost doesn't count.

Once I got to the stage there were security guards guarding it, so politely asked one them to hand it her. He did and I was so happy! She had the shirt in her hand! I had accomplished what I came to accomplish. In that moment I was so proud of myself. I realized that this was it, my dreams could possibly come true...until it was grabbed out of her hand by a bunch of hungry Badu loving fans. My heart dropped and I freaked. It was one of the most happiest then saddest moments of my life but it taught me a very valuable lesson. To never give up on my dreams no matter how big or small. I tried my hardest to talk to her back stage but the guards said it was nearly impossible to see her. I was happy that I tired but disappointed at the outcome. In life we will always have ups and downs but that doesn't mean give up, it just means keep going. Just because you don't succeed the first time doesn't mean you can't keep trying. 

This is what truly makes us beyond measure. To go after any dream even if it seems impossible and you will accomplish them.  Just remember that sometimes you have to pay the price first and that's the hard work and dedication part. I wont give up and part 2 of this article will be when I finally do meet her. Stay tuned!

Can We All Just Get Along! Isis Attacks..

“Let love guide you, not fear” ~ Ralph Smart

Recently the Isis attacks have been in the news and I am very saddened by this. My heart goes out to the families of the people that died and the people that were hurt. I hate to see that we have come this far and we still haven’t gotten over our differences. As a human race we should love and help one another but yet and still we fight over meaningless things that will not help us evolve as a human race. One thing I’ve come to understand is that our different believes sometimes hinder us from really getting to know each other.  I feel believes are so small compared to a lifetime of love and growth that we could share with one another.

Why is that we focus so much on the negative things but not on the positive ones? I believe it’s the ego. The satisfaction we feel of wanting to be right all the time. Not being able to surrender to the fact that we may not know everything and somebody else’s opinions may have valid points. What is the point when so many people die and there is still no solution? Divided we are weak and together we are strong. Always remember that it is easier to divide and conquer.

When I was younger I never understood why there was so much war and hate in the world. I was discriminated against at the age of 3 and it really took a toll on my thoughts of the world. I didn’t understand why small things like race or religion was such a big deal but now I understand that deep down a lot of people are hurting, so they do and say mean things to make themselves feel better. Although it’s it may be a temporary satisfaction for them, they continue to do it because it falsely fills a void for them. Otherwise why do it? I believe that sometimes our ego can get in the way or who we really are. Underneath all the masks we wear and roles we play, we are just human beings trying to find our way in this world. We all want to be loved and to love and be accepted by those we care about.  Some of us just have a funny way of showing it. Unfortunately many of the innocent get caught in the crossfire of peoples judgment, believes and misunderstandings of their world within. It doesn’t make what they do fair and it certainly doesn’t make it right.

So where do we stand as the human race? Will you choose to continue to fight or love? There are so many truths that are hidden leading us to believe lies and hate each other for it. It’s time to choose to be beyond the madness and believe that we can rise above it. It’s time to believe that we are more than what this world or anybody thinks of us. We are beyond measure because we say so and we know so. We do better because we choose to do better. Only you have the power to rise above it all and choose love. What are your thoughts on this terrible event that has taken place? Comment below

How to Rebuild Yourself After a Bad Breakup




“It took a while for her to figure out she could run but when she did she was long gone, Long gone..”
― Keith Urban

Going through a bad breakup or divorce can be tough on anyone. It's like a death of a relationship because the bond you once shared with someone is now broken. So where do you go from here? How can you be beyond this experience and find your true authentic self? Although the relationship is gone it doesn't mean that your happiness is over, it's just subsided for awhile. In these hard times, it's good to remember the good times and forgive the bad ones. People grow apart and sometimes the whole dynamic of the relationship changes.

So now that you have grown out of this phase with this person, it's time for you to find out who your are. Sometimes those love bonds can be so strong that you feel you like you can't go on without this person, but you can. Love can be blind and sometimes the people we feel are good for us turn out to be the ones that hurt us the most. I was in a marriage for 8 years and it was one of the biggest challenges of my life. I wanted it to work it out but I soon realized that it just wasn't for me and sometimes you just have to get to that point in your life.

 So after the storm how can you rebuild? Rebuilding and finding yourself is so important to your healing process so you can move on. I believe that relationships rather good or bad help us to be the greatest versions of ourselves. Although this is hard to see while going through the pain, the other side of this is much brighter. The harder you fall the stronger you are when you get up. Someone once told me "You are stronger than you think you are" and at the time I didn't believe it. But this statement is true. You are beyond what you ever think you will be. You just have to get out of your own way and you can do this by changing your thought process. So here are a few tips to help you start the process of rebuilding yourself.

• Learn to really love yourself and know that you are worthy of love. Dedicate a love song to yourself and really mean it. Just imagine if you really loved yourself the way you wanted someone else to love you. This is a really powerful thing to do because you are changing the way you look at love and therefore you will attract that kind of love you desire into your life. It's definitely worked for me.

• Write positive notes about yourself and stick them somewhere where you can see them everyday. Now it's time to retrain your mind into some positive thinking.

• Get a progress journal and write in it everyday

• Have a great support system. Talk to people that know and love you the most.

• Get out of the house and try something new. There's nothing like starting over and doing new things. It helps to put a different perspective on things and also helps to forget/forgive the past life.

I know that this may be a very hard time in your life but you must believe that you can rise above it rule your world. Remember that this is only a tests and that this will make you greater than you ever imagined. If you need to grieve then grieve. Give yourself a little time out of each day to think about it and move on. Stay busy with something that you like to do and get plenty of rest. This is only a phase in your life and "This to shall pass." Try your best to stay positive and remember that you are beyond what you think you are.

How to govern your emotions

 

 "You can not control what happens to you, but you can control your attitude toward what happens to you, and in that, you will be mastering change rather than allowing it to master you." ~ Brian Tracy

        As humans we have a beautiful spectrum of emotions that help us along our journey. They don’t make or break us but they can if you let them get the best of you. Emotions are not good or bad. They’re not a woman or a man thing. We all have emotions because we’re human. Emotions are energy in motion and they help us to decide right from wrong. In today’s world I’ve come to the conclusion that emotions are looked at as a bad thing and a woman thing but this is not true. Every since you were born you’ve had emotions. It was the only way you could communicate to the world at the time before you could talk. So why is it that some people are emotionally unstable? Why do some people go on a rampage and go crazy do to suppression?

      I believe this goes along with the saying ‘know thy self.” If you don’t know yourself then you can’t help yourself and if you can’t help yourself, you can’t help anybody else.  Sometimes as humans we don’t realize that we are suffering. We bottle our emotions up just to save face in front of the world but the core of who we really are suffers. Sometimes people won’t reveal vulnerability because of the fear of shame or rejection. We fear that if people really knew who we were they wouldn’t like us but why should we care. I understand that no one wants to be alone but walking around with a mask is not the solution.  For some of us it’s really challenging to pretend to be something that they are not. This can be labeled as being sensitive or caring too much about what others think.

       I myself am very sensitive but I’ve learned a lot about coping with my emotions and realized that I have the power to say no to any external emotions from other people.  We all have situations in our life that internally make us feel different ways and without knowing it sometimes we unwillingly project these feelings unto other people. It’s all a personal thing for each individual...This is why it is important not take things people say and do personally. Although this is easier said than done, we must take responsibility for how we react to things. Yes we’ve all been guilty of making someone feel disappointed or happy at some point and time in our lives. Rather it was intentional or not we can only be responsible for how we feel at the time that this occurs.

So how do you control your emotions?  How do you know when to say no to other people’s emotions? Here’s some of the ways I’ve learned to deal with my emotions.

·         Let your emotions pass through you without judgment. This means acceptance of how you feel.  Take a deep breath and recognize what you feel and why. Accept that it is what it is and move on.

 

·         Look for a solution to make you feel better. If you are angry or disappointed about something, you must learn to transform this energy into something else. One way to do this by moving around or into your body by stretching or hitting a punching bag, jump and jacks or by simply walking. By doing this you move that energy somewhere else and forget about it.

 

·         Exercise and a good diet help you to have a great mood and sharp mind to be ready for someone with low energy that tries to bring your day down.

 

·         Take full responsibility for how you are feeling. Don’t play the blame game or point the finger. Always look at what part you played and learn from it.

 

·         Learn to love yourself 100%. Accept that you are the way you are and don’t change for anybody but yourself. We all are striving to be greater versions of ourselves but first you must love and accept the flaws that you come with.

 

·         Don’t be too hard on yourself but speak to yourself with positive words of encouragement and love.

Always remember that life is all about perception. The way you perceive things is the way that it will be. There is no right or wrong way of viewing things just perception. When someone has an opinion, they're just telling you how they see it from their point of view. This goes with how they were raised, to their beliefs and values. So when it comes down to it, we must learn to respect each other’s views and feelings but most importantly respect and understand our own because that’s what truly matters.

How to survive a 9 to 5

“If to love each other is the job, then the happy life is the salary.”
― Toba Beta

Living in today's society can be tough if you don't have the right mindset or income to get you through it. In these days in time everybody's in a rush to get nowhere fasts. We steadily wish our lives away while hopelessly looking at the clock wishing it would move faster and before you know it the whole year has flown by and you're still stuck in the same rut you began with. Why do we this to ourselves? Is it that we're stuck in a our own insane pattern of uncomfortable comfort? Some say they do it because at the end of the day the bills are paid and food is on the table. I understand that all too well but how do you survive this mundane routine without going crazy?
 

Well the simple answer to this and always will be to do something you love, but how many people actually have the time or the ambition to make that happen? This was my story  along my journey. I would get up and go to work just to earn a paycheck. It was like being married to some one I hated but I had to see them everyday. I could never grasp the concept of why someone would want to this for the rest of their lives. For some people this kind of life is easy but for someone like me it is very challenging. The challenge comes from my love of creating. Every since I could remember all I wanted to do is create. Rather it was drawing, painting, dancing, writing or singing, I just had to be in the atmosphere of creating.

 

This is called self actualization meaning

the realization or fulfillment of one's talents and potentialities, especially considered as a drive or need present in everyone. Thank goodness there was an actual meaning for what I was experiencing otherwise I would've thought I was going crazy. We'll talk more about this later in another article because it is important to know who your are and where you are going. So here are few steps to help get you through those lengthy work days.

• Go to sleep on time. I know it sounds so cliché but it does wonders for your attitude/mood the next day.
• Have something to look forward to. If you have the luxury of getting on the internet at work in your down time look up something you always wanted to learn about or do.
• Work on your passion slowly. Being in alignment with your aspirations helps you feel worthy and accomplished. Even if it's only 10 minutes day, every little bit helps.
• Eat a healthy breakfast and lunch. Food gives life and energy and can help you stay alert and ready for whatever the day brings.
• If you don't know quite what you want to do with your life yet, write some ideas down on a piece a paper a let that be project until you do figure out something.
• Think about all the things you are grateful for and focus on that.
• Be in the present moment and just breath. Forget everything and just breathe. Take a deep breathe in for 3 seconds and exhale for 3 seconds. This is a form of meditation that can do wonders for your mind in the moment.
• Look for the diamonds at work. What needs to be improved that you could possibly create and patent. You could be working in a gold mine!

Always remember to take everything one step at a time. Rome wasn't built in a day. Record your progress and keep taking baby steps until you get to your desired destination. Good luck!