HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Today marks an official week since my new year's begun. I must admit that I did not start the way I'd hoped, but then again, who really does? Something always throws me off and I'm challenged to motivate myself to continue on. I thought that by not having any specific expectations for this year that that wouldn't matter and things would simply have a flow to them. I was hoping for a new job, some money in the bank, security for my kid in private school, better health, a loving and lasting relationship, and support from people all around me in my future endeavors. I mean, we're almost into February already! Come on! Okay, I'll admit the loftiness and fairy tale tone (kind of dramatic I know) of my wish list, but I did expect a little bit more by now. 

This is why my own personal new year is so important me.

I see it as an official beginning. And, while immaturely not having any expectation for the year seemed nice and doable, it's not my habit, nor realistic. It's also not the most positive and optimistic way of viewing a year at all. Without any expectation you let anything go/happen. And I simply can't allow that either. While I do not specifically know how I wish for things to happen this year, I do still have a wonderful list of things I'd love to accomplish. I do still expect a few great things per the aforementioned wish list. Without any expectation you fail to set goals; without a goal in mind you fail to plan for anything; without a proper plan or at least an attempt to such, you fail at succeeding at much of anything. I can't settle for being a complete loser. No...not me...not at all.

Okay, so that means I must change my outlook completely.

While I don't have specific expectations for what I wish to happen this year, I am certain of what would make me happy and feel fulfilled through certain endeavors and experiences.

Stay tuned for details concerning my wish list!

2016 No Expectations

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Thank Almighty God that we have crossed over into a new calendar safely and full of potential.
While the number sixteen is a bit more difficult to attach a cute rhyme or silly cliche' to, it still seems to be a year full of potential and possibility for all who will believe.
I must admit... I do not have any great expectation for this year. Nope....not a one. It seems that each year as I make a great "to do" list and try my hardest to plan for so many wonderful things to happen, that they just simply do not. I have gotten out of the habit of creating resolutions. For me they've never really changed anything or motivated me enough to make necessary changes in my life. For various and sometimes complicated reasons, many out of my control, I am never really able to "catch up" the way I've always wanted and hoped to each year.
So this year things are different. I have no expectations. I am taking a risk and a gamble hoping that some wonderful things may finally occur for me. Yet, that will not stop me from planning ahead. I look into this year with a new sense of hope. I will finally begin to walk into the me I truly wish to be.
A bit confusing, I'm sure... but stay with me.
This year I am taking a new approach to my own personal and professional development. I am on a new journey! I am excited to learn new things about myself and see where I can go with all that I learn. I hope to chronicle all that I experience and learn through this updated blog exercise.
HERE'S WHAT I'M THINKING/PLANNING:

*I am going to regularly be blogging about several various aspects of my life and the lessons I'm learning along the way. Through financial empowerment, health management, relationship goals, furthering my education, and single motherhood I will continue on the journey I've started a while back in an attempt to become a better me so that I can finally become the "HER" I dream about.

*A new endeavor and creative initiative that I've been dreaming about for at least a year is now being pushed as a primary achievement in my life. What that means is that the dream I've been dreaming which encompasses my true passions and desires will now become something that I devote a significant part of my daily life and journey to. I am thrilled to introduce #QueenStatus and hope to impact and empress through it.

*I've stumbled across several "challenges" that interest me. I am list lady (as if you couldn't tell) and I love to try new things. Through several blogs and challenge posts I will be attempting some very new and exciting things, many of which I've always wanted to try (hence the 30 Things List), or have recently developed an acute interest in, including "216 Things to Do in 2016". I have extremely excited about each.

This is the longest entry ever, and I'm sure I've been redundant at points and probably was typing too fast to even make any sense, but if you stick with me, I promise, as I gain knowledge and experience while on this journey I plan on sharing it all (or as much of it in detail as I can) with you so that you may benefit and learn along with me.

Thank you for joining me on this journey.

A New Beginning

It's all inside.
I haven't let many things out in detail in quite a while. I guess I simply haven't felt the need to recount the daily hum drum of my existence... until now!

August is the eighth month of the year. Eight is symbolic and is said to represent a "new beginning", a "fresh start", even a "do over." I prayed about it and I truly wanted this August to be a new beginning for me, for sure. I've spent the past few years with tons of regret, despite my accomplishments, new connections, opportunities and successes, I still have  not lived my full potential and have felt that I kinda need to "catch up." This year was certainly different, though. I don't know exactly what it could be, I just feel deeply that 2015 was meant to be different.

Thus, with the beginning of this month, after a mid-year motivational and self-reflective attitude throughout June and July, I made it my business to "start over" in several areas of my life.
It ended up being a planing phase, if you will. I spent most of the month planning and preparing for several major events and making it a priority to walk in a new attitude of giving my best in whatever I put my hands and my time to. Now, on the brink of a new month, I am now charged with walking out those plans and that attitude in my everyday living. Now, I really need to show it in my actions and interactions.

With that, I am now ready to let it all out!! Finally, I can release much of what I've been keeping in or just keeping to myself.
Now please, don't expect any grand or deep expressions. I'm not a preacher. And don't expect some extravagant account of some new opportunity I've had. While I'm grateful for the things I've experienced, not all are other folks business. I'm not a talk show host or thrill seeker (so to speak)...well, maybe not yet. I simply hope to share some of my journey with you - with every intention that you will gain from what I share and glean from it to help you grow on your own journey. Others have certainly motivated and inspired me, and I can't help but hope to have the same positive influence on others.

I invite you to join me, as I begin to let out some wonderful things that I've been keeping inside of me. This should be exciting!!

A New Mindset

"You can have what you want, Do what you dream, and Brave what you fear if you first see it done in your mind"

So many months have passed since my last post. I honestly can't even begin to make excuse for my lack of commitment to my own endeavor. It was nobody's fault but mine. Ironically enough, the very reason why I began this blog remained the issue for me, which forced me to stop writing.

I don't like to fail. I don't like to be a disappointment. I don't appreciate non-committal, especially from myself. Yet..these are exactly what I've shown. This frustrates me!!! I can no longer allow myself to portray such negativity. I serve in roles of inspiration and mentor-ship and cannot allow myself to reflect the opposite in my personal life. It's a level of hypocrisy that is so dangerous and scary that I have to consciously make a change.

Thus...my new journey begins.

Despite my inconsistent nature recently, I have still been afforded some wonderful opportunities and continue to have experiences that motivate me. I am now in a place where I hope to consciously make every effort to using those instances as continuous motivation to change my mind-set...for real this time. I am very much aware that this is not an overnight process. I think that that was part of my issue last time. I think my impatience gets me into great trouble. I think I was kinda hoping for an unrealistic type of miracle. Some supernatural shift in my situation. Some divine deduction of my daily life.

I recently hit what I deem to be rock bottom in my life. A miracle would be welcome right now. Howsoever, I believe that now is as great a time as ever to make certain life-changing decisions that reflect my new outlook on life: my purpose, my potential and my influence.

So... my first decision... to continue on this new journey and find my true purpose, potential and influence in the world. I will make every effort to change my mind about these aspects of every area of my life, patiently waiting on the answers to come.

Please, join me.

Andrea

The Day My Life Changed Forever 2014 - Part 1

January 20th each year is special and significant to me, even if no one else shares my sentiments. It's my new year! I receive birthday wishes and greetings, may go out to dinner with family and friends, and then the year officially begins for me ... psychologically. Mentally for me I have a second time on the 12-month calendar to begin a new year. January 1st is stage one where everyone is involved, then on the 20th it's all about me and how I'm going to proceed in a new year representative of my birth date.
This year was truly special and significant because my birthday begin on Martin Luther King Jr. Day! It was MLK Day of Service and I'd enjoyed participating in community service with students from my job and from the community all day. It was cold but beautiful. That evening, a wonderful group of friends and family gathered for a phenomenal meal at Smokin' Betty's in Center City Philadelphia because it was also Restaurant Week and I'd made a big deal about having my birthday dinner at a place none of us had ever been to before.
After an absolutely phenomenal night with people I love and appreciate, a major snow storm hit the Philadelphia area yet again for this terrible winter season. On January 21st I was scheduled to serve on jury duty, but was able to get out of it because of a previous attempt at rescheduling the date. I'd taken off of work. Instead of just going home the rest of the day and having free time to myself, I thought I would do "the right thing" by heading on in to work across the bridge over in Camden, NJ.  My supervisor offered me a ride. The snow was coming down. By the time we'd gotten to the school and met up with the rest of our team for a meeting before prepping for our after school programs, the school district ordered an early dismissal for all schools because of the snow storm. We'd ended up leaving around 1:00 pm or so. A co-worker was gracious enough to take myself and another co-worker to south Philly. Traffic was extremely slow and it took us a very long time to carefully cross the Walt Whitman Bridge because there was hardly any visibility on the roads. I was dropped off at a Family Dollar so that I could purchase an umbrella to protect me in the storm until I got home. I'd waited over a half hour for the bus that would eventually drop me off two blocks away from my home. I was cute, but cold. I stood in the snow unable to complain about my situation. I knew that things could be worse and that not having my own vehicle is just a temporary status. So I waited patiently for the crowded bus with what seemed to hold a million wet and shivering cold passengers heading home early from work and school.
We'd finally arrived at my bus stop. While I was not the only person to get off of the bus, I was the last person. In fact, the driver hadn't noticed me at first and actually closed the back doors and proceeded up the street further toward a snowy intersection. "Back door, please!" A release and I was off. I was honestly a little distracted by an anxious attempt at stuffing my handbag with a few papers that I'd sat on top of on the bus. There had to be at least 8 feet of snow (I think that's what the news report was) because I could absolutely not find the sidewalk. You'd think the cars would help, but they were not perfectly aligned with the sidewalk or street. UGH!
Here's where my life changes! Not completely paying full attention to where I am stepping, I step, bump, and kick into the curb by accident. FALL! Now, what would have been a "salty" fall for any normal person ended up turning into something way more traumatic. ...

This Journey has Many Variables

"Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do." Romans 12:2 (NLT).

As I journey onward to becoming the ME I want to be/should be, I've realized that it doesn't start with me. It starts with God. I need to get back to basics and reevaluate my relationship with my heavenly father and seek His face to find out what he has purposed me for. Only He knows what He created me for so I need to start with a serious conversation with Him about my life and my purpose.

While I'm waiting to hear back from Him with some details and specifics, I've already recognized the areas in my life that need major work and renovation. Mindset Management will be split up into several sectors if you will. Various different aspects of my life that all need a great deal of attention and change toward progression. Those areas include:

• Health 
• Finances
• Relationships
• Beauty & Personal Style
• Education
• Character Development
• Lifestyle
• Single-Motherhood

It is also significant to note that I have several goals and visions for myself. While I will explain them in great detail in later posts, those dreams and visions bring all of the aforementioned together and make me the woman that I "am" (the HER I look forward to meeting in my reflection one day).

An Introduction to a New Mindset

"Change your thoughts, change your world"

Have you ever looked in the mirror and didn't recognize your own reflection?
Have you ever wanted something so badly that it consumed you and that was all you ever thought about?

Well, I'm dealing with those feelings right now. You see, I'm actually frustrated by my reflection at times. I look in the mirror and I don't see ME...well, at least not the me I think I should be.
I get frustrated because all I think about are my goals and aspirations. The things I want most in life. I think and dream about the legacy I will leave. It consumes me. But, I don't see it happening. I mean, not even a few things. That's very disheartening most days. Not the best way to go through life.
Well, somethings gotta give!
I think I've finally realized what it is = A change in how I think. A change, certainly, in how I perceive the world, and essentially how I perceive myself! Essentially while I see great things for myself and daydream consistently about HER, I do not have the faith behind those thoughts and visions to make them come to fruition. I'm in desperate need of a mindset makeover. But, I don't need to just change the way I think, I need to be able to maintain a healthy view. I need to change the lenses on my scope of life and maintain those adjustments for the rest of my life as needed. I need to be able to manage the adjustments that are made and begin to move forward and toward my destiny. A mindset management if you will.

Thus, my journey begins.

No longer will I settle for the standard view of mediocre living and an attitude of just getting by. No longer will just waking up each day be a sufficient function of my life. Now when I arise each morning it will be with purpose. I want to be HER. The me I want to be...the me I should be! Each day is another chance to make strides to changing my view of self; it's another chance to change my situation and circumstances. It can't be too late to work toward building a life that will leave a sufficient legacy for my heir.

There are a few areas by which change needs to be made. My journey will be to consistently work on each area simultaneously. I mean, it's hard to work on one aspect and it not affect another at some point. I'll try to be conscious and careful not to "do too much" as I am often accused. I don't wish to lose sight of who I am. Wait...  guess I need to start there first right? I mean... WHO AM I? Oh my goodness! This is going to be much harder than I'd thought.