Beauty For Ashes!

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God,

to comfort all who mourn,3and provide for those who grieve in Zion—

to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,

the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.

                                                                         (Isaiah 61:2,3 NIV)

In the last eight years my life has been  filled with pain, loss and a lot of hellish moments. I went from living life like the Jeffersons to Good Times. I went from depending on the world as my source to understanding God is my source. I went from being religious to finding a deeper  spiritual connection with God. I went from pleasing everyone else to understanding the power of self-care. 

I had a lot of friends but, as I grew I began to downsize. I went from not recognizing my worth to knowing my worth. I went from undervaluing my gift to valuing my gift. I use to have low self-esteem now I am confident & realize what I deserve. I needed other people to validate my life now I live my life according to my own rules with God's approval. I found myself minding everyone else business until I learned the power in minding my own business. 

Recently, this year I went through the loss of a family member. I cannot say I am fully recovered but I gave myself time to step back & heal my way. I believe in the power of rising above challenges because what you go through grows you. 

 I strive to be my true self no longer rejecting parts of myself to make other people feel comfortable. In this time in my life I am okay with the woman I am becoming.  I decided to take control of my life, be happy and  make adjustments along the way.

There are six valuable lessons I learned in my life :

1) You cannot do anything without God. If you think you can I guarantee you will be miserable. I know because I tried this method already.

2) Stop comparing yourself to others because you are you. When you start focusing on your own life you become happier and realize how blessed you really are in life. 

3) Other opinions do not matter. People have the right to express themselves anyway they want but try not to take other people opinions personal. You do not need other people to validate you. 

4) Superhero Syndrome. I use to feel like I had to save everyone and go out of my way to make sure they were okay. However, I found out it is not meant for me to save everyone. The people the Lord put in my path are the ones I am assigned too. 

5) Heal Your Way. Do not let people tell you how to grieve. Give yourself time to heal properly. It is okay not to be okay.

6) Let God In. God is a gentleman if you want him to be apart of your life He will be. He is just waiting for you to invite him in.

My life is a constant journey but in my journey the Lord has constantly gave me beauty for my life ashes.

Until Next Time Live Bold. Live Loud. Live Authentically. 

Beauty For Ashes!

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God,

to comfort all who mourn,3and provide for those who grieve in Zion—

to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,

the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.

                                                                         (Isaiah 61:2,3 NIV)

In the last eight years my life has been  filled with pain, loss and a lot of hellish moments. I went from living life like the Jeffersons to Good Times. I went from depending on the world as my source to understanding God is my source. I went from being religious to finding a deeper  spiritual connection with God. I went from pleasing everyone else to understanding the power of self-care. 

I had a lot of friends but, as I grew I began to downsize. I went from not recognizing my worth to knowing my worth. I went from undervaluing my gift to valuing my gift. I use to have low self-esteem now I am confident & realize what I deserve. I needed other people to validate my life now I live my life according to my own rules with God's approval. I found myself minding everyone else business until I learned the power in minding my own business. 

Recently, this year I went through the loss of a family member. I cannot say I am fully recovered but I gave myself time to step back & heal my way. I believe in the power of rising above challenges because what you go through grows you. 

 I strive to be my true self no longer rejecting parts of myself to make other people feel comfortable. In this time in my life I am okay with the woman I am becoming.  I decided to take control of my life, be happy and  make adjustments along the way.

There are six valuable lessons I learned in my life :

1) You cannot do anything without God. If you think you can I guarantee you will be miserable. I know because I tried this method already.

2) Stop comparing yourself to others because you are you. When you start focusing on your own life you become happier and realize how blessed you really are in life. 

3) Other opinions do not matter. People have the right to express themselves anyway they want but try not to take other people opinions personal. You do not need other people to validate you. 

4) Superhero Syndrome. I use to feel like I had to save everyone and go out of my way to make sure they were okay. However, I found out it is not meant for me to save everyone. The people the Lord put in my path are the ones I am assigned too. 

5) Heal Your Way. Do not let people tell you how to grieve. Give yourself time to heal properly. It is okay not to be okay.

6) Let God In. God is a gentleman if you want him to be apart of your life He will be. He is just waiting for you to invite him in.

My life is a constant journey but in my journey the Lord has constantly gave me beauty for my life ashes.

Until Next Time Live Bold. Live Loud. Live Authentically. 

June Theme: Be Bold. Be Brave. Be Brilliant.

The kids are beginning to get out of school and the smell of summer is right around the corner. As we invite the joys of summer we also welcome our series for this month. Our June series is entitled Be Bold. Be Brave. Be Brilliant. In this series we will talk about how being brave can help you live the life you always dreamed of. We will discuss what it takes to be bold and let go of anything that weigh you down. And last but not least will talk about the importance of recognizing your brilliance and using it to create the life you desire.

June Theme: Be Bold. Be Brave. Be Brilliant.

The kids are beginning to get out of school and the smell of summer is right around the corner. As we invite the joys of summer we also welcome our series for this month. Our June series is entitled Be Bold. Be Brave. Be Brilliant. In this series we will talk about how being brave can help you live the life you always dreamed of. We will discuss what it takes to be bold and let go of anything that weigh you down. And last but not least will talk about the importance of recognizing your brilliance and using it to create the life you desire.

Believe In Yourself!

I am often reminded of a powerful quote by Marianne Williamson (from A Return To Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles) that says: 

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

After reading this quote I realize their is power in believing in yourself. When you hear people say believe in yourself what comes to your mind? Well, when I think of this term I am reminded how important it is to have faith. Faith is essential in the process of believing in yourself & your greatness. Often we battle with insecurities and achieving great success because we do not have a belief in who & what we are. Self doubt causes us to believe we are inadequate which launches the path to fear. When fear is activated it stifles our growth and creativity. 

However, when you do not allow fear to override your faith great things begin to happen. One of the things that begin to manifest is your confidence is increased. The second thing is it teaches you not to give up on your dreams no matter how long it takes. Lastly, giving up is never an option when you allow faith to conquer the fear of your belief.

Below are 3 steps you can take to believe in yourself:

1) Faith It To You Make It! 

In Hebrews 11: 1 in the bible it says, "Now faith is the substance for things hoped for the evidence of things not seen" which literally means what you cannot see(unexpected outcome you cannot visualize). If you begin to have faith in yourself & believe in your success then it can be accomplished. Put faith in practice! 

2) Get Turnt Up! 

In today's millennial world we are endlessly unhappy about everything instead of being grateful for all things. If you learn to be grateful for all that you are then you can appreciate yourself. The best way to appreciate yourself is by celebrating all that you are. If you wait on others you will be disappointed so "get turnt up" on who you are!  

3) Walk It Out!

The road is long to any journey but as you are on your journey of self-discovery & increasing your self esteem remember to take the time to pause. Rome was not built in a day so as you walk out your fear, anxiety or frustrations just remember you are an imperfect masterpiece! 

So take the time to believe in all that you were created to be.....Simply Believe In Yourself!

Believe In Yourself!

I am often reminded of a powerful quote by Marianne Williamson (from A Return To Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles) that says: 

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

After reading this quote I realize their is power in believing in yourself. When you hear people say believe in yourself what comes to your mind? Well, when I think of this term I am reminded how important it is to have faith. Faith is essential in the process of believing in yourself & your greatness. Often we battle with insecurities and achieving great success because we do not have a belief in who & what we are. Self doubt causes us to believe we are inadequate which launches the path to fear. When fear is activated it stifles our growth and creativity. 

However, when you do not allow fear to override your faith great things begin to happen. One of the things that begin to manifest is your confidence is increased. The second thing is it teaches you not to give up on your dreams no matter how long it takes. Lastly, giving up is never an option when you allow faith to conquer the fear of your belief.

Below are 3 steps you can take to believe in yourself:

1) Faith It To You Make It! 

In Hebrews 11: 1 in the bible it says, "Now faith is the substance for things hoped for the evidence of things not seen" which literally means what you cannot see(unexpected outcome you cannot visualize). If you begin to have faith in yourself & believe in your success then it can be accomplished. Put faith in practice! 

2) Get Turnt Up! 

In today's millennial world we are endlessly unhappy about everything instead of being grateful for all things. If you learn to be grateful for all that you are then you can appreciate yourself. The best way to appreciate yourself is by celebrating all that you are. If you wait on others you will be disappointed so "get turnt up" on who you are!  

3) Walk It Out!

The road is long to any journey but as you are on your journey of self-discovery & increasing your self esteem remember to take the time to pause. Rome was not built in a day so as you walk out your fear, anxiety or frustrations just remember you are an imperfect masterpiece! 

So take the time to believe in all that you were created to be.....Simply Believe In Yourself!

Beauty Has No Face!

In a society where we place a shape, color, size, and name to beauty it has distorted the self-esteem of many women in the world. As I become more of an ambassador for my own personal beauty I realize beauty does not have a specific appearance. Beauty has to be defined on our own terms not by the majority in America. When I think of beauty I began to think of the eclectic style of Erkyah Badu, Solange Knowles and Rihanna . These women have set their own standard of what beauty feels like and look like to them. It feels amazing to go through a journey to find what fits me as a woman because in this journey I am finding my beauty. Many African American girls struggle with the idea that their dark skin, dark hair is not beautiful because they are faced with the idea that pale skin and blue eyes are the ideal beauty. White women struggle with the illusion of being curvy is considered to be fat when curves are the epitome of womanhood, the gratitude of beauty.

Beauty has no name, shape, size, color or texture however it is the hidden secret of what a woman holds inside. When we can tap into our own inner beauty then we can unlock a glow that can radiant externally. I look at women such as Lupita Nygon’o who has been such an inspiration for women of color because she has broken the barriers of what beauty could be if we look beyond the surface. We are raised in a society where it is encouraged to change the way we look to be accepted by the world but God created us in his image; perfect. In the May issue of Essence Magazine Solange Knowles stated, “As women we have the choice of how we want to look and how we want to feel and that’s the beauty of being a woman.” We should not allow society to have a voice on how we look, feel or define our beauty. Many women deal with low self-esteem because what they see in magazines. However, Beyonce Knowles song Pretty Hurts discuss the standards society places on our beauty but we have to be willing to understand beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder. It is time for us to look in the mirror and remove the mask of the wrong self-image of who we are to kindly replace it with an image of how we define beauty. Beauty has no face it is truly established by what we say, see and speak about ourselves. Let us strive to replace our negative views with positive affirmations of our own personal beauty because in the end beauty truly has no face!

Reference:

Essence Magazine May Issue

Picture reference: www.searchquotes.com

Beauty Has No Face!

In a society where we place a shape, color, size, and name to beauty it has distorted the self-esteem of many women in the world. As I become more of an ambassador for my own personal beauty I realize beauty does not have a specific appearance. Beauty has to be defined on our own terms not by the majority in America. When I think of beauty I began to think of the eclectic style of Erkyah Badu, Solange Knowles and Rihanna . These women have set their own standard of what beauty feels like and look like to them. It feels amazing to go through a journey to find what fits me as a woman because in this journey I am finding my beauty. Many African American girls struggle with the idea that their dark skin, dark hair is not beautiful because they are faced with the idea that pale skin and blue eyes are the ideal beauty. White women struggle with the illusion of being curvy is considered to be fat when curves are the epitome of womanhood, the gratitude of beauty.

Beauty has no name, shape, size, color or texture however it is the hidden secret of what a woman holds inside. When we can tap into our own inner beauty then we can unlock a glow that can radiant externally. I look at women such as Lupita Nygon’o who has been such an inspiration for women of color because she has broken the barriers of what beauty could be if we look beyond the surface. We are raised in a society where it is encouraged to change the way we look to be accepted by the world but God created us in his image; perfect. In the May issue of Essence Magazine Solange Knowles stated, “As women we have the choice of how we want to look and how we want to feel and that’s the beauty of being a woman.” We should not allow society to have a voice on how we look, feel or define our beauty. Many women deal with low self-esteem because what they see in magazines. However, Beyonce Knowles song Pretty Hurts discuss the standards society places on our beauty but we have to be willing to understand beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder. It is time for us to look in the mirror and remove the mask of the wrong self-image of who we are to kindly replace it with an image of how we define beauty. Beauty has no face it is truly established by what we say, see and speak about ourselves. Let us strive to replace our negative views with positive affirmations of our own personal beauty because in the end beauty truly has no face!

Reference:

Essence Magazine May Issue

Picture reference: www.searchquotes.com

Dreams Are Meant To Be Lived Out Loud!

Dreams can sometimes be dreams if we never dare to make them an oblique reality. We can talk about what we desire to do but if there is never an action then it becomes words filled with hot air. I often believe people I truly scared to live life fearlessly because what they dream might really come true. I realized for myself the act of thinking bigger and dreaming bigger is motivated by putting action forth and making the dream patterns in my mental thoughts a tangible reality. 

Dreams are only tangible when you can actually see the manifestation of you working hard to make them visible. I can honestly say I am a dreamer and dream to produce many things in my life but last year I wanted to take more time to invest in my dreams. In 2013, I was struck with the reality of realizing how much I do not invest in my gift of writing. I decided to spend time researching writing workshops to take my writing to another dimension. While I spent time researching an "aha" moment hit me, I always wanted to write, live and move to Paris so I needed to attend a writing workshop in Paris. I was excited, motivated and inspired to live my dream to write in Paris. 

I have such a love affair with Paris, I am truly in love with the city of lights. As I began my research I stumbled across different websites but one website intrigued me, Paris Café Writing. Paris Café Writing is a week long workshop conducted by Patricia Tennison. Mrs. Tennison is a renown author, college professor and  writer of the Chicago Tribune. I called Patricia to ask a couple of questions about the workshop after the phone call I decided  to put both of my passions together; my love for writing and my love for Paris. I was going to spend a week in Paris to write.

I am excited about the progression of my decision to move forward with pursuing my dream. This summer I will be attending one of her summer workshops during the week of my 35th birthday to write, to muse and to immerse myself in Paris. Paris has been a long life dream for me and now with courage I am pursuing my heart's desire. In life we often get stuck because we allow fear to hold us back. 

Fear held me captive for several years after my two year old daughter died. Today marks seven years since she left this Earth but the joy in this story is that it changed me to become an authentic woman. I have experienced many things in my life but learning to live life without limits has been my defining moment. So, as I venture off to Paris this summer I challenge you to not only think big or dream big but to make your dreams a reality. Dreams are meant be lived out loud so what are you waiting for....

Photo Credit: Leonid Afremov, painter http://leonidafremov.deviantart.com/art/PARIS-OF-MY-DREAMS-LEONID-AFREMOV-286887332

Dreams Are Meant To Be Lived Out Loud!

Dreams can sometimes be dreams if we never dare to make them an oblique reality. We can talk about what we desire to do but if there is never an action then it becomes words filled with hot air. I often believe people I truly scared to live life fearlessly because what they dream might really come true. I realized for myself the act of thinking bigger and dreaming bigger is motivated by putting action forth and making the dream patterns in my mental thoughts a tangible reality. 

Dreams are only tangible when you can actually see the manifestation of you working hard to make them visible. I can honestly say I am a dreamer and dream to produce many things in my life but last year I wanted to take more time to invest in my dreams. In 2013, I was struck with the reality of realizing how much I do not invest in my gift of writing. I decided to spend time researching writing workshops to take my writing to another dimension. While I spent time researching an "aha" moment hit me, I always wanted to write, live and move to Paris so I needed to attend a writing workshop in Paris. I was excited, motivated and inspired to live my dream to write in Paris. 

I have such a love affair with Paris, I am truly in love with the city of lights. As I began my research I stumbled across different websites but one website intrigued me, Paris Café Writing. Paris Café Writing is a week long workshop conducted by Patricia Tennison. Mrs. Tennison is a renown author, college professor and  writer of the Chicago Tribune. I called Patricia to ask a couple of questions about the workshop after the phone call I decided  to put both of my passions together; my love for writing and my love for Paris. I was going to spend a week in Paris to write.

I am excited about the progression of my decision to move forward with pursuing my dream. This summer I will be attending one of her summer workshops during the week of my 35th birthday to write, to muse and to immerse myself in Paris. Paris has been a long life dream for me and now with courage I am pursuing my heart's desire. In life we often get stuck because we allow fear to hold us back. 

Fear held me captive for several years after my two year old daughter died. Today marks seven years since she left this Earth but the joy in this story is that it changed me to become an authentic woman. I have experienced many things in my life but learning to live life without limits has been my defining moment. So, as I venture off to Paris this summer I challenge you to not only think big or dream big but to make your dreams a reality. Dreams are meant be lived out loud so what are you waiting for....

Photo Credit: Leonid Afremov, painter http://leonidafremov.deviantart.com/art/PARIS-OF-MY-DREAMS-LEONID-AFREMOV-286887332

You Deserve Love!

Often times people never embrace love because they believe they never deserve it. ~Stylicia~

 

 

 

It has been a little while since I have written on my blog however, life can sometimes be consuming but in my consumed state growth was happening. I learned some important life lessons that have challenged me and made me a better woman. In the last five months I have noticed a difference  in myself and recognize the woman I am becoming daily. I realize in my growth process I was confronted with the issue of learning to no longer be scared of love. For so long I have been accustomed to dodging love, making excuses and believing I did not deserve to be loved. I spent many years believing I was not worthy of someone loving me because of my imperfections. Every romantic relationship I had ended up with me being alone; this was never the picture I painted or fantasized about. However, this year I got tired of doing love my way and told God I would give my love life and dating life over to him. I made a decision to focus more on my dreams and aspirations to live my life more abundantly. I am a firm believer you can have it all the career, the man and the prosperity but it will mean patience is defintely required for the journey. Once I made a decision to stop looking for love and let love find me I became a happier soul. In my journey of living life abundantly I realized today I was no longer scared to love, the fear of love was no longer a fear. I was no longer scared to be transparent or vulnerable and love the man that will be compatible for me.

 

I had to learn the truth about the power of loving myself unconditionally. When you understand that love is attracted to you because it is who you are then love will not be hard to attract. As the months slip by in 2013 I am becoming more aware of how beautiful love is and can be. As a woman I have learned the secret of attracting love from a man is learning to love yourself and treat yourself with respect and unconditional love. I never felt like love was as close to me as it is now in my life. I understand who is the ultimate source of love---God. God is love. Love is fulfilling and incredible when you understand its power, its virtue and how much you deserve love. I started to affirm myself by being aware of how much I needed to love myself before anyone else could love me. Today, I challenge you to look at love differently and challenge your love walk for yourself. Do you love you for all of who you are..whether good or bad? What are the negative things you are saying to yourself about love? Do you fear love? If you answered Yes to any of these questions today is the day you tell yourself "I Deserve Love". It's time to break up with the false fearful image of love and affirm to yourself boldly: "I am love, I deserve love, I will not rush, force, manipulate or be deseparate or needy for love. I will be patient with love and prepare myself for love by loving myself first." The best example of love is godly love when Jesus died on the cross for you. Understand love is patient, kind, and all other things 1 Corinthians chapter 13 discusses. It is time for you to get a better realtionship with love by understanding you deserve to be loved.

 

 

Love Yourself First Then Love Can Love On You.....

 

Personal Challenge: Write Yourself a love letter!

You Deserve Love!

Often times people never embrace love because they believe they never deserve it. ~Stylicia~

 

 

 

It has been a little while since I have written on my blog however, life can sometimes be consuming but in my consumed state growth was happening. I learned some important life lessons that have challenged me and made me a better woman. In the last five months I have noticed a difference  in myself and recognize the woman I am becoming daily. I realize in my growth process I was confronted with the issue of learning to no longer be scared of love. For so long I have been accustomed to dodging love, making excuses and believing I did not deserve to be loved. I spent many years believing I was not worthy of someone loving me because of my imperfections. Every romantic relationship I had ended up with me being alone; this was never the picture I painted or fantasized about. However, this year I got tired of doing love my way and told God I would give my love life and dating life over to him. I made a decision to focus more on my dreams and aspirations to live my life more abundantly. I am a firm believer you can have it all the career, the man and the prosperity but it will mean patience is defintely required for the journey. Once I made a decision to stop looking for love and let love find me I became a happier soul. In my journey of living life abundantly I realized today I was no longer scared to love, the fear of love was no longer a fear. I was no longer scared to be transparent or vulnerable and love the man that will be compatible for me.

 

I had to learn the truth about the power of loving myself unconditionally. When you understand that love is attracted to you because it is who you are then love will not be hard to attract. As the months slip by in 2013 I am becoming more aware of how beautiful love is and can be. As a woman I have learned the secret of attracting love from a man is learning to love yourself and treat yourself with respect and unconditional love. I never felt like love was as close to me as it is now in my life. I understand who is the ultimate source of love---God. God is love. Love is fulfilling and incredible when you understand its power, its virtue and how much you deserve love. I started to affirm myself by being aware of how much I needed to love myself before anyone else could love me. Today, I challenge you to look at love differently and challenge your love walk for yourself. Do you love you for all of who you are..whether good or bad? What are the negative things you are saying to yourself about love? Do you fear love? If you answered Yes to any of these questions today is the day you tell yourself "I Deserve Love". It's time to break up with the false fearful image of love and affirm to yourself boldly: "I am love, I deserve love, I will not rush, force, manipulate or be deseparate or needy for love. I will be patient with love and prepare myself for love by loving myself first." The best example of love is godly love when Jesus died on the cross for you. Understand love is patient, kind, and all other things 1 Corinthians chapter 13 discusses. It is time for you to get a better realtionship with love by understanding you deserve to be loved.

 

 

Love Yourself First Then Love Can Love On You.....

 

Personal Challenge: Write Yourself a love letter!

Rewrite The Script To Your Life.....

In life we are the directors and producers of what we want our life to be so we might as well write a script of what we dream our life to be. ~Stylicia~

 

 

Recently I watched a 7 day webinar on Ustream entitled " 7 Secrets of A Dreamer". The host of the webinar, Shanel Cooper Sykes did a fabulous job in tapping into the things that hold us back from allowing our dreams to manifest. I realized alot of the points she made throughout the 7 days made sense to the journey I was on in the past. I wanted to live my dream so bad but my actions, words and everything else was not lining up. I felt I had to get approval or validation from others to live my dream. After taking a two year hiatus to step back and reevaluate myself I realize I was not being true to myself and needed to live in my authenticity. Now I realize my words, actions and thoughts about living my dream have to be in sync with each other. Ms. Cooper discussed the language of a dreamer on Day 4, learning to be aware of what you speak and your thoughts concerning your life. She stated "Your words, your thoughts are shaping your life", which is true & powerful. The assignment Ms. Cooper assigned to us was to be bold and rewrite a different script to our lives. So, I decided to take a leap of boldness and put it on my blog. I am a dreamer, I believe in my dreams and I know they will come true by me putting forth action in making them reality. Here is the rewritten story of my life, just watch the manifestation...Soon To Come:

 

As I sit looking out my hotel window I see the beautiful breathtaking view of the Eiffel Tower. I am quietly writing away another script of my life, another New York Best Time Seller is coming forth out of my womb. I am in awe of how God has allowed me to travel profusely across the international border to speak on authenticity, business and do book signings. I have even been able to expose my life to my daughter who loves to travel with me while I am working. It is a precious gift to work for myself and own my own company. When I am not traveling I am busy lecturing at colleges as a college professor on subjects pertaining to marketing, branding and business. I realize how blessed I am and I thank God for all he is has done. It was such an honor to speak poetically at Black Girl's Rock and NAACP Awards. Sometimes I reflect on how far I have come in my life from Detroit to the military to living in SC and now a business owner. It is my desire to leave behind a legacy to encourage, uplift and inspire women to be authentic without social validation. I cannot wait to go to London to work on my fashion clothes line entitled The Authentic Woman. Fashion has been a passion since I was young and never knew it would grow into something as major as my own clothes line. I have many more speeches, lectures and books to write but right now I am basking in the glow of the moment. I have dreamed of Paris for so long but to sit here and write here is unbelievable. It started with a seed of faith, faith with works and belief in myself and who God created me to be. If you dare to dream, dream big and dream with your eyes open, you need to see your dream come to fruition. My dream has come true and everyday I have to make it a reality!

 

I rewrote my script and now watch it come to manifestation, it's time for you to be bold and rewrite the script or story of your life!



 

 

Rewrite The Script To Your Life.....

In life we are the directors and producers of what we want our life to be so we might as well write a script of what we dream our life to be. ~Stylicia~

 

 

Recently I watched a 7 day webinar on Ustream entitled " 7 Secrets of A Dreamer". The host of the webinar, Shanel Cooper Sykes did a fabulous job in tapping into the things that hold us back from allowing our dreams to manifest. I realized alot of the points she made throughout the 7 days made sense to the journey I was on in the past. I wanted to live my dream so bad but my actions, words and everything else was not lining up. I felt I had to get approval or validation from others to live my dream. After taking a two year hiatus to step back and reevaluate myself I realize I was not being true to myself and needed to live in my authenticity. Now I realize my words, actions and thoughts about living my dream have to be in sync with each other. Ms. Cooper discussed the language of a dreamer on Day 4, learning to be aware of what you speak and your thoughts concerning your life. She stated "Your words, your thoughts are shaping your life", which is true & powerful. The assignment Ms. Cooper assigned to us was to be bold and rewrite a different script to our lives. So, I decided to take a leap of boldness and put it on my blog. I am a dreamer, I believe in my dreams and I know they will come true by me putting forth action in making them reality. Here is the rewritten story of my life, just watch the manifestation...Soon To Come:

 

As I sit looking out my hotel window I see the beautiful breathtaking view of the Eiffel Tower. I am quietly writing away another script of my life, another New York Best Time Seller is coming forth out of my womb. I am in awe of how God has allowed me to travel profusely across the international border to speak on authenticity, business and do book signings. I have even been able to expose my life to my daughter who loves to travel with me while I am working. It is a precious gift to work for myself and own my own company. When I am not traveling I am busy lecturing at colleges as a college professor on subjects pertaining to marketing, branding and business. I realize how blessed I am and I thank God for all he is has done. It was such an honor to speak poetically at Black Girl's Rock and NAACP Awards. Sometimes I reflect on how far I have come in my life from Detroit to the military to living in SC and now a business owner. It is my desire to leave behind a legacy to encourage, uplift and inspire women to be authentic without social validation. I cannot wait to go to London to work on my fashion clothes line entitled The Authentic Woman. Fashion has been a passion since I was young and never knew it would grow into something as major as my own clothes line. I have many more speeches, lectures and books to write but right now I am basking in the glow of the moment. I have dreamed of Paris for so long but to sit here and write here is unbelievable. It started with a seed of faith, faith with works and belief in myself and who God created me to be. If you dare to dream, dream big and dream with your eyes open, you need to see your dream come to fruition. My dream has come true and everyday I have to make it a reality!

 

I rewrote my script and now watch it come to manifestation, it's time for you to be bold and rewrite the script or story of your life!



 

 

10 Lessons From The FLOTUS on Ladyhood & Femininity

Lesson 1: Be a confident woman

Lesson 2: Wear your clothes do not let them wear you!

Lesson 3: Be bold without making excusing for who you are, No validations needed.

Lesson 4: Your beauty is timeless do not force your presence.

Lesson 5: A woman does not have to act like a man to be a woman of wisdom. Act like a lady, think like a lady & embrace your feminine nature.

Lesson 6: Do not try to fit in be the woman God created you to be.

Lesson 7: Its ok to be emotional we are women, lets show our femininity. 

Lesson 8: This is a man's world but without the woman it would be nothing. (James Brown song)

Lesson 9: Be a lady at all times, know your worth & walk as the queen you are!

Lesson 10: Embrace your faith, dismiss drama & speak less. Let your presence be a sounding trumpet. Less is more!

10 Lessons From The FLOTUS on Ladyhood & Femininity

Lesson 1: Be a confident woman

Lesson 2: Wear your clothes do not let them wear you!

Lesson 3: Be bold without making excusing for who you are, No validations needed.

Lesson 4: Your beauty is timeless do not force your presence.

Lesson 5: A woman does not have to act like a man to be a woman of wisdom. Act like a lady, think like a lady & embrace your feminine nature.

Lesson 6: Do not try to fit in be the woman God created you to be.

Lesson 7: Its ok to be emotional we are women, lets show our femininity. 

Lesson 8: This is a man's world but without the woman it would be nothing. (James Brown song)

Lesson 9: Be a lady at all times, know your worth & walk as the queen you are!

Lesson 10: Embrace your faith, dismiss drama & speak less. Let your presence be a sounding trumpet. Less is more!

Hidden Beauty

No longer hiding what is naturally been beautiful about me; my truth to myself.

 ~Stylicia A. Bowden~

 

 

It's official 2013 is now here and as quickly as it was ushered in it will quickly roll pass too. Alot of people have jumped on the New Year's Resolution bandwagon saying "This year will be different". I often ponder wondering what will be different about this new year for me. I choose not to do resolutions but set goals, create a plan and effectively strategize to live the life I deserve. I am tired of speaking things without putting the action behind it so 2013 for me represents "Just Do It" motto coined by Nike. In this phenomenal journey I believe it is also time to unveil hidden parts of me to embrace the authentic self. In every women's life it comes a time where she has to be real with herself because the lies start to drain her energy. When you lie to yourself you set yourself up for disappointment, wreckless behavior and falsifying who you are. It is not appealing to live your life in manipulating yourself and pretending. I have came to the conclusion that being real with me is the only option I deserve because it helps me embrace every aspect of myself. I no longer want to hide my true emotions or accept things that are below my standards. So many women hide their true self in hopes of maintaining false relationships. Sometimes we bargain our happiness to trade it in for lies. I understood how important it was for me to start being real with myself so I can get what I deserve. I got tired of living in my disillusional world and fairytale life. I had to be willing to say what I really desired in my life and what I was allowing to hold me back from love, life and happiness. 2013 is a year for me to live life in no regrets, unveil my hidden beauty and just do it. Whatever your allowing to stop you from living then be honest about it and face it. Stop accepting life as it is and say how you really feel, what you really desire and what is blocking you. The greatest accomplishment in your life is being true to yourself because "honesty is the best policy". Honesty is the only solution to accept who you are to bring forth a natural you. A natural woman is a woman who can say No and mean it & say "I really desire or want this..." "I do not want this or that". This natural woman will not compromise her truth to live a fabricated life because she will never be happy. When she is truthful she will be willing to miss out on some opportunities because she is waiting on the opportunity she desires and will not settle. She choose not to fill the voids in her life with temporary nonsense just to prove to others she has someone or something. Instead she waits patiently in her truth because her truth has set her free. 

Hidden Beauty

No longer hiding what is naturally been beautiful about me; my truth to myself.

 ~Stylicia A. Bowden~

 

 

It's official 2013 is now here and as quickly as it was ushered in it will quickly roll pass too. Alot of people have jumped on the New Year's Resolution bandwagon saying "This year will be different". I often ponder wondering what will be different about this new year for me. I choose not to do resolutions but set goals, create a plan and effectively strategize to live the life I deserve. I am tired of speaking things without putting the action behind it so 2013 for me represents "Just Do It" motto coined by Nike. In this phenomenal journey I believe it is also time to unveil hidden parts of me to embrace the authentic self. In every women's life it comes a time where she has to be real with herself because the lies start to drain her energy. When you lie to yourself you set yourself up for disappointment, wreckless behavior and falsifying who you are. It is not appealing to live your life in manipulating yourself and pretending. I have came to the conclusion that being real with me is the only option I deserve because it helps me embrace every aspect of myself. I no longer want to hide my true emotions or accept things that are below my standards. So many women hide their true self in hopes of maintaining false relationships. Sometimes we bargain our happiness to trade it in for lies. I understood how important it was for me to start being real with myself so I can get what I deserve. I got tired of living in my disillusional world and fairytale life. I had to be willing to say what I really desired in my life and what I was allowing to hold me back from love, life and happiness. 2013 is a year for me to live life in no regrets, unveil my hidden beauty and just do it. Whatever your allowing to stop you from living then be honest about it and face it. Stop accepting life as it is and say how you really feel, what you really desire and what is blocking you. The greatest accomplishment in your life is being true to yourself because "honesty is the best policy". Honesty is the only solution to accept who you are to bring forth a natural you. A natural woman is a woman who can say No and mean it & say "I really desire or want this..." "I do not want this or that". This natural woman will not compromise her truth to live a fabricated life because she will never be happy. When she is truthful she will be willing to miss out on some opportunities because she is waiting on the opportunity she desires and will not settle. She choose not to fill the voids in her life with temporary nonsense just to prove to others she has someone or something. Instead she waits patiently in her truth because her truth has set her free. 

The Upgrade Experience

The most powerful thing about being a woman is understanding upgrading is a luxury that comes with the maturity of age. ~Stylicia~

2013 is soon to make head way into our lives while 2012 will be a far and distant memory for us. 2012 will be apart of an epic moment but it will be known as our past. The thought of who you are or what you were in 2012 should not be a thought at all. The only thought that should penetrate in your mind is "how will I upgrade myself in 2013". In this last defining month of 2012 I have really embraced myself on a different level. It seems as if everything around me has been upgraded from hair, clothes, style, and all of thee above. God has taken me on an authentic journey for the last year in a half and next year in April I will celebrate my two year authentic journey; the moment I became a free woman. This month I learned how important it is to embrace living well, feeling well and the finer things in life. We were taught only rich people understand what it means to live good and be comfortable. However, living well is not about money it is a mindset. It is a wealth thing not a rich thing. This month I was able to experience the upgrade which included me crossing over to a new level of class, style and embracing the aging process. An epiphany happen this month I tap into the finer things in life like being grateful for what I have, where I am at and where I am going. I decided to do a 10 day gratitude fast speaking sounds of gratefulness to life, love and to the Lord. God has been very good in my life but I took it for granted and did not give thanks for what I have in the now. Once I started to speak words of gratefulness my life has begun to multiply. I had a great desire to look for quality and not quantity anymore in my life. The upgrade experience started in my internal being which has spilled out like an oil leak to the outer parts of my life. This month I went from Coach purses to Michael Kors purses, from rules to my wardrobe color palette to mix match bright colors, shopping at Express (which I love this store & will always shop there) to shopping at White House Black Market and from a chic short hairstyle to a funky do. I realize in the upgrade experience I started to look more mature as I walk boldly into my womanhood. The upgrade experience has just begun this month which has manifested outwardly, lying dormant inwardly.  I can now embrace my sexiness on all levels not being afraid to be a woman who embraces sexiness yet understands elegance is key. It has been such an empowerment for me to allow God to take me through this season of upgrade. I have even upgraded my finances by becoming a better steward of my money and started to save it. It has made me feel so good to at this point in my life to prepare for my future. I prepared for everything else in my life but never for my future. The upgrade experience is an exploration of my whole life transitioning to a new level. 

Ask yourself am I ready to take my life to another level in 2013, is it time to upgrade myself internally and externally and if the answer is Yes, spend the last couple of days of 2012 detoxing your mind  start fresh in 2013. It's time for an upgrade experience and 2013 is a great year to start the process.

Cheers To A New You, Well Defined You and Embracing the Finer Things Life has to Offer You!