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. 

Announcement: Details On Inspire YoUniversity!

Inspire YoUniversity is an online atmosphere utilized to help women discover who they are and reconnect with their true identity. We will provide courses that will help women live bold, loud and authentic lives. 

These courses will help women:

• face their past issues
• create a plan to reconnect with the woman they lost in the storms of life
• teach them the importance of being honest and true to themselves without societal validation

Courses

The courses will be offered in a PDF format with provided materials and an audio introduction to the course. The first course package that will be available is our Art of Becoming Series. The Art of Becoming Series entails three classes: The Art of Becoming (Class 1), The Power of Becoming (Class 2) & Just Become (Class 3).

Each course can be purchased individually or as a package to get the benefit of the course in its entirety. Also the courses will be available for a limited time as we provide new courses twice a year. The Art of Becoming Series will be available this fall. 

More details will follow.......

Announcement: Details On Inspire YoUniversity!

Inspire YoUniversity is an online atmosphere utilized to help women discover who they are and reconnect with their true identity. We will provide courses that will help women live bold, loud and authentic lives. 

These courses will help women:

• face their past issues
• create a plan to reconnect with the woman they lost in the storms of life
• teach them the importance of being honest and true to themselves without societal validation

Courses

The courses will be offered in a PDF format with provided materials and an audio introduction to the course. The first course package that will be available is our Art of Becoming Series. The Art of Becoming Series entails three classes: The Art of Becoming (Class 1), The Power of Becoming (Class 2) & Just Become (Class 3).

Each course can be purchased individually or as a package to get the benefit of the course in its entirety. Also the courses will be available for a limited time as we provide new courses twice a year. The Art of Becoming Series will be available this fall. 

More details will follow.......

Recap of November Blog Post

As November says goodbye we are recapping our series Themes, Thanks & Thoughts! In this series we discuss how to generate gratitude on a daily basis & the thoughts that shaped the success of this blog for 2015.

Below are the links to help you recap September's series:

Generating Gratitude Daily 
http://www.theinspirationalcorner.net/2015/11/generating-gratitude-daily.html 

Thoughts That Shape Our Life......
http://www.theinspirationalcorner.net/2015/11/thoughts-that-shape-our-life.html 

Recap of November Blog Post

As November says goodbye we are recapping our series Themes, Thanks & Thoughts! In this series we discuss how to generate gratitude on a daily basis & the thoughts that shaped the success of this blog for 2015.

Below are the links to help you recap September's series:

Generating Gratitude Daily 
http://www.theinspirationalcorner.net/2015/11/generating-gratitude-daily.html 

Thoughts That Shape Our Life......
http://www.theinspirationalcorner.net/2015/11/thoughts-that-shape-our-life.html 

Recap of January Blog Post

 

 

This year on The Inspirational Corner we decided to do monthly themes. In this month our theme was "Newness" as we discussed starting a new year with new goals as we shifted into the power of reinventing yourself, to creating a life mantra to keep you centered throughout the year. Below we have provided the links to give you a recap of January articles to keep you motivated, refreshed and charged before this month quickly slips by! 

 

 

New Year, New Goals:

http://www.theinspirationalcorner.net/2015/01/new-year-new-goals.html

 

Reinvent Yourself & Your Life: http://www.theinspirationalcorner.net/2015/01/reinvent-yourself-your-life.html

 

5 Simple Ways To Create Your Life Mantra

 

http://www.theinspirationalcorner.net/2015/01/5-simple-ways-to-create-your-life-mantra.html 

 Photo Credit: http://www.downloadfreepictures.com/hello-january-2015-pictures/

Recap of January Blog Post

 

 

This year on The Inspirational Corner we decided to do monthly themes. In this month our theme was "Newness" as we discussed starting a new year with new goals as we shifted into the power of reinventing yourself, to creating a life mantra to keep you centered throughout the year. Below we have provided the links to give you a recap of January articles to keep you motivated, refreshed and charged before this month quickly slips by! 

 

 

New Year, New Goals:

http://www.theinspirationalcorner.net/2015/01/new-year-new-goals.html

 

Reinvent Yourself & Your Life: http://www.theinspirationalcorner.net/2015/01/reinvent-yourself-your-life.html

 

5 Simple Ways To Create Your Life Mantra

 

http://www.theinspirationalcorner.net/2015/01/5-simple-ways-to-create-your-life-mantra.html 

 Photo Credit: http://www.downloadfreepictures.com/hello-january-2015-pictures/

Authentic Spotlight Interview: Rachel Walker, Singer/Songwriter/Recording Artist

The Inspirational Corner always will do our best to bring you unique people, ideas and thoughts to bring inspiration to your life. In doing this we are working on providing you with interviews, articles and much more to keep you inspired. In order to keep the focus on being your authentic self I have created "Authentic Spotlight Interviews". The following interviews will be on a monthly basis included with my bimonthly blog post.

Our first Authentic Spotlight Feature is none other than singer, songwriter and recording artist---Rachel Walker.

Let the “The Ra[E]volution” begin....

 

(Photo by: Ellen Stagg)

 

"Being authentic means knowing who you are and knowing that you have something of value to bring to the table". ~Rachel Walker

Me: First of all, I would like to say it is such a pleasure to have you as our first Authentic Spotlight Interviewee. I would like to first inquiry about your artistry. What is your form of artistry?

Rachel: I am a singer, songwriter, recording artist, performer, and producer.

Me: I always find music to be inspiring for me. How do you use your artistry to inspire humanity?

Rachel: I write songs about love and life. The goal is to express myself through music, sound and words with honesty and creativity. I use my artistry to give people music that they can enjoy with a message and sound that inspires joy, happiness, movement/dancing, emotion, reflection, affirmation and love.

 

Me: Since you have a great love for what you do as an artist what are some valuable lessons you learned during the process of developing your artistry?

Rachel: I have learned so much but I would have to say that the most valuable lesson I have learned is that it okay to let go: let go of control both vocally and creatively, let go of insecurities, let go the fear of judgment, let go of trying to please everyone and let go of boundaries. So much of development starts with not being so restricted and your willingness to step outside of what is comfortable and familiar. It is so important to trust yourself and it is okay to make mistakes.

Me: I believe you just said a mouth full. This is such a profound statement. Since you have learned so much what word would you use to describe your journey as an artist?

Rachel: I would say that the best word to describe my journey is “evolving”. I started my journey with very little knowledge but a whole lot of desire and heart.  Now I feel extremely knowledgeable but I’m still I’m still learning and growing with my artistry. You can never really know enough.

Me: My blog is centered on being your authentic self, what does being authentic mean to you?

Rachel: Being authentic means being honest and not being afraid to speak your truth even if it’s not popular. Being authentic means knowing who you are and knowing that you have something of value to bring to the table.

Me: Since you talk about speaking your truth, The Inspirational Corner tagline is: “Live Bold, Live Loud & Live Authentically” in what ways has this concept been implied in your artistry form or became your truth in life?

Rachel: This tagline resonates so much with me. When I put out my first album “Walk With Me” in 2009, I didn’t know a lot about the business nor did I know a lot of people in the business. All I knew is that I had songs inspired by my life experiences that I wanted to put out into the world and the album gave me a specific goal to reach. It was a bold decision in itself simply because it was my first time sharing my music publicly

 

I continue to “Live Bold, Live Loud & Live Authentically” as I put the final touches on my sophomore project, “The Ra[E]volution”, due for release in Fall of 2013. This album is the soundtrack to many of my experiences over the last 2 years. Musically and lyrically, “The Ra[E]volution”, captures the evolution of my sound and creativity in a way that you have never heard from me before. As I said previously, letting go is the hardest thing to do in a world where people strive for acceptance and popularity. On this record, I am not holding anything back. I am fearless. More importantly, the purpose of this record is to identify with the listener, and to encourage the listener to also let go, embrace change, to be fearless and enjoy how that feels.

I am so incredibly proud of this project and my team and look forward to sharing it with the world very soon.

Me:Rachel, I believe as an artist you have so much to give because you are passionate about what you do. What would be your words of inspiration to inspire someone who endeavors to live their dream?

 

Rachel: I would have to say, love what you do with your whole heart; live it and breathe it. It is surely your genuine love for what you do, that will ultimately carry you through the challenges you will face along the way. I can’t tell you how much disappointment I have experienced in pursuit of my dreams, but it was my love for music that kept me going. I learned along the way to expect disappointments but never let anyone or anything steal my love for music and leave me stagnant. I would also add that you may not feel the support from people in your circle or even family members but that’s ok. People are going to convince you that your dreams are too far fetched. The key thing is for you to NEVER tell yourself that. If no one else encourages you, encourage yourself. Now go get ‘em!

You can find more information about Rachel Walker at:

www.rachelwalkeronline.com

www.facebook.com/rachelwalkeronline   
www.instagram.com/raemelrockswell
www.twitter.com/raemelrockswell 

To download both of her singles  on iTunes go to:

"Walk With Me" https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/walk-with-me/id330536127

“Falling” https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/falling-single/id389611406  collaborated with Spoken Word Artist, Tshombe Sekou, www.tshombeisms.com  

So Lovely-Rachel Walker



 





Authentic Spotlight Interview: Rachel Walker, Singer/Songwriter/Recording Artist

The Inspirational Corner always will do our best to bring you unique people, ideas and thoughts to bring inspiration to your life. In doing this we are working on providing you with interviews, articles and much more to keep you inspired. In order to keep the focus on being your authentic self I have created "Authentic Spotlight Interviews". The following interviews will be on a monthly basis included with my bimonthly blog post.

Our first Authentic Spotlight Feature is none other than singer, songwriter and recording artist---Rachel Walker.

Let the “The Ra[E]volution” begin....

 

(Photo by: Ellen Stagg)

 

"Being authentic means knowing who you are and knowing that you have something of value to bring to the table". ~Rachel Walker

Me: First of all, I would like to say it is such a pleasure to have you as our first Authentic Spotlight Interviewee. I would like to first inquiry about your artistry. What is your form of artistry?

Rachel: I am a singer, songwriter, recording artist, performer, and producer.

Me: I always find music to be inspiring for me. How do you use your artistry to inspire humanity?

Rachel: I write songs about love and life. The goal is to express myself through music, sound and words with honesty and creativity. I use my artistry to give people music that they can enjoy with a message and sound that inspires joy, happiness, movement/dancing, emotion, reflection, affirmation and love.

 

Me: Since you have a great love for what you do as an artist what are some valuable lessons you learned during the process of developing your artistry?

Rachel: I have learned so much but I would have to say that the most valuable lesson I have learned is that it okay to let go: let go of control both vocally and creatively, let go of insecurities, let go the fear of judgment, let go of trying to please everyone and let go of boundaries. So much of development starts with not being so restricted and your willingness to step outside of what is comfortable and familiar. It is so important to trust yourself and it is okay to make mistakes.

Me: I believe you just said a mouth full. This is such a profound statement. Since you have learned so much what word would you use to describe your journey as an artist?

Rachel: I would say that the best word to describe my journey is “evolving”. I started my journey with very little knowledge but a whole lot of desire and heart.  Now I feel extremely knowledgeable but I’m still I’m still learning and growing with my artistry. You can never really know enough.

Me: My blog is centered on being your authentic self, what does being authentic mean to you?

Rachel: Being authentic means being honest and not being afraid to speak your truth even if it’s not popular. Being authentic means knowing who you are and knowing that you have something of value to bring to the table.

Me: Since you talk about speaking your truth, The Inspirational Corner tagline is: “Live Bold, Live Loud & Live Authentically” in what ways has this concept been implied in your artistry form or became your truth in life?

Rachel: This tagline resonates so much with me. When I put out my first album “Walk With Me” in 2009, I didn’t know a lot about the business nor did I know a lot of people in the business. All I knew is that I had songs inspired by my life experiences that I wanted to put out into the world and the album gave me a specific goal to reach. It was a bold decision in itself simply because it was my first time sharing my music publicly

 

I continue to “Live Bold, Live Loud & Live Authentically” as I put the final touches on my sophomore project, “The Ra[E]volution”, due for release in Fall of 2013. This album is the soundtrack to many of my experiences over the last 2 years. Musically and lyrically, “The Ra[E]volution”, captures the evolution of my sound and creativity in a way that you have never heard from me before. As I said previously, letting go is the hardest thing to do in a world where people strive for acceptance and popularity. On this record, I am not holding anything back. I am fearless. More importantly, the purpose of this record is to identify with the listener, and to encourage the listener to also let go, embrace change, to be fearless and enjoy how that feels.

I am so incredibly proud of this project and my team and look forward to sharing it with the world very soon.

Me: Rachel, I believe as an artist you have so much to give because you are passionate about what you do. What would be your words of inspiration to inspire someone who endeavors to live their dream?

 

Rachel: I would have to say, love what you do with your whole heart; live it and breathe it. It is surely your genuine love for what you do, that will ultimately carry you through the challenges you will face along the way. I can’t tell you how much disappointment I have experienced in pursuit of my dreams, but it was my love for music that kept me going. I learned along the way to expect disappointments but never let anyone or anything steal my love for music and leave me stagnant. I would also add that you may not feel the support from people in your circle or even family members but that’s ok. People are going to convince you that your dreams are too far fetched. The key thing is for you to NEVER tell yourself that. If no one else encourages you, encourage yourself. Now go get ‘em!

You can find more information about Rachel Walker at:

www.rachelwalkeronline.com

www.facebook.com/rachelwalkeronline   
www.instagram.com/raemelrockswell
www.twitter.com/raemelrockswell 

To download both of her singles  on iTunes go to:

"Walk With Me" https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/walk-with-me/id330536127

“Falling” https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/falling-single/id389611406  collaborated with Spoken Word Artist, Tshombe Sekou, www.tshombeisms.com  

So Lovely-Rachel Walker



 





Born "Alpha", Woman That Is!

I know who I am, I embrace who I am and who I am is what I accept; no validation needed. ~Stylicia~

 

 

Its has been almost two years since I threw away the carbon copy of who I thought I was and traded it in for the unadulterated woman God created me to be. In this journey I have learn so much about myself and realized the authentic me had to emerge. I lived my life for years being a fake, pleasing other people because of my insecurities. In 2011, I got an epiphany and have not been the same ever since.  My circle of friends have changed and I realize this road to authenticity can be lonely when you start dancing to the own beat of your drum. In the first two months of 2013 the revelation of myself started to go deeper when I went on a 30 day soul detox. The big reveal was that I am not an ordinary woman but extraordinary woman. God created me with unique characteristics that I did not want to embrace. Have you ever asked God, "Why did you make me this way?" The simple answer is God loves me just the way I am and does not mind being patient with me to tame or deliver the things that will harm my success. So yesterday in deep conversation with a dear friend I brought up "The Alpha Woman". I told her we are Alpha Women, born to be this way. You may ask me, "Stylicia, what exactly is an Alpha Woman?" After intense research on the Alpha Woman I have complied a list of some characteristics that make me or you an Alpha Woman. Let's look deeper and embrace this "Alpha Woman" phenom.

 

The Unveiling Of The Alpha Woman : Characteristics

 

Characteristic #1: The Alpha Woman is Confident. She knows what she wants and go for it. Go Getter Mentality

Characteristic #2: The Alpha Woman is Independent. She believes in pushing her own weight and making things happen for herself.

Characteristic #3: The Alpha Woman is Purpose Driven. She knows her purpose in life and everyday she sets a target to fulfill her goals.

Characteristic #4: The Alpha Woman is aware of her power. She uses her feminine power to lead in a positive light. She is subtle and like the finer things in life.

Characteristic #5: The Alpha Woman is classy. She is wrapped in all things elegant.

Characteristic #6: The Alpha Woman is a trendsetter. She inspires people through her words, her style, and most of all through her presence.

Characteristic #7: The Alpha Woman does not have to demand respect, respect automatically follows her; everywhere she goes.

Characteristic #8: The Alpha Woman can sometimes be demanding. She lives her life on auto inspire & auto make a difference. She is out to change the world.
Characteristic #9 The Alpha Woman is confident.
Characteristic #10 The Alpha Woman is authentic.
Characteristic #11: The Alpha Woman is intellectual. She loves to gain knowledge through educating herself for the next big takeover.
Characteristic #12: The Alpha Woman is unique. She never tries to blend in because she knows her worth and she knows she is an original. No one can imitate her.

 

Does this sound like you? Well if so, join the bandwagon I AM AN ALPHA WOMAN, TOO! Embrace who you are, allow God to perfect it and balance you out. Never be ashamed of who you are be that "Alpha Woman" you were born to be!

 

Examples of Alpha Women:

 

1) Beyonce

2) Oprah Winfrey

3) First Lady Michelle Obama

4) Tyra Banks

5) Jada Pinkett
6) Alicia Keys
7) Queen Latifah
8) Angela Bassett
9) Mary J Blige