Greetings!

I know I said last week was going to be my last one for a little while but with today being the first day of Spring, I was itching to write to you today. In honor of the change of season, Spring reminds us that what was sleeping is starting to awaken. As the days get longer & the weather gets warmer, let it be a reminder that our time for action is getting closer. What do you have on the back burner that needs some attention? What needs some further tending to or final touches before the big debut? Whatever it is & wherever you are in the process, Spring forward into your greatness with the confidence that your Peace will also follow.

I never feel good when I’m rushed. I like to take my time & prepare (althought when you’re a mother there are rare moments when you aren’t bustling around unless the kids are asleep, but I digress). Most days I try my best to make sure all prep is done for the day or moment ahead so when the time comes it’s a quick grab, pack, & go. There are somethings that require a longer prep process, however.  In the works of Peaceful Project, I will be taking an approach more close to home. I know I have spoken about this occasionally & my close friends know that I have been talking about it for sometime. I thought I could make the changes while I still wrote every week, but it actually made it more difficult for me as my plate was beginning to feel too full. That being said, I need the time to further tend to the changes I am planning to make. My Spirit needs the time to & space to prepare for the new steps I plan to take & as such, I will be taking a bit of a break to focus on all of that. 

No shame in my game, my mental & spiritual bodies need some further fine tuning while I prepapre for the changes I will be making.  To my loyal readers & new readers, thank you for your continued encouragements & support. Please bare with me as I post sporadically through this process. My goal is for you to not only be pleasantly suprised but to be fully inspired by what’s in store. Spring has reminded me of that. Hopefully it will do the same for you. Awaken the dreams that have been in slumber & awaiting their debut. And as always, Love yourself & be yourself.  Peace & Love ♡☆

“The beautiful spring came; and when Nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to revive also.”-Harriet Ann Jacobs

Greetings!

It’s another cold one today folks I hope everyone is able to keep warm 🙂 As this weather may have suprised some of us (all this warm days tricked us into thinking Spring was close but Mother Nature said, “Ha!”), Life too can do the same.  We may think we have it all together, & we just might, then Life says, “Ha! Here is something to shake it up a bit!” It may be something pleasant or not so pleasant. Whatever it is, there is something new to see, something new to learn. It brings us into an awareness of what truly matters & what needs your attention, like 2 pairs of socks instead of one today….brrrrr! What is shaking up your life right now & bringing you to an awareness?

As I sat on the GO Train writing this the other morning, the train ahead of us hit a truck & many of us were going to be late getting to our destinations.Thankfully no one was hurt. Talk about the unexpected! Life definitley throws us curve balls. I know some folks on the trian were most concerned with the fact that they would be late for work or wherever they’re headed for the day. Definitley not ideal to be late for work, but when Life throws you a curve, you have to roll with it. I began to take advantage of the opportunity to write this dor Wednesday when the delay was happening, but after going to bed late the night before, sleep got the better of me & I decided to take a nap. Needless to say, I didnt get to finish my write-up after & arriving to work an hour late I stayed hard on the grind all day. We all arrived safely to their destinations & the tracks were safe for our travels home later that day. 

Looking on the bright side has always been something I am known for. Optimism in tough times, in those moments when your life is turned upside down & the unexpected happens, it benefits us to not only examine what is going on & acknowledge the feelings that come with it, but to also examine what’s on the other side of it. We can then see what we have to do to make the best of the situation. Dwelling on the pissosity (thanks for that word Iyanla!) only magnifies it. It blinds us to the solutions to heal ourselves from the inner turmoil that can come with the those unexpected (or even the expected) moments that threaten our Peace. 

Becoming a single mother definitley shook my life up & definitely threatened my Peace. It’s a constant daily work to look on the bright side & stay optimistic as this is something that I defnitley didn’t plan for. Life happens. 

Focusing on the positive in this unexpected situation (alongside prayer & encoragement from supportive family & friends) is what helps in the quiet down times when my mind & emotions have their fights. Most importantly, I have a gorgeous 7yr old daughter that looks up to me & loves me unconditionally. I have her to be an example for, to show her that we can be strong & face changes with optimism. Some days are not easy but we get through them together. She maintains a relationship with her father & we co-parent, but adjusting to separation has its tough moments. Channeling my energy into positive tasks, like my work with Peaceful Project for instance, as well as being the best mom, woman, & friend that I can be is what I have learned to embrace. One of the positive things that has developed from this experience is that my daughter & I have an even closer relationship. Creating positive habits is soemthing that is very important to both of us, with Girls Time being a time.we developed for us in the evenings before bed. After homework, dinner, a bit of free time, & showering, we spend time together sharing our experiences from the day, coloring, doing meditation, or just snuggling up with our favorite show & popcorn until lights out. It isn’t always easy to make this time with all the day to day responsibilities, but we try to make an effort to do something together each evening. It gives her something to look forward to at home outside of the regular routine, that even though there have been changes, there are still good & happy things to look forward to. Facilitating & maintaining as much balance & consistency in her life helps me to do the same in my own, & reminds me that there is good in everything. Rolling with the curves & waves of Life instead of fighting the tides makes it a bit easier to deal. It has definitley put things into greater perspective &  made aware of strengths I didn’t know I had.

For this weekend, my hope for each of you reading this is to face whatever obstacles that present themselves with optimism & positive attitudes. It’s okay to feel like “this is effed up!” It’s okay to be angry & feel pissed off. Just don’t stay there. Don’t let it blind you to what good lies beyond the heartache, to what lies beyond the pain or despairs. This weekend, we will doing plenty of Girls Time activities to keep strengthening our close bond. Plus it’s fun! What activities do you have that help bring you back to that Peaceful & clearer minded state? Whatever you face this weekend or are currently facing, make a pact with yourself to think of at least one thing that will help keep you in your Peace.

Love yourself & be yourself.  Peace & Love ♡☆

p.s. Today will be my last post for a little while. Taking some of my own inspiration, I need some time to fully replenish & refresh myself. That being said, for some time I will occasionally send Dailies so you will see me but not weekly. Thank you for reading & continued love & encouragement. I love you♡♡♡

Greetings & Welcome back!

The grass always looks greener….

Another week has arrived & the cold weather greets us again; please bundle up & keep warm out there today. The title of today’s post kind of gives it away, but there is always something deeper. Many times we seek things outside of ourselves to bring us Peace, to give us what we need to feel better about our lives. What about internally? What work on the inside needs to take place? 

How many times have we said to ourselves, “Well once I get this job, I’ll be better off,” or “When I get this car I’ll do even more,” or When I lose this weight….” & so on & so on. We simplify our circumstances to materials or situations that exist on the outside of where we are, glorfying the outcome, forgetting that that job may come with more responsibilty & take more out of you than expected. The car requires insurance & maintenance. Losing weight requires hard work & eventually a new warddrobe (which is nice but why not love the curves while doing what is healthy for you overall?). Without seeing the bigger picture, we often get lost in the fantasy of the what-ifs.

For a long time, I was guilty of this. I know many of us are, & when you’re naive to certain relaities, you don’t see that the real issues aren’t what’s going on outside of you, the lack of belongings or accomplishments on paper, but it’s more of what is going on on the inside that makes you feel you need to fill a void with something external. That peace with yourself, where ever you are in life is crucial during these times, as well as gratitude. Something that helped put things into perspective was making gratitude lists. I don’t do them daily now, but I make a point to find at least 3-5 things daily to be grateful for. It helped me realize that I really do have a lot & all I need. The worrying & wishing for more to get to my Peaceful state always made the goal seem farther & farther away, as something external only lasts for so long or will only bring temporary gratification. 

I had to take time & replenish my own garden, nuture my own soil, plant the right seeds. It’s no easy feat that’s for sure, & as with any garden, it’s on ongoing process, to prune & preen the vegetaion & growth. But that is the real work. Once that is being done, wishing for outside things to come in and make things better, looking at other situations thinking tha is better & will be better for you, will become less & less important. Not only will you need less from outside, but the right externals that you need will be attracted to you & make your expeirences at in your own garden even that much more special & meaningful to you. Your light will truly shine bright as it should, & you will feel content with that, with who & where you are, knowing that growth in yourself is the true desire & not acquisition of outside materials. 

How does your Spiritual garden look? Are there some weeds sprouting? Are you noticing some seeds you’ve planted havent started growing or are stunted? Maybe the soil is under-nourished. Take some time to water your garden with some gratitude & self acceptance. Give the soil a stress break & let some more sunshine in. See the difference some TLC can mke in keeping your own grass & garden greener. 

Love yourself & be yourself.  Peace & Love♡☆

“Start where ayou are. Distant fields always look greener, but opportunity lies right where you are. Take advantage of every opportunity of service.”- Robert Collier

Greetings!

Today is International Women’s Day! In honor of all us women across the globe, today’s Wellness Wednesday is dedicated to us! For all those times we feel like we aren’t enough, for the times when we feel like we are not being heard, like we are disadvantaged, we are enough! We have voices that deserve to be heard, we have hearts that deserve to be loved, Spirits that deserve Peace & Love. We are capable of so much & should believe in our abilities to do so!

Today’s feature for International Women’s Day is Maya Angelou. An exceptional woman that did not let fear hold her back from pursuing her goals & doing the work needed to achieve them, she is definitley an inspiration for me. In the early Wonter months, my daughter & I read the junior version of her biography. I learned some powerful things about Ms. Angelou that I hadn’t known before. Something very intriguing for me was her 5yr silence after being abused by a family member. She endured something that unfortunately many of us women can relate to & her way of protecting herself was to withdraw into herself.  How many of us do that? We silence ourselves in the face of pains, in the face of adversities, in the presence of others that we think are on a higher level than us & we can’t possibly match up. But after those years of silence, after writing & reading every book she could get her hands on, she emerged as this confident person that knew so much about herself & was ready to follow her heart the best way she knew how: writing. She of course went on to write many notable works such as I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, partcipated as an activist in the Civil Rights movements, wrote plays and scripts, newspaper articles, all while being a mother & embracing her womanhood. 

Like Ms. Angelou & so many other women, we juggle so many hats & tasks, while doing our best to keep a smile on our faces. We do for our families & we are so capable of so many awesome things. I have drawn inspiration not only from Maya Angelou but so many other women, many that I know personally & espcially from my mother, of whom I was too young to remember, but feel her Love & Spirit of ambition flowing through me daily. 

In honor of all the women who inspire me, today, I remind myself to Love myself & be myself, honoring the awesome womanly attributes that make me Me, & all of us women wonderfully made! 

What will you do today to honor the Woman you are? For the men, what will you do to honor the women in your life? 

Love yourself & be yourself. Peace & Love ♡☆

“The woman who survives intact & happy must have convinced herself, or be in the unending process of convincing herself, that she, her values, & her choices are important.”-Maya Angelou 

Greetings! 

Happy Monday! I hope we all had good weekends 🙂 Today’s Motivation Monday is to be confident & not worry. Sometimes we worry that we aren’t enough, that we’ll make a mistake, but with worry comes the fear of lack of control. We can only determine our own choices, no one elses. The best thing to do is to move forward in your own confidence, trusting the Universe & your intuition to guide you in the right dorection: for you.

What worries you? What things do you feel are out of your control that give you anxiety when you think about them? Where is confidence needed?

This morning on our way out to school & work, Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds” came on the radio. As the first two lines of the song came on, “Don’t worry about a thing/’cause every little thing/is gonna be alright,” I looked up to see the sun coming out from the clouds. It lit up the houses with a sliver of golden orange rays, & gave me such a feeling of hope & inspiration. I’m a self proclaimed worrier. It has been better in the last year, but it’s something that tries with all its might to take over. In the process of some important life changes & decisions, worry tries to take a passenger seat and hold my hand while driving. “No thanks,” I tell it. I turn to prayer & deep breathing, & at times venting with a good friend to get my thoughts out & hear how ridiculous my worries can be sometimes. This morning, it was prayer, & after prayer, came the song & then the sunshine in what first a grey morning. My daughter took note of it to & smiled a tired half way smile at 7am, as “Three Little Birds” is one of her favoirites & she loves the Sun. On that note, today will be a day of confidence in the choices I make & trusting that I will be guided in the right direction. If prayer or venting isn’t your go-to, something I also find helpful that brings me some Peace are personal affirmations. Looking in the mirror when you’re having a case of the low self-esteemies can be tough, but face your fear. Look yourself in the eyes & say you will be okay: “I’m okay. We’ll be okay. Today will be a good day. I am smart. I am beautiful. I am wonderfully made, perfect in all my strengths & areas of improvement.” Say things like these to yourself a few times & smile. Put it into practice & give yourself the love you need to boost your confidence & decrease your worries. Everything’s gonna be alright! Love yourself & be yourself. Peace & Love ♡☆

“Worry is like a rocking chair: it gives you something to do but never gets you anywhere”– Erma Bombeck

Greetings!

Happy Feel Free Friday! 
This weather sure has us on our toes eh? Two days ago we could be in a light jacket & today it’s back to double up everything. I hope everyone can keep warm today ♡ 
In follow up to my post last week about decluttuering, as promised I have posted visuals on my blog to show you my transformations. From cluttered to neat, take a look & see what is now my more neat & Peaceful space. Hopefully it will inspire you to tackle a messy space, internally & externally. It has definitley made more space for my inner Peace & I feel more calm & relaxed in my space. It took some time to do but once it was done the feeling of calm was actually tangible. For my wind down, I lit some candles, burned some Saje incense oils, & watched something funny. A good laugh definitely helped keep the energy light & needless to say I had a great sleep. 

Waking up in a neat & reorganized space does wonders for the Spirit. As we know, our surroundings definitly impact the way we think & feel. For weeks before I reorganized, I was feeling somewhat off track & disorganized. I was able to do what needed to be done form day to day, but anything much more than that took more energy mentally than I’d like to admit. But since I re-did my spaces, I’m able to think clearer & meditate better. I encourage you if you haven’t already, to make some time to reorganize your space. Feel the difference of having some more clean & free space, in your environment & your Spirit. Love yourself & be yourself. Peace & Love ♡☆

“Every room has a mood or personality…and it is this that one desires to develop.”-Eleanor Brown