It's the little things. Selah.

It’s been a funny old week. Somewhere between happy and void.

I’ve been neither high or low, just floating somewhere in between. That place you’re in where you’re clearly moving, physically, but the days seem like a big blur. Perhaps you made a phonecall yesterday, or you ran an errand, went to work, went out. You ate something. You went to sleep.

You did this all over again.

I vaguely remember laughing hysterically at some point in the week (Tuesday). I also remember curling up on a sofa and watching a movie with a girlfriend. We discussed some life issues. Nothing major. We exchanged hugs. I went about my way.

But then here’s the thing. A moment that hits me every so often, and sometimes the transition is completely unconscious.

I stop and just be. I enjoy my own company. I begin to notice the little things. I marvel at them.

I ignore the flashing from my phone. I switch off the TV. I try to calm my mental chatter. It’s hard, but it’s vital for sanity. I pack so much in the week, often meaningless, yet at the worst of times, I can only accurately remember a feeling.

It’s as if I walk around on auto-pilot

-Dear Orange customer, You now have an outstanding balance of...- *to re-record this message, key hash at any time –beep-* -Go compaaaare, Go compaaare-*Hun, just reached yard, you home yet?*

*Le sigh*

Sometimes we need to be alone with our thoughts (and for many of us), with God.

• Sit still and enjoy your own company. Sing to him. Sing to yourself. Sing words that uplift you, that remind you how powerful and beautiful you are. That declare, where, what and how you want to be; what you want to create (visualisation).

• Loosen you hair, clean off that make-up and stare at your reflection. Get comfortable with you. Designate a going out day where you wear nothing but your clothes, your music and a smile. Nothing more.

• Own your body again, train & exercise, stretch for flexibility, get to the point where few things limit you physically.  

• Take ownership of your mind. Be more conscious of what you choose to fill it with, be it conversations you have, things you read, music you listen to or things you watch.

Block out London living. Enjoy pure music- with substance. Marvel at the little things in life. When everything else vanishes, they’re all we have left. ....

Selah.

[Michelle Sharpow-Back to Earth; Yazarah- Come to me; Snarky Puppy- Flood; Shaun Escofferey- Days like this; Miles Davis- Blue in green; Common- Heaven Somewhere]

Why don't you share with us some sources that inspire you/ centers you/ allows you to enjoy your own company?

Are you talking yourself out of your best life?

Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so the herald may run with it. for the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay. (Habakkuk 2:2-3) 

I was struggling with what to write today, there is so much going around in my head right now. I have just finished an assignment for my direct marketing course that has been driving me crazy. I work full time as well as studying and I have somewhat been feeling the pressure of late.

However there is something propelling me forward, there is a driving force that will not allow me to stop. Against all the emotional ups and downs of life, the inevitable challenges that come along I MUST push on.

Thinking about all this reminded me of a bible study class I attended at church, it was looking at the passage I opened with today and I'm sure you would have gathered by now that it was all about VISION.

The vision you have for your life, the driving sense of purpose within you, that thing, that experience, that brings you to life. Your life's purpose.

I'm hearing some of you say I don't have a vision for my life, or I'm not sure of my life's purpose. I DON'T BELIEVE YOU!

Yes I said it, i don't buy that at all. I strongly believe that within all of us there is a driving force, innate and seeded deep within until we start doing whats required to bring that to the surface to bring it to life.

I'll tell you what I know to be true many of us, not all but many are living scared. We are scared to admit what we really want to be, have, do because we are scared it won't come true. We are fearful we do not have what it takes, we don't have the resources, we are too young, too old, too black! etc etc.

We talk ourselves out of our dreams, we try to be 'realistic'. I know this because its something I have done and still do sometimes. I know this because I see it everyday, people living in a state of compromise. 

I'm sharing one of my favorite songs by India Arie River Rise because to me it speaks story of straying from your life's purpose, the purpose we are so often in tune with as children. 

Please liberate your dreams today, write them down as you see it, as you feel it within. Have faith as you work towards your vision, some days it may feel like it is never going to happen, some days it may feel like its a lifetime away. WAIT, it will come. Don't look at waiting as a passive act it is not. The waiting room of life gives us time to prepare for when our revelation for our lives is realized. Each moment is helping us to prepare for the next moment. When your opportunity materialises, because your vision is clear you will see it and you will be ready to make the best of it. 

Finally ask yourself are you talking yourself out of your best life? Tera C Hodges spoke a truth I will never forget she said 'don't chase your dreams, attract them' but the first step is admitting you have that dream and preparing for when, not if! but when you will be in your dream awake. 

Stay Gifted and Highly Favoured.

Lele x

Live life, live loving & love living.

Over the past few weeks I have been through a very emotionally, spiritually, hard and confusing time which as a result I defaulted on my posting my last blog. I felt I wasn’t in a good/positive state of mind to produce a positive and inspirational blog that anyone would want to read, which on reflection, I now feel that I let both myself and my fellow bloggers and readers down. I mean isn’t that life… real life? Life is full of ups and downs, twist and turns, trials and tribulations but it is how we prevail and come through the other end that will have a lasting affect on the way we see and live this precious life we have…

…The week before last (a few days before I was due to blog) on Sat 5th March I had been very excited and was looking forward to waking up in the morning to get ready to go to church. Though I have been brought up going to church and spent many a Sunday attending the local Sunday school with my nan and mom, since my late teens the Sunday morning service had been slowly dwindling to near none existence. Going clubbing with friends and stumbling in at 4am on Sunday morning to be awoken at 9am after 4hours sleep was the last thing I had in mind, so Sunday services were put on the back burner, left for more special occasions such as Mothering Sunday and Easter Sunday. Then moving away to uni meant church was once again not high up on my priority list, again ashamed to say I made various excuses.... I had no one to go with, didn’t know what church to go to and felt I didn’t need to go to church to proclaim my beliefs?! After all I had my Bible laid constantly at the side of my bed as a constant reminder of the need to pray and be thankful and count our blessings each and every day so again church was left to the back burner.

So I finally came to the realisation that there was something missing in my life and I needed and wanted to get back into regular Sunday service attendance, so I decided that I would take the opportunity of relocating to Leeds to go with my partners sister two Sundays ago. That was until I was awaked early hours of Sunday morning to the devastating news that my 22yr old cousin had been run over by a taxi driver and had passed away.

I was consumed with uncontrollable emotions, shock, upset, confusion and doubt. How could the lord take such a beautiful, kind, caring person away from us, in the blink of an eye and in such a devastating and unexplainable way, someone who had so much more of life to live, who was so ambitions, was going to uni and had just started to build the foundations of life.

Yes, I doubted our mere purpose & existence in this world and my faith in the lord above to watch over us and protect us. People offer words of comfort….‘they have gone to a better place’, ‘the lord always takes the good ones’, ‘the lord needed an angel’. But how could he be in a better place, what better place is there than here living your life, being with your family and friends?!

I wanted and needed answers, answers to so many questions that I still do not have. How the lord could take such a promising life with so much to give, so much to live for and was so loved by all his friends and family I asked myself? Yes myself, not the lord (as my close friend and fellow blogger Lele reminded me of during a call that left me reflecting). Maybe I should keep praying, keep talking to the lord, even in anger and upset, ask him over and over again, why lord, why? So I keep asking in hope that one day I will in some form of another be given an answer and some form of peace in my confusion and anger that I may better understand. How do we know the life we are living and the world as we know it is the better place? We don’t! we just have to put our trust in the lord. The LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away, no matter how hard I have to try to understand and be thankful that he gave us a precious gift, an angel in the form of my cousin Ashley Ebanks.

We are here for a season, and tomorrow is promised to no one! All we have is today, so live life, live loving and love living , with love and compassion. Love never fails. It bears all, believes all, hopes all and endures all things. cherish the friends and family who you love and who love you, treat people how you like to be treated. As Shem told taught us whilst sunning it up in Miami 'Live for the moment and cherish those around you.

Life Is.....

Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.

Life is beauty, admire it.

Life is a dream, realize it.

Life is a challenge, meet it.

Life is a duty, complete it.

Life is a game, play it.

Life is a promise, fulfill it.

Life is sorrow, overcome it.

Life is a song, sing it.

Life is a struggle, accept it.

Life is a tragedy, confront it.

Life is an adventure, dare it.

Life is luck, make it.

Life is too precious, do not destroy it.

Life is life, fight for it.

"Live life, live loving & love living"

Stay gifted, blessed and highly favoured

Zen xxx

Everyone loves the sunshine

"When the sun is shining I can do anything; no mountain is too high, no trouble too difficult".Wilma Rudolph

What a beautiful day it has been here in the UK! As an August baby I am officially a summer bunny! I absolutely love the feeling of the the sun on my skin as I’m sure most of you do too! It changes my mood and excites me into planning picnics in the park, lunches on the river Thames or simply just enjoying a beautiful leisurely stroll down the hill in the mornings (instead of that hurried hot step, trying to hold my umbrella, whilst faffing with my blackberry and getting my oyster card out of my handbag). Here in good ole England we don’t see the sun much so it’s best to make the most of it when it is around...

People often comment on the fact that we're a lot happier on sunny days; more smiles, people are genuinely more friendly and there's less of an irritation when getting out of bed at the crack of dawn and going to work. I'm sure we can all relate to the last one! heehee Oh how we love a sunny day!!

Anyhooooooo I digress, SO back to reality! I'm equating sunshine with happiness and that feel good factor, the feeling of being:

i) on top of the world,

ii)ready for anything that life throws at you,

iii)an unstoppable force of nature and

iv)having a positive impact on those around you. (this list is by no means exclusive)

So my question to you today is...... do you have some sunshine in your life?

Life has its ups and downs but we must dig deep and find the sunshine. Find out what makes you tick? What motivates and inspires you? What lifts you up when you're having a down day! As Selina said 'Happiness is your birthright'. It doesn't really have to be sunny outside in order for you to be or become happy. Happiness comes from within. Motivational drive and a passion to succeed also comes from within. So let's work on developing those attributes of our character.. find out what makes us happy and do it, so long as it's legal and doesn't cause anyone else any misery ;-)

I love the quote by Wilma Rudolph which I've used as today's sub-title as it often does feel like we can do anything when the physical sun is shining, the flowers are blooming and everything looks beautiful.. even the River Thames. We don't have any chunky boots, heavy coats or umbrellas weighing us down or getting in the way. There's almost a sense of freedom!

My dream for all of you is that the sun will shine out of you every single day. Turn that frown upside down, dig deep and find the happiness within and if you've already found it rejoice and share it with others! Whether it be dancing, listening or singing (or in my case trying to sing) your favourite song, reading and reflecting on that quote/scripture that means so much to you, praying/meditating or simply just reflecting on how gifted and highly favoured you are, I urge you to discover if you haven't already what makes you happy, embrace it and hold on to it!

For me personally music always helps! Listening, dancing or singing (in my own special way) to my favourite praise and worship song of the moment ALWAYS ALWAYS lifts my spirit and creates a smiley, happy sunny sunshine Nics.

I'd just like to leave you with a small snippet about Wilma Rudolph, this lady was nothing short of amazing and a true inspiration!

An excerpt from the "Women in History " website

Wilma was born prematurely and weighed only 4.5 pounds. In 1940 because of racial segregation, she and her mother were not permitted to be cared for at the local hospital. It was for whites only. There was only one black doctor in Clarksville, and the Rudolph's budget was tight, so Wilma's mother spent the next several years nursing Wilma through one illness after another: measles, mumps, scarlet fever, chicken pox and double pneumonia. But, she had to be taken to the doctor when it was discovered that her left leg and foot were becoming weak and deformed. She was told she had polio, a crippling disease that had no cure. The doctor told Mrs. Rudolph that Wilma would never walk. But Mrs. Rudolph would not give up on Wilma. She found out that she could be treated at Meharry Hospital, the black medical college of Fisk University in Nashville. Even though it was 50 miles away, Wilma's mother took her there twice a week for two years, until she was able to walk with the aid of a metal leg brace. Then the doctors taught Mrs. Rudolph how to do the physical therapy exercises at home. All of her brothers and sisters helped too, and they did everything to encourage her to be strong and work hard at getting well. Finally, by age 12, she could walk normally, without the crutches, brace, or corrective shoes. It was then that she decided to become an athlete.

Wilma Rudolph's life is a story of achieving against the odds. Her first accomplishments were to stay alive and get well!

In high school, she became a basketball star first, who set state records for scoring and led her team to a state championship. Then she became a track star, going to her first Olympic Games in 1956 at the age of 16. She won a bronze medal in the 4x4 relay.

On September 7th, 1960, in Rome, Wilma became the first American woman to win 3 gold medals in the Olympics. She won the 100-meter dash, the 200-meter dash, and ran the anchor on the 400-meter relay team.

This achievement led her to become one of the most celebrated female athletes of all time. In addition, her celebrity caused gender barriers to be broken in previously all-male track and field events.

Be inspired and continue to be Gifted and Highly Favoured. xxx

Inhibitions are useless

Cast your mind back to my first post - or if you need reminding just search 'Let Yourself Go' and have a quick read, now remember I was talking about the need to drop your inhibitions sometimes in order to make yourself happy? Right, so we're all on the same page here? Now just to prove that I wasn't giving advice I wasn't willing to follow, because if I remember rightly I did confess to a little bit of "bruk stick" in my pointy-ears, I forced myself to have one of the most liberating experiences I could have. Before I drop it - and I love this 'drop', what do people say to you when you've got to stand up infront of a crowd and speak? When you know your knees are going to quiver to jelly and you envisage all the words that you're going to stumble upon... Picture them NAKED. Well, I took this advice but to another degree and instead GOT NAKED. For a life art session in a room of established artists and tutors for the best two-hours I'd had in a long while.

No nerves, well nothing on the scale as what I'd imagined, by the second pose I was ready to whip off my robe and daydream for half-an-hour. I was actually singing Jessie J in my head while the foot underneath me was having the blood drained out of it - (literally, I couldn't walk for a few minutes afterwards). I had my friend Sienna there for the much needed moral support, I can definitely say that experience has bought us closer now she's seen all my usually hidden bits, even though she was sat there reading a book! I guess it was relaxation for the both of us.

But the point here is, I did it so now it's your turn! I'm not encouraging you to streak, skinny-dip or wild out against your parent's will - I do not want to have any complaints from someone's mother saying they've been arrested for indecent exposure, but allow yourself to be lead by your instincts sometimes rather than logic and reason. It's the best feeling in the world. Honestly.

Check out my blog for the images: http://glitterbowpresents.blogspot.com/

Peace. Vicky x

All the Single Ladies

A friend sent this awesome YouTube clip of poet JANETTE...IKZ (pronounced "Genetics") performing "I Will Wait for You" and I feel like it should be required viewing for every single girl (and boy) impatiently waiting for The One aka me. LOL. Much of what she's saying we already know -- don't let boredom/the tick of your biological clock/feeling horny/etc be the impetus for falling into a relationship with the wrong person -- but it's a poetic reminder nonetheless to spare yourself the grief and wait it out.

Event: Lite - "To bleach or not to bleach that is the question?"

On 25th March at The Drum Theatre (Birmingham) an experimental theatre piece with songs co written by our very own GHF blogger Shereen will be showcased. 

See below for more information or visit:http://www.the-drum.org.uk/news/p-art-icipate 

Lite - "To bleach or not to bleach that is the question?"
A captivating experimental theatre piece exploring the subject of identity through a young woman’s eyes, the piece will explore the emotional and physical journey a young woman will take to fit in today’s society. Can she be an individual in her own skin, or does she conform to social expectations imposed by media representation?

“Incredibly powerful performance. Made me think hard about my own perceptions and beliefs. Thank you.” Audience member

Devised & Performed by Marlene McKenzie.

Co-writer & Song-writer: Shereen Billings & Maxine Deer.

Part of the Creative Leap showcase.

TEAM WORK makes the DREAM WORK!!

Team Work makes the Dream Work

This week has been ‘one of them weeks’ – fantastic and fruitful yet draining. Ever felt like you just haven’t got enough hands, never mind time!!

I am in the middle of home improvements, which has gone from having central heating installed, to getting my bath room done – which entails knocking down walls and allsorts! Something which was never accounted for, nor thought through, just a random decision made by me, at the drop of a hat, perhaps because I could see floorboards being uplifted and thought now would be a good time....I think the new acquired motto from Nicole ‘seize the moment’ is actually becoming my liability, due to not being wise with it. But hey, that’s me! Sporadic and up for the challenge. Guess I haven’t really got the right to moan about the responsibility that comes along with it....so I won’t!

Anyhow...the events of this week have reminded me of the importance of TEAMWORK. And boy do I need a bit of that right now!

Do you ever feel like you just want to get on with it all yourself? Or feel as though waiting on people to help just sloooowwwwssss you right down? Not a great delegator, just a complete DOER??? That’s me. But I’m not proud of it.

How much easier would life be if we just shared the load from time to time (sigh)

If you’re striving towards a dream, goal, desire, task...whatever the end result is, sometimes it helps to draw on your friends/family/colleagues and simply ask for help. We were never created to work it all out alone, involve others and see how much more powerful and fulfilling the achievements are at the end of it – not to mention a whole lot more fun!!

H.E. Luccock
No one can whistle a symphony. It takes an orchestra to play it.

Melissa xx

A Guided Purpose...

Hi Guys,

It has been a looong day in the office so I thought I'd better submit my blog before the train ride home because its gonna be a case of shower, food and bed when I get in.

As previously mentioned the days and weeks are flying by at the mo and I must confess that this time has to be one of the most challenging for me this year for a number of reasons what I won’t bore you with tonight lol (I’ve already mentioned most of them on previous blogs).

However, I would like to share a poem that I read at lunchtime. It really lifted my spirits and I hope it has the same effect for you...

A Guided Purpose

Fluttering mind, fluttering mind,Calm yourself down and have a rest.

Slow down the busyness of your mind,And cool off your many distractions.

There's the calming effect of a fixed purpose,Which slay all doubts, worries and fears.

Once you found a goal to commit to,Your powerful mind set to work in a tenacious way.

No hesitancy, no pull back, no excuses,Removing all obstacles that stand in the way.

Upon reaching the far-fetched goal,You wonder at the marvel of it all.

A great power seems to be at work,Guiding you along the line of fulfilling your aim.

The power of a committed purpose,All lie within your powerful mind.

By Fion Lim.

Love you all and please remember to stay gifted and highly favoured,

Reds xxx

Perspective

The last week has to be hands down theee most stressful week i've experienced in a long time!

I almost chickened out of my blog this week because my mind was swirling so much. Every bone in my body wanted to use this as an opportunity to rant about EVERYTHING!

When I heard about the devastation in Japan my mind just went into overload thinking about the people that had lost there homes and families and the amount of chaos caused. I have to admit I wasn't immediately drawn to watch the news coverage on the events because at this point my stress levels were waaay too high with everything that was going on in my world.

The next day, the talk of the events in Japan got louder but I still didn't watch the news because once again I had too much going on in my world that day. I did the same thing the next day because (all together now) 'there was too much going on in my world that day'.

Until yesterday.....

Yesterday I woke up and said a prayer to give thanks as I do most mornings. However yesterday's prayer was cranky. It lacked gratitude and honesty and packed a little cynicism. Probably a little too much for the Boss's liking because right there and then the light shade dropped on my head! How I don't know, but it did. Me being the god fearing woman I am quickly toned it down and started apologising profusely of course, in fear of anymore trouble.

I don't know if it was the light shade that did it or the humble pie I was about to have for breakfast but something made me switch on the television and flick straight to the news for the first time in months.

There it was...in full colour HD; all the footage of the Tsunami gushing through the streets of Japan and taking along everything in its path. Buildings, cars, homes and landmarks swept away in the blink of an eye; just gone. As I watched the images the news reporters voices turned into padded muffles in the back of my mind. I watched cars on highways trying to turn around in the panic and get swept up with no remorse. I thought about the fear that must of engulfed the hearts of those poor people in those split seconds. In a moment like that what does one think about? What flashes through your mind in the face of devastation or death? Morbid I know, but it's a question I asked myself as I absorbed all those images.

Suddenly what was going on in my world that day, didn't seem so bad.

Give Thanks

"Life is hard" according to my 8 year old!

“Life is hard” muttered my 8 year old from the back of the car as I drove her to school one morning. This girl is far too intuitive and emotionally intelligent! Unknowingly, she echoed the first line: “ Life is difficult”, from one of my fave books- The Road less travelled by M Scott Peck.

Thinking to myself about how hard life can be sometimes, I always remember Gratitude. Gratitude, and being thankful makes my life feel more relevant, helps me to LIVE in the PRESENT, appreciate and exude that appreciation and love, and in turn “hard” bits of life, won’t be that hard, or, at least not for long… we can simply think, feel, pray/ believe in better, be positive. By following actions, we will receive a life ‘less hard’… but does an easy life exist? Buddhists believe life can be hard, and that suffering exists, enters our lives but can be banished through wisdom and prayer/meditation. At the heart of any religion is this emphasis on being thankful and giving back (charity), and I’m sure we’ve all noticed times in our lives when we have ‘given back’, done a good deed, and maybe, not straight away, but in time something/ someone pops into our lives to help…

So anyhoo, in the car, nearly at school, I said; “You don’t really believe life is hard”, reminding her of all she had in her life- from the sweet smell of candyfloss she loves, grandma’s ackee and saltfish, Andre’s fried dumplings, having a family get together, birthday parties, playing ‘big sister’ to her baby cousins- to playing on her big trampoline in the garden, to all those special moments with family and friends. Reminding her of the importance of the things and people she has around her… “life is not hard for you madam,” I said, think of all the things you’re grateful for….she paused, I could tell her brain was ticking over….- “not so bad really?” I said. “But tell me, what is so hard?” guess what my daughter was referring to?, - she couldn’t do a maths problem at school!! Is that it!?? I was thinking. I told her, “baby- You CAN do it- GOD doesn’t give you anything u can’t handle there IS an answer- and you can find it”- - and in that moment, in my PJs, hair uncombed and resigned to yet another day spending hours job hunting (after being out of work for a long time), and receiving more email generated rejections ‘ I’m sorry but after close consideration, your application has been unsuccessful’…., I took a deep breath in and exhaled….and took my own advice…

Inner Flow & Anchor

Do you ever wake up in the morning wondering ‘where is my inner flow?’ and ‘what’s my anchor?’ Sounds contradictory, but they are two aspects of the same thing.

Inner flow – what do you instinctively FEEL you should be doing right now?

Anchor – what is the thing that grounds you and keeps you focused?

Knowing the answers to these two questions can help you find and follow your unique direction in life as well as keep you happy, focused and grounded.

With love,

Keisha

Having Confidence in your own abilities

So I am back from Miami and yet again in a rush to complete this blog.....Sorry I am not setting a very good impression to the readers here, neither am I taking advice from my fellow bloggers about preparation!

I have my final exam tomorrow for my Post Graduate course Human Resource Management and I am absolutely petrified. I am not prepared neither do I feel that I am in the position to answer two essay questions on Employee Relations and Reward Management........ YAWN. Before either of you readers start thinking "but hang on a minute Shemeleah was in Miami this time last week sunning it up, drinking cocktails" lol. Well yes I was and I tried really hard to do revision, but I guess what I got done, just was not good enough... eeek!

Since I have been back I have been pulling my hair out, getting on my house mates and my partners nerves about this exam, I am completely stressing out and questioning my abilities as HR practitioner and post graduate student to perform in this exam.

I am however as prepared as I can be (given that the exam is tomorrow). I have told myself that I am going into the exam room with a sound and clear mind, I am not going to give up/quit at the last hurdle because I have come to far to begin to think negatively.

In preparation for tomorrow I am going to get an early night, I am currently drinking my mint tea and I am going to read an encouraging poem which I would like to share with you guys.... I hope you find it as inspirational as I do.

The Dont Quit Poem

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don't give up though the pace seems slow--
You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than,
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victor's cup,
And he learned too late when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out--
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit--
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.

- Author unknown

Peace and Love

Shemeleah xx

Japan: My reflections

I had a whole different topic to talk about today, I was going to talk about inequality within the UK and the fact that the playing field is not equal. Being a women and  classed as an ‘ethnic minority’ this is often something that is quite apparent if not overt. However  after hearing the news, the events in Japan have really made me STOP... and think.

One of the nagging thoughts persisting in my mind is the fragility of life and the overwhelming indiscriminative power of nature. No matter the society, no matter the race, no matter the gender we are all humbled against the mighty power of the environmental forces, when the earth groans we quiver. No matter who we are CEO, politician, teacher or homeless person nature is the great equalising force.

Under nature we are all one, under God there is none higher, there is no greater authority we are all equal. The material things of man are no match for the divine things of nature.

So why do we get so preoccupied with the material? With this struggle for power that really does not belong to us? Why do we strive to be above or superior  to our fellow human beings eager to prove that we are better, eager to justify our worth.  Why do we deny the interconnectivity of the human race?

What struck me about the earthquake in Japan was the repercussions it has had worldwide. The fact that thousands of miles across the other side of the pacific ocean coasts in Hawaii, Mexico and America where on high alert, evacuated.  International alert systems in place because if one part of our world is struck by disaster other places become vulnerable also. Both physically and economically, you just need to look at the stock market to see that. We cannot afford to be divided, we cannot afford to be insular and we cannot afford to attitudes of superiority because we are all vulnerable, all life is fragile. 

Ever notice how everything in nature happens in cycles? The earth orbits the moon, the movement from night to day, the seasons change, even our bodies have cycles. What’s my point I hear you say? Well it’s this, if Japan are suffering today then it may just be us tomorrow, everything and everyone has a season.  A time to be happy and a time to weep. A time to serve and a time to be served. A time to help and a time to be helped.

There’s a lot of talk about all these natural disasters signifying the end of days, the rapture, the end of the earth! I don’t know about all that, we’ll never know, truth is someone’s world ends every day.

What I take from this is simply, don’t get so caught up in your own world that you don’t see that we are all equal under God, that we are all interconnected and affected.

There is no room for division. 

Finally enjoy your season in the sun, embrace your life, be your best but above all give, love and empathise  freely because seasons always change.

My thoughts and prayers are with Japan and all the other places/ people across the world still recovering from natural  disasters.

Stay gifted and highly favoured.

Lele x

Click here to donate to the Japan Tsunami Appeal http://www.redcross.org.uk/Donate-Now/Make-a-single-donation/Japan-Tsunami-Appeal

Saying thank you & farewell to loved ones…

Evening Guys,

The past few weeks have been very challenging for number of reasons, but to name a few, I’ve moved homes (yes plural… I’ve finally said goodbye to my Midland based home and moved from one London based apartment to a next), applied for new internal job positions and now tragically lost a near and dear loved one - my Grandma, Cicy (we all called her by this name).

I’m not going to lie… If there was any a time where I needed to pull out the resilience and stamina card it was now! And there have been times when I’ve nearly ran on empty but the truth is that thankfully, during this time I’ve been equipped with my family, friends and a loving boyfriend; all of which have given me nothing but undivided love and support.

So what am I trying to say? Well one simple thing. God, thank you so much for blessing me with the spirit to stay strong and focused throughout all weathering conditions. Thank you so much to my family, friends, man, and strangers at the train station (didn’t catch your names but your smiles were infectious) for keeping me focused – I love and appreciate you all. And goodbye Cicy, goodbye my loving, caring and verbally sharing (she wasn’t easy) Gran. You have contributed to building the strong woman I am today and I know that your teachings and legacy will continue to live for many generations to come.

I just want to you leave you with one thought today which is no matter how hard life may seem sometimes, no matter how stressed you may feel sometimes and no matter how much you feel like giving up remember that we are all here for a purpose. And remember, if we have purpose we have worth and so fighting through all of our challenges are nonetheless worth while. I am saddened by the death of my grandma because she was a rock that I thought could never be broken. However, I am happy that she died peacefully and I’m overjoyed that she has finally reunited with my Grandpa, Dada.

If you work really hard and you are kind, amazing things will happen! This is because behaviour breeds behaviour so in turn you will attract amazing like minded people who will love and support you through happy times and also when you feel sad and blue.

So as Maya quite eloquently puts it:

"I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow. I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights. I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life. I've learned that making a "living" is not the same thing as making a "life." I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance. I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back. I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision. I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one. I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back. I've learned that I still have a lot to learn. I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

— Maya Angelou

I love you all guys and please never forget your worth (self actualisation is the key to success). Stay gifted and highly favoured

Reds (I do it all for the love) xxx

Don't wish it were easier, wish you were better!!!

Again, I've run through several blog ideas over the past few days. This time round though, less panic and worry, more which topic should I pick.

So I get up this morning and decide that the plan I made last night (to go to the gym at 7am) probably wasn't going to be achieved as stupidly, I went to bed at approx 2:30am.

So now recovered from the car trauma of a few weeks ago, I decide that I actually enjoyed all that walking while she was getting fixed and decided that the local journey's I had to make today would be on foot. So I didn't feel so bad about not getting to the gym.

I decide to make pancakes for breakfast so walk to the shop for some milk (ignoring the lactose/dairy intolerance, after all I only need a little drop to smooth out the mixture.) I come back and the first batch wasn't so great, second batch was better, third batch could've given Betty Crocker a run for her money! Pleased with myself I continue getting ready to leave, realising that I have wasted away the whole morning I feel a little deflated. Furthermore I now have to drive to get the time back, so the leisurely stroll (combined with momentary power walking to replace the interval training) wasn't going to happen.

I sit on the rocking chair to reflect and think, okay lets write my blog now so I don't have to come back to do it later and I can still walk and get most of the things done. Laptop loaded up, ready to go...and the internet pages don't load. So I close the browser, and try again...and again...and again...server and dns problem. It's okay, I'll just write something on my phone and send it to a friend to upload for me.

While I was out doing my ones and twos a few thoughts were running through my mind

"There's always something to do, my designated day off and I'm rushing around to get things done"

"My business plan still needs work and even though I'm putting the hours in I feel like there's so much more to do"

"Out of a folder full of manuscripts on my laptop, why are so many incomplete"

"I've taken a fortnight off from the gym so now I'm going to feel like I've started over and I've put it off another day"

So I treat myself to a hot chocolate from Costa and sit and think "Why can't I just get my big break? Its so hard juggling all these things and there's never enough hours in the day." I walk back to the car, give someone way who doesn't say thank you, smile anyway, get back home and look at my paperwork that doesn't seem to go down, look at the broken shredder and remember I forgot to pick another one up while I was out...then smile like a crazy person! Yes, you read it right, I started smiling. Because I looked at all these little things and realised they were just that, little things! Little things that could all be resolved. Little things that I could resolve if I really wanted to. Little things that were perfectly within my control and my power to change. But instead of fixing them, I've let them build up to a point where it gets a little harder to resolve. Then I thought about a conversation I had with a friend over the weekend and I said out loud (in an empty house, but who cares) "Don't wish it were easier, wish you were better."

So I'm going to up my diary game, I'm not just having one for business stuff, I'm having a personal/general one too. Even though I don't live in a student house any more and it's only me, I'm going to do a rota and stick to it. I'm going to have a schedule so in the middle of working on those manuscripts that need editing, I won't be popping into the kitchen to put another load in the machine. And even though I know all of these things and I've done it in the past, it's like the day I left uni I put some of the valuable things on the shelf with the uni life too. And at the moment I'm transitioning from working a full time job as an employee, to having the flexibility/responsibility of working for myself and managing my time on my own terms.

It's so easy to be sidetracked by the little everyday things and even though I've got a vision and a basic plan to get there, I need to put more effort into the journey and focus because I know my capabilities and all of these things are well within them! So from today going forwards, I'm not going to wish it was easier, I'm going to wish I were better and be better in the process!

Peace, love & hairgrease

Nuevo Mel : )

RAINBOW yourself HAPPY

…And I mean that very much in the literal sense.

The days are getting longer, the sunshine beams through the slits of your blinds, in my case, seeps through my cascading voiles. Easter is around the corner and talks of the summer holidays and how to spend them have undoubtedly given you a more pronounced spring in your step.

Until now, most of us have been dressing for comfort and warmth. Unflattering Uggs (I myself stuck to wedged dessert boots) hats that never should have left the dark corner where they dwelled and clothes that did absolutely nothing for you. And although the days still carry a crisp edge, spring/summer is all about eccentricity. Catwalks were “a riot of colour,” says Vogue.co.uk so that means it’s the perfect time to perk up your mood by splashing some rainbow hues into your wardrobe.

Contrary to some people’s belief, darker skin carries off vivid makeup beautifully, so why not experiment with a few brighter eye shadows and lipsticks? I’d usually say to do either one or the other to evoke fun and flirty, blend well and stick to colours within the same palette range. Never lose sight of what suits your complexion.

But makeup isn’t the only way, nail polishes, cute and quirky accessories such as clips, bows and funky jewellery are another way to invigorate your outfit with some life. However, for the brave among you, this season’s anticipated Colour Blocking trend is the one for you. Cast your mind back to Rihanna’s Rudeboy video and think tribal for a more playful take. Be bold and make colours clash. Hold your head high, smile coyly and carry off this trend with confidence because it isn’t one for the faint hearted. But for the shy amongst you, fear not, you can tone down rainbow brights with denim and neutral tones.

So now you have the basics, follow the links for some inspiration and see how many new shades you can thrown into the mix.

Vicky. x

http://neeffresh.tumblr.com/

http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/trends/
http://www.peaceimagesjewelry.com/

http://rachelstewart.bigcartel.com/

http://www.accessorize.com/page/home

http://www.opi.com/ (Nail Polishes)

http://riverisland.com/ (Sandals £54.99)

http://topshop.com/ (Aztec print dress £46)