30
Dec 2013

Motivation Monday: Preparing for 2014

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This is the last Motivation Monday post of 2013 and I will keep it short and sweet. Around this time many people are creating their vision boards, writing their new year’s resolutions, or simply planning for 2014. I have yet to start any of that because I still have some unfinished business with 2013. So in order to prepare for 2014 I need to reflect on what took place in 2013. So here is how I set my goals for 2014. What I add to this list is based on my reflections, prayers, and conversations that I’ve had that have been enlightening. These categories are not particularly in any order of importance with the exception of the first four:

  1. Spiritual- my relationship with God as a Believer in Christ
  2. Relational- my relationships with people (family, friends, acquaintances, etc.)
  3. Financial- my relationship with money
  4. Health and Wellness- my relationship with my physical body
  5. Career- my next steps to move forward and my current responsibilities
  6. Educational- “learning begins at birth and ceases at death”- challenging myself intellectually
  7. Blog- my plans for the HGB brand
  8. Community Involvement- giving back to others- developing a spirit of generosity
  9. Character Building- How can I become a better me?
  10. Leisure/Self-Care- Doing things that I enjoy and that make me feel awesome!

So these are the areas of my life that I reflect on when developing goals for the new year and also when developing my vision board. I create a table and list a few bullet points for what I want to do throughout the year pertaining to those areas. Some categories can have somewhere between 3-5 bullet points, others may have one. I just depends on what I want to accomplish. I keep it posted near my night stand and jewelry board so I see it constantly.

How do you prepare for the new year?

Categories: HGB Go Getter, The GOOD Life Tags: , , , , , ,
25
Dec 2013

Merry Christmas from the Her Goody Bag Family!

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From our family to your we want to wish you a Merry Christmas! Remember Jesus is the reason for the season. Although the gifts are nice this is the time you spend with your family and friends. I am blessed to have such loyal readers and I wish you all the best on this day!

Categories: The GOOD Life Tags: , , ,
16
Dec 2013

Motivation Monday: There are Levels to This…

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My Pastor often teaches the following principle:

We live life on levels and arrive in stages. Each stage takes us to a new level of relationships, knowledge, understanding, authority and responsibility.

Over the last few weeks he has been reiterating this principle that he has taught us many years ago and I now see how this principle is playing out in my life. One thing that he added a few weeks ago was “Everyone doesn’t arrive at the same level or stage when you do.” This does not imply that you are better than anyone, it simply means that you are moving in a different direction than others. Everyone is not meant to be on the same level or at the same stage in life as their friends, family members, colleagues, etc. Often, people want to stay on the same level as the people they have grown with, but if  God is taking you in a different direction who will you listen to?

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For some people it is VERY difficult to change for a number of reasons. I’ve come to realize that most people are afraid of change, not because of the unknown at this new level or stage, but because of the reaction they will get from people who are used to them doing one thing. People equate the word change with the word phony, but it’s one thing to be fake and act like something you are not or are destined to be, than to reject God’s guidance in your life and head in a different direction. This brings me to one of my favorite poems by Robert Frost “The Road Not Taken”

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler,

long I stood And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

 

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

 

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

 

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I–

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

Take the time to reflect and think about the direction that God is trying to take you. Are you headed down the road that everyone wants you to take or are you headed down the road that God has planned for you? When you realize that God always has your best interest at heart you will understand the new level of relationships, knowledge, understandings, and responsibilities that you now have to undertake. Taking the road less traveled doesn’t mean you forget the experiences, lessons, and people on your previous road. It simply means your interactions just change and you’ll meet new people as you head down your new path. You don’t burn bridges because you are no longer on the same path, you simply take a different course and maybe you’ll meet at the same intersection further down the road.

If you are still doing the same things that you were doing  5 years ago and are wondering why you have seen little growth in many areas of your life then that may be the reason; you’ve been doing the SAME THING. Change is the only constant in life. In order to move to a new level, you have to change and do new things and maybe even do these things with new people.  One of my favorite scriptures is Jeremiah 29:11,

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

There are no coincidences with God. Everything happens for a reason and has it’s purpose, so I ask you (as I have already asked myself this question),

Are you going to let God work his plan and take you to a new level?

Categories: HGB Go Getter, The GOOD Life Tags: , , , ,
18
Nov 2013

Motivation Monday: Working on Your “NO”

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I have a confession to make, I sometimes have a hard time saying NO! It is a really bad problem. The word “No” is one of the most powerful words that you could use. I don’t know what it is about that word, but sometimes it is just hard to say.

A ‘No’ uttered from the deepest conviction is better than a ‘Yes’ merely uttered to please, or worse, to avoid trouble.

-Mahatma Gandhi

I have to look at myself and evaluate where and how I make my decisions. Saying no is difficult because for me because I know I I don’t like being told no lol. I know that is strange, but I need to differentiate my Nos. Saying no is not only in my best interest, but also in the best interest of others. Gandhi captured EXACTLY how I feel and I’m sure many of you can relate.

“No is a complete sentence and so often we forget that.
When we don’t want to do something we can simply smile and say no.
We don’t have to explain ourselves, we can just say “No”.
Early on my journey I found developing the ability to say no expanded my ability to say yes and really mean it.
My early attempts at saying no were often far from graceful but with practice even my no came from a place of love.
Love yourself enough to be able to say yes or no.”
― Susan Gregg

Susan Gregg has given me a new perspective on the use of the word. Although the word sounds harsh, it can be said from a place of love. If you don’t say no, you will have a hard time getting through life. It will take a toll on you mentally, physically, socially, emotionally, spiritually, and even financially. Sometimes the things that people ask are just ridiculous and saying no is pretty easy, but sometimes people will be disappointed because you are unable to help or grant their request.

I realize that you have to get to a place within yourself where you feel content with the word no. Everything does not deserve a yes and we have be comfortable with that. No is not a bad word, it is life saving.

Categories: HGB Go Getter, The GOOD Life Tags: , , ,
21
Oct 2013

Motivation Monday: How to Achieve Balance in Your Life (Life Update)

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I guess in this post I will tell you what I have been up to and why I haven’t been up to since I haven’t been blogging as consistently as I was previously. January of this year I set certain goals pertaining to this blog, my career in fashion, and the overall brand of Her Goody Bag. Of course God had a different plan for me and I wasn’t sure if I was ready to accept it. Many of you know that I am a teacher and have a sincere passion for educating today’s youth. Things in education reform across the country have people wanting to “jump ship” and pursue a career where they will make more money, have less stress, and be respected. Well I felt like “jumping ship” plenty of times and it wasn’t the summers off that made me stay. After I set my goals for the HGB brand in January, God quickly changed the direction of the path that I was taken. Late January I found out about a Masters Program at Columbia University for pursuing a degree in Educational Leadership. I had intended on getting my 2nd Masters in about five years, but God said “No, you’re going to do this now.” Long story short, I had about two weeks to get transcripts and recommendation letters, and write a personal statement to meet the February 15th deadline.

Fast forward to March of 2013. I was scheduled to have my virtual interview the day of my mother’s birthday. We had planned a huge dinner for her and I tried to reschedule, but to no avail. March 25th was my interview and about two weeks letter I was accepted into one of the most prestigious programs across the country. In May, I began my first semester, but that was only with pre-course work. I started classes immediately after the school year was over and was in school Monday-Saturday 8-5 (somedays 6:30) with the exception of a few days for the month of July. It was intense, but amazing.

So here we are, October of 2013 and I feel like I am drowning in work. Not only am I grading papers constantly, I’m planning lessons, going to meetings, facilitating meetings, doing school work, and much more. I fee like every area of my life is suffering, not because of the program, but because I do not have balance. I knew this year would be extremely difficult, but it feels like whenever I think I have a grasp on everything that I need to accomplish and I am finally “together,” I am set back. I have a long year ahead of me and I need to get everything under control sooner rather than later.

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My spiritual life is suffering, my blog is suffering, my relationships are suffering, my health is suffering (I’ve been sick twice already , I’m always in physical pain, and let’s not talk about the weight gain). I know that I won’t be able to do everything exactly as I have done in the past, and I know that I will have to make sacrifices, but today is the day I get some of my life back. Here is my plan on how to achieve balance because “Balance is Essential to Life.”

  1. Assessment- I had to look at the areas of my life that i pay the most attention to, the areas that could use more attention. You have to acknowledge that there is a problem.
  2. Write Goals– what do you really want to achieve? You have to write it and make it plain. So it’s like creating a balance vision board
  3. Set a schedule for EVERYTHING-I have three planners in addition to my calendars on all of my electronics. If I don’t schedule time to do something I will forget and it won’t get done. I even have to schedule time to eat. I haven’t been eating properly lately, especially at work and we all know how much I love food. I schedule dates, relaxation time, pampering sessions, social gatherings, etc. I have a color coded planner so I can see where most of my time goes, and I try to reorganize my schedule so I don’t feel overwhelmed or like I can’t meet deadlines.
  4. Disconnect– I am not on my social media channels as frequently as I used to. I realized how much time I was spending scrolling and double tapping on Instagram. I a lot a certain amount of time each week (somedays I really don’t go on to avoid distractions) for Social Media.
  5. Prioritize I look at my schedule and see what is most important. Then I create a plan to get things done.
  6. Set a Timer– When I’m grading I allot a certain amount of time to spend on a class or a specific assignment. I set a timer on my phone and I feel great when I get all of my work done before the timer goes off. I do that with everything now.
  7. Say No– This is probably one of the most valuable lessons that I have learned. I get asked to do things and go places all of the time. I used to feel guilty when I said no, but now i see the importance when it comes to achieving balance.

I pray that I get it together soon. I feel like I’m talking about balance every other day lol. I hope this post helps!

Categories: HGB Go Getter, The GOOD Life Tags: , , , ,