And anything else that falls into
the category of fear, unhappiness, and dissatisfaction.
If you asked me if I was a worrier, with confidence, I would answer no. I've always considered myself as in control. I've considered myself as a planner, a doer, and as proactive. Most importantly, I've considered myself as someone with strong faith. But truth be told, panic is usually my first reaction to stressful situations rather than feeling the peace in uncertainty that is associated with faith.
Worry by definition is to feel or cause to feel anxious or troubled about actual or potential problems.
Worry causes delay to your potential (and it won't let you be great!). In a sense, worrying is a coping mechanism we develop in an attempt to manage our situations.
I noticed that I suddenly became prone to worrying about everything...recently it has been how long my hair will grow (ha!). But more seriously, I would find myself panicking over most every situation. I would find myself staying up late to ponder over how I would fix my problems -- problems that were beyond my control. I found myself creating scenarios that I imagined I would have to deal with in the far future.
I remember discussing worry in one of my bible classes at Westmont College. We discussed what it means to worry as a Christian and how being fixated on our problems in this manner simply tells God that He cannot move your mountains. Worrying is telling God that your problems are bigger than Him.
When you worry, you spend more time doubting that believing.
During this season I made a conscientious choice to be intentional about not worrying.
First I had to understand what causes worry: anticipating something you cannot yet see... you're anxious to obtain something that is not yet within your grasp.
I made sure to acknowledge these "problems" which caused me to worry. Acknowledge that I have bills to pay (in spite of being a full time student); acknowledge that some of my relationships were struggling; acknowledge that some of my goals and dreams will be difficult (but attainable!!).
I talked about intentionally giving up worry—
To me, being intentional about this is like anything: making a firm & mindful decision-- deciding to be happy, deciding to let go of anger, deciding to have a good day, deciding to smile. It's a decision that you can make in order to cease thinking about what you have no control over.
As a Christian what helped was praying about my situation and knowing in my spirit that it would be taken care of. By dwelling on God's promises. By remembering how He loves. By knowing that He has done it before (Hebrews 11:4-39).
Worry is a sign of distrust. By letting go of worry and making that commitment within your spirit, you are telling your problems that something is bigger than them...that something is in control of them..
so your problems no longer have a hold of your being & can no longer consume your thoughts.
Focus on who God is.
Surrender all--that includes surrendering a habit (or coping mechanism) I've formed over the years.
God never fails. So why worry?
If you asked me if I was a worrier, with confidence, I would answer no. I've always considered myself as in control. I've considered myself as a planner, a doer, and as proactive. Most importantly, I've considered myself as someone with strong faith. But truth be told, panic is usually my first reaction to stressful situations rather than feeling the peace in uncertainty that is associated with faith.
Worry by definition is to feel or cause to feel anxious or troubled about actual or potential problems.
Worry causes delay to your potential (and it won't let you be great!). In a sense, worrying is a coping mechanism we develop in an attempt to manage our situations.
I noticed that I suddenly became prone to worrying about everything...recently it has been how long my hair will grow (ha!). But more seriously, I would find myself panicking over most every situation. I would find myself staying up late to ponder over how I would fix my problems -- problems that were beyond my control. I found myself creating scenarios that I imagined I would have to deal with in the far future.
I remember discussing worry in one of my bible classes at Westmont College. We discussed what it means to worry as a Christian and how being fixated on our problems in this manner simply tells God that He cannot move your mountains. Worrying is telling God that your problems are bigger than Him.
Lent
During lent we are meant to give
up certain luxuries and exercise patience. People who worry do so because
we desire the luxury of certainty. We fail to be convicted of things not
seen (Hebrews 11:1).When you worry, you spend more time doubting that believing.
During this season I made a conscientious choice to be intentional about not worrying.
First I had to understand what causes worry: anticipating something you cannot yet see... you're anxious to obtain something that is not yet within your grasp.
I made sure to acknowledge these "problems" which caused me to worry. Acknowledge that I have bills to pay (in spite of being a full time student); acknowledge that some of my relationships were struggling; acknowledge that some of my goals and dreams will be difficult (but attainable!!).
I talked about intentionally giving up worry—
To me, being intentional about this is like anything: making a firm & mindful decision-- deciding to be happy, deciding to let go of anger, deciding to have a good day, deciding to smile. It's a decision that you can make in order to cease thinking about what you have no control over.
As a Christian what helped was praying about my situation and knowing in my spirit that it would be taken care of. By dwelling on God's promises. By remembering how He loves. By knowing that He has done it before (Hebrews 11:4-39).
Worry is a sign of distrust. By letting go of worry and making that commitment within your spirit, you are telling your problems that something is bigger than them...that something is in control of them..
so your problems no longer have a hold of your being & can no longer consume your thoughts.
Focus on who God is.
Surrender all--that includes surrendering a habit (or coping mechanism) I've formed over the years.
God never fails. So why worry?
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I have a love/hate relationship with birthdays. In addition to them being a joyful time to celebrate life, to spoil yourself, to reflect on blessings, for me birthdays are also a time to measure how far I've progressed. I know I just turned 24 (yaay!) but for some reason I feel so OLD! I'm knocking on 25 and 30 is only around the corner! Yikes! I've experienced so much in the past year. 23 for me was a year of growth. A year of figuring out and realizing who God wants me to be...& how He desires to use me..So 24 needs to be a year of progression & preparation to step into my role. I've spent the past few weeks mulling over a mental to do list of realistic things I want to accomplish before I hit the big 2 5 - and in writing these things out (and sharing them with you all) I can only hope it will help in keeping me accountable!
- Earn my master's of science in Psychology
- Make a financial plan! (savings plan, budgeting plan..etc...the future is closer than I think!).
- Learn about investing my money (stocks, shares...all that jazz).
- Stay organized! Discipline my self to religiously write down life plans, business goals & career goals....As a student and passionpreneur I'm definitely organized now, but as more things come I think it's imperative that I form a system that will not only keep me organized but also keep me accountable.
- Perfect 5 go- to meals...I like to think I can throw down in the kitchen...but I need to perfect 5 Nigerian meals before I leave my father's house..ha! Jollof rice, pepper soup, egusi soup, stewed meat, my mother's fried rice!
- Create a 5 year plan...I'm all about writing down my goals- but now it's time to write out where I see myself in the next 5 years...one year at a time (Yikes! So scary to think that I'll be 29!!! Lord, be a fence!).
- Attend more conferences! (women's, business, culture...etc)
- Perfect 2 go-to hairstyle that I know I can rock!...I love experimenting with my hair..I'm a fan of changing my hairstyle every other month & can switch from faux locs, to crochet braids, then back to a wig in a matter of weeks! But as I get older I think it will be beneficial to just switch between one or two hairstyles...(no fun!).
- Own at least 3 go-to outfit essentials.
- denim jeans/blazer
- little black dress
- interview outfit (preferably a chic black dress)!
- oh..can't forget classic "nude" & classic black pumps!
- Learn how to make my make-up "on fleek"....I'm a fan of makeup but hardly a pro...it looks nice on people but I just can't be bothered with spending time to fill in my eyebrows and contour my cheek bones!...gotta do better so I can be "shine shine gal" (Naija accent)!
- Be beautiful..be confident...be fierce...not that fake confidence or that fake beauty...not the one where I look cute on social media but am actually a mess in real life. But the kind where I can step into a room and not be afraid to speak my mind, the kind where I'm bold enough to share my opinions, the kind where I'm not hesitant to let my personality spice up a conversation..and the kind of fierceness that will make me believe that my beauty is authentic.
- Learn a new language...like almost every Californian I took Spanish in school and can speak the basics. I currently live in Europe...so I told myself that I can't leave this continent without learning a new language! Oh & on that note I need to practice my native tongues! (Yes, tongues..lol..I'm Ijaw so my family's native languages are Ijaw, Obolo, and Igbo..ya girl has lots of learning to do..pray for me)!!
- Visit a foreign country...by myself....get immersed in another culture, interact with new people..lose myself in the midst of newness..be brave...take risks... As Paul Coehlo said: Nothing can substitute experience. And what greater an experience than taking a risk (but a cautious one) on my own?
- Take on more challenges..whether that's hiking up an incredible mountain, speaking in front of a crowd, serving God in a way I never expected or planned...
- Be on time and stick to a schedule.
The best thing about a to-do list is being able to cross items off once you've accomplished them.I'm excited to look at this list daily and track my progression over the next several months! (Inspired by my fab blogger friend Vic Styles)!
Outfit details:
Y'all know I had to step into 24 with class and a little sass! I wore this number to afternoon tea in Marylebone (London's West End) to celebrate my birthday :D
Soft Pink Midi BodyCon Dress: Miss Selfridge, London | Can be found here: Miss Selfridge
Floral Print Pumps: Primark, London
Clutch: Consignment shop in Santa Barbara, CA
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This oversized blazer was just under $2! I paired it with this cute lion-print top from SheInside.com, a high waisted skater skirt, and Steve Madden black booties - dressed for a warm winter day :)
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Yay for frugal, vintage finds! I snagged this over-sized number from a local thrift store for less than $4. I instantly fell in love with the mess of prints and patterns! Oh- and it has SHOULDER PADS!! Lol...yes I was a little excited when I found it tehe. I loved the vintage look of the sweater, so I paired it with a small brown shoulder bag, boldly colored lips, and BIG hair :D
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| Big hair, bold lips. :D |
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Today's look was fun but simple! I played around with patterns just a little and mixed this kinda eccentric clutch with black and white printed pants. because of the loudness of the clutch and the snake skin pumps, I kept the jewelry very simple with a four tiered necklace, paired with a simple black blazer.
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Black Blazer: Nordstrom
Printed Pants: Forever 21
Orange Snake Skin Pumps: Aldo
Clutch: Sister's closet! :)
Necklace: H&M
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Hello fellow fashion lovers! I had so much fun today doing this impromptu shoot at the Grand Central Market in Downtown Los Angeles! This spot has to be the cutest place in LA- perfect for an afternoon out in the city. Today's weather was a perfect 70. Warm enough for a long sleeved oversized tee, ankle booties, and cute hat!
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| photo by Cecila Luna (@sehsee) |
Tis the season! Not just for jolliness, Christmas, fudge brownies, chestnuts roasting, faux fur vests, and family fun (although that clearly is a part of the season- other than Jesus of course!!). I love this season because it is perfect for preparing for new beginnings. Tis the season for reflecting, restructuring, and rebuilding.
Tis the season to be a doer. To make moves. Move into a place that allows you to discover your purpose. Here are some things I've found useful in bringing me out of 2014 and into a purposeful new year that will be filled with opportunity, testimonies, and life.
1. Welcome hard work: These days in order to be successful you need to make cozy with a certain pal named drive. Drive will help you achieve what you've set out to do. Yep. It's very simple. Once you welcome hard work, are up for the challenge, and persist through obstacles, success will come knocking. Say no to procrastination, negativity, and lack of preparation. With Drive, you'll be ready to get up, get out, and do work.
2. Step out of your comfort zone: After all, it's no fun to be boxed in! I find this zone to be a dangerous one. Danger zone if you will. All this zone does is drive you down to hardship. When you are given opportunity, you will either run from it, or struggle immensely as you try to figure out what to do once you are faced with challenges. Yes, you might be content and complacent in your current situation, but if you haven't learned anything in quite a while it may be time to reevaluate your surroundings and recognize that your comfort is boxing you in.
3. Be resourceful: Read, write, ask questions. Get a mentor, get a friend, get a role model. Pray. Resourcefulness is all about preparation. Preparing yourself to be capable of dealing with new challenges. Work consistently and diligently as you perfect your craft and dive into your purpose.
4. Learn how brilliant you are:
Brilliance is the ability to tap into what you already have: creative ingenuity, innovative suave, illuminated elegance. Brilliancy is about light and vibrancy. Find that light and vibrancy and build on it. Exercise your creativity. "When your light is exploited and shown to the world, the world will be drawn to it."
5. Trust God's timing: This is a rather important one that we all seem to forget. If you already work hard, believe comfort zones are overrated, are a vivacious reader, and are a regular Einstein, then it's time to exercise patience. Easier said than done, right? It often takes rejection, hurt, and innumerable hurdles before we realize that closed doors are meant to be closed, and open doors are worth waiting for. Your prayers haven't gone unanswered.God hasn't been shutting down all your dreams, He's just preparing you for the moment when He makes them come true. God sometimes allows us to delay pursuing our purpose because He is maturing us and preparing us for what is to come. Keep growing, praying, and trusting. Allow God to produce excellence in His time.
6. Take a leap of faith: And do so blindly. Trust that all your faith, intuition, hard work, and tenacity will cause you to land right into the palm of God's hands.
'Tis the season to have hope for a bright new year.
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