A Workbook, Self Love, and Legacy

This week was pretty cool. Although its not over, I had some great conversations, amazing revelations, and I heard some of the most enlightening insights. I would definitely say, it was pretty peace.

With that said, on our radio show this week, I had the great privilege of speaking with Brooke, creator of Love's Gumbo. It was a wonderful conversation (well, it was SUPPOSED to be an interview, but u know how I get a lil comfy..) and while the topic was love, relationships, and everything in between, we ended up speaking quite a bit on the relatable "in between". That being self love.

The funny thing is, THIS is what I do. I speak on self love to others. I love on my clients. I love on my babies. I love on myself. I take time, I go to Jeju when I need it. I hang with my girlfriends, I make time to exercise, I don't eat left over pb&j sandwiches. Well on most days anyway. But there is just one thing... Do I truly KNOW myself? That question rose up inside of me after seeing this:

Sistah Circle Exercise #1

I Know Me: Love\'s Gumbo Sistah Circle Exercise #1

Well, this exercise reminded me of a special workbook that I received a couple of years ago, called A Mother's Legacy: Your Life Story In Your Own Words.

It drew to mind questions about ourselves that we may be surprised to find we actually have a very hard time answering.. Things we may think we SHOULD know. Ill give an example.

There are several chapters in the book. 11 to be exact. The first chapter goes into your personal portrait. Who you are and what your gifts are to this universe. You may know what your favorite song is. But do you know WHY? Get to know yourself deeply. The surface is there, but what do you find when you dig beneath that? This is how u cleanse, purify, and recognize the beauty that is the essence of who you are.

The chapters continue on-- Your Childhood, Your Family Life, Education, Work, Marriage, Inspirations, and on and on. The important thing is, there are so many facets to who we are individually, and how well do we know them?

This was an astonishing group of exercises for me because I truly dont feel that I neglect my internal and external needs. And I feel that my self love runs deep. But does it? Hm. I realized there is so much more to know about myself, which enriches my ability to self nurture. And if you nurture yourself, you are much more equipped to nurture those around you. How lovely.

Exercises like the ones mentioned-- Love's Gumbo Sistah Circle, and the workbook, focuses on the need to love yourself, write about it, and scream it from the rooftops. Try to make use of them, this will turn into your legacy!

llp

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Living the BBW Life

I really love the name of our Company "Be.Beautifully.Well." Because each time I say it I am reminded of how I want to live my life. Every one has a story to tell about the ups and downs of life. And with that said, lets just say that I am no exception.

However, I find myself growing into a better version of myself with each passing day, each passing week and month. Be.Beautifully.Well encompasses so many areas of my life that I strive for with balance.

Today I was thinking of what makes me feel Beautifully Well, here is what I came up with:

1. 
   

   Loving someone else

   
   


2. 
   

   Taking a bath with my favorite spa essentials

   
   


3. 
   

   Calling an old friend to say "hi"

   
   


4. 
   

   Giving to others

   
   


5. 
   

   Meditating on my blessings

   
   


6. 
   

   Being aware of and acting on my spiritual needs

   
   


7. 
   

   Sharing

   
   


8. 
   

   Eating a delicious meal that not only taste good but is healthy

   
   


9. 
   

   Treating myself like a V.I.P

   
   


10. 
    

    Realizing that I am worthy

    
    


11. 
    

    Dancing as if no one was watching

    
    

That is my list of Beautifully Well moments, what are yours? Why not create your own list? Sit down, write it out, then DO it.

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The Beautiful Mind

We have all heard the phrase or at least one similar: "Be careful of what you put into your body." Why? Basically it is because your body will react to what it is being internally exposed to. Some reactions for the better and some unfortunately for the worst. If you have ever experienced first hand the effects of the latter, you soon made proper changes. For example, when you intake too many artificial sugars and foods high in fats you will eventually feel the effects; sluggish, poor skin, diabetes, weight gain, poor digestion etc. However , when you replace that with natural sugars such as found in fresh fruit, increase your folic acid by eating more green leafy veggies and incorporating whole grains your body feels the effects of that too; great skin, improved digestion, looser fitting clothes and more energy.

GOOD THINGS IN GOOD THINGS OUT.

So, with that theory in mind (no pun intended) are we just as careful about what we feed our minds? Our brain is the control center of our body. It is from there that our body gets the signals to function in a variety of ways. So why should we allow negative thinking to dwell there? Negative thinking, just like bad food full of empty calories and high fat content can break our bodies down. It has been said that disease begins in the mind. Should I repeat that? DISEASE BEGINS IN THE MIND. Negative thoughts are TOXIC to your body.

One fact to prove this is stress. We all know that stress is one of the top killers in people today. What can cause stress? Our feelings can cause stress. If we are overly worried we begin to experience anxiety, which in turn can manifest itself into a physical ailment I.e., ulcers, teeth grinding, lack of sleep. When we are carrying anger & bitterness we put ourselves at greater risk for cardiac problems, kidney issues, among other things. When we experience feelings of depression due to lack of self worth, no hope or even past regrets our body will respond to that too. Now I'm not here to list all of the NEGATIVE things...that might be defeating my own purpose. So I hope you get the point.....Think positively!

Thinking positively is not always easy, believe me. But it can be done, especially when you see the power of it. Positive thinking can be a wonderful healing tonic for the soul. Do you have the tendency to allow negative thinking to linger in your control station? Well, if you want better well being you must get it under control. Begin by checking your surroundings, are there people or things around you that evoke a negative vibe? Make some changes! Surround yourself with things and people that make you happy, that provide a sense of encouragement. Read things that inspire you to be a happier you. Begin a special ritual of gratitude for yourself, Kim Coles has a wonderful site to help with that. Research Aromatherapy and use certain essential oils that create positive energy within the home. Books by well known authors such as ; Gabriel Mojay and Valerie Worwood are awesome to read on the subject. Of course I will always be an advocate for positive affirmations and meditations: you speak it, you will think it, you will believe it.

Let go of the negative thoughts in your mind and you will put yourself on a path of positive health and wonderful well being. It takes more effort to be positive at times, but aren't you worth it?

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I am a bright and shining star – See Me Shine!

“I’m a shining star, shining bright for all to see.” These are the words that popped in my head when I read about the See Me Shine contest hosted by Execumama. This contest challenges every woman reading it to look within herself to find 5 things….5 Things! That she loves about herself and share it with the bloggerverse. This is a challenge indeed, yet one that I am willing and ready to take on.

I find it absolutely beautiful, endearing and inspiring when one can look at herself in the mirror and feel love. This has not always been my case, I was never the young girl walking with her head held high oozing with confidence. Heck! I wasn’t even the WOMAN who had it either. I won’t bore you with my story because let’s face it, everyone has a story to tell right? So lets just say I had some bumpy roads but I think I have finally gotten to the smooth pavement.

So, here are my FIVE THINGS that I love about myself:

First… I love my heart. It makes me the giver that I am and allows me to have much compassion and empathy for others. It often times makes me do a little bit more than necessary, going the extra mile (or two)

Second… I love my hair! It has been the cornerstone of my confidence building. I have always admired the women who wore their hair naturally. They always seemed to exhibit a certain strength that I admired, they felt and looked beautiful no matter if their hair was nappy. I wanted to feel that same way, so I ditched the perms and the weaves and began my journey 7 years ago, never looking back.

Third… I love my breasts, yep I do! I am often heard complaining joking about how they are no longer round and perky grapefruits but small and droopy flapjacks! But the truth of the matter is that I am proud of them, they supplied food for my babies and provided me with mother and child bonding that I will not trade for anything. So, they may no longer be perky but they are mine and I love them for all the good that they have done!

Fourth… I love my thirst for life. I want to live it to the fullest and experience as much as I can take in. I have very few inhibitions and I like it that way!

Fifth…I love my chocolate brown skin. My shoulders and legs shine so lovely when I moisturize it. I feel that my black is beautiful and I truly love the skin that I am in. I am so proud to say that now, because for many years I’m not sure that I felt that way. I can look in the mirror and really like who I see staring back at me.

So, now you know what my five things are…I’m thankful that I can truly see myself with appreciation, sincerity and clarity. Even more so, I’m happy that I am confident to share it with you!

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