Are you ready for Sweet Sixteen?

Happy New Year and all that good stuff!!

2016 is here..Are You Ready For It?

I must say that I am.  I was a little hesitant and not excited for a little while during the month of December.  But after some time off from my full-time job and some relaxation this girl is ready to GO!  I didn't do as much planning as I thought I would.  I took my days of way too seriously.  I slept my behind off.  And I needed it.  I took some time to spend with my son and other family members.  I also visited my brother who I hadn't seen in 10 years and that felt pretty darn awesome.

2016 is a big year for my son and me.  He will be graduating as I've mentioned in a few previous posts.  So I'm focusing on getting him into somebodies university!  Also I feel that its now time for me to branch out and do some things that I have been postponing over the years.  It wasn't so much that I could not do those things and be a mom. But I felt a little guilty and thought that I would miss something if I did.  I also was in college myself so my plan was to finish something before I began something new.

Today I am excited for new things to come.  I've sent out some emails and put a few things into play that I have been debating over for a while.  I decided to bite the bullet and go for it.  Hopefully these things work out in my favor and I can happily say that I put myself out there and no longer have the what ifs.  I think Shonda Rhimes has a book about her year of yes.  I'm not saying yes to everything but I am definitely conquering a few of my fears and going for it!

I have a few entrepreneurial and fitness goals for the new year.  Wish me luck!

And stay tuned!  There is so much more in store!

PS.  What's at the top of your 2016 to do list? Share with me in the comments or on Twitter!

What are you afraid of?

What has fear kept you from doing?  Achieving? Even attempting?

I personally have seen fear stop so many people from pursuing their dreams and doing what they desire.  Why is that?  We become afraid of the what ifs and are not able to realize that its the very thing that is stopping you from living life authentically.

I've seen fear in the form of relatives or friends who may try to dissuade you to take that leap of faith. They might not be doing this on purpose but it happens.  Just think..You have this grand idea.  I mean you can't stop thinking about it. It consumes you that you can't work your day job because of your dream job.  Then you go to share with someone and they dissect every aspect of your master plan.  They question your ideas and motives and you start doubting yourself.  They warn you of all the things that can go wrong.  And somethings are bound to go in the opposite way of what we think up in our heads, but instead of seeing that as a loss, it should be seen as a lesson. 

Fear can literally paralyze you because of the unknowns. You know what you want out of life.  But you won't go after it.  I see meme's and posts all over social media of people wishing their days away because they are not living with purpose.  How many actors, poets, singers, writers and business people have you heard say that getting to where they wanted to be in life was easy? I can assure you that they didn't have an exact plan in their mind, but the desire was so great that they had to go for it. 

I personally suffered and still to a degree suffer from fear.   Back when I was younger I had people taken away from me so I was afraid to leave those who I had left.  I didn't like change.  I played the hand that I was dealt.  I had the dream of going away to college, but in the back of my mind I couldn't imagine not living at home with my family.  I found out I was pregnant so I was slightly relieved that I didn't have to leave home because I decided to keep my baby and stay home and attend college locally.  You then start finding excuses to allow fear to keep you where you are.  We tell ourselves that once we finish this, we will be able to do this. And that continues on for so long.

The world is more transparent now..even though everything you see on social media is not truth.  But social media allows you a window into the outside world and you can see people literally pushing boundaries and stepping outside of their own boxes.  People are more and more seeking the life they love.  

I say all of this to say, stop letting fear run your life.  Don't quit your daydream.  

What's your favorite "F" word?

                 

                  So it seems that I haven't penned a blog post in a very long time.  I had promised myself that I would do better with adding content and doing so on a regular basis.  Well-you know what happens..life happens.  My full-time job has me extra busy these days.  And my son is in his senior year of high school (insert Mommy tears). If you have children, you should know that preparing a teen for college and adulthood is a full time job also.  College visits, football camps, prep testing, studying etc is in full swing.

                  Even with all of my other responsibilities I feel that I must maintain some sort of focus on my own goals and aspirations.  I finally completed my Associates Degree in May of this year!! Yay me.  Now back to the business of building my FUTURE.  Right about now, that is my favorite "F" word.  I have been menially working on my first fiction novel.  No more excuses.

                On Periscope, Instagram and Facebook (yes I still like Facebook) there are constant reminders of people building their businesses, creating careers for themselves and leaving corporate America.  I've been putting a lot more thought into the decisions I make to prepare myself for my next chapter. Sometimes social media can catapult you towards figuring out your life or it can easily distract you from it.  I like to think I use it for inspiration and motivation.  I stay up at night with ideas for all the things I want to create and do. What are your plans for your future?