Accountability

Dear Inspirations,

This week I was forced to be reminded of all the great things life is capable of offering. 

I worked on being calm this week or as Addy called it I found my Zen. 

I focused on only the good things that are happening in my life, it felt good. 

I did not dwell on the things I don't have. 

My husband reminds me all the time "Things could be worse" 

Prime example:  

This morning on my way to work there was a homeless man asking for money.

I bought him something to eat. Not because I am balling, but simply because I believe in doing good. 

What if that was me? 

Man it's always great to have people in your life that hold you accountable. 

There were three people this week that pushed me. 

1. My trainer really pushed me to some limits this week. 

 She really made me feel bad about the way I've been eating.

She is one of the hardest working women I know. 

Man if you ever workout with her I pray that you can keep up.

(I mean if you ever try to lift the weight she does)  

She also motivated me to want to get better in the gym. 

I want to be able to lift and squat with no complaints. 

I don't want working out to be by force. I want it to be second nature. 

 With this in mind I am going to do better. 

2. My director and secret inspirational coach made me really contemplate my next steps in my career. 

She made me feel good about who I am as a person and she motivated me not to sell myself short. 

She always finds a way to do that, with every single conversation. 

Those are the kind of people you need in your life. She's a Positive Patty. 

Remove all of the negative Nancy's

I really thank God for her. 

3. My colleague, she sent me a message that set me on fire. It's honestly something I have been trying to figure out for about two years. We decided to start first with a list.

These are the type of people you need in your life to thrive. 

They hold you accountable. 

They keep you in line. 

They help you flourish. 

I am behind on my reading for the month. 

I am going to get to that! 

Hold yourself accountable. 

Realize that you're effing up and DO something about it. 

Don't just sit there and let the year pass you by. 

Until next time

DearJasmineP 

January- Jump Review

Dear Inspirations,

I’ve always loved reading ever since I was able to read. I would beg my grandmother to let me walk to the public library and I was faithful to my Power-card.  As I got older I got out of the habit of reading simply because I don’t make time for it. “Reading is fundamental” we all know that. 

So, with that being said I am going to read one book a month. One book a month sounds easy, so easy that I was not able to complete it last year. This year I am not going to let it go. I am holding myself accountable. Here’s my January review of Jump by Steve Harvey.

Review

JUMP- GAVE ME LIFE 

After reading Steve Harvey’s book my soul is hopeful, renewed and enlightened.

I feel as though it was written just for me. I started the book January 1^st and I finished it January 15^th. The book is relatively short with six chapters. I love this book for a number of reasons but I don’t want to spoil it for you. The first one is the personal anecdotes that Steve shares about his personal life. I've  always been a fan of his since Showtime at the Apollo. After reading this book it is very clear how he became successful. He jumped. In every situation he had choices to make and every time he chose to jump.  

Steve made it clear in every chapter that “if you don’t jump your parachute will never open”.

My God, that statement alone spoke to me in ways that I can’t even begin to explain.

I feel like we all want to live a life that is purposeful but at the same time we’re all scared to jump.

Year after year, I’ve thought about things I wanted to do. I’ve envisioned them, I’ve prayed on them, I’ve wrote them down. But I have never jumped fully. I’ve been in and I’ve been out. I’ve got on that ledge and I’ve said I’m going out there to do this, but each time I’ve ran back.

Steve defines jump in so many  ways.

“Jumping is taking a risk, a leap of faith towards your dreams. Jumping is making a career move, Jumping is rectifying an issue in your personal relationships. Jumping is embracing the ambition that God has put in your imagination and you making a commitment to manifest it in your life” 

(Harvey and Lakins).

I want to JUMP. I want God to open doors in my life that I didn’t even know were possible. I want to live in such a way that my son believes that he is truly capable of anything. Not only because I tell him and teach him, but because I am an example of that.

Each chapter was a true eye opener and a testament of jumping. I really want you to read the book so I won’t go into too many details. However, I will share one  quote  and what I learned and from each chapter.

Chapter one:“The more jump, the more you will look back and be amazed at how far God has brought you” (Harvey and Lakins).

Every lesson that you learn in life prepares you for the next level of your life. If you never fail you will never know what it is to win. If you fail and wallow in that failure you will never be able to win. Jumping is necessary.

Chapter two: "Hope requires you to get out of your bed and make something happen every day."

When you jump, you must have hope that your parachute will open. You can’t expect for everything to be glamour’s at the beginning. Even when times get tough you must keep going because you have faith. I know this is why it’s taken me so long to jump in my professional life.

Chapter three:. "There is absolutely nothing in your life that God hasn't already pulled you through or isn't currently  pulling you through".

 God will truly bring you out of any situation. He will take that same situation and turn it into something good! When you find yourself in a situation those REAL ones will be there without you asking. I think this was one of my favorite chapters because it spoke real truth to Steve's life

  

Chapter four:"God can bless your steps if you are taking some. He cannot bless your steps if you are not taking any." 

Some times one jump ends up setting you up for your whole life. I look back on my life and I see the fruits of my jumps. It is no coincidence that I am where I am because every jump that I've taken has set me up for this moment. I need to be more open to sharing my gifts with the world  in ANY capacity. I am going to keep going

Chapter five:  "Your dream has to be tied to something that you are gifted at doing".

When people ask me whats my end game, I often feel intimidated or pressured to lie. I think the uncertainty of living up to that potential scares me. When I was younger I aspired to be a singer, and a piano player. Then for a  very long time I wanted to become a journalist and an actress.  In my mind I was going to be bigger than Oprah. In fact I had mapped out this master plan  to steal Oprah's story line and put my name on it. (so serious) I know now that my gift is bigger than news and being in movies.  I want to inspire people to be the best version of themselves. I believe that I have a true gift to motivate and inspire others even if it's just sharing a smile. I will eventually open a non profit organization that will foster those gifts. This chapter reminded me that no matter where I am today in this journey of life I am still going to come out on top! 

Chapter six: "Never let your past mistakes or your fears stop you from jumping"

It's easy to say "you know what A,B & C did not work. I am not going out there again and look like a fool. I know this to be true in my personal life. I've failed more times then I like to express and because I've failed I've allowed it to cripple my success. 2016 was a whole year of me not jumping because I was to scared. I don't want to live like that. I don't want my son to feel like if you fall down one time you can't ever get back on his bike. I am going to try new things this year. If it does not work SO WHAT! 

Inspirations, if you don't read anything else this year read JUMP. I'm yet blessed that my friend Casilya  thought enough of me to buy the book as a graduation gift. I believe that it was a true message in that book just for me. I am going to JUMP. I don't know the details of the jump, but what I do know for sure is that life is to short to stay on the ledge.

Drop me some of your favorite books in the comments! We're reading one a month!

Until we meet again

DearJasmineP. 

Harvey, Steve, and Leah Lakins. "Introduction." Jump: Take the Leap of Faith to Achieve Your Life of Abundance. New York, NY: Amistad 30, an Imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2016. N. pag. Print.

Note to self

Dear God, 

God I ask that you help me move out of the space of invisible barriers.

 I ask that you remove things from my life and make me over.

God I ask that you help me see the greater potential in my life.

 I ask that you expand my territory so that I can do work for you.

God I ask that you restore my faith and allow me to be a better person.

 I ask that you help me to fulfill my purpose in life.

God I ask that you give me the desire to be all that I can be!

I am ready to go to the next level.

God I am ready to work for you.

I am ready for my next season!

I want everything that you have for me RIGHT NOW. 

This is a reminder to myself. 

Love DearJasmineP

The Shift

Dear Inspirations,

At this exact moment... everything is good. 

It's Monday and I am full of energy. I am positive. I am hopeful. 

I feel as though there will be a shift this week. 

I feel like a mountain will be moved. 

Have you ever felt like that? Maybe it's just me. 

Its a beautiful thing when you  can feel the shift before it happens. 

If you are ever able to feel the shift it's usually right after a storm or a test. 

You feel calm as if things have already been worked out in your favor. 

You feel like you've already won a battle that you've been fighting. 

I believe in that. 

I can hear God. 

I can literally feel his presence. 

Thing start to happen when you decide that you will not allow negative energy into your life. 

That's where I am right now. Why put up with negativity? 

Now I am not saying that I am positive every single day of my life. 

What I am saying is that I wake up every morning with the intentions of having a good day. 

After reading The Rhythm of life, I decide that I am going to make the most of each day.

I choose to have glitter for breakfast and shine all day honey. 

I choose to stand in the sun and let the shadows fall behind me. 

This is defined as the shift.

Let's shift together. 

Until we meet again
DearJasmineP

Not next, NOW

Dear Inspirations,

Happy New Year! I'm sure we are all secretly feeling like "New year New me". I wanted to write some long caption on FaceBook about how 2016 tried to take me out, but instead I will share it here.

2016 was a year of learning, growth, maturity, inspiration, fear, depression, and many other things. I can say that it truly tested my patience, my faith in God and my strength as a person. I mean let's face a lot happened in my life last year. I became a mom. I became a wife. I also finished school.

Someone asked me just the other day "how did you do it all"? I had to stop and think about that question. It was all GOD. There were days in 2016 that I didn't know if I was going to make it through. See the thing is there are a lot of things that I don't share. There are a handful of people in this world that know my story.

Not that I am a shamed of them it's just some things I choose to leave out. So when you say 2016 was a rough year for you I can relate. However, I made it through. When you look at my pictures on social media you wouldn't know that I was laid off from my job, you wouldn't know that I was fighting depression. You wouldn't know that I was stressed out trying to balance all of the things I had going on. You wouldn't know that I was learning how to be a mom and a wife all at the same time.

2016 tested my FAITH in God, but I know God is real because I'm still here.
I'm glad that year is behind me and I can walk into 2017 with my head up high.
I know that God took me through 2016 to show me that he is yet God.
I believe that he will give me everything I prayed for.
But wait.... a lot of the things I prayed for in 2013, 2014, 2015 he's already blessed me with.

I remember praying for God to send me a husband.
I remember praying for God to bless me with a new car.
I remember praying for God to bless me with a child.
I remember praying for God to help me move into my own apartment.
I asked God to help me complete my masters.

Those things have already come to past! So, again I know that God will give me favor.
2016 was a year of progress and success.
It might not have felt good, but we made it through.

2017, Will not be a new year, new me... It will be a new year, better me.
I'm walking through doors,
I'm going to believe that I deserve everything that I have already prayed for.

My blessings have already started pouring in.
One of my good friends reminded me that Now is my time. Not next, but NOW.

So inspirations, I challenge you to believe.
I challenge you to start right where you are and make a change in your life.

I believe you can.

I am going to write more. I have to.

Until next time,

DearJasmineP 

Grad Chapter: Honest moment

Dear Inspirations,

As of December 10th 2016, I am officially done with graduate school. (Inserts a fist pump) I am free from school!! I've graduated once again and this time it was different. I remember how amazing and stress free it was to graduate for the first time. There was so much adrenaline pumping and I looked at the world as a ocean. I was ready to take the world by storm.

Fast forward four years.... I'm married, I'm a mom and I guess you could say the world feels different.

Saturday felt amazing don't get me wrong. BUT the feeling was different. I felt a sense of pride, joy and true completion. I am the first one in my family mom and dad side to go to college. I was the first one to get my bachelors and currently the only one. I was also the first one to get my masters. I'm not saying this to brag. I'm saying this because I feel extremely grateful. Undergraduate I felt like I did it for my dad and my sisters. Graduate school was for me. I started the program single, but I ended it married and with a son.
So much growth as a woman.

Time flies and life does not wait for you to get ready!

Even though I graduated Saturday.... I am yet unemployed at this exact moment. (just typing that makes me cringe)
Despite being unemployed.. I know that greater is coming. I tell myself this daily and some days are harder to believe than others.
I will be the first to say that its very hard when it seems like nothing is looking up.

I'll be real honest and say that.. the weeks leading up to graduation I felt hopeless, discouraged, and really down and out. Everyone was asking "How do you feel are you excited?" I had to fake it.
I was having a hard time looking at graduation as an accomplishment, because of my current job situation.

I was trying really hard to shake it. I was having a inner battle.  I have those moments all the time. I try really hard not to let it effect my personal life, but it does.

I'm working on that as a person.

I know in months to come things might get tough, but I also believe that God will make a way.
He always does. Some how I'm always okay.

I believe in God.

I have some amazing people in my life that don't let me beat myself up.
I have real friends in my corner rooting for me.
I have a wonderful husband and a son who loves me dearly. Not for what I have, but for who I am.
Because of those things I must go on.

I closed yet another chapter of my life.
It's time for a new one.

Only God knows what's next for me. Whatever it is I AM READY.
I'm going to focus in and get ready for my blessings.

This blog is for me as a reminder of where I am in my life. It is also for you.
If you feel like giving up... DON'T
If you feel like you aren't standing in the right place... YOU ARE
If you feel like you should stand on faith and do something else ...DO IT
If you feel like you are struggling and no one knows how you feel... I DO
If you feel like things won't get better... THEY WILL

Until next time

DearJasmineP

She's a GOAL digger

“I’m going to get my life together”.

You know there is an app for that.

No, there isn’t an app for that, but imagine if there was!

Geesh, looking at my goal list for 2016… and if I am being truthful I must say I slacked all year.

Goals are always great to have, but what’s a goal with no plan of execution?  

It’s just words with no real meaning.

Life has a funny way of making you feel like you’re not where you need to be.

 

Looking at my goal list makes me feel like I failed myself.

“Jasmine, you had 365 days to complete your goals what happen?”

Looking at it again makes me feel like I lied to myself all year.

But the truth of the matter is “Life happens”

 

I knew when I set some of those goals it would be almost impossible or very hard to complete.

Some of them were  just outlandish. “Loose 100 lbs”

I mean I know that might sound doable to some people, but for most of the year I was pregnant so.. (go figure).

 

We never think about all of the goals we did accomplish though.

One of my 2016 goals was to get married (DONE)

Move into a bigger space (DONE)

Graduate with my MPA (in the works 12.10.16)

DearJasmineP  an official doing business name (DONE)

Get closer to God (ongoing goal)

 

See I wasn’t on social media the whole year. I was out in the streets making things happen (lol)

 

Speaking of social media... I think this is the root to not completing goals.

In efforts to get my life together I am slowly going to be taking big breaks from social media. This week I deleted my Twitter app.

I replaced it with a productive app. (Water reminding app).

Social media is a silent GOAL KILLER.

Yea, I said it.

Think about how much time we spend being noisy... (I'm included).
I'm going to work on cutting back.

 

My friends and I have been talking about getting our life together for 2017!

I am with that movement man!

That’s one thing about the people in my circle they keep me inspired, motivated, and constantly laughing.

Shout to “The Girls”

 

I am going to get things in line.

 

This blog is just a small reminder that life is going to happen and sometimes it won’t be in your control.

Just because you didn’t meet all of your 2016 goals doesn’t mean you failed.

2016 taught me that in order to reach a goal one must have a TRUE plan of execution.

Not just scribbled words on a note pad. A true plan of action.

 

This one is for those goal diggers! Let’s set those goals and make it happen!

Let's hold each other accountable for making 2017 a better year.

Set goals. Make a plan. Execute. (in that order).

 

#gettingmylife2017

#goaldigging

#newlifewhodis