Why Self-care is so Important

This weekend I was sharing with my best friend how I need to get back to taking care of myself like I used to. Somehow in the past few months, I fell into the hustle and bustle of working on stuff for my company that I forgot about me. I just get so excited about the launch of my company that I lose myself in what I love doing the most which is providing my customers with great products and educating them on how to take care of their skin. After recently noticing myself feeling fatigued, running on few hours of sleep and lacking proper nutrition, I told myself I could no longer sabotage myself in this way. Something had to change! When you don't care of yourself it shows up in your body through little headaches, in poor effort with your work assignments, or in how well you deal with others. Making your personal maintenance a priority will add vitality to your life. Self-care is way more than just getting a manicure or pedicure but it is holistic. It includes the well-being of your mind, body and spirit. How can you take care of others if you can not adequate care for yourself? Below are a few tips to get you started on your journey: 

1. Spend time in prayer and meditation.

Prayer and meditation are so important to my my over-all health. It is an opportunity for me to talk to God about my hopes, my dreams, and my problems. It is also an time for me to listen to Him for directions and instructions for my day. It brings peace to my mind and my day goes a lot better when I connect with God. Take 15 minutes day to pray to God. A list of prayer points can help keep you on track during intimate time with him. Meditate in God's Word and find scriptures that can enlighten you on how to handle your current life situations. 

2. Make a list of what makes you happy. 
A good friend left a post on Facebook this morning concerning how we have to create a list of things that make us happy and then make it our intention to incorporate these things in our lives. For me, I love hanging out with my best friends. So I have decided to make an effort to travel to visit them at least once year or maybe even plan a girl's weekend trip. One friend of mine takes mental health days from work. So, go at it with your list and add in a monthly facial, a weekly maid service, or preparing nutritious meals for the week.  

MCTMD Wednesday Book Review: The Principles and Power of Vision

Why do you exist? What is your purpose? Do you have a vision for your life? Are you fulfilling your potential? One of my favorite books is The Principles and Power of Vision by Dr. Myles Munroe. I purchased this book as a college student to help me in finding my purpose and to also develop a clear vision for my life. This book has been so instrumental to my success that I still pick it up today to keep me on course. The author, Dr. Myles Munroe, believes the greatest gift that God ever gave humanity is vision. He also states "the most important thing we can find out about ourselves is the purpose for our existence". Knowing why we exist is crucial to living a fulfilling and purposeful life. 

The book is divided into 15 chapters and 12 of those chapters detail the principles of discovering your life's vision. Of the 12 chapters my favorite principle is "Develop a Concrete Plan for Your Vision". It's amazing how we can have goals and dreams but lack a plan on how to accomplish them. When you fail to plan, you plan to fail. In this particular chapter, I learned these key points:

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Moving Closer to My Dreams Wednesdays

You never know how your dreams will be enlivened…

I was inspired a few weeks ago to post this by one of my leading lady friends  to serve as a reminder of what is and continues manifest when we trust God to fulfill our dreams! I founded and produced the Moving Closer to My Dreams Conference a few years ago for young women who are going through their quarter-life crisis and trying to find their way in this world to become a leading lady.

The Story Behind Moving Closer to My Dreams

 My conception of “The Moving Closer to My Dreams” Conference (MCTMD) began when I reflected over the words to a song called “Closer” by the music artist Goapele.  In the song, Goapele talks about feeling stuck in life and being anxious about the possibility of never getting past where she is in her life. To her, this stagnation felt like it was never going to change. But despite all of her insecurities and fears, she decided not to walk away. Her decision to confront the barrier of fear unlocked a deeper sense of direction. She let go of her insecurities and left them all behind her. With everything in her, she recognized her potential and used it to propel her to go higher and higher, moving closer to her dreams. 

This song resonated with me because I was where many young women in their twenties and early thirties find themselves. I went through the dreaded “Quarter-Life Crisis”. I contemplated my identity and who I wanted to become. This season is completely normal because we are challenged to reach beyond ourselves to other like-minded people: other dreamers who have found the strength to move to the next level of influence. When we self-evaluate, during “Quarter-Life Crisis”, we know we have the capacity to make a positive impact in this world. It is just hard to figure out where to start the journey, And even though we possess all of these attributes, we still must grapple with our fears of who we are, who we will become, and what lies ahead in our future.