Speak Life

 

Wow, it's been almost a year since I have graced this page with my presence. I guess you can say I took a pause for the cause. Since that cause was trying to get my life together, I will say it was needed and well worth the wait. 

Nothing much has happened in my life besides the fact of always being stuck between life and goals, stay busy or rest and stick to the budget or treat yo self. I'm happy to say that I am getting closer to making a desision about my next venture. 

One thing I had contemplated was going back to school to get my Master's. I went so far as to fill out a FASFA for student loans, I had narrowed down the school and program I would go to and even had my classes and graduation date planned out. But, as my kids grow and they struggle with their own grades, I feel like that would be selfish of me to further my education when my kids aren't even beyond the basics. I need to help get them thru the hurdle first before I can think about furthering my career. Maybe it's mommy guilt, but it just seemed like a lot to take on right now. 

The other thing I had contemplated was opening up Soul Deep Beauty again. My entrepreneurial spirit just won't let me live. It took a back seat to current life situations, but it still beats in me. That being said, I am cooking up some things that are going to change my life and my status- hello somebody, and I can't wait!

I will step out on faith!

I will trust God!

I will be successful!

I will be bold and confident!

God will make room for my gifts!

I am speaking Life into my situation. Now it's your turn.

Wishing you Love, Peace and Soul Deep Beauty,

Rhonda

30 Day Challenge-Days 15-18

Day 15- My Zodiac
I am a Libra and I have found that all the things that describe us Libra's is true. Here are some of the characteristics of a Libra that do describe my personality.
Attractive- Well, duhh.
Romantic- I have been known to have a few romantic tricks up my sleeve.
Charming- I am very spoiled and I like it that way. I have a way of talking my way into or out of just about any situation. If my mom hadn't told me how much she doesn't trust them, I probably would have been a lawyer.
Tactful- I am always a girl with a plan. I plan out my trips to the grocery store. I plan out vacations. Heck, I plan what I am going to sing when I get in the shower every day. No lie, I put on mini concerts. It's real out here.
Diplomatic- I hate to see injustice and will stand up for anybody being treated unfairly.
Balanced- I can't dwell in chaos. If there is drama- I'm out.
Detached- Although some Libras are said to be very expressive with their face, I am the queen of poker face. Nobody is going to know how I feel about something unless I want them to know.
Laid Back- When I met my cousins from down south a few years ago, they just kept saying, "you are just so cool, so chill". I have even been nicknamed by one of my fellow praise team members as Cool Breeze. I'll take it.
Overthinker/ Indecisive- It can take me days to make up my mind sometimes, especially when it is something that is going to change the course of my life. The funny thing is, my husband is a Libra too and he's worse than I am. Currently, we are trying to work on our deck and we have been looking at patio furniture. From just about every store in our neighborhood. Several times. Seriously, how hard is it to decide on some wicker chairs? Well, let us tell it and it's like deciding to relocate to another state. We'll figure it out eventually, I hope.
Self-Indulgent/ Lover of Beautiful Things- This is another area where my husband and I get in trouble, which is probably why we're having such difficulty buying patio furniture. We definitely can over do it sometimes because we like to have nice things. The way I see it, I work hard so since I don't play hard, I should at least be able to have a cute purse or some cute shoes every know and then. I rarely give myself the permission to just go for it, but when I do, baby watch out. On my last shoe splurge I had four pair walking through the door with me. I am currently on a spending diet... It was fun though.

 I follow a Libra board on Pintrest and find myself liking quite a bit. Here are some of my favorites.
    

  


Day 16- Something I say "What if" about
I was a complete and utter fool when I graduated college. I was 22 years old and the only thing I wanted was to be engaged. I didn't care nothing about the thousands of dollars I was going to have to pay Aunt Sally Mae or how I was going to get a job in my field (BA in Journalism). All I wanted to show was an engagement ring to replace the promise ring I had been wearing for 4 and a half years. I guess when you are in love, that's what you do.

I did eventually get that ring and got married and started having babies. But, the one thing I think about, especially today as I am not particularly loving my job and all I want to do is write for a living, is what if I would have followed the advise of one of my college professors and gone to work for a radio station in Ohio. Where would I be now? Would I have stayed there? Would my husband and I be together? Would I have parlayed my experience on radio to TV? Could I have been the next Oprah?

Of course, my mind races to think of all the things that coulda, shoulda, woulda happened, but I don't trip because I know that whatever is meant for me is for me. I'll get my Oprah status one day.

Day 17- Something That I am Proud Of
Out of all my accomplishments, earning a bachelors degree, starting my own business, having a successful marriage and wonderful kids to boot, I think one of the things that I am the most proud of is that I have a creative mind. My creative mind has gotten me through some rough spots in life, it's given me an outlet for my roller coaster of emotions. It has allowed me to experiment and find a love for things I never knew I would like and it has given me a way to heal and reflect on the things or people who have hurt me in the past and learn to let it go.

Currently, some of my creative outlets are: reading, writing, singing, sewing, painting, jewelry making, baking, and re-purposing old furniture. I also like to take pictures, but I don't get to play with my camera as much as I would like. I also see myself learning to play an instrument in the near future, but that too, is a work in progress. I used to play the piano and organ in high school, but those days of reading music are long gone and I just might have to start from scratch.

Until next time.

Wishing you Love, Peace and Soul Deep Beauty,
Rhonda

May is Mental Health Awareness Month- How to Get Help

Mental Health Awareness Month is an opportunity to make people aware of the identification factors and intervention of those who suffer from mental health conditions. According to mentalhealthawareness.net, 1 in 5 American adults will suffer from a mental health condition in any given year, but only 41% will actually get help.

This last post of my 3 part series is going to inform you on how to do self-checks on your mental health and once again tell you how to get help.

There are 10 things you can do for your mental health to self evaluate and try to steer you into a more positive outlook. They are simple steps that should be done consistently in your life to help maintain balance for your mental well being.

1. Rest- As I stated in my last post, 7-8 hours of sleep is the recommended amount an adult needs on average. Living off 5 hours every night is not doing you or those around you any good.

2. Eat well- Eating well balanced meals can not only keep you satisfied, but it will keep you from loading on carbs or sugar, just to crash and burn soon after. You want to keep your energy levels at a constant flow and not dip and dive with each sugar rush.

3. Exercise- Keeping yourself moving and in motion is good for your body and your emotional well being because of all those natural, feel good endorphins that kick in along with it.

4. Journal- Write about the good things you have going on, have a gratitude journal and re-read those entries when things start to get a little tough in your life. You will realize that staying positive instead of focosing on the negative is a good habit to have.

5. Get up and Get out- Don't stay secluded to yourself all the time. It's good to go out with friends and family, even if only for a couple of hours. Have fun and enjoy each others company.

6. Meditation and Prayer- Making time for meditation and prayer should definitely be a priority. Whether through practices like yoga, or religious beliefs, the benefits are so far greater than can be explained.

7. Do what makes you feel good- As long as you aren't causing any harm to yourself or others, do what makes you happy. Eat, dance, laugh, play or whatever puts a smile on your face.

8. Learn your triggers- If there is something that causes you to be in a funky mood all the time, it may be time to change that situation. Get a new job, move out of that neighborhood and stay off of social media if they're causing you more harm than good.

9. Watch your circle- And the same thing goes for the people in your life. If there are people who transfer their negative emotions to you and are full of nothing but bad vibes, then maybe you need to limit your time with them or throw up deuces on them all together.

10. Seek a therapist- There are some circumstances where our emotions are so scrambled that we can't get it together on our own and there is nothing wrong with seeking professional help. There are people who have dedicated their lives to helping those in need of help, so don't be ashemed of taking advantage of their expertise. It could be the difference between a well balanced life and one of detriment and emotional torture.

There are sites like mentalhealthamerica.net or crisiscallcenter.org that have been created for such a purpose. You can take online assessments, get in contact with centers and counsellors in your area and learn about mental health issues ranging from depression, bipolar disorder and post traumatic stress disorder.

There are is also the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (800) 273- TALK/ (800) 273- 8255 for immediate help 24/7.

They say when you know better, you do better so hopefully these posts have helped you get a better understanding on mental health and why it is so important.

Wishing you Love, Peace and Soul Deep Beauty,

Rhonda

So I didn't get the call

 

I have been keeping a secret from everybody for the last month or so because I wanted it to be a surprise when I told everybody that I had gotten a job that was going to help boost my career as a makeup artist. Last month I did a phone interview with M.A.C. Cosmetics, then I was called in to do a interview, then called back again to do the makeup trial. I was so positive about the whole situation up until that day. I know makeup, how to put it on and how to talk to people about putting it on, but only two words come to mind when I think about that trial: epic fail.

In respect to my model, I will not go into details about how difficult a task it was for me to complete the makeup look. However, I will say that my motto is and forever will be, "It's makeup, not magic." And the fact that I was nervous and couldn't keep a steady hand didn't help either.

So for the last couple of weeks, I have been answering every unidentified solicitor's call, hoping it would be the one telling me that I had joined the makeup club of the elite M.A.C. Cosmetics. Sad to say, they never called, but I know too well that when one door closes, another one opens and I am eagerly waiting for it to burst open at the hinge. I know what my mistakes were and I will learn from them.

In the meantime, I started my long awaited classes at Astute Artistry this week and I am so excited. After completing the course, I will have yet another certificate in make-up that will include everything from everyday makeup, fashion, couture and fantasy. So my friends and family might as well be prepared to get their faces made on a weekly bases. (Yes, Mama, I'm talking to you.)

When asked what I plan to take away from the class, I told her "everything". I am a student of the world and I want to absorb as much as I can. This is my passion, so ain't no stopping me. Watch-out-there-now!