Posts from the ‘climbing’ Category

Celebrating 12 Years of Inspiration: Welcome to Chrysalis Conversations

Twelve years ago, a new chapter began when I moved to Orlando, Florida🧡💚. This move coincided with the start of Live Laugh Love Without Limits. It was driven by the inspiring mission, “Aspire to Inspire Through Words”. As I navigated my own transformative journey, I hoped to positively influence others along the way.

Completion…

Fast forward to April, 2024, we celebrated the 12th anniversary of Live Laugh Love Without Limits. For those who don’t know, the number 12 symbolizes authority and spiritual completeness. As such, it feels like the perfect time to progress to the next stage. I want to express my gratitude for your support over the years, and as we look towards what’s next…

New Beginnings…

Let me introduce Chrysalis Conversations. Chrysalis Conversations aims to offer a more intimate and personalized coaching experience. Just as the chrysalis stage is crucial in a butterfly’s transformation, Chrysalis Conversations are crafted to promote introspection and self-reflection. The tools and strategies we develop during our time together will help you in evolving into your best self. Click the link below to explore the Chrysalis Conversations platform.

What is going to happen to the blog?

Good news, the blog isn’t going anywhere! Going forward, subscribers can expect exclusive content delivered directly to their email each month. So… if you have not subscribed, now is the perfect time to do so!

Book a Call…

Are you ready for a change? Schedule a call today, and let’s collaborate to craft the life you love!

U-turns Are Permitted…

THE BOBBY BROWN STORY

Like many of you, I tuned in to watch the Bobby Brown Story, for many different reasons (I have not read

his book).  First and foremost, I wanted to see Bobby Brown’s life through the eyes of Bobby Brown.  I have read articles and seen stories told from the perspective of an onlooker BUT nothing beats a first hand account of a story.

Listen…by the end of day 2, I saw a piece of all of our lives in Uncle Bobby’s story.  I saw a life full of highs and lows.  I saw heartache, pain, and a man that has had to pick up the pieces and start over again and again. I saw someone that has loved and lost.  Someone that was full of life and wanted to enjoy every moment.

If you watched the series and picked through to determine which parts you choose to believe then you wasted your time.  We all go through trials and tribulations so that we can help others to see that there is victory on the other side.  Each part of the story built upon and expanded to another area of his life.  In the end, he is the sum total of every experience and a work in progress, still striving to get better.

I am grateful that Uncle Bobby brought HIStory to television and gave the world deeper insight into his life.  The story is told from HIS prospective and the wonderful thing about you telling your story is that no one gets to tell you what happened to you.

Be courageous enough to tell YOUR story.  The world is waiting.

16 and PREGNANT…

Well…16 x 2 + 5 and Pregnant 🙂

I really wanted to document my second journey to motherhood but honestly, I was just too tired. I was tired no matter how much I slept and there seemed to be no solution.  When I asked the doctors about the fatigue, they attributed it to my age BUT oh imagine this, I was ANEMIC and it was 1,000 degrees outside!!! (I live in the Sunshine State, duh)…

Welcome to “Advanced Maternal Age (AMA), or Pregnancy at Age 35 or Older”.  Although, per my doctor, I was a healthy 37-year-old, they never missed an opportunity to remind me of my age and what my age could mean for my pregnancy. It was almost as though they were surprised that each visit, I continued to “do well”…Thankfully, by the grace of God, I had a very healthy pregnancy.

Back to this AMA…I was referred to a high risk pregnancy doctor, “due to my age” and was required to see this doctor until I was “released”.  In other words, I’m old and I need monitoring because I’m old and pregnant lol. Sounds like my pregnancy had me doing time, right?

Although, it may sound like complaining, I am actually very grateful for the extra doctor visits and extra chances to see my baby girl developing in the womb.  My doctors were great and I know that they wanted to protect me and the little Princess to the best of their abilities.

Now, as far as my pregnancy went, I am now completely convinced of my theory that if your pregnancy is rough, your labor will be a walk in the park and in the inverse, if your pregnancy is smooth, labor will kick your butt. I have never experienced pain like that in my life and the little Princess was smaller than the little Prince.

Thinking back to 1998-1999, in my first trimester that I told my mother if this is what pregnancy was like, she did not have to worry about me getting pregnant again.  I was so sick, I thought I would whither away.  Fast forward to labor, the little Prince cried into the world after around 5 1/2 hours of actual labor, before my doctor could even return to the hospital to deliver him.

Now, his sister on the other hand, while I did experience morning sickness, I could usually pull myself together and make it through the day.  Fast forward to her labor,  induction began on Tuesday and she was born on Thursday and that’s all I’ll say about that. (in my Forest Gump voice lol)

So here’s the silver lining…I have two healthy babies. One is a man-child and the other is a newborn.  So far I have loved going through the newborn phase again but I will not lie and say that I do not appreciate the independent phase that my son is in.

In the end, it wasn’t so bad being 16 x 2 + 5 and Pregnant. This phase (as others lol ) is going to be an adventure and I welcome you along for the ride!!!

THE DAY I CRIED…

Picture it…Cape Canaveral, Florida, October 17, 2016…

This is a day that I will never forget because on this day, I cried. It’s not like I shed a few tears to wipe away the pain, I sobbed for hours, uncontrollably.  I wailed, my body shook, I snorted, and had to use my albuterol inhaler to catch my breath.  I think this picture is vivid now…

The truth is that I have shed tears before.  Crying is something that I actually feel is normal and healthy. BUT…on this day, I cried like never before.

You see this day was a day that I had planned for weeks in advance.  This day was supposed to be special and in the blink of an eye, the day was completely off schedule and out of my control.

The next day, as I reflected on the events that transpired on October 17, 2016, I could not understand why I cried so much.  I replayed every moment over and over in my head, trying to figure out why I was so hurt and why I could not stop crying. I have had disappointments, I have been hurt, and I have experienced loss but these tears were different.

Then suddenly I realized, this cry was a culmination of many events.  None of which happened on October 17, 2016.

I cried because of years of pain and frustration over things that I felt I had long mourned. These tears had been building up for over a decade and on this day, they all came flooding out.

I cried because I planned out my life when I was 8 and nothing turned out the way I planned.

I cried because I feel my career hasn’t begun.

I cried because my son’s father was chased down and murdered like an animal and I can’t take the pain away from my son.

I cried because I couldn’t answer my son when he asked why did the man have to kill his father.

I cried because I’ve made so many sacrifices in life.

I cried for every disappointment that I had to regroup from.

I cried for every dream delayed.

I cried because at that moment, I realized that I’ve held “it” together for so long.

It was painful, it was agonizing, it was NECESSARY and REFRESHING!!!

Those tears freed me in a way that I did not know that I needed and in that moment the weight of the world fell from my shoulders.

THE JOURNEY…

As we develop in our mother’s womb, our journeys have already begun…

Throughout life we travel down many different roads and sometimes we lose direction BUT, (there’s always something better on the other side of “but”) every road and wrong turn will bring you back to your destiny.

When we reach these crossroads, there will be times when we must toss out the road maps and close our eyes and trust that this is exactly where we need to be.  This may seem like a crazy thing BUT, disorder can be an organizer (think about it).

One of the biggest mistakes we make in life is that we tend to measure success only by the things that “go according to plan”.  We set goals such as, “by age 25, this has to happen or by age 30 I should be doing this”. We look at setbacks and roadblocks as failures instead of redirection.  BUT remember, in the mist of what you may think is your biggest failure, you can still see God’s grace and mercy in your life.

Setbacks and roadblocks are never meant to discourage your progression, they are merely extensions of grace and mercy.  Grace is unmerited favor extended by God.  That means that you did not do anything to deserve this favor/assistance BUT because of God’s love for you, He has chosen to stop what was going to happen so that He may give you a better outcome.  Mercy is God’s compassion, extended to you because even though you do things contrary to His direction, He still loves you and desires for you to reach your intended destination.

Soooo…while you are going through your trials, hold your head up and trust the process.  Find comfort in knowing that God’s word shall come to pass.  God will give you the desires of your heart in His time not yours so, be kind to yourself and remember life is a marathon not a race.

 

My chorus for today is: “Fly like a bird, take to the sky. I need you now, Lord, carry me high.  Don’t let the world break me tonight. I need the strength of You by my side…” ~Mariah Carey

 

Death By Silence…

People search for that one special person that they can share their dreams with. Some make a list of characteristics, personality traits, physical attributes, etc. that they find appealing in an effort to find the perfect mate.  BUT one question that is seldom asked is, “How does this person handle conflict?”

“Every couple disagrees, but there are healthy and unhealthy ways to argue.”~Jessica Orwig

Communication is an essential part of any healthy relationship.  As children, we are taught to verbalize our thoughts and desires so that others know what we need or require.  However, as adults, this is often a difficult task.

“The silent treatment may be a common response to conflict in relationships, but it is also one of the most destructive” ~Jessica Orwig

You see no one enters into a relationship to feel alone.  When you give your partner the silent treatment, you are conveying to the person that you love, that they are not worthy of your thoughts.  You are telling them (through silence) that you do not trust them to meet your needs.  You have told them (by rejection) that they cannot handle/comprehend your feelings. 

“The more polarized the partners become, the more difficult it is for them to stop engaging in the behaviors,” ~Paul Schrodt

Relationships are built on connections and the silent treatment rips that connection apart slowly and painfully.  Disagreements are not the end of your relationship, silence is.

BUT THERE’S HOPE…This is the result of a lapse in communication on both sides so, be careful not to place blame.  As simple as it may sound, talk it out.  Take small steps, decrease the cool down period and increase the will to listen without judgment.  Relationships are work but the reward is worth it. 

Settle Down For What…

When searching for a romantic partner, what do you look for? What qualities are important?  What are deal breakers? Do you pray about these things or do you rely on your intuition? …What will you settle for?

BUT the real question is, are you ready to settle down?

Often times the answer will be some loose translation of the word yes because we continually ask for things that we are not prepared to receive.  You will fiddle through different reasons and provide an answer matching the overused “it’s time” catchall phrase.  But the truth is, you will say whatever you feel is necessary to convince YOURSELF that you are ready.

Do not settle down just because you are getting older, you want children, because your parents tell you to, or because you do not want to be alone.  This is a recipe for disaster because you will end up with someone who you are unhappy with.  Then in turn, end up resenting that partner and living in your own personal hell.

You must be honest with yourself, because when the dust settles, you have made a decision that will change the course of your life.

Choose a partner when you are happy with yourself and the way your life is progressing (Notice I did not say when you become a millionaire, make partner at work, become debt free, etc.).  Don’t seek perfection (here’s a secret: it does not exist), instead look for the “perfect verse over a tight beat”

❤ ❤ ❤

Chorus for today: “My vision, so misleading.  Make believing in things I never saw.  Deep inside we’re not right, no…things got different, ohhh it’s not what we thought, no.~Going Under, KM

AAA…

When you are not getting what you need out of a relationship, it is time to say goodbye.  Goodbye simply means that you are making space in your heart for the person intended for you.  It is easy to get caught up in the time that you invested but no investment is ever a waste.  Acknowledge, Accept, and Adapt.

It is not a failure, it is a life changing experience.  Your life is not over, just that chapter of your life. You will love again, if you allow your heart time to heal.

Chorus for Today: I wish that you could change, but I don’t think you can. I wish that you could feel this pain, so you could understand.  I hate you’re not the one…I needed love, I wasn’t enough. You can’t say I didn’t try, It might make me cry.  It’s gon’ hurt, no lie. Miss you, but goodbye…I wanna know if there’s any hope, my head says let it go. My heart says: fight for, fight for your love, but I’m giving up~K. Michelle

I Don’t but I Do…

Loving you has been the best part of my life,

It’s not that you have been the best part but the love I feel for you is amazing.

Maybe I want you then again maybe I just want the me that loves you,

I don’t but I do.

It seems that it is never the right time for us,

You try to clone me and I try to clone you.

He’s nothing like you and she will never be me.

So maybe I want us then again maybe I just want the me that wants you,

I don’t but I do.

We do this dance over and over,

What should I say, what should I do.

Maybe I want to say I do then again maybe it is clear that I don’t,

I don’t but I do.

We will never make sense,

We were unexplainable.

So maybe I want too much then again maybe I don’t want it bad enough, 

I don’t but I do.