Tag Archives: Progression

Looking to the Left…

I was laying here in the bed trying to figure out what on Earth I was going to write about tonight. I kept telling myself that I need to do better with updating my blog; keeping myself in the habit of writing is my true goal in all of this. I was coming up at a loss on what to write about when I remembered that earlier today, Slim Jackson of SBM and I got into a dialogue about an article that he linked from Marc and Angel entitled “30 Things to Stop Doing to Yourself.” I told him that I planned to print it out and put it on my “Wall of Inspiration” in my room, and he asked if I had written on how I had come up with that.

Well, whaddya know? I hadn’t! So here it is: short, sweet, and to the point. I went to do a favor for my friend Greer, and in her room, she had a list of the things that she wanted to accomplish on a posterboard in the direct line of vision from her bed. That got the wheels inside my head turning. I’m a person that likes to plan things – whether it be my grocery list, what I’m wearing this weekend even though it’s the beginning of the week, or a vacation, I feel like part of my destiny is wrapped up in the ability to plan things. Therefore, I thought it would be apt to come up with a plan for how I wanted the next year to go. Based on Greer’s example, I decided to break my life down into categories, and give myself goals/tasks in each category. Some of the goals/tasks are date specific, and others are lifestyle changes that I hope to implement starting now and transferring them into the new year and beyond. I also decided to take things a step further, and ask my friends for their favorite quotes to add to a forthcoming quote board. I finished that on Monday evening, and it is proudly displayed next to my plans for 2012. All I need is a few pictures, a new vision board, and a couple of other articles/items and my wall will be complete!

The title of this post comes from the fact that I have to look up and to the left when I’m laying in my bed to see these lists I’ve created. I sleep facing the lists, so they will now be one of the last things I see before I go to bed at night, and one of the first things I see when I wake up in the morning. I am confident that both of these will serve as guides to seeing my goals come to fruition and watching my dreams come true.

So, here’s your turn to share with me. Is there anything in your room or in your home that serves as inspiration to you? If so, what is it? If not, do you think that something like this could help you out? Let’s talk about it – something you see here may help you out! :-)

25 for 25…

Just under 24 hours from now, the clock will strike midnight, and it will be October 1, 2011. Which means, I’ll be 25! It honestly feels like I just turned 21, but…that’s neither here nor there, now is it? Needless to say, I’m more excited about this birthday than I have been for any other birthday in recent memory. Could that be because I have friends coming from California, Chicago, Toronto, Pittsburgh, Hampton, North Carolina, Ohio, and from around the Washington, DC metropolitan area to help me celebrate? Possibly. Could it be because I can finally rent a car without paying that stupid underage fee? Maybe. I think a lot more of it has to do with the fact that I actually feel a shift happening as I approach this birthday. It’s been an interesting journey through the first half of my 20s, and I’m actually eager to see what the last half brings. I’ve learned a hell of a lot about myself, about people, and about life over the last 5 years. What better way to look forward to the next 5 years than to share 25 things I’ve learned before I hit 25…these are in no particular order, but they’re all important to me, so bear with me. Maybe you’ll see something you can relate to in this list…

25. Good food and good music always go hand in hand with each other.

24. Having shoulders to cry on is just as important as having shoulders to stand on.

23. Emotions are powerful tools when controlled and expressed constructively.

22. True beauty radiates from within.

21. Not everyone deserves more than one chance to get it right with you.

20. Heartbreak is but a stepping stone in the journey to happiness – better to experience it now than to deal with it forever.

19. Having good counsel around you proves to be more important the older that you get.

18. The music you listen to is indicative of the way you view life.

17. Laughter is one of the best experiences one can partake in.

16. A cute, short black dress really does make you feel sexy.

15. Perspective is limited by one’s life experiences, morals, and intentions.

14. The company of strong women is more edifying than is given credit for in the mainstream.

13. Your network really is your net worth.

12. Talking about ideas doesn’t really do much – the implementation of ideas is where the true success lies.

11. Dreams really do come true.

10. No matter how small the biological family is, it should never be taken for granted.

9. Physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health are all connected, and should all be taken care of with the same diligence and urgency.

8. The smallest moments with people you love will turn out to be the moments you remember the clearest.

7. Refusing to let your circumstances consume you may be the key to keeping a smile on your face.

6. Taking the time to let the people that you love know that you love them may benefit you more than it does them.

5. When people choose to walk out of your life, the best thing to do may be to actually let them walk. Fighting will only prolong the inevitable.

4. Aim to never be the smartest person in your circle.

3. Taking risks may blow up in your face, but it’s better to know than to walk around with the cloud of “what if” over your head.

2. Even when it doesn’t seem like it, your mother really does always have your best interest at heart and truly loves you more than she may know how to express.

1. God really does have it all under control.

I thank God that He is allowing me to get to 25…I hope that the end of my 20s proves to be as interesting, as fun-filled, as pleasantly dramatic, and as educational as the first half of my 20s have been. There were times where I literally thought that some situations would be the end of me, but it has turned out that they have only made me better. To those of you here to celebrate this with me, I appreciate you and love you from the bottom of my heart. Without you, there literally would be no me. You each mean something so special to me, and I’m extremely lucky and grateful to have you in my life.

I’ve come a long way from when I turned 20, and I hope that when I turn 30, I can look back at 25 and say the same.

 

Until next time, folks…