The Season’s of our Lives

So now that this season has officially ended and we are slowly letting go of our amazing summer excursions, placing them safely in our memories. 

I want to discuss moving on from a season, a season of hardships, obstacles, and changes. It’s so important to distinguish the difference between a season; a time in our lives, here for a purpose and the difference between emotions and perception that something will always be. 

Nothing last forever. 

What you experience in life should leave you with lessons learned or experiences to grow from, there is nothing we go through that will break us, unless we allow it to. 

Everything starts with the ability to check the situation and put it in its place! 

Every obstacle can be dissected, and within that you can find the chance to learn, grow and adapt to what is needed. It all begins with change. 

If you can change and grow with your situation you can thrive from any daunting position you are ever put in. 

Training yourself to be more positive in all situations is the key to successfully overcoming any negative circumstances.  

The harder the circumstances, the harder you will have to show up for yourself. 

Most of life’s obstacles are manifested into what they will be, by the way we react towards them. 

“Making a mountain out of a molehill.” 

“The glass is half full or half empty?” 

These are just a couple of ways the mind can create the biggest things out of something small, all by the way we see it and how we allow it to grow through negative thought patterns. 

Every situation you have, it is within your decision whether you allow it to be the victor or whether you come out winning. 
Learn from your mistakes, embrace the lessons needed to learn, move on and most importantly choose a conquerors mentality! 

Why are People so quick to Judge?

Photo Cred: cliparts

So we have all been found guilty of judging whether it be other people or ourselves.

How many people have we judged based on how they looked, dressed, talk, and overall acted? 

We try to hold true to our morals, standards and upbringings and sometimes when we meet people who do things differently, we judge them. 

We’ve all heard the expression “Your first impression is your last impression.” 

This is because people judge you upon their first encounter of meeting you. 

People with mental illness and mental health issues are judged on a daily basis due to lack of understanding; and we need to learn more so we can be open and caring. 

Sometimes we have a judge and victim in our mind, that often comes out to sabotage us, in the ruse of self protection.

Our mental judge can parade around and remind us of past mistakes and disappointments. 

The mind can come up with so much to judge you on. 

I personally try to respect my inner judge, but also to recognize it as differences and fears, trying to convince me to stay in the dark and afraid. 

The truth is that judgement has no voice in my life. 

Your judgements are your misunderstandings and fears trying to speak through you: Identify it, fight it, and live a more compassionate, open and understanding life. 

Peace, Love & No Judgement ❤️

The importance of Diverse Books

I remember as a young girl my love for books. I read one in particular more than three times. It is the only fiction I ever actually reread. It was the novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens. 

I don’t know what magnetic hold poor orphaned Oliver Twist had on me or how I related to the parish boy who had such mishaps in life. The book resonated with me, and I fell in love with books and stories with characters that were nothing like me, but who I still related with.

 I read urban books of hard street life, like those written by Donald Goines and urban classics like True to the Game, Dutch, and the Coldest Winter Ever. These books paint the reality of a harsh life and the mistakes that often have these characters spiraling out of control. 

While it's important to see life in all angles, I believe it’s imperative that children see themselves in the parts of the hero’s, the doctors, the teachers, the athletes and all the men and women portrayed in these stories; those characters who push through their personal flaws and circumstances and save the day in the end. 

We will always need more diverse books to understand different cultures, religions and beliefs. I can easily say Khaled Hosseini is one of my favorite authors, his way of majestically telling a story while painting a picture of a beautiful countries beliefs and customs while conveying a downfall of a nation due to warfare is heartbreaking and takes your breath away at the same time.

 Kite Runner and his novels to follow are easily some of the best diverse literatures, and it is just the start. 

I have read books by all types of authors and never find it hard to praise someone’s astonishing work. Although these days I find myself looking for influence and art through a more diverse background and a more cultural viewpoint...

And I can say I’m never disappointed. 

#supportdiversebooks

My Favorite Quotes

I have a love for quotes and find that the right ones have helped me in all different times of my life. 

This inspirational quote post is to motivate and inspire during all times and seasons of our lives.

Here are some of my favorites.

Hope you enjoy...

Quotes for Inspiration & Motivation:

- "An Artist must be free to choose what he does, certainly, but he must also never be afraid to do what he might choose."  
~Langston Hughes~

- "Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working."
~Pablo Picasso~

- "There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: The fear of failure. 
~Paul Coelho~

- "Put blinders onto those things that conspire to hold you back, 
    especially the ones in your own head.
   ~Meryl Streep~

- You are Braver than you believe, Smarter than you seem, and Stronger than you Think."
~Winnie the Pooh~ 😏

Quotes for Personal Growth: 

- "Great Minds discuss ideas. 
   Average minds discuss events. 
   Small minds discuss people."
   ~Eleanor Roosevelt~ 
 
- "Be happy with what you have while working for what you want."
                                  ~Helen Keller~

"Focus on things that are small enough to change, but big enough to matter." 
                                            ~Kat Cole~

"Tact is the ability to make a person see lightning without letting him feel the bolt."

                                         ~O.A Battista~

Quotes Inspired by Black History Month:

- "Hate is too great a burden to bear. It injures the hater more than it injures the hated."
                                           ~Coretta Scott King~

- "You can only become accomplished at something you love. 
     Don't make money your goal. 
      Instead pursue the things you love doing and then do them so well 
      that people can't take their eyes off you. "
             ~Maya Angelou~

-"You can't separate peace from freedom because no one can be at peace unless he has his freedom." 
                                                            ~Malcolm X~

Photo Cred: quotesgram

With Love, 

Olivia Jean 

Living Our Best Lives

My best friends and I are always having conversations about life, and we are always encouraging each other to be the best versions of ourselves. 
As we discover new things in life we share them with one another; basically we share our wisdom. 
So I asked people in my life their top rule to living a happier more complete life, and I added a couple of my own. 

1) Be Grateful.
2) Let the small things go.
3) Try new things.
4) Laugh.
5) Exercise and eat healthy.
6) Meditate 
7) Never give up. 
8) Spend time with loved ones.
9) Be part of nature/travel.
10) Give back.

One of my favorite quotes.

With all that goes on in our lives, and happening in the world around us, it is often easy to get lost, to lose your sense of purpose and have fears. 
We must do what is needed to stay aligned within ourselves and maintain our direction in life. 
Let me know what helps you stay centered and helps maintain your peace. 

Wishing everyone a Happy Holiday Season! 

The 90's: The Good Decade

Recently I was reacquainted with a friend from my childhood, actually someone I was friends with when we were teenagers in the 90's. We caught up on all that was going on in our adult lives, we also reminisced on the good old days. We talked about people we both knew and what they were up to now and sadly those who were no longer with us. We laughed about our crazy adventures together, about how much had changed and what we missed most about those days. So I went home with this nostalgic feeling, it feels good to dive into good memories, ones you thought you forgot about. 
So, me running into her, not only brought a great friend back into my life, but it left me thinking about...

The top five things I miss most about the 90's:

1) Music- I don't have to say much about this, it seems anybody can make an album and get signed nowadays.

2) Clothing- Baby Phat, Fila, Fubu, Kangol hats, and Levi jeans. We definitely had swag.

3) No Camera Phones- Privacy, Privacy, Privacy! Need I say more...

4) Children Wanting To Spend Time Outdoors- Too many kids are glued to their devices at home these days. 
Playing Double Dutch outside is extinct and this makes me a little sad.

5) Natural Beauty- The time before the eyebrow craze, and the hair epidemic.
When you worked with what your Mama gave ya!

The list can go on and I can come up with a million little things I miss about the 90's.

Would love to hear what you miss most. 

Don’t hold back...Keep it Guilly! 

Til next time Peace & Love

Should Black People use the “N” Word?

I was strolling through my social media when I saw a debate going on between two friends with completely different perspective on the use of the "N" word.
This virtual argument was lead on Instagram "Should Black People Stop Using the N Word. 

While one person thought the "N" word could be use differently therefore changing the meaning, and that as black people we owned the right to do so. The other person said it was ludicrous to believe we could change the meaning of words, especially one with so much history. I fully agreed with his outlook on the subject. 

New words are created all the time and some make it into the urban dictionary, but this one shouldn’t have. 

The N word always follows controversy and because of its history and what this word actually means I've chosen not to use it, and I made that decision at an early age. This word doesn't match my aura, point blank. 

I believe our names mean a lot about our personalities and most often even where we come from, so think of it...
When someone calls you the "N" word with love or not they are in reality calling you something else. They are not calling you by your God given name but actually calling you the actually name that your ancestors fought hard to diminish from your life and the lives of your loved ones.

They fought too hard for us to repeat history, and even though we live in times of ill racism, we can not head backwards with our words and we can not head backwards in our minds.

We live in these times now because of what we are truly capable of achieving as the so-called minority, us all united in reality are the majority.

Best wishes!