The Birthing of Your Freedom-what do you need to be BOLD about?

"Freedom Lies in Being Bold" - Robert Frost - Being true to yourself often requires you to go against the grain to what people expect from you. Being true to yourself also requires you to make some people mad at you and possibly de-friend you. Will that be okay with you if that were to happen? Will you be okay with telling your truth of freedom?

As we continue in our journey in "Finding Peace Within, through The Journey of a Smile"- This is the next part of our journey. The Birthing of Your freedom. I have had to tell the truth about some things in this season of my life. Some of that truth required me to be BOLD and Vulnerable. I found myself walking in fear as I opened my freedom to the person that's closes to me. My Love. Freedom frees you from having to hide your pain. The fear of freedom comes when you don't really know how the other person is going to react and or respond to your freedom. Now, I'm not talking about the type of freedom that will cause you to become rebellious or non-submissive. The type of freedom I'm speaking of, is being able to speak your mind in love with the intent releasing those things that causes stress and discomfort in your life.

My freedom moment came when I just had to tell my Love, that I matter and that I will always be the most important person to me. It has nothing to do with who he is and how he treats me but who I am and how I treat myself. Trust me, that took some boldness as I know my Love...It didn't matter how my Love received it, what matter was I said it and now I don't have to feel guilty when I say no.

I also had to be BOLD with someone I met whom I believed wanted to get close to me to plant some negativity in my spirit. The BOLDNESS came when I had to say to her, I am about love, peace, joy and happiness. I don't get involved with anything that doesn't edify or lift a person up. It didn't matter how she received it, what mattered was that I made it known who I am and what I will and will not tolerate. Was I fearful, a little, but, if I wanted to become friends with this young lady, I thought she should know what type of person I am so she can make a decision if she wants to have me as a friend. The jury is still out on that... :)..

My question to you is this, What do you need to be bold about in order to BIRTH YOUR FREEDOM?

Remember to Smile Everyday, Show Up Everyday, and Succeed Everyday
Find Peace Within
Be blessed,

Ms. Lisa

The Birthing of Truth

Last week we talked about being authentic. Being authentic requires TRUTH. Truth to yourself and to those you encounter. Isn't it funny when it's time to tell people who we are, we kinda get stuck on what we've become and not who we are. Discovering who we are requires a spiritual truth walk, which will produce authenticity.

This week I'm talking about birthing the truth of who you are. Sometimes we have to just tell ourselves the truth. So, in my new book, Finding Peace With, the Prayer Journal, The Journey of a Smile, I ask this probing question: "what area in your life do you need to be real about?" As I wrote this question down in my book, it reminded me of when I started my spiritual journey of wholeness and this was a question I had to ask myself; with that, I thought it was befitting to ask my readings the same question. "What are in your life do you need to be real about?" I'll share with you some of the things I had to be real about in my life....

I'll start first, I had to be real about how important I was to myself. In my first book, Smile, Show Up, Succeed Everyday, I say to you my audience, "You are the most single most important person to you." I had to tell myself the truth about being selfish for me. I no longer felt like I was being selfish when I put myself a top priority in my life. Then I had to tell the truth about my demons. There was a time in my life when having an affair was nothing I thought twice about. I was looking for someone to validate me and take care of me.. it didn't matter where it came from. In that truth, I found that I never took time to be alone and the celebrate myself. I had to ask for forgiveness (I did it on paper) for disrespecting the lives of those whom I took no regards to with my actions. Then I had to forgive myself for the sin and wrong I've done to myself. Then it was time to recognize  and realize that I could do this without a man, or with out the validation of a man. I had to tell myself the truth about my relationships and my marriage. I love being married to my husband, I love the relationship we have. But I had to tell myself the truth about how much he can give me and what part he plays in making me happy. He actually doesn't play a part in making me happy or completing me as that has to come from within, something he cannot do for me. I had to get my own life, pursue my own dreams, and life my life outside of us as a couple and he had to be okay with it. I thank God, he was okay with it... :). I had to face the fact that there are just something he doesn't have the capacity to give me and I'm okay with that. I had to tell myself the truth about what I needed and what I allowed to happen in my life. I am still on the journey of telling myself the truth about me as I mature as a woman. That I have embraced.

Today, I'll take a step back and evaluate the situation before I respond. I am focused on my actions and how I deal with situations that causes me to look within.

My question to you today, is "What areas in your life do you need to be real and or tell the truth about?

"It's better to be hated for what you are than love for what you are not." Andre' Gide

Remember to Smile, Show Up, Succeed Everyday
Find Peace Within
Be blessed,
Ms. Lisa :)

The Birthing of Authenticity

Let's continue in our Prayer Journal and the Journey of a Smile- A few weeks ago we identified what we needed to do in order to Embrace the Journey. Many of you have already started writing those things that you need to embrace about yourself, your past, your present, and your future.

Here's an insert from The Birthing of Authenticity - Authenticity starts in the heart. Being who you are requires you to be honest with your feelings and the thoughts you have of yourself.

Here's the assignment - Some may see you one way, but how do you see yourself? Write your thoughts.

I'll start it off for you: Being authentic requires you to go to the core of your soul- of who are you REALLY?

This is how I see myself - I see myself as an contagious spark of hope. My name - "Lisa" means "Consecrated to God." I am certainly consecrated to God, no doubt. I am kind, giving, loving, empathetic, compassion, caring, patient, understanding. I continue to walk in love, give in love and serve in love. I am in touch with my feelings and how I respond to things in life. I am all smiles even when life hits me in the knees. I am comfortable in my skin and with the history of my life. I see myself as a great friend, wife, and mother. I see myself as one who enjoys being around people and who enjoys being alone. I see myself as a person who doesn't mind getting dirty and who loves dressing up. I see myself as the one you can call on when you need a cup of tea or when you need a shoulder to cry on. I see my self as a prophet of the Lord, one who carries the mantel of deliverance with a true concern for the heart and soul of God's people. I see myself clearly now, the pain has gone. I see myself as the person who understands the responsibility of my actions and I and only I have the power to control them. I see myself as the voice for those who are afraid to speak up for themselves and the one who will stand with you when you feel alone. I see myself as a strong, beautiful black woman, the woman God called me to be.

How do you see yourself? begin writing your thoughts...

Remember to Smile, Show Up Succeed Everyday
Find Peace Within
Be blessed,
Ms. Lisa :)

What do you need to Embrace? Finding Peace Within Journey

Sometimes there are things about our character that we've ignored and or do not want to face. Somethings may be ugly and somethings may be not so ugly. :). In The Finding Peace Within Prayer Journal, I ask this question; What do you need to embrace about yourself? I thought long and hard about this question and I told myself the truth. Here is what I need to embrace.

1. My husband cannot fulfill the empty spots in my life, only I can do that.

2. My husband cannot give me everything I need, only God can.

3. I had to stop expecting things from people that they do not have the capacity to give me. Accept people for who they are and what they have to give.

4. I embrace the fact that I am totally and undeniably responsible for what I do and how I react and respond to the things in my life. I cannot blame people for the way I respond and or act.

5. I embrace the fact that I did the best I could in raising my son with the information I had at the time as a teenage parent. Today, I am grateful for the young man he has turned out to be.

6. I embrace the fact that I've had 2 failed marriage, which is why I am better wife today.

7. I embrace my big butt, my big thighs, and my big legs. They aren't going anywhere... no matter how much weight I lose. :). I'm okay with that now.

I could go on and on and on with the things I've learned to embrace in my life. Learning to embrace those things have helped me to be a much happier person, one who knows who, what and where I am and what I'm doing and where I'm going. Embracing those things in my life has helped me to continue to wear a smile on my face everyday.....

Let's work on ourselves through this journey of embracing those things about ourselves that we need to embrace.

What do you say to the little child that's still inside of you?

I thank God for the ability to write and to probe those thought provoking questions that causes us to think really deep and hard about our lives. In my new prayer journal "Finding Peace Within Prayer Journal" I ask some questions that some would say are hard to answer, or some would say, they've never thought about that before. Some may even say, I will never tell that not alone write it down. But, in the process of "doing the work".. that's doing the work to finding peace within, I've learned to be truthful to myself and about myself. Today, I'm asking you a questions...
Can you be truthful to the little child that still lives inside of you? Can you have an open and honest conversation with him or her?

Let's start here...
What is the one thing you've always wanted to tell that little boy or girl inside of you that you were never told as a child?

I'll start first. The first thing I want to tell little Lisa is this... you were not given away by your parents. You were chosen to be a blessing to your granny and to bring sunshine in her life. And that's exactly what you did from the day you walked into her home at the age of 1. So do not ever think that mom and dad did not love you, because they did. They knew you had so much love to give so much so they chose you over your sisters and brothers. So, you can stop telling people that you were the one who they gave away.. instead you can say, I'm the one who brought a smile and sunshine and love to the life of my Granny Mazaree. :)

Now, start your journey by being truthful to that little one who just needs to hear that everything was okay then and it is okay now.

Remember to Smile Everyday, Show Up Everyday and Succeed Everyday
Find Peace Within
Be blessed,
Ms. Lisa

My First Interview

So, if you don't know by now, I've written a book... yes, I've written a book. entitled - Smile, Show Up Succeed Everyday. A little book of honey to help you make every day count and be a little bit sweeter. It has been a blessing to so many people. I've had the opportunity to do radio, blog talk radio and personal interviews discussing how it came to be.

Here is my very first interview with Gayle B of D'Vine Connections. We had an awesome time discussing the book and some of the experiences I've had in my journey. If you're a fan of my blog, then you have been apart of many of my stories about my journey. Today, I'm sharing with you the link so you can get caught up on what's happening with me and my book.

https://www.spreaker.com/episode/8492261

Remember to Smile, Show Up, Succeed Everyday
Find Peace Within
Be Blessed,
Ms. Lisa D.

Enjoy,

My First Interview

So, if you don't know by now, I've written a book... yes, I've written a book. entitled - Smile, Show Up Succeed Everyday. A little book of honey to help you make every day count and be a little bit sweeter. It has been a blessing to so many people. I've had the opportunity to do radio, blog talk radio and personal interviews discussing how it came to be.

Here is my very first interview with Gayle B of D'Vine Connections. We had an awesome time discussing the book and some of the experiences I've had in my journey. If you're a fan of my blog, then you have been apart of many of my stories about my journey. Today, I'm sharing with you the link so you can get caught up on what's happening with me and my book.

https://www.spreaker.com/episode/8492261

Remember to Smile, Show Up, Succeed Everyday
Find Peace Within
Be Blessed,
Ms. Lisa D.

Enjoy,