Driven...by Purpose

Hey Ladies!

I hope you had a yummy Thanksgiving! Mine was pretty terrific, especially since I had a new little person at the dinner table! My son, Elijah, was feasting from a bottle; but, he was still very much a part of the festivities!

Lately lovelies, I've been thinking alot about purpose. There are soooo many things that I want to accomplish in my lifetime and I don't feel like I have any time to waste. But wouldn't you agree that it's so easy to lose time? Whether you're wasting it being lazy or losing your focus...it's so easy to become distracted by other things that have absolutely nothing to do with your journey! Unfortunately, when you finally "wake up" you're disappointed that you didn't maximize your time and talents better. Well, I don't want to go down that road any longer. As a result, I've taken the time to really pray and consider my purpose. I think it's important to begin to clearly define it now, before I really start building. It makes sense. Never has an architect built anything without a blueprint. Neither should we begin to build a business or begin a new career without considering whether the decision supports who we really are and compliments our purpose. Now I'm not one of those spooky folks that believe purpose just falls out of the sky! I believe that very experience, every tragedy, every accomplishment gives clues, if not reveals your purpose.

For me, I have a proclivity to helping women and children. When I hear disheartening stories about them, I cry, become angry and/or deeply concerned as if they're my family! No matter how many stories I hear, my heart has yet to become unaffected when it comes to them. As a result, I have several ideas as it relates to helping women and children; and not only in ways that would be considered extraordinary. There are so many ways to walk in purpose and it not be considered incredible to the general public. But if it compliments who I am and what I'm here to do, who cares! That's me and I'm gonna do me! You feel me?

As I mentioned before, it's so easy to lose sight of what you're supposed to be doing during your lifetime. Therefore, I've decided to write down my purpose in great detail. In addition, I've asked a couple of people to hold me accountable to it. Why? So when something "more spectacular" comes along and works to steal my focus, I have some folks in my corner who can reel me back in! LOL!

Now that I'm clear and have courageously accepted my purpose, I'm driven to really move forward without hesistation! So ladies, search your heart to consider your purpose. If you see another sista struggling, be a true sister and challenge her to consider her purpose as well. They say it's lonely at the top, but it doesn't have to be if you pull up the ones you love!

Hugs and kisses!
Latasha

Time for Some Action!

Whatever God's dream about man may be, it is certain that it cannot come true unless man cooperates. ---Stella Terrill Mann

Hey Ladies!

How are you? I hope you had a fabulous weekend and that you did something special for yourself like taking a nice long bubble bath or watching your favorite movie. If you didn't, then try to make plans to do something for YOU this weekend. You deserve it! As for me, I've been feeling quite inspired lately. My creativity has been in overflow! I'm so excited about getting some of my ideas off the ground. I feel like I'm finally beginning to embrace the woman that I always knew I'd be. It feels great to be true to myself and begin taking action steps towards more of my goals and dreams. So let me ask you ladies, what dreams and goals are in your heart that you're dying to see come true?

If you're anything like me, sometimes too many ideas can actually become paralyzing. I tend to plan too much. Before I know it, I'm all caught up in the administration portion while my creativity becomes dull. After awhile, I find myself so overwhelmed that I end up not taking any real action steps towards accomplishing my goal. But overtime, I've developed a few strategies that have helped me become much more productive!

1. Keep an idea log. Don't let your good ideas fall prey to a bad memory. You have enough to remember and quite frankly, you don't need the added pressure. So get yourself a nice little journal the size of your average purse and jot down all your ideas in there. Not only will you have a place to refer to when your feeling inspired instead of scraps of paper, but you can continue to build upon your ideas as new ones come along! I just picked up a new journal that I love to write in cause it's super cute! Now if I could just keep up with my pens! hahahha!

2. Make a list of action-items for each idea and be specific. So now that you have your list of ideas, it's time to get to work! No more talking about it or dreaming about it! It's time to get whatever "it" is, done! Dream big! Write down every step that it would take to accomplish a particular goal. If you've decided to buy a new home, then you've got to determine where you'd like to live, how much you can afford, what your spending plan should be, etc. So instead of saying I want to move into a new home "someday" determine that you want to move within 12 months and what it's going to take to meet that goal in that amount of time. That action-item list will keep you on track and keep you focused. So take some time to make one. You'll be so glad you did!

3. Do at least one item from your list EVERYDAY! Ok so now you have your list. Great! Now it's time to put this plan into action. You must do at least one of the action items on your list everyday. Whether it's doing research, making calls, or networking, it's imperative that you do something towards your goal every single day. EVERY-SINGLE-DAY, NO EXCUSES! Trust me cuties, you'll feel much better and learn a ton about yourself as you work to accomplish your goals. Ironically, you'll also provide room for more ideas!

Overall ladies, the moral of the story is that we have to honor every gift, every idea, every goal that we may have residing in our minds and hearts. Let's not take any of our gifts for granted. Let's write them down, determine in our hearts that we will do them and then work it! No more ambiguity! The gray area is reserved for fear. We have nothing of which to be afraid. We are strong, we are smart, and we are loved. Now let's GO get what's for US! Shoot me a note and let me know what you're doing. I wanna hear about it!

love you!

Smooches!

....hugs too!

Latasha

YOU DECIDE

Hey Ladies!

I've got a quick question for you. What's your p.o.v. when it comes to keeping in touch with your ex-boyfriends? How does your current man feel about your continued relationship(s) with your ex-men? Do you think you should break all ties from the ex, regardless if it was an amicable split? You decide. Holla back!

Smooches!
...Hugs too!
Latasha

Preserve the Sexy in Your Marriage

Hi Girls!

I hope you enjoyed your weekend! I spent some time this weekend talking with my hubby about love, life and relationships. We realized that after being together for 8 years and married for 3,things are still pretty fresh! Yes we've definitely had our rough patches, but luckily for us, God kept his hand on us until we could finally get it together. But even after some hard times, we still flirt like crazy, hold hands, cuddle and make "goo-goo" eyes at each other whenever possible! Yes ladies, I am still blissfully in love with my man. Seasoned couples told us that the fire would die after 6 months of marriage! But fortunately for us, the 'experts' were oh so wrong! And since I'm all about "sharing the love", I thought I'd share some of my tips for keeping your relationship fresh with your boo! ;)

1. Pray together. With all the vices set up to destroy a happy family these days, there's no way that I could make a list of suggestions without FIRST including this one. You HAVE to pray together! This one action can solidfy your marriage in ways that nothing else can. Rough patches WILL come and I believe firmly that prayer is what will help you ride the waves until that season in your relationship passes. Praying together will also help you both know each other's heart. Isn't that what we always say we want ladies? Don't we say we want to know what he's thinking and feeling? Well pray wth him and you'll know more than enough about your guy.

2. Plan a date night and keep it. Remember how you used to run home to shower and change for your date with your sweetie? If neccessary, you would use your lunch hour to pick up a cute bag or sexy dress to wear to impress him on that night. So why does that have to change now that you're married? If you wanna keep it sexy, then don't change ladies. Keep dating your man, keep buying sexy dresses and cute bags to impress him. Join him on a date to the theatre. Maybe go the amusement park, bowling alley or enjoy a nice candlelight dinner. Whatever you decide to do, plan to do it in advance and keep the date. I'm sure you know that anything that's not already planned just gets pushed back. So don't procrasitinate lovelies, go get your man, go get your planner and go enjoy an evening of fun and fabulousness together!

3. Compliment and respect him in private and in public. This suggestion may seem like it has nothing to do with preserving the sexy in the relationship, but it does. Trust me ladies, nothing turns a man on more than your admiration and your respect. We have to remember that our men interpret love differently. They don't need us to listen to them for hours and hours about the goings on of their day---but we do! What our men need from us is our admiration for the big and the little things. They'll never tell us, but it's true. Not only that, but they deeply desire for us to respect them, privately and publicly. Nothing will deflate your man worse than a biting, sarcastic comment. He may never tell you how bad you hurt him when you called him out about a private matter in front of his boys, but it did. So ladies, let's try another approach. Let's work to speak positively to our men and to treat them like the kings that we believe them to be. Trust me ladies, admiring and respecting your man will keep him close for many, many days to come.

4. Flirt, flirt, flirt! Listen ladies, we are natural flirts. From the tossing of our hair (weaves, ha!) over the shoulder to the sly, side smile---we know the subtle ways to make our men want us. Flirting is an incredible way to keep things fresh in your relationship as it creates anticipation for what is yet to come! So get creative girlies! Write some little love notes and throw them in his brief case before he leaves for the day. Call him on the phone while he's at work and share a fantasy that will become a reality when he gets home. Do you catch my meaning? Flirt with him---alot! You'll have him counting the seconds to when he can come home and cash in on all those hot and steamy "promises"! Mmmmm.

5. No more grandma panties. With so many incredible fall fashions, how can fashionistas such as ourselves NOT go shopping for the most classic and trendiest casual and office gear? It's a must right? So how can the same fabulous ladies go to bed in the ugliest and most raggedy pjs and night scarves?!! I know I'm guilty for it too, but recently vowed to my hubby to make a change, effective immediately! Ladies, our men are dying for us to come to bed smelling as sweet and looking as sexy as we do when we're off to meet our girls for Sunday brunch. So put aside some cash and go shopping to impress your guy---exclusively!

6. Become his playmate. Alright girls, it's time to loosen up! Our men want to play and their too macho to tell you. So I'm gonna tell you. Put that polish down, put on your sweats (some cute ones, of course) and go play! If your man is working hard, long hours and you're starved to spend time with him then don't be so picky how that time is spent. I've learned over the years that men tend to open up more when they're actually doing something. So if you're out playing ball with him, even if you suck, it's possible that you might learn something really incredible about him during that time. Whatever his hobbies are, pick one, or two, or three...and join him! I mean it's only fair. If he's going to go with you to the mall and spend his day testing the cushions of various chairs and couches while we waits for you to change into endless pairs of shoes and outfits, the least you can do is play with him! Right? You may not be the most athletic or adventurous, but I know for sure that he'll get a kick out of you joining him just for fun. Maybe you could even get creative and keep score with a reward system that both of you can enjoy! ow! Now that's sexy!

Ladies, I hope some of these suggestions help keep things sexy between you and your boo! I'm no 'expert', but I know these suggestions have worked for me. What have you been doing to preserve the sexy in your marriage? Don't be shy! Share them with us!!! A girl can never get too many ideas when it comes to making her man happy!

Later cuties!

Smooches!

...Hugs too!

Latasha

Welcome Ladies!

Hello Lovelies!

I'm so glad you stopped by! We have sooo much to talk about: God, men, money, marriage, children, jobs, style, hair and so, SO much more! If you're anything like me, you want the information that's going to push you into becoming and maintaining your best self! As far as I'm concerned, being fabulous is not an option ladies. We deserve it! WE are the heartbeat of our families, our jobs, our men's accomplishments, our bosses effeciency...need I say more? Consequently, it's IMPERATIVE that we take the best care of our minds, our bodies, and our spirits. Otherwise, we'll inevitably fail those who are depending on us. I know for some of you, it's going to be pretty challenging to just think about yourself first, cold turkey! I'm a wife and a new mom myself, and on top of all the endeavors that I'm working on...doing something wonderful just for me doesn't always happen; at least not without me feeling guilty. But don't worry lovelies, together we can begin to work towards our incredible transformations. I'll definitely hold you accountable for adding some gloss to those lips, taking a chunk of time to exercise or taking a bubble bath while listening to some soft music that soothes the soul! Mmmmm....doesn't that just sound so refreshing?!? Then let's get started! I'm so excited to see and hear about how fabulous you've realized you really are! Talk to you soon girls!

Smooches!
...Hugs too!
Latasha