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I’m a firm believer in sharing your story with people in the right setting. Will everyone want to hear your story? Probably not.
Can you tell everyone your story? Nope, but for those who do, you never know how you can connect with that person and build valuable relationships.
In that moment of sharing your story and being open and vulnerable,  you are able to connect with others in ways you will never know if you don’t dig deeper and tell the experiences that shaped you to be who you are today.

I recently attended an event and we did an experience in which we had 2 in a half minutes to share our “who” you are with one person without talking about work.  So, the first go around I’ll admit I stayed surface level and discussed my blog, school,  tutoring, etc… nothing deep.
So then, our speaker who was amazing by the way, made us dig deeper and examine who we are and share some not so pleasant experiences that are a part of our story.
By the time we ended, I knew so much more about the person sitting next to me, such as we both experienced the loss of a parent around the same age. Had I stayed surface level,  I would have never learned this information and been able to value her experiences to understand how she perceives or reacts to something differently today.

Have you shared your story with someone today? What have you experienced that you overcame that can help someone else today?

Revelations 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

#storytelling #art #photography #story #storyteller #love #stories #bnw #marketing #portrait  #design #photooftheday #film #instagram #writersofinstagram #writing  #ig #illustration #travel #music #inspiration #documentary #life #photographer #instagood #bhfyp

We are often asked the question as adults, what do you do…or even as kids we were often asked what do you want to do when you grow up.
I was netflixing – yes it is a word,  google it. Lol
Back to my story: I was netflixing and someone on the show I was watching asked a kid what do you want to do when you grow up and he kept raising his hand because he had more to add to what he inspired to be. I loved it and I was intrigued by his response to the point that it made me think about when did some of us (me included) get to the point that we put limits on ourselves.
You can be a doctor and a musician and a beautician and a traveler and a mom/dad and a wife/husband.  No one can tell you when you can stop becoming who you are unless you listen to them. Dont box yourself into one thing if you want to do something else, do it.
It is still okay to have aspirations over 30.
It is still okay to make a career change whenever you want.
It is okay if people don’t think your career goals match, guess what do it anyway! What is matching career goals anyway? 

So when people ask me what do you do I tell them:
First of all I’m a child of God and I work in insurance and I tutor and I’m a regional manager for tutoring and I blog and I love to travel and I’m a student and the list goes on. I’m not done until God says this is it for me. So, therefore I may add another “and” by opening a new business next month. You just never know. 
Take your limits off of yourself and allow God to give you a limitless future with him.
What can you add to your “and” while you still have time?

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 2:10 KJV

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#thatsdarling #flashesofdelight #thehappynow  #pursuepretty #livethelittlethings #darlingmovement
#darlingweekend #seekthesimplicity

I can say that I’m thankful to be a woman and proud to be a black woman!
As a woman of color, the first thing you notice about me is my skin complexion.  If you say you dont see color, then you dont see me. My blackness is a part of who I am.
As a black woman we are faced with many obstacles and challenges, however we continue to defy all odds and persevere. We have to continue to work together. If my sister or friend win, I win! Im celebrating their success like it was my own.
In honor of black history month I wanted to share one of my favorite poems from a phenomenal woman, Maya Angelou.

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I’m telling lies.
I say,
It’s in the reach of my arms,
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It’s the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can’t touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them,
They say they still can’t see.
I say,
It’s in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
Now you understand
Just why my head’s not bowed.
I don’t shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing,
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It’s in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need for my care.
’Cause I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord , she shall be praised.
Proverbs 31:30 KJV

#blackhistory #blackexcellence #blackpower #melanin #blacklove #blackmen #blackpride #blackwomen #blackisbeautiful #black #blackbusiness #melaninpoppin #blackpeople #blackhistorymonth #blackunity #supportblackbusiness #love #blackandproud #blackgirlsrock #blackculture #blackowned #blackwoman #history #africanamerican #problack #buyblack #hiphop #bhfyp

Recently I had the opportunity to travel to Cuba for my friend Brittany’s birthday and it was an amazing experience. Both of the ladies I traveled with names were Brittany, so my nickname for the trip was Traveling with Brittany 2.0 or Adventures with B- Squared. I enjoyed trying to speak my limited Spanish, seeing the beautiful people and emerging myself in another culture.
My favorite thing about traveling to other countries is that you can hear so much about other countries through different media channels, however that is second handed information or sometimes someone’s biased opinion passed down to others. In order to truly understand or have an opinion of something, sometimes you have to experience it for yourself.

So, here is my top 14 things I learned or observed while being in Cuba.
1. I loved the classic cars from the 1950s and 1960s. I even rode in a 1957 Ford.
2. The Cuban citizens were beautiful and very welcoming.
4. There were children outside playing instead of being stuck inside on social media or video games.
5. The Caribbean sea was amazing.
6. I enjoyed all of the Cuban cuisine. The honey glazed chicken, plantain chips and pico de gallo and chicken tacos were my favorite.
Sidenote: I wasn’t a fan of plantain prior to my trip, however the plantain chips were so good that I ate the entire bowl by myself.
7. The wi-fi was limited or unavailable. In order to access the wi-fi on some places you had to purchase a wi-fi card and then go to a wi-fi park.
8. Some of the Cuban citizens were extremely resourceful; things we would throw away, they utilized for storage. For example, I usually trash my water bottle after consumption ir recycle when available. Some used the empty water bottles for food storage.
9. There were no fast food restaurants.
10. I learned to watch where I was going. Some of the streets were uneven and there were holes on the sidewalk that were uncovered so, it was easy to trip or possibly hurt yourself if you werent careful.
11. Safety is my main concern when traveling to other countries, however I felt extremely safe in Cuba.
12. There are 2 monetary currencies in Cuba, the CUP (national currency) and CUC (Cuban convertible peso). The CUC used by most tourist is like the equivelance of 1 US dollar. The CUC is worth 25 times as much as the CUP.
13. The popular drink in Cuba was the mojito. I tried a mojito and it was pretty good, although I prefer less mint leaves.
14. There is rich history in the country. The architecture of the buildings date back to the early 1900s and the designs were intricate. Although the buildings were old and many unkept due to the revolution that took place, the people were some of the happiest I’ve seen in a long time.

I enjoyed my trip to Cuba and look forward to my next adventure. Where are you traveling next? Or where would you like to travel?

The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.
Psalms 121:8 KJV

#cuba #havana #travel #mexico #photography #colombia #love #photooftheday #a #like #follow #sea #habana #miami #puertorico #instagood #travelphotography #usa #art #beach #venezuela #sun #sky #photo #ecuador #music #varadero #instagram #espa #bhfyp

So I live in high rise apartments and often utilize the elevators to get from one floor to the next.  One of the first things that I bought when I moved into my apartment was a cart.
My cart helped me move in my apartment,  carries groceries,  shopping bags, etc… from my car to my apartment.

Of course like anything else my cart and I have been through some challenges over the last year in my apartment.  There were several times, when the stoppers came off and I would have to stop and fix a wheel. Or I would overload the cart, which weighed it down and made it slower.  Through all the many challenges of the breaking of the cart and the current red tape to repair both wheels, the cart still functions as a cart.
Sometimes we may go through things and question our reason for existence after abuse, trauma, sickness,  pain or experiencing loss. However, our past or current situation that we may experience doesn’t define us. It is through our brokeness that God is able to repair and heal us for his glory.  We are all here to serve a purpose that God placed us here for to glorify him.

So no matter, what you have gone through, remember just like my broken cart that was repaired, it still functions as a cart. We can be healed and delivered from past experiences and still live and function to fulfill our purpose.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. Psalms 51:17 KJV