A New Chapter...Why is it so scary?

Chapters in our lives are so prominent and apparent that when we KNOW it's time to write our last sentences and turn the page to begin a NEW chapter, 

we second guess ourselves and procrastinate. 

Trusting our instincts is difficult because were being swayed in both the path were longing for and the path were currently on, prolonging decisions and wanting to make the infinite choice that will decide our future.

So why is it that we find it "scary" facing a new chapter in our lives?

Couple reasons:

• We can't imagine living any other way other than the way were living at the current moment.
• Were afraid as to what others might say and in what category we get put in their minds.
• Crossing that bridge might either bring us to safety or it may crumble, uncertainty.
• How might we be able to survive with just our own support and values?  
• Will Success follow or will Karma have its way with me? 

I used to always make myself crazy thinking that by starting a new chapter in my life would mean that I couldn't handle my current situation and so I was looking for a way out. Until I really looked at what was really going on and found out that I was in a stagnant place in my life and I needed to find new challenges, new outlets and most importantly new goals. I had come to a point where I surpassed what I was yearning for and I made sure I took what I needed from my current experiences. I was ready to MOVE ON.

Moving on to the next level stimulates growth, makes you stronger, and takes you to uncharted territory where you never thought of stepping into. It's the best form of keeping intact without having to fall apart.

Fear as always is very common in this situation, if anything make a chart of Pro's and Con's and allow BOTH the facts and your drive to take you to where you need to be. 

Take a Leap of Faith 

and 

watch yourself GROW!

Permission NOT Required

I am always compelled to HAVE to understand why it is that certain individuals RESERVE the right to want to take the very essence of one's existence and MAKE a decision that they feel is right in their minds?!

In other words....

Why is YOUR permission required to live MY life?

29 years I've lived and have yet to understand others' insecurities about choices I make according to my liking and the way I choose to live. Same could be said for those whom have lived before me and those who will live after me. NOT understanding something doesn't mean you have to go against it or that you have to fear it. It simply means that you must research and if you can, TRY and WALK in the shoes of whom you are unable to understand.

Whether it was in my family, elementary school, middle school, high school, beauty school, church,  youth ministry or a simple walk down the street, there was ALWAYS something I had to prove, someone I ALWAYS had to explain myself to, SOME TASK I had to accomplish in order for others to feel safe. One thing is for sure though, for some reason I felt as if I always needed permission to feel safe in my own skin, then come later to find out that I NEVER needed anyone's permission to LIVE freely and LOVE to the best of my ability. 

It's hard to hear and see when someone you've loved and cared for the longest time doesn't want to see the weight lifted off your shoulders simply because they deny your truth and heart. Although on the other hand, if we weren't able to live and experience rejection and stubbornness from others we wouldn't be able to build our strength from the bottom up. 

I can say that I don't hate anyone that's ever rejected my heart, friendship, gift and way of life. I don't hold resentment against anyone who wasn't able to understand and feel acceptance for what it truly is, and neither should you. 

Knowledge is something were born with and we must continue to feed our minds and hearts whenever possible, even when we are confused and concerned. The only way we can stop growth from happening is when we refuse to let our minds expand and live within the box of our comfort instead of exploring what's on the outside of that comfort.

Permission is NOT required to LIVE and LOVE

for we ALL come from the same place and ONE source...

whomever that may be...

For me, I know 

GOD is GOOD...ALWAYS!

The X-Factor: Boot Camp Jitters

The vocal competition reality shows are back on! The tension and nerves of these contestants are shakier than ever too!

I was able to catch the first day of Boot Camp for the X-Factor tonight and in case you haven't heard, the judging panel are as follow:

L.A. Reid

 Record executive, Producer, Songwriter

Britney Spears

Recording Artist

Demi Lovato

 Recording Artist/Actress

Simon Cowell

 A&R executive, television producer, television personality

Pretty intimidating panel if I do say so myself!

After the open casting auditions the show held nationwide, it's now time to dwindle 120 acts to 24...yes 24!!!! Can you imagine the vibes and emotions backstage?!

Now what I love about this show for one, is the fact that they were able to get Britney on board. In my opinion she has changed and transformed the way we see Popstars today. Is there anything this woman hasn't done?! She's done it all, conquered all, and on her way to even greater success. 

Secondly, I love the fact that there's no age limit and even groups can audition, that makes for a more interesting plot. 

Now on this episode, each act was called up one by one to audition for a second time in front of the judges and eacchother, whether they were on point or not, there are 4 different judges with 4 different opinions, pleasing 3 out of 4 them is what these acts really need to do to move forward to the next round. So many great and talented singers and a lot of them that I personally liked weren't able to move on and yet a lot of them did make the cut. It breaks my heart to see any of them cry, at the same time, in these kind of competitions, you have to expect ANYTHING and EVERYTHING!

Song choice is everything in these competitions as well as keeping your nerves under control. It's hard to see a lot of them break down during their auditions and are so hard on themselves afterwards. As an audience, we tend to say, "Oh really??? WOW yeah you're done! Get out of there!" What we lack to remember is the fact that even the greatest of stars have had their meltdowns and even forgotten their lyrics onstage. The only difference between them and these contestants is the fact that they have someone solid in the industry that believes in them and backs them up. Even THEY have had their cries that we don't get to see (in a way that's a good thing). Performing in itself is harder than what it looks to be. 

For ANY contestant on X-Factor, The Voice and American Idol....you're BRAVE to put your gift out there for the world to see and judge, if you don't make it to the end, 

keep it going! 

DREAMS are only impossible to reach when you don't extend your hand.

Let's see what the rest of the X-Factor boot camp brings!

Compare Yourself to NO ONE

How hard is it NOT to compare yourself to anyone??? 

 VERY!!! 

 Realistically, it's a bit ridiculous how much time we waste in doing so, yet, we ALWAYS want what we can't have.

LIFE in general, with co-workers and piers, we either have the type of people that are happy for us when we succeed, or we have the jealous type that just want to keep us low to the ground who won't allow us to grow, instead, have them grow for us. 

Being negative and jealous is very infectious, and it can really wither away friendships and relationships all around. At times we might not even know that were feeling these negative thoughts until someone brings it up to our attention. By then, it might be too late. 

So by being negative at times, your flow can change, your goals, your outlook, and even wrinkles can appear a lot faster on your facial structure...it has been PROVEN y'all!

Why be jealous of the person to your right and/or left? 

Why compare your achievements to those of your siblings? Why compare yourself to yourself and make YOURSELF the bad guy as you stare at your image in the mirror?

Everyone in this LIFE has struggled, cried, hurt, bled, and have submitted themselves to shame at some point in their existence. Nothing has come easy and on a silver platter without having there been consequences and hoops to jump in and out of. 

If and when you see the person next to you have a happy moment, ENJOY their smile and FEEL their excitement. It's so beautiful to see and feel what another person is so excited about. When you hear that one of your siblings has great news, GLOW with them and let them know how their growth and determination has really made them stronger. When you see yourself advancing to the next level of LIFE and actually enjoy the ride, be PROUD of yourself and walk PROUDLY for every sacrifice has met it's match. 

With the sibling rivalries, know that you're there for eachother and you'll get farther in LIFE by teaming up as a unit rather than try to compete against one another. Live your lives according to what YOUR goals are, not to how you can upstage your fellow brethren, EVEN if your parents are being biased, let them be, YOU ARE YOU and allow them to know that about you.

YOU have your own goals, YOU have your own mind, YOU have your own way of LIFE....

YOU OWN YOURSELF and compare yourself to NO ONE!

Keep You, Love You, Cherish You

Words cannot express my wish for everyone to acknowledge these 6 words....

and to take them on a great ride while experiencing LIFE and other comforts along 

with the downfalls.

Keep You

Everything you're about, the way you think, the way you look at the world, the way you believe in certain things, the way you speak and even the way you treat others, look at all of it as a whole and know that this is YOU. Many decide to fluctuate and change when they're in romantic relationships in order to please their partners, and ultimately see their demise in their individuality and persona. When having lost oneself, draw back and see what's making you blurry in your path. Nevertheless, it's O.K. to venture into other options and see what works for you, key word here is YOU.

Love You

There is only ONE of YOU. Many have the same characteristics, they have the same likes and dislikes, they may even have the same upbringing and mentality as you, yet, they're not YOU. Everyday that you wake up you are given the opportunity to offer the world what you have inside of you. Yes we get our days where were not feeling great, were crabby and moody, and even then, it's YOU. The happiness, moodiness, sadness, and the act of taking precaution, all that you release in the world only ONE person can come out in the end and make out what it needs to be, 

that person is YOU. 

Cherish You

Often times I hear people cry for the fact that they're loved ones have called them difficult or that they're just impossible to get along with. Believe me when I say this, if 4 of us kids were able to survive Mommy Dearest in her prime and still genuinely LOVE her, there's nothing difficult about loving your neighbor unconditionally. Yes I'll admit, there are people that drive others up the wall and simply don't want to deal with them. Although, know that they're who they are for a reason, without them in your LIFE, you wouldn't be learning what you're capable of learning about yourself. Cherish those around you for the greater good, even if their attitude stinks from the ground to the sky. Most importantly, CHERISH YOU for your efforts in loving yourself as well as being able to genuinely love others for who they are.

Stay TRUE to who you are, 

for without YOU the world wouldn't be what it is today...

Diverse.

Lessons of the Neverending Past

Many of you out there I've had the pleasure of helping you out in more ways than just your hair and/or your make-up makeovers. You've been able to trust me with the most inner demons you tend to face on a daily basis, you've allowed yourselves to become vulnerable and let your heart do the talking instead of your mind. 

I can definitely say that ALL of you, and you know who you are, have TRULY risen to the occasion of every obstacle put forth in your path since I've been involved, and with that, whether you've faced them head on or have faced them in other routes and other ways, you've allowed yourselves to become better people, better at knowing what works for you and what doesn't.

 Whether you agree with me or choose to disagree, you've surpassed some of your greatest fears, even though you might believe that you've taken a step backward and/or failed, you haven't....you're learning to ACCEPT...and ACCEPTANCE is very hard to take in, at ANY age.

There's a reason why our PAST stays so vivid in our minds...there's a reason why looking ahead sometimes can be very difficult. There's a reason WHY the word WHY exists. 

We are meant to question the UNIMAGINABLE, the INEVITABLE, the UNEXPLAINABLE. We've experienced every single one in our past, learn to ACCEPT in our PRESENT, and prepare for our FUTURE.

I've learned to dig myself out of my own darkness day after day and year after year. A lot of what many of you are experiencing now in your lives I've gone through it myself in my younger years. Every piece of advice I have to offer is that of an answer I've had to dig up on my own. Not to say that EVERYTHING I say is valid and should be taken into action by yourselves, simply it's a door that I've gladly opened for you to see what can become of your future DEPENDING on your course of action.

I will say this though, and if I may:

I say this in person, on Facebook, in the blogs, on Twitter and ANY outlet there is out there....LEARN to LIVE for yourselves. Focus YOUR energies on YOU. Only YOU can make yourselves happy and glad to say that you've won a battle. The so called "WAR" is non-existent, if anything, it's self inflicted...I learned this the HARD way and suffered many years in a jail cell of my own mind, the one I created for myself. Living in the "What If's" and "Maybe's" will guarantee you pain and thorns that don't belong in your heart, although, if you choose to take one of the "What If's" or the "Maybe's", ACCEPT what outcome you receive, whether it's the answer you were looking for or not. ACCEPT YOU first and foremost.

Our 

Lessons regarding our unknown Future 

are the casualties of our 

Lessons of OUR Neverending Past

Rain

For the longest time, I've always found RAIN itself to be purifying and have the ability to wash away any negativity that's inside us, even if it dampers the mood a bit because it get's us wet, it's only water...and if anything, it's cleansing.

I was 10 years old when I saw the video for "Rain" by the Queen of Pop herself, Madonna. In 1993, MTV was actually playing music videos during the day and night and the second season of The Real World: Los Angeles was being shown in half hour show fragments, meanwhile, this was by far the EXTENT of any reality show on the music video channel.

"Rain" became a bold statement with Madonna as she was wrapping up her promotion to her "Erotica" album and "The Girlie Show" tour. It was a different vibe, a different look, and a different sound that really showed how eclectic and what a chameleon Madonna could be not only in her music, but as an entertainer.

Her soft harmonies show her peaks throughout a song that has momentum at the right time when all the old negativity is ready to flood away from the soul. The cleansing of the rain also shows the ability to bring new LOVE when it's mostly needed. 

Usually in this world, as previously discussed, the shadows that belong in the darkness tend to overshadow the light we naturally possess. When it is so dimmed that we can no longer see our path we want a way out, we look for the next possible open door that allows us a glimpse into what can become of us if we CHOOSE to go through that open door. 

Stay dimmed or wash away the darkness?

  When I've gone outside and there's nothing but water coming down from the skies and the scent of the wind has a fresh and crisp sense of smell and sensation you can actually inhale and exhale, it gives me the vibe of "All will wash away" all over my body and frame of mind. What else do we have to do and think about especially when our worlds have had enough to petrify and plague our days with?! 

When we've felt the beauty of cleansing, the beauty of purification, we stand out in such a way where we know that this feeling can be pursued in many instances, yet, by having the earth's natural ability show us the way of it's curable sensation, we crave the day we can actually let our hearts and souls reach that level of happiness. 

Crave for your happiness and you'll see that what comes your way will be nothing less short of a miracle door waiting for you to feel the rain on your skin ready to wash all that darkness away and bring you to new LOVE!