Sweet. Simple. To the Point.

What's your vision?  How long have you had this vision?  Is this vision generating income for you so that you have enough profit to pay your bills?  If not, are you working a part-time or full-time job and created a plan that will allow you to eventually work your vision full-time?  Vision.  What's yours?  The REALITY is..... the vision will always be there, it will never go away.  Pursue your vision, live it, accept it, love it, carry it, protect it, deserve it, strengthen it, embrace it, exploit it, admire it, catch it, own it.  
It's yours.  The REALITY is....it will never go away.

~DeAndrea~

Neo Mom

NEO MOM

As I was coming home from the gym after a quick workout, I recalled a conversation I had with a friend about getting old and turning into a "mommy" after having kids. Back in the olden days when women got married and had kids they abandoned their young and hip look for the look of “the mommy”. Mommies are pudgy from baby fat, they wear short hair cuts to show their maturity, they wear high water pants pulled up to the waist, and somehow every bit of sexuality is drained out of their bodies. That particular mommy look still exists but I believe it will one day be extinct. With the pressure to stay in shape and to look young, you find a lot of women taking on the neo mom look. The neo mom is hot! Neo mom quickly sheds the baby weight and bounces back. She is on a diet while she is pregnant as a matter of fact. She is in the latest gear. Her hairstyle is trendy. Basically neo mom doesn't miss a beat. I am sure the increase in the divorce rate has forces women with kids to get back in shape and back in the market.

With all that being said, I actually believe that the neo mom is the healthier option. Eating healthy portions while you are pregnant will keep you from gaining massive weight and I am sure is good for the baby. Also, keeping yourself in shape does wonders for your self esteem. I think keeping yourself together helps you  avoid losing yourself in marriage or in the mommy role. You should be mommy but you shouldn’t lose your identity. I am sure keeping yourself together once you have kids is a major challenge. I guess what I’m saying is that times are changing and you can make a choice to have the traditional mommy look or be a neo mom. You don’t have to lose yourself. As long as you want to stay fit and trendy then you can. Thoughts?   

Just Say It!

We say it to young children all the time-"Use words and tell me what you want!"  The child then attempts to articulate their desire so they can be understood and have exactly what they want.  For many adults, this basic learned technique of saying what you want gets lost at some point in life.  Perhaps some choose not to speak certain desires as a result of having too many instances of being disappointed.  Regardless of the reason, there are people all over the country who have forgotten the basic principle of saying what you want.

This weekend I overheard someone speaking on the difference between the passive person who never speaks what they want versus the person who has enough confidence to boldly declare the things they desire.  Their conclusion was if you're passive and never speak up don't expect too much out of life.  It's very true and easy to understand- how can you expect to receive something that no one even knows you want!  It's those who are confident enough to say "I want this" or "I don't want this, "I like that" or "No, this doesn't work for me" who are on track to receiving what they desire.  Even if they don't get an immediate yes to their request, they've spoken what they wanted and have prepared themselves to ultimately be on track to receive a yes someday.  The truth is you will have someone tell you no.  Get over it, it happens. But imagine how wonderful it will be when you push past being uncomfortable and afraid of hearing no and actually let someone know exactly what it is that you want and finally hear Yes!  Bottom line: you'll never know what you can or can't have, until you say exactly what it is that you want.    
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Words have power.  In the Bible God used words to create and we can do the same.   Our ability or lack of ability to have certain things in our life are directly related to the words we speak.  Today I encourage everyone to move forward speaking those things we desire or don't desire for our lives.  Continue to speak them in confidence until they manifest.  
 
~DeAndrea~

Goody Goody!!!

Goody Goody!!!

Is anyone an undercover Ned Flanders fan like I am? I mean I love Ned Flanders!!!  I’ve wanted to write a blog about Ned Flanders for a while and I think today is the day. 

So I was out at diner a couple of months ago and someone mentioned how much they hate do-gooders or goody two shoes.  The comment caught me off guard because I had never heard someone openly say they hate people who pride themselves on being good.  I guess a lot of people don’t like “Goody Goody” folk. I mean Homer Simpson is constantly tormenting Ned and his family because they are religious and sooooo good. I like Ned. He is super positive and has a loving family. His sons are obedient and respectful. His wife is his number one fan and is supportive.  In my mind Ned has it going on. Even though he may be a cornball or nerd in the eyes of many, he has a lot to be thankful for. He is blessed! I can relate with Ned %100.   

This is not going to be one of those super deep blogs. I just wanted to say to all the Ned Flanders of the world to keep doing you and stay super optimistic, super Christian (or whatever your religion), and super happy! Okely-dokely!

~Chi

When He Wants It, He'll Go After It

Once a man knows what he wants he's gonna pursue.  A couple of friends and myself all nodded in agreement because this fact is undeniable- when a man wants something, he pursues it.  Have you ever known a woman who forgot this important piece of information and attempted to pursue a guy, even when it was clear he had no desire to pursue her back? 

Though some may consider waiting until the man takes charge as old fashioned, there seems to be truth in this concept. People often say stay away from guys who love being pursued by women because these are the guys who will accept the advances of any women and his end goal is to have an easy women who will be even easier to leave when he's ready to move on.  So how do you approach a guy that you like?  Do you take the first step?  Do you let him take the first step and then let him know that you're interested?  Although there's no one way to do anything, ultimately a women should at the very least allow the guy to have a chance to pursue her and show her that he is able to step up and lead and that he's interested in getting to know her better. 

And this is true if you're a teenager as well.  Despite what television is showing and despite what they're doing in the movies, wait and let the guy pursue you.  As a young lady don't feel pressured to be in a relationship so bad that at any cost you're willing to stalk the guy and give up whatever it takes just to be accepted by him.  If today reflected how it was done in the past, we'd have more young ladies realizing the value of their beauty and not be so quick to rush to put on make-up or tight clothes in order to be seen, admired, and respected by a guy.  We would also have more young men realizing the value of their strength, realizing that the number of girls you score doesn't define your manhood, but the quality of your character, your decisions and your actions are what helps to define who you are.

The bottom line regardless of age when it comes to liking someone, dating, or however you want to define it is this:  Stay true to yourself.  It's simple but true.  Whether a guy or girl, don't change who you are just to get someone to like you and don't compromise who you are just because you desire to be loved. 

"Learn to... be what you are, and learn to resign with a good grace all that you are not." <HFA>

 ~DeAndrea~

Butterfly Mode

1 Corinthians 13:11

When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.

In grade school we all learned about the metamorphosis of a butterfly. I am sure that some of us took school trips to butterfly gardens to actually experience the beauty of the butterfly’s transition. At the time the wonder of a butterfly’s metamorphosis was how cool the insect looked after emerging from its cocoon. An ugly caterpillar with fury multicolored skin actually turned into something gorgeous and majestic. I remember as a kid wanting to kill caterpillars because of how gross and itchy they looked. When I saw one it took every little bone in my body not to squish it. Caterpillars were icky worms that had to be destroyed. Of course they were too nasty for me to step on so I would usually require the aid of my big brother or someone who didn’t mind messing up their shoes. As a child I could not appreciate them, but as an adult I totally see that the beauty is not in the bug or the butterfly but in its transition.

So the butterfly has four stages in its life cycle. It starts off as an egg. Then it becomes a caterpillar or larva and its only purpose is to eat as much as it can in order to prepare itself for its next stage in life. The caterpillar will also shed its skin several times as it grows. The next stage is the pupa stage where the transition to a butterfly takes place. Now this stage can take anywhere from a few weeks to two years. Then the final stage is when it becomes a butterfly and a butterfly’s purpose is to find a mate and lay eggs. One of the most interesting facts is that an adult butterfly only lives two weeks or maybe a month. That means that most of the butterfly’s life is spent maturing from an egg, to a caterpillar, and in the cocoon.  

As human beings we are constantly transitioning. Our transition may not be as obvious as the butterfly but we are maturing. How many of us have been that awkward kid. Like the caterpillar you were unappreciated because you looked a certain way, came from a certain class, or just were plain different. The beauty about this stage is that you may be different, but your job is to walk this earth absorbing as much knowledge to prepare you for your adult years. You will not always be a larva, so appreciate the time when you have zero responsibility but to learn and appreciate what life is teaching you. Also like the caterpillar, shed your skin. As you mature get rid of the negative or the things that don’t work in your life. Allow yourself to enter your next stage in life with as little baggage as possible.

 I see the transition phase as the time that you spend breaking down and understanding everything life has taught you. It’s the time you can actually take a trip for two months somewhere just to reflect or you can spend time meditating at home every morning for two months. It can also be a 40 day fast. The transition time is critical because it is the time that you make real decisions to except or reject certain behaviors, ideas, and lifestyles you experienced as a youth aka caterpillar. Your transition can happen at any stage in life whether you are twenty-five or sixty. I think some people never take the time to transition and as a result their full potential is never achieved. When you are in butterfly mode you are celebrating your wisdom. People will revel in your beauty and no one can take that from you. You are not your past, but you are your present. When you leave the cocoon you are born again.

Another cool fact about the butterfly is that their diet is different from when they were a larva. Caterpillars eat plants, but butterflies drink nectar. What you indulged in as a youth should be different as an adult. Release the fatty foods and eat healthier. Also gain a stronger relationship with God and feed your spirit healthy things. Be mindful to what you watch on TV, read, and listen to on the radio. Seek virtue and gain wisdom.

Embrace the idea of metamorphosis and start your journey into butterfly mode.  

~ Chi  - I am what I am...Love!

When Is It Too Much

What do you do when you find yourself sowing seeds non-stop, or saying yes to random projects all the time?  You're always that one who's quick to say yes, instead of saying no.  Always quick to step in when someone needs help and willing to provide it without expecting to receive.  Now I will forever continue to volunteer and believe me I view it as a wonderful thing, or say yes to projects I believe in.  Yet at times are you like me and find yourself giving so much time into someone else's vision that you tend to never fully throw yourself into your own?  Where in the middle of forward progress a sudden yes to someone stops your project's forward progress and there your vision stands asking "What about me?".   So I propose the question of the day: When is it too much?  I've heard that it's too much when it becomes a burden to you, yet what if you actually enjoy what you do (whether or not you're receiving pay for it).  Your concern is that you're so tired and overwhelmed from these projects that at the end of the day you find yourself having no time to invest any time into your own.

So when is it too much?  This question is a question we all have to answer for ourselves.  What I do know is that in life you will get overwhelmed from all the things you're working on, and you may find yourself at times wanting to quit everything you have going on. Yet through it all the key isn't about quitting.  What it's about is creating a game plan for your vision that allows you to keep moving forward with your vision while you're assisting someone else with theirs.  And yes I think you do have to be able to say no to some things because everything isn't meant for you to be apart of.  Sometimes by saying no, it actually allows the yes you've been waiting on to manifest and open up the door for your vision to walk through and say "Yes, I've finally arrived!". 

I pray this blog helps someone finds balance with their time, the courage to say no, the wisdom to know when to say yes, and the peace that comes with knowing you're involved in the right things. 
~DeAndrea