27 Things In 27 Years!

My 27th birthday is TODAY and I just wanted to take a moment to reflect on my past 26 years of life. Then I decided why not share with my followers! I think we could all learn something from one another. I also decided to bless you all with some shots from my photoshoot. The white swimsuit is from American Apparel (old) and the blue one was made by me an hour before my trip to Miami! All photos are by Dion and they are unedited. 1. Love through action. Someone who feels appreciated will give more than someone who does not. I have found it to be true that when you show someone you care even by small gestures they will be more apt to do the same. In life all we really want is to be loved and desired- but in order to get you must also give.

2. Take risks. Never be afraid to take risks. I decided to make 2018 my year of risk taking and already I am feeling like entering into this next year of life I really want to figure out my next “thing” and it will definitely require taking some risks and I am ready for it! I have been taking risks all my life and it has brought me so much joy as well as so many tears but I DO NOT regret any of it!

3. Speak things into existence. Each day I learn more and more how much power my words hold! The other day I saw that several of my sewing friends were featured in the newest magazine taking Instagram by storm: Sewn Magazine. I said aloud to myself, “I will be in this magazine”. Not even a week or so later I woke up to an Instagram DM from Michelle, owner of SewnMag, asking me if I would like to do a feature. Just like that I will be in the next issue of SewnMag so order your copy HERE NOW!

4. Give yourself a pass…several passes. Sometimes we are sooooo hard on ourselves. We feel like when we start something we MUST finish. It is ok to QUIT. It is ok to say this is NOT WORKING. This does not bring me HAPPINESS. I am walking away from it! Relationships, jobs, situations, ALLADAT!

 5. You are in charge. You own your present and future and even you past! Take the lessons from the past, use them for the present and set yourself up for the future you want. If you want something YOU have to make it happen!

6. Forgive yourself. I have done some things that were less than love BUT I have also extended forgiveness to MYSELF for those things. I am FREE from my past. It has made me who I am and for that I am thankful. I know a lot of people are ashamed of their past but I OWN IT. I love who I am today and it is because of every single thing that has happened in my past.

7. You cannot change what you do not accept. That goes for situations, people, things…ANY and EVERY thing!

8. The wise build bridges while the fools build barriers. I love to connect with others. I spend time building relationships and those relationships turn into bridges that connect me to others and sometimes to my destiny!

 9. Stop and Breathe.  I use CurvyCurlyConscious peppermint oil- it will be restocked soon! Peppermint oil helps with deep breathing and has soooo many other uses. I sometimes wake up early before work and the first thing I do is get a few drops of oil and do some deep breathing. You can do this anytime of day- trust me it helps me reset when I need to. I also use it during my meditations.

10. Meditate. I started doing meditation last year and it seriously changed my life! You can find my favorite meditation mixtape here.

11. Self-love is SELF DISCIPLINE. Will Smith said it best to visit his IG here and check out the highlighted stories titled Discipline & Self Love.

12. Words matter. This time I am talking about taking time to TELL people WHY you love and them and WHAT they mean to YOU!  13. Humility is accurate self-awareness.

14. Keep a gratitude journal. I did this for a few months at the end of 2017 and I did miss a few days here and there. However, taking the time each night to reflect on my day and write what I was grateful for really helped to remind me to keep my attitude of gratitude.

15. Grace is the means, faith is the way. My very first tattoo that I got says Grace. I chose it because I had learned that in this lifetime I would need to receive God’s grace and to also GIVE IT FREELY as I have received it. No one is perfect. NOT ME. Not you. Grace will bridge the gaps. Faith will build the bridges.

16. A dream is a thought asking for permission to live. Do not kill your dreams. Find your inner child and dream again!

17. You are your own savior. If someone is doing something that feels like less than love ONLY you can remove yourself from that situation/relationship. Make sure you are channeling love and light into your life.

18. Everyone and everything around you is a mirror that provides a reflection of yourself. Sometimes I stop and think about what it is about a person/situation that may be bothering me and then I figure out why that may be. Sometimes it’s because of something I may need to deal with within myself. This is the best time to stop and have some self-reflection.

19. Say I love you more. I grew up in a household where I head “I love you” at LEAST twice a day! I am big on telling those that you love that you love them! It is important to show love, BUT I think it is equally important to USE YOUR WORDS and let them know! I don’t just mean spouse and children- ALL relationships could benefit from this!

20. Try something new. I decided to buy a sewing machine in my last semester of grad school and LOOK I made the swimsuit in this post and just about everything else on my blog!

21. Failure is not trying. Success is only reached if you make an ATTEMPT.

22. Every person that you meet has something to teach you. I have learned so many lessons from exes, current friends, old friends, co-workers, students, strangers, celebrities, and the list goes on!

23. Have more FIRSTS. I feel like I am living life more now than ever before. I am taking the time to have more “firsts” in life. Like last week was my first time skinny dipping with my friends and the experience was so fun and so freeing! I also tried a lot of new foods in these past few months when I stopped eating meat.

24. Connect with others who will push your vision while you push theirs. So many things I have done in life have been driven by someone who has believed in me the way I believe in myself.

25. Big chops are revolutionary. When I chopped my permed hair off and began to grow out my natural hair it was MONUMENTAL. Not all at once. Over time I began to see how being natural was bringing about a new perspective of myself. I enjoy caring for my hair. I gained a new level of confidence and sooooo much more that is hard to articulate but I would encourage every single women of color to DO IT!

26. Love your body. I witness how beautiful women are when they themselves love the skin that they are in! This goes for men and women alike! You can truly be a masterpiece and a work in progress simultaneously.

27.  I love social media! Due to social media, I have connected with some of the closest people I now have in my life. People who I can be FULLY transparent with about ANYTHING and instead of judging me they LOVE ME even more!

Blowing nothing but positives vibes your way and mine! Here’s to 27!