I promise myself...

"I promise myself to live by the authority of my own soul today and to practice being my own best friend and motivator...I promise not to hide out or play it safe, but to bring my open heart and Master mind to each moment with confidence. I promise to believe in myself and in the genius of my people.

I promise myself to live this day with joy and enthusiasm, to allow only love and light to flow through me no matter who or what life sends my way. Everywhere I look I will see beauty and possibility, and I let my light shine in service to my people, giving joyfully from a full-cup.

I promise myself to remember that every circumstance is a pathway to God, that every crisis is temporary and lasts not a moment longer than it takes for me to surrender it to God and ask for a divine solution.

I promise myself to remain faithfully aware that God is always here, with and withib me. That no matter what the question, God is the answer. No matter what the need, God is the fulfillment. I promise myself to
remember."
~Susan L. Taylor

What's your DIVA?!

DIVA!

I never really took to this word. I've always seen a "Diva" as someone full on themselves, lots of A.T., not a lot of humility....But today, all of a sudden, I started feeling differently...(an aha! moment?)....maybe Diva can be that aspect of WOMAN that fiercely loves herself....is unchanging and essential. The part thats been around for decades and effortlessly "knows" and sparkles luminously. She enables you--to be cute. and fun! a lil spunky. creative. spontaneous. and dramatically feminine....

Sooo, then I do a lil research, and the dictionary tells us that Diva means "a female version of a hustla"......sike! ;P It says "distinguished singer" or "prima donna." (Right, right.) Buuut, the word comes from Latin and has roots in Italian as well. In Italian, diva means "goddess, fine lady." In Latin it means "goddess" and was the feminine of "divus", which meant "divine." Whenever I read or hear "goddess" or "divine woman", I like to think: The woman that is in love with her true essence (and all that gives it expression)...and very much connected w. the spirit of God which works through her! She does indeed, love herself.

So---I definietly think Ms. diva has her place in personality. But naturally, she must be kept in check :) Reigned in with the knowledge that--every female has one. As a matter of fact, every diva is a part of a larger undivided Association of Divas! So--no 1 diva better than the next!

;-)

What does your diva share and express?

sisterhood pt. 1

With God's Name

Question: Since when did it become popular to be that "I-don't-really-get-along-w.-other-females " sista?

This must be one of the most oft-repeated phrases I hear from young ladies (and sometimes older ones too), and it's always interesting when I hear it. 'cause its said with an air of "this makes me kinda cool", "this makes me dfferent", "this makes me edgy"....But I always just walk away feeling sad that its become the cool thing to not like other woman, not feel the need to address an obvious imbalance in the harmony-equation , and instead, actually be proud of the circumstance. Something that should be viewed as an obstacle or challenge with an attainable resolution, is tossed around casually as if to earn bragging rights...hmmm, interesting indeed.

I think the most profound changes take place when we examine our mental frameworks (the thoughts, feeling and attitudes that shape our patterns), reassess if they are actually healthy and true, and consciously make the necessary shifts (replacing ill, non-productive thoughts with positive, true, productive ones). And paying attention to the subtle, silent killers--like nonchalance, apathy, or arrogance--makes all the difference. Since when did we NOT CARE about the negative state of any type of relationshp, let alone that of our sisters--our gender buddies. The entity that effortlessly shares collective stories and secrets that can only be known and felt by another real deal girl :-) Ya know--like that moment you crossed the threshhold from the courtyard of girldom to the palace of womanhood. Or how about how it felt to be kissed by your special guy for the first time ? How can you downplay and forfeit all these special, estrogen-ridden experiences?--Like doing eachother's hair, or swapping jewelry and outfit pieces so yall can look fly for that event no one wants to miss!, or talking for hours about love and hopes and dreams, or learning those crazy dance moves from the latest music video, or just actin silly, or being that shoulder and tissue-hander when boy problems show their inevitable face. It just wouldn't be right. It's too much fun you'd miss. Too much love you wouldn't get (that rhymed:) ) and it it just wouldn't fit (ha!)

Seriosly though, let's not let what's feels cute at the moment, destroy our blessings and God-given connections. Everything has a purpose and has it's place. Now, instead of shrugging off the difficulties that can come w. interacting with women, why don't we take the pro-active approach and try and get to the bottom of it, and in process heal ourselves and our relatioships...more on that to come....