Faith. Women. Empowerment.

Once upon a time, I nearly leased an apartment with exposed brick walls!

The thing was a dream.

That is, if you like open brick walls + pocket doors, I happen to be such a person.

A lady in her 50’s was renting out the top of her building which she had renovated into this “artists dream” of a spacious flat.

The rent was reasonable and the location was perfect.

Tucked away in a story tale-like town, the kind where all the shops are in the heartbeat of the town square, the highlight of fall is the pumpkin festival and everyone is home by dark.

My kind of village.

So there I was—standing on the brink of leasing my dream apartment or being back at the drawing board for where I would reside in a few months, when my previous lease was up.

To my demise, the person I was involved with at the time did not share my love for the place.

He stammered his feet across the original hard wood floors and pointed out what was “ not so dream-like” about it.

“There’s no laundry, you have to carry it across the street. No dishwasher. Did you see those steps? That would suck to move furniture up. Where would I [game] with all the windows in here?”

On, and on, and on, until I told the sweet woman that we wouldn’t waste her time, as we couldn’t come to an agreement.

So we left.

And then a few months later, I left him.

I contacted the woman at that time to see if my open concept of a dream flat was still available, unfortunately a couple had jumped on it the very next day.

Sometimes In life, I think we are handed blessings in the form of challenges.

Things that will make us grow.

Sure, it’s bound to come with a little “ rough “, like having to walk across the street to do laundry, and “ PIVOT!”-ing (friends reference! ;p) up those stairs with your collection of furniture so far.

In the end, you would adapt.

You would conform to the new.

Your edges would be smooth because you’d been grinded across something rough and made it through to tell about it.

Life would have been adjusted to something out of the “norm” that’s all.

Sadly for him, his sails chose not to bend and so this boat set sail for a different course altogether.

Life is short y’all, and if you don’t open your eyes to see the opportunities, the blessings, presenting themselves before you in the form of a struggle, then you miss the chance to grow.

You don’t need all the bells + whistles to be happy, I promise.

To see, that through the adaptation could come transformation + beauty, that my friends, is what you need.

To look your demons in the face and tell them you’re about to square up if they don’t “scoot” because you’re about to embark on an adventure.

You see, there will always be that person—the one who tells you that something isn’t good enough, that it’s a terrible idea, that you’re not good enough.

Sometimes the voice is internal, sometimes external.

And so I say, and you MUST with all of your might, tell them to MOVE IT!

Either they choose to change their perspective and find the positive in the chaos, or they get to packing.

Your perspective is everything!

I have learned this over 28 years of success’ and failures.

I have learned that what is quite literally the most

Important move, is the one you make when you’re slapped in the face with life.

When you don’t get the promotion or the doctors report you needed. When the school doesn’t accept you or someone else finds “ the one”.

That, is your defining moment.

Will you choose to believe your aspirations are buried and dead, curse the holes in your plan, blame someone else for your failure?

OR…

Will you turn to that closed sign on the door of your goals and tell it, that’s okay, I’ll come back tomorrow, and the next day, and the next…until you’re ready for me.

Ready for a different angle, a sharper outlook, a definedperspective…

I hope you choose the ladder.

Be the open flat, with exposed brick and pocket doors.

Be the type of way that would make others grow + be inspired.

My Love, life is full of frightful things, the best thing is to find something to be happy about and stick to that.

So, when life pokes holes in your umbrella, pitch the thing and splash around in the water for a bit.

Because the truth is…

We’re all on this ocean we call life together— some of us just choose to sail full speed ahead into the dawn.

Here’s to choosing to get into the boat!

🧡✌🏻⛵️