Bloom Wherever You Are🌸

Oh, hey y’all! 

Can we be transparent for a minute? Think about where you were physically, mentally, or spiritually when you stated or thought these phrases:

• maybe if I moved to another state
• maybe if I worked for a different company
• maybe if I completed my degree

We have all allowed these thoughts and statements to run rampant in our minds. If we are completely honest with ourselves there is a level of frustration being experienced when we make these type of statements. These frustrating moments can lead an individual to rethink the current season that they are in. 

Making decisions out of frustrations can often lead to regret. It can also delay your goals even more and subsequently the frustration of it all leads to no progress. 

So, before you make that move out of state or before you consider a different company, consider the phrase Blooming Where You Are! This phrase encourages individuals to thrive and grow in their current circumstances or environment. It suggests that with positivity and effort, one can find success and happiness regardless of their circumstances. Another important piece to stamp is that God will make your name great regardless of your current state or situation. Now, I'm not saying that relocating, finishing a degree program, or changing companies won't change your circumstances, it absolutely could. The piece that I think is important to stamp is the mindset that accompany the actions. 

If life does not do anything else, what it will do is Life!! The challenges and struggles you encounter will express one or two things in your life; the reason why you don’t make it or what you tell others when you do make it. One looks like victory and the other looks like defeat. Both accounts also gives an individual some form of motivation and hope. The great part is you have full autonomy over your mindset regarding these two expressions. Consider that you are preparing for what has been prepared for you. Preparation prepares you for purpose. The biblical definition of the word prepare means to be firm, established, stable, and to be ready. All this tells me is that you and I have work to do while still in progress.

Where you are may not be where you want to be, but there’s still greatness in your current space. Blooming where you are gives you the confidence to become what you were destined to be. Remember, preparation walks alongside purpose and your purpose allows you to bloom where you are!

Resolved to run my lane!

Oh hey y’all!! Quick question, have you ever been driving and then out of nowhere a vehicle swerved into your lane? One of the first things that you may do is honk your horn or yell stay in your lane with or without using profanity. While on your way to your destination, this unwarranted action has caused you temporary anxiety and distress. The more concerning piece is that the individual that swerved into your lane is totally unbothered by your actions and sometimes act as if they were given authority to enter your space. 

Now let’s apply this similar scenario to your personal or professional life. We have all heard of the phrase “stay in your lane.” During moments of frustration, we may have been the one to utter the historic phrase. I know l have. I often wonder what makes a person think they have earned the right to have an opinion or a front row seat to a life they have not been called or assigned to. I have been told quite often that you get in trouble when you operate outside of the lane that you have been called to.  

I do believe the phrase stay in your lane goes both ways. The energy that you give when someone inserts themselves in your business, should be accepted when you forget that you are minding someone else’s business. We know what it means to consume oneself with things that don’t concern us, but what does it mean to consume yourself with things that do concern you?  Focusing on one's own responsibilities, avoiding involvement in matters that do not concern you , and not interfering with someone else's work or opinions is how you become resolved to run the lane that has been given to you. 

But, again, what does this actually look like? Having the resolve to run your lane looks like acceptance. This means that you have come to terms with a circumstance or situation and you have embraced the reality of the situation 

by responding in a positive manner. Listen, acceptance can lead you to a sense of inner peace. When you are truly focused and committed to what God has placed in your hands, you won’t concern yourself with what others are doing. 

When you stay in your own lane, you will not become distracted by the things that could possibly take you off course. What is your area of expertise? How do you affirm the importance of your assigned role? You affirm this importance by becoming more focus on perfecting what has been placed in your hands. There is a specific path that has been predestined for you and when you are fully resolved to run your lane growth happens and goals are achieved. 

You only have authority where you have been given responsibility. Ha, that was a mouthful! Remember, it is always in your best interest to mind the business that pays you unless you have been invited into the life and circumstances of others. Also, make sure that you are vetting those invitations because some invites come with distractions attached and subsequently takes you away from your growth and goals. 

I would be remised if I didn’t share with you how you deal with those individuals always swerving left and right into your lane. And, YES, this is sometimes easier said than done, but I’m confident if you apply what I call my modern day version of the half hood half holy trinity you will be successful. First,  be polite, but definitely apply pressure as needed; secondly, be specific, give detailed examples because people sometimes forget about their actions and behaviors; and last but certainly not least, do it in real time. This means having the conversation as the individual is operating outside of their assigned role.

I challenge you today to be resolved to run your lane! Remember you only have authority where you have been given responsibility!

#OhHeyYall #melantedblogger #Responsibilty #StayinYourLane 

#Acceptance 

Greatness is

Greatness is….

Oh hey, y’all! I’m just sitting here listening to Quavo’s new song Greatness. Initially, when I first heard the song, I was like dang, I hear the pain in his voice as he raps about the end of an era. While rapping about that era, he mentioned all of the great things they accomplished and the struggles that ultimately lead them to what he perceived as greatness.

There were a million thoughts going through my mind as I reflected on my greatness. Greatness is defined as being larger than ordinary size or ability or being higher in degree or importance. Let’s focus on the word ability. The key component regarding ability is discipline. Some confuse ability with skill. Skill is learned and ability comes naturally. Just like greatness is not a skill, it is not something that can be handed to us, but something that we can create for ourselves.

Greatness is no respecter of a person, right? That means that greatness is attainable to anyone and everyone who so desires it, but it comes at a cost. Greatness is something that is unique to each and every one of us. It is an individualized experience that can be cultivated through hard work, dedication, and a positive attitude. It is a mindset that allows us to reach our highest potential and become our best selves.

It is my belief that the true greatness of a person is measured by their service to others. Christ modeled this during His time on earth. What opportunities have you created for yourself that impacts other positively? Have you ever processed the works of your greatness by the impact it has on others? Greatness and service to others go hand in hand because they both involve taking action to benefit a larger cause. Greatness is typically achieved through doing something extraordinary or unique that has a lasting impact on society, while service to others involves doing something to help another person or group of people.

With all this talk about greatness and service, you may be wondering how do I tap into my greatness? Great question! So now that you know what greatness is, what are you passionate about? What social issues are close to your heart? Passion which leads to greatness is found through involvement. What have you been involved with lately? Whether you realize it or not, you are always making an impact on others. The question is whether or not your impact is positive or negative. In most cases, you're already in the beginning stages of greatness. Reflect on what moves you to a specific action. In addition, knowing the why behind the action will push you to action that becomes impactful and meaningful.

So, I will ask you the question again; how do you define greatness? Does your definition include servitude? These are questions that I’m challenging you to reflect on as you build your brand and ultimately your legacy! Greatness is within us all, waiting to be unlocked. Both greatness and service require a dedication to a purpose and a willingness to put the needs of others ahead of one's own. The road to greatness won't always be a smooth one and during those times of roughness and difficulty, reflect on your why. Remember others need to see parts of your struggle to know that obtaining and operating in greatness is achievable. When an individual is willing to combine these two concepts, a lasting legacy of positive change will benefit everyone.

I challenge you to exemplify GREATNESS today! Remember greatness equals service and service equals involvement!

#OhHeyYall #melantedblogger #purpose #work

#Service #Greatness #Quavo #RestInPeaceTakeOff #Migos