Hey y'all! Your girl's been a bit under the weather lately, but I had to at least try to finish off the week by touching base! Hope everyone is good out there - big hellos to all the new readers and subscribers (likely thanks to cross-publication of some of my pieces on For Harriet and EvetteDionne), and a big heyyyy to all of my regular readers! Thanks for stickin' around :)
Even though I haven't been feeling well, some really good things have been in the works. This post will be a hodge-podge of all kinds of different things, but roll with me.
A while back, I read a post by Afrobella (who recently did a keynote speech at the TEDxPortOfSpain in Trinidad!) that talked about dealing with disappointment. This post has stuck with me ever since I read it, and whenever I have news to share, it runs across my mind before I open my mouth. One of Afrobella's key points was "Don't share what might happen - share what HAS happened", and I've started to live with this as one of my credos. A while back, I shared something that seemed like a sure shot - the opportunity to have one of my pieces published by The Printed Blog magazine. I had been back and forth with the editors - my piece had been reviewed, shortlisted, and finally had been selected for print. I knew it would take some time for me to get my hands on a copy of the magazine, but I felt sure enough to share the good news with y'all here, and with my people in real life. Unfortunately, I later received an email from the TPB editors that they ended up suffering from funding issues - both my hardcopy magazine and paycheque went up in smoke. Disappointment times a million.
On the bright side, some other new opportunities have crossed my path. In "Coming In From The Cold", Bob Marley sang "why do you look so sad and forsaken? When one door is closed don't you know, another is open?" - and this couldn't be more true. From writing gigs, to some on-screen opportunities and more, a lot of good things are on the way. Now, it's just time for me to 1) apply a discerning eye and figure out who's walkin' the walk and who's just talkin' the talk, and 2) show and prove. Disappointments are inevitable - but they will NOT stop you from achieving even bigger and better things.
Recently, I wrote about implementing the Law of Attraction - in case you missed that post, check it out here. I was talkin' the talk when I wrote it, but made sure that I walked the walk too so that I wouldn't be a hypocrite. I am here to report to you, that in some MAJOR ways, my thoughts became things - and I know that practicing the Law of Attraction played a huge role. Personally, HomieLoverFriend and I have been making some plans for the future, and needed a few key things to fall into place. I put my mind to it by asking for what we wanted, believing we would get it, and visualizing what it would be like when we received it - and lo and behold, we got the very thing we wanted. DISCLAIMER: No, I'm NOT pregnant. Lol!
Wonderful things also manifested themselves when I started working on my 2013 vision board and 30 for 30 bucket list. One of the items I put on both surrounded public speaking and being a mentor - and I got to indulge in those desires this week. I was asked to speak to the Ladies On The Rise mentorship group here in Toronto, and it was an amazing evening! About 25 girls aged 13-19, along with executive director Marcia Brown and coordinators Angela and Baasima, welcomed me at the North Kipling Junior Middle School, and we got down to business. First, I introduced myself and told the girls a bit about my personal journeys - school, work, blogging, writing, family, culture - then, we got into the task of learning about vision boards and creating a Ladies On The Rise vision board for 2013. They were creative, thoughtful, and energetic, and had TONS of questions for me about natural hair, marriage, school, goal attainment, and more. It was amazing to spend time with the group and show them a new way to look at going after their goals. I knew it was a success when I saw that a lot of them not only cut things out of magazines for the group board, but also for their own personal boards that they wanted to work on. It was such a feel-good evening!
So, there you have it. In a nutshell, that's what I've been up to the last little while, when I haven't been laid up in bed. If you haven't liked the '83 To Infinity Facebook page yet, make sure you do! I post lots of exclusives of what I'm up to, so you can keep up with me there!
So, how have y'all been? What's fun and new in your worlds? Tell me somethin' good like Chaka Khan and Rufus!