Don't Settle

Don’t settle. It is just as simple as that. You did not come this far to settle. You did not wait this long to settle. You deserve the best. You are better than this. Don’t settle. Don’t get caught up in everyone else’s stuff. What is for you is for you. Wait for it! Trust me it’s worth it. Don’t give up. Don’t fret. It’s still yours. It’s coming. Just a lil’ while longer.

Excellence

I had the pleasure of throwing my mother a surprise 70th birthday yesterday. One word that kept coming up was excellence. My mother has always set a standard of excellence in both my life as well as those around us. She expects the best from herself and everyone around her. In grade school, “C’s” were unacceptable. She stressed that I was not average, and average was not God’s standard. When I started dating, she insisted that I pray and seek God’s best for my life. Good was nice. Better is okay, but God’s best was undeniable. That’s excellence. Excellence is God’s standard. It’s God’s best. It’s more than you think or ask. It’s abundance. Be excellent. Live in excellence.

Gain

The end of the year always makes me reflect. I reflect on the past year. I think about my victories and my losses. I think about my loved ones. I think about what I want to change, and what I can improve in the upcoming year. I try to set S.M.A.R.T (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant/results focused,time-based) goals. I really try to drive home all of the lessons of the previous year. Most importantly, I ask myself what have I gained? As you prepare to embark on this new year, how have you grown? What have you gained? 

Mark 8:36 (KJV) For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

Justice

It seems that the old adage, "what happens in the dark will come to light," is ringing true now more than ever. The past indiscretions of Hollywood executives, politicians, and other men in power is finally coming into the light. Women are coming forward about things that had been brushed under rugs and whispered about in back rooms. They are not just living their truth, but telling it as well. I applaud their efforts, but I wonder if they will ever have justice. I wonder if a slap on the wrist in an all boy's club will be enough. What does justice look like for these women?What does justice look like for the victims that never made headlines? What does justice look like for all the colored girls who considered suicide? What does justice look like for victims long buried?  
 

"I'm for truth, no matter who tells it. I'm for justice, no matter who it's for or against."- Malcolm X