Joel Osteen: Attitude in Adversity

Hey Peeps!

I hope all is well with you and yours!

Last week I decided that I need to start my gratitude journal this weekend....I didn't start it lol but I will this week. I was reading last night about a lady and her manifestation box and I remembered that I had saved a shoe box a year ago to use as my Creation Box that I spoke about in this post THREE years ago! LOL

I didn't follow through with it three years ago so my plan last year was to do it....I was having so many issues in my living situation last year that I never got around to tapping into my vision for my life. But I need to get more serious about it because I'm finding it difficulty these days to continue living in mediocrity as if it's okay for me. And it's not!

I figured the best way for me to maintain sanity while I wait on my blessings is to forever keep an attitude of gratitude. When I get frustrated which seems to be daily....these people in New York will test you consistently honey....I need to remind myself that this is only temporary and my break through is coming however I have to remain faithful and grateful.

Joel Osteen touched on it in his message that you can read below. Until next time.....

Stay Blessed...Stay Tuned

Attitude in Adversity TODAY’S SCRIPTURE “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.” (Habakkuk 3:17–18, NIV) TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria We all face challenges, difficulties and times when things don’t go our way. God doesn’t send these storms, but He will allow us to go through certain things in order to shape our character and prove our faith. Really, it’s in our times of difficulty that we grow and develop. God wants to use the tough times in our lives to do a work in us. He wants to strengthen and develop us. Our attitude in times of adversity is the evidence of our maturity. Are we going to treat people right even when we’re being mistreated? Are we going to stay full of joy even when the bottom falls out? Are we going to be faithful even in the dry seasons of our lives when we don’t see anything good happening? It may take more effort. You may have to work harder to keep a good attitude, but remember, attitude and faith in God is the key to your promotion. As you keep that positive attitude of faith and expectancy, even in times of adversity, God will deliver you and move you forward into the destiny He has prepared for you! A PRAYER FOR TODAY Father, I want to grow spiritually and be more like You. I choose to trust You in times of adversity knowing that You are working things out for my good. Renew a right attitude in me by Your Spirit in Jesus’ name. Amen. — Joel & Victoria Osteen © 2013 Joel Osteen Ministries

How To Live A Legendary Life!

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Hep Peeps!

So I don't know about you but I honestly believe that I was born to do something great with my life. Although I was born into mediocrity, I don't believe that I was created to stay in it. I believe that my attitude, my way of thinking, and the thoughts/behaviors/habits that have been embedded in me over the course of my life has created my current existence. I WANT TO CHANGE!

I want to change the way I live, I want to change the way I perceive things, I want to change the way I think and speak and react to my circumstances. I am litterally standing in my own way. Blocking my own blessings from manifesting.

All last week the message that I was hearing over and over again was: change your mindset! change your mindset!

Why haven't things I prayed for manifested in my life yet? Well I don't know the exact answer to that question only God knows, but one thing that was brought to my attention was that, most times when those things that are for us does not manifest is because of unbelief. We have the faith but we can also have unbelief. This message is talked about in more detail by Creflo Dollar. You can listen to the message in this four part series on YouTube:

I bought Joyce Meyer's book, Battlefield of the Mind: Winning the Battle in Your Mind a few years ago, I didn't read all of it, but I just started it again last week. She has a updated version. I'm going to buy it for my mom and brother to read.

I am determined to change my mindset and my attitude so that I can get out of my own way. So that I can focus on God's promises over my life and not my problems. 

Another book that you may like is Lord, Change My Attitude: Before It's Too Late by James MacDonald. 

*please note the links to these two books are affiliate links

Now if you are looking for a free book that is full of wonderful advice and something that I thought was really good and straight to the point, then check out Johnny B Truant's book, How to Be Legendary. You can find it on his website. I listen to Johnny's videos on YouTube, the Self Publishing Podcast and the Bigger Better Stronger Faster Podcast. You should check those out too. Here is his YouTube Channel.

Here is a list of some of the main points of the How to Be Legendary book...some truths we've lost track of:

• You will get old and then you will die, so there’s no point in waiting and no point in hedging your biggest bets. It’s truly now or never.
• Almost anything is possible if you’re willing to be flexible about the problem and its solution, and if you’re willing to break some conventions.
• Nobody controls you but you. Nothing anyone does to you can ruin things for you unless you allow it to.
• Everything is simple, but very little is easy. If you fail, it will be due to lack of effort and persistence, not lack of knowledge.
• Nobody is “normal,” so you should stop trying to be normal, too.
• Wanting more does not make you ungrateful for what you have. Receiving more does not take something away from someone else.
• Satisfaction often comes at the cost of some discomfort, but it is always worth it.
• You cannot fail. You can only quit.
• You already know everything you need to know to get everything you want. All that’s left is to do it.

I'm ready to live a legendary life! No more mediocrity for me homie! lol

Live your best life! Be the best version of YOURSELF you can possibly be! Get out of your own way! and GO GET YOUR BLESSINGS!!!

As always...

Stay Blessed....Stay Tuned

The Wedding Date: New Adult Contemporary Romance Novella
Available Now at following retailers:
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Create Identity Based Habits for Success!!

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Hey Peeps!!

So today I was listening to a video on YouTube about creating winning habits to become the best you can be. If you want to be a pro athlete, or a bestselling author (raises my hand), or CEO of your own company then you have to create the type of habits that those people who have those titles would do.

You can check on the video here:





One of the guys in the video, James Clear, spoke about creating Identity Based Habits. An identity based habit is more effective than a performance or appearance based habit. Basically, if you want to achieve a goal then you must create the habits to reach that goal. Say your goal is to lose 10 pounds so that you can be more fit and healthy. What are the characteristics of a fit and healthy person? That person would most likely be someone that works out on a regular basis, consumes healthy food on a daily basis, etc.

Now in order to reach your goal of losing 10 pounds, you need to change your behavior and habits into that of a fit and healthy person, once you do that, then you will eventually achieve your ultimate goal of losing those 10 pounds. The point I'm trying to make is you must become the person you want to be before you become the person you want to be. Does that make since?

Take my situation for instance, I want to become a bestselling author. I must now adapt the behavior of a bestselling author before I even hold the title bestselling author. So I ask myself, what type of person is a bestselling author? I don't know a lot of bestselling authors personally but I would conclude that a bestselling author is someone that is disciplined, meet deadlines, produces quality work on a regular basis, looks at writing as his career and take it seriously, knows that if he doesn't write he doesn't eat, and practies his craft on a daily basis.

Now if my ultimate goal is the be a bestselling author, what habits can I start creating in my life that will get me one step closer to my ultimate goal? In order words, I have to create the habits that someone would attribute to a bestselling author.

My plan going forward:

Write daily whether I want to or not. A professional doesn't show up to work only when inspired or motivated to go to work. If that was the case they wouldn't keep the job long. If I want to get a paycheck I show up for work and work. I invest approximately 50 hours per week into someone else's dream i.e. my day job. I must invest in my dream career as much time and effort as I do in my day job if I want to eventually be my own boss and have a self-sustaining business.

Produce quality work. This comes with time and practice. The more I write the better I get. The more I learn and apply what I learn, the better I get.

Don't focus on my sales. This is a big one for me because I haven't been displaying patience with my writing career. I have been comparing myself to others that have more sales monthly than I have. I wanted instant stardom so that I could quit my day job and have more freedom. Well it doesn't work that way for everyone...for most people. So it may take me longer to quit the day job than I had hoped for but that's just a price I have to pay if I want to reach my goal and focusing on my sales and how much longer I will have to go before reaching my ultimate goal only hinders me from being productive. If I'm not productive then I will DEFINITELY not become a bestselling author. My work will eventually find an audience but if they don't have more than one book to read from me...then my chances of making this a fulltime career is slim to none.

Stop worrying about how long it's going to take. This a marathon not a sprint. I need to focus on the process and not worry about how long it's going to take to reach the finish line. God works on his own timeline not mine. So what he has for me is mine but it's up to me to remain patient with the path he has me on and not give up just because I don't think it's coming fast enough. He knows the big picture, I can only see what is currently in front of me. So I need to trust that my steps are being perfectly ordered on my path.

Continue to pray that God leds me to live out my purpose for my life. Being a bestselling author is what I desire for my life and career. But I know that whatever God has in store for me is the best for me. I will continue to pursue my career as an author giving 120% and if for some reason this was not God's ultimate plan for me, then I will at least know, I was fully committed.

Get fully committed to fulfiling your dreams. Get fully committed to creating the habits of the person that you want to become. And keep praying that God order your steps so that you can fulfill your purpose.

For more information on creating Identity Based habits, check out James Clear's website. You can download the PDF for free on his site. I think you may have to give your email address.

Until next time my loves!
Stay Blessed....Stay Tuned



The Wedding Date: New Adult Contemporary Romance Novella
Available Now at following retailers:
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What's Your Ideal Lifestyle?!

Other than living in perfect health with my family and close friends by my side....my ULTIMATE goals in life boil down to these top 3:

1) Financial Freedom! Money is never an issue!

2) Travel the world whenever and wherever without any financial or time restraints!

3) Never wake up to an alarm clock unless it's for important meetings or to catch my flight!


It's not impossible because I know people, not personally, that had the same exact three goals and they have accomplished all three!

I'm just waiting on my day!

The key to reaching these goals..........................I'll report back on that one once I have reached them ha!

But I can tell you that I plan to embrace the process, embrace the small beginnings, perfect my gift, and FULLY COMMIT to making it happen! I have to give 120% and make the right decisions, smart decisions, and whatever sacrifices are necessary because I refuse to live in mediocrity when I know I was born for GREATNESS!!

Stay Encouraged

Stay Blessed.....Stay Tuned!

BELIEVE IN YOUR DREAMS!

Hey Everyone,

okay....this post may be long! ha!

A LOT has been going on in Yogi's World the past few months....a lot of changes. First off, 2012 was a challenging year for me...major changes personally that had a serious effect on me spiritually.

I was in a very dramatic situation with a guy that I had to remove myself from...I cannot, do not, will not tolerate any negative energy that keeps me from being the kind and loving person that I am. I don't like arguing and been upset all the time. So that's over!

I moved from my apartment in Feb. 2012, after living on my own for 5 years. With my current job, I don't make enough to do what I want to do financially as far as: living on my own (NY is expensive if you want to live in a decent area), save my target goal every month, have an active social life with my family and friends, and do something that I've been wanting to do for 9 years...travel!! So I decided to move into a roommate situation. Long story short, I ended up in a less than ideal situation....I can't tell you how many times I cried missing my old apartment and disliking my new roommates. I started looking for a new place to stay last June, every where I went was not to my liking and it was extremely frustrating to say the least. I was getting upset and angry about the situation because this was the first time that I had wanted to move and had not been able to find a place in two weeks or less. 

It really tested my faith. I eventually decided to just stay put until May of this year, and start the process of looking for a place again. Well the Lord had another plan, long story short :-) a few hours after I said that...I get word about an apartment for a Jan. move in date!! SO I moved mid-Jan into an apartment with my friend and I absolutely love the place!! Finally, I'm living in peace again hoping to stay put for a few years!! 

Moral of the story, your delay is not a denial. If God has pulled you through before, then rest assured he will do it again, just may not be on your schedule but IT WILL ALWAYS BE ON TIME!! He's perfect like that! :-)

So...another thing (as if this post wasn't long enough) I've always been a writer, I started writing poetry at age 14, I now have two e-books published with my poetry: Blues of A Sister and Life's Journey.  I plan to complete a third one by the end of 2014. With that said, I decided in 2011 that I wanted to make a living as a writer, I started researching ways to do that, I spent a lot of money in the process. Nothing that I read really touched me sort of speak with a strong sense that "hey yea I can do that". It was all about non-fiction methods to make money. Then one day, I came across this one program called Kindling by Geoff Shaw while reading Tiffany Dow's blog. Geoff was the only internet marketer that really pushed going the fiction route as a means to make money as a writer.

Long story short, (I know I keep saying that ha!) I decided I'll try my hand at writing fiction stories. I knew I was great at writing poetry, and I had written a short story before, but it was about 2 pages long lol! It has been a dream of mine and I am more than proud to say that I am pursuing that dream!! I started on my journey as a self-published author a few months ago, but living with those roommates really knocked all the motivation and determination, and drive out of me. I wasn't the same person I was when I was living on my own. The energy in that apartment was draining. A time when you should pray even harder...which used to be a challenge for me but I've managed to overcome that. 

In spite of my circumstances I published two romance novellas on Amazon and Barnes & Noble, under a pen name. To get my feet wet and well...truthfully, I published under a pen name out of fear that if I did fail then at least I wouldn't have my real name tied to it... lol (don't do that by the way...i.e. go into any endeavor with the anticipation of failing...I'm still learning :-))

All in all, I'm sooooo freaking proud of myself! I took a step towards my goals and my dreams. With those two stories I learned things about my writing that I need to work on which was minor. I am going to publish in the New Adult category mainly in the Romance genre, but I do have ideas for paranormal, urban fantasy, and women's fiction/chick lit. We'll see where my mind (and characters) take me. 

One goal of mine is to really get disciplined in writing daily while working a full-time job! Challenging but I'll do it!! I'm so excited that I am finally doing something that I enjoy and that I feel and believe can make a great future for me!!

I have not given up on my dream of acting, but I have decided that I would prefer a web-series since that was an idea of mine back in 2009. I just never had the means to put the web-series together but I won't give up on that either!


I said ALL of this to say: Keep believing in your dreams and fight for them no matter your circumstances!


Stay Blessed...stay tuned!!

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Gratitude Wednesday!!

Hi Everyone!!




Your Gratitude Statement for Today: "Father God, I
declare:  I am blessed because You are my God, my Lord and my Provider.  I magnify You, Lord, who takes pleasure in my prosperity.  No one has made me rich but Almighty God, in Jesus name, I thank you. Amen"




Stay Blessed My People!!




Much Love, Many Hugs, and Lots of Kissess!!

Gratitude Wednesday!

Hi Everyone!!


Your Gratitude Statement for Today: "Father God, thank you for delighting in my prosperity and only wanting the best for me, in Jesus name, Amen"


Stay Blessed My People!!


Much Love, Many Hugs, and Lots of Kissess!!

The Adjustment Bureau: Do We Have Free Will?

I watched the movie The Adjustment Bureau at a free screening last Tuesday. It was basically about our free will and an already written out plan for our lives.


I then received an email from Joel Osteen and his message that day was about God's plan for us. Here is an excerpt:


“Those who plan what is good find love and faithfulness”
(Proverbs 14:22b, NIV)


"The scripture doesn’t say, “Plan for good as long as the economy is booming.” It doesn’t say, “Plan for good as long as the housing market is strong.” It doesn’t say, “Plan for good as long as you aren’t facing any adversity.” No, we can plan for good because we serve a God who is good, and He is ready, willing and able to bring us through any adversity we face! Boldly plan for good today and watch God show up in the midst of your plans!"-Joel Osteen


Now my opinion about the whole Free Will vs Fate thing. I believe that God has a plan for all of us. And the plan consist of all good things. I believe that we go through tough times and trials to make us stronger and more prepared to handle the good and/or appreciate the good more when it does come into our life. I also believe we go through trials in order to draw us closer to God. By that I mean, some people tend to only seek Him when they are in need, and they tend to not give God that much attention when things are going well in their life. We have to give Him praise FOR ALL THINGS!!


I believe that there is a Divine plan with multiple outcomes. Your final destination is the promised land where you live abundantly. Abundance is our birthright. There are multiple outcomes based on what decisions we make.


The free will we have is basically our choice to serve God or not. Our free will is our choice to do good things or bad.


So yes there is a Divine Plan but we are also in charge of our own destiny. We are co-creators with our Father who lives inside of us. Depending on our choices in life we either walk the divine path to our promised land (with divine guidance & wisdom) or we walk our own path and either live a life of destruction or live a life that's less than fulfilling.


So when we ask for God's will to be done, we are simply asking for divine guidance and intelligence to make the right decisions because we know that His will for us is all good. His will for His children is one of abundance, peace, prosperity, wealth, perfect health and love. His way is the best way! His way is the perfect way!


We have the free will to choose whether or not to trust God and to put our trust in God! And I choose Him! I have an outline of what I plan to do with my life but I ask for God's guidance because I know whatever His divine plan is for me is what will make me the most fulfilled.


We only see half the picture, He sees the whole thing! Shoot He wrote the book, so of course He knows how the story ends! :-D


Stay Blessed my people and know that God only wants good things for you! Remember to praise Him through the storm and the sunny days! Keep your mind on Him and stay in gratitude!


God is a faithful God, he delights in our prosperity, He loves us unconditionally and He wants the best for us. Accept the victories that He has planned for you, no matter how hard the path may seem. In the end, we shall all be victorious, because we are children of the Most High!!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father in heaven, thank You for the good plan You have for my life. I choose Your plan and ask that You direct my mind and thoughts according to Your purposes. Fill me with Your peace and joy. I set my mind on You and boldly embrace the good things You have for me today. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

— Joel & Victoria Osteen

Change Your Life In 5 Minutes A Day!

Proverbs 18:21 says, “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit” (NIV). 


I received an email the other day from Joel Osteen that ties in perfect with what I've been talking about recently on my blog. Joel has this 31-day audio devotional called I Declare: Proclaiming the Promises of God Over Your Life. 


He suggest spending 5 minutes every day proclaiming God's promises over your life in order to change your life. If you speak favor over your life, and believe God's word will not come back to Him void, then the words you speak will come to pass.


I love Joel Osteen Ministries. This is currently my spiritual storehouse. 


I plan to get this dvd for my mom and brother as well. I encourage you to try it out!! It couldn't hurt. 


To learn more about I Declare please click here!


You have a choice everyday to speak life or death into your situation and circumstances!!


CHOOSE LIFE!!


You'll be grateful you did!!


Stay Blessed Playmates!!


Until Next Time...

5 Ways To Make Affirmations Work For You!

In my last post I said that I would give you some suggestions on what you can do to help you to bypass the mental war that some of us have when we try to change our thought patterns by using affirmations.


Here are 5 ways I think may help to make using affirmations easier for you:


#1 Use Gratitude Statements


We've all heard the statement, "I'll believe it when I see it" well, we must do the opposite when we are expecting to manifest God's promises for us. Believing is seeing! “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mk 11:22, 24) 


Now with affirmations you have to believe that what you desire is possible despite current circumstances or what your reality tells you, and you have to feel as if what you desire is already received. Gratitude helps you with the "feeling" part. When you thank God (or the Universe, Subconscious Mind, etc) you are believing that what you desire is already being fulfilled. It helps to combat that negative voice when you say, "Thank you Lord that I am healthier every day. Thank you that my body is renewed and restored. You created me so you know exactly how to make me whole"; versus just repeating the phrase, "I am healthy"; especially if you are in pain or you just got those test results that say differently. 


Gratitude statements reinforces your belief in God as your ultimate Source and Supply, to take care of you, to provide for all your needs and fulfill your heart's desires; and it just feels GOOD!! (well at least it does to me!)


#2 Use Questions instead of Statements


Sometimes our mind respond better to questions vs. statements because our mind is a problem solver naturally. If someone asks you a question our mind automatically go searching for the answer. When you make statements such as "I am wealthy" or "I am now skinny", your mind shouts back at you with statements like "You are not wealthy, you are in debt" or  "you are over weight, your diets never work", etc. So to keep that from happening, or at least minimize the chance of that happening, you should ask yourself questions incorporating what it is that you desire. 


For instance you would say, "Why I am so physically fit?" or "Why am I am my ideal weight?" or "Why is it so easy for me to drop these 15 pounds?" Asking yourself questions will send your mind in search for the answer. What you focus on appears in your reality. So if your mind is focused on answering the question of "Why is it so easy for me to drop these 15 pounds?" then you will soon find the answer. Noah St. John calls this method the Afformation Method, you can find out more here


#3 Use Keywords 


So everyone desires wealth, abundance, perfect health, true love, prosperity...all of the great things in life. Well if you would spend time just focusing on those keywords then you will eventually manifest those specific things into your life. God delights in our prosperity and only wants the best for us. He wants us to live a life of abundance. Abundance is our birthright. So every morning, throughout the day, and at night, affirm with faith and expectancy, keywords of the things you desire most in your life. 


If you are constantly repeating to yourself these words, especially when doubt, fear or any negative thoughts or emotions rear its ugly head, your mind will not fight you on this. If you want beautiful clear skin you come up with keywords that you would use to describe that "idea of beauty" to you. For example, divine beauty, flawless, radiant, beautiful, even toned, blemish-free...those are words that I would immediately associate with beautiful, clear skin. You may like to consider all encompassing keywords like, divine beauty, divine guidance, perfect health, harmonic wealth, financially independent etc.


#4 Use specific phrases and change the wording to "I intend" vs "I am"


Make sure that your affirmations are specific. You may say, "I am getting better and better everyday"...but you're getting better everyday in what exactly? Better at being late for work, better at smoking more cigarettes a day...what are you getting better in? Try something like, "Every day I take one step closer to achieving my ultimate goals" or "Every day I am one step closer to being smoke free." These statements are now specific and action oriented.


So if saying  "I am __________" is hard for you to believe, then let's switch it up a little bit. Let's use "I intend" or "I choose" instead. For example, I intend to be wealthy, I choose wealth, I intend to take the necessary steps daily to gain wealth, I intend to live a wealthy lifestyle.


#5 Use the 3rd Person Subconscious Truth Verifier


You're probably like what in the world is that?! ha!! 


To be honest with you I often talk to myself in 3rd person...I don't know why...that's just the way I am. Anyway, I was reading online about the "3-Person Subconscious Truth-Verifier" concept.  This concept tells you to state your affirmations in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd person all at once.


For example:


"Every day I take one step closer to achieving my ultimate goals"


"Every day you take one step closer to achieving your ultimate goals"


"Every day Yogi takes one step closer to achieving her ultimate goals"


Here's the reason this is helpful:


"One, when you state the affirmation in the 1st person, you are affirming something which you yourself know to be true.

Two, when you state the affirmation in the 2nd person, you are feeding that part of your mind which needs outside opinion to help form what you see yourself as. A part of us needs someone to verify our worth, to praise us, to confirm outside what we believe inside. This helps to fill that need.

Three, when you state the affirmation in the 3rd person, you are also still feeding that need mentioned above, but taken to another level. This time, it's as if we are eavesdropping on other people's opinions about us." -new-age-center.com




So there you have it folks!!! I hope this post was helpful to you....please let me know if you decide to read The Power of Your Subconscious Mind by Joseph Murphy and also let me know if any of these suggestions worked for you!


God Bless!!