Desperate Times Call For…
First let me say that shit happens. But are you gonna allow it to cause you to fall and not get back up or fight through it? I am not a give up Queen. I fight and find ways to learn from every lesson life has sent my way. Every obstacle is meant to be conquered. Every obstacle is meant to make you stronger. Every obstacle is a lesson learned.
It’s Storytime:
I have been officially single for 2 years now. Which means I handle everything on my own. All of my financial obligations, personal care needs, health concerns and business decisions fall on my lap to handle each day. It’s been rough handling some of these aspects alone. Now the purpose of a relationship is not to have someone to carry the load for you but to be the ting to your yang and develop a bond seen after God’s heart. But man does it make it easier to manage things when you have a partner that cares.
Yes I’m proud of how far I’ve come. Yes I have so much more to accomplish. But right now, it feels like I’m robbing Peter to pay Paul in regards to finding ways to create a more comfortable balance between work demands, self care, travel, financial obligations and my mental health. At times it feels like I can’t do something to make room for something else which causes additional anguish and frustration knowing that I can’t do it all at the same time. Thankfully there are options available to help get out of certain circumstances but when it hits home it’s a hard pill to swallow. Lately I’ve been thinking about taking another leap of faith but man am I scared to do it. Financially it’s going to be a struggle for a few months. Once those first few months pass, I can see how this will open the door to sooo many more opportunities.
By definition, desperate can be a noun or an adjective surrounding the idea of having lost all hope, showing extreme urgency due to the lack of and/or being frightened and in need of. Desperate times may cause you to challenge yourself and search deep within yourself for a resolution that will benefit your future. Here are some questions I ask myself when the feeling of being lost begins to arise:
⁃ What caused this situation?
⁃ How can I comfortably get out of this situation?
⁃ How much time do I need realistically to turn this around?
⁃ What are the pros or the cons?
⁃ What lesson(s) am I going to learn from this?
⁃ What opportunities await me once I turn this situation around?
⁃ Did I cause this situation to occur due to an oversight or negligence?
Take This with a Grain of Salt:
Though this leap of faith scares me I can see the benefits that can yield from it. However, I’ll have to really weigh the options and figure out the best way to make it happen. God said to write the vision and make it plain. In other words, come up with a goal then write out the plan in extreme detail. Let’s say you want to open an Ice Cream shop. Here are some things you should consider doing, researching and asking yourself to ensure the vision is clear:
⁃ How many ice cream shops are in a 25 mile radius of where you want to be planted?
⁃ What is the cost to get the name, license, website, product, packaging, trademark, bank account fees, cashier/ inventory system and/or storage?
⁃ For the square footage of the location you want to acquire what will be the monthly rent, monthly water usage, monthly electric and monthly business insurance?
⁃ If a physical location is too expensive can you invest in a mobile option?
⁃ What will be the price point of your ice cream?
⁃ Will you offer monthly specials? Will the month specials cause you to lose money?
⁃ What monthly program can you create to ensure guaranteed generated revenue?
⁃ What will the marketing plan look like?
⁃ Is there a cost to the marketing plan? And for how long?
⁃ Can you operate this ice cream shop as a person of one or will you need to hire staff?
⁃ Can you afford to hire staff?
⁃ What sacrifices will you need to make in order to build out the ice cream shop and keep it afloat until it begins to become profitable?
There are soo many more aspects to cover when making the vision plain. Yet, it’s worth it!
This desperate time called for desperate measures but the level of clarity I am gaining from it is so worth it.
Shop the Look:
Any time I am feeling down, I love to play in my closet. Take a shower, moisture my skin, put on my favorite robe, turn on music that I can vibe to, light a candle and grab a drink of choice (water, matcha or wine). I walk into my room, open the closet door and just play. No rushing, just in my own creative space. Generally I try on items I havent worn in a while and look for different ways to create outfits from it.
This Summer I told myself that I want to explore more dress silhouettes. For those that know me, know I love a good dress. Lately I have been gravitating towards oversized midi dresses with a deeper V neck. There is something about the freedom of an oversized dress. To not worry about having to suck my stomach in or the dress enhancing parts of my body that I may feel insecure about in that moment. In this dress (pictured above), I opted for three different elements in one dress.
The neckline - went with a sweetheart neckline
The fit - a fitted bust with a hint of flare under the waistline
The hem - a subtle high low
The color of the dress immediately drew me in. It really compliments my skin tone. I good go to easy for everything kinda dress. From a garden wedding to an early dinner to church and you can wear it to church. Click here to shop the look
