New Beginnings

I love the first day of every week, every month, every quarter and certainly every new year! It’s a time I associate with “New Beginnings.” A chance to hit the reset button, to start all over again, to get it right, whatever ‘it’ means for you. You can leave yesterday’s mistakes, troubles, issues, problems and yes even successes behind and focus on the future  – what you want it to look like, how you will get there, who you will take with you and what you will leave behind! Oddly enough this month, the theme of “New Beginnings” is resonating with me during the middle of a month, which is not my usual “routine”.

I honestly have no idea why I’m writing this or who it’s for – it could very well be just for me. As I reflect on the song linked above, I am reminded that every day presents a chance, an opportunity for new beginnings. We can change our path, our trajectory, the way we think, what we think about and sometimes even the outcome of most things in our life by making a simple decision to start all over again. The decision we make is that today will be a new beginning for me, for my family, for my community, for my work environment, for my relationships, for my church, for my sorority, or for whom/whatever I choose! As the song says, this is,

my future, my blessing, my promise, my reward

So yes, you can start all over again! No matter where you are, where you stopped, what direction you were going in, what you have been through, or whether you have completed the task or not! We can all chose to have a new beginning every day.

Here are a few quotes to inspire you to start your very own new beginning and to think about what a new beginning looks like and means for you. Quotes are courtesy of Iyanla Vanzant. Pick one that resonates with you the most today (tomorrow’s answer maybe different) and use that as an anchor for your new beginning. I highlighted a few in green that stood out for me.

  1. “When we start the day with a spirit of joy, openness, peace and love, we put the universe on alert, we want more of the same.”
  2. “No matter what is going on in your life today, remember, it is only preparation for better things.”
  3. “Do not allow yesterday’s garbage to influence your experience today. It is unnecessary to punish yourself for being human.”
  4. “Forgiveness fosters growth, learning, and healing.”
  5. “What you tell yourself about yourself, about your life, about your limitations, you will believe.”
  6. “Each day, focus your attention on what you want. Each day, take one step that will bring you closer to it.”
  7. “Your life is a reflection of what you believe. If you really believe something can stop you, it will.”
  8. “All things are possible! The key is to identify what you want, claim it for yourself, and believe that you are worthy to have it.”
  9. “Give of yourself, your knowledge and the information you have received, then prepare yourself for an outpouring of blessing.”
  10. “Just do what you do and do it well. Stop worrying about what other people are doing, or what they will say about what you are doing.”
  11. “Be aware of how you treat yourself, because you set the standard for others.”
  12. “You are powerful. Stand up in your power! Embrace your power! Serve the world by bringing your power into your life.”
  13. “You have a right to say no…Your ‘no’ muscle has to be built up to get to a place where you can say, ‘I don’t care if that’s what you want. I don’t want that. No.’ “
  14. “The process of life is ever guiding you, pushing you, preparing you for the next part of the process.”
  15. “You know how to make it through the ups and downs, the good times and the hard times. You have done it before. You will do it again!”

XoXo 💞 BriAlys

What I Read Every Day

powerIt doesn’t have to be a book, although I do LOVE books – I get it from my mama! – mostly on my Kindle; but, sometimes I like to buy a hard copy, just to get that old school feel. (side note: I’m currently reading Flash Boys and just bought Instinct. I really wish some publisher would offer book + digital combination. Why? Because sometimes you want the best of both worlds!) Now, back to the subject at hand… I’ve told you how much I LOVE Wi-Fi and the Internet! It’s mainly because information flows freely and anything you want to know can be answered with a quick Google/Bing/Siri search. That means I can KNOW and LEARN about anything my heard desires for FREE! I really am an information junkie

There are a few blogs/sites I Read Every Single Day so I thought I’d share them with you because IThemAll! Before we dive into the details, I want share HOW I get this information. Some people have a tendency to follow a site on Twitter or to sign up for emails (which are all fine), but chances are you’re following a lot of people and it’s hard to keep up. I use Feedly, a RSS feeder (with mobile apps), because for these sites in particular, I don’t want to miss a single story and I like have all of my favorites in a single place. Do what works for you!

So, without further ado: Here’s what I read daily:

Money Tips Network: (10+ years) I’ve been following some of the financial bloggers in this group before it even became a Network (2009). “Our goal is to educate the public with honest and helpful money tips from the most trusted personal finance blogs.” There’s no Twitter feed (negative), but you can sign up for email newsletters or add it to your RSS feed. Each day you’ll get a collection of articles about #AllThingsMoney from credit, to grocery shopping, buying a house, saving for retirement – and much much more!

Mashable: (10+ years) My Go-To site for #AllThingsTech. Mashable is a source for news, information & resources for the Connected Generation. Mashable reports on the importance of digital innovation and how it empowers and inspires people around the world

She Reads Truth: (6 months) A handful of women manage the site and write reading plans, focusing on the grace of Jesus and needy of the Holy Spirit moving in our lives. #AllThingsFaith

Healthy Women: (2+ years) The nation’s leading independent health information source for women. Their core mission is to educate, inform and empower women to make smart health choices for themselves and their families. #AllThingsHealth

Early Retirement Extreme: (3+ months) This is my newest addition that I wrote about before! ERE is a movement of individuals integrating ideas from anti-consumerismDIY, the Renaissance man idealhome economicsindividualismenvironmentalism, and rentier capitalism toward the goal of achieving financial independence extremely rapidly. #AllThingsMoney

So there you have it! Pick a site that you like and commit to reading it every day! Reading every day could make you more successful! #ReadAnything

A t-shirt I bought (and still wear!) during a visit to the Library of Congress in DC (2010).

cannolive

 

Just Say No

The difference between successful people and very successful people is that very successful people say ‘no’ to almost everything.” (Warren Buffett)

While saying no could be a missed opportunity to build a relationship or explore new things, it’s also an opportunity to focus on what’s important to you! Remember, we started 2014 with You Is!

delinceThe author of the article writes, “I learned that there’s a big difference between pleasing people and helping them. Being a giver is not about saying yes to all of the people all of the time to all of the requests. It’s about saying yes to some of the people (not the selfish takers) some of the time (when it won’t compromise your own goals and ambitions) to some of the requests (when you have resources or skills that are uniquely relevant).

The following tips from Time focus on ways to say no without burning bridges and jeopardizing your reputation. Use these tips while on or off the job!

  1. The Deferral: “I’m swamped right now, but feel free to follow up”

  2. The Referral: “I’m not qualified to do what you’re asking, but here’s something else”

  3. The Introduction: “This isn’t in my wheelhouse, but I know someone who might be helpful”

  4. The Bridge: “You two are working toward common goals”

  5. The Triage: “Meet my colleague, who will set up a time to chat.”

  6. The Batch: “Others have posed the same question, so let’s chat together”

  7. Relational Account: “If I helped you, I’d be letting others down”

Once you’ve exhausted all possibilities you’re left with number #8 The Learning Opportunity: “I’m sorry to disappoint. One of my goals for this year is to improve my ability to say no—you are a tough audience. I suppose it’s good practice…”

Christianity2Go

Earlier today my friend/sister/soror sent me photos of a great article in a Christian Magazine (guest post coming soon!) I Googled the title (see Commandment #3) and found that magazine as well as a few others I thought I’d share with you. The good news? They’re all available online! Click on the images below to get to the latest edition on your mobile device!

BTW: I’ve been on this “2Go” kick (for me it means mobility). See Books2Go, Fashion2Go

joycemeyerjesseduplantisjoelosteen