Category: #FierceLiving@50

#FierceLiving Friday: My Dream of Becoming A Designer Happened Today!

Posted by on in #FierceLiving Friday, #FierceLiving@50, #ShopVIDAwithAL, VIDA, VIDA Voices2 Comments

Happy #FierceLiving Friday!

Guess what happened today? I officially realized my #FierceLivingat50 dream of becoming a designer when I wore my “Karma: One of Love’s Troubadours” scarf for the first time during my client meeting at Love ‘n’ Faith Cafe on 14th Street, NW, in DC.

image

In May, I partnered with VIDA to create a collection of four scarves that use artwork from my three books.

image

The “Karma” scarf I am wearing in the photos above incorporates my painting that appears on the cover of my yoga-inspired novel, Love’s Troubadours – Karma: Book One (available on Amazon.com). It celebrates a woman’s self-discovery journey and represents the main character in my novel.

image

Click here to learn more about my VIDA Voices scarf collection ($40 for each scarf).

#FierceLiving Friday: #FierceLivingat50 Lesson 6 OWNERSHIP

Posted by on in #FierceLiving Friday, #FierceLiving@50, Self-DiscoveryLeave a comment

image

Happy #FierceLiving Friday!

OWNERSHIP is #FierceLivingat50 Lesson 6. Last year, I was blessed to read Discovering Your Soul Signature by Panache Desai. Desai’s book and online offerings (videos and wisdom Facebook quotes) have guided me in my healing work and helped me fully grasp the importance of knowing and loving myself.

image

Through this process, I am learning to accept and embrace my strengths and weaknesses. The end result is me claiming and expressing ownership of my magnificence each and every day while realizing life is a journey and I’m a divine magnificent being in process. Check out artist Tim Okamura’s painting, Sunrise on U Street (2013). Okamura captured my soul signature in his work.
image

My photographer Leigh Mosley captured my soul signature during a 2008 photo shoot of my eight archetypes for my book, That Which Awakens Me: A Creative Woman’s Poetical Memoir of Self-Discovery (available on Amazon). Meet my Sapphire archetype below.
image

How are you claiming and expressing ownership of your life?

What does your soul signature look like?

Photo Credit: PanacheDesai.com, Leigh Mosley – http://www.leighmosley.com, and Tim Okamura

#FierceLiving Friday: #FierceLivingat50 Lesson 5 ENCOURAGEMENT

Posted by on in #FierceLiving Friday, #FierceLiving@50Leave a comment

Happy #FierceLiving Friday!

ENCOURAGEMENT is #FierceLivingat50  Lesson 5. Yesterday, my accountability partner Nia and I decided to go walking and talking in Wheaton Mall in Wheaton, Maryland (since it was cold outside and ABC Scandal was on hiatus!). During our hour-long walk, we laughed, shared, window shopped, danced in the aisles at DSW and the Guess Jeans store, smelled candles and tried lotions at Bed Bath & Beyond, drank the passion mint sample tea at the Teavana store (yummy), and talked about how we support each other. Our conversation  reminded me of the power we each have to encourage ourselves and each other.

image

image

image

That’s why I took some time today to text several family members and friends encouraging messages by author Panache Desai that I like to read on Facebook. How do you encourage yourself and others?

Photo Credit: Panache Desai

#FierceLiving Friday: #FierceLivingat50 Lesson 3 WELL-BEING

Posted by on in #FierceLiving Friday, #FierceLiving@50Leave a comment

image

Happy #FierceLiving Friday!

#FierceLivingat50 Lesson 3 is WELL-BEING. For me well-being encompasses my spiritual, emotional, physical, and financial health. On Wednesday, my Ameriprise financial advisor Judy Weathers invited me to attend a “Women and Wealth” seminar.
image

During the seminar, I found myself thinking about the many ways Judy has helped me create financial well-being by having a positive relationship with money, setting financial goals based on my life’s priorities, budgeting, saving, and investing. This month, we celebrated 12 years of working together. I am truly blessed to have her in my life. How do you define well-being?

#FierceLiving Friday: #FierceLivingat50 Lesson 2 RELATIONSHIPS

Posted by on in #FierceLiving Friday, #FierceLiving@50Leave a comment

Happy #FierceLiving Friday!

This week’s #FierceLivingat50 Lesson 2 focuses on RELATIONSHIPS. I have learned that relationships are some of my life’s greatest gifts. The relationship I have with parents is very special because we have been able to cultivate a great friendship.
image

Last year, my relationship and friendship with my father deepened when he invited me to help write his memoir about being a change agent with over 50 years of experience in race and diversity. To learn more about him, visit his blog: http://drjohnleeke.tumblr.com. Our writing journey officially began when we took a road trip to his alma mater, Indiana State University in Terre Haute (see photo collage). During the trip, he hired me to document his talks on race and diversity to three classes with social media. While we were at Indiana State University, he gave me a tour of the campus. He showed me the places where he and my mother met and fell in love just like his parents did 20 years earlier. We also visited his grandparents’ home and churches and many of his old stomping grounds in Terre Haute. Our road trip also gave us a chance to have some very honest conversations about writing a book together. Those conversations taught me how important it is to have patience with the process of listening and sharing. I continue to learn about and practice patience as we write his book. What have you learned from your relationships?

#FierceLiving Friday is back: #FierceLiving@50 Lesson 1 MINDFULNESS

Posted by on in #FierceLiving@502 Comments

#FierceLiving Friday is back on the blog with a special five-week series entitled #FierceLiving@50 Lessons. Each week, I’ll be sharing one of the five key lessons I have learned about fierce living. MINDFULNESS is #FierceLiving@50 Lesson 1. I started practicing mindfulness during my first meditation class in 1992. It is the practice of being present in the moment without judgment.

image

Since then, I have used a variety of breathing exercises, Buddhist meditation, mantra chanting, Reiki healing touch, and yoga to enhance my practice of mindfulness. They help me stay in the present moment where I can access stillness. Practicing mindfulness helps me communicate better with myself and others. Do you practice mindfulness?

Photo Credit: Leigh Mosley, http://www.leighmosley.com