Keep Going!

Keep Going! 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2PcLIluG4d/?igsh=aGhhZG1peWV6OTZr

Came across this video this morning and the message is simple, never allow others to bring you down. Keep fighting, you’ve got this! #Resiliance 

Yea, yea, yea... I wrote that several days (April 14) ago and never published it! Shame on me. Needless to say, forming this habit of writing everyday has proven to be daunting as I knew it would be. Don't get me wrong, I write everyday because that is the nature of my job as an educator, however, my goal is to write something for myself everyday. 

Despite not publishing my thoughts on this particular subject last week, it is still relevant to my journey today.  Today is April 22, 2024 and Earth Day. I woke up this morning around the usual time, 4am... I'm not sure where and when that habit began. All I know is that I have yet to break it. I typically can't go back to sleep easily, so I just get up and start my day most times.  This is the time that I try to write. I have come to the conclusion that it is the best time to get this done while having coffee! My mind is clear and I can concentrate better before the day's madness sets in. 

The last few weeks at school have been chaotic to say the least. Kids have been fighting all over the place, we've started state testing, prom, state championships, etc... you name it, it's going on! My businesses have been slow, and I just haven't had the energy to really put the effort needed in them. I'm thinking about retiring more and more each day, but knowing that I can't financially even if it were time. I still have a couple of more years.  With that being said, I've been trying to learn more and more about investing into the stock market.  I opened an investment account during the pandemic and was contributing regularly up until I was fired from my job after the road rage incident. (I'll tell y'all about that later.) I don't contribute much each month, just $100 and round-ups... gotta start somewhere. I'm working on knocking down my CC debt. I will contribute more when I can... I allow Acorns to pick the first ETFs in my portfolio, but recently selected my first two... an energy company (can't remember the name right now) and META.  I've been following a fellow that goes by the moniker Wallstreet Trapper. He is a good teacher, relatable.  Follow him on Instagram here. 

Time to get ready to take on the world. Have a wonderful #Earthday🌎! Tell someone you love them! 💖

One more thing, I'm pretty excited about a couple of speaking events I have coming up! I will be the Mistress of Ceremony (MC) for the Lambda Nu Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.'s 50th chapter anniversary. I'm pretty excited about returning to the chapter I was initiated into 31 years ago tomorrow, April 23, 1993!🔺🐘  Later this summer, I will be a panelist and vendor for the DREAM Education Women's Empowerment Leadership Conference in Dallas, TX.  When it's your time, it's your time. Slow and steady is the pace... 

4/5/24 Running on Empty

 Yesterday I had the best intentions of writing. I'm trying to develop a routine to write something every day that is not work related. So, I had my ideas together for my topic and was playing around with the words that I wanted to put on canvas. But-umm guess what? I NEVER GOT OUT OF MY HEAD! 🤦🏽‍♀️

Today is a new day. New intentions and expectations have been set.  I wanted to put something down about friendships and how they evolve over time. The COVID pandemic of 2020 was a trying time for everyone. Relationships were formed while others dissolved. People had to come to harsh realities about their lives and how they were living them. We had to grapple with sickness, loneliness, and death. But, what a lot of us didn't expect, at least I didn't, was that many of our friendships/relationships were conditional or that they were just not as solid as we thought they were. 

Well that was yesterday (4/4) and I still didn't publish what I wrote! 🤦🏽‍♀️  At least I did write something! PROGRESS! Today my goal is to hit publish before the day ends! 🌞

Well it’s 11:43 pm and I am exhausted! Today was hectic at work, but I made it through thanks to my office mate, Kat.  Tomorrow will be just as busy. I will start the day at the high school for test prep;  after that I’m headed to sale some candles at PQC, my Alma mater. This weekend will kick off Founders Week. Tomorrow is the HS stepshow, and our step team will compete. Later in the evening is the National Pan-Hellenic Council Stepshow. Haven’t done that since undergrad. Wayyy too many people and too loud for me. 🤦🏽‍♀️ I’ve been an old lady for a long time! 😆 I’m rambling, so let me hit publish! Stay tuned and #SpeakLife 💋 

It's Not My Job... Oh, But It Is!

 It's Not My Job...

I'm kind of ashamed to say that I had this habit of saying, "That's not my job!" when it came to doing stuff that I just didn't want to do as a teacher. 

Like teaching stuff from the previous year or several years prior.

You know you've said it a time or two yourself!😜 We all do it. Well, guess what? It is our job to teach📚 whatever the babies need to know. It doesn't really matter if the previous teacher failed to do it. That is on them. It is up to you to pick up the slack where others left off. I know that it is unfair, but how else can you teach what you need to teach? This doesn't just apply to education and educators either. As you know, a lot slip through the cracks and these are the co-workers that you complain about. Show them grace... 💝

Yesterday was Easter Sunday and we celebrated my son's 29th birthday. Today is what most consider April Fool's Day. It is a day filled with jokes and pranks. I hope that everyone enjoys their day and will take everything in stride. Remember to #ShowGrace #SpeakLife. 

Hopefully, today I will be better about getting out of my own head and putting it down in writing. Being consistent is not easy.  It has to be intentional.  Set a goal and develop a routine... 

This was taken at the Great Wall of China in 2019 just about 7 months before the COVID shut down. 

 Develop a routine. Eat right. Enjoy life is what they tell you. Ha! Easier said than done right? 😂

The hardest thing for me to do lately is to decide how and what I want to do when I grow up?  I don't know if it is because I am getting close to retirement, yet I am still fairly young, or do I feel like I haven't tapped into my purpose yet. 

I have been doing this thing called education for so long that I am sure that I don't know anything else to do. To be quite honest, do I really want to do something brand new? Hell no! Why would I? I have put a lot of time and effort into my career.  Now, I am ready to do it my way. I have been afraid since I began this journey to do it on my own as an entrepreneur.  What I should have realized a long time ago is that I am a risk taker naturally and I am also resilient as hell! So, why has it taken me so long to make this decision? I don't know.  But, lately I have been hearing this one particular phrase in my head, GET OUT OF YOUR HEAD! That's a sign right? I need to stop over thinking and underperforming, and start standing on business! I started the year feeling a shift in the atmosphere. IT IS TIME TO MAKE ANOTHER LEAP OF FAITH. Let's see where this leap will land us. I'm super excited that you are here to talk it through and hash it out with me. It won't all be easy, in fact, I'm sure it will be quite challenging. Change is never easy. I am built for it though, so let's goooo! 

Why did I post this particular quote today? I posted it to concentrate on the last four words, "...that will support you." It's good to surround yourself with people that are positive, because good vibes are contagious.  I wanted to concentrate on the last four words because it is important that your circle genuinely supports you.  When I say genuinely, I mean like for real for real... like they aren't afraid to have difficult and hard conversations with you. I mean that they won't talk to everyone else about you except you. I mean the type of people that will hold you accountable. You know, those ride or die type people that want the best for all of you, they believe that iron sharpens iron, that we are stronger together. Not those fake ass friends that just want to be around you to see what you will do next... you know those folk that spy and despise, waiting on your demise.  Be very careful of those that smile in your face, but secretly mock and ridicule you with others when you aren't around. Be careful of the "Mean Girl" silliness that can come from these type relationships. 

At the beginning of this year, I chose a new theme for the year.  It's a simple formula, DISCIPLINE + FOCUS = INCREASE! This year I want to scale my candle business, Custom Candles by Daphne LLC, and add at least another stream of income by speaking and writing.  I have been talking about writing and publishing a book for years. Lawd knows I have enough material and experiences to write volumes! However, starting has been the biggest obstacle.  Call it procrastination of call it lack of focus... whatever it is, I've got to get out of my head and over it.  One of my late friends, Korey Davis, once told me to write something every day. Well, I am trying to honor your memory, Scoob, and do just that.  Develop a routine they say...