“Just trying to make it dawg, somehow. Peeking through the blinds I see the sun now”- J.Cole

Well let me be the first to admit, as of now I’m looking through my blinds and all I see is snow and darkness. Grim, right?

Now, I know I write a lot about hope, faith and positivity. However, at this current moment I am feeling extremely low, hungry, and sleep-deprived. Yet, in the spirit of diligence, dedication, and pure-grind I am awake writing this. So may we find our way to inspiration together?

Lately, I’ve been working on my sense of gratitude, and I’ve been focusing on such for two reasons.

1 . End of the semester/finals week = complete and utter chaos which typically results in stress, frustration, poor work and cantankerous spirits. None of which I want nor will tolerate. For I thoroughly believe in the coined phrase “where there’s a will, there’s a way” meaning somehow I will complete this semester still winning.

2 .Lack of thankfulness leads to dissatisfaction/discontentment which creates a terrible sense of energy, and if you’ve read anything from me prior to this, than you know aura is everything! Your energy is what you bring to the table, it precedes you and lingers after your dismissal (therefore it’s essential you get it right). If you too like myself want to have a natural synergy with all that is around, than you must make sure you’re good within.

One way I’ve been achieving such is by monitoring my conversations with God, myself, and others. (Yes, I snuck “myself” in the middle because honestly 60% of my conversations on the daily basis is featuring me, myself and I. I spend a lot of time “solo-dolo” to debrief and consider my thoughts). I monitor the amount of complaints and the way in which I deliver them. Note: there’s a vast difference in venting to find a solution, and venting to dump. The second is rarely okay because while you’re dumping on one you’re probably neglecting to consider they too have their own struggles. But that’s a topic for another time. Back to it, shall we? I try to keep in consideration the amount of “venom”/complaints I’m spreading when talking to others.

Now, when speaking to God I let it rip! He’s the only person that receives a tell-all from these lips. Yet, I also don’t leave all my burdens of the day without giving thanks for the progression I’ve made (and that which is still in the processing stage), salvation, and love itself. I also try to read a passage of the bible a day (to keep a reference point in my spirit, just in case I need to recollect real quick).

I listen to uplifting music! Instead of playing whatever I feel like in the moment, I instead choose my musical choices with great care and thought. It’s often that people blow past their playlists as being important, however music is essential. It’s what we allow to infiltrate our minds, with this in the fore-front I try to primarily keep substance in my ears. Especially in times of great stress, it’s important that I’m building myself up and music is fine way to do such.

I like to keep a few worship playlist in heavy rotation to keep my mind focus on thankfulness. Bands: such as United Pursuit, Hillsong UNITED, Bethel Music and Housefires III have been among my favorites. I also attempt to keep some solid Rap in my repertoire. I am a lover of words, so lyricism is a great distraction for me when feeling stressed. Two great projects that I am both excited about and would recommend are J.Cole’s new project “4 Your Eyez Only” (if you’re anything like me and try to watch explicit language, the clean version of this album is just as good), and Trip Lee’s “The Waiting Room”, I also always keep a little Tupac in the mix as well (I’m big on music that promotes progression and change). I also suggest exploring other genres to find what best soothes you in times of stress. A plethora of genres often creates the perfect concoction to remedy lack of motivation.

Another practice that I’ve been prioritizing is looking at what’s ahead. What I mean by that is completely immersing myself into my future (by any means necessary). Whether that’s creating a vision board, journaling prayers regarding my desires, creating a business plan and etc.; for no matter the fashion (whatever/however) I’ve been dreaming. I’ve also realized that social media is great way to research businesses, and discover how some have achieved success. There’s isn’t much that isn’t published on Pinterest, nor is there much a celebrity of substance won’t tweet or blog. Podcast as well are a great way to gain knowledge. Please use this advanced time of social media to connect with those who are established, and better your chances of to achieving success.

And lastly, strive at all times. Keep the motto “No days off” in your mind, and always have a desire to progress in your passions, rather than settle for what’s currently available to you. Trust me, the grind never stops over this way. As I’ve been putting in extra work outside of classes, (revising old resumes and applying to every opportunity that seems beneficial) I’ve noticed growth and resilience in my work-ethic. It’s vital that you keep your dreams and long-term goals in front of you always. Life in terms of obligations and short-term goals have a way of choking out the bigger picture if you aren’t careful to protect.

So bless up and best wishes on completing this semester/quarter (for all my students) and another year for all my full-time adults.

Remember all tasks one at a time to keep your life in balance.

Artwork: Kelsey Escue.

http://www.kelseysq.com/