encouragement – Page 2 – Thee Heart of The Matter

8 Creative Women You Need To Follow

Posted on February 2, 2020February 2, 2020 by Bree in HOTM

In Honor of Black HERstory month, I’m highlighting the women in my life who inspire me daily, who keep me on my toes, who pray for me, and ultimately are on the quest to make an impact in this world.

Jacquelyn of Genuinely Jacq

She’s a PR Maven on the rise that keeps it real at all times! She creates amazing and organic content while looking classy and stylish too. What I love most about her content is that she is genuine through and through. She caters to the “Good Girl” in us all, as she debunks the stigma of Good Girl/Good Woman portrayed in media and every day life. She reminds you that it’s okay to strut to the beat of your own drum!

Rosie of @Roseavore

She’s the ultimate Boss Babe. She wears many hats, from writing poetry, to painting beautiful portraits, to community activism, to modeling, to her healing hands in massage therapy – Rosie effortlessly executes whatever she puts her mind to. What I love most about her content is that it’s edgy, screams the message of body positivity, and is informative. As she spearheads her nonprofit, the Compton Artist Alliance, she urges you to tap into your creative and intellectual genius. Continue reading “8 Creative Women You Need To Follow” →

The Navigation of Seasons

Posted on September 4, 2017January 3, 2020 by Bree in Latest, TwentySomethin`Struggles

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Romans 12:12

I have entered yet another transitional season of my life. This one seems extremely different than the first time around. I completed my graduate program in May and earned an MA in Counseling emphasis on Mental Health. Though I am extremely proud of my accomplishments, I am constantly asking: Where did the time go? I was literally in Kindergarten yesterday and now I’m officially out here in the world. Everything seems to be happening so fast. I have no idea what I’m doing and where I’ll end up next. Yet, that is the very question that I keep hearing now that I have graduated.

“So what do you want to do now?

“Are you going for your doctorate?”

“Do you have a job lined up?”

“Where are you going to live?”

Response in my head/Quote of the season: “I’m just tryna get my life together!”

Of course I give them a smile and say my spiel about going for my license, getting an intern number, and looking for a PAID position. All of which definitely won’t happen overnight. It’s a PROCESS!

On the other hand, I have also entered the season of my life where weddings, house housewarmings, and baby showers are main events.

You couldn’t tell me at sixteen that I wouldn’t be married to a chocolate King at 25 with my Benz, bomb two-story house, and Teacup Yorkie safely tucked away in my purse.

They say if you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans.

Continue reading “The Navigation of Seasons” →

When The Bird Leaves The Nest

Posted on August 15, 2016August 15, 2016 by Bree in Home, TwentySomethin`Struggles

There comes a time in your life when you have to start making your own decisions. You have to be confident in them, confident that you’re capable of making logical decisions and overall utilizing your own discernment.

Coming from a late night, I boarded my solo flight, took my seat and began to reflect on my capability of making decisions and the recent disagreement I had with my mom.

Last year I was inspired and encouraged by one of my professors to apply for Alternative Breaks (AB). AB is a program provided by LMU where they select a group of students to travel to various counties/countries in hopes of fighting one common goal — social justice. I quickly became interested and applied to become a group leader for the Mental Health trip. My good friend Lila and I applied, had our interviews and waited for the verdict. We knew that there could only be one leader, but we promised each other that we’d still participate no matter who got the position. Fast-forward a couple of months later many things were going on in the world from the continuous Police brutality resulting in the killings of my people, to terrorist attacks in my beloved Paris, Brussels, and beyond (…sadly things are still occurring).

Continue reading “When The Bird Leaves The Nest” →

The List

Posted on March 25, 2016March 25, 2016 by Bree in Home, TwentySomethin`Struggles

The older I’ve become, the longer My List has grown. If you don’t know what LIST I’m referring to, I’ll give you a quick example:

It’s the list we all create at age 16 where you plan out your entire life – down to the name of your unborn daughter, the future dog, honeymoon destination, and what type of car you’re going to drive.

Or even better – you played MASH which predicted your whole life all on one sheet of paper. No one couldn’t tell me that I wasn’t going to marry Morris Chestnut, Lance Gross, Dreux Frederic (Lil Fizz from B2K), and Patrick Breeding (of B5) all at the same time lol

The list that never comes true – yet it takes you on a whirlwind of ups, downs, doors shut in your face, as new ones are prepared and opened when you’re ready to receive what’s behind it.

Continue reading “The List” →

Shades of You

Posted on November 19, 2015January 5, 2016 by Bree in Home, PoetiqueSymetrie

To the quiet girl
I hear you
Most can’t fathom your beauty and the true essence of all that you have to offer because you have been drowned out by noise
I once was you, but then one day I found my voice
Stood up for myself in the most simplest of ways
All without having to get out of hand
Outta pocket neck rolls, hand claps, and witty snap backs
Shut it down with an act of kindness
A notion that is overlooked Continue reading “Shades of You” →

#SELFLOVE At Its Finest

Posted on November 10, 2015November 10, 2015 by Bree in Home

I’ve been working on this post for a while now, and one little class discussion took this over the edge for me. My heart breaks to see so many people (girls/women especially) constantly use negative self-talk, not love themselves unconditionally, and overall ignore the love that comes from within. In my Human Sexuality class my professor challenged everyone to get ‘Out of Their Comfort Zone’ and explore something they’ve never done before, totally alone. This varied from attending cultural festivals, interacting with people you wouldn’t normally speak to, attending a church/temple and a range of other activities. Last Tuesday, we had the chance to sit at the front of the class to share our experiences and how the assignment made us feel. Continue reading “#SELFLOVE At Its Finest” →

Gratitude

Posted on May 5, 2015May 5, 2015 by Bree in Home, TwentySomethin`Struggles

Life is funny. God definitely has a sense of humor because we go through countless trials, tribulations, successes, failures – all of which is part of His greater plan.

Yesterday the Devil tried to get me – attacking my psyche and filling it with nonsense. Have you ever IG stalked someone’s life? Lol I know it sounds crazy, but not necessarily stalked in the crazy sense rather you scrolled through all their pictures and looked at how beautiful their life has been portrayed to the world. Well I did that and ultimately felt as if the goals I have been striving for seemed minute in the grand scheme of things. This person was living the life I wanted, without even having a degree in hand. In no way am I criticizing people who didn’t go to college, or haven’t attained their degrees yet … but it can be discouraging sometimes when someone seems like (keyword: seems) they instantly got it – and I (you, me and the rest of the world) worked/ are working hard to even gain a little piece of it. In this I automatically thought about a line from one of my favorite songs by Tyrese’s, “Walk…A Poem”. I literally listen to this poem every morning before I start my day. This line summed up everything and brought me back to reality:

Continue reading “Gratitude” →

Give A Little PUSH!

Posted on April 24, 2015April 24, 2015 by Bree in Home

There are times when even though you constantly tell yourself positive affirmations – you STILL get overwhelmed, impatient, discouraged, stressed, the whole nine! Well … its buckle down time as the end of the school year vastly approaches. Stress is high, sleep is nonexistent, there’s coffee (for me it’s tea), study guides, final projects and papers. You find yourself asking the question: What is Life? How’d I get in this predicament? You’re counting down the days, months, or even years you have left until graduation.

You take that much needed 10 minute break from reality and someone texts you and gives a little PUSH. Continue reading “Give A Little PUSH!” →