by Apatterson | Jan 2, 2018 | Personal Growth, Relationships
Happy New Year! It’s the time of the year when we all feel like we have a fresh start. A new beginning. And it feels good.
You’ve perhaps made some intentions and goals such as losing weight, exercise more, get out of debt, make more money, better your relationships, go back to school, launch a business, expand your business, get a new job or promotion, find true love, get rid of what you thought was true love and etc.
Whatever your goals, you’re probably feeling pretty good right now. But how do you keep this good optimistic feeling throughout the year when life shows up unexpectedly and tries to throw you off course?
That’s the million dollar question, isn’t it? Because we’ve all been right here before. As a matter of fact, we were just here last year this time. And many of us got derailed and thrown off course.
How do we prevent this from happening again?
The answer is simple. You can’t prevent this from happening.
Life is about cycle and seasons. The natural world dances to the music of change, the day turning to night and the change of seasons. Understanding this universal law helps us to understand that whatever rises, will fall and rise again.
The winds of change will come this year. Just as it did last year and every year. It may come as a fierce hurricane, ripping through your heart, or a tender breeze that caresses your cheeks. Sometimes life can feel like a blessing and other times like a curse. It’s simply the truth.
How we master change is that we learn to align ourselves with the cycles of time. We do as the natural world does, we dance to the music of change. We become acutely aware of what’s happening so that we can make the right choices in alignment with the change.
This doesn’t mean that you will not achieve your goals that you’ve set for yourself. It simply means that you are readying yourself for what shows up so that it doesn’t derail you and prevent you from living your dreams. When you resist change or even try to force change before its time, you create more struggle. But when you learn to flow with change, align, be flexible, you will see your dreams unfold naturally.
You must know when to act, when to be still, when to talk, when to be silent, when to work, when to rest, when to build and when not to build. It’s called going deeper to find that reservoir of wisdom, courage and fearlessness that keeps you steady and moving in the right direction. I must warn you that you can’t always truthfully know what to do. Because you run the risk of giving into your erroneous beliefs and former programming that will always prevent you from moving forward.
This is why, this year, you will do something new…something different. You will align yourself with a mentor/coach to help you navigate through the waters of change. This person helps you to see your blind spots, new perspective and another way. Because if you don’t, you run the risk of sabotaging your success.
I would never attempt to navigate life without someone to help me. Someone who believes in me when I can’t believe in myself. Someone to hold that space for me to shine. I recommend that you do the same. If there was one thing that I would tell every woman to do this year, to ensure her success…it would be to find that one person to help her on the journey. It’s the game changer.
So, enjoy this season. It’s the best feeling to know that you have a new beginning. Remember this moment, because when the season begin to change, you want to take this feeling, this moment with you and move with the winds of change.
What’s the one thing you want for your life in 2018? Share it below.
by Apatterson | Dec 31, 2016 | Personal Growth
Over the past few days, I began reflecting upon 2016 and what it has taught me. It’s not always easy to sit back and reflect because you discover some pretty fascinating things, but you also discover some not so great things as well. My “Reflection Week: is a ritual that I do every year. I enclose myself in for a few days, stop talking so much and simply breathe and listen. My goal is to move into the new year without any baggage or overwhelm and with a whole lot of ease and grace.
This year has brought me many wonderful experiences, and some very painful experiences. So painful that all I could do at times was scream. Yes, scream! I’ve cried and I’ve laughed. There were many amazing victories and wins. I’ve met wonderful and amazing new friends, two new adorable grand babies were born this year, I’ve loved on my family and connected in deeper ways with them, my husband continued to love me in ways I’ve never imagined, I wonder as I look at my “not so perfect’ children….whom I see as “perfect.” That’s my right as a mother. I’m grateful for loving and supportive parents whom I love and adore and do my best to make their seasoned years joyful. I am eternally grateful for my Ida and Kandi who lead a powerful prayer team who prays day and night for me, my business and family. There were times when I could feel those prayers going up for me and holding me up when I simply couldn’t hold myself. The power of prayer is amazing. I’ve had some incredible team members who have helped me this year in my business. I’m truly blessed. So yes, 2016 has brought a rainbow of experiences for me and as I reflect upon the past 12 months of life. I can sum 2016 up in one word: “Opportunity”. Opportunity for Growth. Opportunity for Expansion.Opportunity for Acceptance.
I am sure we all have experienced many opportunities this year. How do I know? Because life has a way of forcing us to embrace many of the opportunities that come our way. My opportunity for Growth was both a result of me willing to embrace growth by setting aside times to read, pray, meditate, work with amazing mentors/coaches, attend trainings/conferences and experiencing many soulful conversations. But then there were times this year when I was forced to grow when crisis and challenges would show up in my life. There were times when I didn’t want to grow. I wanted to get in my bed the put the covers over my head and hope that when I awaken it all would go away. I would scream, I would write in my journal, I would talk about it to my closest friends and I would cry in my husband’s arms. Yet, when I was finished resisting these challenges and crisis, I would remember who I was and see them as opportunities to grow. The moment I stopped resisting, was the moment I could see clearly the lessons, the opportunities and the growth that was taking place in my life. I never said it was easy…but it was simple.
The next opportunity was that of Expansion. Now you may think that expansion is great. Right? Well for the most part it is, if you are ready for it. I discovered this year that I was not quite as ready as I’d hoped. As opportunities arrived for me to expand my business, there were times when I would resist. Opportunity met with resistance meant there was something deeper going on and I had to identify it. I learned that I was not comfortable with having the spotlight on me. As as former entertainment executive and talent agent, I’ve always played in the background and pushed the talent that I represented to the front. As as a success strategist, mentor, coach, author…it was easy to remain in the background. Even as a radio host and co-host of a tv show, I was interviewing others and spotlighting them.
When the opportunity arrived for me to do more speaking this year than I’ve ever done before, to host of my own national tv talk show, to become a regular on networks such as CNN and to write for a huge national publication, I paused. Yes, I paused. The person who is always pushing others to get out of their comfort zones and here I was not willing to step out of mine. I had created a really comfortable system in my business and I was okay. Doing pretty good in my business. Yet, my wonderful coach Robbie knew that I was playing it safe. LOL. You gotta love him. He left me a voice message and it reached deep in my soul. He saw in me something that I’d never saw before. It was huge, yet it was real and it resonated so deep within me that I could not deny it. Then another mentor of mine, Mr. Washington also left a message on my voicemail and it was as if he and Robbie had spoken. But they didn’t because they don’t know each other. And his message brought me to my knees. I could no longer deny or hide the gift that God had placed in me. In fact, I had become one of the gifts that God wanted to send into the world. This was a defining moment for me. It was the moment that I decided that I would never resist opportunities of expansions again. To expand my gifts, to expand my territories, to expand my business or to expand myself. I gave God an “Unconditional Yes.” I am so out of my comfort zone now that it’s really scary at times. The executive producer of my TV show, the amazing R & B legend Angie Stone, looked me in my eyes one day while we were shooting and she said, “You’re built for this.” I love this woman for seeing me what I dare not have seen in myself. You need a strong supporting cast of mentors, coaches and leaders. So here I am…living outside of my comfort zone because this is where I belong. I never said it was easy…but it was simple.
The final opportunity was that of Acceptance. There were so many things that I needed to accept and was not aware. You see, I believe that people can change. I really do. I believe in the goodness of people. I love people. But this year I had to accept the fact they many people simply will not change. Not change for me or live according to my expectations, but change in order to live the life they were meant to live. I had to accept the fact that I didn’t need to rescue or fix everyone’s problems. Even if it was in my power to do so. Because interfering would rob them of the very lessons they needed for their journey and grow in ways they needed. The final acceptance was letting go of people who no longer served my best interest. This was difficult because I love deeply. I am always looking for the best in others and I will over look flaws. But there comes a time when these flaws are not just harmful to the person, but harmful to me. I’ve also learn to accept life and not resist the flow of life or try to force the flow of life. Because this causes most of our struggles. As I learned to accept things, I’ve discovered a newfound level of peace and contentment. A level of serenity that I’ve not experienced before. And it feels great. I didn’t say it was easy…but it was simple.
I’ve tried my best to be honest and transparent with you. Sometimes when you are in the spotlight…lol…I gotta get use to that word. But when you are visible and you are empowering and inspiring others, people tend to think that you have it all together. That your life is perfect and you don’t have problems or challenges. That’s further from the truth. People also expect you to be perfect and I’m definitely not allowing that to happen to me. I make mistakes daily, I miss the mark often…yet, I’ve learn to get back up and start again. One thing for sure, I don’t quit. I will NEVER quit. I don’t put myself down, I don’t get upset because I error. I atone, I ask for forgiveness, I self correct, I shift, I change my perspective and I move forward. I want to encourage you to take a look at this past year and grab the biggest lessons you’ve learned and move forward into the new year with them.
I tell you all the time how much I want for you to win. And I do. If you knew how much I love you and want the best for all of you, you’d be surprised. I am so very grateful for you connecting with me and being apart of my online community, my tribe and my following. I’m deeply humbled that you would find some good and value in what offer. Because it’s from my deepest heart and soul. Thank you for your support. It’s my wish that you prosper, be in good health, find true love and be happy in the coming year. And the great thing about this, it’s not only possible for you, it’s inevitable. Happy New Year my dear Awakened Friends. I love you and I’m here for you.
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by Apatterson | Jan 1, 2016 | Personal Growth
I hope you are as excited about 2016 as I am. There’s something about new beginnings that gives me a feeling of calm and peace. Moving into a new year feels like having a blank sheet of paper and I get to write the story of my dreams. While to many this may seem like I’m simply talking, but truth is we all do get to write the story of our dreams. Not just in the new year, but in our daily lives as well. What if you really could manifest the life you want? What if there was a path, a Journey that you could take that would give you everything you’ve ever wanted?
I believe there is a Journey you can take that will create for you more abundance, more success and more love. But the question is, “Are you willing to take the Journey?” The Journey into the invisible roads inside of us. The road we have to travel beyond our obstacles to make our vision happen. The road we have to travel past our fears to our confidence. The road we have to travel past our feelings that we’re not good enough to know that we do count and we are supposed to be part of this world.
I’m also talking about the Journey to the invisible roads, the ones we have to travel past our suffering, our struggles, our disappointments, our betrayals back to who we really are. Back to love. You’ve travelled those roads, haven’t you? They are hard roads, and I have travelled all of them too.
But learning how to navigate those roads, to by-pass the barriers and barricades on those roads, that’s what I specialize in. I show up in people’s lives when they are ready to cross a threshold, make a great shift and to take the Journey. Someone once said, “The true role of a teacher is not to take you anywhere, but to help you pay attention to where you already are.” You are here because you are ready to take the Journey in 2016. To change your life. To have a different year than you had in 2015.
Are you willing to make the Journey to change your life? Let me tell you, that change is not going to come from anything outside of you. Not a vision board, not a list of goals that you want…but a deeper immersion into to very core essence of who you are and an awakening of your genius, your greatness and your gifts. You’ve got to take the Journey if you are going to live a different life in 2016. Are you ready for the Journey? Because in the end…It’s truly a Journey worth taking.
I would love to hear from you. How will you take the Journey? Please share your thoughts below.
