The Shameless Brand

  I haven’t written on a professional topic   in quite some time and leave it to LinkedIn to push some new definition or concept that has been widely done for years upon years in the workforce. However, with the continuous changes in the workf orce and the contribution  of social media influence , I thought it best to share  some of my own insigh t s on the N ew ly T rending and M ost Q uestioned “Quiet Quitting ”.  

  I t was a Monday  morning, very winter weather for the Midwestern state of Ohio and I was in the cru nch of my life. Usually, when I say that it’s a foreshadow of what's to come but looking back, I know if I didn’t make a move, I would have been stuck for many years to come. See, this Monday   wasn’t my normal Tuesday it was the deciding Monday  for many Mondays   to come. I t was “Move Da y ” , a nd not just around the corner or the next city over , it was the distant move that I had been mentally preparing for, since the day I left. It was all together; I promise I was not procrastinating as I usually would when big projects come down the pipeline. I had it all figured out....  

  Family and friends, I hope all is well. We are right where we need to be and for some, I am sure we aren’t feeling like that is a good thing. I will be the first one to admit, that this space that I have been in has been a bit strange. While there are a lot of good things happening, there is a lot of uncertainty taking place too. And while I find that to be comforting on one end, on the other I have this extreme annoyance and anger that boils down to sadness.

 Hello Family and Friends, I hope you are well and preparing for the season change ahead. Of course, there are many other things to prepare for, but in my effort to encourage you to do something different I would like to put one more thing on your mind. As you know, I am blessed to work in an environment that allows me to travel to different states each week. While I am hardly home, I have the pleasure to work with people from different walks of life, different life trials, and more importantly people who look differently from me. This for some can be difficult, but for me, I have found a way to talk to strangers in un strange ways. 

Good day family and friends,  I hope you are thriving as we are coming up on the last four months of the year and going after those things you stated at the top of the year. For me, I have been in a very interesting space. If I had to title it anything, it would possibly be a "Mental and Emotional Reset". I know that sounds deep, trust me it's been even deeper going through it. I'm sure you are wondering what I am speaking of, and to be honest if I could give it all the words in the world I still don't think it would capture the fullness, but since we are here I am going to give it a try.

  I t has been one month and seven days since I had experienced the greatest loss in my adult years, and while I do have air in my lungs and a sound mind to write to you, I can’t say that the feeling is a good one. However, I would love for you to know that today like all the others and prayerfully tomorrow, I am choosing gratitude. 

 Hello Family and Friends, It’s been a while but fret not I have been busy with life and the podcast. If you have not been keeping up, well I’d like to wonder what’s wrong with you (LOL). No seriously though, it seems to be an interesting year for us all. With all the things that are happening, rather recorded, or done in the dark we are all feeling the remnants of a world shut down, financial uncertainly, government assistance, and life. With all that in mind, I am constantly wondering about my mental health and the mental health of others. The constant painted smiles, the fluffy light tones, and the outfits that attempt to cover our wounds. I am constantly wondering if we are all suffering in some way and doing all that we can to hang on for a better day. I think of the heavy spider hanging by one piece of thread prior to landing on the ground, safety. Well, if that isn’t your story, please be sure to spread some love (and teach us your ways), but for the rest of us, I want you...

  Let me just start this blog post off humbly and honest, I am by no means an expert by degree or certification but I can offer some wisdom cause I have been around the “ Girls Trip “ block several times. And, I don’t want to toot my own horn, but let’s just say I am proud to offer this literary commentary on “Girl Tripping” Covid edition.   So, here’s my background; I am a funny, witty very esoteric woman who loves to travel. I am a nice glass of wine and a good book type of chick, but I come with my quirks. Timeliness and lacking guest service drive me nuts yet, I have a heart for the tardy. I believe I do well alone, but I’ve come to accept that alone is best friends with lonely and if you don’t define the two carefully, dark places will become familiar. Its really easy to make one moment the standard for others, be watchful of that.  

Often times I people watch. Rather in the mall, or on the job I find myself caught up starring at people and wondering why they do the things that they do. Perhaps it’s the psychology degree or just my inner desire to understand the human condition, I am constantly trying to understand what drives the human behavior.

We have all been there before. Rather it was just a moment in time or a year that just flew by, distractions are inevitable and no matter how focused we are, it happens. Writing this blog post is a bit different from my previous posts, typically I like to write from the conquered space rather the “its happening to me” space, but because it was so heavy on my heart, I am distracted and I am writing about distractions. While I don’t want to talk you out of being distracted, I do want to persuade you to be decided and focused so the distractions that come are less impacting.

I used to hear the shaking, the rattling, and the movements of my thoughts as I personally witnessed the season change. Not the actual four seasons of life, but the heart and mind season of my personal self. Since December of 2019, I knew there was something happening, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. First, it was the flood in my home, then it was my job denying me a bonus based on outside factors that I could not control, corona and now this. The “this” that I was thinking of was the silence of a new season.

S o, here we are .. Rather here I am. I had created all these plans and milestones. I planned to have my braces off before thirty, the second degree and the first degree holder in my family, completed by thirty. My skin glowing and hair flowing, by thirty. No kids and potentially dating, by thirty. Buying a condo, or another home, by thirty. Well folks, I completed 4.5 out of the rest. Let’s just say I had all these milestones, goals and plans and I hadn’t thought past graduation. I had to walk across the park in my cap and gown and post my “I finally made it” but I felt rather empty. . 

L ets go back a few weeks, in fact lets go back a few months. Last year even. What did you see? What was it that you were asking for and what were the things that you committed to memory and added to your prayers. Lets hang out here for a while, and just think. Its okay to smile, I know I am. I don't know about you but I had high hopes and big dreams. I wanted to launch this blog/brand and I wanted to move up in my career. I wasn't sure if that meant changing jobs, quitting my current job (cause yall know we love some pressure) or sticking with my job and fighting for the pay and position that I knew I deserved. I wasn ’ t to clear on the how, while the “ what ” was staring me in my face. I also wanted a beautiful love story that entailed countless dates (kinda tough with the six feet rule) and remain celibate (excellent for the new six feet rule) throughout the span of dating. I had another goal of buying a condo and to travel, again, anything that required me to leave my hom...

T his is the exact question I asked myself the first week of March 2020. Let us rewind and go back, November 2019 I was laying across my bed, something I rarely do. I was thinking, I was plotting ultimately, I was sad. I was sad for a variety of reasons, I just got my braces off, I traveled to Paris and I even remained celibate   I was turning thirty in a few months and the pressure of not being the vision that haunted me at night, was obviously getting to me. So, I laid there and created new visions (word to the wise, always create new visions). In my mind, I would be celebrating my birthday in some tropical place and drinking wine on someone’s island. I figured the middle of the month I would focus on eating clean and laughing with the girls. I saw travel, love and happiness all throughout the visions I created. People, 2020 was going to be my year. I declared it, I decreed it, I prayed for it, I tried to fast for it. Sis, was committed.