Twenty-Nine

So, yesterday I had a mini-melty. Life is funny. About six months ago, I made a mental note that I had 6 months until my 29th birthday. I failed to continue to add an additional month as time progressed. So essentially, I’ve been walking around thinking to myself that I have 6 months until my 29th birthday. Right up until yesterday, when it actually hit me.

I don’t have six months. I’m right right inside of one month. And I’ve spent the last 24hrs. trying to figure out how I feel about that. On the one hand, it will be a blessing to see another year. On the other hand, 29 is a totally loaded year for me.

To say the least, I spent the earlier part of my twenties assuming that I would be married by 28, so my vision of the time period was built around my future family (even if that was just me and my husband) in a very abstract way. See the theme here?

So there’s this whole idea that people don’t plan to fail, it’s that they fail to plan, and I guess my retort for that is where does God fit into all that?

See in theory, yes, I could have had a plan. A freaking air tight, knock their socks off kind of plan, professionally, personally, spiritually and so on. But, there’s still the reality of God’s good and perfect plan. A plan that may not add up to the timeline you or I have preset. So I ask, how does it all work? lol

I’d love for this to be a post that was the reflection of some incredible breakthrough, but the truth is that I’m literally going along for God’s ride at this point, and if nothing else, I can honestly say that that has been the most beneficial change in mindset I’ve had up until now.

That’s not to say that I don’t still have a vision of what a happy life looks like or that I haven’t set goals for myself. It’s just that it’s exhausting trying to figure out the answers to questions that maybe aren’t meant to be answered yet.

Picture your season of whatever it is you’re waiting for as a college course. You go to class two times a week. You receive a lecture, projects, etc. from the professor and then midway or at the end of the semester you have exams.

The only thing that matters more than showing up for the exam, is the preparation that goes into, right? If you never read the syllabus, never went to class, never exchanged ideas with fellow classmates, showing up for the exam would almost be a waste of time –short of luck and favor, and trust me, I’ve been the beneficiary of both on many occasions haha

Nonetheless, that concept of the course is the root behind my overall outlook these days. The professor does not consult with the students about the syllabus prior to putting it together. They just do it, and if they decide to make a change to the curriculum there’s a high probability that once again the class will be informed of the change and expected to abide accordingly.

People always say be careful what you ask for, and I think it’s for good reason. What if you got that awesome opportunity, or met that once in a lifetime person prematurely? It creates a bit of a pipe dream, but there might be something to be said about trusting that everything is working together for the good of God’s timing, even if the reality of it may frecken’ suck.

That job, significant other, breakthrough, or whatever, may be the equivalent of the professor standing up in front of everyone the second week of class to announce that you all would be taking the final exam that day. (God forbid. GOD FAHBID! *northeastern mom accent haha)

Anyway, the trigger behind this was my melty, but this post has been brewing for quite sometime. I just wasn’t really ready to talk about it, openly haha The best is yet to come. If you can relate, I’m sending my love your way! Hang in there!

Peace, Love & Sunshine ~Chels

Coffey Break Chat: Crticism

Hi guys!

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. I personally consider Thanksgiving the kickoff of the holiday season and true to the memes that have been flooding our timelines, it got me thinking about how much chit we take during the holidays sometimes. There’s extra pressure everywhere form the workplace to the home, and Lord knows that pressure doesn’t always bring out the best in us…

Today’s Coffey Break Chat is dedicated to the topic of criticism, and more importantly, how to separate the good from the bad. As always thanks for watching! Enjoy!

Peace, Love & Sunshine ~ Chels

Coffey Break Chat : Criticism

Calling All Creatives

View More: http://deunivory.pass.us/lifestylechelsea — Photo by Deun Ivory for compozition.org

Hey guys!

So my friend posted an article earlier today, 20 Things Only Highly Creative People Would Understand, and it literally made me feel like someone read my diary OUT LOUD. A few lines in and I knew I had to share. I could go on and on, but like I said, the article is basically my sentiments on a platter.

Check it:

11. They think and speak in stories.

Facts will never move the human heart like storytelling can. Highly creative people, especially artists, know this and weave stories into everything they do. It takes longer for them to explain something, explaining isn’t the point. The experience is.

12. They battle Resistance every day.

Steven Pressfield, author of The War of Art, writes:

“Most of us have two lives. The life we live, and the unlived life within us. Between the two stands Resistance.”

Highly creative people wake up every morning, fully aware of the need to grow and push themselves. But there is always the fear, Resistance as Pressfield calls it, that they don’t have what it takes. No matter how successful the person, that fear never goes away. They simply learn to deal with it, or not.

Curious to see the remaining 18? Read the full article, here + http://goo.gl/MSKpki

Thank you Josh for the share, and thank you Kevin Kaiser for the great read. Let’s see what Ken and Bren have to say about all of this haha Maybe I’ll go by the house, and act out all the numbers for them. Comedy and drama always seem to be the best form of communication with those two haha God bless my parents. They’ve been so patient over the years lol Hope you enjoy!

Good night you guys!

Peace, Love & Sunshine ~Chels

Travel Diary: Philly, NYC

Hey guys!

I spent 10 days back on the east coast, and Lord was it stressful haha. I’ve been trying to find a positive twist on how to recap our trip but in some cases, honesty really is the best policy. I recorded a Coffey Break Chat yesterday talking about planning and how God will completely shut down everything to get our attention and reroute us in the right direction.

Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way haha. There were really were a few truly amazing highlights that I’d love to share with you guys.

We started out in Philly to visit one of my bests at UPenn, that’s an Ivy League school btw for anyone who doesn’t know, still so proud! lol Then we made our way up to New York and bounced back and forth between the city and Scarsdale with our wonderful friends turned family, The Squadrons. We were later joined by sweet Zoe and spent a few wonderful days in the city with Josias.

I also picked up a full-on addiction to strawberries topped with Nutella, and Prison Break -thanks a lot Maddy + Netflix… Binge watching anything is not conducive to productivity in my humble opinion, so I’ve basically spent the last week trying to restore balance and boundaries back into my life haha

Over the next week, I’ll be rolling out daily highlights from the trip, and I’m so thankful to be racking up all these together time credits with Maddycita before she heads off for college.

Moral of the story? Resiliency is key. We can’t control what happens to us, but we can control how we react. Have a great week you guys!

Peace, Love & Sunshine ~Chels

First stop, Philly!

Bush Intercontinental: Houston – Philadelphia

Say It Loud

Hey guys!

A few week’s ago we had the pleasure of hosting one of the most beautiful displays of love I’ve seen to this day, a bridal shower for my dear friend Raisa and her fiance, Chris. In the midst of everything going on, I looked up and realized we had a house full of fabulous naturalistas. Wearing one’s hair in it’s natural state, which by definition to me is simply not having a relaxer, is about more than just looks. It’s a reflection of embracing one’s natural design whether that be in the form of an afro, twistout, blowout, protective style, the list goes on. What matters most is that for a people who have been told that they’re not enough for the longest, expressions of self-love and acceptance are totally worth celebrating.

Whenever something gets under my skin, the following quote comes to mind, be the change you want to see in this world, and one day it hit me like a ton of bricks. Why should I continue to allow myself to be disappointed by the media for it’s lack of appreciation for the full scope of black beauty, culture, and narratives? –Think solution, not problem. I have a voice, and I have a platform. Do something about it.

Join me in celebrating these queens for their instrumental roles in leading the way for a generation that needs to be consistently encouraged and reminded that they are more than enough. Say it loud! Enjoy!

Peace, Love & Sunshine ~Chels